Well here is the chapter some of you have been dreading…and some of you have been looking forward to. I hope you like it!

Over the last few chapters I have wondered if I need to pull Erik out from under my bed (he has been sulking there because of the whole misunderstanding thing…he is so sensitive) so I can hide there myself…I keep promising you all a happy ending…really, I promise you will get one! So bear with me a little longer please.

Chapter 37

A week passed and things had seemed to return to normal…well as normal as could be expected. By day Erik pretending to be a ghost in order to repair Christine's damaged voice, while by night he sat and stewed over the existence of this other man in her life. This knowledge was making his life intolerable!

Their first lesson after the argument was a bit tense, but as time went on, they became somewhat friendlier once more. Christine didn't mentioned Charles again and Erik did not ask about him. The less he knew from her lips the better…but he had Nadir on the job! The Daroga was told to spy on the man, learn his patters, his weaknesses and any sins he may be concealing. He wanted to know anything that might help him turn Christine against this blackguard and lure her back to him.

The nights were the worst for Erik and he found himself more times than not simply pacing the floor all evening, counting the minutes until he could ascend once more and see her again. When he did close his eyes and tried to sleep all he could see were images of that man holding his Christine in his arms …touching her lips with his, running his fingers through her hair and making love to her perfect body! That was usually when Erik leaped from his bed and sought out a strong drink! He had avoided drinking Arrack since the incident with the poison, the taste of that liquor now making him violently ill. Instead he had taken to using vodka or wine to calm his erratic moods. Even the playful antics of Ayesha could not bring him out of the depression he would fall into when he was not in Christine's company. And while he enjoyed watching her each day from afar, it seemed he was only truly alive when he was teaching her and died every time she left for her home.

One morning Erik traveled the winding staircase up to his usual hiding place in Box 5 to watch Christine as she rehearsed, her every move and every sound a pleasure to his starved senses. But today when he arrived there seemed to be some kind of commotion going on.

"Did you hear that the Managers have found a new patron?" He overheard one of the ballet dancers say. "He will be attending all the performances and has reserved Box 3 for the whole season."

A new patron? Erik was fairly certain it was not Prince Jamal!

"What is his name?" Another one of the ballet girls asked, sounding eager to get her hands on fresh meat.

"I am not sure, but I hear that his family is very well known in Paris and the Managers are extremely excited about him and his money." She was told.

Erik could easily believe that! Those money grubbing imbeciles would prostitute themselves to the devil himself if it meant a few more coins in their pockets! If it were not for the fact he did not wish to be seen or deal with people in general Erik would have long ago bought them out and sent them packing, leaving the operations of the Opera House in his capable hands. But for now, this arrangement worked well enough – he told them what to do and for the most part they complied.

Already bored with this conversation of patrons he sat back in his seat and waited for Christine to appear on stage for rehearsals. He rather enjoyed the fact that she had been assigned as Carlotta's understudy, for even though it meant he had to put up with hearing that dastardly diva, it meant that Christine was on stage more often as well. And as she walked gracefully onto the stage he felt that familiar tightening in is chest at the mere sight of her.

Rehearsals continued on as usual and even though Erik truly hated how some of the choreography was being handled, he felt that as long as Christine was to sing the lead role, this production of Faust would be a great success. They were just wrapping up before the lunch break when the doors to the auditorium burst open and once more the two excited managers ushered in their newest golden goose!

"Ladies and gentleman, it is our great pleasure to introduce to you our newest and most distinguished patron of the arts, the Vicomte de Chagny." Firmin announced to everyone standing on the stage.

A round of applause went up through the cast and up in his box Erik just rolled his eyes and laid his head back against the back of his chair in disgust.

"Please, no thanks are necessary; it is my pleasure to offer my assistance in the pursuit of the fine arts. I look forward to each production this season with great anticipation." The young man's voice said.

Erik found he now had a morbid sense of curiosity about the boy and leaned forward slightly in order to see what he might look like, this way he would know whom to avoid in the future. The Vicomte was exactly how he had imagined him to be, young and handsome with thick blond hair and a personality that was certain to be quite spoiled. This was what money and privilege bread these days… worthless fops every last one of them. Erik thought back to all that he had done and seen by the time he had reached this boy's tender age and he suddenly felt very old and tired. The Vicomte couldn't have been more than twenty five if he were a day and by then Erik had traveled for years with the Gypsies, learned to be a master mason in Rome, and spent time in at least five other countries. And what had this boy done? Probably nothing! Yes…Erik found it very easy to dislike him.

