Thanks once again for the reviews! I saw a lot of new people review so thanks for starting to read! And to those who have been reading and reviewing from the beginning, thank you so much! You guys all keep me going!

This is kind of a slow chapter. I promise more intense drama in the chapters ahead so please keep reading!

Christine stared up at Erik expectantly, still gripping onto him, waiting for him to tell her where they would go that night. Even as she tried to remain strong for the difficult journey ahead, she could feel exhaustion engulf her from the injury and lack of sleep. With some alarm, she noticed that Erik was now gazing upon her with a certain degree of pain, and she wondered where his thoughts lay. "Erik?" she questioned. "What are we to do?"

"Christine," he began, keeping his voice as steady as possible. "When does the Vicomte plan on-" He gritted his teeth. "On wedding you?"

She was confused by the question but answered honestly. "Likely as soon as he believes we are safe. But what does that have to do with anything? I will not marry him now, Erik. I cannot."

Her words calmed him, not only because he now knew that they had precious time, but because they continued to confirm her love. That was all he needed to say the next painful sentence. "You must go with the Vicomte tomorrow." She opened her mouth to protest, but he silenced her with a firm look. "No, Christine. You are in no condition to be carried through this weather on an escape from the police. It will kill you."

Christine's eyes widened, and she clutched onto the soft material of his suit. "Surely you won't leave me now, not after—"

Erik interrupted her, trying to compose himself. "Please allow me to finish, Christine. If you still so desire, when you are fully healed, I shall come for you before you are wed. By that time, you will be in better health, and I will have secured us a safer place to stay. Until that time, you must stay where you can rest."

"What if Raoul takes me far away? And the police! Raoul told me that he went down to your home, Erik! He could lead them right to you! Let's go before it is too late!" To have her plead in tears to be with him-it was something that he never thought he'd hear in his lifetime. He wanted nothing more than to take her safely into his arms and carry her to a place where no one would dare ruin their happiness. At this time, though, no such haven existed.

"Do not concern yourself with my safety, Christine. I am quite adept at concealing myself, and I very much doubt that the capture of the Phantom is high on the list of priorities. It seems that the Parisian police are not exactly on good terms with the opera house, as the Opera Ghost never made his appearance. As for you Christine, you shall never go far enough to where I will not be able to reach you. Have you not figured that out yet?" He managed to draw a small smile from her worn face.

Her worries did not concern him, for they only involved him keeping a low profile, something he had learned to do well over the years when it became necessary. Only one fear lingered deeply in his mind, and it was something that he had no control over.

What if she adored the lifestyle of a Vicomtess once she was safely tucked away in the expansive manor? There was no doubt that she felt some love for the boy. What if when he returned for her, she did not wish to come? He would have to let her go again, and he knew that it would kill him. These thoughts very nearly made Erik give into her pleas. Only her weary face kept him firm.

Christine choked back her tears but began to understand the depth of what she was asking now. For Erik to have to carry her place to place, especially while she was ill, would endanger both of their lives once Raoul contacted the police. Her body ached both physically and emotionally as she clung onto him tightly with no more words of protest, deciding to make the best of the next hours. There was a long moment of silence, and Christine allowed her mind to wander over the strange events of the last year. There was something she had to know before he left.

"Erik, I have been wondering about the night I ran away. What would have happened should I have chosen to perform?" She felt him tense underneath her.

"I cannot say, my dear. That would have depended on you." His calm, cryptic answer was unsatisfying.

"But were you simply planning to watch me upon the stage? Please Erik. You know more than you tell me. I shall not be angry."

There was a long silence in which he kept his gaze straight ahead, debating whether to reveal to her what would have befallen her that night. "Let us say that the duet was not meant to be sung with Piangi."

"I do not understand. The Point of No Return?"

"Yes."

Her mind absorbed these words and attempted to decipher them. "But if not Piangi, then who-Oh Erik! You were going to go up on the stage with me? There were gendarmes everywhere! It would have been suicide!"

"If my position had been given away, perhaps it would have been," he replied softly and with a slight tinge of hostility.

"But why? Why would you do that?"

That was a piece of information he was not willing to give away...perhaps not ever. "It is inconsequential. You chose not to perform that night, and perhaps it was in your best interest. I do not wish to discuss it any longer. It is over." Christine frowned in resignation and allowed herself to wonder for a moment what Erik's revelation would have meant for her. She shuddered and quickly brushed it from her mind.

They only had a few more hours together before the nurses would begin their morning visits, and Christine wished for them to be peaceful ones. Shyly, she scooted over on the bed slightly, not looking up at him. Erik stared at her uncertainly for a moment, but her deep blush confirmed that it was an invitation. Cautiously, he sat down beside her. With a small smile that hinted of sadness, she placed her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes, beginning to cave into her exhaustion.

