This is probably going to be the last rated T chapter. It is about to get crazy. There is some language in this and some violence. So if you are squimish, please read this chapter with caution.

Chapter 28: The Reticent Rat.

"Your voice is too soft, like a baby."

"Thank you for the critique, Carlotta, but I believe my voice is just fine."

"You do realize you are playing the role of a powerful queen, not a scared little girl?"

"You do realize you are the handmaiden, not the prima donna?" Gabriel countered from the other cell. He, Louis, Piangi and Reiner stood in front of the two women, the six of them rehearsing through the bars. As Reiner and Piangi discussed his critiques to the side, Carlotta decided to mutter her own complaints. Christine did her best to ignore them, reminding herself that Carlotta was just as scared as the rest of them. But her patience was growing thin. Gabriel and Louis were quick to her defence.

"Watch your tongue. You will regret talking to me like that." Carlotta hissed.

"Oh really? What will you do? Lock me in a cage?"

"She could bind you by your wrists and drag you through the desert again." Louis mocked, pushing his face in between the bars.

"Or she could lock me in the cage while we ride through the desert. Best of both situations."

"Though I think her style reflects our current situation. If I had to wager, I would bet on forcing you to perform an opera and kill you if she doesn't like it."

Gabriel sighed dramatically. "I think I have been through worse."

"You think this is funny?" Carlotta snapped, gripping onto the bars to lean in closer.

"Hilarious. Think of all the boring ways people have died and we are to perish like this. What are the odds?" Louis responded flippantly.

"I agree. Most people die of disease or old age. But not us! We will be murdered by a king. Not many people can say that."

"We won't die like this." Christine muttered. Her hands trembled against the bars. Although she appreciated Gabriel and Louis's humour, their complete apathy towards their situation scared her. Had they already decided that they wouldn't survive? Her stomach churned at the thought. Maybe it was because they knew she wasn't strong enough to save them.

"Christine, I-" Gabriel began but was interrupted by Reiner.

"Let's take a break." He called out to everyone. "Afterwards we can begin the opera from the beginning."

Christine quickly turned, rubbing her temples with the heels of her hands. Exhaustion overtook her quickly. Who knew how long they had been rehearsing? It must have been a few hours, so was it near nightfall now? On that balcony, it had to have been mid day, which felt like many hours ago. She sighed as she leaned against the side wall. How she wished she could be back on the balcony, gazing down at the city around her. At least then she would feel the sweet relief of a breeze against her cheeks.

Her friends soon joined her, all of them seemingly exhausted from their rehearsal.

"I will admit, these are decent ballet shoes." Meg panted as she leaned against the wall next to Christine. She lifted her sore ankle, wincing as she untied her slipper. Madame Giry studied her daughter's ankle, letting go at the sound of her hushed wince.

"You should elevate it. It isn't as swollen as before, but we should continue to rest it. I will talk to Matilda to see if there is any extra padding we can put in your slipper to support that ankle." Meg nodded as her mother joined Matilda and Sophia in the opposite corner.

Christine glanced around. Carlotta stood by the bars to talk to Piangi. Reiner and Ignacio lay against the cold stone, both so still they seemed to be asleep already. Bastian, Gabriel, and Louis chatted against the bars. Louis waved in their direction and Christine realized that Jammes was now standing in front of them, returning his wave.

"We will have to thank Darius properly next time we see him. He didn't have to do this." Jammes noted, turning from Louis to eye Sorelli and Meg.

Sorelli crouched in front of meg, using her shoulder to elevate her friend's sore ankle. "And inflate his ego more? I think not."

Christine's witty response was silenced by the sound of a large bang. The entire crew jumped, some yelping in fear at the echoing ring. By the time Christine had turned to search for its source, a pair of amber eyes appeared at the cage door.

"Christine." Erik stated as he fumbled with the lock. His eyes locked with hers.

She didn't like his tone of voice or the gleam she saw in those eyes. She had heard him yell, threaten, cry, and soothe. Yet this was the most haunting.

He was afraid.

"Erik?" She questioned, completely dumbfounded by the situation. She stood as he threw the door open, the metal clanking loudly against the cage bars. He said nothing, the only sound escaping his lips were the slight wheezes of his shallow, rapid breathing. Christine paled as he gripped her elbow with an earnest need to flee.

"Come with me." He ordered. He stared at the three ballerinas who huddled together not far behind her. "You three. Come along as well." He pulled her towards the door without waiting for a response. She followed numbly, resisting slightly with the hopes of stopping him and understanding the source of his panic. But as usual, her attempts were futile.