"Please allow me to introduce our star diva, Signora Carlota. Her voice has graced our stage for two seasons already and we can only pray she continues on with us for many more years to come." Firmin said, guiding the Vicomte over to where the lady stood, faking a modest blush behind her fan.

Not if I have any say in the matter, Erik thought, once more rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"It is an honor and a privilege to make your acquaintance, Mademoiselle." The Vicomte said, taking her hand and kissing the back of it gallantly.

"It is I who is honored by your presence, Vicomte." She told him back, quite seductively.

"And who might this delightful creature be?" He asked, causing Erik to bolt forward once more, immediately suspecting to whom he was now referring.

"This is Christine Daae, she is currently the understudy for the role of Marguerite in our upcoming production of Faust." Andre said, introducing her.

"Miss Daae, is it? It is indeed a pleasure to meet one as lovely as you. May I call you Christine if I first offer you my own name, for I would dearly love it if you would call me Raoul." He offered, also taking her hand and kissing it reverently.

"Certainly you may, Monsieur…I mean… Raoul." Christine said, blushing at his steady stare and gallant offer.

Erik was seething! Had Christine just blushed? Had she actually been taken in by that immature lad's attempt at chivalry? He thought she was much more clever to have fallen for that! Now his feeling for that boy were bordering on hate!

"Come, Monsieur La Vicomte, we have so much more of the theater to show you." Firmin said, pulling him away from his unbroken stare at Christine.

"I will be happy to continue my tour, Monsieur, but I must confess that I believe I have already discovered the most interesting part of your operation." He told the man, still keeping his eyes on Christine.

Oh that was it….Erik was going to have to kill him!

"Until later, Mademoiselle Christine." He said, nodding his head as he continued to follow the two eager managers out the side door of the auditorium.

Once he was gone, Monsieur Reyer called for the noon break and everyone left the stage except Christine who seemed slightly stunned. Suddenly Meg appeared and pulled her over to the side where no one might overhear their conversation…no one that is but Erik.

"Well, the Vicomte sure seemed taken with you, Christine!" Her friend said, once more very excited, just like she was about everything. "I think you have a secret admirer."

"No, not really…for you see Raoul and I have met before. He was only pretending not to know me in order to protect my reputation." Christine confessed, the flush on her face returning.

"You know the Vicomte? How? When did you two meet?" Meg asked, her eyes wide and her voice full of anticipation. "You must tell me all about it!"

Oh yes, Christine…you MUST tell Meg all about it and you had best do it quickly! Erik screamed in his head as he leaned in further, not wanting to miss a word.

Christine took Meg's hand and led her over to one of the props on the stage and sat down. It was going to be a long story and they might as well get comfortable. She knew she would have to be careful not to divulge too much information in the telling of her tale, deciding to leave out any mention of Charles or Erik since Meg knew nothing about them and she wished to keep it that way. Christine let her memory drift back to four years ago….

Christine was only a month along in her pregnancy and not yet showing when the ship docked in Russia. With the help of the good doctor she had managed to secure a birth on a train that very evening that would take her across country towards the Ukraine and then hopefully on to France. Without Rahim and the money he had received to do the job, Christine was left with only the small bag of gold coins that Nadir had given her at their parting. She would have to be very careful and make what little she had last until she either got to Paris or Nadir came looking for her. She wished she knew what fate had befallen her Persian friend and she feared for his life if the Shah had discovered that he had helped her escape upon Erik's request.

It was a long and grueling trip but she kept reminding herself that her only hope was to get to France and pray that Nadir would follow soon. She did her very best to keep a tight rein on her spending, but unfortunately upon arriving in Germany, her money and her luck ran out. Now two months pregnant she found herself stranded in a foreign country with no money, no prospects and no hope. At first she looked for work, but without a grasp of the language and with not many who understood French or English, she was turned away more times than not. What little jobs she did get were temporary and did not pay enough to purchase more than a loaf of bread or piece of cheese. Christine was becoming desperate and feared for the health of her child if she did not find a solution to her predicament soon. At last she was reduced to begging in the street and relying on the kindness of strangers as they took pity on the poor girl and tossed her a coin or two.

