The sun streamed through the window, awakening Raoul from his slumber. Groaning, Raoul ran his hand over his unshaven face. The three years had changed Raoul into a drawn and haggard man. Becoming more restless, he had lost all reason to live, and became increasingly ruthless in finding his Christine.
"Monsieur?" Raoul looked up to see a maid come in his room brandishing a letter.
"Mmm?" Raoul disinterestedly grabbed the letter, and scanned the crabbed handwriting. "Oh my god!" He shot up immediately, upsetting the bed covers. Pushing past the maid, he burst out of the room excitedly.

Christine was sleeping when Lucas burst into the room crying wildly.
"What's wrong honey?" She asked blearily, rolling over.
"There's a bad man in my room." He began bawling. Attempting to clear her head, Christine picked up Lucas, and hoisted him onto her lap. Ignoring the noticeable absence of Erik next to her, Christine ran her fingers through Lucas' thick blond hair soothingly.

"Shh, you just had a bad dream." She crooned slightly, while shifting him to the left of her.
"Where's-?" Lucas stopped and frowned slightly as though searching for a certain word.
"Father." Christine finished for him smiling a little. "Your father." She repeated, as Lucas nodded as if confirming the fact. " I don't know where he is but everything's all right now, just try to sleep now." Christine tucked him in gently, and curled up in a ball next to him.

Meanwhile, Raoul was on a first class ship well on its way to Paris.
"All those years, and she was always in Paris." He seethed to himself silently. Getting up angrily, he started pacing in a fit of anxiety. "It's fine," he tried to soothe his nerves. "Once you get back to Christine, everything will go back to normal, and there will be no mistakes this time." He felt his gun through his jacket and was reassured instantly.

Walking into the room he shared with Christine, Erik noticed a tiny still form next to Christine. Going to the right side of the bed, Erik placed a hand on Lucas' head and ruffled his wavy hair faintly for a moment before turning his attention to Christine.

"Christine?" Christine frowned in her sleep, and turned over. "Christine." Erik repeated, shaking her gently.
"What?" Christine opened her eyes groggily. "Oh hello." She smiled as she saw Erik. "Where were you last evening?"
"Just out for a walk." He said bending down, and began stroking her hair. "Anyway, I'm going to be gone for the entire day."

"Why?" Christine asked, sitting up in the bed.
"Never you mind." Erik grinned a little, and gave her a swift kiss. Pulling him by the collar, Christine was able to return the kiss fully.

"Come on tell me." She pressed, a hint of pleading was added to her voice.
"Well, I was thinking we should leave."
"Leave?" Christine was a little befuddled.
"This is no place to raise a child." Erik explained patiently. "And I figure we should look for other houses."

"No." Christine crossed her arms stubbornly. "The world is too cruel for a little boy."
"How so, there's nothing wrong with his face." Erik helpfully pointed out.
"No," Christine shook her head defiantly. "It's my decision, and I say no."
"At least give a reaso-"
"No." Christine said, her eyes flashing impatiently.
"You are just impossible." He hissed slightly, and turned around, and stalked out.

"Momma." Christine was awakened again by Lucas tugging on the sleeve of her dressing gown.
"Mmm, what is it Lucas?" She rolled over to face a gleeful Lucas.

"Up." He panted slightly from the exertion of pulling Christine to her feet.
"All right sweetie." She answered kindly; grabbing his hand, and leading him back to his own room. "But first let's get dressed." Lucas nodded; his brown eyes were open with excitement. Laughing, Christine let Lucas take control as he began to lead her. Ten minutes after clothes getting thrown on the floor, and some slight arguments, Christine and Lucas emerged from his bedroom, with Christine a little bit disheveled.

"All right honey, what are you so excited to do this morning?"
"I wanna play." He pumped his chubby little hands up and down rapidly. Christine let out a peal of laughter.

