Disclaimer: I guess begging will do me no good will it? Not mine.
Review Responses:
Keeper of the Dreams: This is good. I was a little worried that maybe I had a lot of Erik/Christine shippers reading and didn't want to offend them. But by the looks of my reviews I don't have much to worry about. I think of Christine trying to decide between the men, one with beauty of face, the other beauty of the soul, and that dumb girl picked the fop. She's the one who missed out.
ladyflutter: You have valid points, which I partially did not consider. Would Christine allow Raoul to compose something like that, much less request him to? That's debatable. Would she believe Lily? I think she did not expect to hear what Lily said, and it threw her for a loop. She was more flustered than necessarily believing. So the concept is believable but then again not believable. But it was what was in this crazy mind of mine, so that's what ended up on paper. Please don't hesitate to point stuff like this out. It makes me think. Which in turn helps me to learn. Which is exactly why I write fan fiction, in hopes that someday I will be able to create my own original work worthy of being published. Thank you.
Collins: Yes Erik both needed and deserved someone to love. And I'd like to kick Christine in the butt, but I settle for knowing that he belongs to Lily now.
irrelevant: Conflict is good.
GerrysISUChick04: Hyper is understating it, but you are very entertaining. Honestly I don't hate Raoul. I honestly don't much think anything of him. That's why I can't understand why Christine would want him. Oh well. Her choice. Oh cool I haven't gotten a death threat yet for this fic. I was beginning to miss them. Oh and by the way do you think since I gave Erik a love of his very own, that he would even consider hurting me? Not. Mrhaha.
BelacaniOnTheRez: Joy to come in the future. But not yet.
Terpsichore314: Well I don't believe that he was a composer, but I did give him five years to learn something new. Well normally I hate it when people are rude, but I just couldn't resist. And yes they definitely will still perform. Contracts and all you know. Plus it's too close to opening night.
Ethalas Tuath'an:
Chapter 8: Thank you. Yes they get to be real with each other finally.
Chapter 9: Yes I know that it would have been much easier to just have Christine talk to Lily, but I wanted it to be a little more shocking. Plus do you think Lily would sit down to a meal with Christine and have a cozy little discussion over Erik? Not my Lily. I am portraying Christine as slightly different than she was in the movie. People's feelings change over time. Maybe she feels she has to get it all out in the open to make Lily understand, and maybe for a little closure of her own. Does that make things seem a little clearer? I hope so. And I know Raoul is no composure, but I gave him five years to learn a new talent. Plus I never said the composition was a piece of art. The story behind it is what drew the new owners attention. Imagine what the Ques would have been like for Le Fantome at that time. Don't worry your comments are much appreciated. I like to hear people's honest opinion. It helps me to better understand what my readers like.
Starlightcrybaby: Did I say pills? Maybe I should have said straightjacket. Just kidding. I won't give my straightjacket away, even if I do have to type with my nose. Here you go.
potostfbeyeluvr: I didn't realize there were so many of you who agreed with me about Christine. Now that's cool.
TheatreAngel: Thank you. I wasn't sure about the lyrics. But no one's told me that they were horrible yet.
Author's Note: Well I feel I must let you all know that there are three more chapters left in this fic, plus an epilogue. And I will warn you they are fast moving chapters that are packed with shock and awe, so hold on to your hats.
Ghosts From the Past
"Erik. Will you watch?" Lily asked from her seat at her vanity.
"I don't know if I can, Lily." He answered.
She bowed her head looking at her hands. "I understand." She whispered.
"I'm sorry, Lily. No matter how happy I am now, it still hurts." He said placing his hands upon her shoulders. She reached up and clasped one hand, and then looked into the mirror at his reflection.
"I will come to you afterwards." She smiled simply accepting his wishes.
"Thank you, Lily." He whispered leaning over to kiss the bare skin at her neck.
She closed her eyes as his lips caressed her skin. "Oh Erik. I wish we could have stopped this opera from ever coming into being."
"We will make it through this, Lily." He whispered, pulling away from her, and making his way to the mirror.
She watched him go, and for the first time in months felt very alone. She would have to perform without him watching her for the first time. It would be difficult. "I still sing for you alone." She vowed to the empty room.
Le Fantome was quickly becoming a favorite of those in the audience. Between the very real fact that most thought of it as a true story, and the excellent performance of the actors it was becoming obvious that it was a hit.
Lily played her part just as she'd practiced it, trying not to deviate from the script, and even Anton was having no difficulty in portraying Erik. It came to the scene where they were to perform "Point of No Return" and Lily and Anton were on the scaffold above right before Lily was to rip his mask off, when she noticed a figure in box 5.
