A/N: Okay, this one needed to be a short chapter, so apologies now!

Pertie: It's okay, lol, you can keep your cats but I'm not sure you'll be any more impressed with the end of this chapter! Thanks for the review.

Undermyangels: I promise you more on Erik and Henry, I just don't think that in this madness is the time to fill you in on their history. By the way- that chapter is already written.

Modesty: Thank you for the review. I'm looking forward to your update but I'll probably have to read the whole thing again to get myself back with it!

Nabira: I'm sorry for the cliff hanger… lol thanks very much for the review!

Chapter 53- Pivot

Antoinette ran out from the shadows, the gun shot still ringing through her aching ears. She bolted towards Christine as Christine dropped forward to collapse onto her knees. When she got there she threw her arms around the young vicomtess and pulled her tight to her body, she too felt tears build in her eyes and she battled hard against her own emotions.

'Shh,' she murmured to Christine, kissing her hair. 'It could have been anything… anything…'

She lied.

Choked on her own words.

She knew that Erik didn't carry a pistol.

Would never carry a pistol and would certainly never use a pistol in a sword fight. Her heart ached.

'Erik,' Christine said, over and over. She repeated it. 'Erik, Erik, Erik...'

Antoinette stood and eased Christine carefully to her feet, fighting her own grief back from her body as she tried to comfort Christine.

But there was no comforting Christine.

Antoinette felt Raoul's gentle but massive hand on her shoulder and she turned her eyes to gaze at him. She understood what he must be feeling watching his wife so aggrieved for another man but Raoul was truly one of a kind. He moved Antoinette to the side carefully and placed his arms around his wife in an attempt to offer her some comfort.

At least now I know his name, he thought, holding Christine as closely as she would allow him to.

Christine let Raoul to hold her for a moment, her murmured sobs still escaping, she was still crying Erik's name. He tried to stroke her hair but she moved away, pushed her arms out in front of her and nudged Raoul's body away from hers. The fresh tears glistened as the moon came from behind the clouds and hit them. They lit her face like stars.

She looked at him and then to Madame Giry before she turned on her heel and bolted for the house, Antoinette shook her head at Raoul who for a minute stood in shock before making chase. He caught her less than twenty paces from the front door and grabbed her by the shoulders, spinning her around to face him. He stared into her eyes, the intensity glowing in both of their souls.

'Christine,' he said firmly and she shook her head from side to side. 'Stop, I'll go in.'

'No,' she said, her voice like rock, matching the authority in his tone. Even through her tears and dry throat it was obvious that this was hers to deal with.

'Christine...' he pleaded but it was too late, she had already turned her back on him and made another run for the house. Raoul followed her in the knowledge that he wouldn't be able to stop her and the best he could hope for was that the scene was not too horrific.

As he reached the door he realised that in his wildest imagination he could never have thought of anything quite this horrendous.