Disclaimer: All originating characters and storylines belong to their respectful owner. This is mostly a continuation of ALW's work, but I do throw GL a couple of good nods. All new characters and sub-plots are my original work and are not to be used/reproduced without my expressed permission. Enjoy the story and shoot some feedback my way if you can! Thanks for reading.

Phanatic: Just as sweet and charming as ever . . .

Han Solo666: I live for drama. Not by choice most days. But I think that's all of us . . .

Pertie: I know my story isn't everyone's cuppa tea. Thanks for taking time to read it. Feedback is always awesome . . .

Chapter Seven

"Why are you doing this to me, Meg?" Christine cried out.

"What child?" Erik barked at Christine. After a few minutes of silence he screamed again, "Dammit, Christine! What child!"

Meg took the liberty of answering for her. Giggling, she replied, "A little boy. Probably two or three now." She loathingly rolled her eyes at Christine, "The apple of his family's eye, I'm sure."

"But how could you know –" Christine began.

"Oh Christine! You truly are daft sometimes. Did you think that de Chagny's wouldn't have mentioned the birth of Raoul's only son, their only grandchild, to high society? Christine, it was on the front page of the society paper!" Meg's face was indignant as she scoffed. "In your elite inner circle, anyone who so much as sneezes suddenly becomes front page news that they are dying of pneumonia. Besides, Paris is still quite obsessed with you. Both of you."

Erik stared blankly in front of him. More to himself, he said, "How could she not even mention it? Not once. I didn't even realize. How could I? She would have just left h - " Their bodies were pressed together, tangled in the webbing. Almost as though the mere touch of her skin was beastly, he struggled to get out again. "I would never have known. You would have me play your fool. Christine, why? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't, Erik. It wouldn't change the fact that I love you," Christine said, much to the annoyance of Meg. "Would it make me want to go back? I'm sorry, but no. I told you! You don't know what it was like for me out there!" Christine started whimpering again. "Maybe it makes me a bad mother, but - "

"Yes! Yes it does!" Erik interrupted. "And stop crying! Christine, how could you! You would just leave him? Your own child! You should be ashamed of yourself!" Erik screamed in desperation.

"Oooo . . . a lover's quarrel." Meg cooed in mock delight. "Well, forgive me if I seem disenchanted with all this. I just don't care. Everything in your life is perilous, Christine." Meg let the words drop from her tongue. "Maybe it makes me a bad mother, " Meg mocked with ridicule. "Forgive me if I don't allow you the opportunity to shower yourself with more sympathy." She went to the wall that held the rope net Christine and Erik were trapped in. She placed her hand on a pulley wheel. "See, Erik, she is a spoiled, selfish shell of a human being. To abandon her own young," she clucked her tongue disapprovingly. "Obsessed with her fame and fortune. Her wants and desires. It's disgusting." Reproachfully, she looked at Erik, "It doesn't have to be this way for you. You don't have to make the same mistake twice.

"You can change your mind still. You can make the right choice. You have the power to fulfill the promise you made to my mother. Make me your Empress," Meg implored.

"If I do, will you release her?" Erik asked.

"No, Erik!" Christine cried out.

Talking over her, Erik asked again, "Will you release her?"

"Oh, come now. Why would I do a silly thing like that! This is to save your own life." Meg trillingly laughed. "So say you come with me. Let the madness stop here for you."

Erik only glowered in silence. Meg chuckled softly to herself, "Choose what you want, then. I gave you the opportunity."

Cranking the metal wheel, she hoisted them until they were completely suspended in the air. Christine and Erik drew closer together and collapsed on each other, fighting to find space. The thick, coiled rope dug into their flesh. "See, my darlings, now you really can have each other forever. In a few short weeks, days even, madness or hunger will overcome you and you'll both die, somehow or another." She started to leave.

His arm extended through the holes, reaching out to her. "Please . . . Meg, don't do this. You don't have to. You are better than this," he pleaded.