Christine felt she had hit an all-time low in her life. If only she had retained her singing voice she might have been able to earn a living through song, but her throat still bothered her terribly and she had only recently been able to begin speaking again. Oh how Erik would have hated to see her like this, begging on the street for her daily bread while doing all she could to keep her hopes alive for the sake of their child. She knew she would do anything short of prostitution in order to ensure her baby's survival and spent each day walking the streets in Germany looking for work.

It was on a particularly cold morning, the sun just barely up when her situation took a turn for the worst. She had slept in a dirty alley that night and was just emerging in hopes of finding something to eat when she felt a rough hand grab her arm from behind.

"And what do we have here?" A burly man with a large mustache said as he spun her around. "I would say that you would make a fine addition to our little business."

Christine was immediately terrified for even though she didn't understand much of what the man had just said, she recognized him from around town and she knew what kind of establishment he ran…a brothel! And if he was now looking at her, she knew it could only mean trouble! Not even trying to reason with the man she began fighting, kicking at his legs and scratching his arm in an attempt to free herself from his grasp, but this only seemed to spur him on.

"A fighter, are you?" The man chuckled as he effortlessly dragged Christine down the street behind him. "I got a few clients that will enjoy that…for a while."

Christine could see that she was not getting anywhere with her struggles and so she did the only other thing she could think of…she grabbed on to a passing lamp post with all her might and began to scream for help at the top of her lungs. Now this did make the man angry and he gripped the back of her now shoulder length hair roughly and tried to drag her off the post, all the while firing a string of curses at her for making such a scene. But Christine was not going to let go and wrapped both arms around the metal object and held on for dear life.

"Monsieur…I would strongly suggest you let the lady be for it is quite clear that she does not wish to go with you!" A male voice speaking French was heard to say from behind her.

The burly man turned and looked the young man up and down before saying something very unkind in German and turned his attention back to Christine.

"You may not understand my words, sir, but perhaps you will understand this!" The other man said, pulling a small pistol from out of his jacket and pointing it at the man's head…the sound of it being cocked finally getting his attention.

Stepping away from Christine the large German held up his hands in surrender as he backed away, a look of pure hatred on his face.

The younger man walked around him, giving him a wide birth yet never taking his gun off of him as he approached Christine who was still clinging to the lamppost for all she was worth.

"Mademoiselle, if you will disengage yourself from this structure I would very much like it if you would accompany me back to my hotel." He offered, still keeping his gun trained on the man.

"I am not one of his harlots!" Christine shouted, misunderstanding the man's intentions.

"I never thought you were, Mademoiselle. I am merely offering you a quick exit out of this very unpleasant situation. I assure you that I will comport myself as a perfect gentleman while in your company." He reached out his free hand and gave her a quick side glance. "I would rather continue any further conversations off the street and away from these ruffians. Will you please join me?"

Christine hesitated for a moment and then seeing the wisdom of his words she took his hand and allowed him to guide her to his awaiting cab. Once they were safely down the street a ways, the young man uncocked his pistol and replaced it in his jacket with a sigh of relief.

"I am not too proud to admit that I was a little unnerved back there…how about you?" He asked with a kind laugh.

"I was frightened out of my mind!" Christine confessed, his laughter was infectious and soon she was chuckling nervously too.

"My name is Raoul de Chagny." He told her, offering her his hand in greeting.

"Christine Daae. And thank you so very much for saving me from that man. I know I may not look it right now, but I am not a prostitute from his brothel and your very timely rescue prevented me from becoming such against my will." She shudder to think of what could have happened if he had managed to get her back to his house of ill repute.

"May I inquire as to what you are doing in Germany when it is quite obvious that you are not from this land? Are you originally from France?" He asked.

"No, I am from Sweden, but I am traveling to France. I was supposed to meet up with my husband there but…" Her voice trailed off and she turned her head and looked out the window so he would not catch the sorrow in her eyes, but he had seen it anyway.

"But…?" He prompted, reaching out and taking her hand in his out of comfort.

"But…he is dead. I do have a friend who said he would find me there, but I am worried for his safety as well and fear that once I get to Paris I may not find him either."

