A/N: Hey everyone! Thank you again for your support and lovely comments. Sad to say there are only 4 more chapters left and I figured I would give a hint to the pairing at the end. It's EC and RC. Confused? Well, it's possible and I'm a sucker for happy endings and this one will have a happy one. My other story, A Deadly Obsession, however won't. Please don't forget to review as they write faster!

Chapter 15- Adele Speaks Out

"What the Hell were you thinking! You could have been hurt!" cried Raoul. He furiously paced the floor of his office, running his hands through his hair in desperation. "Jesus Christ Christine! After things with Cat and Brolin, I thought the worse happened to you."

Christine sat numbly, watching her boyfriend vent. She felt horrible, no beyond horrible, even though his anger was his concern over her. Like a child in trouble, she lowered her face to the ground, clenching her fingers and trying not to let her tears fall.

"What possessed to you to even go down there? Why would you risk harming yourself? For what? I was lucky enough to pass that way."

"Raoul, I'm sorry but I—" she began.

"I told you! I told you what that freakin' thing wanted and you still—" Raoul paused, fervently shaking his head. "Christine… I'm disappointed. I really am. I thought… I thought…" He fell on his knees in front of her, both hands on either side of her. "Why? Tell me why?" he pleaded.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Raoul. Honestly I didn't. It's not easy to explain why but you have to trust me—"

"Trust you? I do trust you! But when you pulled this stunt… Christine I want to make sure you're safe and how can I when you won't cooperate?"

"Cooperate?" Christine repeated. "Raoul, this was the first time so don't—"

"Yeah, well, first times can lead to a second and a third," Raoul cut in. "Just please, don't leave anywhere until you tell me, Meg, or Adele, okay?"

"What? Raoul I'm not a little girl who needs a nanny," she snapped, becoming agitated at his irrational behavior. "I can take care of myself! So don't patronize me."

"I'm not patronizing you. I want to know that you will be all right until everything is solved," he argued back.

"And how are we going to do that if you won't let me try?" Christine scoffed. "Raoul, I think I'm the only who can stop him."

"What?" He exclaimed.

"I saw him. I saw the Phantom, Erik, Opera Ghost, whatever. He was down there with me. I saw his face, I saw him! He won't hurt me, Raoul, I know he won't. If you could let me, I might be able to settle the score."

"Chris—" he stopped himself. Looking up at her, he sighed. "What makes you even think he won't hurt you? You don't know that, I don't know that, and I'm not going to have you risk it."

"But he won't," she persisted. "Raoul, this may sound strange to you, but Erik cares about me. Nothing bad will befall me."

"Wait, Erik? Christine…"

"His name is Erik, Raoul. And before you ask how I knew this, listen please." She licked her lips. This was it. This was the finale. "For as long as I can remember, I had these dreams. Visions, actually, of a past life. I knew things I shouldn't know as a kid. They're all centered on the Garnier, Raoul, and him."

"Past life? Christine what are you talking about?" he demanded.

"This may sound creepy and frankly I'm still adjusting to it, but I was part of the scandal. A big part of the affair actually. I don't know if I should tell you the whole thing now, but believe me, okay? Erik would rather hurt himself than me."

"He's dead Christine! D-E-A-D. Look, I'm tired and you're obviously tired. Let's go home and pretend this didn't happen. Then tomorrow, once we're both refreshed, we'll talk more about it. Deal?"

Her face fell. He didn't believe her…

Christine felt her heart rip into two. What if he never believes her? What if he decides she's not what he wanted? Meg was wrong. Raoul may never understand. And she had thought that with his dealings with Erik, there was a chance he would believe her…

"Forget it," Christine mumbled, getting up and leaving the office without another glance. She moved in a brisk pace until she was outside, where Meg stood by the curb, waiting for her.

The blonde perked up once she saw Christine, but quickly turned at the sight of her tears. "What happened Christine?"

"Raoul… He doesn't believe me," Christine sobbed, going into the car and slamming it close.

Meg hurried into the car and took off. Christine would not say anymore to her on the ride back to the apartment until they were safely in. Then she sat down and cried out everything. The visit to Daae's dressing room, the secret path, Erik, and finally the conversation with Raoul.

