Title: Betrayal of Trust

Category: EC w/ Raoul bashing

Rating: M

Summary: Raoul's not the man Christine thought him to be. What happens when Erik finds out? Can he help his angel before it's to late?

Chapter Two

Raoul returned the following morning. To Christine's relief he simple passed out in bed without a word.

Christine stayed in the library the entire day. She wrote a letter to Meg, who with her mother, moved to London after the Opera House fire, then curled up in a chair with a book next to the window which over looked the woods that resided behind the Chagny mansion. It was the only place where she could find peace. Raoul barely used the library, claiming books were a waste of time. To her though, there was nothing greater. Expect for singing. Singing was her passion, it set her soul free. Singing would remind her of a time in her life when she was happy. It would remind her of her angel, whom she desperately missed.

Raoul had forbid her to sing the very night they left the burning opera house. He claimed it would resurrect demons that should stay in hell. If only she knew then that staying with Raoul would be condemning her to a living hell, she would of braced the mob with Erik and the two of them would of disappeared into the night. Once in a while, when she new Raoul was not around, she would sing sweet lullabies under her breath that her father and Erik taught her.

Erik. The very thought of him brought tears to her eyes. She held the memory of Erik inside of her heart. Foolish enough not to listen to her heart, she fled with Raoul when her heart screamed for her to stay with Erik. Half her soul remained with Erik, wherever he was. She did not even know if he was alive or dead. Christine was willing to give anything to see her angel one last time. To tell him that she loved him and always had.

"Think of me..think of me fondly when we've said good bye" she began to sing softly, smiling at the memory it brought of Erik to her. Pounding foot steps from above her head and the shriek of a maid who was walking by the library door broke her from her thoughts. Raoul was up and by the sounds of it, wasn't happy. With a sigh, Christine stood and placed her book on the chair. After stopping at he kitchens to warm up Raoul's lunch she slowly made her way out into the entrance hall to meet Raoul at the stairs, for he would no doubtfully be storming down them soon in search of his lunch.

Raoul didn't drink that night and to Christine's surprise he still came to her room as she ready for bed. This was the Raoul she was truly afraid of. A drunk Raoul she knew. She would know what he had in store for her. A drunk Raoul she knew would eventually pass out, leaving her to some peace. This Raoul was unpredictable and to her utter grief, even more hurtful. Gone was the boy from her childhood, the boy who ran into the sea so rescue her scarf. He was replaced by a ruthless man who wanted to control everything around him. Christine sat at her vanity in her night robe, brushing her long brown curls. She watched as Raoul approached her from behind through the mirror. He had a smile on his face, but it was not because he was happy. The look of anger in his eyes told her as much. "Christine my dear" he said placing his hands on her shoulders and messuage them gently. "Yes Raoul?" she asked, her brown eyes meeting his hazel ones in the mirror.

"How was your day my dear?"

"It was fine Raoul. I read a little. Tidy up the lounge"

"Really now. What else did you do?" he asked his hands digging into her shoulders painfully. "I...I ummm..." she stuttered "I prepared your lunch, had the maid pick up your favorite meat for your sandwiches tomorrow. I worked on supper for some time. I...I wanted to make sure I made the fish right this time"

"Yes, yes, supper was delicious my love. I want to know what you did while you were in the library"

Christine thought for a moment then froze. She was singing in the library, she thought now one heard.

"I...I read Raoul"

Slowly his hands inched towards her throat, he's grasp still painful. He bent down and whispered in her ear. "No my love, think harder. What were you doing in the library?" Christine swallowed, tears formed in her eyes. "I was singing" she whispered softly.

"What was that my love?"

"I was singing" she said a little louder.

"That's what I thought you said"

With a sudden movement, Raoul smack her outside of her head with a force that sent her to the floor with a thud. "What did I tell you about singing" he screamed at her, giving her a swift kick in the chest. Christine let out a cry of pain and coughed, the breath knocked out of her. Raoul grabbed her by her hair and painfully pulled her to her knees in front of him. "I'm going to show you what happens when you disobey me" he seethed through clench teeth and begin to unbuckle his trousers. Christine's eyes filled with horror at what he intended to do. She tired to pull away from her but he held her hair tightly and inch her face closer to his erect penis. She turned her face away from the sight. She wouldn't let him do this to her. She couldn't. She couldn't live like this anymore. She mustard all the courage she could and pushed on his right leg with all her might, sending him toppling over to the ground and banging his head on the hard floor. The blow left him unconscious. Christine quickly jump up and ran to the closet and grabbed a small satchel that held all her dearest possessions that Raoul refused for her to leave around the house. She quickly packed one more bag with a few gowns, undergarments and everything from her vanity; all the while looking to make sure Raoul hadn't regain consciousness.

With everything ready, Christine hurried and dressed then grabbed her bags and ran out the door and out of the mansion. She ran down the streets until she was blocks away. She then walked in no particular direction. She had no where to go with Meg and Mme. Giry living in London and no money to her name "Anything where is better then with him" she told herself and began to sing softly. "Angel of music, guide and guardian, grant to me your glory. Angel of music, my protector. Come to me, strange angel"

After an hour of walking Christine found herself in front of the only home she could remember. The Opera Populaire. Tears came to her eyes at ths shape her old home was in. It had been five months since the fire and no repairs had been made to the building and no talks were in the makes of any reconstruction at all.

Wood barricade the all the doors and windows from intruders and the homeless. Even the gates that her and Meg would sneak out of when they were suppose to be praying in the chapel were chained shut. Slowly Christine made her way around the building. The stables were torn down, blocking the employee and delivery entrances. Christine came up to the Rue Scribe entrance. She walked along the searching for the keyhole that was so small that if the person was not locking for it they would not spot it. After a few walks up and down the row of bars, Christine located the keyhole She stopped and dug through and satchel until she found the key with a black ribbon tied around it. Carefully she placed the key in the hole and turned it. The lock opened with a small click. Christine slowly pushed open the gates which squeak loudly. She made sure the gate was locked securely behind her before she made her way to the lantern that Erik always had hidden a few feet away. Crossing her fingers that it still had oil inside Christine picked the lantern up and smiled. It was still have full. Matches were wrapped in plastic and taped to the side of the lantern. Christine removed one and lite the lantern then gathered her bags and began her decent to the underground lake. Ten minutes later she saw the boat docked at the lake shore. Tossing her bags inside, she secured the lantern and started to row herself towards Erik's layer, hoping with all her heart that she would fine her angel safe and well and that he would forgive her and welcome her into his home with open arms.

...to be continued...