Author's Note: I apologize again for the lack of updating...hopefully life will slow down enough to continue this story as the best parts are yet to come. Special thanks to all who have reviewed thus far. You are all ever encouraging.

CynicallyAmused: unfortunately, this isn't a Raoul Haters United type of fic. He is a very important character to the story. What I can offer you is there will definitely be some jokes and insults at his expense.

Wandering-Phantom: Thanks for the enouragement. The fic is going to loosely follow the original story, but there will be plenty of E/C interaction and possibly fluff.

Kat097: I called the paramedics and I hope they get there in time.

I Love Gerry: I love that song too and can totally imagine a nice piano version sung with the romantic haunting voice of our Phantom. I ended up taking out the online chatting and turned it into a phone conversation because IMing seemed way too OoC, even for this story.

DC Luder: Yay! Another person who will get some of the inside jokes dealing with the Caz crew. Kids, this is the "Raoul" of our little PotO role-play group. Please note that some of the bickering and places are from college experience...most of the characters actions are made up in my mind, so Deena, don't get insulted.

StarlightAngel: Thank you! I have read way too many fics in a modern setting where Erik is just an outcast, Christine is just an orphan, and little else. I'm trying to generally follow the storyline without rewriting it exactly in a modern setting as well as adding some modern-day humor. It is quite difficult, I will admit.

La Romantique Perdue: Thanks for the encouragement. It is interesting that you picked up on the off-side mounting. While I do realize that it is traditional and proper in a formal setting to mount from the left side, off-side work is just as important. All of my young horses are taught to be mounted from either side and infact, more work is done on the off-side since many people tend to work primarily on the near-side. I also find that mounting and dimounting both sides reduces the stretch and wear of stirrup leathers. Why, you may ask, did I open this door of controversy?
It is all a matter of symbolism. When mounting from the right side of the horse, probably one of the first things Christine would notice about Erik is the mask. The mask symbolizes the mystery that surrounds Erik which is the primary cause of Christine's facination with him. It was his aire of mystery that first attracted her.

L.M. Colburn: You know you rock! As the "Erik" of our group, she gives me insight into the mind of our wonderful masked man. Thanks for being a kick-ass beta. I hope to inundate you with chapters soon...we'll see.

Chapter 9 The Past Revisited, part 2

At 6pm sharp, Christine was waiting at the steps of Majestic Hall. Raoul told her to meet him there but there was no sign of him. Christine looked down at her dress yet again to make sure everything was in place. She finally settled a black knee-length dress that was short sleeved, and gathered on one side to make it look almost like a wrap dress. It was something she had bought a long time ago, but never had the occasion to wear it. While the v-neck dropped a little farther than she would have preferred, she liked the way it made her look and feel. This was her little black dress. Meg had helped her pull her brunette curls off of her face and pinned them in a pretty crown on top of her head. Christine felt like a princess going off on some royal engagement. The question was where was Prince Charming? She heard a car approaching and saw Raoul pull up with his silver convertible. He took off his sunglasses and stepped out to open the passenger door for his date. One look at Christine and he couldn't hide his surprise. She looked like a movie star! Christine smiled at his wide-eyed expression and reached for his hand.

"You look absolutely incredible," Raoul said, taking her hand and opening the door. She beamed and replied, "So do you." Raoul's Frost Blue button-down shirt, black slacks and black tie made him seem older and even more handsome. As if that was possible, she thought. He slid into the driver's seat, started the car, and reached to put the top up. Christine stopped his hand.

"Please, could we leave it down? I've never ridden in a convertible before," she asked, blushing. Raoul flashed her one of his perfect blinding smiles and took her hand in his as they pulled away from the curb. A few minutes later, Christine was wishing that she had let him put the top up because she could feel the wind tearing at the curls on her head. She was about to say something about it when Raoul pull up the side windows. Immediately the fierce wind stopped and she could feel a gentle breeze upon her face.

"I figured I'd let you have a real taste of open air before I closed the windows," Raoul said, glancing out the corner of his eye. "This is the real way to drive a convertible." Christine laughed and in what seemed like only a minute, they stopped in front of the Brewster Inn, one of the most elegant and upscale fine-dining establishments in the area. The valet parked Raoul's BMW as Christine stared at the building. It looked like a brick castle located at the edge of Crawford Lake. It was breathtaking and she never dreamed she would ever go to a place like this. Raoul broke her trance by offering his arm and escorted her inside.

Christine gazed at Raoul's candlelit face across the table and was astounded at the way his blue shirt made his eyes glow bright in the dim light. She had finished her delectable shrimp and lobster scampi and had her fill of delicious fluffy popovers with honey-butter. It was a meal fit for royalty and here she was, a poor orphan, not only partaking in said meal but also in the company of arguably one of America's most eligible bachelors! Raoul caught her staring at him and smiled. He grabbed his champagne glass which was filled with sparkling apple-grape juice and raised to Christine in a toast.