"You do seem to be in a lot of trouble, Mademoiselle Daae." Raoul said with a solemn nod.

"More than you realize, for you see on my way to Paris I find myself out of money and with no way to earn a living…and you might as well know Monsieur, I am also carrying my husband's child." She felt that since he had rescued her, he deserved the whole truth.

"Well I would very much like to hear the rest of your story and of how all your woes came about. Could I tempt you into joining me for lunch at my hotel? Again I swear to be a perfect gentleman and I can guarantee that we will be well chaperoned, for my Aunt Clair will be there as well. Please say you will come." Raoul offered, the eagerness in his eyes quite disarming.

"I am in your debt, Monsieur Raoul, so how could I possibly say no?" She smiled.

Once at the hotel Raoul escorted he inside, and while he seemed completely oblivious of the side glances and disapproving stares, Christine was not. It shamed her to think what they assumed she was there with this man for and she kept her eyes on the floor as they made their way up stairs. Once inside his opulent suit Christine was quickly assaulted by a prim and proper elderly woman with grey hair and a pleasant face.

"Raoul, who is this little waif?" She demanded, coming over to her and guiding her to one of the soft chairs. "She is practically skin and bones, please dear, have something to eat!" The woman, who she assumed was his Aunt Clair, told her, pushing a large German pastry into her hands.

Christine was starving and began to devour the sweet bread eagerly after only a quick word of gratitude. Oh it was divine! She could not remember when something had tasted so good to her.

"Her name is Christine Daae and she has fallen upon hard times after the death of her husband, Aunt Clair. I was hoping we might find a way to help her out." Raoul said, pouring Christine a large glass of milk from the cooler and bringing it over to set it beside her. The milk lasted just about as long as the pastry had and she averted her eyes and blushed when she realized that the two of them were staring at her.

"Please forgive my manners, I was raised to be much more polite, it is just that I have not eaten since yesterday." She confessed, eyeing the plate of danishes but too embarrassed to ask for another.

"Then please, have more Christine!" Clair said, pushing the entire plate over towards her. "And Raoul, ring for a plate of meats, cheeses and bread to be brought up immediately, we can't let our little guest faint from hunger."

"No, please, you have been too kind already. I do not wish to be a bother." She argued around the half eaten danish in her mouth.

"Nonsense, you are no trouble at all. In fact I am glad you are here, I have grown tired of my nephew's stories and would love to hear something new. Don't get me wrong, my Raoul here is a wonderful traveling companion, but he does tend to go on about things like swords and battles or horses and other manly things and I find them to be quite tedious. I would simply adore some female conversation for a change."

"Well if I knew I was boring you, Aunt Clair, I certainly would have held my tongue." Raoul laughed, obviously not offended by her words.

"I love you dearly Raoul, and you know it." She smiled back at him and gave him a playful wink. "Now how about I go run a hot bath for you my dear while Raoul calls down for dinner to be brought up. That way you will be all clean and fresh when we all sit down for supper."

"A bath sounds heavenly, but I am afraid I have no other clothes to change into." Christine lamented.

"We look to be similar in size and I think I have just the thing that will bring out your beautiful blue eyes. Come now, my dear…your bath awaits." And not taking no for an answer she guided the stunned girl into the adjoining room.

The tub was soon full and Christine could not wait to get into it. Clair set out some clean underclothes and a beautiful pale blue dress that Christine was not embarrassed to admit she couldn't wait to try on. Oh it had been so long since she was dressed in fine things and she found she was sick and tired of being poor and dirty! Clair helped her undo the buttons down the back of her peasants dress and helped her step out of it as Christine moved to remove her chemise and pantaloons next. A sudden gasp from Clair made her turn and look at her questioningly but she immediately saw what she was staring at…the ruby necklace Erik had given her.

"My dear…that is beautiful! Yet I do not understand. You are starving in the street and yet you possess a gem that is obviously worth a fortune? Why would you not have sold it to buy what you need?"

"It…it was a gift from my late husband, one of the few things I have left from him and I just couldn't bring myself to part with such a precious memento of our marriage. I would have done so eventually if I was forced to I suppose…if it came down to it or the life of my child, but I had not given up hope just yet." She confessed, lifting the large stone from around her neck and looking at it with love in her eyes. Oh Erik….

