I need to update right away, because I really have a great idea for this chapter and just needed to type it and post it. Raoul makes another appearance, but not in the flesh mind you. Evidence of paranormal is real and I believe it. Who else would Raoul haunt? Why his murderer of course. Hope you all like.

Chapter 47: The Raging Fire

That night Erik had insisted on Christine returning with him to the Opera House and gets some much needed rest. She had been hesitant saying that Lotte and Pierre needed her there, but he had assured her that they were in good hands.

She finally agreed and they were soon in the familiar darkness that was their home. Erik led her right past the signs of the struggling that had gone on within into the bedroom where she dressed into her nightshift and got into bed.

"Will you be joining me tonight?" she asked as he leaned over her.

"I will be in awhile. There's some cleaning up I need to do and then I'll be here right beside you. For me the night is young, but you my dear need your rest." He kissed her forehead and ran his fingers down her cheek and along her chin.

She laid her head against the pillow and closed her eyes. Erik watched her for a while than went into the music room where he threw aside his cloak and rolled up his sleeves. For hours he worked at scrubbing the blood off the floor and the organ and when he finally climbed into bed beside Christine he was so exhausted that he couldn't kiss her before falling asleep.

xxxxx

Christine was pleased to find Erik beside her, but even with her movement he didn't flinch. She cuddled close laying her head against his chest and was relived to hear his heartbeat and feel the rise and fall of each breath under her. Right now the fact that he was here with her was all that mattered.

Nuzzling the curve of his neck she could smell the last of his cologne and sweat. What had been so important that he had worked himself to exhaustion? She crawled away and lifted the curtain to look at the time on the clock next to the bed. It was only 6 o'clock in the morning.

Suddenly an arm wrapped around her waist pulling her back. She looked over her shoulder to see Erik sitting up and bringing his other arm up around her waist. "Thought I was asleep didn't you Christine?"

She allowed herself to be pulled close to him watching his eyes throughout the whole process. He had a look of longing in them and she could feel her cheeks grow warm with the thought. "Yes, I had. What labor did you tackle last night that made you so tired?" she asked taking his head in her hands and studying every curve of his face.

"I told you I had cleaning up I needed to do," he said with a tone that sounded impatient.

"Well we do have a busy day today, so I'm glad to hear that you got some sleep Erik," Christine said as she pulled away and pushed back the curtain.

Erik wanted to protest, but remembered what they were planning to do. They had to clear everything of value to Lotte and Christine out of the house before tonight or all hopes of riding themselves of the De Chaney home would be for nothing. He crawled out of bed on the other side, but let the curtain fall again, so he could change.

xxxxx

Having brought one of the Opera House wagons to the house Erik and Christine began going through things deciding what was needed, what was meaningful, and what could be left behind.

They started working in the attic where Christine came upon some more of the old newspapers telling about the fire. Her eyes scanned the now yellowed papers her eyes glazed with the thoughts of what had happened that night. Going through all that had been collected over the years was going to be harder than she thought.

Erik was looking through other boxes asking her before placing the item in the appropriate box. A couple items caught his eye and he stood eager to question Christine on the matter when she approached him. Right away she saw the programs in his hand and she took the top one. Don Juan Triumphant was written across the front of the cover. She opened it and inside was one of Erik's roses pressed within it.

She took it into her hand, some of the petals falling to the floor. Erik reached down and picked them up. "I can't believe you found these. I thought I lost those years ago."

"They were here in this box. I guess you don't come up here often," Erik said as he stroked the petals with his fingertips.

"No, I didn't. Lotte did when it was raining out. I'm glad she didn't find these, because I would have hated myself later if I had thrown this into the fire like I did with the newspaper articles. These and the wedding dress were all I had left of you, plus the constant reminder of that night. Every night I could hear the screams of people inside the building as the fire raged within my dreams. It was awful."

"It's over now," Erik said handing her the rose petals. She took them and placed them back in the program safely with the rest of the flower.

"I know there isn't many, but I wish to take the programs with us. They are important to me," she said handing him the program.

"I understand."

xxxxx

When everything had been sorted in the attic they moved to the second floor checking every room and closet for things of sentimental value. Everything from Lotte's room was to be brought out, because Christine had no idea what was precious or not and would allow Lotte to decide later on.

Erik had begun searching in Raoul's study for any interesting books and pulled a few off the shelf. For once Erik complimented Raoul on his good taste of literature, but just this once. Once satisfied with the reading material he began searching behind the paintings for Raoul's safe. He knew there would be one somewhere, because most noble man had them.

