A/N: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or any of the characters you can find in it.

Every time I make a decision in the story I'm like 'Ah, this will be the one that stops them from reading.' I keep trying to figure out what's original and what's cliché, but I don't have the time to read 5000+ fanfictions. Sigh, I just hope you guys like it. Thank you for the wonderful reviews, please review, I love hearing ways I can improve!

Erik stood in the doorway of Katerina's darkened room. She was curled up in the center of the swan bed. She hadn't even taken her dress off. He supposed it had been a very long day for her, a very long day for both of them.

Quietly he lifted her and slipped off her dress and slippers until she lay; curled up still, in her nothing but her petticoat and messy braid. He tossed the dress over a chair and made his way, silently, out into the hallway.

The theater was quiet and dark but he found his way easily. Katerina's office was still open although all the letters had been cleaned out. He stared at the sacks of useless paper shoved into a corner by a bookcase. Katerina said that she would burn them tomorrow. Erik sat on the divan and closed his eyes.

Who was it that tormented them? Who brought chaos now as he had so many years ago? Katerina had come in and tossed a handful of letters onto his desk and told him to go look at her office. That of course had dismissed the fact that it could be a joke. Someone went through great pains to fill the room with letters. Erik had noticed that the grate had been removed from the ceiling. Whoever had done this had filtered the letters in from the roof.

After a moment Erik frowned and quickly stood. He marched down the hallway and pushed open the secret door to the catacombs.

"Merde!"

Erik stood in his lair. Ransacked! All of the rooms had been torn apart by some devil unbeknownst to him. Papers were missing; clothing was torn and strewn about. He touched the remains of the little model of the theater. How could he have been so stupid? He hadn't returned to his lair since he had moved with Katerina upstairs into the secret rooms she had built for him in the main part of the house. He just… He hadn't felt a need to return. Why should he venture below again when he could live with sunshine? With roses and with Katerina? His Katerina…

He had seen the look in her eyes, trying to tell herself that this would all be fine, that her home and life would run smoothly again. Erik wondered blindly if that could be true. Someone was here, someone even he did not see.

Revenge? Revenge on whom? Revenge on Katerina, for opening the theater once more? Erik shook his head, he couldn't ask her to leave and he most certainly could not tell the police. He didn't have the luxury like a normal man. He was the only defense that his theater had from a madman…

For a brief second he mused as to how the Vicomte DeChangy must have felt. Then he shook his head with a small grin. The boy had emerged victorious after all, hadn't he?

Erik made his way back up the stairs to his rooms. He needed a plan; he needed to know exactly who had the means and the motive. He sighed at the number of people that it could be. Mayhap it could wait until the morning. He pushed open the door to his study and felt his heart freeze in his chest.

A familiar shape hung from the ceiling, casting its ominous shadow in the moonlight.

A noose.

With a porcelain mask, identical to his, tied to the knot.

He fumbled quickly for Katerina's room as a scream filled the air. He threw the door open and saw a shadow disappear through her window, the same noose hanging from the light fixture, still swinging.

"Erik!" She was in the corner of her bed, eyes wide with fear.

Erik ran to the window and saw… nothing.

Nothing but a seven story drop, he twisted his head to look up and saw only the stars and moon along with the edge of the rooftop.

"Are you hurt?"

He ran to her bedside and found her in his arms in a heartbeat.

"I thought he was you, I thought…" she gasped into his chest and he held her tightly, "he wears a mask, but it was different, in the half light I thought it was you. It wasn't until he stepped forward, he laughed Erik, oh God, his eyes… they weren't human…"

"Hush, you are safe, he is gone. Katerina, he is gone."

He rocked her gently as her babbling slowed and ceased. She buried her face in his shoulder until her shuddering eased.

"Oh, Erik, he can't do this, not here, not in our home."

"Be calm my love, I will not let him hurt you."

She stayed in his arms, silent, for what felt like an hour. Erik leaned against the headboard of the swan bed and held her slender form against him. How could he have been so careless? He had been cocky; he had thought that this ghost would not strike again so soon after the letters. He had made the mistake of thinking that the ghost would act like he did. He looked down at the dark crown of Katerina's hair. It was a mistake that could have cost him dearly. What if the monster had attacked her or taken her? He wouldn't have known, wouldn't have heard anything.

Katerina sat up suddenly and he looked at her tearstained face. She smiled at him. Smiled! After all that had happened!

"One of us has to close that window," she whispered.

Erik laughed and hugged her to him tightly.

"You're too practical for your own good Madame."

Katerina sniffed, "I am not a Madame yet Erik; it's just pretend."

"I will change that."

Katerina stood, wishing she could stay but she was freezing and she was never going to get any sleep with that horrible thing hanging in her room. She shut the window as Erik went and lit a gas lamp. Katerina swallowed and grabbed her dressing gown as Erik pulled on the noose. Katerina turned as she saw a piece of it come off. She blinked for a moment until she realized that Erik was holding her favorite black ribbon.

"It was twisted around the rope," he said, almost absently as if his mind were elsewhere.

Katerina took a deep breath as she took it from his hand, and suddenly banging filled the air.

"Madame Durand!"

Katerina spun around quickly, "Giovanni?"

