A while since my last update, I know. So sorry! Have not had internet for some reason :/ Also this took a little longer because i wasn't sure in which direction exactly i wanted it to go. Please let me know what you think; whether you think it fits, if you're still liking how its all going. That sort of thing.

Again, thank you to all the readers and i really appreciate you taking those extra few seconds to review. It makes my day :) And again, thank you to those reading who don't review. For a long while, i was one of those people so that's fine too.

Phanty belongs to Leroux and Lloyd Weber.


Erik was in his home; he was beneath the Opera. He was lying in his bed beneath the soft sheets of his bed chamber. He turned to his right to see his Christine beside him; lying there amid the various upholstered cushions, entwined in his velourbed spread and looking as beautiful as ever.

"Good morning." She smiled without opening her eyes. She reached out and draped a sleepy hand over his bare chest.

"Good morning." He replied, making no effort whatsoever to mask his elation. "How was your sleep?"

"Perfect." She smiled, rubbing her eyes and moving closer to him on the bed. "...Yours?"

"Perfect." He said, intentionally mirroring her answer. How could it be anything but perfect with Christine next to him?

"What time is it?" She mumbled. Erik reached for his pocket watch on the bedside table.

"Its nine o'clock. Time to get up, I think."

"Oh, but it's a Saturday! And rehearsals for Don Juan don't start until the afternoon!" She reasoned. "Let's just stay here, in bed."

"Well... perhaps we can stay a while longer."

"Yes. Let's just lie here together and never leave." She reached up and placed a kiss on his cheek. He smiled at her and kissed her deeply, leaning over her as the kiss became more passionate.

Never leave...

"I love you, Erik." She said quietly.

A loud noise tore Erik from his perfect dream and he awoke with a start. He opened his eyes to unfamiliar surroundings; he had a terrible thirst, he was shaking from the cold and the dull pain in his torso had returned. It took him a few moments to realize that he had in fact been dreaming, that he wasn't lying next to his Christine at all... He was in fact lying on a cold floor; dirt, not bedding. It didn't take long for him to remember what had happened and when the realization hit him he was once more plunged into the depths of reality and despair.

"Christine..." He mumbled. Tears began to well up in his eyes once more as he recalled with painful clarity the events of the night before. What had happened? Why had their plans gone so wrong? Did he truly deserve this? Did she? How had he condemned her to such a fate? She was an innocent. Suddenly the familiar sensation of self-loathing embraced him once more; an old friend in the solitude... Erik would gladly have taken her blow and ten more if it meant her safety. Where was she? Was she alive? The uncertainty was more torturous than anything he had ever experienced and he could do nothing to ease the torment.

A dull pain at the back of his head ravaged his thoughts and it was only when he raised his hand to inspect the damage did he realize that he was in chains.

Chains...

Chains once more...

He tugged at them; not really an attempt to free himself, more to test their strength and assure himself that he really was there... a place where he never thought he would find himself again. His hands fell back into his lap.

It hardly mattered. It hardly mattered if Christine was dead...

Was she dead?

He felt another wave of despair rising up in his chest as the image of Christine's lifeless body returned to him. It couldn't be... Surely, fate would not be so cruel. Not when he had already suffered so much. He had to know. He had to know even if what he feared was true. He needed to know if he had condemned Christine to a fate to which he had condemned so many over the years... if that were the case, he deserved to be where he was. He would gladly accept this life; a life in chains. Perhaps he never should have left them...

Erik took a deep breath. He had to contain his emotion. He could not let it get the better of him until he knew... He looked up from the manacles around his wrists to take in his surroundings. He was in a small room. The walls were that of stone; one of which he appeared to be chained to. He soon deduced that he must have been in a cellar of sorts because much of the room was in darkness and he could hear muffled footsteps overhead; something to which he was well accustomed. There was a small sliver of sunlight coming from a gap in the stone work on his right, but he could not see out of it; it was too bright and he was too far away. It was day time though... was it the same day or perhaps the next day? Both morning and afternoon sun light looked much the same and he hadn't the slightest idea whether he was facing North or South. How long had he been unconscious for? How many days had it been?

Where was Christine?!

He began to panic. If Christine was alive... and it had been days, she was in very real danger. She could be anywhere... miles away, out of the city, out of the country! It would be hopeless. And what if she had a concussion or something equally damaging.

Days.

Days without medical attention...

Suddenly, another noise sounded from above. Erik heard footsteps followed by a rattle of keys and the sound of a heavy door opening and shutting again. The footsteps drew nearer but were almost silent on the stone steps of the cellar. All too soon, the owner of said footsteps came into vision; Emile.

"Awake, I see." He said, strutting towards Erik who shot up as soon as he came into sight.

