As soon as Mulder had left the antique store, he had practically broke into a run. His mind was racing with what Margaret had told him and he was still struggling to process it. But there really was no way he could deny it. He had seen the pictures and Margaret had told him what he had been seeing in his dreams lately. There was no way she could have known that unless he had told her. He was really someone of nobility back in the late 1800's? A smile spread across his face as he thought of all the times his father and others had put him down in the past, saying he was a complete loser. And here he had been a man of distinction and with one of the most beautiful females of Parisian society as his companion. But now he couldn't help but wonder…what had happened to Raoul and Christine? Had they run off and gotten married? Did they ever have any children? Something told him that was something that would be revealed to him another time.

He raced past the theatre and to his parked car. As he got into his car, he could see that there were other cars parked outside the theatre as well. And there appeared to still be people going inside. Cleaners perhaps or stage people? Well, that wasn't for him to worry about now. He was actually surprised there were no media vans nearby wishing to get information about Melinda's death. Then again, it was still early. He started his car and drove toward Lysette's motel.

He quickly parked his car and headed inside careful to make sure that Skinner had not decided to set up some kind of surveillance. That was the last thing he needed to deal with right now. He took the stairs up to Lysette's floor and walked down the hallway to her room. He placed his ear to the door and knocked. He just had to hope that she was alone. "Lyssa?"

Lysette raised her head from the bed. "Fox? Is that you?"

"Yes, it's me. Are you alone?"

Lysette rose up from the bed and walked to the door. "Yes."

"Can I come in?"

Lysette opened her door. "Fox, where were you? I waited to see you at the hospital and you didn't show up."

"If you let me in, I'll tell you what happened ok? I'd rather not talk about it out here in the hallway."

Lysette moved to the side. "Please, come in."

Mulder stepped inside the door. "The reason I didn't show up, Lyssa is because your….Uncle confronted me out here."

Lysette closed the door. "What?"

Mulder walked over and took a seat by a table. "While you were out in the car, he kept me behind and told me that he wanted me to stay away from you. And he threatened me if I chose not to do what he said."

Lysette shook her head. "I….I can't believe he did that! How could he do that?" She headed for the door. "I'm going to go talk to him and…"

Mulder rose from his chair and grabbed her arm gently. "Lyssa, no just let it go for now. Anyway, that's not the main reason I came over here to see you anyway."

"It's not?" Lysette looked at him confused. "What is it, Fox?"

Mulder led her over to the bed and took a seat. "Well, first of all, I wanted to tell you how sorry I was about what happened to Melinda. I didn't get a chance to because I couldn't see you at the hospital."

"Oh Fox, it was terrible." Lysette replied as tears came to her eyes. "Everyone from the cast was there and they were all holding each other and crying. I hope I never have to experience anything like that again. Ever Mr. Constance shed a tear or two." She paused. "He…he asked me if I wanted to take the role of Christine on a permanent basis for the show."

Mulder looked back at her. "What did you tell him?"

She took a breath. "I told him…I would have to think about it."

Mulder took her hands gently. "Lyssa, listen to me. I know…how much you want to do that role but…"

"What?"

Mulder sighed. "You can't take the role, Lyssa."

"What? Why?"

"Because I can't risk something happening to you like Melinda." Mulder answered not wanting to give her his real reason quite yet.

Lysette shook and lowered her head. "I just…I don't understand why this is happening to me. I dreamt about doing this role so many times when I was performing and being the understudy. And now that opportunity comes to me and…"

"I know who killed her, Lyssa."

Lysette raised her head. "You do? But the doctors said that she just choked."

"He murdered her, Lyssa. He killed her for revenge because you were with me."

"What?"

"You think its Rose who has been coming to you, teaching and speaking to you. But it isn't, Lyssa."

"Then…who is it?"

"It's a ghost from your past. From our past."

Lysette chuckled. "A ghost? From my past? Fox…"

"Look, I don't expect you to believe me on this. I didn't want to believe it either. But it's true, Lyssa." He moved his face so that it was right across from her. "Your name was Christine Daae and you performed at the Paris Opera House back in 1881."

"Fox, please…"

"You performed the role of Marguerite from Faust which that aria is from. That's why that piece is so familiar to you, Lyssa because you actually did perform it once. You had a man who was obsessed with you and your voice and he tried to take you away. He took you through a mirror in your dressing room that…."

Lysette pulled away from Mulder and threw out her hands in frustration. "No, that is just a story!"

Mulder gently placed his hands on her shoulders. "It's true, Lyssa. Remember when you said you called me Raoul? You did because I was there too."

"You….you were?"

"Yes, Lyssa. You were Christine and I was Raoul Vicomte DeChagny. Remember that strange bond I told you about? That's why we have it. It's why I was so drawn to you the first time we met." He brushed her cheek with his hand.

"I….I don't believe this." She whispered.

"It's true, Lyssa."

"Do…do you know how romantic that is? To be told that the man you are with now was your lover in a past life?"

"Our souls don't forget who we are, Lyssa. Neither one of us may completely look like who we were back in 1881 but that doesn't matter. Our souls look beyond appearances and search within."

"How….how do you know about all of this? About who we were? What we looked like?"

"Let's just say I took a visit to an antique store where a certain cleaning woman also works by the name of Margaret."

"Margaret?"

"Yes, she assists her sister in the antique store. The same place where you got that choker you wear."

"My…my choker?"

Mulder nodded. "It belonged to Christine, Lyssa. It was given to her by Erik."

"Oh my god." Lysette whispered. "The only time I've heard that voice is when I was wearing it."

"It's what summoned him to you, Lyssa."

"Him? So, you're telling me that…"

"The Phantom of the Opera is real, Lyssa. You were Christine and now he's come back for you."

