Raoul looked at Christine as she sat on the cushion of the carriage, innocently running her tiny fingers through her whiskers. He narrowed his eyes at her. She was planning something, he knew. But what?

She always stayed at the opera house every other performance, and he was burning with curiosity about what she did while was there. Where did she go? Who did she see? He had no idea - but he was about to find out.

She paused in her work, taking a moment to look up at him when she felt his gaze on her. Why was he making the Philippe face at her? It puzzled her, but she returned to her task of cleaning her whiskers and thought no more about it.

Just like every trip to the opera with her, she wanted to go down a certain hallway. He obliged, setting her down, pretending to leave around the corner.

Christine had a spring in her step as she ran down the hall, thinking about who she was about to meet.

Raoul peeked around the corner, watching her go. Tonight he would learn his little Christine's secret!

He crept behind her at a great distance - her hearing was good, so he knew he had to stay back as much he could to avoid detection. Luckily for him, she seemed very distracted and didn't even notice that he was there.

She ran down the hallway, taking a turn here and there until she arrived at the room they had been having their lessons in recently, after having to abandon her dressing room when the rat catcher had become suspicious of the little claw marks on the bottom of the door.

She entered the room with a happy squeak. She couldn't see him, but she knew her dear angel was here somewhere.

"Erik!" she squeaked. "Erik!"

Erik appeared as if by magic, with a flourish of his little cape and a low bow - he was unmasked, just as she had requested, and it made her terribly happy that he trusted her.

"My dear Christine," he greeted her tenderly.

She beamed at him, a grin forming over his own awful face.

"A lesson tonight, a show tomorrow night, and a walk by the river the next day?" he asked.

"Of course!"

He drew her close and pressed kisses to her forehead and cheeks. Time spent with her was the best time of his life.

She sighed happily. How her maestro loved her!

Raoul peeked through the keyhole of the door, and after a moment, spotted Christine down on the floor. But what was that thing there with her? He squinted hard.

It wasn't until the odd shape reached its paws out to place on either side of Christine's face that he realized what it was - a rat.

For a brief moment fear rushed through him - rats and mice frequently fought, and this rat could easily harm Christine very badly. He nearly burst in through the door to chase the monster away, but suddenly it started licking her face.

He watched, baffled at first, but then he placed his hand over his heart, a smile spreading across his face.

Did Christine have a beau?

She looked so happy as she stood on her hind legs, she even leaned up and licked the cheek of the rat!

Raoul's smile faltered as he noticed for the first time just how ugly the rat was. It didn't have any fur! At least, none he could see. Someone with an awful sense of humor had dressed the little beast in clothing. How odd. He fervently hoped that the creature didn't pass any disgusting disease on to Christine - picturing her without her lovely fur nearly brought a despairing tear to his eye.

Erik felt he could die of happiness whenever Christine kissed him. It was like floating on a cloud, a heavenly cloud. And kissing her was just as lovely - her soft fur felt like silk against his mouth.

"Dinner is ready for us," he cleared his throat and tried to clear his mind. "I trust you are ready to eat?"

"I've been looking forward to it!"

Raoul watched in slack-jawed awe as Christine and the ugly rat chirped at each other before they both ran through a little hole in the opposite wall.

Was this why Christine always wanted to come here? Did she want to spend time with this rat?

Raoul watched the empty room for a long moment afterwards, but neither one came back. He eventually straightened up and wandered back to the auditorium in a daze.

Who was this little interloper, stealing his Christine away? How had Christine even met him? Clearly she cared about him very much, judging by her insistence of staying with him so often, if she truly was staying with the rat each she time she came here.

"Raoul, where were you?" Philippe whispered, an eyebrow raised as his brother sank into the seat next to him.

Raoul merely shook his head - he was still too lost in thought.

Didn't Christine know how much he missed her while she was away? But - what if she missed the rat just as much when she was with Raoul? His poor little Christine! If only there was a way for them all to be together all the time... Then no one would have to miss anyone!

He glanced sidelong at Philippe, who only had eyes for Sorelli up on stage. Philippe never minded too much when he brought a new pet home... And the mansion was very big, after all - they had plenty of room for a new friend.

He wasn't wild about having such an ugly animal in his care, but the poor beast couldn't help how ugly it was, and he did seem to make Christine happy... Raoul would do anything for Christine. If having that rat around would make her happy, and if it meant that she wouldn't run off in the opera house anymore, well-

Raoul might have been sitting in the audience of the opera house and staring at the story playing out on stage, but his mind was very far away, consumed with how to build a trap for a rat.