Hey everyone thanks for the reviews. Enjoy the latest chapter of the story…..

"You don't have to lie to me anymore, Nadir told me that you and my mother once loved each other. Well he didn't tell me, I was hiding behind a door when I heard him talking about you and my mother. What happened to that Monsieur Kire?"

At that moment he was put on the spot and didn't know what to say to the small girl who was anxious to know about he and Christine's love for one another. At that moment he knew that he couldn't tell her the truth about them still being together in love. At that moment Erik's life was put on the spot.

Erik swallowed hard and looked at his daughter.

"Your mother and me had a disagreement."

"About what?"

God how Erik wished she wouldn't have gone this far into the conversation but he had to say something. He quickly thought of a time where he and Christine argued and tried to remember one of the many reasons why. He had never broken up with her to begin with so it was kind of hard to pick a reason on why he and Christine would have ever done such a thing. A reason……oh there were so many to choose from but the thing was choosing the one good enough for Clorinda to believe.

"Can I tell you something if you keep it to yourself?"

"Of course Monsieur."

"I really don't have any clue on why your mother and I stopped loving each other."

"Then why don't you go back to her? I'm sure she'll forgive you for what ever reason it was. She loves you, she cries for you in her sleep."

"Now that is enough Clorinda."

"I won't stop until I know that you are happy. Right now I know that you're not happy."

"Come on, let us go do something to get our minds off this."

Erik put on his cloak and gloves while Clorinda slipped on her scarf.

"Where are we going?"

"Now that's the surprise."

Clorinda followed Erik outside to the snowy, icy streets of Paris. There wasn't anyone around because of how cold it was. Erik kept a close eye on his daughter as he led her down the block. The wind gust was very high, blowing snow and sleet into their faces. Once Erik and Clorinda got to their destination which was the frozen pond in the park Clorinda looked around the area confused.

"What are we doing here?"

Erik opened his cloak and took out four small blades and motioned her to sit down on the bench. Clorinda had a seat on the cold surface of the bench and watched Erik take each of her feet and hook one of the blades to the bottoms of her shoes.

"Monsieur Kire, what are you doing?"

"It's time that I taught you something other than music."

Erik then did the same to his shoes and then stood up. When he motioned Clorinda to stand up she staggered to her feet and grabbed onto Erik's cloak as she tried to get her balance.

"I can't stand."

"You must balance yourself."

"How?"

Erik stood her up straight and took her hand and guided her to the frozen ice.

"I don't want to go on the ice. What if it cracks? I could fall in."

Erik skated out onto the ice making a few rounds as his cloak blew in the wind. He then stood out in the middle to show her that the ice was completely frozen.

"Come child, if the ice can hold a full grown man like me it surly can hold the weight of a small child."

Clorinda stepped out onto the ice and as soon as she tried to move she fell onto the cold surface. Erik quickly skated to her and got her to her feet.

"Are you alright?"

"I don't want to do this anymore. I want to go home."

Erik held onto her hand and guided her across the pond.

"You don't want to do it because you don't know how."

"Don't let go of me Monsieur."

"I would never do such a thing."

Erik and her skated around the pond, lifting Clorinda high over his head once in a while. In delight, Clorinda lifted her arms over her head and laughed as Erik spun her high over his head.

"I'm a ballerina now!"

"Would you like to lift me next?"

Erik couldn't help himself from saying such a thing. He was having so much fun spending time with his little girl. Clorinda laughed at such spoken nonsense.

"You know that I could never lift you up Monsieur Kire."

Erik then put his daughter back down onto the ice and watched her glide off by herself.

"You're doing great Clorinda."

"I think I'm going to fall."

"Nonsense, you're doing fine."

As Erik stood there watching his daughter skate he felt something cold and hard hit him in the face and saw his mask slide across the ice. He immediately covered his distorted flesh with his hand and looked over to see Philippe holding a handful of snow. Clorinda immediately came to Erik's defense.

"Go away and leave us alone."

Philippe molded the handful of snow into a ball and chucked it at Clorinda, hitting her in the face and causing her to fall on the ice.

"You're not so tuff now are you."

Erik skated over to his mask and slipped it over his face before skating over to Philippe.

"If you know what's best you better leave us be."

Philippe got into Erik's face and pushed him aside.

"I aim to kill you ."

Just then Philippe took out his gun and pressed the barrel into Erik's chest.

"One move and I will pull this trigger."

"What do you want?"

"I don't have the slightest clue other than to kill you."

"Then go ahead and pull the trigger."

Philippe laughed and pulled away his gun.

"Consider this a warning for what is to come. I'm going to personally cut you up into a million pieces and put you on display in the opera house."

Erik skated away from him, and picked up his daughter.

"Go sit on the bench and take off your skates."

Once Clorinda walked over to the bench, Erik got back into Philippe's face.

"Here's a warning for you, if you ever touch my daughter ever again I swear I won't hesitate to cut that stupid smile off your face."