"Your child?" Clair's eyes now went to Christine's stomach and she could indeed see the very beginnings of a baby being housed there. "Oh my dear, I am so terribly happy for you! You must be beside yourself with joy!"

Christine smiled broadly and looked down as she touched her stomach.

"Yes, I am so very happy about the baby. At first I did not think that my husband and I could have children." She left out the reason why she felt that way. "But after he died and I found out about this little one, I knew that I would always have a part of him with me."

"You must have loved him very much." Clair surmised, gauging from Christine's expression.

"I did…I still do. I believe that Erik will always be in my heart."

"And if that little bauble around your neck is any indication, your Erik must have thought the world of you as well. Treasure your love and do not regret one moment of it." Clair told her, once more guiding her to undress and get into the tub.

Once Christine was clean and dressed the two ladies made their way back out to the sitting room and saw that the food had been delivered and was ready to eat. Raoul was very complimentary on Christine's appearance, causing her to blush from his kind words. During the course of the meal a plan was struck upon to have Christine travel with them on their way back to Paris and while she yet again protested that she did not wish to be a bother, she was secretly overjoyed that they had offered. Without much persuasion needed she agreed and within the week the three were on another train in a private car heading for France.

Christine and Clair became the very best of friends, despite their age difference, and once they arrived the elderly lady could not bring herself to be parted from her new companion. So once more to her infinite delight Christine was invited by Clair to stay with her at the Chagny mansion. It was soon decided upon that Christine would become her paid companion, offering Christine a modest income while providing Clair a measure of independence that the younger woman's presence would afford. Clair had reasoned that she liked to go places and travel,l but she could not depend on her two nephews, Raoul and Philippe to accompany her every time she wished to journey beyond her front door. The two boys were extremely protective of her since she was their only living relative….well at least the only one they liked, according to Raoul.

At first Christine was leery about taking trips with the Countess, but soon it became quiet evident that no one from Persia was coming to find her and she felt that Paris held no fascination for her without Erik. She could not sing anymore and so the dream he had of her preforming at the Opera House that was just beginning construction was dead….just like Erik. So why not travel with Clair? She was only five months along and felt very healthy and vibrant now that she was no longer malnourished. And so the two ladies took off for England the following week, leaving France behind.

Christine stayed with Clair in her family's English manor for almost three and a half months, both Raoul and Philippe stopping in whenever they happened to be in the country. When Charles was born Clair did not seem to be deterred from her original plan to keep Christine with her, and accepted the baby in their lives as if he were her own.

Once Charles was a little older the two women resumed their traveling lifestyle and for a baby, he seemed to flourish on the road. Clair showered him with gifts, spoiled him to no end and Christine didn't have the heart to stop her. Clair's health had never been good and soon it became evident that her traveling days had come to an end. Clair's last months were spent at the English home, surrounded by Raoul, Philippe, Christine and Charles and she died very old and content in her bed one evening in early spring. The Chagny family mourned deeply over the loss of the Countess, but none so much as Christine who had come to love the lady as a mother and a sister all in one. She had now lost so many of the people she loved in her life and if it had not been for her dear Charles, she may have at last succumbed to the pull of grief and died as well. But just like before on the ship out of Persia, little Charles had given her a reason to go on…a reason to keep living.

With Clair gone and some savings in her pocket, Christine found that she needed a new goal in her life, something to reach for and to give her life meaning. She had begun to sing again, not very well, but enough so that she could tell with practice her range would improve. And this got her to thinking of her promise to Erik…to sing at the Paris Opera House for him. It had been built while she and Clair were away visiting other countries and now she heard they were holding auditions for their upcoming production of Faust. Christine packed up her few belongings, bought two tickets to Paris and moved into a small and inexpensive flat in the best neighborhood she could afford. Next she mustered up her courage and auditioned for the choir. She was elated when they told her she got the job and after meeting Meg and a few of the other friendlier cast members she felt almost at home there.

"And that is all there is to tell about how Raoul and I met." Christine finished, having been very careful to leave out any mention of her husband Erik, her son Charles or the ruby necklace that she still had hidden away back at her apartment.

