Disclaimer: I do not own Erik, Christine, or any other characters or song references mentioned. All I own is the plot.

A/N: Enjoy!

Chapter 10

There were crimson roses surrounding the path to the one man she'd always long to know more about. The one man, who was there for her and saw her for what she could be when no one else did, standing across from her. And yet she could not get the voice he had trained to call out his name; she could not move to embrace him. It was as though she was frozen in time.

Suddenly, the figure morphed and Raoul was standing before her. She reeled in disgust. Unlike her tutor, Raoul took the liberty of speaking to her.

"Little Lotte, why do you run? I'm only here to return your scarf, which you lost again. You really need to take better care of it. Come back to me, Lotte, don't you want freedom, a world with no more night? Yet you run from me towards that which you say you never wanted. He still has a hold on you, doesn't he? I'll kill him!"

Now, she was able to speak, "Raoul, I told you once before I am not your Lotte anymore. I can't be Lotte. Speaking of holds, you seem to have one, too, I lost my scarf so long ago, but yet you seem to continuously return to that. I will never return to you!"

Once again the figure morphed, this time into a memory of her and Olivier talking as they strolled outside the Opera house. The memory faded as a voice took over.

"Why do you run from love? You have someone who loves you, but you flee to another whom you think to offer you something better. Continue on this route and you shall die alone. You'll be lonely and there will be no Erik, Raoul, nor Olivier to bail you out. You can only run so long before Cupid gives up.

"That's not true! You LIE!"

"Christine! Christine! Wake up, you're dreaming! It's a nightmare! Christine!" Meg shook her friend trying to wake her.

Christine wimpered and awoke.

Meg helped her to sit up and asked, "What were you dreaming of? You were shrieking something about liars. Little Jammes was about to send for my mother. You really frightened us. Are you all right, Christine? You look as though you saw a ghost."

Christine whispered, "I had a dream I would die alone."

Meg scoffed, "You know that's not true. Not when you have Maman and I."

Christine shook her head, "That's not what I meant, Meg. I mean that I will die single, never having married nor having children of my own."

"But what of Olivier? And Erik? Surely, you would wed one of them."

Christine answered, "I thought so, too. But apparently I have been chasing them away. I know that for one of the two it is true, but for the other…"

Meg replied, "Try to forget the dream, Christine, for it is just that. Return to bed, you'll feel much better in the morning. I promise."

"Thanks for listening, Meg. Good night."

"Good night, Christine."

Christine was not the only one to wake from a horrid dream on this night. One other living in the Opera house was also having troubling dreams.

Elsewhere in the Opera

"Why can't I put my past behind me? I've changed my ways. I've even fallen in love once again. So why are the dreams still plaguing me?" he thought to himself, then answered, "It's because I haven't been honest with her, isn't it? I need to tell her the truth, but how will she take it? I don't know what to do; there must be someone I can turn to."

Sleep could not claim him in its gentle embrace for he remained awake trying to find a solution to his problem.

Outside the DeChagny Chateau

"Monsieur! Monsieur! Wait! Post arrived for you; the message said your reading of it needs to be with immediacy. Monsieur!"

Raoul paused before he entered his carriage, there was only one issue that he deemed immediate. When he saw the seal on the envelope, he ordered, "Bring it here, quickly, I will not be late on account of your slowness."

The servant scurried over and handed Raoul the letter; Raoul dismissed him with a noncommittal wave of the hand. The letter read:

To Whom It Concerns;

It worked, now time will bear its fruits. Opera in check. Flower and Thorn spend more time together. No signs of Trickster. Commence with next step?

Nyte Wytnys

Raoul smirked, she would be returning to him soon. He'd make her beg, but they would wed; he was sure of it.

He jotted a quick reply:

Wytnys-

Good work, be sure Flower and Thorn do not spend more time than necessary together. Trickster will come; he is a proud sort. Commence next step.

White Knight

He summoned another servant and ordered delivery of the note. As the servant sped off, Raoul boarded the carriage, and told the driver, "Onward to my brother's chateau."

He could rest easy on this trip now knowing that everything was taking care of itself.

Soon, very soon…

In the Cellars of the Opera

Madame Giry punted across the lake towards his domain. It troubled her that he was threatening to unleash his own brand of magic on the Opera house once again. She'd thought it had finished when Christine had left with Raoul. But now that she had returned with Raoul nowhere in sight….

No, she wouldn't let it get that far. She was going to put a stop to Erik's machinations here and now. She owed it to everyone who ever had entered the building during his last reign.

"Erik? Erik! I need to speak to you now! Where are you? Erik!" she called as she wandered around his home, examining every detail for signs that he still lived there or for signs that he left and where he might have gone. Finally, the only room she hadn't searched was his bedroom, but she was hesitant to go in remembering how far Erik would go to protect his privacy. She didn't care to be on the wrong side of the Punjab lasso.

However, she noticed that his bedroom door was open a crack as if he was expecting her to come, to search. He had the uncanny ability to predict people's actions and reactions. If only he'd paid attention to Christine's, instead of being blinded by wanting her with him; the Opera would never have suffered the blow it did last season. That was in the past, though, and at the moment Madame Giry's only worry was to make sure history did not repeat itself.

She warily entered the bedroom, unsure of what she'd find. But not before calling out, "Erik, it's Antoinette, put your lasso away; I'm coming in.

The bedroom had not been used in months, of that she was certain. The bed was made up pristinely, it was just like him not to leave any visible imperfections anywhere. As she came closer, she noticed an ebony box on the bed with a note on the top. It was addressed to her. She picked up the envelope with a shaky hand and opened it.

It read:

Antoinette,

The Phantom is dead. He will not harm anyone else. If you recall, once I showed you a mask-one that has the look and feel of flesh. I have used this mask to fashion a new identity for myself. As you read this, I am living in the world above my self-imposed. If Christine taught me one thing, it was that you can't live in the past-it was the thought that I was her father that had led her to me. I have enclosed enough to make certain that both you and your daughter, Meg, shall not live in want of anything. You were right. It is high time for me to earn an honest living.

Your obedient friend,

Erik

Where could he have gone? she wondered as she pocketed the letter and headed to the ballet dormitories to practice the girls.

A/N: I believe the chapter speaks for itself! Time for the bricks to fall into place. If you'd like to see anything special, please tell me.

TNC,

Writer Muse