Author's Note: Ok writers block gone and sometimes that is not always the best thing. hehe

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except the new characters that appear in this chapter, those I decided to throw in and make chaos.

Ambushed

Christine struggled to regain her balance. The water was slowly turning her down stream. The river was about waist deep and had a constant current. Christine tried to keep her head above the water, feeling the pull dragging her downward. The sharp pain in her right leg wasn't helping the situation either. She felt her strength draining from her body; the feelings in her limbs were slowly vanishing. Desperately she clawed at anything, the loose rocks and the dirt. Nothing could hold her in place; sense of fatigue was falling upon her. Her lungs demanded air, obeying the urge they were filled with water. Now fighting for consciousness she tried to remain calm, she didn't want to die this way, not here, not now. The world seemed to fade, giving one last struggle before the icy water enveloped her delicate figure carrying her downstream.

Erik urged his horse forward praying that the beast would last. He knew he might have pushed the animal too much. He cursed under his breath, scolding himself for not asking for a new horse from Madame Giry. Now the white stallion was barely cantering for want of water and rest. Fed up with trying to get the horse to move quickly, Erik jumped off the animal and unsaddled it.

He started walking, knowing that this was not much faster than before. It seemed an eternity since he had seen his dear Christine and it seemed it would take even longer to find her. He needed to know that she was safe, needed to know where she was, if she needed help. Erik wondered if she was lonely and thinking of him as he was of her. Hoping beyond hope that she had returned to their home like he thought; he didn't know what he would do if she was not there.

So wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn't hear the men sneak up behind him before it was too late. Two strong arms grabbed Erik from behind, jerking his arm he caused one of his oppressors to fall. Erik quickly turned on the other attacker and punched him square in the nose, blood spattered everywhere. Then two more men advanced, one was carrying a knife. Erik blocked the attack from the unarmed man but didn't see the other. Erik fell back as he felt the sharp pain spread across his abdomen. Seeing their prey down, they pounced on him. Hitting him a couple of times before binding him with cords, this took a moment for Erik fought the whole time before giving up.

"Bravo, nicely done" scoffed what seemed to be the leader of the gang. He clapped his hands in mock amusement, and starred viciously at Erik. "You gave my men quiet a fight. But no one wins when fighting the Bossuet Gang, even masked men such as yourself. I wonder what you keep under there." Erik just glared at his new found enemy, wondering who the heck these weirdoes were and what they wanted with him.

"Come you must have something to say, you put up such a fuss and now you have nothing let to say?"

"Never heard of you" he said blandly, trying to formulate a plan to disposes of these fools and escape.

"That is unfortunate my friend, for that doesn't please me to hear that we are unheard of."

"Maybe you should change professions, for it seems that this isn't something that you are too good at." Erik knew he was pushing his luck a little too much and that he shouldn't goad these men on. Having been the one terrorizing before it was hard to just switch positions so easily. There was about five of them all together. Two were holding onto
Erik, while the other three stood close enough lest he try and escape and the two guards wouldn't be enough to keep him in place.

"I would be careful if I was you, because I tend to lose my anger easily and I don't like smart mouthed men."

"Good, then we have something in common."

"I think this masked fellow is a little too smug for his own good. What do you think men?"

They grinned and grunted in approval, ready to have the action and take their turns with the mysterious man.

"We were just going to steal what you had and bang you around a few times but I think you need to be taught a lesson."

"Do your worst" Erik sneered, more than ever wishing he had kept some of his comments to himself, sensing that escape was near impossible.

Christine's eyes fluttered open, she felt so cold. She looked around trying to remember what happened. She was surrounded by trees; she couldn't feel the lower half of her body. Looking down she realized that the half she couldn't feel was emerged in the river; numb from the cold. The events of the past few hours were starting to sink in, the trap, falling in the river and being unable to get out. By the hand of providence it seemed she had been saved. She had washed up on the bank. Using her arms and all the strength she had left she crawled further up the banks so she would be out of the water completely. After completing that task she blacked out for the second time.

After an hour passed she came to, the feeling in her legs was back accompanied by a severe pain. Her right leg was throbbing. The trap used to capture and kill the rabbits was clamped tightly to her foot. Luckily the trap wasn't that big, due to the size of the rabbits. Bending over, she placed her small hands between the clamps and pulled. Almost fainting again because she let go of the trap and it shut on her leg. The pain seared through her body demanding to relieve the intense suffering. Finally she managed to pull off the trap. The cold water had kept the swelling down, and very little blood oozed out of the fresh wound much to her relief. Ripping some of her dress Christine tied a bandage around her purple and blue wound.

She sat there for a while, listening to the river flowing by. She felt so weak, even more than before she fell in. now Christine didn't know where she was, or even if she could make it to the cottage and back to Erik. It was ironic that all she wanted to do was to die beside Erik but now she was fighting to stay alive just to get back to him.

Slowly getting up Christine half walked half crawled onward. She was surprised she had made it this far, never in her life had she done anything on her own. Everyone had always protected her, and made sure her life was perfect. Now there was no one to hold her hand and encourage her to move onward. The trees started to thin, and then she saw it. Home just a few yards away. Christine leaned against a tree and cried tears of joy and sadness. Nothing about the cottage had changed. It seemed just like it had so long ago when both she and Erik occupied the home. Trying to make into something inhabitable; there were so many memories that had happened in that small house.

Night was swiftly falling and Christine didn't want to be stuck out here for another night. She hobbled forward, excited to have finally made it.

"I am coming Erik, I am coming home" she whispered.

The door was ajar, the air was still and quiet as the grave. She breathed deep, trying to gather her courage and prepare herself for what lied beyond the thresh hold. The door creaked open reveling little light within the darkened house. Looking around frantically she didn't see Erik. No body, not even remains of a body. She grabbed her hair, tears of frustration streamed down her face.

"ERIK!" she screamed, "Please where are you." She fled into all the rooms, no sign of him. "Where are you?" she wondered aloud. What if someone came and buried him, all hopes now dashed. This was her goal, was to make it back to him and he wasn't even here. Perhaps he was alive and looking for her. Of course he would be alive; it would take more than just a bullet to kill the phantom of the opera. If he was in fact alive then where was he, why hadn't he found her yet? Or maybe he was dead now on the road for loss of blood, or worse.

"Oh Erik what I am I to think. I thought you dead for so long and now perhaps you might be living. Please come back to me, please." Christine slowly limped into Erik's room and wrapped herself in one of his cloaks. Smelling his scent, pretending it was his arms that surrounded her, protecting her. Giving into the days of weariness and recent struggle for life she dropped off into a deep slumber.

Ok so I know I said that they would be reunited soon, but I don't have a writer's block any more and this chapter just came to me. Don't worry they will be together shortly, just be patient, I know I am evil. Review please and I promise to update soon.