Rekindling the Music of the Night
By: K.C. Vaillancourt
Disclaimer - You know the drill…I do not own anything associated with The Phantom of the Opera and have no affiliation with ALW, Leroux, or Kay. All publicly recognizable characters, settings, and songs are the property of their respective owners. No profit is being made from this story and no copyright infringement is intended. This is purely for my enjoyment and the enjoyment of others.
Just as a quick warning I do edit all my work before I post and have people read my work but there still may be some grammar mistakes. I apologize for them in advance.
Author Note – Thank you so much to all who have taken the time to read, review, follow, or favorite my Phanfic. I love writing this story and working with these characters.
Sorry for the delay between updates. It has been a crazy couple of weeks with Alex getting out of school and our businesses being busy. This was also a surprisingly difficult chapter to write. There were certain things I wanted to happen a certain way and it took me a little while to figure out how to get there. Hopefully you'll like how it turned out.
Warning – This chapter does contain violence. I tried to keep it from getting too graphic and if it is something that makes you uncomfortable feel free to skip over these parts. I don't know what it makes me to say that while this was a hard chapter to write it was also one of the most exciting.
Raoul may seem very OOC and all over the place. As I said it is almost like he has two different people fighting for control inside him so he may seem a bit scattered and change on a dime. Think Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde especially when it comes to Christine.
Hopefully I didn't give too much away but I like to warn you. Now on with the story!
A Vengeful Vicomte
"Raoul that is an insane plan." Anton said interrupting him before he could finish. He got up and began to pace the small dining room. He wished Christine and her Phantom had never shown up here. If he was brutally honest with himself he wished he had never pushed Raoul into continuing to pursue Christine when he was ready to give up and let the Giry's go once he found out his marriage was over.
Anton had no illusions about who he was and the questionable things he did but Raoul, he was a different man than him. He was a better man than him, there was no doubt. He gave Christine the occasional beating when she stepped out of line but what man didn't. Hell if you didn't most men thought of you as weak. When Christine left he wanted to help his friend keep his reputation intact by bringing what belonged to him home. The chance to interrogate a few people through any means necessary to find her was a bonus to him. He never thought his encouragement would turn his friend into a near stranger. He didn't know how much more of Raoul's unbalanced behavior he could take.
"Not if it works." Raoul said interrupting Anton's thoughts. He tried to continue but Anton cut him off again.
"What are you going to do?" Anton asked sitting back down and trying to keep his voice down. "Strut right through the front door, as soon as they see you they will arrest you. Then there is the other obvious problem, she will never do it." Anton insisted trying to get Raoul to see reason. "The best thing we could do is leave them as they are and disappear."
"She will do anything if she wants me to keep him alive." Raoul said looking past Anton toward the wall.
Anton shook his head and sighed. "After everything we've done up until now do you honestly think she'll believe that you'd spare his life."
"You don't know her like I do. Deep down no matter who it is she wants to believe the best in everyone, if I play it right she'll do it." Raoul said.
"That may be so but we have no idea who they told they were coming here. The Surete could be on their way if they don't return." Anton pointed out.
"After all this time he is finally my prisoner." Raoul said looking at Anton. "I'm not going to waste this opportunity. They got here at dusk last night. Its morning and no one has shown up, we have those two stragglers we picked up guarding the outside. Victor and Vincent are guarding his door. We'll be alerted if anything happens."
"True." Anton said then thought of something else that sent an uncharacteristic shiver down his spine. "If he escapes he'll most likely kill us all."
Raoul couldn't hold back a laugh. "I never thought I would see the day that you were afraid of one man."
"We both know he's no ordinary man." Anton said. "He evaded an entire opera house filled with the Surete and an angry mob out for blood. He is a master of tricks, illusions, and an escape artist. Not to mention a skilled fighter from what you've told me. We still don't know for sure if he has traps set here that he can activate. This is not fear talking, it is strategic thinking. Something you seem to be lacking as time goes on."
Raoul began tapping his fingers on the table and narrowed his eyes. "It would be nice if you would decide if you trust me or not. Yesterday you said you'd do anything and follow me to the end. Today…"
"I didn't think the end would be throwing away our lives." Anton replied.
"Why do you have so little faith in me?"
"I have faith in you but when it comes to Christine your judgement is impaired worse than some of the intoxicated men I've seen in bars." Anton said.
"There's nothing wrong with my judgement." Raoul said. "Look, we have to wait here until sunset. That's when our passage will be ready right?"
