Three Month's Pause

Chapter 3: Seeing Red Roses

A/N: Wow, you lot are fast reviewers. :)

Unfortunately, MeghanKatherine, it's gonna be Raoul & Christine in the end because we're following the movie. I know, I'm sad about it, too.

Hiya, Alda Rethe! It's so lovely of you to read this, even though you know it already! Such commitment is refreshing. Don't worry, sister dear, I won't bash on you or your Raoul no more. :P

Here's another chapter...I'm afraid there will only be another chapter after this one. Oh, and again, you might wanna read the last bit of Chapter 2 to understand the beginning of this one.


In the Hallways…

Christine walked quickly and quietly down the halls towards her dressing room. The corridors were quite deserted, as the rehearsals had just ended and many of the ballerinas went off to enjoy their free time. The scene shifters and door openers weren't on duty either, for it was merely a day of practice.

The silence in this part of the Opera House frightened Christine. When she'd first arrived here as a child, she'd loved that the Opera house was so vast and always full of activity and noise. So, the absolute stillness and lack of goings-on in the corridors terrified her.

Her footsteps sounded too loud to her ears and her breathing so labored, she wondered if it was only she in the corridor.

Finally nearing her dressing room door, Christine quickened her step, and positively fled into the room, bolting the door shut behind her.

Meanwhile…

Though the Phantom knew that Christine had ventured quickly and hurriedly to her dressing room, without a single stop, he arrived there before her.

Behind the cold and luminous one-way mirror, the Phantom watched her enter the room, panting and shaking slightly. She locked the door behind her in false hope that this would prevent visitors. Of course, it wouldn't stop him from coming and going, as he liked.

There were always other ways.

Christine's fear of me is wrong, he thought. I would never wish to harm her. He loved her and, at the moment, merely sought to make his presence known.

Using a pipe-like device that he blew into (which traveled through the walls ending near the flames of candles), he managed to blow out three candles on Christine's dressing tabletop. The Phantom was about to speak, when he heard distinctly male footsteps approach.

A knock on the door.

"Christine? Christine, are you there? It's me, Raoul." The Vicomte.

The Phantom sighed, justly bothered. "Arrogant twit," he breathed.

Christine's Reaction:

Christine had gasped when the candles died. The area near the mirror was now plunged in shadows and mystery. Her heart racing and her fears confirmed, Christine had been about to turn around and face the mirror, the mirror which the Phantom would surely be in, when there was an abrupt knock on the door.

The knock surprised her more than if should have, but in her already frightened state, the unexpected noise had made Christine start and she released a small scream, which she quickly stifled, clapping a pale hand over her mouth.

Hearing Raoul's voice through the wood of the door didn't comfort her, as it should have. She knew she was stuck in the middle of two men, either on opposing sides of the wall - one behind a door, the other probably behind the mirror.

Yet, she cared and feared for the safety of both.

Not knowing what to do, Christine decided she'd simply act normally. She surveyed her dressing room, and couldn't seem to shake the idea that the mirror gleamed, as if frowning at her bad judgment.

Taking a deep breath, Christine opened the dressing room door, yet not all the way, so that she was between Raoul and her dressing room. Christine wouldn't invite him in, she was certain. That would be asking for too much trouble.

"Oh, hello, Raoul." Christine put a smile on her face and forced her voice to be pleasant, nonchalant. "I was just about to change. But, how are you doing?"

"Oh, forgive me for intruding, Christine," Raoul studied what little he could see of her through the small opening. She seemed fine, but didn't appear as if she were about to change. He thought she looked lovely.

"I had hoped I could come in. I have something for you, and I was wondering if we could talk over lunch...elsewhere." He was aware of how frightened and shy Christine seemed inside the opera house. Beyond its walls she was much more spirited and alive; the Christine he knew as a child.

Hearing the pompous voice call on Christine so infuriated the Phantom. She is mine, he thought watching the two from the mirror. Christine belongs to me, not that young idiotic aristocrat.

He fumed as he listened to Raoul talk, in what he found to be an irritatingly deep and overconfident voice. Nothing like Christine's sweetly innocent and melodious voice. Her voice, the Phantom knew, he could change and mold into the perfect heavenly voice of an angel, if she only let him and devoted herself entirely to the cause.

The Phantom focused once again on the Vicomte, certain that if he entered Christine's dressing room, someone would surely pay, whether it would be him, Christine, or some other poor soul.

Someone would pay.

"Oh, um." Christine fumbled for a reply. It was hard for her to refuse Raoul's sweet offer of lunch, seeing as her awful practice had made her ravenous. Not only that, but he was so charming and doting, how could she turn him away when he'd come to her out of concern and even bearing a gift?

Christine glanced quickly over her shoulder, back into her dressing room, heaving a small sigh. She'd have to shelve her fears for the time being and trust Raoul's blind bravery.

"Of course, you may come in, Raoul." Christine said, attempting to smile cheerfully. "Just hold on a moment, while I finish changing, all right?"

Raoul smiled back, adoringly. "As you wish, Christine. I shall be out here if you need me." He allowed her to shut her door and change her clothes, even though he thought she looked beautiful just the way she was.

Behind the Mirror...

At Christine's consent for Raoul to enter, the Phantom grew enraged. This hateful boy was the reason for Christine's unwillingness to commit to him or to music. He was a distraction!

But he knew how to get rid of distractions.

His mother had done it for him often enough. When he grew too fond of a device he made, a sheet of music he played, a song he sang, and she would take away the toy, music sheet, or device and throw it into the fire or lock it away in a cupboard. He decided that he would do the same with the Vicomte de Changy.

The Phantom left his position behind the mirror, making his way silently through shadows, hidden areas, and trapdoors to the hallway leading to the entrance of Christine's dressing room, where Raoul stood, waiting a few yards away.

Inside the Dressing Room...

Christine gave Raoul a last, reassuring smile, before closing the door softly. She stood behind her door, leaning her back against it momentarily, before hurrying behind her changing screen.

She decided to wear something simple, yet elegant: a maroon dress of soft, velvety material, with a flowing skirt, a modest neckline and long sleeves. Thinking that things could become chilly in early November, Christine retrieved a black knitted shawl. She had dressed as quickly as she could, considering that most young women in the late 19th century wore corsets, and she was without any assistance. After doing some quick tidying up, Christine went back to fetch Raoul.

Raoul looked at the flowers he held in his hand for Christine. They were roses. Red roses, wrapped together in fancy black and silver tissue paper. He hoped she'd like them.

He checked his pocket watch, making sure that they would not be late for is reservations to a lovely restaurant in the heart of Paris. Allumer et la Nuit, was its name. It was one of the best in France, he was told.

Hidden in the Shadows...

Upon seeing the roses, red roses, which were his symbol, the Phantom hissed in resentment. This would not do, at all. He entertained thoughts of killing the boy right this very moment with his Punjab lasso, but dismissed them.

No, he would wait until tonight, when the boy came back with Christine.

If he did, that is.

Then the Phantom of the Opera would be ready.


A/N: Dun dun dun duunnnn!

Sorry for the cliffhanger. We'll update again soon. Don't forget to review, lovelies!