Christine looked back at her friends, all had stood and hesitated, unsure whether to follow him or not.

"Where are you taking them?" Madame Giry asked, running to their side.

"There is no time to explain, you must trust me." Erik demanded earnestly.

"Trust you? Don't be daft." Madame Giry countered. "I want to know exactly-"

"I do not have time to explain!" He bellowed, turning to face the frozen dancers. Jammes squeaked and Meg and Sorelli glanced at Christine, completely unsure. Mdame Giry paused, her grip slowly loosening from her daughter's shoulder. Christine looked up at Erik, who stared at Madame Giry gravely.

"It-It's okay." Christine encouraged. "We will be together." Her promise was based on no foundation, but she doubted Erik would do anything to separate them. Her heart raced with uncertainty, but she nodded to encourage them. As they stepped closer, Christine turned to Erik, who held her indecorously close.

"Where are you-"

"Aahh!"

Christine barely had time to process the situation. A blur of metal and yellow flew in front of her. Quickly, Erik pushed her to the side, turning his body to take the blow of whatever was coming towards them. She watched in horror as a large grey object crashed into the side of Erik's skull, deafening her with a sickening thud. As his body grew limp and he fell to the floor, Christine released a gut wrenching scream. His grip around her wrist loosening instantly.

"Erik!" Christine's knees buckled as she dropped to his side. She gripped his shoulders to hold his limp body upright. His head drooped to his chest and Christine moved to lift it. Was he conscious? Was he alive? As she pushed his head back against the wall, she gasped. Slowly, she removed her hand from a wet patch in his hair.

Her hand was stained with blood.

Christine turned and locked eyes with his attacker. She stared at her torn yellow dress, a gentle facade against the madness in her worn, hazel eyes. Dark crimson droplets dripped from the end of a large pair of metal pliers that gleamed in her shaking hands.

"Sophia… What have you done?"

The older woman snarled, pointing the pliers at Christine with a menacing glare. "Get out of my way, you foolish girl!"

She swung the pliers at Christine, who fell back to avoid them. Before the older woman could strike again, Madame Giry leapt forward, gripping onto the bloodied end with all her might as Sophia was in mid-swing. She released a loud grunt as she yanked them away from the flutist, but Sophia held on tightly..

"Madame Caron, you rat! You traitor!" Madame Giry yelled.

"Give me the pliers!"

"You sold us out! I knew it was you!"

Sophia lurched forward, kicking Madame Giry in the stomach. She fell, crying out in pain as her daughter and Jammes leapt to her aid. Sophia turned, raising her pliers up and halted Sorelli's charge.

"Stay back! Believe me, you little slut, I won't hesitate to break your skull!"

Christine's hand flew to her mouth. Never had she heard such harsh words come from the old woman. She was always sweet, gentle like the tunes of the instrument she had mastered. Now she craned above her, vile and dark words spewing from her unhinged jaw. Sorelli stepped back towards Matilda and Carlotta, everyone too stunned to move. They all stared at her, wide eyed and in shock.

"Sophia, search him for his keys." Ignacio demanded. "Hurry! Get me out of here!"

Ignacio now stood near the door of the men's cell, the rest standing nearby in shock. The men began to question Ignacio, who yelled to silence them, but Christine could barely hear them. She stared at Erik, his mask slightly askew but still clinging to his face. He wasn't moving, his eyes were closed, but she could still see the slow rise and fall of his chest. His limp extremities lay tangled around him and she gripped onto his hand and shoulder. Her heart crashed against her ribcage, her fingers trembling as she gripped onto his sleeve. She shook his arm firmly.

"Wake up." She cried. "Erik, please wake-" Sophia's foot kicked her shoulder, shoving her off to the side. She yelped as her head smacked against the stone floor.

"On a first name basis, are we?" She cackled, pulling at Erik's jacket, his limp torso barely holding itself upward. She patted him down, searching every pocket of his jacket. "I can only imagine what sins the two of you were committing-"

Christine blinked, then blinked again before jumping back, her body instantly curling against the wall as she heard a defining crack. His movements blurred. They were so quick and precise that she had barely registered his consciousness before Sophia screamed. Though his body seemed limp, it changed in a second, returning to a rigid, alive form. He grabbed Sophia's hand, contorting it in front of him so quickly and effectively that it broke Sophia's wrist like a wish bone. He rolled upright on his knee as she bowed down in front of him, her broken arm held above her head as he pinned her.