Her friend listened carefully and felt a stab of guilt in her chest once Christine finished. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Raoul was supposed to be understanding. "Christine, I didn't know—"

"It's not your fault, Meg. You thought what I was hoping for. Who knows? Maybe I imagined Erik…"

"But it could have been him, Christine," Meg pressed. "Though, I'm going to side with Raoul on that one. You shouldn't have been alone; I could have been there with you."

"Meg, what if you were there and he didn't show? He was waiting for me and me alone. He might not be able to hurt me, but I can't say the same for those I care about. It's best I handle this on my own."

"And look what a fine job you did," she replied dryly. "Sorry. I'm upset that he could have taken you when he had the chance. Thankfully, Raoul was there to save you, huh?"

"Yeah but he didn't see Erik. I'm sure if he did he would have said something… maybe that would have been helpful. The point is I don't what to do. I don't know if I would have another chance to stop Erik. God, there are so many 'I don't knows' or 'what ifs'. Maybe I need to sleep after all and tackle this with a clean slate."

Meg nodded in agreement. "That might be the best thing." Then a new thought struck her. "Um, Christine? How did you know he was waiting for you?"

Christine, who was on her way to bed, stiffened. Slowly turning around, she gaped at the older girl. "A-a dream. I dreamt I was with him and he wanted me to come to him."

"It wasn't a vision, was it?"

"No…"

Meg jumped up, a determined countenance. "Then, if he can communicate with you through dreams, he might be able to snatch you the same way. It's only a theory, but what do you say to a little sleepover?"

"Sleepover?" Christine echoed.

Meg nodded. "Yeah. Let me call Stacey and Jamie. They would love it and if the Phantom tries to pull something, then he has three females on his tail who won't be afraid to kick his spiritual ass."

Christine laughed and finally agreed. "Alright."

xxXXxx

Christine squeezed her eyes tightly and winced. Seconds ago she was having pleasant dreams and now everything around her was growing dark. Tossing her head side-to-side, her mouth shaped an "o", but couldn't make any sounds that would awaken her friends. She was slipping deeper and deeper into the magnetic pull, deeper in the back of her mind and him….

She sat by her old guardian, Mama Valerius, chatting excessively and gleefully until a familiar young man came stampeding in.

Good old Mama Valerius welcomed the flustered Vicomte, who ignored all pleasantries and shooting out questions as to where she was for the last few weeks.

The alarming sadness in his beautiful baby blues tore at her heart, but he was her friend and she… they had to be reminded there could be nothing more or less between them.

All of a sudden, his face dropped, once he caught sight of the dangling golden ring on her finger. It was too late to hide it…

"You have no husband and yet you wear a wedding ring!" he announced in agony.

She shook her head. "It's a gift, dear Raoul! From a friend that is all." Yet that wasn't enough to pacify the raging man.

"That ring means a promise, which has been accepted! Do you deny that?"

How could she reply? He didn't know the horrible truth… he wouldn't understand that she had to stop the sobs. Oh those sobs! She never in her life had heard such cries from a person. Right now, drumming in her head, she could hear him. Wanting love… wanting her… God it was too much!

She had to accept. She had to! And though she loathed the skeletal man who forced the ring on her hand, her heart couldn't find the excuse to hate him. Tried as she might, she could not hate Erik. Dear sweet, poor Erik. He was the Voice, he taught her to sing! She could not judge him harshly or loathe him for the ring or the love he has for her.

Erik was a peculiar man. Despite him being worldly, he was rather pathetic in some ways. It wasn't his fault he did not know the right way to win her affections. He did not know what love was or the many types of love that exist. Raoul did not know him. He did not know the suffering that Erik went through. In all of her meetings, Raoul was the first to put him down. A man he did not even know…

"Why must you condemn a man for whom you never seen, whom no one knows, and whom you know nothing of?" she retorted, angry with her childhood friend. "You know nothing! So don't accuse him or me of anything Vicomte!"

Before he could respond, Raoul's face melted away, as did Mama Valerius and the surroundings, leaving her cold and alone.

Taking a hesitant step forward, Christine was blinded by a storm of lights, shining on her. And then there were heads! Heads!

