Author's Note:

Here's a chapter for those who wanted to skip over the last one because of the sexual content. This chapter is dedicated to those readers who waited paitently for when Christine would make her appearance. She does in this chapter and she has a confrontation although it's not with Erik. Let's just say the confrontation doesn't go well but I'd like to think it ended well. I want to thank those of you who have taken time out to read this & reviewed/favorited/followed. As always please read & review.

Chapter 21 – Angel Eyes

Angel Eyes - ABBA

Ah-ha-ha, ah-aaaah/Keep thinking 'bout his angel eyes/I keep thinking, a-aaah

Last night I was taking a walk along the river/And I saw him together with a young girl/And the look that he gave made me shiver/'Cause he always used to look at me that way/And I thought maybe I should walk right up to her and say/Ah-ha-ha, it's a game he likes to play

Look into his angel eyes/One look and you're hypnotized/He'll take your heart and you must pay the price/Look into his angel eyes/You'll think you're in paradise/And one day you'll find out he wears a disguise/Don't look too deep into those angel eyes/Oh no no no no

Sometimes when I'm lonely I sit and think about him/And it hurts to remember all the good times/When I thought I could never live without him/And I wonder does it have to be the same/Every time when I see him, will it bring back all the pain?/Ah-ha-ha, how can I forget that name?

Crazy 'bout his angel eyes/Angel eyes/He took my heart and now I pay the price/Look into his angel eyes

Angel Eyes

Alina knew she needed to go out to get another chemise and underskirt because of Erik. She still recalled the third night of their honeymoon he couldn't get her undergarments off fast enough so he ripped them off of her not that she minded. She was actually trilled at the show of strength making her want him even more afterwards. 'He's such a criminal.' She thought lustily. The days after she quickly learned she didn't really need to wear anything but now she needed a new one, for tonight was the big premier and Christine's return to the stage. She knew that Erik wanted to see Christine sing and as much as she still felt a twinge of jealousy towards her she understood that he wanted to see his star pupil shine on stage once more.

She knew that the opera house would be full in a few hours with rehearsals underway and she needed to hurry in and out. She found her way outside rather quickly getting used to the tunnels and secret exits. She headed out and bought her self a chemise and underskirt with the money Erik had given her. She passed by a dress shop but paused when she saw a beautiful dress in the window she knew would look beautiful so they could watch the opera that night. She went into the shop and tried on the dress and she was right it looks amazing.

It was strapless made of a coarse silk and taffeta it was a beautiful Prussian blue color. The bustle fanned out into short folds while the rest flowed freely to the ground. The bodice was fitted with a corseted back and was as low cut the fabric at the top making a small V. A silver chain of beading came down from her left arm and wrapped around her torso and back ending at her left hip in a cluster of beading like a falling star that explodes once it reaches Earth. The neckline was low but she could get away with for such a formal affair, and she was now a married woman her husband would be all the escort she needed.

She had them box it up and she hoped she could contain her excitement until she showed it to Erik. She continued on her way enjoying the bright sunny day that was warm and not too breezy. She saw the newspaper boy holding up the newspaper and she stopped short when she saw the Buquet men on the cover.

"Did you hear Madame two men were found killed in a warehouse and the murderer is still at large?"

She feigned shock. "Oh my I hope they do not strike again. Do the police have any clues?"

"I do not think so Madame."

He pulled closer to her to whisper. "The word on the street is the police aren't looking very hard for the killer these men were bad men and the police were trying to catch them for years for rapes and crimes all over the city. It's what you call just desserts if you ask me."

She smiled inwardly. "I guess they deserved their fate. Thank you for telling me all about it." She placed a franc in his hand, waved him farewell and continued onward. She slipped back into the opera house and went into the dressing room knowing the mirror entrance was the quickest and no one would be around for a couple more hours.

She was about to slide the mirror open when she heard a sound of the door opening, her heart froze. How was she to explain her presence here? When she did not find a suitable place to hide, she decided to play innocent and say she was lost? 'But how do I say I got here in the first place? Ah I have it I was looking for Madame Giry.'

She was satisfied with her excuse and she stood her ground and waited for the person to enter. She was relieved but also apprehensive when she saw it was Christine. Christine was startled when she noticed her in the dressing room.

"What are you doing here?"

"I am sorry please forgive me I got lost I was looking for Madam Giry."

"Oh she's further down the hallway you'll find her there."

She was about to walk past Christine when Christine stopped her and looked at her face. "Wait I have seen you before haven't I."

"I do not think so I have never met you before Madame."

"I have not met you but I have seen you before. You were with him with the Phantom."

"What is this Phantom you speak of?"