"At long last." He growled, his voice like acid against Christine's eardrums. "I have finally found you."

Christine's hand, which was covering her agape mouth, dropped down to her raging heart. He was alive, he was okay. She wanted to sigh with relief but the darkness of his aura chilled her to the bone. She could only watch as Erik leaned in closer to Sophia, his malicious snarl mere inches from the crying older woman's ear. "The reticent rat. How lovely to make your acquaintance."

Sophia screamed, swinging the pliers with her free hand towards his head. With one arm, he expertly blocked it, twisting her arm until they clattered on the floor. He held her elbow in between his armpit and bent forearm, locking her arm straight. "How far can a rat run without two paws, I wonder?" Erik growled as he continued to hyper-extend her elbow. She screamed and convulsed, futility attempting to free her arm.

"Let her go! Sophia! Let her go!" Ignacio begged, reaching through the bars. The others murmured, begged for him to stop but all unable to move and act. Christine briefly glanced, seeing the terror in their eyes. This was wrong. Erik didn't have to be the monster they all believed him to be.

Christine acted on instinct, unable to watch any more of this horror. She leaped forward, her hands gripping onto his biceps. With her other hand, she tried to pull Sophia's arm free.

"Stop." She cried, trying to free Sophia's arm. "Please stop!"

Erik glanced at her for just a moment. She could see all the anger and hatred of the world in his eyes. For someone else, that would be all they needed to label him as a monster. Yet Christine could only see the reflection of years of pain in his eyes. He didn't have to be a monster if he didn't wish to be.

Reluctantly, he threw the old woman forward, her head bouncing off the floor. She cried, curling into a ball as she nursed her broken wrist and sore elbow. Christine could only watch her, her stomach queasy as she listened to the woman's screams.

Erik barely noticed them. He stood, his cape tickling Christine's cheek as she remained kneeling at the side of his leg. "Tell them what you did, little rodent." He sneered.

Sophia cried. "I did nothing wrong!"

"Liar!" Erik bellowed. "You helped André and Firmin sell opium in France. You personally delivered them to their buyers."

"You freak! You monster!" Ignacio yelled as he tried to break down the cell door, but Erik ignored him, his eyes locked on the sobbing flutist.

"But they weren't paying you enough. You saw the thousands it was bringing in and thought you deserved more. After your attempts to demand money from the managers failed, you decided to bribe higher up the chain."

"No." Sophia moaned, rolling on her back and attempting to crawl away from Erik. But when her eyes met his, she froze into place.

"So you wrote a letter to the Shah, sneaking it into their monthly reports saying you would burn down the entire stock if you were not compensated for your years of work."

"That is a lie! We were risking our lives every day for those weasels. We deserved better pay, but we would never burn down the entire stock" Ignacio yelled. "My wife is no rat! We did not sell out our friends. We never contacted the Shah!"

Erik laughed mirthlessly. "So he doesn't know of your betrayal? You conniving vixen. Tell him!" He roared.

The room grew silent. Sophia trembled, sobbing quietly against the stone. Slowly she looked over at her husband. "I am so sorry." She whispered. Ignacio's eyes widened, but he remained silent.

"We helped the managers deliver and sell the stock for years. We needed extra income because of our daughter. She is ill, with a bastard child she cares for on her own. There is no aid for her and we musicians barely make enough to survive on our own. We had no choice but to help them. It was the only additional source of income we could acquire!"

"But it wasn't enough." Erik snarled. Christine glanced up at him. He lacked sympathy, remorse even in the slightest. Christine couldn't stop the tears that dribbled down her cheek. What Sophia had done was wrong, but she did it for her daughter and grandchild. Though she realized the crime, Christine couldn't shake away the pang in her heart.

"I wrote the letter to the Shah, after I had exhausted all other resources. No one wanted my body, no matter how much I begged for a petty coin. No one wanted my talents. I am a poor old woman, a witch in the night. No one wanted anything to do with me! I had no choice!"

"There is always a choice. Why don't you tell your friends what you chose?"

Sophia rocked on the floor, cradling her arm as her tears splattering against the stone. "I'm so- I'm so sorry." She cried. "I told the Shah that André and Firmin were cheating him of his true fortune, which wasn't a lie. They were pocketing extra cash, selling extra supplies to other buyers. My actions were based on righteousness, theirs on greed! I told the Shah to bring them to Persia and I-I would continue the trade at half their income. I just wanted to save her...My sweet Annabella..."