Anton was caught off guard by the question. "Yes, but if you get her to do this why would we need it."
"You won't but I have no intention of staying in France. I'll disappear with her tonight and my parting gift to all of you will be your freedom." Raoul explained. "As for him, I will spare his life if Christine does what she is told. He'll eventually escape and I'll leave a few breadcrumbs for him to follow to try to keep you safe from him. What greater torture would there be then to look for his lost love for the rest of his life and never find her?"
"Very clever. I guess I should have let you finish earlier." Anton said feeling some of the doubt about his friend's stability being laid to rest. "It is a solid plan, if it works."
"It will." Raoul assured him. It has to. He finished silently. "How about we pay a visit to our clever phantom and extract some measure of retribution. After all, what's the point of having him in that room if we can't have a bit of fun? It is what you do best and I know it is your preferred form of work."
The rest of Anton's concerns immediately disappeared and he smiled as he followed Raoul out of the room patting him on the shoulder. "You know me far too well."
Erik grunted as he woke slowly and tried to get his bearings. His head was pounding causing the room to spin and making it hard for his eyes to focus. He tried to move his hands to feel the lump he was certain was protruding from his head but found he couldn't move them. He looked up and saw his hands were bound above his head attached to metal ring fastened to the ceiling. He saw his ankles were each bound to similar metal rings on the floor. He noticed there was less weight on his waist and knew the sword belt he had recovered from his lair at the opera house was gone. He looked around and saw identical metal rings throughout the room along with various whips and other instruments of torture hanging on the walls. In an instant his mind was clear and he was fully aware of where he was.
The third bedroom. He thought. The room my mother used to beat me in when I was young. "Christine." He whispered as his eyes darted around the room once more and rested on the door to his right. He was alone. He knew he heard her scream before he was knocked unconscious. Then he remembered seeing Raoul with his arms around her. "How could I have been so foolish?" He chastised himself. Raoul had gone as far as to kidnap Madame Giry and Meg resulting in Madame Giry's murder. He knew he was a far better strategist than Raoul De Chagny. How did it slip his mind that he could have had the list and be waiting for them at one of the locations on it? Not to mention they had talked to the Surete everywhere they went and each time they offered to escort them to where they were going which they always declined. Erik shook his head. He had been so distracted about returning to this house that he hadn't thought to go to them before they arrived.
He began to pull at his binds as best he could trying to free himself. He hoped that the house was in such disrepair that the wooden beam the metal ring was attached to would break. As hard as he tried the beam wouldn't give and neither would the hemp rope around his wrists and ankles. Whoever tied the knots that kept him prisoner knew exactly what to do to keep someone where they wanted. He closed his eyes and thought about Christine. Her terrified scream echoed in his mind. Was she still here? He wondered and once again pulled at his restraints as he felt fury filling him giving him additional strength. Once he was free he would find her and everyone involved in this plot would pay the ultimate price.
He narrowed his eyes when he heard the door creak as it opened. Raoul sauntered in with three men behind him. His lap dogs. Erik thought to himself. He saw the hint of a skull hilt on Raoul's waist and stopped himself from glaring at him. Raoul was wearing his sword belt. He watched as the man he assumed was Anton looked at the items on the walls as if he were a child in a toy store. He held back a smile when Anton selected a braided leather bullwhip and they walked toward him. These men were about to be severely disappointed. I've lived chained in darkness and been subjected to unspeakable pain. He thought to himself. If his mother and the gypsies couldn't break him their chances of achieving that goal were slim to say the least. He kept his face blank as he locked eyes with Raoul. He swore to himself once more he would reign hell on them when he was free and remove the smug grin from Raoul's face.
Raoul kept his eyes locked with Erik's as he walked up to him. He stood in front of him and could tell even in his current predicament Erik wasn't intimidated, which infuriated him. He reached forward and without a word ripped off his mask along with his wig throwing them to the floor revealing his true face to the other men in the room. "I thought Vincent might have gotten a bit over zealous when he knocked you out. I am glad to see that's not the case." He closed the gap between them until his face was inches away from Erik's. "You don't deserve to die a quick relatively painless death. It should be slow and immensely painful." He whispered and stood back. "I will never understand why Christine left me to go back to a grotesque monster like you."
"Where is she?" Erik asked not caring about anything else Raoul had said or done.
"My wife is none of your concern." Raoul replied.
"She's not your wife, not anymore." Erik said and this time he couldn't hold back a small grin.
