Chapter 2: Happy days and good news
A/N: This was originally a one shot, but since I got so many wonderful reviews, I decided to make it a full length fic and see what happened. Thankyou to Romance-luver22, Guitarprincess,Lunasriel, Eriks One Voice, Glitter Queen of the Ice Show, lourdesmont, Phantress, and elfgirl180, for your reviews!
Summary: This takes place just a year after chapter 1. Raoul and Christine have been married for a year, and it has been a year since the fateful night of Don Juan. The Opera Populaire is reopening, and everyone is reunited. Erik reappears and get up to his old tricks once more. But this is the least of Raoul and Christine's problems when they find that someone is after their lives, and the de Chagny fortune. And its not Erik...But the question is, will Erik help the couple for Christine's sake? An RC fic!
By the way will be in first person, in either Raoul or Christine's POV, maybe occassionally Erik's.
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Raoul's POV
I walked inside after taking an early morning walk on the beach. Normally Christine would have eagerly accompanied me, but she had been feeling tired so she had decided to sleep in a bit. As I reached the doorway I shook the sand off of my clothes and picked up the newspaper that lay at the door. I sat down at the dining room table, waiting for Christine to come down for breakfast. As I unrolled the newspaper my eyes immediately laned upon the bold lettered headline:
'Opera Populaire to reopen!'
I let a small smile appear on my lips at the headline, for I knew how happy this news had made Christine for she had missed her singing so, as it was one of the only reminders of her father that she had left. We had recieved news of the reopening a few weeks ago in a letter from Andre and Firmin. It had been a year since the disaster and since my marriage to Christine. It had taken eight months to repair the ravaged and burned opera house, but now, as the picture seemed to show, it had been restored to it's original grandeur and magnificence. Christine and I had been married in Paris, but then we had come here to the house by the sea. And aside from a few visits to the city, we had stayed here. It seemed to comfort both of us, being at this place where we had so many wonderful memories from our childhood, the place where we had first met. Just then I heard a creak on the stairs and turned to see Christine coming down them. I put down the paper and got up to greet her.
"Good morning Little Lotte," I said as I met her lips in a soft kiss.
She smiled. " Good morning love. How was your walk?"
"It was refreshing," I said as I led her over to the table. "There's nothing like the salt air to wake you up."
Breakfast was set before us, and we ate in silence for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other's company. I looked up at my beloved wife for a moment and I noticed that there was a sparkle in her eyes. And my heart was glad, for it had taken some time after that fateful night of Don Juan to get that twinkle back. But now it was there, and I hoped that it would stay forever. I had learned over the past months, that though I couldn't always prevent the things that made Christine cry, I could be there to dry her tears, just as I had promised in our song. Then I noticed that Christine had pulled the newspaper to her and had begun to read the article about the Opera Populaire. The further she read, the happier her expression she became. Then she gave a start, causing me to nearly choke on my eggs.
"Oh Raoul, look, they mentioned us!" she said gaily as as she read aloud. "It is rumored that the Vicomte de Chagny will resume his post as chief patron, and that his wife, the former Christine Daae, will take over the posistion of Primma Donna," Her formerly alight face now began to darken. "But there are still the ever present rumors that the Phantom of the opera may lurk in the cellars..." She stopped, putting the paper down and laying her fork on the breakfast plate.
She got up without a word and opened the sliding glass door that led to the deck that looked down upon the sea. I gave her a minute, then followed. I opened the door quietly as she stared out at the sea, the gentle breeze blowing her mahogany curls about. I came up behind her and carefully wrapped my arms around her, holding her close.
"Do you think we should go back?" she asked suddenly.
I thought for a moment on how to answer this. "Yes," I replied. "We both know much your singing means to you, it completes you. And I promise that I won't let anything happen to you." I said, trying to reassure her.
She moved closer against my chest, and took one of my hands in hers. "I do not fear for myself, I fear for you. What if he wants to seek revenge on you Raoul?" she asked in a whisper.
"If he does, I swear I won't let myself get hurt. But perhaps the rumors that he is still beneath the opera are just that, rumors." I said as I stroked her hair.
She turned around in my arms, so that she was facing me, and there was a question in her tear filled eyes. "Do you promise that you'll be alright?" she asked.
"Yes," I said. "And you know, perhaps he has changed since that night. He did let us go after all."
"Yes," she said, her voice sounding convined and much more content now. "Perhaps he has. You know, no matter what happens, you always manage to to make everything alright. How do you do it?" she asked as she brushed a hair out of my face.
I smiled as I wiped the tears from her her cheek. "I could ask you the same question."
She laughed as she grabbed my hand and we ran down to the beach. She pushed me into the water, so I pulled her down with me. We chased each other across the beach for hours, much as we had when we were children. After that, we went inside, exhausted and laughing hysterically. Then as we lay in each other's arms we began to excitedly discuss our return to Paris. And I knew then, as we watched the sun begin to set on the horizon of the vast ocean, that no matter what happened in the city, we would have each other. Opera Populaire here we come!
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A/N: Okay, so I hope you like this! The action really starts in the next chapter. Please read and review!