.I edited one of my chapters b/c I didn't want Christine admitting love so soon. So, just pretend that she never said she was in love. That happens in this chapter. This is kind of a filler chappie, but not to worry! It might still hold your attention! Hopefully… Anyways, do not forget to review since you all love me so much!

The Truth

I sat in my dressing room, reading a less explicit novel, when who should burst through the door than Meg Giry. "So, tell me. Is it true?" she asked, gasping for breath. She seemed to have run the entire length of the opera house just to find me. Poor dear. She needed look no more than two doors away from her own dressing room.

"I haven't the foggiest idea what you are talking about, Meg," I replied honestly, as well as rather bluntly. After all, she hadn't been really specific in her questioning.

Meg groaned, paused to catch her breath, and then continued. "Did you really turn down the Viscomte's marriage proposal?" Her eyes gleamed the way they always did when she was hearing a particularly juicy piece of gossip. Funny, that even seemed so long ago (a/n- a whole two chappies…) and yet it had only happened last night. Meg seemed to want the whole story from my own lips, however, and not those of a ballet rat who was notorious for exaggerating the truth coughMegcough. Well, I wouldn't deny her the entertainment.

"Yes, I turned him down," I answered simply.

"Why?" she asked, incredulously. "He is so rich, and charming, and handsome…" I saw her eyes glaze over and sighed exasperatedly to myself. She must have thought I had sighed because I was mentally berating myself for turning down such a "wonderful" opportunity.

Just because I loved Meg so much, I muttered only loud enough so she could hear, "and he is a pretty sneaky stalker as well." That certainly got Meg's attention, and her eyes snapped back into focus immediately, the gossip-hungry glimmer back in place.

"What?" she asked. Well, I deserved it. I wanted to warn her away from creepy noblemen, so I guess I needed to explain why they were so, well, creepy.

"Raoul followed me to the cemetery this morning when I went to visit my father's grave." I stated. I felt a little smug when a look of horror and disgust crossed Meg's face. Don Christine Triumphant! So what if a Don is a male title…Okay! Scratch that one. Queen Christine Triumphs! Perfect.

"Alright…that's really creepy…" she said, more to herself than to me. With that, she left my room, making a mental list (out loud) never to marry a stalker or a nobleman. Well, at least Madame Giry wouldn't have to beat away eager suitors of the noble class with her cane, as Meg would probably never show an interest in them.

Just when I was finally getting back into my book, my door slammed open. I mean, it literally slammed open! An old portrait of my deceased mother fell off of the wall from the impact, the frame shattering into thousands of tiny shards of glass and porcelain. Raoul stood in the doorway, along with the two managers, Andre and Firmin. Raoul, I was pleased to note, sported a large gash on the side of his head. The managers just looked distressed.

"Christine, we have a plan to capture the monster-" I tensed immediately at the word, "-that lives in this opera house. Now, here is the plan." Raoul then proceeded to go into a lengthy and, might I say, pointless plan to ensnare one of my only true friends. The basic jist of the plan was that I would sing on stage, lure Erik to the performance, where he would be riddled with hundreds of bullets from the police that would be hiding in the audience. I must say, I did not like the plan one bit, for more than one reason.

"Look, messieurs, I do not think that I want to go along with the plan." I must say, I think I did a pretty good job of acting the frightened and weak ingénue.

"But, surely you would want to be rid of him after what he did to your fiancé!" the managers protested. Fiancé? I wasn't getting married… One look at Raoul supplied all of the answers to the questions swarming in my brain. Raoul had told the managers that I would get married to him! No doubt he placed the blame for his cut on Erik's shoulders. God knows what twisted story he had told the managers to get them to go along with his plan!

"Fiancé?" I asked aloud, outraged.

Raoul quickly and discreetly put a hand over my mouth, making it look like he was comforting me rather than silencing me. Ooh, that clever bastard! "Forgive me, messieurs, she is clearly distraught. When that thing kidnapped her this morning, she was quite clearly traumatized by the whole ordeal. She must have forgotten about last night." he quickly replied to their unasked question. I wanted to bite his hand, but instead smiled an overly fake smile and vowed that Raoul would pay dearly soon enough.

"Oh, fine. I will aide in the capture of this monster," I said, and by monster I meant Raoul. I would aide Erik in the capture of the monster, plain and simple. Three cheers for revenge! With my "word," the three men left.

As soon as the door was shut, I lunged to the door and locked it. I didn't want any more surprises. Then, I felt for the switch that would open the mirror. Once I was on my way down the dark passage, I mulled over what I would say to Erik. I doubted that "Hey, the managers and a madman have recruited me and said I had to capture you" would go over well. Well, I needed to think of a way to present the problem at hand to Erik. Unbidden, my thoughts strayed from the task at hand and to the corner of my mind that holds my deepest, darkest secrets. Sometimes, I even keep secrets from myself.

So, the question that I asked myself was simple, or so it seemed. Why did I want to warn Erik? Well, my immediate response was that he was a good friend of mine. He was always there when I needed him, and he always made me feel special and loved…

Love, what an odd thing it was. I have only loved one other on this earth: my father. Naturally, my feelings toward Erik were not of that nature… After all, I didn't see him as a father figure, or even a family member.

It was true, I was slightly, well, okay, extremely attracted to Erik physically. But who isn't? I knew that I felt lust towards him. Even my "innocent," seventeen year old mind could comprehend that. After all, he was well built, tall, dark, mysterious, and handsome in his own way. But, I knew that I felt much more than lust towards him. He was probably my best friend, as I could tell him things that I couldn't even tell Meg. He was a teacher, a mentor, a composer, a genius…

I looked into the lake and saw my reflection. I looked straight into my eyes and saw the same look as the confusing one that Erik always gave me. I could now place that feeling, that emotion. It was, dare I say it, love. A different type than the love I had felt for my father, but love none the less. I loved Erik!

I would have jumped for joy and screamed my head off, but Erik was poling the gondola to where I was standing on the bank. I got on without a word, and sat in front of my Erik. My love.

"You look particularly happy today, my dear," Erik said amiably. I felt happy, I know that. Then my mood darkened considerably. I remembered why I had come down here in the first place. I needed to warn Erik about the ridiculous plan that the psycho Raoul had concocted.

"What is wrong?" Erik asked, worried.

"Erik, there's something I need to tell you…" I responded.

A/N- I'm really happy because I just got my novel of Susan Kay's Phantom! Anyways, please don't forget to review.