A/N Oh my, I am so happy at all the success this story has had so far. It makes me proud to see that you have all enjoyed it so far. Well here you go, I hope you enjoy. Please, please review!

Ch. 7

"My goodness Christine, I don't think I have ever seen you so happy before." Meg squealed

"Who would have really ever thought that Erik could make me so happy?"

"I never saw you look like that at Raoul."

We had walked a few feet in silence before I had enough nerve to ask.

"How is Raoul?"

I could see the cringe on Meg's face. "I was hoping you wouldn't ask."

"How bad off could he possibly be?" I asked

"Christine he is an absolute mess. He hounds maman and me all the time. What is worse is that majority of the time he is drunk. I seriously think that he has gone mad and it's all from loving you." Meg told me.

"I seem to have that effect on men." I replied gloomily.

"Don't feel bad about it Christine. You followed your heart you should never feel sorry about that." Meg reassured me.

I couldn't help but cry out in protest. "I knew that something bad would happen. I told Erik that I was still mad with myself for letting it all happen. But he told me that I could not beat myself up about it. He told me I shouldn't be sorry because I was following my heart."

"He is right Christine. You made the choice of being with Erik and now Raoul should respect that." Meg told me "Don't ever feel that everything that happened with Raoul and with the opera was your fault."

"Oh but Meg it is. Do you not see it? My relationship with Raoul drove Erik mad and he then ruined the opera. Then when I was faced with the choice, I choose the man I had asked Raoul to save me from. I played with so many people's mind and it's my entire fault." I said shamefully.

Meg grabbed my by my shoulders and made me look into her eyes. "Christine, I will only remind you of this one more time. Nothing that has happened was your fault. None of it."

I wiped away the tears that had fallen down my cheeks. "Okay. I guess you are right."

"Please smile, tell me what your life is like now." Meg pleaded with me.

"Oh Meg, being married to Erik is the most wonderful thing in the world. I am so lucky to have found someone who loves me more than I will probably ever know. It scares me to think of how life would have been like had I married Raoul." I told her.

"What do you see in Erik, Christine? I understand you love him but honestly what is it that you see in him." Meg asked me.

Her question should have offended me, but I knew that Meg meant no harm.

"There are so many things about him. Things that nobody sees, he is passionate and musical and smart, funny, vulgar, and just beautiful. I love everything about him." I said dreamily.

"So, how is the sex?" Meg chimed in.

"MEG." I shrieked.

"I was only asking." She replied between giggles. "No but seriously how is it?"

"Oh Meg, what will I ever do with you." I laughed. "Well…"

OOOO

After Meg and Christine left the house, Erik and Giry sat there staring at one another. Both could feel the tension in the room and neither of them wanted to say the first word. It was Giry who decided to break the ice.

"Erik, we need to talk."

"About what?" Erik snapped, hoping that he would aggravate Giry enough that she would just stop talking.

"About how you destroyed some people's lives, how you ruined our home, how you killed innocent people, how you have left Meg and I without a job. Now you have robbed Christine of a decent, normal life."

"Erik's anger began to boil. "She chose me."

"Because you forced her into it, Erik." Giry screamed at him.

"I did not force her. She chose to be with me with her own free will. I love her and now she loves me. Why is that so hard for you to believe?" Erik asked.

"I am sorry Erik, but I know you past and it speaks louder than Christine does. The Vicomte loves her and he can give her a good life."

Erik felt his heart rip into two. "I love her too, and I can give her a good life. I am giving her a good life, she is happy with me."

OOOO

When Meg and I arrived back at the house we quickly went inside. As we appeared in the room we were still laughing at what we had said. When I looked over at Erik, I immediately knew something was wrong.

"Erik, was is the matter?" I cried as I ran over to him.

"Erik, if you love her then you will let her go and do what is right." Giry continued.

Her words had caused so much uneasiness inside me. What was she talking about? I looked into the eyes of my husband and all I could see was pain and struggle. This was not the Erik I had spent the last four and a half months with.

"Erik what is she talking about." I asked as I cupped his face in my hands.

Erik looked over at Giry; he had so much hatred in his eyes. It was beginning to scare me.

"She wants to take you away from me." Erik hissed at her. "She wants you to marry the Vicomte."

I looked over at Giry; my fury was beginning to boil over also. "Is this true?"

"Yes my dear, I believe that you choosing the Vicomte would have been better." She told me.

"YOU stood there and gave us your blessing when you watched us exchange our vows. You were happy when you found out I was pregnant, tell me Giry, what has changed?" I yelled.

"My view on the situation has changed since then." She told me matter of factly.

Her words sounded so shallow. "No, something is not right. You are not telling us something, what are you not saying?"

It was then that it all dawned on me.

"Raoul."

"What." Erik and Giry said at the same time.

"It's him isn't it?" I said, my lip beginning to quiver.

"He has voiced some concerns with your well being." She said trying to hide her nervousness. "Christine, you had a life, a career, you had a future back in Paris. Please come back and marry the Vicomte."

My tears finally began to fall. "I did have a life, and yes I had a career. But all those things revolved around one person. Erik, he was and still is my universe. I cannot believe you, you were the one helping him see me. You saw everything he did and yet you did nothing. If anything you let it happen."

"I know Christine, I know all this." She cried as her tears began to fall. "Oh God, I have ruined so much for the both of you."

"Tell us what is going on." I screamed at her.

I could see the shame that lit her eyes. "If Christine does not come back with Meg and me, we will all die."

It what then that I felt my whole word crash.