Okay peoples, I am VERY sorry about the long wait. I just had a horrible case of writers block, and even when I got started I had to force myself to finish this chapter. I hope you like it. I don't, only because it is mainly about Raoul.

Chapter Six: Well Met

Christine was surprised how quickly things went back to normal. At first, Raoul attended to her every whim, but as time passed and nothing overly dramatic or exciting happened between them, he drifted in and out. Just like before. Maybe he had thought that she would ask to get married to him after he had daringly rescued her from a self-absorbed moron.

Christine didn't mind. She was very glad about not spending so much time with her fiancé. He sent her flowers, took her to an occasional elegant dinner, but that was where it all ended. He was off on a business excursion now. Christine was grateful for an opportunity to visit Erik. There was one thing that bothered her deeply however, Meg had said that Erik hadn't talked or even sent a message since the rescue. Christine had wondered what was wrong, but she would find out soon enough.

As she looked around her now crowded hotel room, she sighed and set about the task of finding her shoes. Flowers were in every nook and cranny possible. They were beautiful, but she knew only one kind of flower would make her heart rush like she had always dreamed it would, a blood red rose.

She smiled unintentionally as she though of the very handsome Erik. Yes, he had a deflection, but, Christine reasoned, we all have our own deflections, and his just happens to be a physical one. He still had the courage to love people, even though so many had lied and deceived him. And she loved him deeply for it.

After what seemed like hours, Christine managed to find her shoes. She slipped them on quickly, and left the grand halls of Elegance behind. The Opera was looking better, but you could tell it had been involved in a fire. Firman and Andre were out front, setting up boards, announcing their new plays and musicals. They waved respectfully as she passed.

"Miss Daae, we would like to talk to you later this evening about your role in the plays. Will we see you there?" Firman asked, smiling.

"Why of course," Christine said. And then mimicked Carlotta, "If my managers command."

They all laughed heartily at that, albeit quietly, in case she might magically appear. She said she had better be on her way and Andre gestured with his hat, "Go forth, but don't forget our appointment."

Christine nodded and proceeded to make her way to Erik. She decided to take a new way and headed for the stage. She walked to the middle and stood there staring at the hole in front of her. She sighed thoughtfully as she imagined her reuniting with Erik. She jumped into the midnight black darkness that lead into her heart keeper's domain. As she fell she almost laughed to know she was no longer scared of this darkness. She loved it.

xXxXx

Raoul sat in a divinely expensive carriage in the front of Elegance, waiting to see Christine. He knew she would come out soon, she always did. He had a velvet black top hat pulled over his eyes so he could see, but no one could see him. He liked this idea. A wonderful surprise for Christine would do her good. Finally, after minutes of waiting he got out and walked inside to speak with the owner.

"Do you know where Miss Daae is?" Raoul asked irritably.

The woman tilted her head as if to study him and then shook her head, "Nope, sir. She just left somewhere lookin' all nice, dressed up as if she was a goin' to a ball, sir." She described Christine in livid detail, but Raoul was not appreciative, her looks he knew, where she was located he did not.

He cut her off with a wave of his hand, "If you see her, tell her to go to the Opera House."

The woman looked confused, "Wait…..You're supposed to be on a business trip, and normally she asks where ye are. But I'll do as ye say." She tilted her head again and looked to another man who was waiting rather impatiently to talk with her.

Raoul stalked up the stairs into Christine's room. She had turned away from him. A count. His brows furrowed, hiding his blue eyes quite well. Oh well….He would deal with that woman later. He had much more pressing business, such as saying goodbye to Christine before he really left for his trip to London for some exotic cast hiring that Andre and Firman wanted done. He shrugged to himself. Business is business they always say, he told himself.

He grabbed some paper and a quill and began writing:

My darling Christine,

You are probably surprised that I was still here, but I

had to say a proper goodbye. But you were not here so this will

have to suffice. I am going to London to hire some other performers,

to have some different backgrounds in our cast. I love you, and don't

forget it. Be careful, the Phantom might want to capture you again so if

anything suspicious happens talk to Cain, he will guard you. At least as

long as you mention money. Don't worry about that, your safety is worth any price. Just tell him I will pay him as soon as I get back.