She rushed to the door to see her small assistant, bleary eyed and in his night clothes.

"Madame, the Vicomte and his wife are here. They were knocking on the front door and woke up some of the maids."

Katerina turned towards Erik and he nodded swiftly and made his way to his rooms.

The pair was standing at the bottom of the stairs in the front hall. The Vicomte still had the same look of dread and anger in his eyes. His wife clutched fearfully to his arm, her pretty face pale and lined with worry.

They looked as harried as she and Erik did. Katerina felt her heart drop when she saw that the Vicomte had a bundle of rope under his arm.

"Monsieur, Madam, I will see you in my quarters."

Christine started at the sound of Katerina's voice and the Vicomte looked up at her with wide eyes before quickly mounting the stairs after her quickly disappearing form.

Katerina said nothing; she just quickly led the pair to her room.

"Madame Durand if I didn't know any better I would say that you were expecting us."

Katerina turned and merely grinned at the Vicomte's remark as she pushed her door open. The looks on their faces were identical.

"It seems I was Vicomte, now if you would be so kind as to discuss this where my crew will not hear."

The pair shuffled into her room as Katerina shut the door and yanked the noose from its place.

"So I see we did not just share letters," Christine's voice was quiet and musical.

Katerina perched on the edge of her night stand, "You are correct Madame."

"Was anything on yours?" the Vicomte asked staring at the rope that dangled from Katerina's white-knuckled hand.

"My favorite hair ribbon was twisted around it."

He nodded, "He used Christine's earrings to pin my family crest to the knot of the one we found in our bedroom."

Katerina fought the waves of anger and disgust that rose in her, "I woke to see him go out the window."

"You're not hurt I trust?"

The concern in the Vicomtes voice startled her for an instant but she dismissed it.

"I am fine. I believe he was just trying to scare us. Tomorrow I will call the police and inform them of this."

"You are lying again Mademoiselle."

The three jumped as the deep voice cut through the silence of the room. Katerina gasped. She wanted to run, she wanted Erik.

"Show yourself!" the Vicomte yelled.

"Non, non, not yet Monsieur, in due time you shall see what you will grow to fear."

Katerina stood from the desk, "You are a monster and I shall have the authorities drag you away."

"Mademoiselle, you would do nothing that would harm your love. Your Erik is a wanted man and could be caught easier than I."

"Erik?" The Vicomte asked.

Katerina shuddered against the helplessness that suddenly struck her.

"You would not want that to happen now, would you Mademoiselle?"

"Leave her be."

The words burned with anger and Katerina's head snapped up.

"Erik," she breathed.

She saw the fear rise in the couple by the door as their eyes locked onto the figure in the doorway.

"I thought you might be listening, do you fancy yourself a white knight now, you murderer? Is your little artiste going to save your blackened soul?"

"You will leave her out of this! If you have a fight let it be with me!"

"Non, I will see you suffer first. I will see you all suffer."

The laughter thundered into the room and then faded into silence.

Katerina's vision blurred with tears.

Christine gripped Raoul's hand fearfully. It was him, the angel of music, standing in the doorway so angry. She held Raoul in place; she didn't understand what was going on. The phantom was attacking people again but it wasn't…

Raoul's breathing was ragged as Christine's head cleared. The white mask still glittered in the lamplight. Just like in her dreams, and her nightmares. Still, he seemed more human now than she remembered him. She instinctively flinched as he crossed the room, but he went to Madame Durand. He took her in his arms and she saw him gently stroke her hair.

Suddenly she understood, "Madame, there is no Monsieur Durand, is there?"

The woman looked up with red rimmed eyes, past the figure that held her and slowly shook her head.

"No, I am not wed."

Slowly she felt her husband straighten beside her.

"I had truly thought you dead."

"I am afraid I disappoint you, Vicomte."

The loathing still echoed in their voices. Christine tightened her grip on Raoul's hand.

"You are the owner of the theater?"

"It was always mine."

Katerina chuckled dryly.

He looked down at her, with narrowed eyes,

"Oh, so you think that is funny?"

Christine was frightened for a moment until she detected the slight tone in his voice.

Madame Durand's chuckle turned into a giggle. He was teasing her!

Christine felt Raoul's body ease and she exchanged glances with her husband. He looked as bemused as she did. Christine tried to remember the phantom, the angel of music as he had appeared to her. Surely the vision that had once appeared to her was not this man before her. The man in rumpled clothing that held Madame Durand, trying to make smile so she didn't cry.

"I-I am afraid I do not understand this," Raoul's voice was more civil now as he addressed the pair.

Madame Durand stood still keeping her hand locked with this Erik's.

"Perhaps, if we can keep our heads level it can be explained."

"Level?" Christine asked.

The man turned to face the pair and Christine swallowed as his mask came into full view, "I think that as long as your husband does not try to run me through with a sword we shall not have a problem."

Christine swallowed and looked up at Raoul. He looked at her for an instant before nodding his head.

"It is three-thirty in the morning Monsieur, I want to know what is going on, if I have any desire to run you through I shall be more than happy to wait until tomorrow at the least."

Taa Daa! Sigh, how fluffy Raoul is being in that last line...