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? Will he be able to help?

AN: sorry about Nadir, yes it was sad, but he died to save Christine, he died a hero...and I apologize about the not updating sooner, I just couldn't get the chapter out, writers block

Chapter Seven

The streets were silent and dark. The houses sharing the street with the Vicomte mansion were oblivious to the horror that had occurred there this night. Erik kept a sharp eye for Raoul as he settled Christine on one horse then went back for Nadir. The Vicomte was no where to be seen. He couldn't leave his friend behind in that house. Nadir deserved to be buried in a proper Persian ceremony and Erik was going to be the one to do that. He settle his friend over the second horses back then climb behind Christine. After settling her comfortably in his arms, he grabbed both reins and nudged the horses into a steady trot. "Erik...I'm so sorry about you friend. I'm sorry he had to be at that house to help me" Christine said, tears of guilt streamed down her face. "Hush cherie" Erik whispered "Its not your fault. Nadir chose to come to the house and help me. I told him to stay behind but he wouldn't hear any of it. He was where he wanted to be"

"But he wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for me"

Erik placed a chaste kiss on Christine's forehead. "Its not your fault" he whispered again in her ear. Christine turned her face away from Erik looking at Nadir, slump over the horses back. 'A man is dead because of me' she thought, guilt flooding her heart. "Are you in much pain my love?" Erik asked steering the horses towards the Opera House. "No" Christine lied. "Where are you going to bury him" she asked.

"The lake. Its what he would want"

Christine nodded leaned up against Erik's chest closing her eyes. "I wish to say a pray for him" she whispered.

"Nadir wasn't catholic Christine"

"It doesn't matter. I would like to say a pray for him regardless"

The sun began to rise over the horizon. It took longer then normal to travel to the opera house. Erik didn't want to make the horses go to fast in fear of jarring Christine's injured ribs. He knew she was lying about being in pain. Pain was apparent across her face. A fine sweat was breaking out across her forehead despite the cold chill of the air. A nasty cut across her left temple was swelling and turning nasty shade of red. Erik bit his lip in worry. She was in no condition to be out in this weather. She was seriously injured and needed medical attention. Christine dozed off against Erik's chest, letting him take advantage of the moment and press his cheek against her forehead, confirming her fever. Suddenly Christine broke out in a fit of coughs. She jerked up clutching her chest, her eyes bulged out in pain. Startled by her attack, Erik pressed her against him, preventing her from failing off the horse. "Its alright cherie, we're almost home" Erik whispered in her ear. Christine simply nodded and relaxed in his arms.

When they arrived at the opera house Erik jumped off the horse and unlocked the Rue Scribe gates then guided both horses through. With the gates securely locked behind them Erik lead the horses down to the lake shore. He tethered them to a rock and looked up at Christine. "Stay on the horse Christine until I prepare everything" he said. Christine nodded and watched as Erik lifted Nadir off the horse and laid him on the sandy shore. He then proceeded to gather rocks to weight Nadir down. Erik dragged him to the shore line when

Christine appeared beside him with tears in her eyes. "My dear, it is not necessary for you to be here" Erik said softly.

"No I want to"

Christine closed her eyes and bowed her head quietly she began saying a prayer. Erik left her standing there for a moment and went outside. He snatched the first small animal he found. Christine raised her eyebrow in curiosity when she saw Erik bring the rat up to the shore. "It is custom for to for a sacrifice to appease the spirit" he said, answering her questioning look. Christine simply nodded her head. She closed her eyes and turned her face away when Erik took out a dagger and sliced the rats neck. She heard him mumble words in a foreign tongue. Erik then sang Nadir's funeral requiem. It was a soft, sad melody that made Christine cry harder. When he was finished he pushed the body into the lake and they both watched him sink to the bottom. Afterward Erik scooped Christine in his arms and placed her in the boat. Without a word he jump in as well and began to pole across the lake. Christine cried into his chest for most of the journey. Tears of guilt and sorrow that Erik was powerless to comfort.

Raoul returned home after sunrise. He knew Erik and Christine would be gone by then. As he thought, the house was completely deserted. It came as a mild surprise that there was no police but it was for the better. Raoul was in no mood to explain the invents that happen.

Snow covered the front hallway floor, having blown in all night from the broken window. Raoul ignored it and climbed the stairs to this bedroom. He fumbled with the night stand drawer and grabbed some pills out of it for his headache. Collapsing on the bed his mind went over the previous night.

It was a fluke actually, how he ended up stabbing the Persian. Raoul saw the dagger laying on the floor. He grabbed it with the intention of cutting the ropes but when the Persian saw him, he tried to seize the dagger from his hands. Raoul struggled and suddenly the Persian stopped, a startled expression on his face. A moment later he fell over, the dagger lodge in his chest. Raoul quickly pushed himself away from the body and ripped the now loosened noose from his neck. He could hear Erik's voice from the basement. Quickly he ran to the closest room and scribbled a note on a paper. He hurried back to the body and pushed the note over the dagger. Then as fast as his limbs would take him, Raoul rushed out the broken window and into the night. He didn't have the sense of mind to fight Erik tonight. It was a miracle that he escaped with his own life. Tomorrow he would return and call upon the guard one final time.

Once back at the lair Erik tended to Christine. He prepared her a warm bath to soak her battered body. With great care he lifted her from the tub.He ignored the site of his beautiful angel.She didn't need his eyes ravishing herright now. Hewrapped her in a warm robe then carried her to her bed. "Christine, I want to give you something to help you to sleep. When I bind your ribs and stitch your head it will be very painful" Erik said softly holding out some water and two pills. Christine nodded and took the pills without question. Erik sang softly to her and stoked her hair until she finally fell into slumber.

