I do not own any of the characters from The Phantom of the Opera, although I do rather enjoy borrowing them from time to time.

A/N I am so glad that everyone likes Marcel as much as I do. Thanks for your positive reviews and for the approval on the rating change (coming after the marriage). Sorry about the delay in updating the story, it has been a hectic week. I should have another chapter up by Monday or so. Thanks for all of the kind reviews and thanks to those of you who are also reviewing Broken Sparrow, I was touched when I got a few emails on how much the story moved them. Thanks again!

Here is the next chapter. Enjoy!

Author – ToryD

Beta – Potosynthesis

Choices

Chapter 7

"Thank…you… Robert." Cara said to herself as she hung up the phone from her undercover contact in Erik's office. "So Erik, you are going to take your little fiancé out for an evening of opera. I bet the little twit doesn't know the first thing about opera!" She said as she began to plot out her devious plans for this evening. Reaching for the phone she quickly dialed the number to connect her with Janelle.

"Janelle!" Cara said sharply into the phone as soon as her friend picked up the line.

Janelle rolled over and peaked from under her pink satin sleep mask to squint at the clock on the bedside table. "It's too early…call me back at 11:00." She grumbled into the phone.

Cara rolled her eyes at her friends less than welcoming reply. "Janelle! Get up and get over here now! I need your help. I just found out that Erik is taking that bitch to the opera tonight."

Janelle groaned as she sat up in her king size bed. Removing her mask, she blinked rapidly to adjust her eyes to the bright morning sun. "Ok, ok I'll be there in about an hour."

Cara smiled, "Don't forget to bring Marcel. I think I could use his help as well."

"He's working this morning. Tell you what, I'll pick you up in an hour and then we'll crash Marcel's photo shoot." Janelle offered as she reached up to stretch away the tiredness from her shapely body.

"Good. One hour." Cara said hanging up the phone as she mentally began to sharpen her claws. "Ok little Ms. Daae, you want him, well you will have to fight for him. And honey you are way out of your league."

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Christine ran from the obtrusive reporters as she made her way across the school parking lot. Once she was safely inside, she allowed the breath that she had not realized she had been holding escape in a hiss.

Meg watched Christine from the main office as her friend dodged the press that had taken up residence outside the school since the leak of Christine and Erik's engagement. "Hi Christine." She greeted the harassed young woman.

"Good morning." Christine grumbled under her breath causing Meg to raise her eyebrows in surprise.

"Bad morning?" She questioned he friend as she adjusted her hot pink leather vest.

Christine turned from her staff mailbox to look into the concerned eyes of her friend. "Bad everything." She whispered her voice breaking as tears began to fill her eyes.

Meg's heart broke at the pain she saw in Christine's eyes. Putting her arm around Christine, she led her distraught friend into the empty conference room. "Ok, let it out. I assume you talked with Raoul last night."

Christine drew in a shuddering breath. "Oh Meg, he was so hurt. He wouldn't even let me explain."

Sighing Meg reached for a tissue for her friend. "You can't really blame him Christine. I mean it must have been such a shock for him."

"I know. I don't think he will ever forgive me." She said softly as she dried her tears.

Meg frowned at the look on Christine's face. "Christine, I have known you for three years now and I can tell that there is something more going on than you are telling me."

Christine tensed at Meg's observation, adopting a closed look she addressed her friend. "I don't know what you mean."

Meg looked over her green metallic framed glasses to assess Christine's demeanor. "Yes you do, you just don't want to tell me."

Christine closed her eyes and turned away. "I can't. Please understand and don't ask me again." She said as a single tear escaped her closed lid and ran smoothly down her pale cheek.

Meg drew in a sharp breath at the anguish in her friend's plea. "Christine." She whispered with such unnerving concern that it made Christine rise abruptly to end the painful conversation.

"I need to get to class…I'll see you at lunch." She said hurriedly as she all but ran from the room, leaving Meg staring after her with worry etched upon her face.

"Oh Christine," Meg said as the door closed on her departing friend. "Why are you in so much pain when this is supposed to be one of the happiest times of your life?"

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Marcel waved at the two stunning women approaching him from across the busy New York street. "Well Janelle, I guess the rumors about you being a vampire are not true after all."

