A/N: Well, I've spent a few days now getting my head around the released music for Love Never Dies (for those Phantom fans living in a cave, it is the sequel to the original Phantom). The music is growing on me, although I believe it was recorded late last year and there have been changes since then.

Some of it is woeful, but lets face it, lyrically the original is hardly perfect.

My tickets arrived for the show although I am unable to see it until September (many of the nights I wanted to go to were sold out and I wanted good seats, September it is).

There are parts of the music that make me cringe and so far, I have to say, none of it has made me feel the way the overture did in the original. I haven't felt the tingles or the goosebumps… however, 'Beneath the Moonless Sky' is a strangely seductive number which has really grown on me and, try as I might, I can't help but close my eyes when Christine sings:

'I loved you, yes I loved you…'

Comments on the fan fic, on the reviews page if you will and anything about LND- to my inbox (so as not to get in trouble with FF!!!

Aslo, I haven't even read this chapter since it was written so it probably isn't the best.

Chapter 25

The next morning came around quickly and it frightened Erik how deeply and soundly he had managed to sleep. Nadir was pottering around, trying to force Erik to eat bread and oats. In the end, it was easier to give in, and so he ate a chunk of bread and half a bowl of oats, followed by heated milk.

He definitely preferred the whiskey.

The Persian seemed in absolutely no rush and the more time he took getting himself ready the more Erik's patience began to wear thin. Eventually, just before Erik's breaking point, Nadir strolled in with his jacket on, dagger on his belt and told Erik he was ready to leave.

Erik stood, glaring at the Persian and said, 'Glad to hear it,'

Nadir shot him a sideways glance but said nothing. He locked his home up carefully, checking that both the doors and the windows were secure. Erik stood and waited, staring at the overcast sky and feeling his fingers tingle under the power of the strong wind.

'It's cold today,' Nadir said, reading his mind as he led the way down the alley and towards the inn, where both of their horses would be stabled.

Erik glanced at him. 'It's cold every day,'

'Yet you don't feel it,'

'I feel it lately,' he said and left it at that.

The inn keeper was up, brushing the front of the pub down and sending billows of dust in the cool air. It swirled around like it was dancing in the breeze and then settled barely a few feet from where the publican was cleaning. Erik thought this process of cleaning was utterly pointless but clearly the inn keeper would not agree.

'Good morning,' he said, aiming any friendliness squarely towards Nadir. Erik did not know the man well but had often put money in his pocket, and Erik briefly wondered whether the old man had some sort of sixth sense.

Hr shrugged the thought away as Nadir pressed a coin into the barkeeper's hand. 'How is she?' the Persian asked.

'She's a beauty, as always,' he drawled, sounding very cockney indeed. 'Good as gold, she is, sir,'

Nadir shot the man a genuine smile. 'Could you have your boy bring both horses around, please?'

The barkeeper stared at Erik's mask and, for a moment, Erik felt the all too familiar twitch in his fingertips, the burning in the pit of his stomach. Nadir subtly stood between them, smiling jovially. 'We're in a rush,'

'Of course, sir,' the man said, but his eyes kept returning to Erik's face. He felt his right fist clench. 'Billy!'

A few tense moments later a young boy with dirty blonde hair came bolting out from the back of the inn and stood in front of them. 'Fetch the two horses from the end stable,' the bar keeper instructed. The young boy didn't question his orders, he simply carried them out quickly.

While they were waiting, Nadir was careful to stay between Erik and the barkeeper. Erik's apprehension was building, thought's of Christine filled his mind and although his head still hurt, that pain was nothing like the agony beating in his heart. After what seemed an eternity, but in reality was no more than twenty minutes or so, the boy returned holding the reins of both horses.

Nadir handed him some change, as a sort of tip, and Billy wandered off looking quite pleased with himself. The innkeeper didn't say anything more to them, Erik had paid up front and it was clear all three were uncomfortable standing in the street. Besides this, Erik was ready to go, he had been ready to go since the day before.

They both climbed onto the backs of their horses and moved off, Erik made his horse pick up the pace but Nadir caught them.

'Slow down,' he said.

Erik scowled.

'You know better,'

He tugged gently on the reins and slowed Chancery to a gentle walk. 'I'm not happy about this,'

'I see that but you know better than to gallop over the cobbles,' Nadir scolded.

'If you tell me off once more Daroga, I might kill you,'

The Persian smiled, 'There are two reasons you won't kill me, my friend,'

Erik glared at him.

'You need my help,' he said. 'And you are my friend,'

He wanted to argue but knew it was the truth. There had been times, over the years, when Erik would happily have killed the Persian but he had always stopped himself. It wasn't that Erik was incapable, of course he was, he had killed people he had considered friends in the past, but with Nadir things were different. Their relationship was one that was mutually beneficial but aside from that, Erik genuinely liked Nadir. He would never admit it but the fact remained that Nadir was one of the few people he could trust and feel relaxed around.

As they made their way through London Erik noted that the roads were starting to become busier, bustling with traders and workers. Erik wondered what it would be like to live a life as normal as that. To get up in a morning and walk to a job you loathed, to make the pitiful income that keeps a roof over your family's heads. It surprised him that so few of the men in the streets looked miserable, most smiled and waved to one another, a phenomenon he thought was most unnecessary.

These were things he would never worry about. He had plenty of wealth from his time fleecing the managers at the Opera Populaire, the money that Raoul had paid and the various other 'jobs' he had taken on since his fall from the opera house. Still, silly things about normalcy often fleeted across his mind. His brain was never settled.

Thinking of them meant that he wasn't thinking of Christine.

