A/N: I haven't checked this chapter for errors so please forgive any. And ignore them. If there are any absolute glaring errors which make it difficult to read please email them to me (on profile) and I will correct them immediately.

Chapter 32- Circus

'Oh Jesus!' Thomas cried as he shook his head with disbelief. His strong features fading to worry and sorrow as he thumped his hand on the banister of the staircase.

Paul stared at the floor of the lobby, anger cursing through his veins, relief following and then being abruptly over taken by concern. The anger was that his wife had followed him out, endangering herself and him in the process. Of course, the relief had come from the fact that she was standing tall and well next to him and he had not found her lying in the river, dead. The concern was for Meg who, only four hours earlier, was wandering around the market with Jennifer. Now she was missing, along with Christine, Raoul and the Phantom.

They had scoured the town from top to bottom, walking around past houses, knocking on doors and asking around. No one had seen or heard anything. Only one positive thing had come out of this and that was, until earlier today, they knew that Christine was alive and well. Now it was pitch black outside and it was no use searching anymore, they were back at the Inn, thinking, struggling in their minds to find at least one piece of information, one clue that would tell them where Meg was.

'How could you have been so bloody stupid?' Roared Thomas said, hitting the banister one last time before spinning around to face Jennifer. 'God, how ridiculous! How … stupid! How stupid!'

Jennifer sobbed quietly to herself, too ashamed to look at Thomas and terrified to look at her husband, to see his disappointment, to see his anguish. Paul watched her and held his hand up to Thomas, who bit his teeth together and stopped his tirade, Paul meant that he had heard enough. Paul looked in Thomas' face seeing all of the fury that a man in love would. He nodded at him but Thomas simply met the gesture with a scowl and collapsed against the wall, leaning on his shoulder and staring hard at Jennifer.

Paul was sure that Thomas was about to fly into another diatribe at his wife when the figure of a woman entering the building stopped him in his tracks. For a moment they were frozen to the floor, all of them staring at her and then Jennifer ran over, throwing her arms around Meg and kissing the side of her face.

Thomas glanced at Paul who was staring in shock at the two women motionless in their embrace and his eyes clouded with confusion. Thomas was sure that they had looked everywhere, they had searched high and low. Spoken to people who they had never met before in a town that was so quiet a kidnapping was unheard of. He looked again at Paul before stepping towards Meg, who was now free from Jennifer's grasp, and surveyed her carefully.

'Are you hurt?' he asked, concern oozing like syrup from his voice. Meg shook her head slowly and sat down on the bottom step of the staircase. Her eyes drifted around the room from Thomas, handsome as ever even with his jaw firm and tense as it was now, to Paul who wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Then she glanced at Jennifer, her friend who had done exactly as she asked and probably ended up facing their wrath alone.

'She's fine too.' She said and they knew that she was referring to Christine. Paul nodded and let out a sigh of relief before slumping into the corner chair and pulling his wife to his lap. He needed her to know that he was forgiving her.

'Was the Phantom there, Meg?' asked Thomas, grinding his teeth.

'He was.' She stated. 'And she's in no danger from him.'

'Did you see Raoul?' Paul said from the comfort of his chair.

'No.' she said. 'The Phantom isn't the man you're looking for Paul. He isn't. He rescued Christine and he is currently trying to rescue Raoul.'

Paul looked at Thomas and then back to Meg who was sitting comfortably looking completely unconcerned with the whole series of events.

'Then who am I looking for?' he asked, bemused. Meg shrugged her shoulders gently and pushed herself to her feet. She gently brushed the back of her dress and walked to Thomas who turned to face her.

'He said that they were going to the circus.' She said and covered her mouth as a yawn escaped. Thomas frowned and rubbed his temple hard. 'They've been gone for nearly an hour.'

'The circus will be closed at this hour!' said Paul and Meg raised her eyebrows at him.

Thomas nodded quickly at Paul who almost threw Jennifer from his lap in his haste. They both grabbed their coats, and pulled them on as they run towards to exit, it was a minute before Paul turned around and stared at Meg.

'Stay here!' he shouted and then he was gone.

The room was obviously an old work house from the times of the Poor Laws, it was dusty and damp with rails around the room and a few old machines sitting gathering rust. It was dark but Christine's eyes had adjusted to the light well and she could see that there were old windows at the top but at this time of night they let little in to aid the view.

She was crouched down next to Erik in a small nook which was hidden by an old machine, ahead there were two burly men walking around. They both had swords at their waists and this was the first moment since she had been with Erik that she had felt genuine fear.

