Chapter 26

"It's nice to see you all grown up now Erik." Pauline smiled gently. Erik sipped his water as Rachelle took the towel and dabbed at his face.

"Enough of this! What happened to you I've been worried sick. All of a sudden you disappear without warning and then we don't hear from you in a day. Do you know how many people have been looking from top to bottom of the Opera House for you?" Rachelle exploded. Erik cringed at her loud voice and gave her an innocent look, but she dropped the towel and grabbed his shoulders. "Do you know how worried I've been for you? Do you know what you have put me through?" she yelled in his face.

"Now sister, calm down. Is that anyway to treat someone?" said Pauline softly, prying Rachelle away from Erik. Rachelle took long, shuddering breaths and closed her eyes to regain control of herself.

"So you're singing at the Opera House. Lead Tenor? That's impressive. It's a shame that Senior Pianji is not singing anymore for the moment, I did quite like him." She chuckled softly. "Back in the day when I had spare time to see the Opera. Now, I shall have to come to see you: the little rising star of the Paris Opera House."

"Thank you very much Mme. but I'm nothing special. I'm only Senior Pianji's understudy since he is sick. I doubt if I will get any more singing time once he is well."

"Now tell me where you were!" demanded Rachelle after being quiet for a few moments and who was very uninterested in the present conversation. Erik's eyes met Rachelle's and he saw apprehension and fear written on her face and it was reflected in her eyes.

"Actually your disappearance has been in the papers. I would be very keen on hearing where you were." Added Pauline

"He was kidnapped." Snapped Rachelle quickly. "Now stop interrupting! Please Erik, continue." She pleaded, her emotions bordering on desperate.

"I wasn't kidnapped." Said Erik.

"Of course you were, I heard another woman's voice in your room. You were the only person who could have let her in and, I know for a fact that you wanted to be left alone that night. Erik, tell me who she was and we'll turn her into the authorities. You won't have to live in fear of her." Erik's eyes grew wide and fearful, Rachelle had heard the Phantomess. She knew Christine's voice; this was terrible. Rachelle would never accept where he had been that night, she would never understand the bond that he and Christine shared. He made up his mind: she could never know.

"Rachelle, I…I…" Erik stammered unsure how to begin. She leaned forward placing her hand on his knee comfortingly and looked deep into his eyes.

"Erik!" someone called from outside. Erik took in a deep breath of relief as Rachelle and Pauline glanced to the door, somewhat annoyed at the interruption. Pauline stood up and crossed the floor and opened the door a crack. Through the small shaft, Erik could see Steve wandering around, his French Coffee still clutched in his hand calling his name. "Erik! This is funny anymore where are you?" Pauline closed the door and turned her face to see Erik.

"Do you know this man?" she questioned him. Erik nodded.

"He's in the orchestra at the Opera House. We've become quite good friends." Pauline nodded swiftly and gave her sister an unreadable look. Rachelle, however seemed to know what this meant because she leaped up from her seat as if she had sat on a pin.

"No please Pauline, I haven't seen Erik in so long…please…he can't come in"

"Erik?" hollered Steve, making the situation worse. Pauline shook her head.

"Rachelle, dear sister, there will be lots more opportunities to talk to Erik, in…more private places. Erik's friend needs to know where he is, it's important." Rachelle sunk into her chair with a sulky expression on her face, knowing nothing could be done to change her sister's mind. Pauline opened the door and stepped outside, closing it softly behind her.

"Erik." She said quickly, as soon as Pauline left. "You need to tell me where you were that night."

"Rachelle, listen I'm fine now. I wasn't kidnapped, I went because of my own free will." This however, was the wrong this to say because tears began to form in Rachelle's eyes and she took her hand away from his knee and stood up. If there had been a window in the place, Rachelle would have moved towards it, but since there wasn't she just made her way over to a wall. Erik, alarmed by how she was reacting stood up with her and followed her over to the wall, where he encircled her with his arms. "Rachelle, it's not like that. It's really not what you think, I promise. I had some things to take care of."

"Things you couldn't tell anyone?" she mumbled quietly.

"Yes. Rachelle my past has not been a pleasant one. There are many things, which have happened that not even you know. Sometimes I just need to take a break and find my own happiness for once." He ran his hands comfortingly along her arms and she seemed to relax a little and half turned towards him. It wasn't a complete lie, at times the Phantomess did make him happy, like when they were singing together. Erik stroked Rachelle's hair tenderly and he saw that the tears had left her eyes.

"You mean to tell me there has never been any happiness in your life since just last night?" Rachelle asked as she laid her head against Erik's chest. Erik closed his eyes savouring this moment for it felt so nice to have a woman that meant so much to him, stand here with him alone. Together. Without any worries for the moment.

"No, there have been moments when I've been happy, even if they were few and far between." Rachelle placed her own arms around Erik's waist and nuzzled his chest ever so slightly. "When I was invited to perform at the Paris Opera House, that made me happy, for it was a dream come true."

"Mmm." Sighed Rachelle, "and?"