"You know very well what Phantom I am certain now that it was you. I saw you walking along the river together. I saw the way he looked at you it was the same way he looked at me with obsession in his eyes. Admit it you were with him, he must be keeping you prisoner. I can help you escape him he is a murderer."

Alina was starting to get upset at her presumptions and stopped the innocent act. "He is not keeping me prisoner. I do not need help escaping."

"You don't have to lie to me I know how he can be his temper is harsh but there is help."

"I do not need your help. He is a gentle man he took care of me when I was left for dead he nursed me back to health."

"I know he can seem like an angel but underneath lurks a mad man. He is not safe to be around."

"He is perfectly safe and he is perfectly sane."

"You must not have seen what lies beneath. Oh, that face I shall never forget it, it was not much of a face."

"I have seen his face and it does not hold any horror for me I think it makes him distinguished."

"Are you mad? You are mad you must have removed his mask he will never let you leave if you do that."

"For your information I did remove his mask broke it in two and threw the damn thing in the lake because I wanted to stay."

"Certainly you do not know what you are saying. He must have you under his spell his music possesses you mind body and soul."

She blushed without realizing. 'He has already possessed me mind, body and soul, especially the body.' "I am not under a spell he is no sorcerer or spell caster."

"How can you know?"

"I am gypsy we know of magic."

"But do you know that not only his face is distorted but his soul is as well he had murdered many men."

"The men he killed deserved to die, except maybe Piangi he was just in the wrong place in the wrong time, but all others were not innocent men."

"What of Joseph?"

"He was a drunk and groped and mistreated the young girls too naive to tell anyone and he mistreated the animals and anyone who was defenseless."

"I knew of his drinking and of the animals but I had no idea that he did prey on the young girls. And what of Joseph's brother and cousin, were they guilty of some crime?"

"The Buquet men were indeed guilty of a crime but the Phantom didn't kill those men."

"Surely you don't think he is innocent of those murders they found the Punjab lasso the police may not know who did it but I do. And what exactly do you say was the crime of the Buquet men?"

"Hunting after the Phantom like he was some animal and for beating a woman, breaking her ribs, giving her a swollen eye, throwing her down a trap door and leaving her for dead."

Christine looked at her in realization. "They did that too you, but why?"

"Because I tried to stop them from searching for the Phantom to kill him and because they thought I knew something I did not, they wanted to beat it out of me."

"That is awful how could they be capable of such deeds?"

"I do not know but they were."

"But that still does not excuse him killing those men or for killing others."

"He is changed and I told you he did not kill those men."

"You poor naive girl do you really think he could change? He will always be a murderer just because you did not see him do it doesn't mean he didn't kill them. You shouldn't fool yourself and get away from him while you still can before you have to pay the price as I did. You don't un….."

Christine's words were cut short as Alina slapped her across the face. She spit out her next words full of venom eyes full of rage Christine was smart enough to take a step back and kept quiet as Alina ranted.

"I am not some naive girl such as you were. He has changed because he now knows compassion which you showed him and I know with certainty that he did not kill them. The Buquet men kidnapped me and the Phantom from the tunnels the night of the masquerade ball and took us to that warehouse and meant to rape me and kill me in front of him and then to kill him with his own lasso. Even after I tricked them by offering to help I could still see in their eyes they would still rape me when they were done. Even the police were after them for rape and crimes, crimes they escaped punishment for. He did not kill those men…I did."

Christine's eyes got as big as saucers. "You killed them?"

"Yes like I said they tried to rape me and Erik was tied up and he couldn't save me and I would not let them torture me. They were evil men and deserved what they got. It was either their lives or mine. I defended myself the only way I could and I would do the same repeatedly. I do not regret ridding the world of two evil men."

"But shouldn't they have had a fair trial?"

"Erik is the Phantom of the Opera who extorted money from the managers for years and almost burned the building to the ground and kidnapped you and your lover a noble and I am a gypsy trusted by no one. Do you really think they would have listened to me or Erik and believed us?"

Christine hung her head. "Yes you are right I guess if they really were that evil than they did deserve to die."

"They did and it is my soul that is distorted Erik's is beautiful and artistic. He is an amazing man and he has done so much good."

"You're in love with him aren't you?"

"Yes I am I love him with all my heart and soul. He is my guardian angel who has saved me numerous times and helped me when no one else would; he has come to mean a lot to me. He sang me lullabies when I was hurt and healing. He is romantic, he makes my spirit soar and makes me feel alive and loved. He is a passionate man so full of fire that he sets me ablaze with a mere gaze or touch. I do love him more and more each day."

