Greetings everyone! I know it's been some time since I last updated, so after many complaints from our dear Sumner, I finally got off my lazy bum and finished the update. So here is the update! Woot!

A little update on my life. I am currently attending a junior college in South Georgia, and I have a fairly full schedule (as does Sumner), but we will try out bests to produce updates as quickly and as well as we can. I do have a good bit of more editing to do, but we have some more stories written out for the future so no worries. We will get this story done for you all. Promises!

And now, I am going to do those review replies I have neglected to do for the past two chapters. Yay!

A Few Thanks:

Shimmeringtears: Ha! Self absorbed bastard is fairly on target. I've read the Leroux and Kay books, seen the play and the movie, and have even seen the creepy Robert Enguld version of Phantom, and he always does have the common trait of being pretty self-centered. I think it's from him having to rely on himself for so long so he thinks of no one else. Eh, who knows? Anyways, glad you enjoyed that chapter, although Erik is being a stubborn ass, but he and Ray have a tendency to be that way. Thanks for reading as always!

Passed Over: I believe I sent you a private message relaying my appreciation for your review, but I am going to say it again anyways. I truly do appreciate your comment. It is by far one of the best reviews I have gotten, if only because you analyzed it so well. I deeply appreciate your approval of the writing style and the way our characters interact. About Vits, she is a very quirky character, and quite different from the normal preface of women-particularly during that time. More will be uncovered about her in the near future, but if you have any questions about Vits do ask, and we shall definitely answer them. And about the journal… well… that is honestly a lose end I forgot to tie up, so we will be getting to that soon thought cause it is easily fixable. Thank you for the review though and the adding us to your favorites! I am very glad you enjoy this story and I look forward to many more of your reviews in the future.

Angel-777: Lol, you don't have to beg for me to update. I might be slow and procrastinate, but eventually it flat out bugs me to keep you all hanging so I will always update. As I have said many times before, it is my intention to finish this story and I won't leave you hanging. I am glad you like the story though, and that Raoul is gay lol, but thank you very much for the review cause the more reviews I get the more inspired I am to write, so know that you helped me stop procrastinating. :) Thanks!

Alright, well that's it for now. Here is the awaited update! Enjoy, and thanks for reading!

Hugs and all that jazz,

-Olivia N.

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"Don't!" Vits had cried, vaulting from the stunned crowds towards the scene occurring in the center of the dance hall. There the two idiots stood- Raylan who had already made the fatal mistake and Erik whose raised hand was prepared to deliver the same cruelty. With an amazing display of agility, Vits placed herself directly in harms way, a fierce fist closing around a skeletons cold wrist. Her stern green eyes met his glowing yellow ones without fear, a glance so cold and threatening that it out weighed even Erik's own brutal look. With her message across, Vits finally released Erik's wrist, and grudgingly he lowered it to his side. Carefully, Vits moved to where she could see them both, sending them looks of an equal amount of disapproval.

With a cool tone that sounded almost like a serpents hiss, Vits growled, "Do you have any idea how foolish this is?" She paused as they both tried to protest, but simply held up her hands seconds later, demanding silence. "As well as dangerous?" She added, her voice low, so only the two of them could hear it, leaving the on lookers out in the cold and whispering.

She quietly and forcefully berated them, "What the hell has gotten into you two?" Bitterly, Vits spun to Erik, in her anger forgetting who she was talking to, "You! You should know better-after everything that's happened. Especially with her," She tilted her head at Christine Daae, "here tonight!"

Vits spun to Raylan, "And I thought you had better sense than this!"

Again she met both their eyes boldly demanding a response, "Well? What do you have to say for yourselves?"

Raylan for a moment only seemed to glare at Vits, stubbornly refusing to say anything or admit that she made any mistake, that was until she saw the investigator from before shoving his way through the crowds and advancing faster by the second. What she said in response to Vits undoubtedly took both the dancer and the ghost by surprise as she whispered suddenly, "Oh shit... I'm dead."

For a second, Vits looked at Raylan completely taken back by her quick agreement, but choosing to follow her friends frightened gaze, she took a quick glance in the direction of Raylan's stare. There was a man rushing forward, a man Vits did not recognize but one Raylan obviously had some fear in, and Vits had learned not to doubt Raylan's instincts. "Finally realization dawns!" Vits growled, spinning back to face the two before grabbing both of them by the upper arms. There was little time for words, Vits acting purely on what Raylan's eyes begged her to do. "Move quickly," She whispered. With force of direction fueled by her anger, Vits practically dragged the pair out of the Opera's grand entrance, pushing her way forcefully through the crowds with the matching pair behind her in tow.

It hadn't taken Vits long to find her way to the backstage of the Opera, passing by the sets and the props as she made her way. Through a series of back hallways she traveled, and into several secret passages unknown by many. They entered a tunnel of immense darkness, one that was only illuminated by Erik's eyes alone, yet Vits still seemed to know the way perfectly. It seemed like ages that they traveled through this pitch darkness, at least until Vits suddenly forced them into the amazing light of the Paris night life and the grand lamps surrounding the Opera Populaire. They had emerged upon the rooftop of the Opera house, just before Apollo's Lyre. The air outside hit them all like a block of ice, the winters cold nearly stealing the breath from them as they entered the outside.