"When I met you that summer day for the first time. It was the first time I really had a friend or a childhood." Rachelle nodded into his chest in agreement.

"It was special for me as well Erik." She whispered. Erik smiled and looked down at her beautiful form. He was beginning to forget about the Phantomess altogether. She hadn't really seemed real to him, but now standing with Rachelle and holding her, she felt real.

"I'm also very happy right now." Erik whispered back and kissed the top of her head softly. Rachelle drew in her breath sharply and lifted her head from his chest and looked into his eyes. She blinked slowly as if she was confused and tilted her head to the side, so much like her sister.

"But, I thought you said…" she began, but Erik pressed a finger to her lips to make her quiet. She smiled gently as the flames flickered against her face and the two of them leaned in closely and touched lips for their first kiss. To Erik it was the sweetest thing he could have imagined, her soft lips were like rose petals and he ran his fingers through her brown, luxurious hair. The only thing that could have gone wrong during this wonderful moment of bliss actually happened.

"Erik Destler!" a voice gasped and Rachelle and Erik broke apart quickly to see who it was. Pauline and Steve stood halfway in through the doorway, shock apparent on Pauline's face. Steve, however tried to hide his laughter, by coughing violently, but Pauline gave him no attention. Both Erik and Rachelle blushed deeply and stepped away from each other quickly. Pauline had not lost the look of shock on her face and came to stand beside Rachelle. "Well…it's nice to know you've made up with each other…" she said breathlessly, unsure of what else to say. Silence fell over the four of them before Steve cleared his throat loudly, to break the awkwardness.

"Erik, I think we should be heading back." Just as Steve said this, the Pairs clock tower began to chime seven times. Pauline gasped and looked to her sister in urgency.

"My God is that the time. We've been here for ages, Marcel will be so worried about us, come along Rachelle we must leave." She turned to Steve, and then to Erik. "I trust you can find your way back to the Opera House." Erik just had enough time to nod urgently before Pauline, with Rachelle on one hand, grabbed his arm and dragged him out the door, with Steve following behind. The door was shut, just inches after the four of them made their way out of the room and Pauline let go of Erik's arm. She raised her arm in the air in order to signal her carriage and after it pulled to a halt, Pauline forced Rachelle in and followed quickly after. The door was shut and Pauline leaned out the window and looked right in Erik's face. "I wish you well at the Opera House Erik." She gave a small smile and leaned even closer so that Rachelle and Steve could not hear and she narrowed her eyes with menace. "And stay away from my sister." She retreated back into the carriage, gave a shrill whistle and the driver whipped the horses so they pulled away at a fast pace, their breathes clearly visible in the cool air of autumn. Mud was sprayed up from the force of the wheels churning and it sprayed Erik and Steve with thick, slimy filth. Erik blinked in surprise at this and stared at the back of the carriage with confusion, why had Pauline said that? They had seemed to be getting along fine, however when they were kids, she never really seemed to like him and Rachelle playing together.

"Hey Erik, are you all right?" said Steve, interrupting his thoughts. Erik shook his head and looked at Steve covered in mud and then glanced down at himself.

"Mme. Giry is going to kill me when she sees me like this." Erik said hopelessly trying to wipe the dirt off of him, but it only made the mud stick even more.

"Come along then, she won't have to know. One of my servants works a second job at a laundry place; I'll take you there. Mme. Giry will never know."

"These are the only clothes I own Steve." Said Erik as he was being led away by his friend.

"That's not true Erik. You have that wonderful lingerie you can wear instead." Replied Steve. Despite the horrid situation he was in, Erik couldn't help but laugh.

Christine stood cloaked in the shadows of a side alleyway. The mask might have hid her face, but it did not cover her eyes. The eyes were the most expressive part of the human body, and the emotion which she had seen Erik display when he and that woman kissed was none other then pure happiness. Christine felt sick inside, like she had just consumed an entire vat of acid and the acid was eating away at her internal organs. Christine had seen the love that Erik had for that woman, the kind of love that Christine herself wanted. Christine's eyes held a sorrow so deep and intense that few had ever experienced what Christine had gone through in her short life. With Erik, that sorrow had seemed to melt and disappear, with Erik, she seemed to forget who she was for a moment and considered herself a real woman. Christine sank onto the dirty alleyway floor and placed her head in her hands. She blended in with the surroundings, never even given a second thought, just like her entire life. She was never paid any attention, except for when Erik walked into her life. Erik loved her. It was simple as that, Christine convinced herself. Erik loves me, not that woman. If Erik forgets that, then I will make him remember. Christine stood up with purpose and looked down to where Erik had been standing not a moment ago and she smiled. It wasn't a sad smile, or a happy one, it was a smile of assurance, the most deadly upon her lips. For when the Phantomess had willpower, it meant something bad was bound to happen, and no one could stop her.

A/N: Hoped you liked this chapter, I enjoyed writing it, it turned out a bit differently then I would have liked, in fact this story and the characters are taking over. I feel like I'm not really in control any longer, it's a scary feeling to have. Anyway R&R plus keep reading!