Chapter 4

Lost in the catacombs/Down once more

Author's note: Don't think that I haven't forgotten the horrible situation I left the Phantom in Ch. 2, but I need one more chapter in Christine's point of view before I can make with the wonderful EC goodyness! I'm poking a little fun at Raoul in this chapter. Nothing too bad…Also, I thought that I would mention how I want you guys to see my Phantom and Christine. The Phantom is definitely Gerard Butler (he is soo cute!). I also like the idea of a perfect left side of his face versus the horror of the right side...and Christine has brown curly hair and brown eyes as she does in the movie/play. I can't see her as a blonde...But hey if you want to imagine them differently, then go ahead, that's just how I will descibe them when the need arises. Thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I…do…not…own…anything…

And now, on with the story…

Christine was running through the catacombs of the Opera House, following Raoul closely. She wasn't quite sure why they were running. The adrenaline that was pumping through her urged her body forward. Christine had a vague sense of something, and it felt like a weight on her body. It was a feeling of dread and anxiety, and she couldn't place where it was coming from. All she knew was that she had been in the catacombs a long time, and she felt, for some reason, as if time wasn't on her side. Christine strained her senses, trying to pinpoint the reason for her feelings. The sounds around Raoul and Christine were still and lifeless, and the dim light from the torch that Raoul carried was just enough to allow them to see where they were going. All that Christine heard was the beat of their feet on the hard ground, and the pounding of her heart in her ears. Christine rounded a corner after Raoul and nearly collided into him. Raoul had stopped abruptly.

"Raoul, what's wrong? Why did you stop?" The obvious questions came out of Christine's mouth before she had time to think.

"I…must confess that I don't really know where I am going." Raoul said in a sheepish tone of voice.

"What do you mean, 'you don't know where you're going?' I have been following you the whole time!"

"Well, I just sort of thought that I should naturally lead. I didn't think to ask you if you knew how to escape this labyrinth."

"Oh Raoul! Precious time has been lost! Of course I know a way out of this place. I have been here before." Christine was utterly exasperated with Raoul at that moment. He had obviously been trying to act like the protecting noble that he was, but he had just wasted at least an hour. Christine berated herself for not leading sooner, and turned to survey her surroundings, trying not to panic. It'll be OK, she told herself sharply, just think. What would my Angel do? Christine knew that the first thing to go would be the torch.

"Raoul, douse the torch," she said urgently.

"Christine, that's crazy! If I extinguish the torch, then we won't be able to see, and then we really won't have an idea of where to go."

"Just trust me ok?...Don't look at me like that. Are you afraid of the dark?" Christine added the last as a bit of a joke, but was surprised when Raoul nodded.

"You're serious? Ok fine then, take the torch back up the last passage way that we came from and leave me here. I'll be fine, I just need to get my bearings. Come back in a few minutes."

"OK, but be careful Christine, you never know what lurks in the dark. There could be rats, or spiders, or…" Raoul's voice got smaller as he moved away, and for once Christine was glad to be left alone. Was it her imagination or was Raoul getting to be annoying? She shook her head slightly, and closed her eyes.

When she opened them, she was in complete darkness. Her Angel had always told her never to be afraid of the dark, and she was completely confident. She moved her gaze up and down the corridor, moving a little to observe the hidden nooks and crevices of the passage. She at last felt a small glimmer of hope run through her body as she spied, in a small narrow hall off the main passage, a glimmer of light. She hadn't been able to see it before. Christine hurried forward, and eagerly pressed forward toward the light. Her fingers found the crack that indicated a door, and she tried to find the hidden switch or something similar to open the door. With a faint crack that rang in her ears, the secret passage was revealed. Christine peered into the room. The faint light was coming from the top of a ladder, which was located in the middle of the small room. Christine could tell that no one had used this passage in quite some time. It was very dusty, dirty, and water was dripping from the top of the room. There was no way that they could climb this ladder without becoming absolutely filthy. Christine smiled in the dark. Raoul won't like this one bit, she thought with a laugh.