"And when he replied, willing to arrange a travelling caravan, then what did you do?"

Sophia winced, she stared around the room, stopping at her pale husband. He stared at her, his mouth agape and his knuckles white as they gripped the bars.

"I convinced André and Firmin to be selective in their choosing. Each of you had a purpose, a benefit to the Shah. Four young women and three younger men, who could be sold or added to his Harem. Two Italian stars, each of which would be paid for by ransom in an instant. The two managers he could do anything he wanted with. The rest were just necessary baggage. I-I am so sorry."

Christine gawked at her. It was as if the room had suddenly been devoid of oxygen. Sold...She was to be sold?

"You...were going to let him...sell my daughter?" Madame Giry fumed. She leapt forward with a furious yell. Meg and Jammes held her back, Matilda coming to their aid. Regardless, Madame Giry squirmed against them, pointing a finger at the shaking older woman. "How dare you! You monster! How dare you do this to my daughter!"

Sorelli stared down at her, her hand coming to her open mouth. "Sold us..." She whispered, completely aware of what Sophia had meant. She glanced at Christine, both of them trembling at the thought of strange men selecting them for their every unholy desire. Christine had to look away, staring up at Erik. He stood so boldly, his fingers curling into fists at his side. His eyes glared at the older women, unflinching despite her words.

Then it dawned on her. He knew about this, he must have. All this time, he had been trying to help them with this performance, though he knew the possible outcome of her situation. He built her up, telling her she could save her friend though he knew of Sophia's plan. A tear trickled down her cheek. Was it because she was angry he didn't tell her, or because she understood how heartbreaking that must have been to lie to her to save her spirit? Did he do this out of pity?

"Now you understand why I must do this." Erik stated calmly. Christine wasn't sure who he was talking to, but when he grabbed the pliers, she felt her heart leap into her throat.

"No!" She cried, jumping to her feet. She grabbed his hand which held the pliers with a tight grip. "Erik, no! You don't have to do this!"

"She offered you like a piece of meat." Erik snarled. "Step aside."

"No. I won't. What she did was wrong but she doesn't deserve to die."

"She deserves to burn in hell for what she did."

"She was trying to save her daughter!"

"You don't know these men, Christine! They would force themselves upon you, strip you of all honour and toss you aside like garbage. They would hurt you, torture you, fuck you into oblivion and kill you for sport!"

His words were like daggers, but she dug her heels into the ground.

Can you be brave for me, Christine? Can you learn to forgive?

Christine stepped away from him, standing directly in front of the trembling older woman with her arms slightly outstretched. She looked into his eyes, ignoring the pain she saw there.

"I won't let you kill her." Christine stated. "I won't let anyone in here hurt her." Christine knew that there would be nothing she could do to stop him. He was relentless, skilled, and far more dangerous than she was protective. Yet, she had to do something. So easily now she could silence the haunting tunes of her father's violin. Now, she stood bravely.

"What she did was wrong. She should pay for what she did, but that doesn't rest on your shoulders." Her voice was calm, though stringent. She saw his shoulders hunch, his spine elongating as if to look down upon her. Yet she refused to yield to his fearsome presence. Behind the mask was her friend. A friend that was just as afraid as the rest of them.

"Step aside, Christine." He growled. Her hands began to shake at the thunderous timbre of his voice.

"Ask yourself what you wouldn't do to save those you love! Erik please!"

She looked at Madame Giry. "You would kill whoever touched your daughter, do not deny that you wouldn't. And you, Sorelli. If Phillipe was in harm's way, don't tell me you would stand aside and do nothing to save them. All of you have someone you love, someone you would do anything for." She glanced down at Sophia, who trembled below her. Her wide, red eyes gawked at her, unbelieving that the woman she had tossed to the dogs would come to her defense so easily.

"If someone had told me that I needed to kill to save my father, I would be lying if I said I wouldn't consider it. He was all I had. I would consider almost anything if it meant he would be here now." She choked. She took a deep, ragged breath, refusing to let her tears stop her. Her hands came out in front of her, trying to keep him away. His chest collided with her shaking palms as he continued stepped closer.