Janelle speared him with a glare as she walked towards the trendy coffee shop. "And what, pray tell are you babbling about?" She asked in a bored tone.

Marcel gave Cara a scheming look as he went in for the kill on his little joke. "Its daylight and your actually out of bed."

Cara let a very unladylike snort escape her perfectly pink lined lips, earning her a scowl from the perturbed Janelle.

Marcel laughed gleefully at his self-perceived cleverness.

Janelle turned on him with a haughty look. "Just for that you are buying." She said in a huff as she left them standing at the doorway.

Cara linked her arm through the now pouting Marcel. "Come on. I'll split it with you."

As soon as they were all seated and had placed their orders for their specialty coffees, Cara began to explain her plans for the night. "Ok, Erik is taking Christine to the opera tonight. I need to find someone to take me so that I can start undermining the little snot."

Janelle leaned forward in her chair, "Victor and I will be there as well. Now who can we get that is so good looking on such short notice?"

Marcel pursed his baby soft lips as he drummed his perfectly buffed nails on the table. "Hmm…I know, what about Doug Smyth?"

Cara made a face at the mention of the name. "Ugh! He would be fine if I wanted to play defense all night." She said as she recalled the unfortunate occasion where she had been seated next to Doug during a long fund raising dinner.

Janelle got a bright look on her face. "I've got it…Ryan Vanderbilt!" She said with enthusiasm.

Marcel started laughing hysterically. "Girl," he said as he slapped her arm lightly. "You need to get your gaydar looked at! Mr. Ryan plays for my team."

Janelle and Cara both looked horrified at this latest bit of gossip. "No! Not Ryan, no!" Janelle insisted.

Marcel crossed his arms across his Calvin Kline roll-necked charcoal sweater. "Oh yes Ryan." He said smugly.

Cara looked perplexed. "But I just saw him last week with Whitney Ford at the gallery opening."

Marcel gave her a condescending look. "Well I saw him last week in the company of…; well let's just say it wasn't Ms. Ford."

Janelle shook her head at the loss of another to Marcel's side. "Well, forget about Ryan. How about Steve Cummings?"

"He got married last year." Cara said in a jaded voice.

Marcel gave Janelle a look of disbelief. "Did you let your subscription of Town and Country run out?"

Rolling her eyes Janelle chose to ignore Marcel. "Ok, Stewart Browning."

Cara was beginning to feel panic. "No! He went to Japan for some long extended trip."

Janelle threw up her hands. "Well who else is there? Who can we get who is relatively attractive and won't mind on such short notice?"

Marcel looked up at the ceiling as he considered Janelle's question. "Hmm" he said aloud as though it would aid him in his query.

Cara felt as if a light bulb was shining over her head as she at last came up with the perfect person. Looking at Janelle, she transmitted her choice with her eyes.

Janelle's mouth fell open as she realized what Cara was up to. After a short moment of consideration, Janelle finally saw the potential in Cara's choice. "We will have to do something with his hair." She said as a matter of fact.

Cara nodded her agreement. "Clothes…we will have to get him something more manly."

Marcel looked confused as he looked from one female to the other. "Who are you talking about?" He questioned feeling totally left out.

Janelle thought of all of the arrangements that needed to be made. "I think maybe a darker hair color, what do you think?" She asked Cara.

Marcel felt as if he was an outsider in their little group. "Will someone please tell me who you are talking about?" He asked in a frustrated tone.

Cara looked over Marcel's hair with a critical eye. "Yes I agree the darker color would look much better with his skin tone."

Marcel felt the tiny hairs stand up on the back of his neck as he watched the two women in the mists of their plotting. "Oh no…no! Not me. Nobody's touching my hair!" He said in a loud voice that brought the entire coffee shop to a still.

Janelle scowled at Marcel's refusal. "Be quiet! You will do this and that is final." She said in a tone that brooked no argument.

"But…I" Marcel started to speak only to be silenced by the menacing look in Janelle's eyes.

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Erik cursed the damn press silently as he maneuvered his way to his awaiting car. As soon as he was seated, he turned his wrath on Nadir. "I want to know who leaked this information!"