Raoul had thrown an absolute fit when they had emerged from the catacombs to one of the hall ways that the dancers used to get to their rooms. He had run into one of the bedrooms, and furiously tried to remove the filth that had accumulated in his hair, clothes, and body. Christine felt like she hadn't helped the situation much, because all she could do was laugh. She laughed, first off, at Raoul, who looked so funny with his red face and his disheveled appearance. She doubted that he had ever been dirty in his life; even as children he always seemed to be the only one able to keep the sand off when they were together at the beach. And second, and more importantly, she laughed because she was relieved and overjoyed to see that the fire had been contained to only the opera stage. The bedrooms, rehearsal rooms, and dressing rooms were safe as far as she could see.

As Christine and Raoul walked together down the hall, a few heads poked out to see who was coming. At seeing Christine, several of the girls came forward and started asking her questions about the Phantom and what had happened after Don Juan. Christine was flustered. She didn't know what exactly to say. Suddenly, Raoul intercepted the dancers.

"Ladies, ladies, please, I will tell you what has happened. I was there, you know. I saw…him. As soon as Christine disappeared with the Phantom, I immediately went after her. I fell in this big hole, and nearly drown…"

Raoul voice was in story-telling mode. He had the girls' undivided attention, and Christine used this advantage to slip off to the end of the hallway. She took a left, and went straight to Madam Giry's room.

Christine hesitated at the door. She reached her hand to knock, but at that moment the door flung opened, and a hand reached up to grab Christine's. Christine was whirled about into the room, and she turned sharply to face Madam Giry.

Madam Giry had been like a mother to Christine, ever since she came to live at the Opera House at the age of seven. She looked after her, and Christine loved her dearly. Madam Giry rarely showed favorites, even her own daughter could earn her wrath, but Christine knew that tough love was sometimes the best. She was a stronger person for having to deal with the ordeals of the past, and she would have been weaker if someone had gone easy on her. Christine looked Madam Giry over thoroughly. She looked as if she had been crying. Madam Giry rushed forward, and hugged Christine tightly.

When she had let go, Christine said the first thing that came to mind. "How did you know I was outside your door?"she blurted out, and then blushed at her forwardness.

"Never mind, never mind. You're safe! Oh Christine, I was afraid that the mob had found you, that you were hurt…"

"You weren't worried about the fact that I had been taken by the Phantom of the Opera!" Christine said, her voice rising shrilly. Madam Giry just looked at her.

"My dear, I know that the Phantom wouldn't harm you. I was concerned for your safety in other ways, more important ways."

Christine stopped. The way Madam Giry had said that, coupled with what Raoul had told her earlier of how he had gained entrance to the Phantom's lair in the first place, made her say:

"You knew. You knew who my Angel of Music was. You knew that my Angel was a Phantom. How could you!" Christine's voice rose unexpectedly. "I have been so confused these past years, and the answer has been with you the whole time! My Angel…a living, breathing man…had I known, everything would have been different!"

"How Christine? Would you have understood the depths of his obsession? Would you have understood his pain and anguish? You stand before me now, not as a girl-child, but as a woman! There are things in this world that can never be explained. I don't know how things would be different, but I was trying to protect you! You had to be strong, strong enough to face the truth and know what it means. It's not enough to recognize truth if you don't accept it!"

Madam Giry, her face flushed, sat carefully in a seat by her bed in her room. She gestured for Christine to have a seat on the bed.

"Do you want to know the truth? Do you want to know what I know? If you do, then you must leave the childish delusions behind you. Banish them from your mind, and be prepared to hear how the world truly is."

Christine nodded. She looked into her guardian's eyes. Truth, love, and fear swirled across her face. Christine waited for her to begin.

