Title: Muse
Author: kire evoli
Pairing: ErikChristine (because Raoul thinks hes soooo cool. )
Rating: PG-13 –R (slowly but surely, its getting there..)
Disclaimer: Sadly, and how ever much my little heart may break everytime I say this, I do not own 'The Phantom of the Opera' or Erik or Christine or anyone else...-- sigh If only I did...
Warning: Raoul-bashing, abnormally cranky Raoul. I don't really fancy the Vicomte so it may look like he's going to get some love but bah.
Genre: Romance/Drama
Summary: Raoul goes mad when he finds out that Christine, his fiancé, still yearns for the love of her phantom. Takes place a few days after the happenings in the labyrinth.
Author's Notes: I apologize now that my updates are slower than they have been. School has started up again and I have to find time to write around all that, so please don't get discouraged when new chapters come in slowly. I'm trying my best, and I've been pretty good lately for a procrastinator. Anyway, I have a feeling you all might enjoy this chapter. Or maybe you wont. But I sure hope you do.

Muse: Chapter Eight

"Miss Daaé!" Screeched a woman who was polishing the railing of the main staircase as she noticed Christine enter through the door, Erik following close behind. "Have you come to watch the rehearsals today or have you come for the Vicomte!?" She questioned lightly, looking Erik up and down.

"Raoul is here?" She asked the woman making sure of what she just heard.

"Yes. He is here. He stormed through but I didn't dare ask him anything."

"What about Meg Giry! Is Meg here!?"

The woman shook her head, a few loose strands of her worn out hair style swinging in her face. "No miss. Quite sorry but Madame Giry and her daughter left early this morning. Seemed quite odd for them to be leaving on a day of rehearsals but they aren't here." She looked at Erik again

Though the woman didn't know much Christine felt better just knowing that her best friend wasn't going to be caught in the middle of this. "Good." She said turning to Erik and putting a hand over her heart. "He's not after Meg, and even if he was, she isn't here." She sighed, feeling much more relieved.

"I must be on my way Miss. I've got plenty a' cleaning to finish." She bowed her head respectively as she lifted her rugged skirts and ascended the stairs as if she couldn't get away fast enough.

"Erik." Christine said, beginning her question as she walked up the first step and looked back at him. "If Raoul isn't after Meg, or me, or you, who could he be after?"

Erik's eyes shot right up to Christine, a quick glare that he hardly ever gave her. "Himself." He answered coldly.

She gasped and put a hand to her mouth. She no longer felt any love towards Raoul, their hearts had grown distant but she wasn't an apathetic creature. "You think he's trying to kill himself!?" She asked, a bit of uneasiness possessing her voice.

"In this opera house, it's easier to kill oneself than you think."

"But why! No!" She never wished death upon him and certainly she didn't want him to take his own life for her. "I can't let him, we can't let him!" She exclaimed as she noticed Erik's bewildered expression.

"Why not Christine? He would be gone. We could live together without interruption!"

She shook her head furiously. "He would kill himself because he couldn't have me! Erik! What if you had killed yourself back then, when you thought I was gone forever?"

Erik stared. Usually he had an answer for everything but her question caught him off guard. He wanted the Vicomte to die, he thought Christine wanted it too, before he remembered exactly what type of person she was. Even if she hadn't returned to him, if she had decided to live out a life with the Vicomte she would never have wished him death. He knew that she didn't want anyone to die because of her.

"See Erik?" She hung her head. "We wouldn't be together right now. You would have given up hope. If he really wants to die for himself, then I won't be able to stop him, but as long as he's dying for me, I need to try to stop it. At least I need to try!"

He nodded assuring her of his support. Maybe for a second his heart stopped, almost frightened that she wished to return to the Vicomte but soon his mind reenacted the previous night. They had held each other, they had shared the beautiful contingence of lips, and she said she loved him. He dismissed the thought from his head and moved closer to Christine. "How do you plan to stop him? He's been consumed by madness."

"I don't know." Christine repined. "As of right now I'm not even sure what he's planning on doing! How am I supposed to know how to stop him?" She continued up the steps towards the entrance to the back of the stage. She wandered out onto the empty floor looking all around. "Pretty empty for a rehearsal day."

"That's because rehearsals don't start for another hour."

"That voice." Erik grumbled looking upwards in the direction of the sound.

Christine's eyes grew wide. "Raoul!?" She looked up at Raoul who was occupying the stage rigging, swinging the end of Erik's favorite choice of weapon in his hand.

"Where did you get that?!" Erik yelled annoyed with the Vicomte's playful tone.

"Bah!" Raoul laughed. "Do you think I don't know where your little 'lair' is by now?" He placed the lasso over his head, the other end already tied tightly to the rigging. "Christine, love."

"Raoul don't do this!" Christine begged.

"Come back to me." He smiled tightening the lasso.

Erik's eyes narrowed. "Threatening your own life to win her back. You're pathetic."

"Raoul, don't do this, it isn't worth it!"

"A life without you Christine is nothing." He mocked depression.

Christine turned away, disgusted in the Vicomte's actions. "Raoul stop."

Raoul stepped one foot out over the narrow catwalk, his tone suddenly becoming more serious. "Christine. We can still have a life together! I can forgive you!"

There was no response. Christine knew that she didn't love him anymore; she didn't want to love him anymore, nor did she want his forgiveness.

Without receiving any answer, Raoul played out his final act, and let his other foot slip off the catwalk.

Christine closed her eyes and tried her best to ignore the sounds of Raoul's convulsing body by burying herself in Erik's arms.

Erik held Christine as he watched the Vicomte plunge to his death. The fool had killed himself just as he thought. "Did you think that she would save you again?" He asked Raoul's now limp, dead body. "Did you think she would ever love you again?"

"Is it over?" Christine asked innocently as she looked up at Erik.

"He's gone. His madness drove him to death. Don't think it's your fault."

She thought she had been crying but as she went to wipe away tears, her eyes were dry.

"You owe him no tears my dear." Erik hushed as he looked back up at Raoul for the last time.