"Just like your father." She beamed to herself, but the thought of Erik brought a twinge of discomfort in her stomach. Shaking her head, Christine resolved to make it up with Erik as soon as he returned. The sounds of the organ jarred Christine from her thoughts, and she grinned at her son, and he pounded away on the keys. "Very good." She bent down next to Lucas. "You're a fast learner." She leaned her head against Lucas' shoulder and closed her eyes, until he made a mistake.

"Here honey." Christine reached over Lucas' arms, and attempted help him press the right key, when he slapped her hand away.
"You're no good at musical abilities." He pouted slightly. "Only," he paused for a moment. "Erik can teach me."
"Father can teach me." Christine corrected grinning.

"Monsieur?" A timid middle-aged woman shook Raoul awake.
"Pardon?" He shot up in the stiff wooden chair.

"I thought you might like to know that while you were asleep a employee came around and told us that we were almost at the destination of Paris." She said, glancing at Raoul's pale face.
"We're almost there?" Raoul jumped to look out the nearest window. "Finally." He breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled to himself.

That night after Christine tucked Lucas in, she turned around and began to leave, when Lucas piped up,
"Why can't we ever leave home?"

"Why do you want to leave home?" Christine asked gently, going back over to his bed.
"Because it's boring here, there's nothing to do; I want to do something new and exciting." Lucas pouted, crossing his arms defiantly. Sighing inwardly, Christine ruffled his hair.
"Anything you want sweetie." She smiled a bit sadly. Giving him a slight kiss on his cheek, she left the room, closing the door behind her.

Christine spent the next few hours reading, and then a knot of anxiety would clench her stomach, and she would fling it away, and after a few moments pick it back up disinterestedly. After repeating this cycle a few times, Christine heard the splashing noises, which signified Erik's return. Almost tripping in her excitement, Christine jumped over to the edge of the lake, and saw Erik approaching. Lifting up her skirts, she leapt into the lake and sloshed her way over to him.

"Someone's a little excited." He commented, carelessly jumped off of the boat.
"I just want to say that I agree with your suggestion about moving." She grinned, and hugged him tightly. Going up on the balls of her feet, Christine opened her eyes, and in the distance she thought she saw Raoul. Bemused, she started to pull away from Erik, when a gunshot was heard, and Erik went limp against her. Letting out a muffled scream, Christine attempted to push him away from her, so she wouldn't be crushed. Another gunshot rang out, and this time Christine let out a shrill shriek. Putting her arms around Erik's waist, she gently let him fall into the water. Sobbing, Christine fell on top of him, and began babbling uncontrollably.

"It's all right; you're going to be just fine." She frantically reassured him, while running her fingers down his back, searching to see how fatal his wound was, and began crying when she saw her fingers doused in blood. Gasping for breath, Erik pulled a hand through Christine's hair, and with one almighty convulsed, he was still. As if a dam burst from within Christine, an inhuman cry wrenched itself away from her, and she tore at her hair like a madwoman. Shaking, Christine flung her arms around Erik's neck, and buried her face into his still chest, and hugged him tightly against her.

"Christine?" Christine stiffened and when she turned around and saw Raoul holding a slightly smoking revolver, she felt the last thread of her sanity leave her. Her face screwed up, and she half rose and began beating his chest with her fists. "Oh my god, Christine." Raoul grabbed her by the waist, not comprehending the reason why Christine was losing all reason. "Your face." He gasped in shock, while staring at her malformed face, and then buried his face into her heaving shoulders. "It's all right; everything's going to be fine from now on." He crooned, rubbing her back, and Christine wailed in reply. Hearing a crash, Raoul pulled away from Christine. "Stay here." He said as gently as a man could while aiming a revolver to kill. Shuddering, Christine turned around and saw Erik floating silently by her ankles, letting out a cry, Christine closed her eyes, and memories flashed beneath her closed eyes.

"Stop, please stop!" She cried desperately, as she saw the vision of her and Erik kissing. Letting out a hideous scream, Christine's eyes rolled up into her head, and she collapsed in a heap.