Forcefully, Vits shoved the pair out into the snow, glaring bitterly at them both as she commanded, "Deal with your quarrels here. I don't give a flying flip what the hell this fight was about, but fix it now! And quietly. If you both value your lives as well as those of the rest of us than you will end this childish battling tonight!" With that she spun on her heels to exit through the passageway of wince they came, pausing only to shout over her should, "Once you are finished, I highly recommend that you both get out of sight and stay there!"

Raylan had spun about to face Vits then, entirely prepared to object before Vits slammed the passage door they had come through shut, not allowing Raylan the pleasure of explaining herself. So there she stood, left there upon a freezing December night on an Opera houses snow covered roof top with the man who couldn't appreciate her to save his soul. With a huff Raylan spun back to look at Erik, her mouth poised to shout at him but when nothing came out she simply stood there shivering partially from the cold and partially from the nerve racking events.

Erik had watched Vits in shock as well, surprised that he had let her get away with it. His shock was short lived though, Erik's eyes quickly settling on Raylan with a fierce glare as he growled, "You hit me Mademoiselle."

Raylan returned the glare, although her harsh words were soft with exhaustion as she growled, "And you almost killed me once- consider us even."

Abruptly, Erik turned his back towards her and stormed to the edge of the roof, leaning against the brick enclosing their prison. His eyes looked out over the city of Paris in all its nightly splendor. Snowflakes drifted lightly through the air, encasing the scene in dream like majesty that he honestly admired.

Raylan remained still, watching him with her always depthless eyes, confronting once more the battle inside. The choices rose again, whether to run or to stay, and once more she wasn't quite sure where she wanted to turn. To follow the heart or to follow instinct were two difficult decisions to make, and the bottled up rage within was not making things any clearer. She sighed when the answer became more distant, and finally giving in to her legs exhaustion, gracefully lowered herself to the ground and sat soundlessly on the roof, despite the dress that she knew was most likely expensive and easily ruined. Her eyes lowered from Erik's silent form to the gentle snow that was slowly coating the grime covered wood, and for a moment she lowered her hands and traced circles in the snow like a child easily fascinated by such simplistic pictures.

Erik looked over to Raylan sitting in the light crusting of snow, and shook his head. She was so childish at times. Normally he would have found her actions oddly cute, but now he only felt infuriated. Why did she have to be so foolish? Not in just her actions, but towards him? Didn't she know what Christine had meant to him? Didn't she realize how one woman had already crushed his heart, and how he couldn't stand it again? Didn't she understand? That's when it hit him like a lightening bolt. She didn't understand. She couldn't really know. Every story she had heard of that terrible incident was from the foolish lips of seamstresses and ballet rats. He had never taken the time to tell her the whole truth. But the again, would that change anything? Erik watched her silently for a moment longer, a whole battle playing over in his eyes until the choice was finally made. She had to know, if only for the sake of sparing him from having to go through another few weeks of Raylan giving him the cold shoulder.

His voice was soft and distant as he finally spoke; his eyes focused on the snow covered ground as if he could see the whole story written out in the snow before him. He breathed shakily, "Christine was just a child when she came to the Opera House. She was very similar to us in many ways… hurting and alone. Her father had just died, and she was an orphan abandoned in a ruthless world. She was so pure, and innocent. I watched her grow up, slowly and surely like many a chorus girl… but she was different. Perhaps it was the naivety, or the simple beauty… but I believe it was the raw angelic nature of her voice that drew me first. She… she had an excellent voice, but no confidence." He paused for a moment, cherishing lost memories.

Raylan had stopped drawing in the snow when he had paused, gently daring to raise her eyes to his distant gaze and listen. For a moment her mouth opened as if meaning to say something and then closed again as if in fear that if she talked he would close himself away again. Instead, she simply nodded in understanding so he knew she was listening.

"So, I began to train her, just as I had attempted to train our dear Vits. However, Christine was not as willful as Vits, or at least she didn't tell me to go jump in a lake," He chuckled at the memory, taking slight comfort in Raylan's tender giggle as she reacted to his comment, "So I trained her, first as the Angel of Music hiding behind a mirror in her dressing room. Slowly, she became comfortable with me. She has an amazing voice, as you heard, and I took much pride in shaping that voice so it could reach the very heavens. She was enchanting, and I… I…" Again he paused trying to gather his thoughts, as well as his voice. Tears welled up behind the mask, his voice trembling ever so slightly.

Her eyes had softened at his voice, recognizing the pain within his words all too well, knowing the relentless agony that such memories could bring. Inside she felt the urge to come to his rescue, to rise to his side and prevent him from having to relive his tale, but something deeper kept her seated, something that had to know more than anything else the sad truth.