Carefully Erik set to work. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he bind her ribs tightly. Her stomach, along with the rest of her body was covered in bruises. Christine whimpered in her sleep. "Shh cherie" Erik muttered. He dressed her in a warm night gown and covered her with the blankets then started to tend to cut on her face. The wound would require stitches and would likely scar. Erik swallowed tears of hatred. Raoul and the Guard would pay. They would all meet their ends in the near future.

When finished Erik placed a cool cloth across Christine's forehead for her fever then curled up next to her on the top of the blankets and pulled her into the crook of his arms. "Its alright my dear" he whispered to her sleeping form "Your angel is here now to guard you".

"Raoul, Raoul, Raoul when ever are you going to learn how to keep hold of your fiancé?" Lemur laughed as he sat in the Vicomte's study that evening. "Don't mocked me" Raoul sneered as he drank his third glass of brandy "I want to come with you this time. I want to be the one to snatch her away from the monster that has her"

Lemur frowned.

"My men and I work alone Vicomte"

"I don't care. I'll pay you well. I'm coming"

"30, 000 francs. You snatch the girl and we'll kill the so called monster"

Raoul looked at Lemur and nodded. "It's a deal" he said getting up and refilling his glass. "What grantee do you have that the lovely mademoiselle Christine will stay with you this time" Lemur asked, nursing his own drink. Raoul sat back down in his chair with a thud.

"We will be leaving the country. My family as just bought some property in America. A boat leaves for the country in five days. I plan on being on that boat with Christine. Once there she'll have no where to run"

"When would you like to start the search?" Lemur asked.

"Tonight. We will start tonight with the Opera Populaire"

"But the Opera is abandoned, destroyed by the fire" Lemur said confused.

"Yes is is, but its whats under the opera that were headed for" Raoul sneered and threw his glass into the fire.

Christine woke to a gentle hand on her cheek. Slowly she opened her eyes and found Erik sitting next of her, his hand cupping her check, his thumb making small circles against her skin. She smiled up at him. "Good evening my dear" he whispered, smiling. "How long haveI been sleeping?" Christine asked rubbing her eyes with her fists.

"Almost twelve hours my cherie. I have prepared you some chicken broth, you need to eat to regain some strength"

He helped her sit up slowly, grimacing when she gave a small gasp of pain. When she was settled he placed a napkin over her lap and settled a tray in front of her with soup broth, crackers and some milk.

"Be sure to drink all your milk my dear, I've added something to it to help ease your pain"

Christine nodded and took a sip then started on her soup. Erik watched her eat for a few moments then said "Christine, I must thank you for all you have done to my home. You surely worked hard restoring it to what it was before. For that I will be ever grateful"

Christine looked down at her tray in shame. "What is it my dear?" Erik asked, his brows creased in worry.

"I'm sorry about your piano Erik, I tried to fix it the best I could. I must also apologize about...about the coffin in your room Erik. I am the one who destroyed that. I burned it. No one, especially a angel such as yourself is not meant to spend eternity in something like that"

Erik lifted her chin up. He looked into her sad eyes and smiled. "Don't fret my dear" he began "I've look at the piano, its easily fixable to the trained eye and as for my coffin, I'm glad you got rid of it. You are right, no one should have to sleep in something like that"

"You are not angry with me?" she asked a tear escaping her eye. Erik wiped the tear away with his thumb and shook his head.

" I could never be angry with you. Now eat up. These last six months have made you way to skinny. I want to see those rosy cheeks that I've always adored back"

Christine smiled shyly and finished up her soup. When she finished, Erik cleared the tray away then went back and sat next to Christine's bed. "Would you sit next to me?" Christine asked nervously, motioning to the spot on her left. Erik nodded and carefully seated himself next to Christine. She snuggled up to his side and looked up at him. "Erik I have another request" she whispered.

"What is it my dear?"

"I...I don't want you to wear your mask while you are home with me. I just want to see you, I don't want you to hide anymore"

Erik hesitated. Could he do that for her? Could he let his guard down that much and remove his mask in her presence? "Please Erik. I want to see you. My angel" her voice pleaded. Erik bit his lip. He was scared. He couldn't do this. It was to much. "Please" her voice pleaded for a final time and he felt her squeeze his hand with her own. Erik gave in. He said long ago that he could never deny her anything.

Carefully he lifted his hands to his mask and undid the straps. He removed the mask and put it on the bed side table but one hand still covered the deformity on the right side of his face. Christine slowly pulled his hand away from his face and smiled. "Never, ever hide from me again" she whispered and pulled his face down to hers and kissed him over the right cheek. Erik let out a small cry of happiness and pulled her into a soft hug. "Oh my sweet Christine" he cried into her hair "You truly are a angel from heaven" "As are you" she whispered back, hugging him. When they pulled away, Christine kissed the tears away that streamed down his cheeks, then softly kissed him on the lips. "I love you Erik" she whispered, "I've loved you since the moment I first heard you sing" Fresh tears coursed down Erik's cheeks.

"Christine, my love, my angel. I love you with every fiber of my being. You are the reason I live. You are my touchstone, my light in the dark. You are my everything" With the passion of a man in love Erik kissed her. Christine moaned and Erik smiled into the kiss, relishing the feel of her tiny hands gripping his hair pulling him closer to her. Erik tangled his own hands in her silky locks deepening the kiss even more. When the two finally parted, Erik held her against his chest and buried his face in her hair. "Never should we two be parted" he whispered. The ringing of bells startled the two of them. Christine jerked up and winced in pain at the sudden movement. Her eyes then filled with fear out the sound of Raoul's voice calling out her name. "Christine, my dear. I have come to bring you back home". She looked to Erik and saw his hazel eyes darken. "Erik" she whispered. Erik did not respond. He climbed out of the bed and stormed out of the room, his hands clench in extreme anger.

...to be continued...