Raoul took a deep breath trying to remain calm. "She will be again." He said and couldn't hold back any longer balling up his fist and punching Erik in the jaw.
Erik laughed even as he tasted the blood in his mouth. "You honestly think you've won don't you?"
Raoul looked at the men behind him and back at Erik. "I don't think you appreciate the predicament you're in."
"I think you mean that the other way around. You see, you know nothing about me M. Vicomte. Except the little bit I wanted you to know from Madame Giry six years ago." He noticed Raoul stiffen at the mention of Madame Giry. "Nothing happened at my opera house without my say so. Trust me when I say you have no concept of what I'm capable of and that you along with your lap dogs should make your peace with God." Erik finished in a low threatening tone. He knew at the moment he couldn't free himself from the rope that held him but he hoped the mere threat of him would be enough to scare some of these men away giving him more time to free himself.
Raoul turned to look at Anton and the other two men. "I think it's time we give him a taste of what we, are capable of."
Anton nodded and walked behind Erik whose face stone. He ripped open the back of Erik's shirt exposing the scars of his past. He stood back and without warning raised his arm. The silence in the room was broken by the crack of the whip ripping into Erik's flesh. His body swayed back and forth by the force of the whip. His old wounds were reopened and crimson blood began to make trails down his back as the lashes continued.
The pain was excruciating but Erik made no indication that he felt what was doing. Raoul nodded to Victor and Vincent who took their turns doling out lashes. The searing pain he felt was nothing like he had felt before as these men tortured him. This floor had been stained with his blood before. No matter how much pain they inflicted on him he refused to give these pigs the satisfaction of knowing anything they did had any effect on him. He taught himself a long time ago how to disassociate his mind from his body even under the most painful of circumstances. He took slow deep breaths and kept his mind focused on Christine. She was his strength.
"Enough." Raoul said looking at Erik.
"What have you done with Christine?" He asked in calm low voice.
"As I said before she is no longer your concern." Raoul told him. "Once we leave here tonight I will make sure you never see her again."
Still an arrogant fool Erik thought. Raoul's smugness had gotten the best of him and he gave Erik the exact information he wanted to know. Christine was still here and they wouldn't be leaving until tonight. He calculated from the way the sun was shining through the window behind him night was several hours away. "I guess it is your turn M. Vicomte, by my count you should have had at least three." Erik said and laughed when Raoul stayed where he stood. "Still the same slave of fashion you were at the opera house, a little boy pretending to be a man. Afraid to…" Raoul punched him in the jaw twice more and followed up with a jab to his abdomen. Erik still remained calm enjoying how unhinged Raoul was becoming.
"I almost forgot." Raoul said drawing Erik's gold skull hilted sword. He slashed him across the chest the same way Erik had done to him at the cemetery. "Now we're even." He said as he sheathed the sword and smiled. He had heard Erik's sharp intake of breath as the sword cut through his skin. Our clever friend is weakening. He thought to himself. "Gentlemen, continue to show our guest what well-mannered hosts we are but, be sure to keep him alive."
"You can have me tortured as much as you wish it will change nothing." Erik said as the metallic taste of his blood filled his mouth from Raoul's punches. "If everything you want comes to pass and you are remarried to Christine while I rot in a shallow grave it will change nothing."
"You think so?" Raoul asked.
"I know it." Erik replied. "Christine will be your prisoner, she will never love you. You will never understand or appreciate her. She and I share a connection you will never have with her. It's that thought that haunts you and turned you into the pathetic shell of a man you are."
"We'll see." Raoul said resisting the urge to pull his sword and plunge it through his heart. "If you'll excuse me I must go see if my wife has woken from her slumber." He grinned as he saw the anger flash in Erik's eyes. He turned around and as he left the room he heard the crack of the whip singing its sweet song once more.
Author Note – Part of this next scene is happening at the same time Erik is with Raoul and the others.
Christine slowly opened her eyes and blinked several times as they adjusted to the sunlight streaming in the room. She felt disoriented and her eyes shot around the room to get her bearings. She was in a modest sized room with a door to her left and large window to her right. Aside from the bed she was on there was only a small dresser in front of her. Her arms were above her head and when she tried to adjust herself she felt the rope tied around her wrists. As soon as she did where she was and what happened came back to her. She tried to sit up but the way her wrists were bound to the headboard made that nearly impossible. She felt her heart racing and couldn't remember a time she was this terrified in her life. She tried to take deep calming breaths as she tugged at the rope but it refused to give. "Please." She whispered to herself, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks as she continued to pull as hard as she could feeling the rope biting into her flesh.
