Chapter 15

Christine stepped back from the scene before her in horror, helpless to stop the disaster unfolding before her. She knew, should a fight ensue again, Erik would not lose.

"Raoul, don't come any closer. You must go. I made my choice and this is where I belong. I tried to tell you that at the cemetery."

Erik had been watching Raoul advance but when Christine spoke he turned on her in fury.

"The cemetery? And when were you going to tell me that part of your story? You seem to have conveniently left it out of your tale the other night. Or did you suddenly not remember? It would appear, Monsieur, that she has yet to decide after all."

She watched Erik's eyes as they flooded with grief and pain. He thinks I went back to Raoul? After all we've been through? She reached for him again, pleading with her eyes for him to listen but he evaded her touch.

"Erik, I did go to the cemetery and I did meet Raoul there. But only to ask for his help in freeing you from the gendarme. I wanted nothing more from him than that. Please believe me. I love you." As she looked between the two men, she watched a brief glow of triumph shine in Erik's eyes, before a mirror image of Raoul's defeated expression replaced it.

"Help me, Christine? Did you not think I could take care of myself? Or were you afraid I would not be able to take care of you? To come back for you? Instead you run once again to this boy? Why, Christine? Do you have so little faith in my love for you that I would not return to you? Have our last days together been simply a cruel joke?"

Christine's mouth opened to speak, but she caught sight of the horror that crossed Raoul's face. Realizing he must believe the worst, she moved from both men, lifting her shoulders and steeling her nerve. When she turned back to them, her eyes were burning fury neither man had ever witnessed in her before.

"You must stop this, both of you! What is wrong with you two that you think you can fight over me as a prize? I am a woman. Yes, a woman! You both treat me as though I will shatter at any moment! I have been through more these past few months, this past week than most women ever experience! I have grown up. I have a mind and heart of my own and I will use one and bestow the other any way I see fit. You cannot continue to do this. I will not accept it. I will not!" Turning on Raoul, she allowed her tirade to continue.

"Raoul, you say that you love me. You do not even know me. If you truly did, you would see what is in my heart. My love is not an all-consuming love for you. I told you that in the cemetery, but you didn't care to hear anything beyond what you wanted to believe. We are; were friends. Close friends. And, as a friend, I thought you were a haven from the miasma of my life. Yes, I was young. Perhaps I led you to believe what I thought I wanted to believe myself. I was wrong in doing that. But I told you at the cemetery that my heart belongs with Erik. No matter what you do, Raoul that will notchange." She turned to Erik, her face red with rage, seeing the look of disbelief on his face.

"You, Erik! You think this is all some game on my part? That the precious words I spoke to you, unreservedly and from the bottom of my heart, had no meaning? That my acceptance of your proposal was nothing more than false agreement? To what end? What would I gain by that? I – love – you! Only you. I accepted your proposal fully knowing what it entails because it is my heart's desire as well. And now, you try to cheapen it all by calling my vow to you a lie? The wounds to my body cannot compare to what you both have done to my heart." She turned her back on them, stumbling to the wall and leaning on it for support. The Lair had become deathly quiet. No sound, no movement. When she could stand it no longer, she turned back to them both, lifted her chin and with as much dignity as possible, spoke once more.

"If you will excuse me gentlemen, I have said my piece. Perhaps it is now time for you to make peace between yourselves or none of us will ever know peace again." Shoulders back, chin high, she walked past Erik into the depths of the lair, leaving both men stunned and speechless.

They stared at the area Christine had just exited, with a look of shock on their face. Erik was the first to recover and turned to Raoul with a smirk.

"Well, Vicomte. It would appear that your childhood sweetheart has grown up."

Raoul glared back, the expression on his face turning from shock to rage.

"What have you done to her, Phantom? What hypnotic trance have you placed on her now? She's been your prisoner for days now, and nights! And nights! Have you – have you, oh Mon Dieu! What has happened here?"