"It all started when I went to a gypsy traveling fair in the city. I was but a young girl, living in the Opera House with dreams of becoming a ballerina…"

Christine sat in astonishment as Madam Giry told her the horrors that had been the Phantom's life. Madam Giry told her of the "Devil's Child", how people paid to laugh and gawk at a young boy of about twelve. She told of how the boy had killed his captor, and how Madam Giry had taken him and hidden him in the Opera House.

"I hid him from the horrors of the world. I knew what lay beyond the masks that he wore. I helped him as much as I could. I would sneak food from the kitchens, I would buy books of all types for him, and I tried to be a companion to him. We would spend hours a day finding new passage ways to discover, and soon we knew of every trap door in this opera house. I was proud of him. It wasn't until later, as my training to become a prima ballerina intensified, that I discovered his talent for music."

Madam Giry looked up at Christine, tears in her eyes. "He is a genius," she said softly, almost to herself. "He would listen to the orchestra practicing, and tell which instruments were off. He could tell the individual parts just by listening. He could compose music for a full orchestra before he was sixteen, and his compositions could move anyone to tears. He could pick up any instrument and learn before a day was done, but what was so…beautiful about him was his voice. His voice was that of an angel's. I use to beg him to sing to me…"

Christine broke in. "I know what you mean. It's almost as if you're the only person in the world; as if time has stopped for only you and…"

"Yes, this is all true. His voice gave him power, confidence. He was cursed, he would tell me often. And I agreed. Why would God give this boy such talents, and then let them go to waste? The world can never accept your Angel, Christine. And that, my dear, is when the sweet, abandoned boy became OG, the Phantom of the Opera. He had no regards for anyone, until…"

"Until I came. I gave him a purpose. He saved me, as I saved him. And then…"

"You pushed him away. But you cannot blame his actions on yourself. You are just becoming a woman. He asked too much of you…as did Raoul, my dear."

Christine blushed. "I have…rectified my error with Raoul. I know now that I will always love Raoul, but it is in a brotherly way, not romantic. I can't be his wife. But this is beside the point. Part of the reason why I am here is to ask for your help, Madam Giry. I need you to help me go back. I need to go back to me Angel. I lo-"

Madam Giry quickly interrupted. "My dear, before you say anything, please, think upon what I have just told you about the Phantom. His whole life he has known nothing but pain. You have abandoned him once before when you accepted Raoul's engagement. And I don't presume to know what happened in his lair, but I can imagine that since you are here you made a choice. Are you quite sure you know what it is that you manipulate? What do you intend to do?"

Christine smiled, for the first time since Madam Giry had started talking.

"I intend to lead him from his solitude…"

Christine still sat on Madam Giry's bed as she gathered some things for their trip back into the catacombs. Madam Giry glanced at Christine, and smiled warmly. "My dear, are you quite sure this is what you want?"

"Yes, of cour-"

Christine was interrupted by the door of Madam Giry's room being thrown open. A pale, blonde girl wearing men's clothing was standing there, out of breath. Madam Giry immediately went into mother-mode.

"Meg! What's wrong? What has happened? Are you hurt? You're shaking like a leaf!"

"Mother, I know that you're going to be mad at me, but I am so sorry. I didn't know what was going to happen; I just was so worried about Christine…Christine!" Meg had just noticed her best friend, standing behind her mother. She rushed forward, and seized her friend into a fierce hug. "I was…I thought that I would never see you again. That's why I went down…I wanted to find you-"

"Meg Giry! Please please please tell me that you did not go with the mob into the Phantom' lair!" (imagine your mom yelling at you and getting louder with every word)

"I just wanted to help! And the danger wasn't from the Phantom, it was from those crazy men! They started shooting at each other, and one's dead, and I found the Phantom's mask! He wasn't there; I don't know where he is. I was so scared Mother! I thought I was going to die!" Meg said all this really fast, and then slid to the floor and burst into tears.

"There there dear, everything is fine now. You're safe. Calm down." Madam Giry's words of comfort seemed to make a difference, and Meg silenced her self.

Christine stood to the side, an odd look across her face. "Are you sure that the Phantom wasn't there?" she asked quietly to Meg.