She stopped and concentrated on breathing forcing herself to blink back her tears so she could think clearly. Why was she still here? Why wasn't she in a carriage being whisked away to some unknown destination? Where was Erik? She wondered. Was he still in the house? Was he…? Her thoughts were interrupted when she thought she heard the familiar cracking of a whip cut through the silence in the room she was in. In her current situation she wasn't sure if what she heard was real or a figment of her mind. "They could be torturing him before they…" She whispered. No. She thought shaking her head not allowing her mind to finish the thought. Then she looked down as best she could.
The way her body was situated on the bed you could make out the little bump that she was certain was their growing child. She immediately began to fight with her binds twisting her body and pushing herself toward the headboard so she was semi sitting up pulling her knees close to her body. All of her movement also untucked her blouse. She hoped what she was able to do was enough to hide her condition from her captors, if they hadn't discovered it already. She couldn't imagine what Raoul would do if he discovered she was carrying a child, not just a child, Erik's child. She looked down and couldn't help but smile. "Don't worry. Your father is smart and resourceful. He'll come for us no matter what he has to do." She said and sighed. "I know I should hold on to the hope that your father will burst through the door to save us but I have a sinking feeling things have taken an evil turn now. I don't know why I didn't see it coming or…" She stopped talking when she heard the floor outside the door creak. The door opened and Christine's heart began to pound faster hoping it would be Erik coming to their rescue. The smile on her face faded and her heart sank as she tried to back up further when she saw Raoul come into the room.
Raoul smiled when he saw Christine was awake and sat on the bed next to her. "Little Lotte, I'm happy to see you've woken from your slumber."
"Where's Erik?" Christine demanded ignoring the use of her childhood pet name and the sickly sweet kindness of his voice.
"It didn't have to come to this you know." Raoul said ignoring Christine's question and placing a hand on her leg as he looked into her eyes. "There was a time when we were happy. Don't you remember a couple weeks after…?"
Raoul and Christine walked the streets of Paris hand in hand both smiling. It had been two weeks since they left the phantom's lair. They didn't speak about what happened instead focusing on their new life together. They stopped into various shops and boutiques where Raoul bought her the most beautiful dresses and surprised her at lunch with a new diamond engagement ring.
Raoul smiled holding his head up a bit higher as people watched them pass. Christine noticed the stares but also that Raoul's grip on her hand seemed to tighten if any man stared at her longer than he liked. When they returned to his estate she expected them to go into the mansion but instead Raoul stopped and she noticed a black piece of silk in his hands. "What's that for?"
"It's a surprise." Raoul said with a grin and placed the silk over her eyes as she allowed him secure it behind her head. He took her hand and led her to the stables. They stopped in front of one of the stalls and he removed the blindfold.
A gasp escaped Christine's lips as she looked at the beautiful mare in front of her. She had a golden coat with a pure white mane and matching tail. "She's gorgeous."
"She's yours." Raoul said as he brushed a brunette curl out of her face. "Of course she doesn't hold a candle to you."
In her excitement Christine jumped into Raoul's arms and pulled him into a kiss. "What's her name?" She asked as they parted and she turned to look at her horse.
"The handler called her Cecile but you can rename her if you…"
"No." Christine said abruptly but then was silent for a moment. "It suits her. Can we take her for a ride?"
"Of course."
Christine gave Raoul a quick kiss before going into the mansion to change into proper riding clothes. When she returned to the stables their horses were ready to go. Christine mounted Cecile and her mind couldn't help but drift back to the black stallion of the…
"Christine." Raoul said pulling her out of her thoughts. "Are you ready to go?"
She pushed the memory out of her mind and smiled at her fiancé. "Yes I think so. I'll follow your lead."
After riding for a while they stopped in a field allowing the horses to rest while they sat together. Christine laid her head on Raoul's shoulder as she watched the leaves on the trees sway in the breeze. "When should we begin planning our wedding?"
"I have already begun." Raoul revealed. "My best servants are beginning to put things together and contact the proper professionals. I gave Marie a few details and she has contacted a fine seamstress who will be at the mansion near the end of the week to begin fitting you for your wedding dress. You will be the most stunning bride Paris has ever seen and our wedding will be a gala to be talked about for weeks."
"I have a few ideas about our wedding also…" Christine began.