"To us and hopefully the start of something wonderful." She smiled back at him and brought her glass to his before finishing her last swallow. She loved the tickling feeling she got on her tongue. They ordered their dessert, New York Cheesecake with strawberries and chocolate sauce, to go and drove down to a secluded spot on the shore of the lake. Raoul grabbed a blanket out of his trunk and spread it out on the damp grass. Together in the moonlight, they ate their desserts and talked about how much life had changed since they last met.

"So what happened to your parents?" Raoul finally asked the question that they had been dancing around. "I knew something was wrong when you stopped coming to our picnics."

He almost immediately regretted it when he saw Christine's eyes swell up with tears. He held her close. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No," she sniffled and straightened up. "I should have talked about it sooner with you. You deserve to know the whole tragic story." Raoul waited silently as she took a deep breath and regained her composure.

"It was a normal evening like any other, " she began. "A normal Friday night...Dad had made plans for him and Mom to out to celebrate their wedding anniversary. I was left at home with Wendy, an older girl from down the street. We had fun together; watching movies, eating popcorn and ice cream at the same time, painting fingernails—you know, girl stuff. Anyway, I was just about ready to go to sleep when the phone rang. I walked out into the hall just in time to see Wendy drop the receiver and cover her mouth. She was crying but told me to get dressed because we were going out. I didn't know where until we were almost at the hospital. I remember the sound of the windshield wipers, the pounding rain on the car, the night being so black that it seemed to absorb the headlights. We pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and Wendy finally turned to me. 'There has been an accident, Chrissy. Your mom and dad were hurt so we are going to see them.' She was trying so hard to put on a strong front for me, but I could see right through it. 'You have to be brave, sweetie. Can you do that? Can you be brave for me and your parents?' I nodded that I could but as soon as I stepped into the bright lights of the hospital, all I wanted to do was run and hide. I remember having a sense of dread when we arrived on the floor of the I.C.U. A doctor met Wendy and I at the door and said that my parents had been involved in a car accident." Christine's face grew hot as she remembered the exact cause of her parents' deaths. It was a drunk driver that sped through a stoplight. The impact spun the car into a large light pole. "Mom was pronounced dead at the scene. I never got a chance to say good-bye to her!" She dropped her head into her hands and began to sob. Raoul held her closely and stoked her brunette hair away from her face.

"Shh, shh," he whispered, rubbing her back with his other hand. After a few minutes, she calmed down and began again with a cracked voice.

"Dad was in critical condition. They weren't going to let me, a ten year old, in the I.C.U. but Dad had woken up and was calling for me. He knew he was going to die; I could see it in his eyes when I entered the room and he called me close. There were bandages and tubes all over him and machines were beeping non-stop, but I tuned them out. All I cared about was that my Daddy was there so everything had to be okay. 'Daddy's going to be going to Heaven to meet Mommy soon, Chrissy. I love you more than you know and I'm so sorry that I have to leave you alone.' 'No, Daddy, don't go! I'm scared to be alone!' I wailed. 'But you won't be alone, my dear girl. When I get to Heaven, I will send a guardian angel—an Angel of Music—to watch over you and guide you.' I could tell that he was fading and as desperately as I prayed in those moments, I could not bring him back. 'Never loose faith in that, Christine, and always remember that Mom and I will be watching over you forever. I love you and you make me so very proud.' That was the last thing he said. His eyes closed and his breathing stopped. The machines and alarms were deafening, but I don't remember much after that. Everything else is just a blur."

She fell silent. There were no sobs, just a few sniffles and a remaining tear. It was like Christine had left this time and place, and traveled off to a distant land in her imagination where her parents were still alive and she was that carefree sprite of a girl she once was. Raoul yearned to say something but upon searching his mind for the right words, he found none, so they sat there on the blanket under a star-filled sky and listened to the sounds of the nighttime for what seemed like an eternity. Christine relaxed as Raoul absentmindedly rubbed her back. He noticed her stifle a yawn and check his watch. 1am! I guess we had better be heading back. Raoul slowly stood up, offering his hand to Christine. Together, they folded up the blanket and placed in the trunk of the car.

As Christine waited for Raoul to open the door, she thought she heard a faint rustling in the nearby tree line. She felt a shiver creep up her spine and turned her head to get a better look, but saw nothing but darkness and the rustling stopped. Stop it, Christine! She scolded herself. It's just the wind. She stepped into the car and they made their way back to campus.

READER'S POLL: What kind of car would Erik drive? I know it has to be black, but as far as type or model, etc, I'm drawing a blank.