Thank you so much for such thoughtful reviews! I truly appreciate your thoughts about where this is going and if you like the characters. I hope you continue to like it as they go on a trip of healing.


Chapter Three

Meg didn't recognize the number on her phone and she almost thought about not answering, but decided against it for some reason. She hit answer and cautiously put her phone up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hi, is this Meg Giry?" She didn't recognize the male's voice. There was some sort of commotion in the background, like a store or a restaurant. It only confused her further.

"Yes, may I ask who is calling?"

"This is Waffle House in Clarendon. I have you listed as an emergency contact for Christine Daaé."

That got her attention. "Yes, that's right. Is everything okay?"

"Well that's the thing, I'm not sure. Christine didn't show up for work this morning and I can't get ahold of her." The distress in his voice was evident. "It's not like her to just dip and not give notice."

That was true. Christine had always been responsible, no matter what. She'd been having a rough time recently but it hadn't been anything serious - she didn't think. Not enough to make her skip out on work.

"We were just wondering if you had heard anything from her?"

Meg's stomach twisted. "Um, no I haven't actually. Let me see what I can find out."

"Thanks. I hope everything's alright. If you hear from her can you tell her we are trying to get ahold of her? She's a great employee and we'd hate to lose her."

Meg ruefully smiled. "Of course. Thank you for calling me."

They hung up. She had been previously doing a load of laundry in the campus laundry mat and threw a glance at the timer on the dryer. There was about forty minutes left and she decided to go check Christine's apartment. Hopefully the girl was just oversleeping.

She felt guilty for how distant they had become the last year. Ever since… that had happened and the theater closed down, they hadn't been each other's much of anything. Not like they used to be. Christine had moved in with Raoul, leaving Meg's dorm, and had shut herself off for quite a long time. When Raoul and Christine had broken up, Meg had offered to let her move back in with her, but she'd refused. She wanted to make it on her own and so Meg didn't push the issue even though she wasn't sure it was the best of ideas.

The poor girl had been through a lot. Her mysterious vocal coach Christine had spent so much time with had turned out to be none other than their local ghost that Meg had previously gossiped about out of fun. And what a ghost he turned out to be - in fact, not a ghost at all.

It had been some strange man living under the theater and who apparently grew obsessed with Christine. For all they knew, he had died in the fire when the police attempted to raid his home after he once again tried to kidnap her. The police never found the home but Raoul and Christine had barely gotten out alive.

Meg honestly didn't blame Christine for reacting the way she did. She probably had ptsd from it all.

She'd given her the space she needed, but now… she wasn't sure if it had been the right decision. She'd been thinking of this for awhile but hadn't been sure how to approach it. Each time she did talk to Christine, the girl always reassured she was fine. Meg didn't have a choice but to believe her.

Meg drove over to the small rundown apartment close to the school, a part of her fearing the worst. Christine had shown signs of depression, she wouldn't have… no. She couldn't think like that.

The fact that she didn't see Christine's familiar green car made her slightly relieved. Maybe she just wasn't home? She went up to the second floor of the building anyway and knocked. There was no answer, making her nervous, and so she took out the spare emergency key Christine had given her when she got the place.

When she turned the knob and opened the door, she was met with silence. No one was there, that much was obvious. But it also didn't seem like she had been home. She knew Christine always had a cup of coffee in the mornings and it had filled her dorm room up with that warm, coffee bean smell. Surely if she had been there just a couple hours ago, the apartment would have smelled like it.

Frowning and not understanding just where on earth she'd gone or if she was all right, she called the only person she knew that also kept in slight contact with her.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Raoul. It's Meg."

"Oh, hi!" He sounded surprised. "I didn't recognize the number."

"Oh, yeah I forgot to tell you I got a new one recently."

"Hey, that's okay. What's up?"

Meg hesitated. "It's about Christine."

Raoul paused, obviously hearing the worry in Meg's voice. "What about her? Is she okay?"

"I'm not exactly sure," she said honestly, eyes wandering the vacant apartment. "Her job called me, cause I'm her emergency contact, and told me she didn't show up for work this morning. It's not like her to not give notice, you know? So I stopped by her apartment and it doesn't seem like she's been home at all."

"Maybe she's out with some friends? I know I've had one or two overnighters before," Raoul chuckled, obviously downplaying the situation for his heart.

