Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Say the word and I will follow you. Share each day with me, each night, each morning…

Christine sang wearily to herself, her voice cracking. The pain that throbbed throughout her whole body combined with the hours she had spent on the road were slowly wearing her down. But as long as she kept singing, she maintained the will to go on. Christine shifted slightly in the saddle, trying to relieve her aching muscles. Shortly after she began her journey she had abandoned the lady-like side saddle for the easier straddle position. Christine really wasn't concerned with appearances anymore. She rocked side to side as the horse trotted along, barely paying attention to where she was going. She closed her eyes to rest them, just for a moment she told herself, and her arm fell to her side. Christine suddenly gasped as she felt Raoul's ring slip off of her finger.

"No, no, no!" she cried out in a panic. She pulled hard on the reins, causing the horse to whinny loudly. She climbed down to search for her ring. Christine scanned the road, but seeing no trace of it, decided that it must have rolled off into the grass. Christine gathered up her skirt, got down on her knees, and frantically ran her hands through the wet grass, feeling for the solid band. She lifted her head from her search when she heard an approaching horse. She stood up and lifted her sore arms to signal the rider to stop. But her eyes widened as she saw the moonlight shine off of a white mask. Christine threw herself to the ground, making her body as flat as possible. She prayed that Erik wouldn't hear her panicked breathing.

"What are you doing out here?" Erik yelled. Christine began to shake as fear seized her heart.

"I guess he didn't tie you up well enough. Gustave needs to learn to take better care of you, or all of his horses will run away," Erik said amusedly as he grabbed the reins of Christine's horse and rubbed his dark muzzle. "Let's get you home." His horse started to gallop again and he was soon out of sight.

Christine stood to her feet and let out a relieved laugh. She couldn't believe how close she had been to getting caught. But she was terribly disappointed at the loss of her horse. The village that would have taken hours to arrive at on horseback now seemed a lifetime away. Christine trudged back to the road, stopping suddenly when she stepped on something sharp. She cursed under her breath and lifted her foot to see what more damage had been done. She looked down to see her ring trodden in the earth. She smiled as she picked it up, scraped off the dirt with her nail, and slid it back on her finger. She held her hand out in front of her, supporting her wrist with the other hand, and admired the ring that shone in the moonlight. It wasn't the ring itself that brought her such joy; it was what the ring represented. It meant that someone really loved her, wanted to have a family and grow old with her. Christine placed her hand over her heart. How it ached to be close to Raoul again.

Christine started off again on her journey, jogging at first. Her breath came in short, painful gasps. She used her good hand to hold up her dress, and after a few minutes the pain began to fade. Christine was numb all over. She slowly began to pick up speed, the wind rushing through her hair. She reached a steep hill and as she neared the peak, she saw a sliver of light shine over the top. A smile began to form on her lips as she got nearer and stepped out of the darkness. Christine stopped hesitantly at the edge of the village. Erik's words returned to her mind- "This isn't the safest place to be in the dark." Christine scanned the village, unsure of what to do or who to trust. She started in one direction, only to stop and go in another. Finally she set her eyes upon the inn. It was the quietest place in the village and so it seemed to Christine the safest.

She hesitantly opened the door and entered the lobby. "Hello?" she called out weakly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "After all you've been through these past months, you're going to be afraid now?" she silently asked herself. She called out again in a strong voice, "Is anyone here?"

Christine heard someone snort loudly in a room down the hall. A man came walking towards her rubbing his eyes. "I'm sorry it took me so long," he yawned.

"Oh no. There's no need for apologies," Christine responded politely. "I was wondering if…"

"All the excitement tonight must have worn me out," he interrupted.

"Excitement?"

"Oui. A young man was brought in here earlier with a pretty bad stab wound in his back. He's doing better now, but it will probably take a while to heal completely."

A stab wound? Christine remembered the terrible feeling she had awoken with, that something bad had happened to Raoul. Gustave had said that Raoul would soon near the village. Christine knew it was impossible; fate had long since abandoned her. But she couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe, the man the owner described might be her fiancé. Christine's heart began to race. "Please monsieur," she asked in quiet desperation, "do you know his name?"

"Yes, it was the Vicomte de Chagny. Why?"

Christine's heart skipped a beat and her chest tightened. "Raoul."

"Did you say something mademoiselle?"

"Where is he? I need to find him!" Christine was practically screaming.

"He's in the first room on the left, but..." Christine was running towards the room before the owner could finish his sentence. She opened the door without even knocking. In front of her there was a man dozing in a chair, his hat pulled down over his eyes, and there in the bed was Raoul. Christine couldn't believe that after all this time she was finally reunited with her sweet fiancé. All the hopes and fears that she had kept hidden away for the last few months of her life were rising to the surface. She slowly approached the bed and sat down beside Raoul. She ran her trembling hands down his face, tracing the curves with her fingers. The handsome youth she knew had changed, but the sight of him produced the same sense of love and safety that it always had. She pushed a few stray strands of golden hair from his eyes. She leaned down to move closer to him, accidentally putting her weight on her broken wrist. Christine yelled out in pain.

Suddenly the man in the chair awoke and jumped forward, tossing his chair back. "What the hell!"

His eyes focused on Christine and he recognized her immediately; Raoul had shown him her picture innumerable times. "Mademoiselle, you have no idea how happy I am to see you!" Maurice gushed, pulling Christine into a hug. When he let her go, Christine gave him a puzzled look.

"Oh, forgive me," he said quickly, backing away slightly and nervously playing with the hat he held in his hands. "My name is Maurice. I am a companion of your fiancé. I've heard so much about you, I feel like I practically know you myself."

Christine placed a hand over mouth, trying to conceal her giggle at Maurice's outburst.

"May I ask, Mademoiselle, how you were able to escape and find us here?" Maurice questioned.

"I believe that the story of my capture and escape can wait for another time," Christine answered drowsily.

"Of course mademoiselle," Maurice responded soothingly, "I will keep guard outside the door. You should get some rest."
"Thank you Maurice," Christine said, giving Maurice's arm a gentle squeeze.

Maurice bowed to Christine, placed a kiss on her hand, and shut the door behind him. Christine curled up in the bed alongside Raoul. She lightly kissed his lips and whispered "I love you" into his ear. She lifted his arm up and wrapped it around her, laying her head on his shoulder. She gently stroked his hand as her eyes closed in sleep. Next to her true love, Christine's soul finally felt complete and at peace. That night Christine dreamt of the hope that morning would bring for her and her love.