Unsure why the previous chapter was the only one that wanted to upload and not the actual Chapter 2... Let's hope this works.

Previously that same day:

Raoul had been drinking heavily. He had promised Christine that he wouldn't drink now that they were on Coney Island. Yet what the devil was he expected to do after he found out he was caught in the Phantom's noose again? He had every right to seek solace wherever it suited him. At least, that's what he kept telling himself. It was easier than listening to the inner voice inside his head.

"She knew…. She had to have known. She's like a moth to his flame. She always returns to her Angel of Music." He scoffed. "More like Angel of Death." He drank down the last of his swallow and motioned for a refill.

The bartender tried to get him to see that he already had enough. "Come on, man. Go home to your wife."

"If I wanted marital advice, I'd ask you for it. Pour me another drink."

The bartender shook his head. "Fine. As soon as my shift ends, you can be someone else's problem."

Raoul ignored him, as he took the glass and sipped the whiskey. "Home to my wife…. Is that what she is?" He paused and stared at his ring. "Am I really her husband?" He ran his hand through his hair. "Once we were…..Once we might have been but it never…I told myself, I just had to get her away from his clutches. Then we could be happy." He shook his head again.

"Then we just had to get through the wedding and all the rumors would die down and my family would stop nitpicking at every little thing and stop questioning my judgement." He took another drink from his glass.

"Then we just had to get through the pregnancy. Babies change things between a husband and wife, they said. We would soon see that it would all go back to the way it was before…. Only I'm not so sure where I wanted it to go back to exactly? The night of her debut at the Opera House? The shore when we were children? The night of Don Juan Triumphant?"

He circled the remaining liquid inside the glass. "She was always so far away, even on our wedding night…"

Raoul groaned. "Why does she love me? When did she start?" He finished his drink. "When did she stop?"

The bartender gave him his tab. "My shift is over. Time to settle up."

"My wife works here. Take it out of her pay."

"We don't do that here, buddy. Cash."

Raoul looked through his pockets and pulled out five dollars. "Enough for one more?"

"You're pathetic." He then saw his co-worker coming to relieve him. "Mac, he's all yours!"

The new bartender took the five dollars, wiped the bar down and gave Raoul a new glass with a fresh drink. Raoul toasted the previous bartender, as he saw him walk out the door.

Raoul thought about after Gustave was born and how the distance between him and Christine grew even wider. She was always putting the boy first. They were becoming more like roommates with very little in common. She wanted to talk about her day or the boy, but he didn't seem to find any interest in either topic. Soon distractions proved easier to help deal with the nagging sensation that there was always someone or more like some thing standing between them.

He remembered when he asked her for another child and to his surprise, she didn't fight him. However, after months of trying with no success, it started to seem more like a chore than an act of love. He grew impatient and cold and she…. She always appeared to be miles away even in their most intimate moments as man and wife.

And so he turned to drinking and then to gambling and occasionally other women. It wasn't about their bodies, it was about feeling needed and wanted. He hated himself when he would come home. She knew something was wrong, but she never dared to ask. Well, there was that one time…. He shut his eyes, trying to block it from his mind.

"Who is the monster now?" He motioned for another drink. "Now we have no choice but to come to this hell and work for the devil himself. I can't support anyone by a mere title anymore. Now we need the one thing I vowed I never wanted her to do again in order to survive." He threw the glass across the bar. "Damn her voice!"

"Monsieur de Chagny?"

Raoul looked up, surprised to hear someone speak to him with such courtesy. "Ms. Giry?"

"Meg. We are old friends after all." She smiled. She then called Mac over. "Can you hand me a towel?" She stopped Raoul from moving. "Don't, there's glass everywhere. You'll cut yourself."

"So what? I'd rather feel pain then…"

"Nothing at all?" She met his eyes. "I've been there, too."

He swallowed hard, obviously embarrassed. "Ms. Giry…. Meg, I'm sorry."

"It's a bar. I've seen worse." Mac handed her the towel.

"Want me to do it, Meg?" Mac then placed a cup of coffee in front of her.

"You're a dear." She looked over at Raoul. "You want a cup?" She moved one seat over, so he could join her.

He took a seat next to her, away from the mess.

"You should leave here. Take Christine and get as far away from here as you can."

"Why?"

"You can't let her sing for him again. If she does…..He'll get right back into her soul."

"We need the money." He looked away, feeling very small.

"Is it really worth risking your family over?"

"Why do you care so much about us?"

Meg sipped her coffee. "I don't. I just…..It's my turn, Monsieur. I've earned it. I can leave the hurt behind knowing I can finally take what's mine."

"Raoul."

"What?"

"Call me, Raoul."

She smiled. "I better get going. I have to rehearse."

"Meg?"

"Yes, Raoul?"

"What if we both left the hurt behind for a while?"

"I don't understand."

He smiled. "I think you do. You and I aren't needed here. Regardless of what we both do, we can't change that. If ten years couldn't help us, do you think we stand a chance now?"

Meg tried to push that thought out of her mind. "No, I can't. I have to rehearse….."

He pulled her gently back towards him. "We both always have something to do. Don't you think it's time we both did what we wanted to do for a change?"

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When Christine learned that Raoul had gone, all she could think to do was run back to the hotel and make sure that Gustave was safe.

He wouldn't take him from me. He knows that boy is my life. Raoul couldn't possibly hate me that much.

She entered her room and bolted towards Gustave's bedroom. When she found him asleep, she practically got down on her knees to thank God. It was only then that she heard Erik's voice calling out to her.

"Christine!"

She hurried out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her to not disturb her son. She met Erik by the front door. He apologized for coming in as he motioned that to the door was open.

"I tried calling after you outside but you didn't hear me. Is he alright?"

She nodded. "Yes, he's asleep. He's fine…." She closed her eyes in relief. "He doesn't know."

Erik released a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He then carefully came closer to her and touched her arm.

"Are you alright?"

She didn't know how to respond but when she saw a letter addressed to her on the piano she felt sick.

Erik felt her stiffen. "What is it?"

She motioned over to the piano and Erik saw the note.

"Do you wish to be left alone?"

She didn't answer him. Instead she walked over to the piano, picked up the letter and started to read it out loud.

"My dearest Lottie…."