Meg couldn't do that. "Maybe," she humored him. "I don't know. Something doesn't feel right. And I don't really think she has a lot of friends outside of you and me, to be honest. If she does, she doesn't tell me about them."

"Yeah I haven't heard much from her recently. She texted me last week a picture of a neat car she thought I'd like but that's about it." He hesitated, thinking over the situation. "Maybe she's at the library? You could always call around and see if she's there. I wouldn't want to jump to any conclusions, you know?"

Meg bit her lip, walking over to Christine's couch and looking down at the school books stacked on her table. For some reason she doubted she was at the library. "Oh yeah, maybe. I'll give it a try." She swallowed thickly. "You don't think…" she trailed off, unsure if she should voice her fear aloud. It couldn't be possible anyway.

"What?" Raoul asked her and she took a deep breath.

"You don't think it's him again, do you?" Her voice was tiny and uncertain.

Raoul was silent for a couple of beats. When he did speak, his voice was strained and not at all the way he had been speaking before. Now he sounded slightly panicked and in denial. "It couldn't be. H-He's dead. Remember?"

That they knew of. Meg nodded slightly. "Yeah, yeah you're right. It couldn't be. I'm just worried over nothing."

Raoul laughed lightly but it seemed forced. "Yeah probably. Hey, when you find her, can you let me know? Just in case."

Meg could hear the worry in his voice now and it put her on edge. What if something had happened to Christine? "Yeah of course I will."

"Thanks, Meg. I'll save your number, okay?"

She smiled faintly. "Sounds good."

Meg hung up and stared at the silent apartment with conflicted emotions. She couldn't shake off that Christine was in trouble and although there could be plenty of different scenarios that could have taken place that had nothing to do with him, she had to be sure.

She left the apartment and locked the door behind her, before getting back inside her car. She called Christine and left a voicemail, hoping she was all right and to please call her when she could. Then, she called the library for peace of mind. They had not seen her.

Meg didn't know what else to do, so she called her mother. Only she would know if he was alive.


They had made it into Michigan by the next day and were close to Wisconsin. So far, no one had found them and Erik was relieved to know that getting her across the country unharmed and without notice was going smoother than he had once assumed.

Feeling relaxed for the moment, he glanced over at her as she napped. The SUV he had stolen was a lot less cramped than her little old car and he wouldn't admit it to her, but he was glad to have the extra room. He didn't think his old bones could take much more of it.

She seemed to be more comfortable as well. She had curled up in the seat, face turned toward him. His heart ached at the sight. She was peaceful, beautiful, and he wished he could see more of that side of her for the rest of his life.

She had smiled only faintly once or twice since he'd returned to her life and before then he didn't think she had smiled at all. The joy and sparkle in her crystal blue eyes had been lost and he knew it was because of him. There was nothing else that explained it.

Once upon a time, he had been able to make her laugh and smile. Something that he would always treasure in his mind's eye. However, it hadn't been for him. It had been for the voice. The voice who had given her vocal lessons and advice from behind a mirror in one of the dressing rooms of the theater.

He'd been a coward, still was, and he never imagined she'd ever smile or laugh like that for him. He had soaked it up nonetheless. Never once taking it for granted and imagining that it could be for him.

Now… Now, there was nothing and he didn't think he'd ever see it again.

As he drove in silence, mourning over things that once were and never had been, a sign caught his eye for an overlook. His heart quickened and he straightened in his seat, taking the next exit.

It was a detour and would put them off a little, but things had been going so well, he didn't feel like it would affect too much. It was worth the risk to see if she'd smile.

It was close to sunset and he hoped what he was imagining would come to fruition. He pulled off to the side, pleased that no one was there, and shut the car shut off.

The sudden silence must have woken her because when he looked over at her, she was stirring and her eyelashes fluttered against her creamy skin.

She blinked wearily at him and then gave a soft "hello."

He smiled behind his mask. "Hello." He watched her glance around them, fixing herself in her seat.

"Where are we?"

"Illinois. Close to the Wisconsin border," he answered without taking his eyes off of her. "I thought we could stop for a minute."

"Oh." She looked back at him curiously and he tried not to feel nervous. It was like letting her see him all over again. Would she like his idea? Would she see the thought he'd given? Appreciate it? Even though she was in danger and they were on the run? Even though her companion was a hideous bastard who had done this to her?