There were hundreds… no thousands all around. And they were all of her! Dirty, matted brown locks and brown eyes, dull and lifeless. And they were waiting… waiting for her…

Christine found her voice and began screaming, which all the other Christines began screaming as well. Louder and louder they crescendo, almost drowning out her plea for help. Anyone's help…

The floor beneath her feet, gave way and Christine fell into the depths of darkness. Falling… falling… falling…

…into the arms of her savior. Her Angel.

"Christine," he whispered longingly, his eyes blazing with lust.

"No!" she shouted, wriggling from his grasp. "Go away! Go away!"

Still he held her in a bridal fashion, his head thrown back in laughter. The recognizable pungent stench stung her nostrils as Christine gasped for air. The smell! It was overpowering… it was everywhere!

One last time, her arm flailed out and hit her captor, causing the porcelain black mask to fall and break.

She took one look at the grinning corpse's head and screamed with a renew force, making her eardrums ring. Yet, he never let go and he continued to laugh at her.

Pus oozed through the pores of his left side; the purple blood vessels pulsating wildly. The nose was missing! A huge black gape was in its place, the yellowish dead flesh that was on his cheek was scarce and twisted in a grotesquely manner as if it was decaying already! The lips were huge, misshapen and purple; and his eyes! The fire that was literally glowing was growing stronger that she feared would burst from their sockets!

His lips snarled, baring his discolored, sharp teeth as Christine's screams were reaching a deafening level. The grip on her small body was unbearable; her chest was being slammed into his bony torso. The past dreams were nothing in comparison to this man of death before her very eyes.

"Why Christine? Why?" he spat in her face, his breath wreaking the stingy odor. "All I ever did was loved you and this is how you repay me? Yes, the corpse loves you and he'll love you even 'til death do us part! Behold your undead husband and you! My living wife!"

Her mouth dropped in astonishment and horror. "No…"

"You're mine forever," he grunted. "I let you go once and now you returned. You promised me, Christine. You promised and now you're never leaving me again!"

"I'm not her!" Christine sobbed. "I'm not Christine Daae!" Oh Meg, where are you! Wake me up! Her mind bellowed. "Let me go! Let me go, you monster!"

Even the name didn't faze him as he carried her away. "Soon Christine," he vowed, half-dreamily. "Soon we'll be home."

"NO! I'M NOT HER! STOP!"

But he wouldn't listen to her struggles and continued his repetition. "Soon. Soon my love."

At the top of her lungs, she gave out one last cry, "MEG!"

Christine started so quickly, knocking Meg, Stacey, and Jamie to the floor. Panting at a high rate, the brunette burst into tears.

Her friends jumped up and all at once were saying things to her. The poor, frightened girl was growing hysterical that Meg sent Stacey and Jamie to get some water immediately.

When they were gone, Meg grasped her shoulders and shook her hard. "Was it him!"

"Yes!" she cried. "Oh God, he was holding me… his face! That face! A-and h-he said I was h-his w-wife!"

"Shh! Shh!" Meg murmured, wrapping her arms around her neck, so Christine could cry into her shoulder. "It's over. It's over."

"I couldn't wake!" Christine went on. "I tried calling for you, but you weren't there! I couldn't wake!"

"It's okay now. You're awake and there's no Phantom," Meg cooed.

Just then, Stacey and Jamie came back. Jamie smiled at her and said, "That must have been some nightmare! Next time, we shouldn't order Chinese from that restaurant anymore."

xxXXxx

For the rest of the night, Christine made sure she was in a light doze and if she were to fall into a deep sleep, she would force her eyes open. Meg kept a sharp ear out in case Christine called for help or anything; Jamie and Stacey slept with no qualms.

Christine had enough of this. She was tired of being afraid. One could remain awake for so long and she wasn't about to deny herself sleep all because Erik wanted her as his… wife.

The idea seemed so foreign to her. Sure, she had her fantasies of becoming a bride one day, but to a ghost? She always envisioned the handsome man who would come crashing into her life and making her fall in love with him. It would be right. She had Raoul and she could easily picture herself as the future Mrs. de Chagny if he wanted her too. But Erik's? Maybe as Christine Daae but not today.