Finally, the dawn approached and the clatter of breakfast dishes could be heard in the hallway. If he did not leave then, he would be seen. Quietly, Erik tried to rise without stirring her, but she had already been awake, dwelling on the weeks ahead. As he moved to leave, she turned to gaze up at him, trying one more half-hearted plea. "Are you sure I cannot come with you now?"

"I shall see you within weeks, Christine. Do not think you shall get away so easily from me my dear," he said, wryly. "I shall have my duet, be it on stage or not." As he moved to stand up, he felt her hands grab onto his shoulders. Turning around, he once again found himself surprised as she placed a soft kiss at the corner of his unmasked lip. He tilted her chin up to admire her one last time and then left the room without looking back.


Most of the dreary morning was filled with the nurses preparing Christine to leave the hospital. She sat as they helped her to wash and refresh herself from the short stay. Glancing out the window, she noticed that a cold drizzle had begun to fall, casting a depressing haze upon the city. The pain in her foot had become a dull, steady ache, bearable but still miserable. Cecile repeatedly asked her if she felt well, and Christine always assured her that she was only tired.

Christine was given some relief that morning from her troubling thoughts. About an hour before Raoul came to retrieve her, Madame Giry and Meg entered her room with sympathetic smiles. Both wanted to wish her well, as the Vicomte had told them that she would be leaving the city that day. Meg quickly ran up to the bedside and embraced her.

"Christine! How are you feeling? I am sorry I did not come earlier, but the weather has been dreadful, and I did not know you would be leaving so suddenly."

Christine managed a half-hearted smile at her best friend. "Oh, do not worry Meg. I am happy that you came before I left. It looks like I have gotten myself into quite a mess, doesn't it?" She turned to the older woman. "Hello Madame. Thank you so much for coming today. I have missed you both these last few days."

Madame Giry smiled warmly. "I was happy to come, child. When you first disappeared, I was quite afraid for you. It seems as though you are safe now. We shall definitely miss you at the opera house, though with your engagement I suppose it was only a matter of time before you left us."

Christine averted her eyes, not wishing to reveal herself in any way. "I shall dearly miss it there, Madame. Though with my ankle, I doubt I could dance any longer."

"That is true." The older woman could tell something was bothering Christine. "Is everything well with you outside of your poor ankle? You are safe?"

"I am well and safe, Madame." Christine knew that Madame Giry had a knowledge of the more mysterious events in the opera house, but she was not about to tell her all that had occurred. At the same time, though, it would be wise to have contacts in the city, and she would miss both of them dearly. "Please continue to visit me every so often while I am gone. I wish to remain close with you and Meg, even after I am married."

"Of course, Christine. I am sure we can find time to visit you. Meg will be very upset if she cannot." And with that, Christine chatted a little while longer with her two friends, finding some comfort in the gray morning before she had to leave.

Soon after they had departed, the Vicomte walked briskly into the hospital room, very content to see that Christine was awake and ready to go. He arrived in a fairly foul mood after his meeting the day before with both an Inspector and one of the higher officers of the police force. Both men had more or less told him that, unless he could bring them sufficient evidence regarding the Phantom's crimes...or even his existence, they were not going to devote any more men to the case. When Raoul told them about the underground home, they looked at him as if he had gone slightly mad. He had stormed out.

As he met Christine that day to bring her with him, he attempted to hide his irritation. She looked at him wearily as he entered and allowed him to kiss her cheek. "Christine," he began tiredly. "Thank God we are getting out of here today. The police force is being completely unhelpful."

"What happened?"

"They do not seem to believe me when I tell them of what a threat this man is. He shall have to murder another person before they take me seriously. But I will not give up yet. There are always private investigators who will work for as long as they are compensated."

Christine tensed. "Perhaps we should simply forget about everything, Raoul. I do not think he is a threat any longer. Let's leave him alone." Her voice shook slightly, and she prayed he could not see the deceit in her eyes.

"There is no doubt in my mind that he will continue to pursue you, Christine. But today is not the day to think about it. It is time to celebrate your getting out of this hospital and out of this city."

Within the next hour, Christine was taken to an awaiting covered carriage where she laid her throbbing head against the soft seat in relief. Before she left, she said goodbye to Doctor Murrell and also gave him her deepest thanks. As the carriage drove away from the hospital in the early morning hours, she stared backward and wondered if Erik was watching her at that moment. When they passed the opera house for the last time, she gazed out at it for a long while, remembering all of the events that had taken place. She felt Raoul place an arm around her shoulder as they passed the enormous building. He drew her up against him. "Is something wrong?" he asked, perhaps noticing the strange glint in her eyes.

"No, I simply do not feel well at the moment." They sat in silence for the remainder of the long drive.