Part 4. What decision?

"Let's go down and look after Christine." Meg said to her mother.

"You're probably right." Answered Madame Giry and they went downstairs, founding the living room empty.

Meg looked unsympathetically at her mum. "Where is she?" she said, gazing around in the room. Then she saw Christine's note. Madame Giry picket it up and red it:

Dear Meg and Madame Giry.

I've made my choice. I'll tell you soon what I decided, but not yet.

Wishes Christine.

They looked at each other. "Who do you think she ran to, and how long ago did this happen?" Meg asked. Madame Giry shook her head. "I have no idea, all we can do now is hope that she made the right decision."

Erik lied at the swan bed and thought. Christine my love… and Raoul. You took her from me! Viscount Raoul de Chagny, you shall never more disturb my business, you shall forever rest, in hell.

"Oh Raoul I'm so happy!" Christine laughed, she really laughed for the first time at weeks. And Raoul laughed with her. "Oh, I love you so much." He said and gently kissed her lips. "Please just promise me that you'll never frighten me so much again, ever…!"

Christine nodded with tear-filled eyes after her laugh attack. "Absolutely." She said.

Raoul smiled. "Swear?"

"Hell yes." She said and laughed even more.

Miles entered the room. "Monsieur, Meg and Madame Giry are here to visit you." He said.

Christine smiled at Raoul. "It was a while ago, wasn't it?" she asked.

Raoul nodded and looked at the butler. "Miles, bring them here." Miles nodded and went downstairs to get Meg and Madame Giry.

"He wishes you to go up to Mame Daaé's bedroom." He said friendly to the two Giry's. They went upstairs and found Christine and Raoul sitting on the bed kissing each other.

Christine saw their two visitors and stopped kissing Raoul. "Meg!" she said and ran towards her friend. "Well, now you know what decision I made." She said and smiled. "Raoul, come and say hello now!" She joked to her fiancé who rose from the bed and said hallo to their guests. "Meg, Madame Giry, nice too meet you both again." He said and smiled.

"Is it okay if you and I goes somewhere else to talk a little Christine?" Meg asked.

Christine shook her head. "It's okay for me." She took her friend hand and they left the room giggling.

"So, you picked the handsome Viscount." Meg said and smiled.

Christine nodded and smiled back. "Yes I did, and I'm actually very sure that it's the right thing to do." She said. "I first were at the opera to tell Erik and he wished us both good luck in life, and as far as I can tell, he also meant in." Christine said happy.

"And you have told that to Raoul, right?" Meg asked.

"Yes of course! I don't ever want to lie to him again."

"Good, 'cause lies is as far as I can tell not a very good thing." Meg answered and giggled a little.

"Oh Meg, I'm happy to have him." Christine said and smiled. "He's so... so… everything! He's handsome, loving, gentle, everything! " Christine said full of happiness.

Meg took Christine's hands and smiled. "I'm so happy for you, and I'm so happy that you are happy and that I'm happy about that." Meg said and where silent for a few seconds. Then she started to laugh. "Lots of happiness!" she said laughing.

Christine smiled. "Yes, lots of happiness."

Madame Giry looked at Raoul. "You're happy, aren't you?" she asked.

Raoul nodded. "Yes Madame, I'm very happy. But I'm not sure if the Phantom will leave us alone… I have a feeling that he's going to strike once more."

"Is there anything I can get for you señora?" Maxwell asked. Carlotta nodded:

"Yes, give me a cup of lemon tea." She answered. Maxwell left the room to get a cup of lemon tea

for Carlotta who rose from the chair she sat at. She went out to the balcony and looked out on the park below. Suddenly two hands covered her face and her mouth, she tried to scream but the hand just pressed her harder.

"To scream won't help, but as long as you won't try to fight me I won't hurt you. You're not the one I want." A man said to her. He took away the hand from her eyes so she could see him, and that's exactly what she did, turned around and looked at the man.

"Thmm hmtomm!" she said.

"What?" the man asked her. "What did you say?" he'd let the hand go a little so she could speak.

"The Phantom." She said and the man nodded. "That's right, I'm the phantom but I prefer Erik. Promise you won't scream and I'll take off my hand." He said. Carlotta nodded and the Phantom took away his hand from Carlotta's mouth.

"What do you want?" she asked. "You killed my love! You killed Piangi!" she said. "And now you need my help, right?"

Erik nodded. "Yes, I need your help to get to the Viscount Raoul De Chagny." He said. Carlotta looked unsympathetically at the phantom.

"Why?" she asked. The Phantom sighed.

"To get Christine."

Carlotta shook her head. "And why would you think I would do it?" she asked.

A creepy grin showed up on the Phantom's face. "Because if you'll refuse your destiny will be the same as your beloved Piangi's."

Christine and Meg returned to the bedroom.

"Meg darling I think it's time for us to leave now." Madame Giry said and looked at her daughter.

Meg nodded. "Yes mother." She gave Christine a hug and then took her mother's hand to leave. "See you Christine, Raoul." She said and smiled. Miles followed the two Giry's to the door and they then left.

"You mean, if I'll refuse you'll kill me?" Carlotta asked frightened.

The Phantom nodded. "Yes Carlotta, that's exactly what I mean. So, will you help me?"

"W-What do you n-need help for?" Carlotta stuttered.

"I told you, I need you to get me to the Viscount Raoul De Chagny, Christine's fiancé, remember him?" the Phantom asked.

Carlotta nodded. "Yes Erik, I know who he is. So this is about Christine, right? You want to get Christine."

The Phantom smiled. "Exactly, you're a smart one when you starts to think. So, will you help me?"

"I-I guess so…" Carlotta said insecurely.

The Phantom smiled. "Good, all you have to do is…"

Christine looked loving at Raoul and kissed him. "Hi love." She said and smiled.

"Hi to you too." Raoul answered and kissed Christine back. "So, what did you and Meg talk about?" he asked.

"Oh nothing, just how happy I am, and that I picked you and not Erik. What did you and Madame Giry talk about?"

"Not much… She asked me if I'm happy."

"And what did you answer?"

Raoul smiled. "Yes, of course!"

"Didn't you talk about anything more?" Christine asked.

"Well…"

"Well what?" Christine asked and looked deep into his eyes.

"I said that I have a felling that Erik won't leave us alone." He said and looked back into Christine's eyes.

"Raoul darling, I think he will. But I agree, he might won't."

"So you want me to get Raoul here so you can kill him?" Carlotta asked frustrated. "You want to kill someone in my house? In la Carlotta's house?"

The Phantom nodded. Exactly, it'll be more discreet if you'll take him to your house then anywhere else." The Phantom suddenly stopped and listened. "Your butler is coming, get inside and I'll wait for you here. Make no attempt to tell him I'm here, 'cause then you're dead." He said and Carlotta went inside.

Miles entered with a salver in his hand. "Here you are señora, is there anything else you want?" he asked and putted the salver on the small table in Carlotta's bedroom.

"No. Now leave." Carlotta answered surly. When Miles had left she went out on the balcony again.

"So, you'll do it, right?" The Phantom asked and Carlotta nodded. "Yes, I will."