Meg ran below him. Looking up with forlorn eyes, she whispered, "I know, my love. You want to save her. But you see, I can't risk letting her out again. She ruined our lives and countless others. Look at what she would have done to her own son! She's deceitful, conniving, and," Meg rolled her eyes at Christine, "A whore." She looked back at Erik, "I would have been dutiful. You even promised my mother that I would be glorious. But you chose her." Her voice cracked, "You could have picked anyone. We all would have leapt at the opportunity. That was your choice, my love." A single tear fell down her rosy cheek. "And, here, now, you chose her again. At least be man enough to hold to it." Meg vanished into the shadows of the dark room.

Christine did not know how much time had passed before Erik finally spoke to her. "You should have told me. Why didn't you tell me, Christine? That – that changes everything."

"But why, Erik? You said yourself that you would do anything for me. Why would it change everything? You believed me when I said that I was miserable. Raoul . . ." but Erik interrupted her.

"Has Raoul ever hurt you or your child!" Erik barked at her. "Does he galavant town with various women forsaking his duties at home!" When Christine didn't answer, Erik continued, "He must be a good man to have dealt with this nonsense so far. Honestly, Christine, you made me think that you were a prisoner in that house. That he was mistreating you somehow. You made it seem as though there was no love or comfort for you there - that your life had no real meaning."

Weeping, Christine replied, "But it doesn't. Jean -"

"Jean? Your son. The one who has no meaning to your life. That son?"

Now sheepish, Christine answered meekly, "Yes, my son. I'm sorry, Erik. I should have told you. But," she tugged the ropes that bound them, "It doesn't matter now, does it?"

"I will not let you die here. Not like this." Erik yanked at the rope, "We'll get out. I promise. I just need to figure out how." Surveying how the pulley was holding them up, Erik instructed Christine, "We need to see if we can climb out. If we utilize our body weight to our advantage, I think there is a way that I can release the tension of the rope so that we could drop to the floor, hopefully, unnoticed." He started fidgeting swinging the two of them. "If this doesn't work I might have to leave you here while I climb out and drop you down from the crank. But, come, let's try to sway this. There is a hook up there that I could use as leverage." They furiously rocked from side to side, but the hook was always just out of Erik's grasp. He finally told Christine to stop.

Using his upper body strength, he was able to get into a standing position. Straining, he called to Christine, "Come on, I need you up here. If we pull on each side we can open a hole to so that I can slip out." Christine tried to pull herself up as Erik did.

"Erik I can't, there's not enough room," Christine lamented.

"Come on, try at least. You can do this. It's the only way." Taking a deep breath in she managed to get up. The bag began to swing wildly again. Erik instructed her, "Now shift your weight to your back. Yes, like that." Erik pulled himself back and a small hole opened itself up. He forced his right hand into the hole. "Now, stay there." Using his feet as leverage and keep the tension, he was able to fit both of his arms through. Using much effort and wiggling, he slowly squeezed himself through the hole. Looking at Christine from the top he whispered, "Sit tight. I'll get down and lower you. Just try not to move. You could make me fall and then I would be of no use to anyone." Erik pulled himself up the rope to the pulley. With his feet and hands, he slowly slid down to the hoisting mechanism. When his feet touched the floor, he looked back up to Christine, "See, there is always a way. Give me one moment. I'll have you down. We are just outside the door. She won't even know we've escaped."

Christine saw a figure move in the darkness. Staring blankly trying to find words, she finally shouted, "Erik, no, behind you!"

Erik quickly turned to see what was behind him and was met with a metal bar in the face. Falling to the ground unconscious, Meg whispered to him, "Forgive me. I knew you could do it." She smiled at him as she stroked his face. "I couldn't let her hurt you like that again. You'll see. It's better this way."

"Meg! Stop!" Christine wailed from her cage as she saw Meg dragging Erik's body. "No! Please, let him go!"

"I told you before, Christine." She smiled sweetly. "He belongs to me now . . ."