Sir, another note: Fondest greetings to you all! The characters in this chapter belong exclusively to Leroux, Webber and Kay. Not Kim, as much as I'd like that to be so. This is one of my favorite chapters, and you're all going to hate me for how I leave it off, but rest assured, there will be more coming within a day or two. Keep the reviews coming!

Christine woke early to the sounds of shouting. She recognized both male voices all too well, and donned a robe and slippers quickly. She crept down the hall to hear better.

"Monsieur, I implore you, calm down!" That was Nadir, sounding angrier than she'd ever heard him, but in a controlled way that suggested he was reining in his true feelings.

"Shut up! Where is she? You helped me out once but that won't stop me from using force to find her! Did you really think-,"

"Sir!"

"Did you really believe you could have an affair with my betrothed and get away with it?"

"Sir, I will send for the police!"

"Please do! I've already been there, asking if anyone saw a woman get off a train and take a cab yesterday! What a surprise when they told me she went here! It's a small town, and I wonder how they'll feel hearing a foreigner like yourself took advantage of a woman?"

"Leave this place!"

"Stand aside, old man!"

"Raoul!" Christine's voice and immediate presence startled both men and narrowly stopped them from coming to blows. "Raoul, stop this at once!"

"Christine. I don't know why you'd do this or why you ever thought you could get around my watchful eye, but we are leaving now. We all make mistakes, no one need ever find out-,"

"No, Raoul." Her gaze was strong but her words wavered. She was not used to standing up for herself like this.

"Excuse me? Christine, you are almost my wife and will do as I command!" He reached for her arm, but Christine caught his wrist and held it. She thought of Erik, who had made no requests of her other than she love him.

"I'd be able to do so many things if I had you as a wife, Christine."

"Raoul, I love you. And I am not having any affair."

"Well. Be that as it may, I can hardly condone-,"

"No. Listen to me. I am faithful to you, but I cannot marry you." She turned his palm up and slipped off her engagement ring. She placed it in his palm before he could react, and he stood there, staring at it.

"Christine."

"Raoul, I am not what you want, what you need, or what you thought I was. I love you, but not as a wife should, and I would not be any happier than you. Find someone used to the life you love, who your family will accept. But not me. I can't, I'm not ready to leave Paris, or the opera, or anything." She prayed he would not ask for clarification of "anything". His temper had already proved itself frightening enough.

"You-," his voice shook as he stared at the ring. "You would give up all I have given you and all I can offer you for the stage?"

Christine sighed. She knew if she said yes, he might concede to her remaining on stage. She also realized that had never really been the point. The only way to convince him to leave would be to provoke him to the point of anger once more, and she hated to do it. "If only he would understand," she thought, and took a deep breath.

"No. I do love the stage, and singing, but I could live without that if I had to. I am ending this because I can never love you the way I love- yes, love! – Erik. It's not fair to either of us, or," and she hesitated, knowing how odd it would sound, "to him."

Raoul eyes changed. They no longer reflected a sadness or confusion. Instead, there was a blind rage piercing her.

"You would give me up for a monster?" He roared, the noun hurting Christine more than any blow ever could. "A dead man? You are insane, Christine! Everyone tried to tell me that, yes, everyone, you didn't know that, did you? Everyone told me you were out of your mind, but I refused to listen! I really believed you'd let it go and grow up eventually, but once again, you've succeeded in making me out to be a fool! Well I won't have it!" He turned to look at Nadir in disgust.

"I don't know what you're doing in all this. But I'm through with it. Lock her up, it's where she belongs. Singing in her head! Voices in the night! Whatever made me think she was worth anything?" He shoved Nadir roughly and left, slamming the door hard enough to break a window. Nadir looked from Raoul's retreating frame to Christine, and back to the window.

"I think I have a spare pane of glass somewhere," he muttered. "I'll be back shortly."

Unable to keep up a tough façade anymore, Christine sank to the ground, crying hysterically into her hands. She wept for Erik, for hurting Raoul, and for what Raoul had said to her. As she sat there, shaking, she felt a hand trembling as hard as she on each shoulder.

"Nadir, I really don't think-," she began, standing and turning to tell Nadir she did not share his feelings, but stopped short. Her face turned pale, and she had to hold on to an occasional table to remain upright.

There, facing her with tears running down his cheeks and out from under his mask, stood Erik.

"I wanted to know you knew for sure," he choked out, before being overcome with emotion.