Nadir turned and gave Erik a puzzled look. "Erik, you deal with the press everyday, what makes this different?"

"Christine! She makes it different!" He yelled at his assistant.

Nadir, taken aback from the Erik's hostile attack tried to calm his boss. "Erik, as you are a very sought after public figure, there is a lot of money at play with information of your personal life."

"I don't care what it takes Nadir; I want a name by the end of the evening." He said in a deadly calm voice.

Nadir, sensing that his boss was unmovable on the subject consented to the task. "Ok Erik, I'll get right on it." He said with a sigh as he turned to gaze out at the congested New York traffic, wondering about the person who by this time tomorrow would be wishing that they had never heard the name Erik Desmond.

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Christine buckled the last strap on her three-inch heel silver sandal. Turning a critical eye on her reflection in the full-length mirror, she was more than a little pleased with her appearance. For looking back from the mirror appeared to be a young sophisticated and confident woman, in such a stark contrast to her feelings at the moment. Glancing at the bedside clock, she noted that Erik would be arriving in a few minutes. Scooping up her evening purse, she made her way towards the small living room in her apartment. As she passed her answering machine, she saw that she had a new message. Pushing the button as she passed the machine she made her way to the kitchen for a drink of water. As the machine ran through its date and time of the message, she absently looked through the day's mail.

You have one new message…message received at 7:22PM on November 19th….Christine…

Christine drew in a sharp breath at the sound of Raoul's voice.

I want to apologize for last night. I just needed to get a handle on what you were telling me. I need to see you. I am coming home tomorrow. I will call you when I get back.

There was a long pause on the message while Raoul was deliberating his next statement.

I cannot pretend to understand what is going on with you and Desmond. But this I do understand Christine. I know that just two days ago you loved me and planned to become my wife. I also know with every beat of my heart that you are the only woman that I am meant to love. Funny isn't it, even though you now profess to be engaged to another man, all I can do is think about how we are intended to be husband and wife. God Christine, I love you. I don't think I could ever stop loving you. I'm sorry…I didn't mean to leave this on your machine. I'll call you tomorrow. Please Christine, if you ever cared anything about me, promise me that you will meet with me tomorrow. Goodbye Christine.

Christine let the glass she had been holding slip from her tentative grasp as the pain radiated through her. "Raoul…Oh God, what have I done to you?" She whispered in an anguished tone as tears began to fill her eyes. Pulled abruptly from her self-loathing thoughts the buzzer from the security station alerted her to Erik's arrival. Taking a deep breath she clamed her frazzled nerves to cross to the intercom. "Yes Sam, please tell Mr. Desmond that I will be down momentarily." She said in a stilted voice. Opening the closet, she pulled out her black satin-lined wool-evening coat. As she waited for the elevator to take her down to Erik, she questioned her acceptance of his proposition of their ill-fated match.

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Erik stood shifting from foot to foot nervously as he awaited Christine's arrival. He silently cursed his apprehension; he felt as if he was a schoolboy on his very first date. A feeling so foreign to him that he allowed a small humorless laugh escape his pursed lips.

As the elevator doors slid open, he turned to greet his fiancé. But as he looked upon her, he felt as if someone had knocked the breath from his lungs. For in all of his years of searching for only the most beautiful of women, whether it be in art or in real life, he had never seen such a vision as Christine in her pale lilac evening gown.

Christine frowned at the strange look on Erik's face.

As she crossed the lobby to approach him, Erik pulled himself from his trance. Taking her hand in his he brought it to his lips to press a kiss of such reverence on her palm that Christine felt as if he was reaching into her very soul. "Christine, you are beautiful." He complemented her simply, letting his appreciative gaze linger on her expressive eyes.

"Thank you," she said softly as he took her coat from her arm and held it out for her.

Erik gently placed her coat around her shoulders, letting his hands linger for just a moment as he savored her nearness. "Shall we go?" He inquired as he held out his elegant arm.

Christine granted him a small smile as she took his offered arm and walked at his side into the cold November night.

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A/N Next up Cara and poor Marcel. We will see the entrance of Erik's mother as well. Oh, and our poor heartbroken Raoul. Please let me know what you think in the reviews. Thanks!