A/N: Hey guys, I'm am SOOOO sorry that it's taken me so long to update. I've been trying to find a job and haven't had the writing juices flowing in a while. And thank you for all the wonderful support about getting the stories up! So, without further ado, the next chapter of Breaking Down!

Chapter 7: By His Hands

Christine could only stand in horror as she watched Raoul's fist slam into Eric's face.

"Raoul, what are you doing?" She screamed, more for his concern than Eric's, knowing the extent of the masked man's anger.

"Let's go, Christine." Raoul replied, as he turned away from the fallen man behind him.

Before she could scream out a warning, Raoul found an arm wrapped around his throat. Grabbing at Eric's arm he could feel the hot breath against his ear as the pressure continued against his neck.

"That was a mistake," Eric growled into his ear.

"Eric!" Christine yelled. "Please, let him go."

Eric ignored her as he dragged the Vicompte towards the back doors. As he slammed the door open he swung Raoul around, throwing him down onto the ground.

"Why don't we finish what we started back in the cemetery?" Eric growled deep in his throat.

"Eric, please stop this madness! There's no reason to do this." Christine begged as she grabbed his arm.

"What other reason do I need," He replied as he pulled out his sword. "than him trying to steal something that belongs to me."

Raoul stood up, grabbing at his weapon as well. Rain continued it's rampage on the victims as lightening struck miles away. Eric gently forced Christine off of his arm, making her lean against the wall and out of the way. Raoul grabbed his overcoat and threw it off, sending it flying into a nearby bush.

"She was never yours to begin with," Raoul snarled in response.

Christine wasn't sure what she was supposed to do as she watched the two charge at each other. She knew that Raoul was the better swordsman, but Eric had the strength. As Raoul brought his sword down in the direction of Eric's head, Eric would move just in time and counterattack. Then it would be the opposite, Eric would come at Raoul with such a force, but only end up slamming into the ground.

"Did you forget that I was the one who won the last time we fought?" Raoul remarked as he pushed against Eric's blade.

"We never finished," Eric growled. "You ran away."

Christine watched as Raoul landed his knee in his opponents abdomen, sending the man to the ground. He wasn't on the grass for long, rolling away from the blond he landed right in front of her. By now the trio were drenched from head to foot, while the terrain was becoming harder and harder to keep a steady foot. Just as Eric was standing up, his foot slipped, sending him crashing to his knees. It was then that the woman they were fighting over, realized that it was the perfect opening for her former fiancee. At that moment it seemed as if her world had slowed down, even as her heart began to beat faster. She tried to call out, tried to tell him to stop as he ran towards the other. And there was only one thing Christine could think of doing, and without a second thought, she made her way towards Raoul. It wasn't until it was too late that she realized what a mistake she had made.

"Christine," She could hear Raoul whisper through clenched teeth.

It was then that she heard Eric's deep growl behind her turn into a scream.

"What have you done!" She heard as her brain finally registered what had happened.

Her face drained of all the color as she lifted her hand to her waist, finally acknowledging the blade protruding from it. Nothing else mattered to her, all she could do was stare at the red liquid that had begun it's way down her gown. There was no pain, no fear, nothing. All she could do was watch as Raoul pulled his sword from her, causing the flow of blood to double, as she fell back into Eric's arms. As he cradled her, she turned to him and gently stroked his face.

"I'm sorry," She whispered as she passed out.

If she had seen the anger boiling up in his eyes, she would have realized that she wasn't going to be the only one sorry.

Ok, so I know it's short, but at least it's an update! Right? So tell me what you think please! I love getting reviews! I'll try and keep the updates going as much as I can! Love you all!