All my love,

Raoul

He put the quill, ink and remaining paper back into her crammed desk. She would have to clean this room soon. For you could barely walk around in it, let alone find clothes, shoes and other necessities in it. Done, he walked out and down the stairs, only to run into that woman again.

"What ye be doin' in another tenant's apartment, sir?" She asked incredulously.

Raoul silently cursed to the point where if he had been speaking out loud, well….needless to say he'd be in big trouble, "I was writing my fiancé a note to tell her where I was, what I was doing and such. If you don't mind, I have a carriage to catch, as well as a boat."

The woman raised an eyebrow and moved to one side of the hall without so much as a curtsy or apology. He stuck his hands in his coat pockets to keep them from grabbing his sword.

When he finally got outside to his carriage, he was cursing out loud. He nearly hit the driver with his own whip, "To the docks, and hurry. Or I will flog you with that whip you currently hold in your grubby hands."

The driver scowled, but he just flicked the whip and snapped the reins and they were off.

xXxXx

Cassandra Rouge was her name. She was of medium height, with blond hair and sparkling purple eyes. She was an actress, a very talented one some said. Yet, here she was on the streets of London practically begging for a job. She looked around at the other men and women looking for a job as well, only desperate people even talked to them. She shoved her smoldering anger back down, she needed to be humble. Only people who pitied her would hire her, and she was going to play the part. As long as she didn't have to live in these kind of dumps anymore. She would take almost any job, even one as a bar maid.

She looked certainly looked like one, and she knew it. She was beautiful, but she was wearing the only dress she had: a deep red dress that clung to her shin as if it was a life line, which also supported the lowest neck she had ever seen. Oh, she looked rich, but wealthy people did not stand in the streets, hopefully looking at anyone who came out of a store nearby.

She walked toward the docks, swaying her hips, hoping some man would look at her and give her some kind of job. But it hadn't worked so far, why would it now? As she arrived at her destination, the best ship in London came in to dock: the WaveRacer. Not only was she the most expensive ship around, she was also the fastest and most reliable one as well. If Cassandra had had the money, she would have swum to that boat, but alas, she didn't have the money and wouldn't ever get it if she didn't find a job soon.

She stood, blinking at the ship as the passengers got off and left to their hotels, when a voice sounded behind her, "Who are you?"

She turned around as fast as her satin red heels would allow, "What do you want? If you have a job, I want it. Otherwise leave." Inwardly she cringed, she should have been humble, but that wasn't her.

The man was wearing very expensive clothes, and smirking at her. That alone made her even angrier. "Well, it just so happens that I am offering a job, but, only to talented actors and actresses. Are you an actress?" At the end of the sentence she was sure he was looking at the dresses low neck. Curse him!

Cassandra gaped at him, actresses? What luck! "Of course I am, an actress I mean. I used to work at the Crown Opera, but they got shut down by the king. He didn't like the managers, and since they basically only performed for him, there was no way to hold up any other kind of business, I got fired."

The man smiled, took her hand and kissed it slowly, "Well met, Miss….."

"Rouge, sir. Miss Cassandra Rouge," Cassandra smiled unintentionally, she liked his eyes they were dazzling, but his attitude before didn't help her evaluation.

"Miss Rouge. I have to find some other actors and actresses, so it looks like I came at the perfect time. You will be performing at the Opera Populaire in Paris, France. I hope you can deal with that. By the way, my name is Raoul." Raoul smiled as well and held out his arm, Cassandra took it.

"That will be just fine. I can show you where the rest of my cast is, if you are up to it after your journey, Raoul." She stared him down hopefully with her purple eyes.

"Lead on, fair lady." Cassandra took the nickname as a joke.