Christine knew the time has come to end this once and for all. She needed to convince Erik that she could not be a replacement to Christine Daae. Christine was Christine Dawson, born and raised in New York City and abroad. And there she needed to explain the whole truth to Raoul. She will not cry nor run away if he should not believe her. She will stand up and do what should have been done a while ago.

The Masquerade was coming soon so it would be the perfect time to take off all of her masks to reveal her true self to the man she loved. Yes. That is exactly what she'll do and the rest of the fate of their relationship will rest in Raoul's hands.

Though, how to deal with Erik…

Adele. Adele would have the answers since she must know something. And Christine will enlist Meg to help and force her mother to answer her questions about Erik. Tomorrow will be the day of attack towards Adele Garrison and Christine found herself looking forward to the moment.

xxXXxx

After Jamie and Stacey left, Christine revealed to Meg of her theory towards her mother. Like she had assumed, Meg took offense to the preposterous notion that her mother had anything to do with the Phantom. Yet, she persisted, pointing out the stories Adele had told Meg when she was younger, probably to protect her from his wrath; the solemnity of her countenance and tone of any discussion about the Phantom, to prevent anyone from angering him or keeping the idea in mind to discourage anyone from seeking him out; and the rose with the black ribbon and how Jamie said Adele handed it to her for Christine. All these added up that Adele Garrison had something to do with the conspiracy.

"But why would Maman do this?" Meg questioned. "It doesn't make any sense."

"Yes it does, Meg! I'm surprised you haven't made the connection already," Christine said. "You told me about your ancestors and how you knew for a fact that your great-great-great grandmother dealt with the Phantom. Can't you see it?"

"Y-yes but," she stuttered. "Why would Maman team up with the Phantom? She's just as terrified him as Jamie."

"Maybe he used that to secure her fidelity," Christine suggested. "He could have blackmailed her. Probably using you as the bait."

Face paled, Meg stared aghast at her friend. "Do you really think so? Oh Maman…" Tears gushed out through her ocean blue irises. "I never knew… and I'm so horrible!"

"Meg?"

The blonde sniffled. "I…I thought the only reason she kept secrets from me was because she didn't trust me. And I was so hard on her, never getting along. What she must feel…"

"Meg, you didn't know so it's no use beating yourself about it," Christine pointed out. "I'm sure your mother knew you meant well." Handing her a tissue, Christine smiled reassuringly to her. "Now that we both know, I'm sure she'll really appreciate it if we help her out of this mess."

"Right." Meg paused to think for a moment. "If you want to confront her today, we will have to do it where he won't hear or catch us. He might not do harm to you, but to me and Maman… I don't need to draw a picture after Cat or Brolin."

Christine nodded. "Then what do you propose?"

Meg smirked. "Somewhere he won't think of looking."

xxXXxx

"Meg, do you think your mom will show?" Christine questioned, casting an anxious look in her direction.

"She said she'd be here. From the way she sounded on the phone, she was pretty cooperative."

"That's good."

Meg frowned. "She was too quick to agree. I think she knows that we know."

"Oh." Christine had to admit Meg's idea of having Adele meet them at a church was genius. Though, she had her doubts it would work. Fortunately, Meg knew the priest residing and he offered his office for them to use. It was very obliging of the elderly man.

Sure enough, Adele walked in. The ballet mistress held a dreaded visage and as Christine noted relief in her eyes.

Silence passed over Meg and Adele; the former couldn't hide the pain from showing through. A wounded, "Why?" broke the tension.

"I had to Megara," Adele confessed, the older woman's features falling. "Our family owed it to him."

"So? He's a ghost!" Meg retorted.

Adele sadly shook her head and walked over to sit down on the small sofa in the corner. "He's a powerful one. Not like normal ghosts."

"Adele," Christine cut in. Adele glanced wearily over to her and the American pitied her. "I don't know if you knew this, but I'm the reincarnation of Chris—"

"Christine Daae," she interrupted. "I know. And he knows it. That's why he targeted you."

Christine nodded. "What does he want?"