"Leave the wedding plans to the professionals Little Lotte." Raoul interrupted kissing the top of her head. "They now all the details expected for the wedding of a Vicomte." He paused. "Don't worry, you'll learn what's expected of you soon enough."
Christine was taken aback by his smug cold answer. He didn't sound at all like the man she was reunited with the night she played the lead in Hannibal. An image of a deep red rose with a black silk ribbon tied around it formed in her mind. Raoul didn't know it was hidden among her things, he would never know. It was the only thing she had left of him, her angel. Her angel…no she thought to herself. He is not a part of my life and never will be again. At that thought she felt tears forming in her eyes and got up from the ground looking down at Raoul with a forced smile. "Race you back." Before he could answer she began to run toward Cecile.
"We can be that happy couple again." Raoul said letting the memory fade away.
Christine looked at Raoul and sighed. "I was young and had been through a traumatic ordeal that no one should ever have to go through. I didn't know it then but I was playing a part I thought I needed to play. The person everyone needed me to be instead of being true to myself. I know now I made the choice to leave with you because it was safe and sane, the only choice society would allow instead of being true to my heart." She took a deep breath. "I was never happy. We were never happy. Somewhere inside you knew that. Your happiness had nothing to do with me. You were happy you won and took me away from Erik. Then you tried to mold me into the perfect obedient high society wife. You're twisting the past, deluding yourself into thinking we were something we never were." I have the scars to prove it. She added silently. "It took me six years to find the courage and strength to allow myself to admit the truth. I love Erik with all of my heart, I always have. Part of you has to know this has gone far enough. Please Raoul, tell me where he is."
"He's around." Raoul answered barely above a whisper.
"Let me see him." Christine said feeling tears coming but holding them at bay.
"Why would you ever want to see that monster again?" Raoul asked continuing to with his kind façade even through the rage he felt at her words. He shook his head. "Christine, it is only an illusion that you love him. Somehow he has gotten into your mind once more. It is a dream, a spell he has put you under. It's time to come back to reality Little Lotte. He has made you think he's something he's not just like before. Don't you see it is better for you to be with me then a murder like him?"
"You're the murderer." Christine said looking him directly in the eyes. "Along with a drunk, an abusive pig, and…" She felt the familiar sting of the back of Raoul's hand across her cheek and tasted the blood from her freshly split lip. She tried to back up further when he placed his hand higher up her leg.
"Christine, do you see what you make me do when you get mouthy?" Raoul asked. "You know in your heart you only love him out of pity."
"That's not true." Christine said.
"I know I have done terrible things Christine, especially to you, but I can change." To Christine's surprise he began to sing. "I'm not a perfect person. There's many things I wish I didn't do. But I continue learning, I never meant to do those things to you. And so I have to say before we go. I want you to know. I've found a reason for me, to change who I used to be. A reason to start over new and that reason is you. I'm sorry that I hurt you. It's something I must live with every day. All the pain I put you through, I wish that I could take it all away. Be the one who catches all your tears, that's why I need you to hear…"
"Stop!" Christine screamed. "You can sing to me until your lungs burst but they are empty words. I love Erik with every fiber of my being and nothing will ever change that. I've seen the real you. I've lived through your beatings. You sing a convincing song but I can see in your eyes that you haven't changed at all. I will never, come back to you." She saw him lifting his hand to hit her and she tried to protect herself.
Raoul stopped himself from striking her again. He tried to be nice but could see it was going to continue to get him nowhere. "It doesn't matter. Now that I have you I am never letting you go."
"He's dead, isn't he?" Christine whispered looking away from Raoul trying desperately to hold her tears at bay. "That's why you won't let me see him."
"He's alive." Raoul said. Christine silently thanked God as he continued. "Did you think I would spare him pain with a quick death? Besides, by keeping him alive I can get everything I want."
"What do you want Raoul?" Christine asked looking back at him and trying to keep her tone even. She knew angering him further would only lead to pain and she had a child to protect.
"You and one of the gentlemen here are going to go to the local Surete so you can recant your story about Madame Giry's death. Along with your invention of Anton and I being the true phantom. You will tell them it was all Erik. That he was the one who threatened you and Rosalie into saying what you said or the rest of your loved ones would end up like Madame Giry." Raoul explained. "Once I am a free man we will leave for Dover and find a place to settle down to start a new life. We will be remarried and begin our family. Lastly, under no circumstances will you ever leave me to find Erik. You will be a loving wife and the mother of my children till death do us part."
