A/N: Thank you for the reviews. I hope this chapter works!

Chapter 4- A letter.

Erik drooped his head, trying to shield it from the screaming, he held it in his hands and dug his fingernails into the skin until he felt the sickly warmth of blood on his fingers. He shot another look at the boy before standing and skulking into his bedroom and closing the door behind him, which muffled the sound some but didn't stop it from piercing through the wood.

He lay on his bed and pulled the covers around him, it was getting later and later and still he hadn't found sleep through the deafening volume of the baby's cries. He lay there, moved his hands to cover his ears… pulled the pillow over his head… but still the sound moved through. He threw the pillow to the ground and jumped up, he stalked to the door, opened it and looked out, once more, onto the child.

Hasn't he worn himself out yet?

Erik began to pace.

He paced slowly around his bed, around and around, then out of the door and around the living room. His pace increased until his heart began to thump hard in his chest. Erik picked up the poker from next to the fire and launched it hard at the wall.

Clang.

But still the child ignored his efforts to frighten him and continued to cry and cry and cry… Erik continued to pace and become gradually more and more frustrated… the racket was almost unbearable.

'Stop!' he commanded but the baby cried some more… seemingly louder until Erik clutched at his mask, tore it from his face and stared down at the child.

The shock did nothing.

It did not quiet nor anger the child, whose crying seemed to have gone on for days.

Erik scowled and placed the mask back against his skin, pushing the ceramic back into his flesh until the gum bound it back to his face. He stared once more at the child.

'Shut… UP!' he shouted, but not even his booming voice matched the ear piercing screams.

Erik collapsed back into his chair, he felt exhausted and was astounded that the child had not given in… was not exhausted too.

But he wasn't exhausted. His squealing was incessant.

Erik rocked in the chair, trying to concentrate… trying to think… to get some grip on the situation before him… but it was no use. How could anyone possibly think with this kind of blaring and persistent noise.

'Stop it!' he tried again, stood up and stood over the baby. 'Stop it… stop it…'

Not a flicker of anything… just more crying… more, seemingly louder… crying.. and crying…

'Stop…' Erik said. 'Stop… please… Oh, God…'

He ran his fingers through his hair, closed his eyes.

'Please…' he begged, he was finally beginning to lose it or was he? What was he thinking? The child… this thing… this inconvenience was not his, it needn't stay… he would simply take it out into the night and leave it for the snakes. Egypt had many snakes, many animals… the child's ridiculous rampage would never be heard again.

He looked down at the boy and shook his head.

Why not?

Again he shook his head.

The baby cried and Erik glanced down at him.

As he did he noticed the corner of something poking out from under the blanket. It was something white and as he reached to pick it up he realised it was a letter. He unfolded the crisp paper and glanced at his name at the top.

My Dearest Erik,

In Christine's eloquent and beautiful hand.

My Dearest Erik,

I know that this is a terrible imposition, I realise what you must be feeling but I know that you will do what is right.

There are so many things I want to say to you, that you need to know so I am writing you a letter as I know I will not be able to express this when I look into your beautiful eyes.

My child is the world to me. My Joshua is everything in my life since there is no music. As I sit here to write this letter I know that my husband is dead and that I am next, that they are hunting me and they are hunting my child. I know that they won't stop until we are in our graves.

Hear me Erik for I know that you listen, I know that you understand what it is to be hunted.

Raoul is gone, his family are gone, and soon I will be too. I expect that if you're reading this then you already have my baby in your arms and I know that he is safe there. I know that he is safer with you then he is with any other person on this Earth.

I need him to be alright, I need you to protect him come what may so that I can see him again in seventy years when he joins me in heaven.

Don't look like that, Erik, I know that I am going to die and I have accepted that fate for myself. For my Joshua, I could never allow it.

So be good to him Erik, as I know you can be.

Erik, I have missed you so… I have missed you desperately. I made a mistake when I left, I made a horrible, terrible mistake. A mistake I will never be able to rectify. Know Erik that I love you, that I love you more than I thought I could love any man.

I love you more than I could ever love Raoul.

I should never have left, I know it now and I know that it is too late. Raoul was good to me, he cared for me and our son but I could never feel the passion for him that I felt for you, no matter how I desperately tried. Everything I felt for you will remain with me and it will be your face and my son's I see when I close my eyes to die and it will be your name resting on my lips as I go to my grave.

I will never give you up to anyone. They can torture me but they shall never know of the Phantom of the Opera. They will never know where my angel is.

Either of my angels.

Oh, Erik, never forget me and never stop loving me… accept my apologies for my foolishness… accept my love as if I never left. Move on with your life but take Joshua with you and love him as if I were with you both.

Teach him your knowledge and your books but most of all Erik teach him your music,

I love you both dearly,

I love you Angel,

Eternally,

Christine.

Erik fell to his knees and joined Joshua in his grief.