I decided to stray away from the story a bit so that we have a thorough background about Christine's life before she met her Angel of Music

I decided to stray away from the story a bit so that we have a thorough background about Christine's life before she met her Angel of Music. Rereading chapter 3 and stopping at "life born into distress" made me ponder over my Christine's life and I wanted to elaborate how close Raoul is to Christine and vice versa. It adds more spice to the love triangle that's developing.

It's just a pacing chapter…read it or not, it's okay. It might not really have a lot to do with the story…it's in the third person omniscient but peering mostly into the thoughts of Christine. Setting was just before she was brought to the opera.

I don't own any of the characters here except the unfamiliar ones…pls Read and Review dear fanfickers

Here goes nothing.

He hit my mommy on the face and she stumbled down upon my feet. I had come into their room to bid them good night and kiss them both on the cheek as a good girl would do to her parents.

His action had taken me aback and I stared down at my mommy who didn't stir even when I nudged the back of her head. Limp.

"Christine!" my daddy growled at me and held me up by my arms. I'm screaming to let me go.

"What are you doing here?! Had I not told you to go to bed?!" he cried at me, veins protruding from the sides of his neck.

He threw me to the floor beside my mother and I ran out of there until I found myself jogging on the lonely and dark streets of Paris. There was one place I wanted to go. Raoul's manor. I had crept up his mansion before and I climbed up the vines on the house that led to his room. There, we shared stories from the north and boxes of chocolates until my mother would fetch me and we bade goodbye.

"G'bye, Little Lotte! See you in the morrow then, shall I?" little Raoul shouted from the mansion steps as my mother and I walked out the gate.

"So you shall, Prince of Diamonds!" Christine shouted back, endearing the names they gave each other.

Walking stealthily through the bar gates, Christine relished at the memory and walked faster, eager to be with her best friend. She climbed up the north side of the house for that was where Raoul's bed chamber was. She inwardly thanked Raoul for convincing his father to leave growing vines on his side of the house; it made climbing much, much easier.

She grunted as she heaved herself up the first vine, and the next, and the next, until she reached his bedroom window. Panting, she rapped softly on the glass to rouse Raoul from his slumber. He got up from bed, golden hair all tousled, and walked to the window to see what the noise was. He pulled the window up and just as his arms retracted back to his body, Christine jumped into his arms hugging him tightly and sobbing quietly.

"Christine! Little Lotte, why are you crying?" Raoul asked her, returning her hug. He waited for her to compose herself enough to say a few things. She eased out of the hug and faced him.

"H-he, hit m-my mother and he h-hit me too! Oh, Raoul!" Christine managed to say and buried her face into his chest once again.

"Your father?" Raoul asked and he felt her nod.

"Christine, let's get you inside. It must be very cold tonight! I'll lend you my night clothes so you can warm yourself," Raoul told Christine, who only realized then that she was drenched in the night's fog. She allowed him to lead her deeper into his chamber and he sat her down on the nearest chaise. She was still shivering from the cold so he moved quickly to his wardrobe to retrieve a thick woolen sweater, a pair of pajamas and socks. He told her to change into them and dutifully turned around while she did. When she had finished, he placed her wet clothes on the fence of the fireplace and returned to the chaise and spoke.

"Little Lotte, will you tell me everything that happened?" Raoul asked cajolingly, not wanting to force her to tell him what happened.

Christine wiped her nose on the sleeve of the sweater she wearing and began.

"Well, I went to their room to say good night but before I entered their room, I stopped at their door because I heard raised and heated voices.

'You never have time for your family anymore! All you care about is your music and your damned opera!' I heard my mother say. Then my father replied, 'Music is my life, Darietta! I thought you would understand that! I cannot live without music in my soul!'

'Well then can you live without Christine and I in your life?!' my mother screamed at my father,"

Raoul was listening intently and occasionally caressing her back to soothe her sobs. She continued.