Christine was silent as she mulled over what he said. "If I do this, you'll spare Erik's life?"
Raoul nodded. "If you play your part. I will let him live." He held back a smile as he thought of Erik searching for them to try to rescue his love.
Christine was silent as she thought about what Raoul said. He tried to mask it but she could see his intense hatred for Erik and had her doubts he wouldn't kill him. Even if he didn't she would be making Erik a hunted man once more. All she wanted to do was leap forward and strangle the man in front of her until he took his last breath but she kept herself calm. She could feel the arrogance seeping from Raoul. He thought it was over and he won. She held back a smile. She knew how she had to play this but it would have to be just right. She would only get one chance. Not to mention she would be putting herself and child in danger but she knew she had no other choice. "You win." She finally said. "I should have known better than to think we could escape you. I will do everything you want. I only ask for one thing in return and if there is a shred of the man I knew inside of you you'll honor it. Please let me see him…" She let a few stray tears escape her eyes. "One last time."
"Christine." Raoul said thinking for a moment. "I suppose honoring your request can do no harm." He got up drawing a dagger from his belt. He cut her wrists free but before she could do anything he rebound them in front of her. He leaned down before she could get up letting the cold metal of the dagger rest on her skin. "If this is some sort of trick to try and escape. I promise you, you will regret it." Christine nodded as he helped her up. He kept a tight hold on her left arm just above the wrist as he led her out of the room.
As they were walking down the short hallway Christine felt something metallic leaning against her growing bust and when she glanced down she thought she saw a hint of silver. She hid her excitement as she realized she had forgotten about the small knife Erik suggested she keep there. Raoul opened a door and led her through. Her excitement vanished immediately when she saw the others in the room. She couldn't hold back a gasped when she saw Erik hanging from the ceiling bloodied and beaten. Blood was dripping down his chest and to the floor from a diagonal slash and various small cuts in his flesh. She kept herself from trembling when she saw the growing pool of blood beneath him. She saw Anton with a whip in his hands and let her tears fall knowing that what she thought she heard earlier was the torture they were putting him through.
She saw his mask and wig on the floor along with tattered shards that used to be his shirt. She screamed when Anton lifted his arm again but it was drowned out by the crack of the whip against Erik's back. Anton looked at Christine and smiled. "It's a pleasure to see you again Miss Daae" He looked as if what was happening in the room was an everyday occurrence.
She ignored him and turned her attention to the only man in the room she cared about. "Erik." She whispered.
Relief had washed over him as soon as he saw her come into the room and he kept his eyes fixed on hers. "Christine." He whispered back trying to silently reassure her that he was ok and everything would be alright despite the pain and weakness coursing through his beaten body. Through it all he was still able to keep what he felt hidden and continued to warn them after Raoul left that they were fools for following him. All it did was sign there death warrants. He looked her over and noticed her swollen lip. You will pay for putting your hands on her. He thought. None of these fools knew it but little by little he was getting closer to freeing himself.
Without thinking Christine tried to run to him but Raoul kept a tight hold on her and pulled her back to him. "I said you could see him one last time and you have. I will even allow you to say your good-byes but since we're here how about I show you some more of the fun we have been having." He nodded to Anton who began to whip Erik again.
"No! Stop!" Christine screamed struggling in Raoul's grip but the men in the room only laughed as the crack of the whip continued to drown out her pleas. She knew it was now or never. With all the strength she had she ripped her arm out of Raoul's grip and elbowed him in the face. He stumbled back grunting in pain. She drew the knife from her corset and tried to cut herself free but with the way her hands were bound she couldn't. Instead she threw it toward Erik as Vincent was about to tackle her. She was able to jump out of his reach in time to see Erik nearly catch the knife but Victor knocked it away and it fell to the floor near Erik's feet.
"Christine run!" Erik yelled while struggling to free himself.
She was about to respond when Anton spun her around backhanding her so hard she hit the floor with a thud. She shook her head and winced in pain as blood dripped out of her mouth. Before she could figure out where it was coming from she saw three pairs of boots advancing on her out of the corner of her eye. She slid back as fast as she could hoping the door was behind her. She felt her back hit the wall and cursed under her breath when she saw the door to her left. She look up and kept herself calm as the three men came closer to her. What have I done? She thought to herself. She could only imagine what she had condemned herself to now.
"I swear if you harm…" Erik tried to say but was cut off by Raoul.
