A/N: Thanks for the reviews as always! Very much appreciated!

Amber: Was most certainly a homage to your fic ;). Thank you for the review.

Modesty: Thank you, as always. How was your break?

Lost: I'm happy to review your stories, I believe it is courtesy to at least take the time to read your reviewers work! Thank you for the review!

Excuse Sp/ Grammatical errors… its been a long day and I'm about to go out to work!

Dark Erik… I love a bit of dark Erik!

'Choices are the hinges of destiny'. Edwin Markham

Chapter 38- Resolution

'Because…' she said, quietly, swallowing down the large lump that had formed in her throat. 'Because I haven't done anything.'

Erik stared at her disgusted.

'Let me explain to you…' he began. 'The dilemma I now find myself in.'

She nodded slowly, leaning back away from the dagger that he was still holding at her throat. He smiled mercilessly and took the edge away from her, holding it at his side and collapsing against the wall. He leant there for a moment, looking at her, trying to find something about her that he liked. So far there was nothing. Her face was boring and plain, her eyes were dull. She was related to the late, he grinned as he thought it, Pierre, and she was a liar.

'When you told me about Raoul… it seemed strange that a nurse maid would know so much, you see Rebecca, I've never been stupid.' He grinned, flashing her a glimpse of his teeth. 'I may be ugly, but I am NOT stupid.'

'I know…'

'Shush,' he demanded and stood up straight, glaring down at her. 'Then… you spoke to your father. Told him about… me.' His voice was even and slow and she felt the terror rise under her skin. 'You didn't know who I was but the fact that I had reacted to your… story… sent you running to tell him about me.' He continued, watching the tears streaming down her face which proved only fuel to his tempo. 'He knew though, when you told him about the mask…'

'He didn't tell…'

'Shut up!' he snarled, mouth half open, teeth clenched, stepping closer to her. 'I don't want to hear it.' She blinked and he nodded. 'And tell me… tell me how they knew about her. About Christine. Her habits. What time her servants went to their rooms, how did they know?'

Rebecca stared at him, watching the anger across his face. He began to pace, slowly, methodically around the room, around her, then backwards and forwards, glancing at her the daggers edge glinting with the blaze of the fire.

'How did they know what time the guard went home, she did have a guard, a chaperone for most of the day, did she not?'

Rebecca nodded slowly and swallowed hard, he was terrifying her and he was enjoying it.

'Because…' he continued through his gritted teeth. 'Raoul would not leave her alone in a city she still barely knew when he was out most of the time.' He stood still for a moment, towering over the shivering wreck crouched at his feet. 'You told him everything.'

'But…' she began and he dropped to his knees in front of her, his eyes fixed on to hers and he grabbed her shoulder with his free hand, squeezing it hard, digging the tips into her flesh. She held back a yelp, the pain showing in her eyes only increased his ferocity.

'You're disgusting.' He growled, fighting the urge to rip her from the floor and throw her down the stairs. 'Why shouldn't I kill you?' he spat, asking again, his tone menacing, he mocked her, she could see it in his eyes.

'Don't…' she said and choked back a sob. 'I didn't know…' and that was it, the tears flooded her face, over taking her dullness with a crimson that he didn't think her flesh could muster. The colour was blood and it made him smile, it made his black soul smile. 'I didn't know!' she whimpered.

'Of course you did!' he said, raising his voice, eyes burning into her flesh. 'You told me yourself!' he slid the dagger back under her throat and stared into her eyes.

'Please…' she begged. 'Please…'

'This is my dilemma,' he said. 'To spare you and risk my own demise, or Christine's… your family are still alive and you will tell them' She looked at him through tears. 'Or to kill you and let you bleed here next to your pathetic excuse for a father and risk it on my conscience.'

'Oh… please' she gasped, she had no dignity left.

'Of course,' he said, a smirk forming across his lips. 'I never did have much of a conscience.'

'It's cold!' Jennifer grumbled outside the building unsure whether or not they should enter.

Meg looked over at her and smiled a girlish grin which would have made the coldest heart melt. They were standing outside a warehouse in the middle of nowhere, wrapped only in their day clothes and shawls. It was freezing, the temperature had dropped considerably since they had disobeyed Paul's orders and followed them to the warehouse. Jennifer had not been so sure, she didn't think that Paul would ever forgive her this final insult to his masculinity.

'I think we should return to the Inn.' She said decisively and Meg flashed her that smile again.

'Don't be silly!' she said. 'We'll be fine. Just one glimpse and we can leave.'

What she meant, of course, was that they were here to curb Jennifer's curiosity about the phantom. One glimpse of him and then they would be gone and Jennifer would have seen for herself that he truly exists. Jennifer's analysis of the danger was now at the forefront of her mind and Meg's nonchalance only frightened her more. But as a child she had wanted to see him and as an adult her interest had only grown.

One glimpse.

Jennifer nodded her head slowly and prepared herself to walk inside, she was surprised that Paul and Thomas had left the door open but they wandered in anyway and tucked themselves behind what looked like an old piece of machinery. Meg crouched behind it and poked her head around the side seeing Thomas pulling something down from the railings which were situated high up the walls. It looked like some attached to a piece of rope but Meg couldn't tell what it was from where she was kneeling.

Jennifer glanced over Meg's shoulder and saw a man tied in the corner, with Paul looking down at him. As she watched Meg edged out slightly and Paul moved away from the man, directing his attention to the corridor to his right. Thomas placed whatever it was that he had been grappling with in the darkest corner of the room and covered it with a sheet before following Paul to the corridor.

Meg grinned at Jennifer and slowly walked across the room towards to corridor, beckoning for her to follow. She sat for a moment before nodding and gingerly tracing Meg's steps across the room.