Author's Note: A bit more of Madame Giry in this chapter, and Christine's decision. Never fear, in the next chapter this situation will be resolved, and the story can progress to new, more original territory. It won't end for some time, so I hope you will keep reading and reviewing the chapters. Enjoy!

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Chapter 9: I Remember

Antoinette Giry had not cried in many years. When Monsieur Jules had died, she had thought that all her tears had been shed in the days and months following. Had it not been for little Meg and Erik, she did not believe that she would have survived. Her daughter had become the center of her existence, all that was left of her beloved husband. And Erik, the little boy that she had saved, was rarely seen. But she knew he was there, and she made it her business to see that the managers followed his requests. For years, she had done this, and every day she had feared that one day his secret would be discovered, and the semblance of peace that he had found would be shattered.

Christine Daae had been the beginning of the end. Madame Giry had loved her as a daughter, and little Meg had become a close friend to the young orphan. But from the first day that Christine had come to her, telling tales of an Angel of Music sent by her deceased father, Madame Giry had known that Erik had discovered the little orphan.

At first, Antoinette had believed that he had taken pity on her loneliness, so like his own, and had sought to alleviate it. It had been so harmless.

But it had taken a terrible turn, and Madame Giry had been helpless to stop either the obsessive love that Erik bore Christine, or the way Christine seemed to have allowed her soul to be possessed by the music that he had given her. She had never dared to think that Christine might have come to love Erik, and she had rejoiced when Christine and Raoul had come to an understanding.

The Viscomte would take her away, she had thought, and Erik would forget in time. Peace and order would be restored.

But things never happened as they should, and she could see now with her own eyes that Christine loved Erik as much as he loved her.

She had cried for the first time in years when she told Raoul of the circumstances which had brought Erik to this place.

And now, Antoinette Giry cried again, for the little boy who had finally become a man, and who now had come to the end of his power over mankind, for the love which he had finally won and would now never see fulfilled, and for Christine.

For as she looked up and met Christine's tear-filled eyes, she saw mirrored in them her own heartbreak of so many years before. The eyes of the two women met, and Madame Giry cried out to Christine silently.

"Save him, Christine! I cannot help him any longer, but you can. For God's sake, Christine, save him!"

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"Erik, I love you."

He did not turn to look at her. He could not, or all of his will would leave him, and he would stay with her, to the ruin of them both. He did not turn, but he murmured softly, so softly that only she could hear him.

"I know, Christine. I know."

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Christine looked down at the crowd, seeing them fully for the first time, and she saw Madame Giry at the edge. Her eyes met those of the ballet mistress, and to her amazement, she saw that the older woman's eyes were full of tears.

Madame Giry loved him, too, Christine realized.

"Save him, Christine! For God's sake, save him!"

Where had that come from?

"Nothing can save him now." She bowed her head, not wanting to see him taken from her. "I can't save him, Madame. No one can."

Or could she?

What weapons did she have that could stop a crazed mob in their lust for revenge?

She closed her eyes, praying for an answer to come before it was too late.

An image came unbidden to her mind, a vision of herself on the stage, hundreds of people held in her thrall simply by the sound of her voice.

Her voice.

The gift that Erik had given her could be now used to save him.

She reached out and grasped Erik's arm, stopping him.

He turned to her in frustration. "Let me go, Christine! Must you make this harder?"

"Don't go down there, Erik. I think I know how to stop them."

"Christine, you'll be killed!"

She looked up at him, love showing plainly in her eyes. "If I am, then it will be no worse a fate than living all of my life without you. Trust me, my love. Trust me."

Trust me.

Erik nodded. "If it is the only way, Christine."

"It is." She touched his face lovingly. "You have done and risked so much for me, Erik. It is my turn, now."

And then, as Erik remained on the dais, she descended the steps towards a bewildered crowd.

Cliffhanger, no? I'll have the next chapter posted tomorrow, hopefully.