Chapter 3: No More Talk Of Darkness

"Christine..." Raoul sighed. "We've been over this a thousand times."

"I know." Christine nibbled on her lower lip. "But..."

"I'm here, Christine. With you. Beside you..." Raoul said, looking deeply into her eyes. "Why not bring me along? Why do you have to do this alone? Why do you have to do it at all?"

"Because..."

Christine thought of The Phantom, of Erik. How they used to sing together. How he used to sing to her when they were alone. How they shared that one last parting kiss...

Damn that kiss.

"Because I have to know something," Christine answered. "And I have to find it out on my own."

"Christine, it's dangerous." Raoul said firmly. "He's a madman. A killer. He almost killed us both! I know it's been a few years now, but surely your memory isn't that faulty?"

"He never killed anyone before he met me that I know of," Christine said defensively. "And he hasn't killed anyone since! It would've been in the papers!"

In fact, she didn't even know whether he was alive...

Scratch that. She did know. She could feel him. He was inside her, beating with her heart.

"Christine..." Raoul was weary.

"I mean, what if it was my fault, Raoul?" Christine insisted. "What if I was the one who drove him to such dark corners of despair that he was forced to murder people!"

"Forced to murder people?" Raoul was skeptical. "Christine, I don't think..."

"He may have been living a nice happy life until I came along! Going to the opera, writing music..." Christine made vague wave with her hand. "And then I come along and...and pow! I ruined his life! He went mad from my beauty and my voice and just...killed people because of it. Why, if it weren't for me, I bet he'd have been discovered under there and been made a star. I mean, he was pretty all right looking with his mask on."

Shoot. That wasn't supposed to be out loud.

"'Pretty all right,' huh?" Raoul was amused.

"Well...you know..." Christine flushed.

"Lotte, the only one that's been driven mad by your beauty and your voice is me."

"But..."

"No more talk of darkness. Forget these wide-eyed fears," Raoul said, stroking her hair. "It wasn't your fault any of that stuff happened. If the only reason you want to go back is to find that out, or to apologize to him, then it's a wasted effort. Not to mention a dangerous one."

"Raoul..." Christine was frustrated. Why couldn't he just let her go?

"But," Raoul sighed, "I can see you have your heart set on it so I'll cut you a deal."

"You will!" Christine couldn't hide the excitement from her voice.

"Yes." Raoul nodded. "You may go back to the opera, but you have to follow a couple of safety rules."

"Which are?"

"You can only be gone for three days," Raoul said firmly. "That's it. Any longer than three days and I'm coming after you with the army. Fair so far?"

"Just three?"

"Just three," he confirmed. "And second rule is that you can only stay there if Meg is still there. I know that Meg will take care of you. If she's not there, you can't go at all."

"Meg is there."

"Good," he said. "The third rule is that each time you go down there to talk to him, someone has to know you're down there. No sneaking off in the night!"

"Is...is that all?"

"That's all!" he smiled. "Just don't get yourself killed, all right?"

"I won't," Christine grinned.

She couldn't believe it. He was letting her go.

She was going back to the Opera.

Chapter 4: Old Friends