"Wait." Raoul said as he stood up continuously wiping away the blood that kept oozing from his nose. He walked in front of the three men and knelt down glaring at Christine with a murderous look in his eyes she had never seen before. She still fought to keep herself from showing any sign of the terror she felt. "I warned you not to try anything but I should have known you were lying to me you conniving snake." He took a breath. "I was being honest earlier when I promised to change for you, been the Raoul you knew as a child and given you everything."
"What is it going to take to make you understand?" Christine said. "It doesn't matter what you do. What we shared as children was the love of siblings, it's gone. I will never love you. I love Erik. We are soul mates and share a kind of love you will never comprehend. It is true love and no matter what the future holds for us he holds a piece of me that no one, not even you, can touch. Nothing will ever change that. Even if you take me from here I will never stop trying to get away from you and we will find each other."
Raoul could feel something inside him snap and he could feel that whatever was left of the good man he used to be was gone. "Very well." He stood up and nodded at the other men.
The three of them pulled Christine up from the floor and it wasn't long before her arms hung from the ceiling and her feet were secured to the floor facing Erik. They looked directly into each other's eyes and Erik could see the terror she was trying to hide. He looked away and watched as Raoul browsed the various whips on the wall. Finally he selected a leather whip with nine separate leather lashes. Erik watched Christine begin to quiver as Raoul approached her slowly. "Don't touch her!" He yelled.
Raoul turned to him with a sinister grin. After everything we've done you still show no hint of fear or pain on your face. He thought to himself. Perhaps hearing Christine scream will change that. "She brought this on herself." He turned his back on him closing the gap between himself and Christine. "You could have chosen to end your days with me..."
As Erik heard those words similar ones echoed in his mind. "Order your fine horses now! Raise up your hand to the level of your eyes! Nothing can save you now, except, perhaps, Christine...Start a new life with me. Buy his freedom with your love! Refuse me, and you send your lover to his death! This is the choice, this is the point of no return! Too late for turning back...Too late for prayers and useless pity. Past all hope of cries for help. No point in fighting, for either way you choose you cannot win. So do you end your days with me or do you send him to his grave?" Had he been this crazed? He couldn't deny he had been. He had given Christine the same insane choice. He couldn't help but feel that because of the sins of his past now she was put in that same situation again. He forced himself back to the present as Raoul continued.
"Instead you have chosen to be his whore. You both say you share a connection. Now, you will share his pain and you both can rot here, together." Raoul finished.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Anton leaning toward him speaking in a whisper. "Keep in mind we only have until sunset."
"I know." He answered. "We have plenty of time. Now go watch him. He'll work twice as hard to escape when he sees what I am going to do." Anton nodded and Raoul returned his attention to Christine. "I know you're trying to hide it but I don't think I have ever seen such fear in you. I will give you one last chance, just say the words."
Christine refused to look at Raoul staring at Erik with tears in her eyes as she spoke. "I don't care what you do to me. I will never say what you want to hear or leave Erik's side." A few tears rolled down her cheeks as she thought of the pain Erik had endured and the situation she had put their child in. She broke eye contact with Erik and looked at Raoul. "Please, let us both go and I swear to you I will get the Surete off of all your backs so you can live your lives."
Raoul stood silently in front of her pretending to consider her proposition, then let out a laugh that filled the room. Erik could see he was beyond the point of reasoning now. "If you hurt her, hell will be a vacation compared to the pain I will visit upon you."
"How are you going to stop me?" Raoul said. He slowly cut open the back of her blouse and corset exposing her bare flesh. Then he came around to face Christine. "It almost seems poetic, that pitiful creature of darkness's life began in this house and it is in this house where it will end."
"But not by your hand." Christine sneered. "You are a coward Raoul De Chagny. You allow others to do your dirty work thinking it keeps your hands clean when yours are the filthiest of them all. The day you die Lucifer will have a special place in hell waiting for…" She never got to finish as she felt the searing pain of the cat o nine tails against her back, ripping at her skin. She didn't have time to catch her breath as she felt the next lash. She looked at Erik trying to disconnect from the excruciating pain of the whip repeatedly eating at her flesh. She bit her lower lip as Raoul continued but could no longer hold it in. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she screamed out in pain. "Please…stop…Raoul…please." She begged in-between lashes but Raoul only laughed as he watched her crimson blood dripping on the floor.
"Pray I am never freed Raoul…" Erik began but felt the wind knocked out of him as Anton punched him in the chest. Murderous rage burned in him as felt renewed strength and fought harder to free himself.
