Author's notes: This chapter should have been up yesterday, but I didn't have time, and it wasn't really finished. But here it is. And for those of you who wonder, I have about 5, 6 chapters left or something like that. It depends on which ending I choose.

EriksIngenue & Eruliss: How will I ever be able to thank you two for all the reviews you give me? You really keep me going when this story isn't working. Thank you so much.Eruliss, you might not know where this is going, but trust me, I do. EriksIngenue, if you ask really nice, I might let them dance together later on lol

Unmasked writer: New reviewers, we love! Welcome to the club of, let's see, three members lol. I really appreciated your review, so keep them coming. And I'm pleasedyou like the story, that's why I write it lol

So, people, enjoy!

Part VIII

When Raoul woke up the next morning, he was alone in his bed. But the side Meg had been sleeping on was still warm, so she couldn't have been gone for long.

Raoul remembered the whole night very clearly. Even the nightmare seemed very real. He'd been back in The Phantom's lair, bound once again to the bars of the gate, with the snare around his neck. But this time he hadn't been saved by Christine. The Phantom had just kept pulling the rope, and Raoul had almost felt the life leave his body.

But then someone else had stepped into the dream. Someone with a gentle touch and a soothing voice, who'd chased away the horrors of the past and made him wake up.

When he'd found himself once again wrapped in Meg's arms, he'd been pleasantly surprised, just like last time, and he'd asked her to stay when she'd wanted to leave. And she had stayed. She had put her arms around him and they'd gone back to sleep. And the nightmare hadn't returned.

The grandfather clock by the wall struck half past seven, and Raoul wondered where Meg was. He felt too rested to go back to sleep, and he missed her company.

Suddenly he heared a door close not far away. Raoul shot out of bed and ran silently over to his door. He opened it just a little and looked outside. Meg was walking down the hall, fully dressed and wearing a cloak. Where's she going? Raoul wondered. He dressed quickly and went into the hall, but Meg had already disappeared. He walked down the hall in the same direction she had, and when he threw a quick glance out a window, he saw her strolling over the frostcovered lawns. Raoul ran through the silent house and out into the chilly morning. But he slowed down when he saw Meg, trying to catch his breath.

She was sitting on a bench, facing the pale, rising sun, but without seeing it. Raoul wondered what she was thinking about. He slowly approached her, and when he was just a few feet behind her, he cleared his throat. Meg started and looked behind her, but when she saw it was Raoul, she smiled.

"Good morning."

"Good morning," Raoul answered and went and sat down next to her. "How come you are up this early?"

Meg shrugged her shoulders. "I was unable to sleep, and I needed to think." She looked back at the sun and was silent for quite a while before she said, "What am I to you, Raoul?"

Raoul was thrown back by the question, he had really not been expecting it. He looked curiously at Meg. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Meg began and turned to look at him. "Am I your friend, your beloved, you mistress?" Raoul saw the helpless look in her eyes before she turned away again. "Or am I simply an amusing intermezzo before someone new, and better, comes along?"

The question made Raoul feel guilty. He hadn't known their friendship, or whatever they had, ment so much to her.

He furrowed his brow as he said, "To tell you the truth, Meg, I have not given it a thought. I have just been playing along, doing what have felt good at the moment." He put a hand on her shoulder, squeezed it, and smiled at her when she turned around and looked at him. "And being with you have felt right, Meg. You have made me happy. So I would say that you are very much my friend. My best friend."

Meg smiled back at him, and then Raoul did something that surprised even himself. He bent forward and gave her a hug.

Meg felt tears burn at the backs of her eyelids. But friend wasn't that bad.

Raoul drove Meg back to the Opera later that day. They sat in companionable silence most of the way, both of them too tired to say anything. When they arrived, they were met in the foyer by Madame Giry.

"Dear Meg, I am so happy you are back." She kissed her daughter's cheek. "I trust you had a pleasant stay?"

Meg nodded. "Yes, it was wonderful. Monsieur le Vicomte and Madame were very good to me."

As if suddenly realizing he was in the room, Madame Giry turned to Raoul. "Thank you for inviting my daughter, Monsieur."

"It was my pleasure, Madame." Raoul flashed her a smile, but the balletmistress didn't move a muscle. Instead she just gave him a quizical look and turned to Meg again. "The managers have decided on a new piece," she informed, with a hint of disapproval in her voice. "They will announce it in the auditorium at five o'clock tonight."

Meg raised a questioning eyesbrow towards her mother. "I suppose you already know which one it is."

"Of course I do." Madame Giry sounded a little bit offended. "Now if you will excuse me, Monsieur, I have other business to attend to." Raoul nodded, and the balletmistress turned to her daughter. "Meg, dearest, you might want to make yourself ready for the meeting, you have but an hour." And with that, she made a move that might have been a half hearted curtsey to Raoul, and disappeared up the stairs.

Meg shoke her head. "You have to excuse Maman, Raoul, she does not believe in titles."

Raoul laughed. "She is much excused. Now I think I would like to talk to the managers while I am here. Would you accept an escort to your room?" He offered his arm to her. Meg laughed softly and took it, and together they walked up the stairs towards her room.

"Which opera do you think the managers have decided on?" Meg asked as they turned a corner.

Raoul shoke his head. "I have one or two ideas, but I will not guess. When I talked to them a few days ago, they were deciding between Orfeus and Carmen, but they might just as well have chosen another one."

Meg nodded. "I do not think we have performed either of those two." They walked in silence for some time, but then she said, "Actually, I would much rather perform a ballet. It is more expensive, and it takes much longer to rehearse, but I am a dancer, not an actress." Her voice had grown louder and louder as she spoke, but now she lowered it again. "You do understand, don't you?"

Raoul nodded and squeezed her arm. "Of course I do. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be seen. And you are wonderfully talented, Meg, you could go far."

She smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you so much for saying that, Raoul." They had reached Meg's room, and she let go off his arm. "And thank you for walking me here."

Seized by a sudden impulse, Raoul bent forward and kissed her forehead. "Don't mention it," he said, and then he left, leaving Meg standing outside her room with a big grin on her face.

Author's notes: I guess this is pretty unnecessary, because I don't seem to get more reviews because I write it, but remember, itkeeps me going, and to make the story better, I need to know what you think. So,

REVIEW!