"My dear, he wants what was denied to him in his lifetime. Unfortunately, he doesn't know the true fate of his beloved. I had tried explaining when I realized who he was, but ghosts are stuck in the past from where they once lived. He knows this isn't his century but nothing else can be told. He knew you were Christine Daae like he knew I was related to Madame Giry, the ballet mistress of his time."

Watching both girls, Adele took a deep breath. "I should have told you from the beginning, I am sorry I didn't, but would you have believed me? Not likely and I couldn't jeopardize my position in the theatre nor Megara's. You don't know how happy I was for you, Christine, to come here. I knew you could help him lay to rest."

The look Christine was receiving wasn't at all pleasing to her. Help him?

"Maman, how did you know Christine Daae's fate? No one knows but us and Raoul," Meg asked.

"Our gracious family left diaries as you know. But, there was one diary that only our side kept in secret. It was written by Antoinette Giry herself before she died. She had a contact within the de Chagny household who told her everything about the girl she esteemed as another daughter. She learned of her tragic fate and the love for the Phantom. So in hopes to make it better, Antoinette went down to the Phantom's lair to tell him what the Vicomte had done."

"But he didn't know so something must have happened," Christine pointed out.

"Yes. Antoinette found him dead at the end of his own Punjab lasso. He was so distraught that Christine never returned like she promised him and believed it was nothing but a lie. His life was no worth living…"

Christine clasped her hand over her mouth. Tears well up at the thought of poor Erik waiting for his love and then thinking she was lying when it was far from the truth.

Adele agreed to Christine's actions. "I felt the same too, my dear. His soul was condemned to the theatre and there he remains in hopes of Christine Daae returning. And she has. You."

"I'm not her!" Christine protested. "I seen her picture and I look nothing like her."

"You do. If you had blonde hair then you would be twins," Adele explained. "You have her soul, Christine, and Erik senses it in you. Christine Daae's love for him is still there and he feels it. That's why he comes to you, through dreams, yes?"

"Y-yeah," Christine replied. "But I don't love him."

"No. You, Christine Dawson, don't, but you do have some feelings for him, which is enough. But the real Christine Daae, the one who gave you your voice and your visions, does." Adele smiled, her lips trembling. "I know all of this about you, for I am the reincarnation of Antoinette Giry. I was expecting you to come to Paris for a while and after M. de Chagny went to New York; I knew he would bring back you."

"Oh my God," Meg said, her eyes wide. Shifting from her mother and her friend, her jaw dropped. "This is totally freaky."

"I'll say," Christine laughed nervously. Gazing at Adele, she smiled amiably. "I cannot believe this is happening. Is Raoul-?"

Adele bit her lip. "I don't really know."

"But Erik hates him—"

"Yes because of his name. He knows de Chagny took his Christine from him and he holds a grudge against anyone from the family. My own knowledge of the past limits me into knowing who your identity is. And no one else's, I'm afraid. I suppose I don't have to tell you about Cat and Brolin?"

"No Maman," Meg told her. "We knew it was Erik."

"They were innocent," Adele murmured. "They did not deserve to die."

"Yet it was for me, wasn't it?" Christine questioned. "Christine Daae. If I hadn't accepted the part, they would be here."

"Christine, do not blame yourself," Adele scolded. "You had no control over their fates. You didn't know his jealousy."

"But he destroyed Raoul's car," Christine sighed. "He could hurt him next."

Adele didn't comment. Meg had one more question that was bothering her from the moment Christine told her of her suspicions. "Maman," she started. "If you knew all of this, why didn't you tell me? Why did you help him?"

"Ah, my mignon. I wanted too. I really wanted to tell you everything, but like Christine, would you have believed me? Besides, some things are best not known until the time has come along."

"Did he threaten you?" Meg cried out suddenly.

"No! Erik did not threaten me. He needed a friend and since our ancestor was so accommodating, he looked for the same source."

"If he came to me, I would flat out say no," the blonde grumbled.

Adele grinned. "Yes and he came to me." Looking up at Christine, the older woman was uplifted. "I'm glad to have gotten this out. I had kept my silence far too long."

Christine concurred to herself. "Adele, do you know what I should do?"

Placing a comforting hand on her knee, Adele continued to grin in a secretive manner. "I think you have your answer already."

Yet, it wasn't the one she was hoping for.

TBC…