Finally behind a painting of Christine, Erik came across the safe. He put his ear up to it as he turned the dial listening for the clicks of the combination. The door swung open and he gasped at the amount of money nestled within the safety of the safe. For a minute he marveled at the sight before taking up a bag and putting the money in it.

Just then Erik had an unsettling feeling. He looked around the room and his eyes fell upon a painting of Raoul. The Vicomte seemed to be staring and smiling right at him and Erik felt as if there was another presence in the room. He spun around and gave a relieved sigh. "That was strange. I almost got the feeling that there was someone else in the room."

He shook his head trying to clear away the image and then began to softly sing "Music of the Night" hoping it would calm his nerves. He finished with the money and closed the safe. But when the painting of Christine swung back into place the canvas was blank. Erik dropped the bag in surprise and rubbed his eyes thinking they were playing games with him. When he looked again the canvas remained blank.

"What the hell is going on? Something isn't right about this," he said picking up the bag, but he then had a thought. "But everyone calls me a ghost and I'm not afraid of me, so why should any other ghost scare me? The Phantom of the Opera fears nothing!" he called out.

But when the chair behind Raoul's desk was pushed back all on its own Erik's eyes went wide and he fled from the room. His foot caught at the top of the stairs and he tumbled down them landing on his stomach at the bottom. He lay there a minute dazed and confused as Christine hurried down the stairs to him.

"Erik! What ever happened? Are you all right?" she said moving to help him sit up.

"Christine something tells me we're not alone here. I was getting the money from the safe and when I was finished the painting of you was blank and the chair behind Raoul's desk moved by itself."

As Christine tried to comfort him she felt her body grow cold and the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. It felt like someone had put their hands on her shoulders, but Erik was busy checking himself over to make sure he wasn't hurt. Her breathing grew heavy and it came out of her mouth in long puffs of steam.

Erik looked up and saw the way she was acting. "Christine what's wrong?" He reached a hand up to her cheek. "You're so cold." She shivered under his fingers and tears were coming to her eyes as the grip on her shoulders became tighter.

"Erik, he's here," she muttered softly. "He wants me to go with him."

"No," Erik shouted reaching out to her and pulling her close to him. "I won't let some ghost take you away from me."

Christine continued to shake, but now free of the ghost she held tightly to Erik's waistcoat out of pure terror. They sat there waiting for any sign of the ghost's presence. Christine looked up at Erik to see the iron poker from the fireplace come up behind him. She grabbed onto his shoulders and had him bend down just as the poker flew over his head. The poker turned around, the point of it heading straight for Christine's back.

Erik pushed her aside as the poker was driven right into his heart. He let out a groan and a cry so frightening in itself that even the angels in heaven were scared. Christine pushed herself up just as Erik slumped forward onto the floor.

"EEEERRRRRRIIIIIKKKKK!" she screamed.

xxxxx

"Erik, wake up. Erik, come on love wake up," Christine said softly shaking Erik's shoulder. She had been working in the bedroom and wondered why the house had been so silent. She searched the upstairs rooms and found Erik sitting in the study with a book upon his lap. The title was "Paranormal Investigation."

She leaned over and kissed his lips, which were partly open and felt him shudder under her. Opening her eyes she saw him looking up at her enjoying the kiss, but there was something else there. She pulled back and ran a hand through his hair. "You fell asleep. I thought you had gotten enough sleep last night."

"I did, but…" He looked down at the book in his lap and in horror at it chucked it aside. He told her about his dream and she now began to feel uneasy. Like a frightened child she climbed into his lap and got herself as close to him as she could.

"Was it ever like this after you killed anyone else?" she asked running her hand up and down along his chest.

"No, I usually forgot those ones in time, but this will be much harder to overlook. Seeing as I vow to never kill again, this last time will haunt me and remind me of that vow I made. But we must finish. I don't feel I can last in this house much longer," he said the entire time his arm running up and down her arm.

They worked alongside one another the rest of the day going from room to room gathering everything they could. They had come back to the study and like in the dream Erik had found the safe behind Christine's picture. A cold shiver ran down his spine as he collected the money and put it in the bag.

They carried the boxes from upstairs down to the main floor and placed them by the door. As Erik was collecting food in the kitchen a knock came at the door. Christine came and opened it. No one was there. But as she went to close the door she saw a note on the door. She pulled it off and read the almost unclear scribble as she closed the door:

Dear Madame De Chaney,

It has come to our attention that you are now a widow to Raoul De Chaney, but we are not sending this note as a sign of how sorry we are. We know what you're hiding within the walls of your house at this very moment and we intend on driving him out."

