A/N: well there are some additions to the old versions of this chapter but it's still very similar. There will be just one small chapter after this then this'll be done. Hopefully the changes I made to this chapter will help it flow better as that was what I felt was the problem with the old version. As always please let me know what you think!

Christine's dreams for now seemed empty and remained that way for a long time. When she awoke it was only for a few hours at a time, always spent with Raoul at her side. Her strength was slowly returning she felt as she made only a few trips from the bed a day, yet she was forever feeling exhausted and in need of more sleep. Raoul put up a happy countenance but in those brief periods while she was not asleep, she could tell he was becoming more and more concerned about her uncooperative health.

The next time she closed her eyes it was not the same pool of black she had been growing accustom to once sleep descended on her thoughts. Instead the distant glimmer and damp smell of the underground lake invaded her senses; she was back.

"Erik? Erik, are you there?" the trembling girl called into the darkness while stumbling down to the lake's shore.

It seemed as though an eternity past by while she stood there in the ghostly silence. A few unnoticed tears slipped to her cheeks as she stared out across the faintly glowing lake. "Erik, please…"

"I'm with you, Christine," his voice echoed around, softly caressing her soul with its velvet touch.

Christine jumped slightly but still could not see her forlorn angel but she knew he was there.

Opening her eyes at last, she saw Raoul asleep beside her in a bedside chair. She took his hand in her own and watched as he slowly woke up to her faded eyes. He smiled at her with his own bloodshot eyes before kissing her lightly on the temple.

"You've been asleep the whole day this time," he told her calmly. The smile on Christine's face faded, she was sleeping for longer periods of time. Seeing his wife's distress he sat himself next to her on the bed and wrapped his arms lovingly around her. "Don't worry. I was here almost the entire time, and here is where I'll stay till you're better again."

Christine's dreams started to become clear and focused as her deep sleeps grew. More and more she felt this strange dream world becoming increasingly real to her rather than the one she would awake to. She could feel the air embrace her as a simple moist breeze would lead her towards the lake. There she would stay until this world would release her back to her old one, waiting in silent obedience for the mist to part. At these times she could just make out the figure of Erik in his boat, always staring at her sadly, or sometimes it was merely her pained whispered name that would echo across the lake to her. She would see or hear him, and then she would simply open her eyes.

"Erik, I want to come with you! Don't leave me here again." It was the same desperate plead she made every time the dream fell but as always Erik's mournful voice held her at bay.

"Christine, why do you come back? This is not a world meant for you. Please go, I can't bear to see you here, not like this."

"Then take me with you," shecried as she ran towards the lake.

"No!" came his normally calm and gentle voice, growing in strength while his eyes seemed to burn with frightening emotions. "You deserve more than this. Good bye. I'm sorry Christine."

When at last she did wake she was always in close to a panicked state, giving her the most physical energy at that time. Raoul was almost always at her bedside, ready to comfort her and enjoy the time they had together before sleep once again over powered his wife. But his own health seemed to be suffering; his face was becoming pale and gaunt while his eyes suffered from many sleepless nights, staying by her side.

One night she was especially distressed to awake to seeing her husband hunched over, weeping silently at her side. The scene lasted only briefly for once again she was forced back to that other world.

Again Christine made her way down to the lake like she had done so many times before and waited patiently. Her thoughts were almost in a trance state as she stood there looking over the water. The mist was always so thick, as her eyes strained to see beyond its deep blanket.

After what seemed like hours in this odd yet comforting environment, her ears started to pick up the noise of a movement across the lake. She smiled knowingly as she waited for her chance to see her lost angel once again. When she was in this world it was as though all thoughts of her formal life left her. All she wanted was to be with him again and somehow she knew that if she waited long enough he would allow her to stay.

But something was different this time.

"Christine it is time for you to choose." His angelic yet sad voice carried the words to her ears, filling her soul with anticipation. "I'm here."

Instantly she knew his meaning as she looked into his pitiful eyes. He opened his arms in a welcoming manner as she made her way towards him in a desperate need of his touch. But as she closed in the image vanished and she found herself once again in her warmly lit room.

Glad that Raoul was not there at the moment, she allowed her held back tears to trail down her cheeks. I was so close, she thought despairingly, he was right there

Rapidly her thoughts flew back to his meaning. He is there! It was true, she could feel it in her whole body that it was true and that he was waiting for her. With all her strength she pulled herself out of bed and dressed. Her body felt utterly exhausted as she moved about, clinging to the walls as her legs threatened to give out beneath her.

Taking extra care in avoiding Raoul she manage to get herself outdoors with out being notice and began her walk to the opera house. It was only out of sheer force of will that she managed to drag her limp body to the grand building, stopping many times along the way to catch her gasping breath.

When she did at last reach the entrance through Rue Scribe she was virtually ready to collapse but she refused to stop just yet. She could faintly here him calling from inside her mind, willing her to go just a little farther, that she was almost there.

With a moan she forced her self down the dark passage with increasing speed. Anticipation swelled in her heart as her energy seemed to grow with every succeeding step.

Turning the last corner, tears started to cascade down Christine's face when at last she saw him there. She could not believe that he was real, that her angel had come back to her, and that he forgave her.

"Erik!" she called out in a loud sob before picking up her skirts and running towards him. As she ran she saw him do something she had never seen him do before. He was smiling.

Stepping from the boat, he opened his arms to her as she came towards him. Christine stopped only a couple of feet before him and looked up into his beautiful golden eyes still not convinced this was actually happening. There were a hundred things she wanted to say to him but now here, her thought completely deserted her.

As though reading her mind he said, "This isn't a dream Christine."

Taking her head in his hands he gently wiped away some of her fallen tears. Christine closed her eyes against his gentle touch and brought her own hand up, resting it against the back of his own. "I can't believe you came back."

His voice was nothing but a light whisper, so unlike the powerful one she always used to expecting from him. Without hesitation she wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head into his chest.

"I'm so sorry I ever left you." She cried into him as his arms rested around her waist. "Please don't ever leave me again."

A deafening cry of grief could be heard throughout the house from Christine's room as Raoul hugged his wife's lifeless body tightly to his own. With gentle force he cradled her to him as his tears ran down and dampened her soft strands of hair.

"No" was the only word he could breath. "No, it can't be… No! Wake up, please god, wake up!.. No!" Rocking her in his arms he could not help but notice her pale skin already turning cold against his own. "Christine…"

Her name was the last word he could speak while his cries still echoed in the room. He could only simply hold her there against him, caressing her soft skin, and crying into her arms with painful tears.

Please R&R! : D