A/N: Here are some answers for you finally. I know you have all been very curious. Glad to see a couple of new reviewers after this last chapter. That is encouraging to say the least! And I'm also so thrilled each time I see a familiar name in a review, because it means that you are sticking with me. Thank you all.

Ch. 17 - Revelation

After two full days of no contact from Erik, Christine had become as impatient as a caged lion. She had gone topside several times without catching a glimpse of him and returned to her cabin so fidgety, she found that she could not sit long enough to complete a simple task. She spent most of the third day pacing the room and accosting Stone for information at every opportunity.

"Christine, I have told you. The Captain is busy with the preparations for our landing. We will be ashore in less than a week now. He has to get the cargo and the vessel in order for that time or he will find himself with a blooming mess on his hands." Putting a hand to her shoulder, he continued, "I'm sure he is as bothered by this separation as you are."

"Haven't you seen him yourself?" she inquired.

"No, he has been moving about the ship like a ghost these past days. The men that are assisting him have said that he is working with the intensity of the devil himself! Now does that sound like the description of a happy man? I tell you, he's probably just as miserable as you are."

"Have I been miserable?" she asked, concerned that she had been acting in an inconsiderate manner.

"Aye, you have been quite the tempest these past few days. But even your bluster is more charming than others," he teased.

"If you see Erik..."

"Aye, I'll tell him."

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"Captain, I believe that Madame Christine is wanting to see you." He had found Erik in the hold taking final stock of the cargo they were transporting. The man was covered in sweat, shirtless and engrossed in his current task. He did not acknowledge that Stone was present, let alone had spoken.

"Captain?" he said in a louder voice.

Without looking up from his paperwork, he said, "Yes, Mr. Stone?" His tone was gruff, clearly an indication that he had not wanted to be disturbed.

"Christine. She is wanting to see you." Stone was starting to believe that coming to find the Captain had been a big mistake. The man did not seem in the mood to have a conversation at the moment.

"Tell her that I will be unavailable until the night before we dock. I will come to her then." He looked up at Stone to be sure that the man had heard him. Then he turned back to inquire something of one of the men that he was working with.

Stone realized that he had been dismissed and exited the hot cargo hold. He hastened down the corridors until he reached her stateroom. Steeling himself for her reaction he knocked and gained admittance.

"Can he really be that busy that he can't take a moment to speak with me?" she asked. She was clearly hurt by Erik's response. Thinking of the last time she had seen him, she began to think that he possibly could be upset with her. Had she been too forward? Was he repulsed by her blatant desire for him? She found it hard to believe that he would harbor those types of feelings for her. But she was nevertheless feeling insecure about her position in his heart.

"I don't know why the Captain is insisting on staying away from you day and night, but he does have a lot of work to do before we reach America. I'm sorry that I couldn't give you a better answer. You'll just have to ask him yourself when he comes to see you the night before we dock."

"And when will that be?" she asked.

"Only five more days, I think."

She turned her back on Stone, feeling deep disappointment and sadness at Erik's decision. "I have no choice in the matter. I will wait for him to come to me," she finally said. Before the man could leave, she added, "Do you have a moment to speak with me?"

"Aye."

They took seats facing each other. Christine nervously fidgeted with her hands and the silk ribbons on her gown. She had decided to tell Stone the details of her flight from France, believing that she could trust him to advise her as to her next course of action. The more days passed without contact from Erik, the more uneasy she became about revealing her current plight. She hoped that as Erik's friend, Stone would tell her how to approach the subject.

Finally finding the beginning of her tale, she spoke. "Stone, the night that we met, I didn't tell you the entire story about why I was leaving France in such a hurry. I told you that we were in trouble and that I was a widow. I can never thank you enough for not pressing the issue at that time. However, now I feel the need to tell you the full truth and to ask your help."

"Anything I can do, Christine. I'll do it." Stone could see the tension in her face as she struggled with telling him the dark secrets that haunted her. "But why do you not tell the Captain?"

"It's such a complicated situation…I don't know how he will take it all." She touched her hand to her forehead as if she had a headache. "I must get your opinion on the matter as you have known him more recently than I. You know the man he has become. Will you listen?"

"Of course."

"You know that I was married to Raoul de Chagny for six years. And you also know of our history with Erik so I won't go into the details of all that." She sighed, obviously steeling herself for the next bit. "After Raoul died, two years ago, his brother Philippe moved into our home claiming that it was his right as the only other de Chagny heir. He had never married, has no children. Throughout my marriage to Raoul, Philippe had always been a disconcerting fixture in our lives. He was constantly looking at me with…well…as he shouldn't! Raoul always laughed it off and said that Philippe was just trying to be funny, that it was his personality. But I was never comfortable around him. I had heard rumors about his business dealings. Many people that had crossed him seemed to turn up missing or dead. I began to realize that Philippe was a very dangerous man who had a lot of shady friends. In time, even Raoul couldn't dispute these facts.

"Once he moved into our home, I was on guard all of the time. And I was proven correct in my suspicions rather quickly. For the first year he seemed content only to look and make snide comments, but he started to become more bold and brazen." She stopped for a moment to collect her thoughts and Stone could feel a tightening in his stomach. He knew where this was going.

"I began locking my bedroom door at night. I kept Charles with me at all times hoping to deter him. But he found ways to get me alone." Tears were threatening to spill, but she continued on having come this far. "Before we left, he had become incensed that I was rejecting him. He told me that I would marry him for Charles's sake. He threatened to kill my son!" Crying uninhibitedly now, she found a great release at finally having told someone of this. Stone waited patiently for her to continue. Once she composed herself, she took a deep breath and continued. "There is more. Oh God, give me strength. The night he threatened Charles, he tried to force himself on me."

