AN: Hello everyone! Thanks for the reviews! I had to bring Raoul into the story somehow, but don't worry he'll be gone soon enough. Hehehehe! On with the story!

Forever Love

Part 9

Raoul's body fell to the floor, his eyes never to open again. Erik stumbled backwards, clenching his stomach as he slid down the wall.

"Erik! Mon Deiu!" Christine ran over to him, the bloodstain growing larger by the minute.

"Erik, please stay awake. Don't you dare leave me again." His breathing was labored, struggling for breath as he drifted out of consciousness.

"I love you Christine." Were his last words as he fell into darkness once more. Elena came running down the stairs, stopping dead in her tracks at the sight before her.

"Papa!"

"Elena no! Go fetch the doctor now! He lives three houses down from ours. Now hurry!" Elena ran out the door, at full speed headed for the local doctor's house.

"Oh, Erik, don't leave me. I just got you back, now you're leaving me forever." Erik drifted in and out of consciousness, fighting for his life.

"Christine." His voice strained from the pain.

"Yes Erik?" She gently patted on the cheek to keep him awake.

"It hurts soo bad. I….I can't feel my legs." A silent tear fell from Christine's eye.

"Please let him be alright, please." She thought. Elena came running back into the house, with the doctor not far behind. She began to sob into her mother's arms.

"Is papa going to die?" Christine shook her head, trying to be strong for her daughter, but was failing miserably.

"No, your father is a strong man, he'll make it." I hope. She thought. The doctor came up to them and asked what happened, knowing the mans condition could be fatal. Christine explained what happened, leaving out what Raoul intended to do.

"His name is Erik."

"Thank you. If you would please excuse me, I must get started. Pierre soon began examine Erik, wincing at the amount of blood loss.

"Monsieur, can you feel this? Nod if you can." Pierre tapped his knee then his shin.

"Anything?" Erik groaned with a 'no', then went unconscious. As the doctor pulled out the bullet, Erik moaned and clutched his wound.

"Monsieur, please move your hands." He gently moved his patient's hands and proceeded with his work. Once the bullet was removed, he wrapped the wound in cloth strips, and then went to find Christine. When Pierre entered the kitchen, Christine leapt up and walked over to him.

"Is he going to make it?" Pierre looked away when he spoke.

"He'll make it,….but there was some major nerve damage to his legs. In all honesty Madame, he may never walk again." Christine broke down then and there. She crumpled to the floor in a sobbing heap.

"May I see him?" Pierre nodded and she cautiously went to Erik, afraid of what she might find. He was lying in his back on the couch when she entered. She crouched next to him and lovingly caressed his face.

"Angel of music, hide no longer, come to me strange angel." As Christine sang, Erik began to stir in his sleep.

"Erik please wake up. I don't know if I could live without you, I love you." She could hold back the tears no longer. Her head fell to rest on his chest as she cried herself to sleep.

AN: please don't hate me! Just keep reading and you'll see. Hope I didn't make you cry too much.

Your loving authoress

Fallen Mask