Who we are is not important.

As she read the note a second time a loud crash came from the upstairs. She wearily went up the stairs and looked around when she reached the top. A warm glow was coming from the master bedroom and smoke was beginning to billow out.

"Erik! The house! It's already on fire!" she cried as she ran down the stairs.

Erik met her at the bottom. She showed him the note. He looked around and growled ripping up the letter. "We have to get out of here. But if this letter is right we're probably surrounded."

Christine went to the window and looked out into the street. The carriage was gone and a large group of men were standing outside. "They weren't there a minute ago. Erik what do we do?"

He grabbed the money bag and grabbed Christine's hand. He led her up the stairs and towards Lotte's bedroom. Asnarl came to his throat as he looked down the hall to the master bedroom which was now engulfed in flames. He would have been having a better time if he had been the one to set the fire, but what mattered was getting out unseen.

Christine looked at the bedroom; tears forming in her eyes. Why were people so cruel to those less fortunate? She felt Erik tug her hand and she followed after him into the bedroom. He opened the window and looked towards the adjacent roof.

"Here's what were going to do," he said taking the money bag and throwing it over onto the roof. "It doesn't seem like they are expecting us to come this way. Christine I need you to climb onto my back."

"What? Are we climbing out of the window? That's crazy!" she exclaimed.

"This is no time to argue. Now do as I say!" he demanded.

Christine didn't know what made her more afraid, the fire or Erik's sudden temper. But none the less she advanced towards him and he turned to face the window. She put her hands around his neck and with a boost he got her onto his back.

"Now hold on tight. I've never done this with another person before."

He pulled open the window and looked back to see the flames now growing larger in the hallway and had started coming through the bedroom door. It was now or never. The window was large enough for both of them to fit through and now they were standing on the window sill. The jump to the other roof wasn't that wide, but to Christine it looked like a leap of fate. She reached up and kissed the back of Erik's neck as he backed them up against the window.

"For luck," she said.

He took as much of a running start as he could and jumped. They sailed through the air for a moment before Erik realized they had fallen short of the roof. He reached out with his hands and managed to grab the gutter. "Christine, quick climb up onto the roof!"

"I can't," she cried.

"You have to! Christine don't be scared, everything will be all right. Now climb."

Christine reached up with one hand and grabbed onto his arm. Then she took hold of the other one. She heard the gutter creak under their weight and she winced. Erik encouraged her to keep going. Pulling her upper body up, she placed her right foot onto his shoulder. Slowly the other one followed. Erik pulled himself up trying to close the distance between her and the roof.

She scrambled up and hurried to pull Erik up also. "Christine, you did it. Oh, darling you did it," he said taking her into his arms. "You never lost hope in yourself. I'm so proud of you."

The sound of breaking glass caused them to turn as the people from the mob began throwing rocks into the lower floor windows as the fire now raged in Lotte's bedroom. They crept to the other side of the roof and nestled into a dark corner to await the night.

"Everything is gone; the piano, the programs, your roses, and my father's violin. Oh, Erik it's all gone," Christine sobbed.

Erik tucked the bag of money aside; the only thing that made it out of the flames. He pulled Christine close to him and could only hold her. There were no words in the human language that could calm her now. She had lost everything truly important to her. Those men had ruined everything without a chance for her to get together the things that truly mattered. They were after him and his carelessness had brought them to her house.

Christine wrapped the cape around them and settled herself in his lap. The sounds of the flames and the cheering of the mob filled the Paris streets and she was soon wishing she could go back to the Opera House, but it was too bright out now for Erik to travel safely. She felt him wrap his arms around her and caress her arm gently.

Soon her ears were filled with the most beautiful music as Erik began humming to her. Right away she recognized the song as Music of the Night. Resting against his chest she could feel the vibrating of his throat as each note was clearly distinguished. Even though so much had happened it seemed to be forgotten and she turned her attention towards him eager to here the rest of the song.

Geez, can we say that Erik and Christine are having a rough day? I hope the dream was all right for everyone? I thought it was kind of funny except for the stab Erik part. (Hugs Erik) Sorry I won't ever have that happen again. (Ponders where all my reviews for ch.46 are after all the complaints to get it up) Just kidding. Enjoy guys.