Christine felt envious of this woman. She loved Raoul and he loved her but there wasn't any passion in their marriage. Raoul was so prim and proper and he did make her happy but he didn't make her shiver like the Phantom did. There was no danger only safety. He didn't make her feel alive but she was still happy with him and knew that they would have a long prosperous marriage.

Suddenly realization hit Christine this has to be the woman the Phantom mentioned in his letter to her he left in her dressing room.

"You sound though you both are deeply in love."

"Yes we are but I know that he still has a love for you but he will come to love me more in time."

"He does not love me the way he does you. He holds me in a place in his heart but I no longer hold his love, you do."

"I have seen a letter he wrote to you which he never mailed telling you of his love for you and hope that you would come back to him as his student and his angel of music."

"Yes he did tell me that he wished me to come back to him as a student but he did not love me in that way any longer and knew it wasn't meant to be like it is with you."

"Wait so you have seen this letter I speak of?"

"Yes I found a letter from him the other day in my dressing room. Here I will show it to you." She went to her desk, took out the letter from a book, and handed it to her.

"I've read it already." She was about to hand the letter back to Christine when she noticed the letter was longer that the one she read with a third paragraph she read it tears filling her eyes.

I do love you my angel as a brother loves a younger sister I will look out for you and protect you always, but I now know the love between a man and woman. The woman I met had been a friend to me when I least deserved one but she was there regardless and she sacrificed of herself for me and taught me so much about what true love is. You showed me what compassion was but she showed me what trust was. I am so glad I had found her our lives happened coincidentally. She has been like an angel on Earth making me a better man. I truly love her with all my heart and soul and know that she is my life. I want to spend my life with her just as you spend yours with Raoul. Know my angel of music that I am happy now, and happiest I have ever been. I wish you could meet her I am sure that you would get along she has your love of music but she has so much more fire in her she is fierce and strong and is all things different than you and all things that I needed in a beloved. Well I just wanted you to know that I am happy now and you do not need to worry about me I will be okay as long as I have my beloved by my side forever.

Yours Truly,

Angel of Music

'I was foolish to doubt his feelings. So he no longer loves her but only loves me.' She felt her spirits lift high; she put her left hand over her heart feeling it beating was fluttery like a butterfly in love. She looked at Christine. "So he is truly over you now we both can finally be happy together."

"Yes it seems so I thought perhaps it was a trick that he was trying to tell me that so he could still kidnap me away but now that I have met you maybe he had finally moved on."

Christine then noticed the beautiful diamond and emerald rings on Alina's finger. "You are married…to the Phantom…I'm sorry I mean Erik?"

"Yes, we just got married a week ago. We have been celebrating our honeymoon up until now, but Erik wants to see your upcoming opera to watch his former student, and I do want to see you sing as well. You do have such an angelic voice I heard it once that fateful night."

"Yes it is all thanks to him my teacher. Maybe he can teach you to sing."

"No I'm afraid that isn't where my heart lies I prefer dancing instead it is how I interpret the music. I feel amazing when I can move to the music bend my body to and fro and feel the music in my limbs."

"You sound such like my friend Meg she loves the ballet it runs in her blood. Her mother was an incredible dancer in her day."

"Madame Giry an incredible dancer. You don't say. I guess I can see that about her."

"You have met Madame Giry?"

"Oh yes I have met her and Meg they were both witnesses to our wedding."

"I am amazed Meg has not uttered a single word and she is usually so bad with holding secrets."

"Well I guess this time it wasn't her secret to tell and it was important she not tell anyone and maybe if she had told you would not understand or think she was deceiving you."

"I guess you are right. Very well I mustn't keep you from returning to him. I do hope to see both of you at the show; I have to finish my rehearsals."

"We shall be there tonight in his favorite box. I bid you farewell Christine. It was pleasant meeting you despite the circumstances, and I do apologize for taking my temper out on you."

"I believe I did deserve it by doubting the Phantom couldn't really change. Maybe we'll meet again someday."

"Maybe we will."

They both smiled at one another and Christine watched as Alina disappeared behind the mirror and she headed to rehearsals. The opera went off without a hitch, Christine became more famous and word spread of her angelic voice. She was offered the Prima Donna spot in London's opera house which she accepted with Raoul's insistence they make a new life away from bad memories. Erik and Alina soon went back to the lair to enjoy time away from the crowds and continue their honeymoon.

A/N: Christine did deserve the slap doubting her angel like that even if she did go through some trials because of him, but all is well and they made amends. Christine knows her angel is happy and not lurking in the shadows and Alina knows Erik is fully over Christine and loves her fully. Enjoy and review! Your reviews make my day. ;) Digital cupcakes for everyone who reads.