"I fell in love with her," Erik admitted, his eyes shutting as if the truth was too painful to bear, "despite my best efforts not to. Her beauty, her innocence, her childish trust, and the magical voice I created… became my obsession. For years, I had spent life despising love for the mere reason that I could never have it, but with her… it seemed like a whole world of opportunities had opened up before me, and somehow I believed that despite the lies and the deception, she and I were destined to be. So… one night, despite what rationalizing warned, I brought her down to my home. I persuaded her with the power of my voice, and she blissfully followed. She was my angel and I honestly thought we could live forever in this dream like state, but human curiosity has always been a down fall and something that has continuously plagued my life. She saw me, without my mask, and it drove her into an odd state, as if she thought I was ill or something. I, foolishly, thought it would be alright, that after all my torment there was finally someone who could see past this deformity to what lie beneath the skin. She seemed to be that person, content and unafraid… but she was deceptive. It slowly ate her heart out, and when I confronted to her that I was no Angel of Music but instead Erik… I believe she stopped caring for me."

His voiced hardened, a fist closed in anger against old memories and foolish mistakes, "She… she betrayed me, and fell in love with the Vicomte de Changy, a wealthy insolent boy of status-and stupidity. He stole her away from me. Poisoned her mind against me. In the end he dragged her through a terrible plot to turn me into the police. Unfortunately for him, it didn't work. Yet in the end, in those last moments when jealousy had driven my logic away and I gave her a choice between me and her precious Vicomte's life, she showed me a mercy that no one had ever bestowed upon my wretchedness, and I couldn't kill the boy. Then… he took her away, and gave her a better life, while I was left in my agony… alone with the choice to either move on or die from the heartbreak. I had planned to die, but from unexpected circumstances I was forced to do otherwise. I left for at least a year, I suppose, although my concept of time was somewhat altered from the various degrees of substances I used to dull the pain. Still, this Opera House was also one of my greatest loves, and no matter how much the memories hurt, I couldn't stand to be parted from her for too long. I returned here… eight months before you arrived actually, and took my pain out on the Opera who foolishly believed their Phantom had vanished. I… I hadn't seen Christine again until tonight." He whispered his last words, his voice quivering as the pain and the agony became unbearable.

Raylan waited for some time after his words, simply watching again with gentle eyes as he struggled to keep his composure. What could she say now? It wasn't like she hadn't heard the story, it was in fact all the seamstresses had ever wanted to talk about, but never had she heard it like this. The story before had been one that haunted each chorus girls nightmares, one that caused fear that they too would one day be pulled down into the dead realm below, but now it sat in a different light. Not a nightmare, but a tragedy.

Slowly, Raylan rose from the ground, her now wet dress sticking uncomfortably to her form as she carefully closed the distance between her and this man of many secrets. She stood before him then, silent and uncertain of what to say or do accept just be near him, just quietly try to explain to him that she could on some terms understand.

Erik slowly turned his face up towards hers, meeting her eyes with a small questioning gaze, wondering how she would react to his story. Pity? Fear? Hate? It was how everyone else responded to his terrible fate. Something he had long since grown used to. Now was Raylan's defining moment. Who would she become to him? The pitying friend? The fake fearful love? The misinterpreting hater? How she reacted, he knew, would determine where they ended up. He waited for her reaction patiently like a man awaiting death, trying desperately to read those earthy eyes.

It seemed like an eternity that Raylan had just stood there, silently watching him and nothing more. The air grew quieter, the world colder, and as the minutes ticked life away nothing had changed. Then the bells sounded, like a chiming of some endless doom, and in the distance fireworks rose to light the night sky and voices exploded to fill the air with cheers they could not share in. The world rose in delight as the New Year began and another chance rolled along, a new start for so many. Raylan's gaze had momentarily drifted to the distance then, those great depths of hers reflecting the vibrant lights that erupted from within the city. It was January now; another chance to begin a new life, and truly that was all people like her wanted.

"Happy New Year," Raylan had whispered gently, the faintest hints of a smile appearing in the corners of her mouth. She sighed then, a sound of the slightest content before she turned back to gaze once more at the broken man before her. There was a gentle peace in her eyes then, the complete look of someone who had finally made up their mind, and softly because of that she began to smile. It was then that she extended her hand outwards towards him, her thin fingers gently reaching out to him and asking for his own.

"A new chance," She whispered, truth echoing in her soothing voice as she placed the opportunity before him, "Erik... will you dance with me?"

It wasn't really an answer, and he realized that, but there was a hidden message behind that sweet Southern smile. It asked him to trust her, to take another chance. There was no pity, fear, or hatred in those eyes. There was acceptance and honesty that refused to be denied. She was offering him a chance to start over, to change their short but violent history. She was different.

With a small smile, Erik took her hand, meeting her beautiful eyes with his own. "Of course, Mademoiselle," He grinned, and pulled her close for their first true dance.

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Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'll be back with an update soon! I hope you enjoyed. Toodles!

-Olivia N.