"Really, Monsieur Vicomte. Or would you rather I simply call you Raoul? And, since you seem to think I am on intimate terms – with someone, you may call me Erik. Ah, I see the surprise on your face. It is not a figment of Christine's imagination. I do in fact have a name. Your monster as you prefer to call me, has a name. It has been mine since birth. Or, are we to believe that monsters are made, not born? Perhaps they are, Vicomte, perhaps they are indeed. I have seen them in many forms, with many faces. Some as seemingly innocent as yours."

Raoul's rage built with each word Erik uttered. He thrashed his way through the water like a madman. His only thought was to kill.

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The commander was sure that he could not lose now. The Vicomte de Chagny appeared completely receptive to his requested favor. Capturing this Phantom will be the coup de gras for me. His only problem now; where to begin? The inn had been a dead-end, the Opera House had burned to rubble, where would this Phantom go? As he sat at his desk thinking, he scribbled pictures on a map of the outlying areas of the city. Ordered to strengthen the checkpoints after the fiasco with the opera girl, he manned them heavily enough that they would be completely 'escape' proof. There was no way she, or anyone associated with her, would escape again, so, their leaving the city was impossible. As to any other measures he could take, he would simply have to begin another door-to-door search. A gypsy camp had recently been set outside the city proper. The Vicomte had mentioned something about this Phantom's gypsy past. To think they had made it to this camp was absurd, but it never hurt to check. Either way, he was sure they would prove fortunate enough to find this infamous prey. And when they did…well, he had plans in mind. Very specific plans. Plans that would secure his future on the police force and pay back this – Phantom, for the humiliation he had experienced in front of his own men. Oh yes, very specific plans indeed. After all, his only order was to capture the Phantom. Whether he delivered this thing dead or alive, well, that was another matter entirely.

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Christine ran from them, half out of her mind. Never had she felt so angry, hurt and humiliated. How dare they both think of me as something to barter over? Fight over? I am my own person! Her tears started as she stumbled and she swiped angrily at them. Why can't they just see…She wanted one thing. Erik. Her memory of the look on his face at Raoul's mention of the cemetery tore at her. Was he secure enough yet to believe in her? Or had she ended everything when she walked away?

She didn't know the tunnels well and had been moving through them for only a few minutes when she realized she had gotten herself lost. Caught up in her own thoughts, she had moved blindly through them, not paying attention to the path she took and knew she could be anywhere. A moment of panic replaced her anger. As huge as this underground cavern was, it could take a long time before she could find her way back. If she could find her way back. She knew Erik kept them all equally lit, and she had no idea if she was still in the main tunnel. If she was off the main tunnel, she could be anywhere. She stopped walking, trying to discern anything familiar on the walls or floor, but saw nothing that she recognized. She began moving forward slowly, trying to gain her bearings when she heard a footstep and the sound brought her up short. Heart pounding in the hope that Erik had followed her but afraid he hadn't, she stopped and held her breath. Again the sound came from around the corner and she realized it traveled from in front of her, the wrong direction to be Erik. She pressed her back to the wall. If Raoul could find his way back to the Lair, who else could have come, and why? Someone for Erik! God, no! She could not let that happen. Perhaps, if it is, and they follow me instead, it will give Erik a chance to escape. Steeling her nerve, she turned the corner quickly, hoping to surprise whomever it was, gaining time for him – and screamed.

Christine suddenly appeared in front of Antoinette, causing her to scream from fear. When they had both caught sight of their respective 'attacker', Christine grabbed Antoinette and hugged her tightly.

"Christine? Bon Seigneur, Christine! What is wrong, Mon ami? Why do you cry?"

"Oh, Antoinette. You scared the life from me! I thought, I just thought…" Antoinette held Christine away from her, trying to get a better look at the other girl.

"What are you doing in the tunnel, alone? You're not well enough to be wandering – "

"Oh Antoinette! I am so glad to see you! The lake, Erik, and – I am sick to death of men and the ridiculous games they feel they must play! Why must they continue in this?"

"They? Christine, who is 'they'?"

Christine's eyes grew wide, suddenly realizing she had left Erik and Raoul alone, together.

"Mon Dieu, Antoinette! What have I done? They will kill each other!"

