Thank you Mouse in the Opera House and Glinda for reviewing.

More adult language, and some slight sexual situations (wow...look at the s's(lol) S.S.S.S.) I'm acting weird.


The Truth Isn't What You Want To See

Raoul was pacing around outside the house when a horse came, and on it was Madame Giry and Christine. Raoul ran immediately over to them.

"Where have you been? I've been worried sick!" He exclaimed and hugged Christine.

"I'm sorry Raoul." She whispered. Even though he was angry with her, she could see the look of concern on his face.

"Where did you go?"

"We went for a ride, just anywhere. We were talking." Madame Giry stepped in.

"A ride? After what has happened? What were you thinking?" He started. "We come home to see the house like this, and I turn away for a minute and you're gone. What was I supposed to think? It almost seemed like he kidnapped you."

Christine looked over to Meg who was in the doorway looking out. Meg apparently didn't tell him Christine rode to the Opera House to find Erik. "I know, it was silly but I needed to clear my head."

Raoul sighed and hugged his fiancé, "I care about you Christine. I want to make sure your safe."

"I'm ok."

"Are you?" Raoul questioned reaching into his pocket. He pulled out the rose Christine found weeks ago when she was hallucinating and chasing after what she thought was her Angel. The thorns that pricked her fingers, causing them to bleed. She understood then that her Angel hated her, but now it seemed even clearer.

"I found this in your drawer. I was checking to make sure nothing was missing."

"I don't know…I found that one day. It has nothing to do with him." Christine lied.

"Yeah, even so…why did you keep it? I mean I would imagine it reminding you of him."

Christine didn't reply. She didn't know how to reply to that. "I need to lie down." She said walking past them then walking through the door and up to her room. Raoul looked over to Madame Giry, hoping to get an answer. She looked towards Meg and walked past Raoul. Meg and her mother walked into the manor to find Raoul's mother sitting on the couch.

"Oh, hello." Madame Giry said to the older woman.

"Bonjour Madame." She replied back.

"I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce you to my mother." Raoul said walking in. "This is my mother, Francine the Comtesse De Chagny. Mother, this is Madame Giry and her daughter Mademoiselle Meg Giry."

"Charmed." Madame De Chagny said to them and then turned her attention to Raoul. "I've actually already met Meg. We were talking in the parlor while you were waiting outside."

"Please excuse me; I'm going to rest for a while." Madame Giry said and walked away.

Meg smiled at the woman and her son and excused herself too; she went outside near the woods to read.

The Comtesse looked over to her young son and stated, "The lovely little blonde girl, Meg, told me where they went."

Raoul looked over to his mother and told her to continue.

"They went to the old Opera House."

"I knew it!" Raoul said. "Did she say why?"

"No. She said Christine was going there and that her mother went out. But don't tell her I said it because I promised to keep it a secret."

"Well you're not very good at keeping secrets, are you?"

"Normally I am but I overheard you're conversation out there about where she went to. And I felt it would be best if you knew."

"So she went to go see that monster."

"The Phantom? Is he still alive?" His mother questioned.

"Well, he wrecked our house. I'm pretty sure that means he's alive!"

"I don't like this one bit Raoul. It's bad enough she's some lower class ballet rat…"

"Shut up mother!" Raoul exclaimed. Time and time again she would nag about that and this was hardly the time or place to talk about it.

"I'm just saying that is bad enough, but also adding the fact that there's a murderer after her. And that she is clearly unfaithful to you."

"What?" Raoul yelled. "How could you say that?"

"Christine doesn't have to be physically unfaithful. But she is emotionally." She stated.

"Stop lying to me."

"Am I? Think about it my dear." She got up and walked over to him placing her hand on his shoulder. "Is it really worth it?"

"Yes it is." He said.

"Very well, do whatever you want. It's obviously not my place to judge."

"That's right, it isn't your place and it's none of your business."

"Fine then, don't come crying to me later on. Au revoir." The Comtesse said as she walked out the door. Raoul rolled his eyes and sat down on the couch thinking. Raoul looked outside and saw Meg sitting down in the grass reading from a book. He got up and walked out there to her.

Meg was Christine's best friend, if anyone knew what was going through her mind it would be Meg.

"Mademoiselle, may I have a word with you?" Raoul asked.

"Please, call me Meg." She smiled sweetly. "What is it that you want to talk about?"

"Meg, Christine has been acting weird as of late. Has she ever told you why?"

Meg looked down at her book and then looked back up at him; honestly she's been wondering the same thing about Christine. "I don't know what's wrong with her. She hasn't mentioned anything but I know there's something."

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Raoul paused. "Do you think it has something to do with...him?"

Meg sighed, "I don't know."

"Do you think you can possibly talk to her to find out?"

"I can try but I can't guarantee anything."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome Raoul." She said smiling again. Raoul excused himself and walked back into the house.


Christine quickly sneaked out of her room to get a drink downstairs. When she went down she noticed no one was in the living room, and Raoul was outside with Meg. She was relieved because she didn't want to be bothered.

When Christine returned to her room she closed the door and locked it. She placed her drink on a table next to her bed and sat down. Looking around she saw that her big mirror was broken, and her clothes were all over the place. She wanted to get up and clean it all but she was too exhausted.