"WHERE IS SHE? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" He boomed, pulling at his chains with ferocity.

"Temper, Erik. Or we shall have to subdue you again."

"I don't care! I don't care what you do to me! Tell me where she is!" His eyes searched the darkness in desperation as Emile had slipped back into the shadows.

"You don't care what we do to you, no. But you must care what becomes of her? Your... Christine." The voice offered furtively.

The sound of her name emanating from the lips of someone so abhorrent, so utterly evil and godless was more than Erik could bear.

"So she is alive!?" He questioned desperately, pulling at his chains once more. "Please, tell me! You have to... tell me!" His voice faltered on the last few words and Emile seemed to notice.

"No... she is not alive." Emile came into vision once more, now only a foot away from him.

Erik looked at his captor in disbelief.

"Wh... What? You... Christine is... dead?"

"Or maybe she is alive." Emile added with a smirk.

"Why are you doing this? Tell me! Just tell me!" Erik dropped to his knees, utterly exhausted by the game Emile was attempting to play.

"Why am I doing this?" Emile asked. He walked up to Erik and grabbed him by the throat. "Why? You ask... How does it feel, Erik? How does it feel to know that someone you love is in danger? That someone you know could be dead." he yelled, releasing Erik and throwing a punch at his face. "Although, I suppose... not knowing whether they are alive or not is probably worse." He smirked and smoothed back his lank, black hair.

"Your father was a beast!" Erik spat up at his assailant.

"My father was the beast? My father?" Emile asked cynically. He threw a kick into Erik who was now on the ground before him. "Have you forgotten? Have you forgotten who the beast is?!" He kicked him again. "Have you forgotten why you are here? Why you were with us?"

Emile reached down and tore Erik's mask away from his face. He wore a satisfied grin as he stood up and threw it aside.

Much to his captor's disappointment, Erik was unfazed by his actions and did not break his gaze. "I had not forgotten. How could I have forgotten?" He sat up slightly. "But don't you dare compare your father to Christine! She is an innocent. She has played no part in this. If you want to hurt me, then hurt me. Me! Leave her out of this!"

"But that is how I will hurt you, Erik. I will hurt you like you hurt me. And this is how I will begin... I will leave it up to you, my old friend." He turned and walked up to the door through which he had entered. "Either Christine is dead... she will be soon. Or... she is alive and well. Knowing who I am, which do you think is more likely?" Another smug grin spread across his face.

"No! You tell me! TELL ME!" He stood up again, pulling at the chains with all his might as Emile walked up the stairs and exited the room. "EMILE! COME BACK! YOU TELL ME!" Erik had expected torture, but he had not expected this. This was far worse than anything he could have imagined. "Christine..." He whispered weakly. He was so frustrated that he fell to his knees once more and wept.


Unlike Erik, when Christine awoke she found herself in familiar surroundings. The filigreed wallpaper, the high ceilings, the stark, white linen surrounded by an extravagant four poster bed... everything. It took only a second to realize where she was; The de Chagny Estate.

"Christine!"

She looked to her left to see Raoul sitting in a chair, watching her ardently for a response and looking more disheveled and unkempt than she had ever imagined he could look.

"Raoul..." She said sleepily. She tried to sit up only to be hindered by a shooting pain in the side of her head. And with the sensation, the memories came flooding back. The fear... the pain... the anguish... Erik...

"Raoul." She repeated; her eyes welling up with tears. She tried to sit up again only to be overcome with pain once more.

"Shhh... Christine, don't try to sit up." Raoul soothed. He sat on the bed beside her and embraced her. Much to his surprise she clung to him and wept. "I was so worried, Christine. I haven't been able to rest..."

"How... How long has it been?"

"Only a day." He said, taking her hand.

"Raoul... Where is Erik?" She cried. "What happened?"

"I came as soon as I got the message. I'm so glad that you are alright."

"What? What are you talking about? Tell me where Erik is, please!" She pulled away from his embrace, the movement causing her head to throb. She reached up to touch her head and was surprised when her fingers were met with bandages. "What... happened?" She repeated.

"You were hit on the head, Christine. Those bastards... I wanted to kill them when I saw the state you were in."

"But... how did I get here? I remember... Erik and I tried to get away from them..." She gestured to her head. "The people who did this, I suppose... I can't remember anything at all afterwards!"

"I... received a letter from them." He began. "I was so worried for you since I left you both. I had been expecting a letter from you and each day that passed and I heard nothing, my anxiety grew. They... sent me a letter of ransom, all that was written in it was an amount of money and a location ... When I received their letter I was out of my mind with worry and of course, I rushed down to the meeting point. I met with an unsavory character that simply handed you over to me and took the money. I asked how he knew of me and he said that he knew of our... relationship back at the Opera." He glanced at her awkwardly and continued.