"But I know this is the wrong path. I wouldn't take it, though I can empathize with those who do. It is her daughter, Erik. The love of her life. Don't you say you can't feel her pain!" She cried. "You have no right to condemn her. You love just as passionately as she does. That was what drove her to this madness, and you to yours! Here you stand, willing to save your friend from her deception, ready to kill for it. Your love reigns over your idea of morality. It doesn't make you a monster, so you do not have to do monstrous things! You are one in the same. Do not take the path she has taken. Take the path of forgiveness."

Erik's jaw tightened, blood still dripping down the side of his neck. Her arms buckled as he effortlessly pushed forward. Her trembling hands were all that stood between their chests. The tension in the air was all that stood between their parted lips. Tears stung at her eyes and she swore she could see some in his.

"Please." She whispered. "Don't do this."

She wanted to rip that mask away from his face. She wanted to see every emotion he hid behind that wall and understand what he was feeling. She internally begged him to see reason. They couldn't be consumed by hatred. She refused to deviate from the path of love her father had laid out for her.

He leaned closer to her, brushing a loose curl behind her ear. "Step aside." He snarled.

She froze, her heart seizing. Her eyes widened as he stepped past her, the entire world seeming to slow. Ignacio screamed, Jammes cried, Madame Giry gasped. But it all blurred together, seemingly unreal. She saw the tension in his shoulders as he lifted the pliers above his head, both hands gripping the handle. She yelled his name, begging him to stop as she reached her hand out, but it was too slow. He swung just as Christine reached his shoulder.

BAM

Christine froze. All she could see was the blackness of his cape and hair. His curved spine blocked her vision, though she searched for any semblance of life. Her hand remained lifted, shaking with fright a mere centimetre from his coat. Slowly he stood, stepping back to her. Christine barely felt his presence as she stared where Sophia laid. Had he hit her...Had he.. No...Had he?

It took a moment for her eyes to focus, looking at the still fabric of Sophia's dress. Sophia laid on the floor, her eyes wide and her body trembling. She stared at the bent metal that cracked the stone mere inches from her head. The pliers, which were now bent from their impact against the stone floor, still rang against the silence.

"The only reason you are alive." Erik hissed, his voice a dark whisper. "Is because of her. Don't think you will ever find mercy at my feet again."

Everyone stared at Sophia as she wailed on the floor, her cries nearly overbearing. She curled into a ball on the ground, defeated and in agony. No one moved or spoke a word. They all stared at the revealed rat, crying at their feet. All except for Christine. She couldn't take her eyes off him.

He isn't a monster. He could have, he would have, but he didn't. He isn't a monster.

Her hand slowly lowered to her side. She didn't know what to think, or what to say. He stood so tall, so powerful before her, yet he had caved to her wishes. He had chosen to be a better man, but Christine still could not shake off the feeling of dread. He had scared her, he had scared all of them. Sophia had betrayed her, she had betrayed all of them. The Shah had returned and everything just felt so wrong.

His gloved finger gently brushed away a tear from her cheek. He stood dangerously close, but Christine collapsed into his darkness anyways. Her hands covered her mouth as she released a loud sob, leaning into him as her knees nearly bucked. His hand quickly snaked around her waist as she buried her head into his shoulder, crying into her hands.

"I-I" She sobbed, but nothing could come out. What was she trying to say? I thought you were going to kill her? I knew you weren't a monster? I have never been so scared before?

He hushed her gently before lifting his head to stare at the rest of the crew. "Despite your acquaintance's intentions, there is still a possibility that you can survive this ordeal, however I will not lie and say it is likely. The truth is you were never meant to perform for the Shah. Nadir and I had planned an escape for you, however the Shah's early arrival has made this escape impossible. In order to convince the other guards of our loyalty, we couldn't reveal any form of our plan to you, lest someone realized something was amiss... or a rat told someone else of our plan." His last words were bitter, but he recollected himself. "If you perform, there is a chance he will let you survive. I personally believe your performance is ready to earn his approval. However, what happens to you after that is a mystery. My plan was to help you escape before he returned, however, the Shah has returned sooner than I anticipated. He is here now and wishes to see your performance tomorrow morning."

Matilda began to cry, gripping onto Madame Giry. It was the only sound that could be heard besides Sophia's moaned sobs. Erik continued, looking away from all the desperate eyes on him.

"I have the opportunity to save four of you right now." He revealed, resting his chin on Christine's head. "There is a friend who can take four of you to Russia and then to Paris. It will be a long journey, but I can guarantee their safety. I have already chosen who I think should survive, though I will admit, it will greatly lower the chances of survival for the rest of you."