'He came.' She thought to herself in utter delight, but watched as the man in the box leaned forward staring at her. Her eyes widened and she missed her cue to rip the mask off. For a moment she could not move. She could only stare at the face of the young man in the box.
"Lily." Anton whispered shocking her out of her thoughts.
Christine that's all I ask of …She caught her cue and continued with the opera, but from time to time she would glance at the box to see if her eyes were tricking her. She knew they were not.
After all of the applause at the end of the opera Lily quickly made her way to her dressing room. She glanced at the mirror, but did not enter. She instead sat at the vanity staring at the door. She knew she would hear a knock before long.
"Sir, no one disturbs Mademoiselle Giroux after a performance." Madame Giry said stopping the man who was about to rap on Lily's door.
"I'm sorry Madame, but she will want to see me. I am an old friend of hers from Venice." The young man assured her.
"I'm sorry, but no. She is not to be disturbed." Antoinette insisted.
"Well could you deliver a message to her?" He asked.
"Yes I can." She nodded.
"Can you give her this?" He handed her a room key. "Tell her that Philippe LaChance is staying at the Hotel Ajiel. I would like to see her as soon as possible. She will want to hear this news soon." He gave Antoinette a charming smile and then turned to leave.
She watched him go and suddenly felt sick. Did Lily know him she wondered? Why would he give her a hotel key? She turned and knocked on the door.
"Enter." She called out tucking something into the waistband of her skirt under the cape she had dawned. She hadn't realized she had been holding her breath. She let it out when she saw who was there. "Antoinette."
"Lily, are you flirting with danger?" She immediately chastised the girl.
"What are you talking about?" Lily said in confusion.
"There was a man here a few moments ago. He asked me to give you this key and to tell you he was staying at the Hotel Ajiel. He said his name was…"
"Philippe LaChance. I know. I saw him in the auditorium." Lily interrupted her reaching out to take the key.
"You know him then." Antoinette's words were accusatory.
"Yes I do." She said standing and heading to the door.
"Where are you going?" Antoinette asked.
"The Hotel Ajiel." Lily answered.
"What of Erik? He will be furious." The older woman said staring at the mirror.
"Antoinette if you wish to keep Erik from committing murder again, you will find a way to stall him for me." Lily pleaded.
"So you can betray him." The older woman said in anger.
"No so I can save him." Lily answered.
Antoinette struck out slapping Lily roughly. "You lie." She hissed.
"No." Lily whispered clasping her stinging cheek. She hated to see the older woman's anger. She had been the closest thing Lily had, had to a mother, and to see the disappointment in her eyes cut like a knife.
"What do I tell him if he asks where you have gone?" Antoinette said angrily, folding her arms before her.
"Tell him…tell him I went to take back what was stolen from me." Lily whispered, then turned and left the room.
Antoinette stood at the lakes edge waiting for Erik to respond to the bell. She wasn't sure how she would stall him, or even if she wanted to. She couldn't stand the thought of him being hurt yet again by someone he loved and trusted. As his gondola came around the corner and he saw her standing there a frown crossed his face.
"Where is Lily?" He asked, as he poled the boat to the edge.
"She asked me to speak to you. She will not be coming down tonight." Antoinette said honestly.
"And why may I ask. Did something happen during the opera?" He asked worried.
"No. No. She just won't be coming down." Antoinette said avoiding his eyes.
"Is she angry with me for not coming?" He didn't believe that Lily would be that petty but he could think of nothing else.
"No she is not angry."
"Then why won't she come?" He began to become angry at the way the woman was avoiding his eyes.
Antoinette looked up and saw the anger. How could she lie to him? She couldn't. "She is not here, Erik."
"Where is she?" He asked trying to calm the angry urge to scream.
"She went to the Hotel Ajiel. There was a young man who said he knew her. He had me give her a key to his room." Antoinette explained.
"Lily would not go to a mans room Antoinette. She just wouldn't." He said not believing her words.
"She did, Erik. She told me she was." Antoinette said quietly.
"You don't understand, Antoinette. She would be too afraid to do that. What else did she say?" He asked.
"When I asked her what to tell you, she said to tell you she had went to take back what was stolen from her. It made no sense." Antoinette said not knowing what else to say.
Erik looked into the distance and remembered her speaking of her stolen innocence. Could it be him? "I must go, Antoinette." He said starting up the steps.
She could see he was not angry, but more afraid. "But Erik, what did she mean?"
"She has not gone to betray me. She has gone to avenge her father's murder." His voice floated through the air and then he was gone.
Author's Note: And the suspense thickens.