Raoul stopped and stood back. Christine hung limply, sobbing. Her back felt like it was on fire and she begged the lord to make it stop. Raoul listened as Erik called to her and he knew by the desperation in his voice this was worse for him then any physical pain they could unleash on him. After all, what could be worse than watching the woman he loved more than life be tortured and there was nothing he could do to stop it? He turned and watched as Erik struggled to free himself. "I'm not a completely heartless man. There is a way for her to end her pain and yours."
"Like…I…told…you" Christine said lifting her head. "I will never willingly go with you, you self-righteous bastard."
Vincent walked up to Raoul and smiled pulling out a dagger. "If she loves him so much perhaps we should give them matching faces."
"No." Raoul said pushing his hand away. "Like all the others her scars must be hidden if she is to walk on my arm once more."
Christine's eyes widened as she watched him pull his arm back, he was aiming for her abdomen. "No, you'll hurt our baby." She cried out before she could stop herself. Everyone in the room stood stunned by her revelation. Christine looked at Erik tears still streaming down her cheeks and nodded. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to tell you this way. I…I wanted to be sure first."
Erik looked at Christine trying to process what she said and was about to speak but Raoul beat him to it. "No." He said looking at her with nothing but disgust in his eyes. He walked up to her and reached up her blouse to put his hand on her abdomen. The whip he held fell to the floor and he thought his heart stopped when he felt the small bulge. He moved his hand away and immediately slapped her across the face as he screamed. "You wouldn't carry my child but you'll have his." Christine said nothing only looking in his eyes. There was no trace of the man she knew, only the mad man in front of her. Raoul continued to scream. "You allowed that, that thing…" He pointed a finger at Erik. "To impregnate you. You are lower than the loose women you see on the street. You are nothing. I…I can never marry you again, not now. Knowing that you conceived a child not only out of wedlock but with a freak of nature like him. There is only one thing to do now." He the dagger out of his belt.
Erik immediately knew what he was going to do. "Raoul…no…I will kill you for this!"
"Don't worry. You're next." He said and looked at Christine.
"Raoul no you can't." She pleaded finding renewed strength pulling at the ropes holding her a she starred at the silver blade in his hand. "Please you're better than this."
"Tell me Christine, am I still afraid to get my hands dirty?" He whispered. "If I can't have you, no one will."
Christine screamed as he was about to plunge the dagger into her abdomen. "Raoul no!" Anton said running toward his friend and grabbing his hand as Christine maneuvered her body to the side. She winced as she felt the dagger slice the skin on her hip but was more relieved that their baby was safe.
Raoul turned on Anton. "What the hell do you care?"
"I know you're upset but you need to come back to your senses." Anton said. "Think about it. This makes your original plan even better."
"How?" Raoul asked.
Anton smiled. "What could be better than not only disappearing with Christine but with his child as well? You can take them to a place he will never find them."
"But the child…" Raoul began.
"If you truly can't handle it. Marry her as soon as possible." Anton said. "Then she can carry the child with no shame attached. When she gives birth you can get rid of it or, keep the child as leverage so she will remain obedient."
"Yes." Raoul said. "Then when she is ready she will bear a proper child. My child."
"Exactly." Anton responded relieved to see Raoul calming down.
Raoul turned to Erik who was grunting and pulling at his binds with all his might while these men came up with their plan not only to steal his fiancée but now his child. "I will live happily with the knowledge that you will spend the rest of your tortured life looking for her and your bastard child."
"No." Christine said. "He'll find me and you will never lay a hand on our child."
"I guess we'll see." Raoul said and used the dagger to cut Christine free. She fell to the floor and Anton helped Raoul pick her up retying her wrists.
"Erik!" Christine screamed looking back at him.
"Christine, I promise you, he won't get far." Erik said and pulled with everything he had left, finally he was able to free one of his hands. He quickly began to work on the other while the others were distracted. He could feel the adrenaline surging through his body pushing him forward. Christine tried to fight Raoul's hold on her but was too weak and he began to drag her toward the door. Everyone in the room froze when the door was suddenly kicked open. Raoul's eyes widened as two people he never in his wildest dreams thought he would see together entered the room.
Author Note – I realize I could have gone a completely different way with this chapter having Raoul take Christine and then having Erik race against time to rescue her and his child. As I outlined that road I realized I read a story similar to that on this site before, of course now I can't remember what the name of that story is but I didn't want to make this a redundant plot.