At the sound of Christine screaming, Raoul almost turned back, but determined, he continued on to the source of the sound.

"Mommy?" Raoul jumped as he saw a little frightened boy hover at a doorway.
"Sweet Jesus." Raoul breathed heavily as he took a closer look at the boy. The boy's face was unmarred, but in an eerie way, it was almost like looking at the face of Erik himself without the deformity and the exception of Christine's eyes. Anger flooded through Raoul, as his mind immediately jumped to rape. "The spawn of Satan must die." He gritted his teeth, and aimed the revolver at the wide-eyed young boy's face. Taking an uncertain step backwards, the boy repeated,
"Mommy?" Sighing slightly, Raoul lowered the revolver. However hell-bent he was on achieving vengeance, he wasn't going to murder a defenseless little boy.

"After all," Raoul mused to himself. "I could raise him as Christine's and my baby, and he could grow up to be a dignified man. And he's young, too young to ever remember the failure of a man his real father was." Raoul smiled to himself, and reached his arms out to the little boy.

"I'm not going to harm you." The boy still looked uncertain. "What's your name?" Raoul coaxed, taking a step towards the boy.
"Lucas." He answered after a pause.

"Well Lucas, why don't we find your mother and leave this place?" Raoul took Lucas' hand, who hesitated slightly as if something was holding him back. "Come on," Raoul began leading him away. "Christine?" Raoul called, searching for Christine, and then finally finding her floating motionless. Half-carrying Lucas, Raoul rushed over to Christine, and picked her up in his arms. "Don't worry, everything will be fine from now on." He breathed in Christine's scent, and began carrying her aboveground.
"What's that?" Raoul turned sharply to see Lucas pointed at Erik's dead figure.

"That's nobody." Raoul hastily stepped in front of Lucas shielding his view. "Now shall we leave this place?"
"But where's-?"
"Outside waiting for us." Raoul swiftly cut Lucas off, who nodded slowly.

"But what about our things, and-" Lucas' face squeezed up in concentration looking for the right word, as he pounded his hands up and down rapidly.

"The organ?" Raoul guessed, his voice devoid of any emotion, and Lucas' face broke into a grin and he nodded. "Like father, like son." He thought to himself with a grimace. "We'll come back down and get everything all right?" He asked Lucas kindly; who waggled his head in reply. Although he still felt as if something was amiss, Lucas dutifully followed Raoul out of the lair.

Several Months Later

"Repeat for me please." Raoul hovered in the doorway where Lucas was currently learning from his tutor. Coughing slightly, Raoul stepped into the room.
"Vicomte." The tutor swept into a bow.

"How's everything going?" Raoul inquired to Lucas.
"Fine. Father." Lucas finished after a small pause.

"Good." Raoul smiled warmly, ruffling Lucas' hair, who jerked away from his touch as if remembering something painful. "Carry on." Raoul inclined his head, and left the room. Over the months, Lucas' young mind had already forgotten about his true paternity, and regarded Raoul without question as his father. Although sometimes, he would have nightmares of a gunshot ringing out and hearing his mother shriek, and Lucas would awake very confused and scared.

Raoul made his way to the dining room thinking hard. He couldn't complain. His life was finally picking up, and everything seemed perfect. Except, Raoul stopped frowning slightly. Except for Christine. With a painful pang, Raoul remembered long ago hearing the high society ladies gossip about Christine, and warning him of 'those chorus girls.' Breathing heavily, Raoul grasped a empty glass and threw it against the wall vindictively. Hearing the footsteps of a maid, Raoul turned around sharply, and locked himself in his bedroom.

As for Christine, once she had awoken back in her and Raoul's house, she went on a rampage, knocking everything over on her way up to the attic where she locked herself in, and refused to leave. Raoul managed to slip food in to her, but she never responded to him, and never left the attic, fighting if he ever tried to take her away. There she stayed in the same dress that still showed faint marks of Erik's blood, rocking back in forth in front of the window, with her eyes never leaving The Paris Opera House.