"Then, I opened the door wide and the next thing I knew, I hear a loud crack then a thud and my mother was on the floor, unconscious. My father picked me up and shouted at me and threw me to the floor beside my mother. Oh Raoul they get worse each time! I had nowhere else to go! I am so afraid!" then Christine huddled herself into Raoul's arms and he rocked her back and forth.

"Shh…Little Lotte, you are safe here for tonight," Raoul whispered into her curly hair, "I'll protect you from your father,"

"Oh Raoul, you're still too young. We are still too young. To face adults like them would be the end of us," Christine chuckled softly, admiring her Prince's valor but still tried to make him remember that they were mere adolescents.

Raoul held her chin between his fingers and brought her face closely to his own and whispered, "My Lotte, I may be young of a mere sixteen winters and springs and summers and autumns. But my heart is true and it tells me that my love for you runs deeper into the earth than any season has. I love you, Little Lotte," he finished by kissing her softly on her forehead and hugging her tightly.

"Oh Raoul, my Prince of Diamonds, my very best friend. I love you also. You are the only to whom I can share any secret with. Tell me we will be best friends forever?" Christine breathed into his chest.

Raoul's heart sank. She loved him as a best friend. He had poured out the contents of his heart into her deep hazel eyes and she had missed every point he had intended to make. Nonetheless, if she didn't love him as a man just yet, he would have to make do with being loved as a best friend.

"Yes, Little Lotte," Raoul sighed. "I will always be right here for you whenever you need me. Just call out my name, and I'll be there (A/N: I simply couldn't resist adding some touches of the song You've Got a Friend…). You are my best friend also even if my father despises my actions to befriend a 'peasant' as he says."

Christine laughed at that through the tears that were flooding her eyes. A peasant, she might have been but a respectable one at that.

The last thing she remembered was Raoul whispering to her as they both lay on the chaise, Christine beside Raoul, cuddled into the right side of his body.

"I'm here. Nothing can harm you. My words will warm and calm you…"

Christine woke up the next morning, surprised that Raoul was not there. A bit scared, she called him out.

"Raoul…Raoul?" her voice hoarse. She sat up on the chaise, waiting for him to come if he would.

After moments that seemed like hours, Raoul emerged from the door that led to the hallway. He was already dressed for the day and she looked down at her attire and blushed. He smiled at her and walked toward the chaise. He knelt at her feet and held her hand and kissed her knuckles.

"How are you feeling today, Christine?"

"Much better than last night. How long was I asleep?" Christine inquired, suddenly fully aware that she had slept in another person's house without their permission. She could only imagine how furious Raoul's father would be. She felt guilty inside and chided herself for dragging Raoul into her whole mess.

Raoul sat beside her on the chaise and replied, "Well, you slept soundly the whole night. I woke up at sunrise and debated whether I should wake you too and bring you home before your parents discovered your disappearance. But you were so deeply in slumber, I couldn't bring myself to stir you, so I left you to sleep while I talked with my father." His brow suddenly contracted into a furrow.

"Raoul, please, I am so sorry. I hadn't meant to bring you into my troubles. I wasn't thinking! I-," Christine started to apologize before Raoul had interrupted her.

"Christine, I'm afraid I have terrible news…" Raoul started.

Christine's heart stopped.

A/N: Oh I'm sorry for the horrible cliff-hanger! I got carried away with myself and just wrote and wrote and wrote and I had to change some things in my previous chapters to align them with this history..its hard! and I think I missed out a few parts about the age difference and the time Christine was brought to the opera house..the age doesn't matter!! What matters is that she is young and innocent.… it seems that my plan of one chapter devoted to her background failed….part two is a-coming! I have it already actually but I'ma let this chapter simmer on a hotbed for a while…I'll pro'lly put up the next chapter in a few hours or so.

Oh how cool! My iTunes shuffled to Anymore, by Emmy Rossum…hmmm is this a sign from the next chapter to come?

A/N: uhm there isn't any innuendo okay? where Christine goes to Raoul for help...its pure innocence although Raoul does speak abt a few things... :)