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Erik watched as Raoul charged. The water slowed his legs and caused him to lose his footing. Erik barely had time to think as a look of surprise crossed Raoul's face and his feet slipped out from under him. He fell backward with a resounding splash. Erik smirked as one second passed, then another while he waited for Raoul to resurface. When the water began to calm, he realized Raoul was in trouble. Thinking his problem solved, he began to go for Christine until her pleading eyes appeared before his mind and he knew he could not leave Raoul to die. Pushing his way into the water, he reached down several times before he found the boy, gripped his coat and, with one great heave, pulled him from the water. After dragging him to the bank, Erik dropped him, satisfied that Raoul was still alive, though unconscious. He checked Raoul's head and found a large lump at the back. Erik stood, and for the first time took a good look at the boy who had become his adversary, through no fault of his own except that he too, loved Christine. Erik began to see what Christine might have found in this young and obviously pampered boy that would make her believe he could 'save' her from her confusion. He would have seemed the logical choice. A childhood friend, someone she was comfortable with, someone she trusted. At the time she had turned to Raoul, he knew she still wasn't sure who he was. A tutor, yes. An angel? She'd thought so, at one time. And then everything began to go wrong, and she had turned to something familiar, comfortable…instead of him. And now, she demanded they find a common ground? The only common ground we share, Christine, is you.

Erik sat with his thoughts, watching the Vicomte, until Raoul's eyes began to open. As he became more alert, Erik saw him stir, his eyes widen with confusion, then once again, take on the hatred he'd seen when Raoul had begun his charge.

"Vicomte. I would suggest you rest a moment or two, before continuing your quest for my head. I'm afraid you may still be too weak to carry on. For the moment, at least."

Raoul glared at him, murder in his eyes.

"You. You and your tricks and traps! What did you do to me?"

"Ahh, Vicomte. It was your haste in attempting to remove my head from my shoulders that caused your feet to slip among the rocks. You fell, hitting your own head. I simply pulled you out and placed you where you now lay."

"You lie! I know you are full of tricks. You must have done something!" Rising on one elbow in an attempt to sit, he closed his eyes to the spinning room and lay down once again.

"Alas, Monsieur, much as it pains me to admit it, I cannot take credit for your misfortune, though it is something to consider for a later time. No, it was entirely your own rage that caused your fall. However," holding up his hand to stave off another accusation from Raoul, "I have done some thinking on Christine's last - admonishment, if you will. It would seem that we must come to terms, Vicomte, or face her wrath forever. And though I am loathe to agree with her as it brings me much closer to you than I care to be, she is correct. So, Monsieur, what say you? Do we find a way to exist together, for Christine's sake? Or shall we kill each other now and save her the trouble?" Erik maintained the same slight smile on his face, as he watched the Vicomte take his assessment. So tell me, Vicomte, what is it you really see?

Raoul heard Erik speaking but his rage encompassed his every thought. So certain was he that Erik had caused his fall – he had not listened to the words until Erik spoke Christine's name. Snapping him from his outrage, he began to pay attention to Erik's words. This…thing - speaking of Christine to me? How dare he? But as he listened, he realized that, though he hated the thought, this – Erik, might be right. His first concern must be for Christine and her safety. If it took an uneasy alliance for him to extract her from this mess, then perhaps he could play along. As he glared at Erik, considering his options, he heard screams from somewhere deep inside the Lair. He watched Erik jump to his feet and race down the tunnel as he tried to rise from the bank and follow.

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"I'm not sure, Christine, I've only been this way a few times. It can still be so confusing. I'm not sure where we turn." Christine held Antoinette's hand as they began to move in the direction Christine had just come. They had only gone a few meters when they heard pounding feet approaching. Uncertain as to whom it could be, they slipped into one of the many crevasses that lined the tunnel. As a form flashed past, Christine realized it was Erik and moved into the tunnel to call him, when she was slammed into by Raoul as he attempted to keep pace with Erik. Knocking her off her feet, she gave a squeal as she sprawled onto the tunnel floor, stopping Raoul in his tracks and bringing Erik rushing back. The two men glared a face off over Christine as Antoinette let out a peal of laughter, catching them all off guard.

"Mon Dieu, Christine," she said between laughs, "you do have a way with men don't you?"