It had been easy enough to get in, there had been nobody waiting at the door and the bolts had not been locked. They had simply snuck in through the entrance and hidden in the spot they were now still sitting in. Erik had placed his finger on his lips to instruct her to be silent and she had obeyed, they had not spoken a word since they had reached the door.

On the way she had asked him why they were going to the circus, he had shot her a wry smile and continued walking for nearly five minutes before he answered her. She had known not to push the issue. He had told her that this was where Raoul was being kept, the people from the circus had befriended him not long after they had arrived in London. She had nodded as she listened and watched him as he recounted his tale. They had turned on Raoul and plotted to kidnap him, along with Christine, on the night he had found her. When Christine had asked why, he seemed evasive before answering 'probably your money' and going quiet for a second.

There was something else.

She followed him through the back streets and suddenly the half constructed tent appeared in front of them. Next to it was a number of old stalls and a large building, the building they were now sitting in. Before they went in Erik had glanced at her and smiled gently, he told her that under no circumstances was she to do anything he hadn't instructed of her. She had nodded and waited for his instructions. All he had said after that was, 'I can't guarantee he will be alive.'

As she sat with her back against the wall her mind drifted to earlier in the day and she smiled, in spite of herself, as she remembered.

After they had cleared the air to an extent that day she had held him tight, so tight that she thought he might suffocate. She had apologised to him with so much meaning, so much sincerity that she barely recognised her own whisper. Her lips had fallen on his ear and she had made no effort to move it, his skin was much softer than she remembered.

She couldn't quite recall who had broken the hold, she thought that maybe it was a mutual thing. When he had let her go she watched his face form into a small, genuine smile and she found herself smiling back through the tears that were still flowing. As she looked at him his eyes softened and he stepped towards her, her body began to tremble but she didn't move instead she stared at him, watched him.

He had reached out and held her hand in his, rubbing it softly with his thumb he looked into her eyes. He read her mind, no, he read her soul in those seconds and she was stuck in a perpetual longing. He tugged her arm gently and she had stepped into his body as he pulled. He had slid his arm around her back and kissed her forehead with a tenderness she had forgotten he possessed. He had kissed her eyes lids and lifted his hand to brush a tear from her face before his lips touched her cheek. They were soft and careful and she loved the way they had felt on her skin.

Then he had let her go, telling her that she could leave the room for a few hours and go to the market just in the next street. She had been astonished but agreed, she longed to be out of the place, it was starting to feel stale. When she had asked what he would be doing he had collapsed on the bed and said he would be catching up on some sleep. He was not as young as he used to be.

A bang dragged her from her daydream and she glanced at Erik, who was watching the two men in the centre of the room. They had begun a conversation and Erik had started to move towards them. Remembering his instructions she stayed where she was and prayed silently for his safety.

Suddenly, he stood up absolutely straight and stepped out from behind the machine. She could just about make out the shock on the first man's face as both he and Erik drew their swords. She could only imagine that the other man had done the same. Before he had chance to move Erik and whipped his weapon around and slashed his forearm, causing him to drop his weapon. As the sword clanked on the floor, Erik stepped forward and kicked it aside before punching the man in the jaw.

Christine flinched at the sickening crack that came and Erik turned to face the other man who was slowly moving into her view. Erik lifted his sword and held it in front of him.

'I don't want to hurt you.' He said coldly and stepped around, still facing the man. 'What's your name?'

'I'm David.' He said and lunged at Erik, who side stepped in a move Meg would have been proud of. 'And you?'

'Call me Phantom,' he said, jumping forward with his sword to one side. David had been so focused on the sword that he didn't see Erik's hand spinning around before it connected with his face. David flew to the floor and Erik bent over and picked up his weapon.

'Where is Monsieur Contigue?' Erik asked as he beckoned for Christine to come to him. She stepped out gingerly and ran to his side, he handed her the other sword.

'He is…' said David, spitting blood through his swollen lips. 'Upstairs. Third room'

French? Christine thought as she heard his accent. She glanced up at Erik who was looking from David to the other man lying in the corner, looking terrified.

'Which one kicked you Christine?' he asked and she watched as both men sat up straight. She didn't recognise David but she certainly recognised the other man, he had dragged her down the stairs by her hair.

'He did.' She said pointing at him. Erik looked at him and noted that he was certainly the bigger of the two. Erik wandered to the machine and pulled out two lengths of rope. The first length he used to tie David's hands firmly behind his back.

The second he began to tie into a loop.