"I don't want you ever coming back to me." A voice whispered from the shadows. Christine jumped up from the bed nearly falling.

"Hello?"

Erik appeared from behind her curtain. Tears built up in her eyes again remembering what he said and did. "You have no right to be here." She stated.

The Phantom just smirked and advanced towards her slowly. Christine started to back away from him and headed towards the door.

"Don't worry. I'm not here to harm you or anything."

"How can I trust you?"

"You can't." He said simply.

"What do you want?"

He smiled devilishly and walked up to her. He softly touched her hair and face, a sweet caressing way he used to do, and then kissed her. Her first instinct was to push him away, and she tried to do that but she let him deepen the kiss. Her struggles soon vanished; giving into temptation she started kissing him back. He put his hand on her lower back to bring them closer together. Christine felt his body heat against hers and she no longer thought about the bad things he has done so far. She couldn't deny what she felt for him any longer.

Christine became lost in the moment, not knowing where she was or anything. He motioned her to the bed and placed her down on it. He towered over her and began kissing her neck. His hands ran through her hair playing with it, and the sleeve of her dress got ripped off. His mouth made its way back to her lips. They kissed each other for about 3 minutes.

Christine started pulling off his coat obviously wanting more. Erik smiled at this and in the heat of the moment he stopped and looked down at her smiling. After a couple of seconds he got up and walked away from her, and then started putting his coat back on. Christine sat confused as to what he was doing. "What…"

He looked back at her and asked, "Tell me what you desire most." He said in a seductive voice.

Christine paused, but she didn't have to think long to know the answer. "You."

Not only did she desire him, she needed him.

He smiled and nodded, "And was I fulfilling your desires?"

He knew he still had a power over her.

"Yes." Christine started to wonder where he was going with this.

"And now what do you feel?"

"Unfulfilled."

"And what if I don't continue at all? What would you feel?"

"Disappointed I guess."

"Well now you know how I felt." He snapped and vanished out the window.

Christine sat speechless. Her mind kept replaying the last five minutes. The more she replayed it the more it made sense to her. She heard footsteps heading to her room and Raoul opened the door.

"Christine…" He stood staring at her. Her hair was wild and out of place, her lipstick was smeared, her clothes were ripped, and the bed sheet was messed up.

It took her a while to realize why he was staring at her.

"Oh…Oh my God, Raoul this is NOT what it looks like."

"I…I don't know what to say to you." Raoul threw up his hands in anger. "Who is it? Who?"

"No one!"

"I'm not stupid Christine, who is he?" Christine stayed silent. Raoul looked over to the window which was opened and near the window, on the drawer, was a note. Raoul walked over to it and opened it.

"Dearest Christine." He began to read out loud.

"I would like to thank you for the lovely night. You were amazing."

Raoul looked up at her with disappointment in his eyes.

"What? That's not true! Raoul, please you have to believe me!" She cried.

Raoul continued to read the letter.

"Enclosed is the money I owe you from our last visit." He opened the envelope and money came out. "I hope to visit with you again."

"I'm telling you Raoul. It's a trick! I would never do such a thing."

"Christine, you asked me to help you and protect you. And I did. You asked me to love you, and I do! You asked me to take you away from the darkness…to shelter you. And God damn it I did!" He started yelling while tears fell from his eyes. "And now how you repay me? You deny me and betray me!"

Erik was actually outside the window listening. In his mind he laughed, the irony of it all!

Christine knew who left that letter there. How could he? Why would he?

"It was Erik." She blurted out.

"Who?" Raoul obviously had forgotten the Phantom's name even though Meg mentioned it earlier.

"The Phantom." Christine answered.

Raoul's eyes grew wide and he ripped the paper up. "You're cheating on me with that ….that thing?"

"No I didn't cheat on you!" She exclaimed. "…And don't call him a thing."

"Oh, so now you're sticking up for him?"

"No, I didn't say that. It's just… he is a person too."

"No, he's a monster."

"Stop it." Christine said.

"If only we captured him."

Christine stayed silent once more; her face was flushed with tears.

"How does that explain your hair, the dress, or the lipstick?"

Christine didn't answer she just looked up at him with guilt in her eyes.

Raoul just shook his head and walked passed her disgusted and slammed the door on the way out.

She looked back at the door, she didn't blame Raoul for being angry. She would be angry too. The window was still open so she walked over to close it. Christine was about to close it but stopped when she noticed the sun had gone down and the stars where starting to come out. The beauty of the night sky was breathtaking to her. And for some reason it reminded her of her angel, the way he used to be.

"I wish I had my angel back." She whispered to herself as she cried.

"Angel of Music, guide and guardian.
Grant to me your glory.
Angel of Music, hide no longer.
Return to me my angel
"

Her voice was dull and silent. She waited for a reply from her angel but only heard the sound of the wind blowing.

She remembered what the Persian told her, 'he's doing all this to get you to stay away'.

She looked around to try and see if Erik was out there. She smiled, hoping he was there and she said "I won't let you win…I won't go away, I won't give up!"

Looking up into the heavens she added, "Father, please give me strength."

Feeling the cold breeze once more she took in a deep breath and closed the windows.

Erik stood below her window and sighed. He knew she wouldn't give up that easily, she's just too damn stubborn. He wondered where she learnt that from.