Christine lifted her head, staring into his eyes. They were soft now, nearly shattered with despair. He had planned to take her and her friends away, leaving the rest behind to die. She shook her head, stepping away from him.

"N-No. I can't."

He released a choked sigh. "You must."

"No. I won't leave." She looked towards Madame Giry, begging her to leap to her defense, But instead she was met with her watery eyes as she nudged Meg towards her.

"He is right. You must." Madame Giry whispered, her voice nearly a cry. "Take them, le Phantom. Take them far away from here."

"No, Mama!" Meg cried, gripping onto her mother. "I am not leaving you!"

"You must go."

"We can't." Jammes cried. "Wh-what about the opera?"

"We will do fine without you." Madame Giry soothed. "Please, Meg, just-"

"No!" She snapped, stepping away from her mother. She glanced at Sorelli, who stared at the ground. Her brow was furrowed and she barely moved. "We won't go. Tell him, Christine! Tell him we won't leave."

"The Shah will send you away if you stay." Madame Giry cried. "Oh Meg I couldn't bear it."

"No." Christine denied. She turned to Erik. "I don't care what he has planned. I don't care what everyone else thinks is best. I am not leaving. Take someone else. Take Matilda or Reiner."

"Christine-"

"Take someone he would deem as expendable!" She begged. "Erik please. I won't leave."

"I will not let you stay here."

"I won't run away from this."

"I will not lose you!"

His voice echoed throughout the dungeon. Christine winced at his words. A few weeks ago, she was certain she had lost him forever. It had torn her apart inside. Now he was here, she never wanted him to leave her side again. She could see the same emotions she had felt in his eyes; the fear of being alone. She gently returned to his side, holding his hands tenderly in her own.

"You won't lose me. I know that we can make it through this."

"You don't know anything." He spat.

She squeezed his hands. "Trust me." She begged. She smiled softly at him, the tears in her eyes drying. "Take four others. Take four who the Shah will kill. The rest of us will fight and I know that together, we can succeed. I am not leaving you either, Erik."

It was silent. He stared at her, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His eyes searched hers, looking for a sign of weakness or an escape. But when he found her immovable resolve, his shoulders slumped. He released a frustrated yell and slammed his fists into the wall behind him. It was silent again until he turned back to her.

"Are you certain?"

She understood the consequences. This could end disastrously. She could be dead in the morning, but nothing would stop her for fighting for what she felt was right. At the end of the day, she wasn't just fighting for her chance at survival, but his as well. She couldn't leave him here in this madness. Her angel deserved to see the sun again. Together, they would all leave here alive. They just had to. Christine nodded. "Positive."

How could she describe what she saw in those eyes? Fear? Anger? Disbelief? Trust? He glowered at her, his lips parted as he panted anxiously. Slowly, he stood, his back to her again.

"Matilda, Bastian, Reiner, and Madame Giry. The four of you are not needed for the performance, therefore would most likely be deemed...expendable. Come with me. We must...we must hurry."

"Take three. I refuse to leave." Madame Giry responded despondently. "There is no point in trying to change my mind."

Erik nodded, too weak to fight her. He motioned to the sobbing Matilda to join him. She hugged Madame Giry, whispering her apologizes as Madame Giry encouraged her to go. Christine watched as the two of them walked out of the door. Erik unlocked the men's cell door.

"Please." Ignacio muttered. "Take my wife. She cannot play-"

Erik gripped the man by his collar, pinning him up against the wall. "Your wife dug her own grave. She stays, as do you." Erik threatened. When Erik dropped the violinist, he collapsed against the ground, sobbing into his own hands. Reiner and Bastian slowly followed, each of them looking towards their crew. Reiner had tears in his eyes.

"Madame, I am sorry."

Madame Giry waved her hand. "Reiner, this is no act of cowardice. Go. We will see you soon."

Christine exhaled raggedly. Internally she prayed. Oh God, please let them live long enough to escape. She made the decision to stand against this tyrant and save her friends. Nothing would change that. She took Sorelli's hand, who still stood frozen with tears dripping down her cheeks.

Her eyes locked with Erik's once more. He nodded towards her, and she towards him. Together, they would bring the Shah to his knees. Together, they would be brave.

Next chapter is the big day. Was the rat who you thought? I would love your reviews!

Lucyole: It is sad how people can easily turn on you, but her real friends stood by her side. I felt like that was a good testament of their character. Thanks for the review!