Nadir led them from narrow street, to narrow street, navigating the people and animals as he did. The horses were both well behaved and patient, although Chancery seemed tired. As they continued their journey, the houses began to thin out until there were very few homes around at all.

'How far?' Erik asked, trying to be patient. Christine's soft features entered his mind and he shook her away.

'Just up there,' Nadir replied, pointing forward towards a small cottage in the near distance.

Erik nodded and dug his heels into Chancery's sides, making the horse bolt forward. Instead of chastising, this time Nadir prompted his horse to follow, and they pounded along the softer ground until they were close enough to the house to see in through the kitchen window.

'Loop around,' Erik instructed. Nadir nodded, following the order without question. Erik watched as Nadir disappeared behind some trees and then towards the rear of the house. Erik leapt from Chancery and pulled the horse aside, tying him carefully. He felt the handle of his sword, ensuring it was still there. He did not know what to expect when he walked in.

He wasn't foolish enough to think that Jason had actually brought Christine to his home but he thought that he might have left a guard or two with his wife while he was away. Calmly, he smoothed his jacket and walked slowly up to the house. There was no rush, it was better that his thinking was clear. Nadir had the back entrance to the home guarded and he would take the front. Other than those two doors there were only windows. Erik doubted the occupants would be quick enough to escape through those.

Taking a quick glance around him to ensure he was safe he knocked at the door. Only once, and hard. He heard a shuffling sound behind and the door opened, just a crack. But that was enough. Erik pushed his shoulder firmly against the solid wooden door and it flew open, sending the woman behind it sprawling to the floor. Erik strode in and closed the door behind him.

'Is there anyone else here?' he asked as she curled up into a ball in the corner of the hallway.

She managed to shake her head. 'Are you sure?' Erik asked. 'I would be very disappointed if I were to discover that you had lied to me,'

'There is no one here,' she croaked. 'I'm alone,'

'Where are your children?'

She glanced at her hands. 'Away,'

Not a lie, clearly, but not the whole truth either. Whichever way, she was alone in the house, he knew that when he saw Nadir walk in.

'Who are you?' the woman managed to ask.

'Erik,' he answered.

'I…'

'You don't need to know any more than that,'

The woman turned and looked at the Persian, who stood stoically and silently. She swallowed, 'What do you want with me?'

'Where is your husband?' Erik asked, ignoring her question.

'I don't know,'

Erik watched her face, her eyes. 'You're lying,'

With that there was a noise and in bounded a young girl, blonde hair and teary blue eyes. She ran for the woman and Nadir slung his arm across her, lifting her in the air with her feet kicking as she wailed and tried to reach her mother. Nadir simply pressed his gloved hand to her mouth, silencing her cries to whimpers.

'Let her go!' the woman screamed.

Erik glared at her, feeling his shoulders and arms tense with anger. 'Be quiet,' he said, his tone cool.

'Let her go,' the woman demanded. 'Don't hurt her, let her go…'

'You lied to me,' Erik said, deliberately shifting his body so that he blocked her view of her daughter.

The woman's blue eyes were moist, 'I didn't,'

Erik glanced at the daughter.

'What are you doing here, Mary?' she asked the young girl, who was still kicking in Nadir's arms. 'I told you I would fetch you later…'

The girl, Mary, stopped kicking but tears streamed from her eyes and settled on Nadir's black glove. The woman turned back to Erik,' She isn't supposed to be here,'

'Where is your husband?' Erik asked.

She said nothing.

'What is your name?'

'Anne,' she croaked.

'Anne,' he said quietly. 'Anne, I'm going to give you this opportunity to make amends with me,'

She nodded but didn't look terribly eager.

'I'm going to ask you one more time,' Erik explained. 'You can answer me or not, that is your decision entirely. You should be warned, though, that if you choose not to answer me then I can't be held accountable for what my friend does to your child,'

Anne's eyes widened.

'So,' He said. 'Where is your husband?'

Anne's eyes flicked from Erik's face to her daughter and then back again. Erik wasn't sure if she was looking for something in his eyes, some mercy, but whatever she was looking for she didn't find it.

She couldn't find it.

It wasn't there.

'I can't tell you,' she said softly. 'But I can take you there,'

Erik waited for the punch line and without fail, there it was.

'But you have to let my daughter go,' Anne added firmly.

Erik smiled. It always amazed him how they thought that they could bargain their way out of things, how that just because they had something he wanted, they could talk him around. It didn't work like that, not with Erik, it never worked like that.

'No,' Erik said, still smiling at her. He almost pitied her as her eyes widened again in shock.

'Then I won't…'

'You will,' Erik countered. 'You must,'

'I don't have to do anything,'

'That's where you're wrong,' Erik said sharply, the smile gone from his face. 'I can find your husband without you, but with you it will be quicker. If you don't take me to where he is..' He shrugged, '... I will kill you,'

Anne almost looked relieved.

Pity.

'Not only that,' Erik continued. 'Before I kill you I will make you wait while I kill your daughter... then I'll let you think about it for a while. I might even leave you with her … afterwards, I will kill you too, although it will probably seem merciful by then,'

She blinked tears away.

Mary was silent now, too terrified to move or mumble or cry… almost too scared to breath.

'Would you really do that?' Anne asked.

'I'm a man of my word,' Erik replied coldly. 'You can count on that.'

She shook her head. 'You're a monster,'

'Indeed,' he said. 'Now, shall we go?'

She nodded. 'Don't hurt her…' she said to Nadir.

Nadir didn't flinch.

'If I'm not back in six hours,' Erik said to Nadir. 'Kill her,'