"Erik! Wait! I still love you, trust me, nothing can ever change that." Christine was out of breath from chasing after Erik.

The Phantom noted his ring on her finger. He turned away from Christine hoping that he could hide his flowing tears. Erik had never shared the fact that he had no last name with anyone but Madame Giry, and he knew that Christine would have to know the whole story.

"Christine, dear, I have lived a long and difficult life. I barely even knew my parents. My father left my mother before I was born, and then my mother sent me away when I was 6.

"Erik, you're not so alone. Both of my parents died before I was 7, and I never met my mother."

Erik remembered Christine's angelic song.

God give me courage to show you

You are not alone!

Just as she had so many times before, Christine grasped her husband in a warm embrace, kissing him tenderly. Only this time, she didn't stop and pull away. Both of the young lovers felt each other's passion.

The kisses continued. Erik took Christine in his arms; as if afraid she would run away. He kissed her warm, sweet lips, moving down her neck to her collarbone, caressing each area gently. Christine cried out with pleasure, and returned the favor with her own kisses. She removed his mask, and he once again swept her up and set Christine on the bed.

Erik was lying on top of Christine, both sweating and breathing heavily.

"Take me Erik, take me now" She begged of him.

As if he weren't so sure of himself anymore, Erik pauses, thinking. He remembered the last night he had hurt Christine so. But it always hurts your fist time ..

Concerned with Christine's safety and well-being, he wanted his wife as much as Christine wanted him.

"Please, take me." She said one final time.

Then he did, and they clung to each other, as to never let anyone separate them.

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Meg was arguing with herself once again.

"Should I audition, shouldn't I? What will they say? What if I don't get the part?"

"Oh just do it, she told herself."

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Later that evening, as Meg was walking back to the dormitories after her audition, she bumped into three or four of the younger ballet rats whispering amongst themselves.

"Oh, I'm sorry, how clumsy of me." Meg politely apologized.

A young blonde whispered to her friend. "She's the one, that girl."

"Excuse me?" Meg hade overheard.

"Do you think you're too good for your own mother's corps? Are you too great to be in our presence anymore?" Another younger girl spoke to Meg in an accusatory tone.

"Wh.." Meg stopped as the group of girls walked away from her, noses high.

She thought to herself, "Snottish babies, their noses are so high I hope they don't drown in the rain. All I did was AUDITION!"

Meg didn't bother to undress from the clothes she wore to the audition, knowing she would have to return shortly to find out how well she had done. This could change my whole career at the opera. More respect, a higher position. She "tsk"ed, remembering the girls in the hall.

"Or people will treat me like that."

She was glad her mother was not running the auditions. To be fair, Madame Giry would have rejected Meg as to not how favoritism. This time she really had a chance.

Meg plopped back on her bed, knowing that she couldn't afford to fall asleep and miss the cast listing. She tried to fight sleep and ignore all the thoughts once again, stirring in her head, but she was losing.

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"Christine, it's the MIDDLE OF THE DAY." Said Erik, lying next to her in tangled sheets.

"I know, but it was really nice." Christine couldn't believe herself. Twice in two days? Last week she had been a virgin.

"Yeah. It hurts me so to have to give you back." Christine was confused by what Erik had just said to her.

"Give you back?" she thought. What does he mean? I miss the opera, and Meg, and Madame, but I love Erik more than anything.

"Don Giovanni's auditions were today. I sent a letter to the Giry woman to cast you as Donna Anna. They stole my play. I'll make sure that I'm credited, no doubt about it, you see. This is my opera house, and I will command how it is to be run."

Christine couldn't help but think that saving her a spot without auditioning was unfair, but she WAS their best singer, and no one had mentioned the auditions. Or the play .. the phantom's? She was confused.

Come

We must return

Those two fools who run my theater will be missing you.

"NO! DON'T MAKE ME, ERIK!" Christine knew she must have sounded like a spoiled child being dragged out of a candy store.

She dug her heels in the ground, and refused to leave, when she stopped, stood up straight, and followed Erik into the boat, giving in. As Erik helped Christine into the boat, she made sure that her skirts lifted to reveal her thigh. Erik looked away, as if Christine were being extremely immature. She was puzzled by her husband's reaction. She sat down for the boat ride across the lake.

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Meg was dreaming of the night of the performance, it was her all alone on the stage, singing the part of Donna Elvira. A caped man and a woman in stage costume were walking onstage, singing their parts of the music, holding hands. A white glimmer shone one the man's face as he turned, and then quickly readjusted his cape.

"Meg … Meg?" Who was calling her?

"MEG! YOU'VE GOT TO WAKE UP!" She turned over in her bed, hoping that she had not heard the voice. When Meg started to be violently shaken by the shoulder, she opened her eyes.

"Hélène? What are you doing .. THE CASTING!" Meg jumped out of bed and ran out the door.

".. exactly .." Hélène said, quietly as she followed after Meg.

Meg rounded the corner, and ran for the metal staircase. Jumping down with ease, she ran to the ballet room, not even having to think of where she was going. When she got there, it was empty. Did I miss it?

"Hélène!" she cried, with no response.

The stage? Maybe, it was a possibility.

She ran faster. When Meg arrived in the wings of the stage, she was relieved to find that people were still arriving, and she casually walked on. Meg looked around, hoping to find someone to talk to, and then it hit her.

Where was Christine? How long had it been since Meg had seen her? She thought about visiting her before, but it hadn't really seemed like a good idea.

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The announcing of parts had passed quickly. Meg had gotten one of the leads, much to her surprise and relief, and the other went to Christine.

Oddly enough, Christine hadn't come to auditions. No one had seen her. She had been given the part because everyone knew she could sing, but was Christine even still here? Had she run away? What had the phantom done to her?

It was decided, Meg would visit tonight with the news, and to check on Christine.

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Down in the catacombs, Christine was pacing. Erik had not allowed her to leave his home since last, and she was getting a severe case of cabin fever. She didn't have a clock and hadn't know what time of day it was in what felt like ages.

Christine say down on the piano bench. She had never played a piano before. She had never asked Erik about his. Christine wasn't really sure of whether the phantom would approve of a girl playing his precious organ.

She fingered the ivory keys. They felt cold and smooth under her fingers. Christine pressed down one of the keys, and then another, and then another.

Soon she was playing beautiful music. It was as if this natural talent for playing came as easily as her singing. Christine got so caught up in the music that she had not heard someone coming up from behind her.

Whoever it was tapped her on the shoulder.

"Christine"