"Yes, I think I would have noticed him. The mob trashed his lair, it's in tatters."

Christine glanced at Madam Giry. "I still have to go…"

Meg opened her mouth in shock. "Christine, what are you talking about? This…monster…kidnapped you and killed two men! That we know of! How can you go back?"

Christine shook her head slowly at her friend. "You can't understand, Meg. I need to go there. I need closure in this part of my life. Madam Giry, if you want to stay with Meg…"

"No way Christine! If you're going back down there, then I'm going too!" Meg said. "I won't let you go by yourself."

"Meg, darling, I am going with Christine. She will not be alone. Please, why don't you rest here for a while? You've had quite a scare…" Madam Giry said, trailing off as she saw the determined look in her daughter's eyes. "OK, fine, please then let's just go. The sooner we get there, the sooner we can get on with our lives."

Madam Giry looked at Christine. Christine nodded once, and said "Down once more it is!"

Madam Giry led the way as Christine and Meg followed swiftly. They reached the gondola in record time, and Christine volunteered to push.

"Awww, it kind of looks like fun," Meg said, laughing at her friend, who was struggling to push the boat.

"Very…huff…funny, Meg," Christine gasped, glaring at her friend.

As they neared the entrance to the Phantom's lair, Christine felt the trepidation in her rise. She was nearly there. Suddenly, Meg and Madam Giry seemed to disappear, as she thought of the life that she could have with her Angel. She could marry him, she supposed. They could create beautiful music together. They could have…children. As the thoughts rushed through, she blushed. Just thinking about the Phantom's strong arms around were enough to add heat to her cheeks. She needed to keep her mind on the matter at hand.

Christine turned the corner. She passed through the gate, which was still raised with her and Raoul's escape. She looked around the once magnificent lair, and discovered, with disgust, that Meg had been indeed right when she had said that they had destroyed the Phantom's home. But what stopped her was a figure lying face down beside the Phantom's desk. Christine's eyes widened in surprise, and before she knew what was happening, she had jumped from the boat and was wading toward the shore. Meg's and Madam Giry's cries were but echoes to her ears. Her whole being had but one purpose: reach the man lying in his own blood. She fell to her knees, sobs racking her body. She knew who laid here; she knew without a shadow of a doubt. The once imposing Phantom had been reduced to an almost diminished man sprawled on the ground in a slight fetal position. Christine screamed for Madam Giry. Her hands began their search for the cause of the blood as fast as they could. Madam Giry came at once.

"Dear God! We must turn him! We must get him on his side!"

"Madam Giry, we're too late! He's gone, he's dead, I am too late…"

Christine felt a sharp sting across her cheek. Madam Giry had slapped her.

"Snap out of it girl, or he will be! He has a pulse, a weak one. We must find the bleeding, we must stop it…"

Meg, who was staring in horror at the spectacle in front of her, started walking forward toward her mother, trying to help in anyway. She tripped suddenly, and kicked an object out of the way. A slight tune now filled the silent air; it was a music box that she had kicked.

Masquerade…paper faces on parade…Masquerade…hide your face so the world will never find you…

The wordless tune floated over every inch of the lair. Christine looked quickly into her Angel's face, hoping that the music brought forth some sort of reaction. To her shock, the Phantom opened his blue green eyes, and looked directly into Christine's brown ones. He smiled, and reached up a hand to gently touch one of Christine's curls.

"Ahhh, there's my music box…" The Phantom's words were but a whisper. The Phantom smiled again, and then closed his eyes. To Christine's horror, the Phantom's hand dropped, lifelessly, from her hair. Christine could see the Phantom take a breath. And then,…nothing.

Now the lair was filled with Christine's raw, anguished voice

NOOOOOOOOO!

Note: I don't pretend to know a lot about medical stuff, so please be kind.

Note #2: Elwen of Imladris: Thank you for your review. This is my first ever fanfic, and I don't expect a lot of reviews, but thanks for the confidence boost!