Thank you for being so patient with me! This week has been crazy! I've been so busy with school and recruitment (you're "looking" at the newest member of Delta Gamma) that I haven't had time to sit and write.

Unfortunately, I had to reintroduce the dreaded "F" word in this chapter, the Fop aka Raoul. I don't necessarily dislike Raoul, so I'm not too hard on him. I mean he is really a good guy.

Chapter Eight

The next morning Christine woke up, remembering the events of the previous evening. She was told she would be able to sing the role of Amnita at the opera house. She hugged him, and when she did she could feel his passion bleeding into her. She remembered that look he gave her, yearning to kiss her. Frantically, she lowered her head. She didn't know if she wanted to kiss him. She was worried that would just begin to confuse her again, just when she thought she had sorted everything out in her mind. But as she walked away from him, into her bed chamber, she turned and looked back at him. Her heart ached at the sight of his miserable sadness. It was then, seeing him in that vulnerable condition, she knew she wanted to kiss him. She calmly marched back to him, took off his mask, stared into his disaster of a face and kissed him. And not only did she kiss him, but he kissed her back, long and hard.

They ate breakfast together, as always. Their conversation flowed smoothly and neither felt uncomfortable around each other. Erik told her how she would get above ground and back down to the lair.

He would escort her in the boat, through the mirror, into her dressing room. At the end of rehearsals, she would promptly return to the dressing room where he would take her back underground.

And so that morning, they both got into the boat and journeyed back into the world of light.

xXxXxX

"Christine? I can't believe you're back!", said Meg.

"Hi, Meg! Oh my, it is so good to see you! I've missed you so!" replied Christine, hugging her best friend.

She was glad to be in the company of familiar faces again. When she arrived, she did as she was instructed and immediately delivered the note Erik had written to the manager's office. She gave it to Mousier Firmin, where he vainly read it, crumpled it up, and quickly said, "Fine." As Christine turned to leave, she could faintly hear him mumble something under his breath. All she could make out was, "Bloody ghost……drop everything for him……..I'm sick of this…." Christine could not help but smile at his hissy fit.

"Christine, where have you been? Everyone's been worried sick about you!", said Meg.

"Really Meg?"

"Oh yes! My mother's been nervous wreak, waiting to see if you were alright. The managers didn't know what to do, so they decided to go on with Don Juan, this time with Carlotta in the lead. And Raoul……" Meg's voice trailed off.

"Raoul? What? Meg, what's happened? Is he alright?" Christine's heart was beating a mile a minute.

"No, I mean, he's fine. He's just been so distant. It's like he doesn't care about anything. Ever since he woke up that morning and you weren't in your bed. He's gone out of his mind trying to find you. He was so suspicious of my mother, thinking she knew where you were. If he does talk at all, it's about you. About where you may be or how he was going to rescue you. But he'll be so glad to finally see you again! You stay right here, I'll go and find him!" said Meg, giddy with excitement.

"No Meg! No." Christine said harshly. She was afraid of what might happen to her or him if they conversed.

"But Christine, you don't know how happy this will make him. To know that your well and aren't harmed. Why wouldn't you want to speak with him? He is your fiancée."

"Oh, Meg….." Christine whimpered. How could she tell her friend the truth? How would she react? She couldn't speak with Raoul, she was afraid of the consequences. But before she could hide herself, Raoul had already seen her from the other end of the room.

"Christine?" Oh Lord, Christine?" He ran frantically through the ballerina's who were rehearsing, not caring who he hit on the way. Tears stung through his eyes, he couldn't believe he was seeing her standing before him.

Christine heart skipped a beat when she heard her name being called. She looked up, and there he was, her love, dashing towards her. Oh how could she resist him? She loved him so, and missed his face, missed his touch.

He finally reached her, and smothered her in his arms. He repeated her name over and over, praying he wasn't dreaming. Was she really here, in his arms? Was he really holding her? He could feel her chest rapidly beating up and down; she was crying.

"Oh my God Christine! Where were you? Did he take you again? Did that monster steal you away from me? Christine, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I should have stayed awake the night you left me."

He ceased hugging her and grasped on to each of her shoulders, staring into her tear drenched eyes. He cringed at the thought of her being away from him, hidden from the world.

"How did he take you? Where did he take you? Did he violate or hurt you," he pleaded. Christine just looked back at him, blankly. She was uncomfortable with his grip on her; not because she didn't love him, because she knew her Angel may be watching and would not be satisfied. "Christine, why aren't you saying anything?"

"I….I….. I have to go." Christine murmured. She didn't know what to do. What she really wanted to do was explain everything to Raoul, were she had been the in the past weeks. But she knew of the havoc that would reek if she did. She forced herself to leave him, and ran to her old dressing room in tears.

"Christine, wait! We need to talk! Christine!" He caught the door, just as she was about to close it shut. "Christine, I need to know where you've been. Please, don't shut me out,. Don't do this to us."

"Raoul, please just stay away from me. Please Raoul, if you really love me, I beg of you, just leave."

Raoul was dumbfounded. Here was his fiancée, who had been missing for weeks, and she's asking him to leave? She wouldn't even tell him where she had been this entire time? His first reaction was to pound on her door, insistent to receive answers to his questions. On second thought, he decided it was best to leave her. She was obviously afraid of the man who had kidnapped her. She would answer his questions in time, when she began to feel safe. In the meantime, at least she was back and safe.

Sorry for the lack of E/C interaction today. I know, I know, but hey these chapters are necessary sometimes. I have two tests coming up, more sorority stuff, and am catching Phantom at the movies one more time this week, so it may take a while for a new chapter. But then again, I may quickly get bored with my homework, and decide to write, write, write!

FYI: The more reviews I get, the more tempted I am to write faster…….hint hint ;)