Lysette's eyes wandered over to the television set that she had left on. "Oh my god."

"What is it?"

She pointed to the screen, which showed the picture of a man. "I…I know that man."

Mulder looked at the television. "It says below the picture that he was found murdered." He then looked back at Lysette. "How do you know this man, Lyssa?"

"He…he was a reporter who was trying to talk to me on the way to the theatre. Was…asking me questions about the murder of the stagehand. He was being quite rude so….Melinda stepped in and…." She put her hand to her mouth.

"What is it, Lyssa?"

"I just realized that any time someone has died it's….it's because of me." She paused. "The stage hand so that Melinda could be sick and I could perform. Melinda so that I could have the role of Christine permanently. And….and now the death of the reporter who was hassling me." She closed her eyes tightly. "And he tried to kill you to prevent you from getting close to me."

"Now you see why you can't take that role, Lyssa. If you do….then it will be all too easy for him."

"The dream I've wanted is turning into a nightmare." Lysette whispered. "Mr. Constance….he's….he's counting on me to do the role. I know he is. Everyone is counting on me."

"It doesn't have to be a nightmare, Lyssa."

"What…what do you mean?"

"Margaret told me she can help us, help you. She can make sure that Erik is banished and can't do anything to you anymore. And once that's done, you can take the role of Christine and whatever role you want because it won't matter."

"How….how can she banish him?"

"She told me that the reason Erik is a ghost is because he has not crossed over. If she can get his spirit to cross over then he can no longer exist in this world." He looked deep into her eyes. "And then you can be free, Lyssa. We both can."

"Fox, if…if I chose not to take the role, would you…stay with me?"

Mulder took her hand and brought it to his lips. "Lyssa, I will see this through with you every step of the way."

"But…what about Uncle Skinner?"

Mulder smiled. "Neither Skinner or anyone else is going to prevent me from being with you, Lyssa. And I'm certainly not going to be stopped by a ghost."

"So, what does she want us to do?"

"She needs you to come with me tonight to the antique shop."

"Tonight? Fox, I…I can't. I have rehearsal tonight."

"I thought the show was temporarily postponed?"

"It is but that doesn't mean that we still don't rehearse. And Mr. Constance is going to want to talk to me about what I've decided."

Mulder sighed. "Lyssa, if you don't come with me tonight, there is no telling what else Erik will do. And I…I don't want to risk something happening to you either. Once we do this and send Erik back to where he belongs, then you can do whatever you want. You can play the role of Christine just like you always dreamed. And any other roles you've wanted, will be yours to achieve."

"How does Margaret know so much about this?"

"She showed me a book Lyssa. It had pictures of Christine and Raoul and they resembled us. And she showed me Melinda too."

"Melinda?"

Mulder nodded. "Her name back in 1881 was Meg Giry, Lyssa. She was trying to warn you in her hospital room because she remembered who you were. When you said you saw the two of you as young girls but not wearing something from this century, that is what you saw."

"That's why she called me Christine."

"And that's why he killed her."

"But…what about the woman who sold me the choker?"

"Margaret's sister and she serves Erik as well as her family. But Margaret does not."

"Serves him?"

"He promised her family money and riches if they took the choker and found the reincarnation of Christine."

Lysette shook her head. "No, I…I can't believe that. She was such a nice lady. How could a ghost get them money?"

"He made that promise to them before he died. I'm assuming he had connections to money or something. But…there's more."

"More?"

"Margaret told me that they plan on bringing Erik into this world. They…have some kind of powers to be able to transform him into flesh. And once that is done…"

"He'll be able to find me." Lysette finished.

"But I won't let him get to you, Lyssa regardless. He can try but he won't get that far."

"But…once I leave Washington and leave you behind…"

"Lyssa, I will do everything in my power to keep you safe from him. And…if for some reason I can't be there with you, I'll find a way. But I don't want it to get that far. I want to get rid of him before he's even allowed to get that chance. Please, Lyssa? Come with me to the antique store tonight?"

"I…I mean that much to you?"

Mulder smiled as he caressed her cheek with his thumb. "Do you really need me to answer that? I loved you over a hundred years ago and that has never died. And….it explains to me just why I've felt so empty all these years. Why…every relationship I tried failed. It's because it wasn't you, Lyssa. Now I am happy for one of the first times in my life. Our souls have found one another again and I don't want to lose that."

Tears came to Lysette's eyes. "Oh, Fox."

Mulder leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers gently. He then pulled back. "So, will you tell Mr. Constance you're not feeling well and come with me tonight?"

Lysette nodded. "I'll….I'll tell him."

Mulder brought her hands to his lips and kissed them. "Thank you, Lyssa. By tonight, this will all just be a faint memory and you can tell him you'll take the role. And you'll be free."

"And I owe it all to you."

Mulder shook his head. "You owe me nothing, Lyssa." He rose from the bed. " I'll leave so you can make that call. I'll be back to pick you up around 7 o' clock ok?"

"Ok. And if Uncle Skinner shows up, I'll just tell him I'm sick."

Mulder smiled. "Good girl. I'll see you at seven then." He then glanced at her one more time before walking out and closing the door behind him.

Lysette turned away from the door and looked back at the mirror. "So, I was really Christine Daae?" She whispered. As she looked in the mirror, she saw an image of a young girl looking back at her with more delicate features and wearing the choker. Lysette raised her hand and reached out to the mirror, which caused the image to disappear. "Oh my god. I am Christine."

Note: First wanted to thank everyone who continues to read this. And to answer a few comments, yes there will be some more 'Phantom' characters popping up in here as times goes on. And yes I was aware that 'Faust' was the opera dominant in the novel by Leroux, that's why I picked it lol. But actually the idea I used regarding it came from a movie she watched which was a horror movie version of "The Phantom of the Opera" with Robert Englund.