"Come," he said a little breathlessly and she was left to follow him out of the car. He led her to the overlook and he was pleased when she gave a small gasp as she came up beside him.

"Woah." He smiled. That was the reaction he'd been hoping for.

"Do you like it?" He asked anyway. He wanted to hear it.

She glanced at him, her eyes lighter than he'd seen them in a long time. "It's very beautiful here."

He was disappointed that she didn't smile but he took what he could get. Eyes never leaving her face as she took it all in, he responded softly. "Very much so."

They appreciated the scenery before them in comfortable silence. She seemed to be more relaxed there and he was glad for it. He hated that she had to go through all of this. Once again, he wished he had been born someone else. Someone who could be worthy of her. Someone who had stood a chance.

Thoughts becoming bitter, he tried to change his line of thinking. He needed to hear her voice again. "How are your music classes going?"

She turned surprised eyes on him. "I thought you'd been watching me."

It was his turn to look away, discomfort overcoming him. "Ah yes, well, not always." He swallowed.

Next to him, about a foot away, Christine leaned her elbows against the metal fence. When he looked back over at her, she was frowning while staring into middle distance.

"Oh." A small gust of wind ruffled their clothing, including a wisp of blonde hair from her face. She moved it casually from her eyes as he stared dejectedly at it, wishing he had the liberty to do it for her. "Actually, I stopped taking music classes about six months ago."

That stopped his thought process. She did what? No, that was impossible. No one with her kind of talent could just walk away from such a thing. He tried not to sound too flabbergasted when he spoke. "Why?"

She shrugged, as if it didn't matter. As if everything they had worked for didn't matter. If there was one thing he had assumed when letting her go was that she'd continue to sing. Music ran through her veins as it did his. It always had. What could have changed that? He didn't understand.

"A lot of things changed and… and I just couldn't do it anymore. My heart wasn't in it. It became a waste of everyone's time." He stared intensely at her pain stricken face and realized it was a difficult thing for her. That she had struggled with it and had made the decision no matter how much it hurt her.

A lot of things changed… "Was it because of your separation with your young man?" He hated asking the question but he was desperate to know why she had lost the passion for it.

Christine looked at him in surprise and he held still, waiting for her answer while also fearful of it. Finally, she looked away again and a small rueful smile came across her face. "No. Well, partly, I guess. It was a lot more complicated than that."

Erik didn't understand. "Indulge me."

Christine seemed reluctant to do so and he wondered if he was pushing too much. But, she took a deep breath and turned around. She leaned against the fence with her back and clasped her hands in front of her.

"Raoul meant a lot to me, you know that…" she began and his heart clenched at the phrasing. It didn't matter how long it had been, sometimes he imagined going through with the killing of that handsome boy. He hated that someone meant more to her than he did. That he could have more than he could. "I tried to be a good girlfriend. A good fiancée. It just wasn't enough, you know?"

No, he did not know. She could never be not enough. The man was an utter fool.

"So… so we went our separate ways. I got my own place and a job. I tried doing things for myself." She looked down at the ground, upset. With herself, he wasn't sure.

He tried not to get distracted by how the morning sunrise lit up her face and golden hair, painting a beautiful picture for just him.

"My music classes had been suffering for a while before that. People were treating me differently. They didn't want to give me many chances anymore in fear of "stirring the ghost" or whatever," she rolled her eyes and he became still. "Not only that but I just didn't feel it anymore. My teachers were getting frustrated with me. It was becoming less and less encouraging and more… like something that I didn't want anymore, ya know?" She seemed to be unable to meet his eyes. "So I dropped them." She shrugged again and let the subject drop.

Erik felt like the wind had been crushed out of his lungs. It was because of him and what he'd done. He had ruined music for her. The self loathing seemed to never stop. He was constantly sabotaging her life.

He looked away from her then, unable to feel worthy enough to even look at her lovely, troubled face. It hurt him badly to know he'd done that. That he had taken such a beautiful talent, a beautiful light in this world, and wiped it out.

"You must hate me," he finally said, almost hoping she'd agree with him so his feelings would be justified. She should hate him. He wouldn't blame her in the slightest bit.

He felt her gaze on him and heard her movements. She didn't approach him but she turned back around, facing the morning sun. His eyes lingered on the glittering water reflecting the hues of oranges and pinks. No wonder she was depressed. He had practically taken her soul.