Raoul continued to stare at her, besides Christine, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. He hoped to learn much more about her while he was in London. Maybe her fellow cast members would help him get to know her……

xXxXx

Erik sighed and crumpled yet another paper with plans scribbled all over it. He threw the wad into the lake angrily. All his revenge plans were horrible, to the point he could not carry them out. He now knew Christine for the lying cheat she was, and had not even approached her. What would you say?, a taunting voice sneered, it sounded too much like Raoul.

He knew he loved her, but she didn't love him. That was plain. The way she had yelled and screamed for Raoul and his escort. His only doubt was what she had written. He had heard the obvious sounds of a quill on paper before she had jumped into the lake, but what had she written. Maybe she wrote to you, but you are too dim-witted to know where she put it. There was that voice again. He half expected to see some sort of devil image of himself sitting on his left shoulder, and the angelic half on his right. He chuckled to himself, those were child tales and he had stopped being a child long ago. Not really, you still think Christine hates you, that is childish, for you have no proof.

Erik shook off that train of thought, it didn't matter. He had vowed she would pay, and pay she would. Even if it took him a hundred years to carry out his vow, he would do it. He had finally resigned himself to making more foolish revenge plans, when he heard the shriek. He stopped, he knew that voice, it was Christine's. What did I tell you? That voice said, he could practically see the smirk on some invisible face.

"Erik! Please! Help me!" Christine's voice was distant.

Erik thought for a moment, where was she? Then it clicked, he had left that drowning latch on, she could not drown! He had to revenge his broken heart, but not that way! He jumped out from behind the organ and sprinted toward her.

"I'm coming! Hold on!" Too original, say something more romantic, Erik banished the voice from his head. He needed to save Christine, no distractions.

He finally arrived at the site and unlocked the escape door, and the iron rack that was coming down on the top of the water creaked. Then slowly—oh, so slowly!—it raised upwards, so Christine could breathe. She came up and stared at him with those brown eyes, she looks even more beautiful wet. Thank heaven that those words were his thoughts, not the other voice that seemed to reside inside his head. She swam over to him gently, ripples followed behind her, disturbing the otherwise peaceful water.

"You came here, why?" Erik was truly surprised that she was here. After what she had done, surely she knew that he knew!

"I told you I would come as soon as I could! Besides, I couldn't stay away from here if I tried." Christine was calm; no look of guilt was on her face.

"Note?" Erik asked confusedly. "What note? There was no note; I know that you wrote something before you left to get to that—that bastard! Now you come running back, thinking I will accept you without question knowing what you have done! Deceiving me! Well, it won't happen. I tell you it won't!"

Christine now had a hand over her mouth, mouthing 'no' over and over again. She flung herself at him, wrapping him in her arms, "No! I left a note for you! I couldn't let you die fighting Raoul. I told you I loved you too much for that, and that I would visit as soon as I could. Raoul kept watching me—that's why it took so long, but he just left on a business trip so I had to come see you! I promise I didn't mean any of those things, but what could I tell Raoul? He can't know, not yet! Please believe me! You've got to believe me..." She continued to cling onto him, crying—well, sobbing was more like it.

Erik unconsciously smoothed her hair in an effort to console her, he sighed in relief. He had suspected the day she had run into her dressing room that way, but he had not known, to know now was a great consolation.

"It's okay, I believe you." He said in a emotionless voice. He had to keep it that way; he would let too much emotion show if he said it in any other tone. He would not cry, he wouldn't.

Christine continued to hang onto him, but she had stopped sobbing. He picked up her sopping form and waded back to his dungeon. After I get Christine settled down I have to disable that trap again. I just hope Raoul didn't lie to her about the business trip. He did just that, whispering to her, "I love you, Christine. Don't break my heart that way again."

He added a, "Or I will let you drown." as an afterthought.

Okay, I will get chapter seven here much faster. I just had a bad case of writers block. As you know. I hope you liked it, so review and tell me. I would like any suggestions that I get. THanks! Until next time...