Stone had to stop himself from leaping to his feet he was so shocked at what she had said. Anger was flooding his heart. How did this woman continue to survive the evil men of this world? Sensing his mood, she quickly added, "Robert, my manservant, interrupted him before he was able to carry out the attack. He had somehow known what was happening. I had never told him what Philippe was doing to me. I can only thank God for his perception."

"Philippe was livid at the man's interference. He swore that if ever again anyone came between us, he would kill them without batting an eyelash. I have no choice but to believe him, he is ruthless and I have seen it first hand. He doesn't know, but in the first year that he was with us, I heard an argument outside of my window in the late hours. I peeked outside and saw Philippe shouting at a young man. Whatever the man had done, Philippe was enraged. I meant to look away and climb back into bed, but without any hesitation or forewarning, Philippe drew a revolver and shot the man dead. Right there in our yard. Out of the darkness several men moved in and took the body away."

"The day after he tried to rape me, Robert and I decided that I needed to take Charles and get as far away from Philippe as I could. He helped me make the arrangements to Le Havre. I had to leave most of our things behind, not that I really wanted a reminder of that house anymore. He had desecrated our home with his lust and his violence." As she uttered these words, she couldn't help but think of Erik. She had once thought he was filled with evil, but after her contact with Philippe, she knew better. Erik had never had a choice: his life was a compilation of the brutalities of society. Philippe had been raised in nobility with every opportunity at his feet. It was most definitely clear who the real monster was.

"Upon reaching Le Havre, I inquired about passage and you turned up. And once again, fate has decreed that Erik and I are destined to be together."

"What do you think that Philippe did when he found out you were gone. Would he give up?" Stone asked.

"Not likely. He is filled with pride and arrogance. I don't know to what extent he will go, but I do believe that he will attempt to find me. At least in America he will not be able to hide behind his damn title!" She was angry at the thought of how society would always regard a Comte as a true gentleman, rather that look beyond his noble blood to see the black heart that was beating it. "I hated to leave Robert and his family to Philippe's mercy, but I had no choice. I had to protect Charles and myself from the man. I pray every night that the Lord is watching over and protecting them from him." Robert's wife Charlotte had been the housekeeper and only friend that Christine had had during her time at the estate. They had a twelve-year- old daughter named Celeste, who would spend hours entertaining Charles with made up games and stories. It had been torture to leave them as they had become like Christine's family. She had felt that closeness that she hadn't felt since her father had died. It was another reason that she resented Philippe.

Stone had grown thoughtful, considering all that she had told him. "It would be very difficult to find one woman and a child in America, but it is possible. What had you planned to do when you reached shore?"

"I had considered moving further into the land, working where I can and just staying on the move until I felt we were safe. But then there was Erik." Now her features took on the look of weariness. "Erik will no doubt want to find Philippe and make him pay for what he did."

"And well he should. The man does not deserve to walk the face of this earth any more than Harcourt did!"

"But Stone, Erik has a weakness that Philippe doesn't have. He released Raoul all those years ago because he has a conscience, a sense of right and wrong. Until Philippe I didn't realize it. It took seeing a man without any scruples, to recognize one that did have them. If Erik hesitates in the least, for any reason, Philippe will kill him. And should he be on his way to find me, he will not be alone. Erik will be outnumbered.

"I feel as though telling Erik the full of it would cause him to be careless and I can't risk losing him again. I love him too much to do that. Perhaps once we have settled in and I knew whether or not the threat was real, I could tell him."

"And if it is real? What then Christine? Will you run away from him and leave him to wonder why?" Stone was obviously distressed to hear that she was risking his friend's heart in order to save his life.

"I don't know. But I do believe that telling him right now would be a mistake. Stone, I'm not even sure what he intends to do with me yet!"

"I think you know the depth of his devotion to you."

"Well, it is that devotion that can blind a man to reality," she said as she paced the room. "When we reach shore, I will send a telegram to Robert asking about Philippe's actions. Once I have received his response, I will tell Erik everything. Until then, you must keep my secret, Stone. I am sorry to ask you for this favor. I don't wish to cause a rift between you and Erik. But I needed a confidante that would know what was happening should Philippe actually make an appearance. I beg your forgiveness for using you in this way."

Stone was torn between his loyalty to his Captain and friend, and his concern for Christine and Charles. He knew that Erik would do just as she had said. He would stop at nothing to seek out this man and tear him apart. He also knew that there were still many misunderstandings and issues that stood between this couple that needed to be sorted out. Perhaps once those things were brought to light, Christine would find it easier to confide in Erik. He had no choice but to agree with her. "Aye, Christine, I will keep your secret. But you must come and stay at my house when we dock. I won't have you residing in some inn on the docks like a sitting duck. Besides, you and Maura will get along famously and she will be thrilled to have some company. Charles will have some playmates and I will be able to keep my eye on you both. This here is not an option. You will have to say yes if you wish me to keep quiet."

She could not begrudge him his blackmail. She had put him in this position after all. Nodding her head, she sealed their pact. "Alright Stone, I will stay with your family. And despite your forcefulness, I will be happy to do so." Raising an eyebrow in jest she added, "You could have just asked!"

"Christine, don't doubt Erik's ability to see to your safety. He would move mountains for you. I know."

"Thank you my friend. For everything," she said as she ushered him out of her room.