The Opera? How long had these people been watching them? How long had they been waiting for them... for him?

"I would have had them arrested but, you must understand that at the time I was out of my mind with grief. All I could think about was how it would jeopardize your safety... and... I could not get the police involved." He looked down; reluctant to speak the next few words. "...Because of... him."

Him?

"Him? Erik? They have Erik!?"

"...Yes... I believe so."

"Oh..." She held her head in her hands. "Of course they do. No... Raoul! We must do something." She grabbed the front of his shirt. "Did you see him? Was he hurt? Was he alright?"

"No..." He said. The intensity in her eyes was something which he wasn't used to. "I did not see him. When we met it was quite late at night. I knocked; the man opened the door and handed you over. It all happened very quickly."

"My God... We... have to get him out of there!" She sobbed. He could barely make out her words now. "He was... so afraid that it would happen... Oh... it's my entire fault. We have to get to them! To him before something happens!"

"Christine, you are not well enough! You barely escaped with your life!"

"But you don't understand, Raoul." She said, wiping her eyes. "These were the people who..."

"I know, Christine."

"...What?"

"I know who they are. Back at the Opera, Madame Giry told me of Erik's past... I know who they are... and, out of pity for him and... Love for you, I tried to free him. I tried. But they wouldn't have it."

"Well... you should have tried harder!" She cried.

"Christine, I offered them an obscene amount of money! The man said that he wasn't interested in that. He said that what he had was far more valuable."

"We... we have to go there!" She cried, attempting to sit up. "Do you remember where it was?"

"Of course I do." He held her gently in place. "But they would expect that... and..."

"...and what?" She stared at him intently.

"And... I expect that, if they have what they came for... they won't be residing there very much longer. They are... travelers, after all?"

"No..."

"I expect that... that's why they didn't bother hiding their whereabouts. Also, they knew that we couldn't involve the police..."

"No! We have to get to him before they leave!"

"But it is not safe for you!" He reasoned; raising his voice. "And even if it was, even if nothing happened... what could we do? Do you expect that they would just let us waltz him out of there as if it were nothing?"

Christine began to cry once more.

"I... I don't know... I don't know what to do..." She collapsed against him helplessly.

"I am sorry, Christine... I did everything I possibly could..."

"I... I have to see him, Raoul, even if that's all that I can do." She had to let him know that she was alright; that she was alive. She had to see him... surely there was something that could be done. It could not have all been for nothing? All the tribulations they had been through? Perhaps Erik had a plan and he simply needed to know that Christine was alive. She would do anything it took to save him; would give it everything she had. He would do the same for her. She knew that. "Please..." She cried, looking up at him. "I just need to see him..."

Raoul looked at her; her tear streaked cheeks and hopeful, glassy eyes were more than he could bear. He loved her... He had loved her his entire life and looking at her now, he realized that he loved her still; Now, more than ever. But her heart lay with another... and he was in danger. There was such a light inside Christine, a light which grew brighter whenever she spoke of her music. Erik was her music; he always had been and if something were to happen to him, Raoul feared that light would go out forever. That could not happen to her. Not to his Little Lotte... If there was anything he could do to ease her pain... he would do it. He took a deep breath.

"Alright." He said.

Christine looked up at him; "Alright?" She asked; a touch of hope in her voice.

"I will take you to see him. I will accompany you."

"Raoul..." Christine embraced her childhood friend. "Thank you. You... don't know what this means..."

"I do, Christine. And that is exactly why I'm doing it."

"You are too good to me." She said, touching his face affectionately. He smiled at her; the same smile she had seen on Erik many times. That of gratitude and adoration... and longing... Every second she spent in Raoul's presence served to hurt him. She knew that. And she felt as terrible as she had when she had bid him farewell outside the Opera. But she couldn't do much about it. Not when she had so much to think on.

"I know that you won't want to wait any longer than necessary, and with good reason. We don't know how much time we have. But you must eat something and you must rest... at least for a little while. In a few hours, we shall go."

"Thank you." She pulled away and smiled up at him. "I'm sorry that I never got the chance to write you... there is so much left to say..."

"I know. It is alright. There will be time."

"Yes..." She said absentmindedly.

Christine knew that it would be dangerous. She knew what these people were capable of and she was frightened to return to them after what had happened but she had no other choice. She needed to see Erik. She had to do something to help him and if she could not free him, at least she will have had a chance to say goodbye. She closed her eyes in Raoul's familiar embrace. She could not think on that. Not now. She was going to see him and that was a start.

She would see Erik and he would have a plan. He always did... didn't he?


Suspense! :0