Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera. Gaston Leroux does.

Time Goes By

Chapter 9- Overseen and Overheard

A.N Once again, great thanks to my awesome beta Pink Spider11. Review…it makes me happy. One of my friends read this chapter before I posted it. She said Raoul was a bit off character. So I rewrote it. Sorry it took so long. Enjoy!

Christine was in pure shock. She loved Erik more than anything. He was the one that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She knew that that feeling that she got whenever Erik touched her, whether it was him kissing her on the cheek or the touch of his hand on her skin was love. Christine knew that he was the man that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

"Yes, I will."

Erik was in complete shock. He knew that Christine loved him, but this much? Impulsive, is what he was. Erik thought for a moment up on the stage that he was going to regret is decision. Or even worse that Christine would regret hers. He just had to check that he was hearing this correctly.

"Is this what you really want?" He made a gesture towards his face.

"Yes."

She took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her hand. Both of them were smiling. Erik picked her up spun her around and kissed her. The audience started to clap, so the stage managers thought that that was the signal to close the curtains. So they did.

A feeling exploded in Erik's chest that he had never felt before. What feeling was this? Well whatever it was, Erik had found satisfaction in it.

Raoul on the other hand was feeling quite the opposite. How could Christine betray him in such a way? He thought that she loved him. Raoul felt like he was going to cry, but didn't want to show such emotions in front of his brother, Philippe.

Christine and Erik jubilantly strode back to Christine's dressing room. Erik told Christine to go change into her regular clothes, and to meet her outside the opera house for a surprise.

Erik went to the florist, picked out the finest bouquet of red roses that his money could buy. He took a single rose out of the bouquet and wrapped it with a black ribbon. Erik then changed into a very debonair suit, and waited outside for Christine to come.

As Christine was changing, she couldn't help but think what Raoul thought about Erik's proposal. Christine had only rejected him a couple of months ago. He must have been heartbroken. Christine felt a significant surge of pity for him. Christine was about to exit when the door magically opened. Well not so magically.

"Raoul!"

"Christine!"

Christine saw Raoul come in with a rather large bouquet of roses in hand. Christine took the roses put them in a vase and began to talk.

"Raoul? Why are you here?" As happy as Christine was that Raoul was here to congratulate her, she mentally slapped herself, knowing that she had other places to be instead of with Raoul.

"I just wanted to congratulate you on your engagement."

"And….?" She knew there had to be another reason for is appearance.

"And, I wanted to make sure that you were sure about your decision. I just don't want you to end up unhappy."

"Oh how kind of you Raoul! Of course I am. I am blissfully engaged with Erik."

Erik was wondering what was taking so long. He had been waiting for over a half and hour. Erik decided to go see what was taking so long, with the rose still clutched in his hand. As he made his way down to the dressing room, he heard a voice. Raoul de Chagny's voice.

"Oh Christine, I'd best be going. But, we should definitely go for dinner some time, and catch up, for old time's sake."

"For sure!"

Anger had been boiling up inside of him. Erik couldn't take it anymore. Erik thought that Christine loved him. He began to crush the rose in his hand. The petals fell to the floor, following the stem. Erik noticed that the knob started to turn. Erik scampered away as fast as he could, but close enough to keep an eye on Christine.

Christine noticed as she stepped out the room that the rose petals were on the floor. That meant that Erik was somewhere near. Christine felt most uncomfortable when Raoul flung his arms around her and bid her farewell. Christine had just reached half way down the corridor when Erik came out in from of her. His face looked very distraught, but hid his intentions.

"Oh Christine! I had been looking all over for you! Shall we go?" He gestured an elbow, and Christine took it. Christine noticed that Erik's grasp on her arm was tighter than usual. She was about to say something, but they had reached the carriage. As Christine stepped in she thought to herself,

"This is going to be a long night."