"That's funny," she said, startling him. He whipped his attention back on her and found her staring wistfully ahead. What on earth could be amusing about losing a part of one's self? "I should hate you," she told him, earnestly without any hint of discomfort. She then looked over at him, eyes seeing him and for the first time in his existence he felt like he was actually seen by her. "But I don't."

His heart pounded in his ears and he stared dumbstruck at her for a moment, thankful for the mask that covered his face. She didn't hate him? She was either that crazy or delusional. He couldn't help it, he scoffed and looked away. "How could you not?"

"Don't get me wrong, I don't think I can ever fully forgive you for what you have done. Almost killing Raoul. Lying to me. Manipulating me and everyone else. I won't lie, it's taken a toll on me and I don't think I'll ever be the same again." The small amount of relief at hearing that she didn't hate him disappeared and every word she spoke drew a knife further and further into his heart. "But… you were my best friend and you gave me a purpose. You meant a lot to me and no matter what happens, nothing can ever change that fact." His eyes weakly trailed back to her and caught her honest, blue eyes. "So, no, I don't hate you."

Erik didn't know what to say to her. He still thought she was out of her mind not to hate him. He wouldn't blame her for wanting him killed herself. But she didn't. And that made a profound mark on him.

They stood in silence for a long time, listening to the peaceful sounds of water rushing and crickets

chirping. Birds began to stir the longer they lingered there, as the sun got higher. Even though things were not how he'd want them, he didn't want the moment with her to end.

"What happens after we get to Washington?" She suddenly asked, breaking the long awaited silence.

Erik shifted against the fence as he leaned on it and thought over the plans he'd made while they drove. "I will get you situated. Money. Groceries. Transportation. You'll want for nothing. Your career choice will be your decision to make but it won't be necessary." He was amused when he caught her staring at him in surprise. "I won't leave you with nothing somewhere you've never been. You don't have to stay there forever, of course. Only a year, I would wager, would be enough to make sure everything is safe again. I will have someone contact you when it is safe to do so."

"Why not you?" She asked after composing her shock.

Erik looked down at his gloved hands clasped together. "I… will not be reachable."

"Why not?" Dammit, Christine don't ask me that. "Where will you be? After you… take care of them?"

Erik avoided her eyes. "Where I will be is of no consequence. All you need to know is you are safe and I will no longer be a disturbance in your life."

"You're leaving the country aren't you?" She asked, still pushing for answers. Answers he did not want to give her.

"Yes." Technically, he did not lie.

She frowned and he didn't know why she seemed bothered by it. Shouldn't she be happy he would be out of her life?

"Will you be okay?"

He was surprised by the concern and eyed her. His heart did many things after she asked him that. "As okay as I am meant to be."

Christine stared up at him, her bottom lip trembling or was it his imagination? He blinked slowly at her, unsure of her reaction or what she could be thinking. What she said next completely threw him off and he didn't know how to react.

"Will you… keep in touch? I thought you were dead last time you disappeared. I don't want to go through that again."

It was apparent that it was difficult for her to tell him such but she did anyway. It suddenly occurred to him that his departure from her life had caused a disturbance as well. At the time, he had thought it was the right decision. After everything he'd done to her and the people she cared about, he knew she would be better off without the deformed, recluse of a so-called man unworthily in love with her.

However, now that he knew part of what she had been through afterward, he second guessed himself. When he had appeared to her in the mirror, becoming her friend, sometimes a father figure, he hadn't realized the impact he'd made on her life and how his removal from it would affect her.

"I…" his throat felt itchy as he tried to grasp for an answer. "I won't be reachable."

Her wide blue eyes peered up at him through dark lashes and he felt burned, not knowing what to do or what to say. "Because you will be traveling?"

"In a way."

She stared at him, trying to figure out his evasive answers and he prayed she didn't see through him. How he didn't expect to come out of it alive. How he didn't want to come out of it alive. He just wanted his miserable existence to end.

He tore his gaze from her before she could figure it out and straightened from the fence. "We should go. The morning is upon us and we have a lot of ground to cover before we stop again."

Christine stood up as well. "Oh, right. Okay."

They were lost in their thoughts as they walked back to the car and climbed inside. As they pulled away from the overlook, Christine looked over at him and once again, he was glad for the mask.

"Thank you for taking me there. It was beautiful."

Erik didn't trust his voice and so he nodded. Thankfully, she didn't ask him any more questions.