"Oh that is so romantic! Imagine being rescued like that by a handsome brave night!" Meg said, dreamily.

Christine smiled and nodded, but instead of thinking about Raoul, her mind immediately went to a rather dark night who wore a mask and how he had rescued her more times than she could count. But he had also recused her in ways that even Meg would not understand…he had rescued her heart.

Up in his box, Erik found he was shaking with fury after hearing the tale of the tragedies that had befallen his brave little wife. Oh it pained him to think of all that she had suffered; the loneliness, the starvation and almost being forced into a life of prostitution and degradation. And all the while he had thought she was gone…dead and buried and yet she had courageously lived on. How could he ever hope to make this up to her…to atone for the sin of not protecting her like he had promised to do on their wedding day? His dear Christine had lived through so much and yet here she was, strong and vibrant and moving on with her life after losing so much. He had noticed that she had left out any mention of her lover Charles when talking with Meg. But he was sure that she didn't want word of him to be spread around, and he knew of the little ballet dancer's weakness for gossiping, so he understood her keeping him a secret.

Erik felt a begrudging sense of indebtedness for what that youth of a Vicomte had done for his Christine, yet there was almost a vile taste in his mouth over the fact that it had been him and not Erik doing the rescuing. Protecting Christine was his job! His privilege…not that fop of a boy he had seen earlier. And yet…he did owe him a measure of gratitude for the part he had played in saving Christine from a fate worse than death. If he had discovered that his treasured bride had been forced into the life of a harlot he knew he would never have been able to make is way back from the insanity it would have caused. For this reason Erik decided to forgive the young man his initial offenses and let bygones be bygones. Erik gave a slight smile…perhaps he was mellowing in his old age...somehow gaining a hold over his foul temper and murderous impulses?

Christine and Meg were just about to rise and go have their lunch when the voice of Raoul was heard calling from the back of the auditorium.

"Christine!" He said, rushing down the aisle and leaping up onto the stage. He came near and took her in his arms, spinning her around as she giggled with joy. "It is so good to see you again! I was almost bursting with excitement and could hardly contain myself when we met earlier. You are one fine actress, for even I believed you did not know me."

"And exactly how would I ever be able to forget you, Raoul?" She laughed, playfully slapping him on his shoulder.

"I have no earthly idea, for I feel that I am quite memorable, if I do say so myself." He teased back. Then catching sight of the woman standing beside Christine, Raoul turned to Meg. "And I do not think I have had the pleasure of making your acquaintance? But wait…you could be none other than Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty!" He raved, taking her hand and planting a long and lingering kiss upon her knuckles, never letting his eyes stray from her blushing face.

"Monsieur Vicomte…you flatter me." Meg gushed.

"He is good at that." Christine laughed breaking the spell the two seemed to be under.

"It seems that I have managed to elude both Andre and Firmin under the guise of needing to use the facilities, and I was hoping that I might take you out for a quick bite to eat, Christine. If you are worried about propriety, perhaps we could persuade your delightful friend here to join us? I promise to have you both back here before rehearsals resume. I would not wish to hinder the talents of the Opera House by any act of selfishness on my part, especially now that I am helping fund the production." He laughed, offering each of the ladies his arm.

"Shall we Meg?" Christine asked, looking at the sparkle in her friend's eye.

"By all means!" she agreed, taking Raoul's arm as he escorted them off the stage and up the aisle towards the door.

But if they had looked back they would have seen the figure of a man, standing brazenly in plain sight at the front of Box 5, his eyes ablaze with a abhorrence that could have been felt from a distance. Erik's hands clenched around the railing as he watched the three of them leave the stage. Raoul de Chagny…that name now burned in his mind and became the new object of his hatred. All thoughts of forgiveness was now gone and his wrath and destructiveness came flooding back with a vengeance. That handsome, flirtatious boy who apparently felt that he could swoop in and steal Christine out from under his nose was going to be in for a shock! Christine was his…he would fight for her…he would get her back. And anyone who crossed him would learn exactly what it means to be an enemy of the Opera Ghost!

Well, as you can see….Raoul has hit Paris with a vengeance, ha ha .

Sooo, how do we like our young Vicomte so far?

Was Christine's back story good? (more of that to come later)

Was Erik acting appropriately…for him that is.

Did you like Aunt Clair?