Er, sorry 'bout the lack of new chapters. I was at camp, where I didn't have much access to a computer. So I'm putting up the rest of the story. And, sorry about the genre(?) confusion: I gavethe story action/adventure because i wanted adventure, and action sort of came along for the ride. and i didn't have the story written when i gave it that...

There was a lot of shouting (and a fair amount of swearing) as people tried to negotiate around each other. Many of them were carrying large pieces of set, which kept bumping into other people. Kat was giddy as she stepped out onto the stage and looked out at all of the seats. What it would be like to be on center stage, with every one of those seats filled, and all of the occupants looking at you... She and the other members of the chorus started to file onto the stands prepared for them. There was more shouting between people when it was discovered that the stands were about three feet too short.

Kat glanced down the line trying to find Kite and Alex, but people were moving around to quickly. "Everyone off!" came the shout. Kat and the rest of the chorus shoved their way off of the stands. She and everyone else milled around the stage as the carpenters brought out some more wood and started arguing about how best to attach the extension.

The phantom watched the scene below him through narrowed eyes. It was well into the evening, but that girl was still in his opera. Added to that, his managers seemed to have disappeared. He glanced around and his eyes found one of the sand-bags that was helping to balance the backdrop. What a shame if the rope securing it should come undone…

Kat managed to squeeze through the crowd to the edge where she saw Kite standing. "Do you see Alex?" she asked, standing on tiptoes and trying to scan the crowd. Kite shook his head.

"No," he said. Suddenly there was a panicked shout. Kat looked around, wondering what had gone amiss. Kite grabbed Kat's arm and pulled her back. She stumbled and then there was a giant crash and a cloud of dust filled the air. Many people were coughing and Kat waved her hand in front of her face. What had happened?

When the dust settled down enough for her to see, she discovered that only a few feet away from where she and Kite had been standing there was a big bag which had fallen and spilled sand across the stage. More people were shouting, and there were several cries of "the ghost!".

"Thank you, Kite!" Kat said. Kite smiled.

"You should have looked up!" He said. Kat nodded. Just then Alex came running over.

"Oh, Kat, Kite, are you all right?" he asked. "It looked like it almost hit you!" Kat nodded.

"I'm fine, thanks. Kite pulled me away." Alex looked relieved.

Oooooooooooooooooo

The ghost stared down at the scene below him. Perhaps now she would take a hint and leave, he thought. He heard several people climbing up the stairs, and he hurried to a safer spot where he couldn't be seen, but he could still observe.

The stage was being cleared of sand while the chorus was hustled backstage. Christine came over to Kat and the others, looking pale. "Are you hurt?" she asked. Kat shook her head. Christine sighed with relief. "It was him," she said, glancing up to into the darkness above the stage. "I know it was. But I can't believe he'd just drop something like that. And almost on you, as well!" Christine wiped at her eyes. "It hurts me, Kat," she said quietly. "That he would do something like that. I know that I have cause to hate him, after all he's done, but..." she turned suddenly away. "I'm sorry," she apologized as she hurried off.

A few minutes later Raoul came running up. "I heard that there was an accident, is everyone all right?" he asked franticly, "Have you seen Christine?"

Kat nodded and said, "I think she went to her dressing room," Raoul thanked her and hurried away. Kat looked around and then started to follow him. "I want to make sure Christine is all right," she said to Kite and Alex, "she was crying." They had almost caught up to Raoul when they saw Christine running towards them.

"Oh, Raoul, thank goodness!" she cried as she ran to him. Raoul caught Christine up in his arms and held her while she cried.

"Christine," he said, "Christine, what happened? Are you hurt?"

"No," Christine sobbed. "But, Raoul, he came to me," Raoul stiffened.

"What happened?" he asked urgently. Christine sniffed and took a deep breath.

"I - he - he must have heard me speak to Kat," she said. Kat and the other two came up beside Raoul. Kat put a comforting hand on Christine's shoulder while Raoul offered her his handkerchief. Christine smiled and accepted it. She dabbed at her eyes and then continued. "I said to Kat that I had good cause to hate him, after all he'd done, but that I," she shook her head. "I didn't know what to say," she said.

"I wanted to be alone, and think, but when I got to my dressing room, he was there waiting for me. He spoke to me from behind the mirror. I wanted to run, I wanted to come find you, Raoul, but he begged me to tell him what my feelings were. I told him that I loved you Raoul, and that I had thought he was my teacher, but when I found that he was deceiving me I was hurt. I told him that he had been so kind to me, after my father had died. Then he became angry. He shouted at me, Raoul, he shouted that I had broken his heart, that I was blind not to see how much he loved me. He said that I was all he had to live for and that-" Christine's voice broke and she started to cry again. Raoul hugged her and tried to calm her. After a few moments Christine had composed herself again. "He said that since I was so cold and uncaring, one more angel's fall would make no difference." she finished. Raoul hugged her close.

"He's all I have left of my father..." Christine said softly. "He comforted me, sang to me, just like my father did." She looked up at Raoul. "He says he loves me, so why does he hate me so much for loving you?"

"It's all right," Raoul told her. He looked over at Kite. "I'm taking Christine to my house," he said. "You three stay together. Don't go anywhere alone, and be cautious." He led Christine down the hall, towards the door. The three watched him go. Suddenly a thought occurred to Kat.

No, she thought, he wouldn't...

"Come on," she cried to Alex and Kite as she took off towards the stairs.

"Wait, Kat, where are you going?" Alex called after her. Kat continued hurrying away.

"H urry, we might already be too late!" She shouted back to them. Kite and Alex hurried after her, wondering if she had finally cracked. They caught up to Kat on the stairs, and she tried to explain what she had thought of.

"Remember what Christine said?" She asked them as she pounded up the stairs, taking them two at a time.

"Sort of," Kite said.

"She said that he had said, one more angel's fall will make no difference!" Kat informed them as she ran over to the next staircase and started to climb.

"Why does that matter?" Alex wanted to know.

"He also said that Christine was all he had to live for!" Kat turned and saw Kite's and Alex's blank stares. "Don't you see?" she asked, "He might be trying to commit suicide. An angel's fall, and the roof would be a pretty far place to fall from!" she started climbing the stairs again.

"You don't know that," Alex protested.

"But I might be right," Kat insisted. Alex had to admit that it was possible. They had arrived at the door to the roof. Kat heaved it open and gasped when a gust of wind blew into her. She held up her hand to shield her eyes from the rain which was pouring down and being blown about. She ran out onto the roof, staggering slightly from the force of the wind. She looked around wildly.

A flash of lightning lit up the roof and she saw a figure standing on the edge. Kat ran towards it. "Erik!" she cried, but a crash of thunder drowned her out. "Erik, stop!"

He whirled about when he heard her shout his name. How did she know? How could she know? Christine had promised... A tear slid down his face and mingled with the rain.

Kat shouted again. "Erik, please, Christine does love you! She lost her father, and then you came! It was just as her father had said! She loves you, and if you were to die, she'd suffer so much! To loose one father is enough, but two? Please, don't just throw your life away!" Kite and Alex ran up next to Kat.

Erik sneered. "Fool!" he shouted. "Everything was taken from me. My chance at a normal life, my freedom, and now my one and only love! My life is the last thing that is mine, and I will do what I please with it. I will not stay and wait for it, too, to be taken away!" He turned back to the edge when the lightning struck once again.

Kat screamed from the light and the roar of sound that accompanied it. She staggered sideways into Kite as the building shook, and they both fell. Then there was nothing but silence.