Erik then slipped off his skates and walked away with Clorinda. As they walked back towards the opera house, Clorinda looked up at Erik and broke the silence.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes I'm fine."

"Really? Because you don't look ok."

"I'm fine."

"Well I'm cold."

Erik looked down at Clorinda and noticed her shivering. Without thinking, he immediately scooped her up into his cloak covered arms, and held her close to his body. Once they got back to the opera house Erik sat her down on the pillows that were spread out on the floor of his lair and wrapped a blanket around her. He then placed a pot of tea over the fire and had a seat next to Clorinda.

"Are you warm now?"

Clorinda pulled the blankets closer to her and smiled.

"Yes, thank you. Are you warm?"

"Not quiet yet."

Clorinda then crawled over to Erik and sat in his lap and wrapped the blanket around them both.

"Can I ask something of you?"

"Yes, what my dear?"

"Show me your face."

Erik couldn't believe that she had asked such a thing of him.

"No Clorinda, I can't. I would do anything for you but sadly enough that is the one thing I cannot do."

"If my mother can smile upon your face then so can I."

"You are too young to see such horror."

Clorinda hugged Erik and pulled the blankets closer to them.

"Is Philippe ever going to come back?"

"I'm sure he will my dear."

"I wish I could move away from Paris."

"Really my dear? And where on earth would you go?"

"Far from here, somewhere that you and I could be safe to walk around without being harassed."

"It's ok Clorinda, everything is going to be fine."

Clorinda then closed her eyes, and Erik lied her down on the pillows and covered her up. Skating had tired her out and Erik decided to let her sleep and go visit Christine. It had began to get dark out and Erik quietly crept through the halls and entered Christine's dressing room to find her resting. He approached her bedside and squeezed her hand.

"My dearest Christine, If you don't mind I'd like to

Join you by your side where I can gaze into your eyes.

And sit together now and forever for it is plain as anyone can see

We're truly meant to be…."

"That was beautiful Erik."

"Ever since the first day you became sick I have missed you my dear."

"I'm going to be ok Erik."

"I miss you my angel."

"I shall be fine my love."

Erik touched her hand and kissed it lightly.

"Sweet dreams my love."

"Goodnight angel."

With that Erik tucked his angel in for the night and left the room to return to his lair. Once he arrived, he noticed that his daughter was fast asleep on the pillows that were on the floor. He re tucked her in for the night, and turned to his chambers to go to bed. The last thing he did before he shut his eyes was blow out the candle by his bed and lie down. Later on that night, Clorinda awoke from a nightmare about her mother dying. How badly she wanted someone to hold her close but didn't want to wake Erik up from his sleep. She knew that she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep until she knew that her mother was still alive so jumped into Erik's gondola and floated to the other side to go to her mother's room.

In her room, Christine lied wide awake. All she could think about was her sweet Erik and when she would be able to re join him in his lair. When she heard the door opening she thought that her Erik was the one entering to rejoin her at her bedside. She couldn't see anything because of how dark the room was but lied her head against her pillow waiting for Erik's gentle touch to sooth her to sleep. When she felt a hand begin to touch her she knew right away that it wasn't the touch of her angel of music. Christine gasped and rolled over to see the shadow of a man standing over her bed.

"What do you want!"

Once a candle was lit, Christine stared up into the haunting face of Philippe. He stood there dressed in his jacket and was swinging a small skeleton key around his finger.

"This is a funny situation my dear. It's not every night that I see you without your monster at your side."

"Erik is not a monster and I belong to him so leave."

"Not now my dear. Didn't you remember that little will of Raoul's"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Philippe smiled and took out a folded piece of paper and held it in front of him.

"I thought you would say something like this so I kept Raoul's will. It states that "I Raoul De Changy leave my dearest Christine to you. Take care of her and give her what I couldn't…a family, love and a husband."

"I'm not a piece of merchandise that can be just given to you Philippe."

Philippe shook his head and placed the will back into his jacket.

"No but now that we're alone I think it's time that you pay up what is owed to me."

Philippe then walked over to the door and locked it with the key.

"There, I don't think we will be disturbed now."

"Philippe? What are you doing?"

At that moment, Philippe walked over to Christine's bedside and took off his jacket. He then took out his scarf and reached out to touch Christine when she began to scream. Quickly Philippe wrapped the scarf around her mouth, cutting off any screams coming from her.

"That aught to keep you quiet."

Christine began to cry as Philippe climbed onto the bed and held her down as he began to remove her clothes. Christine tried to fight off Philippe but she couldn't even move her legs which were pinned down by his thighs. He was way to heavy and tough to fight off when healthy let alone when terribly sick.

"Now stop fusing, you're only going to make this harder than it already is I wouldn't want to hurt you my dear angel."

How badly Christine wanted to kick Philippe for even calling her angel. Only Erik was able to call her that and no one else. At that moment, Philippe got her night gown off, and held her down as he began to make love to her. Christine cried as she felt him enter her, she belonged to Erik and no one else. She had once made love to Raoul but only once other than that she had only ever given herself to Erik. Everything felt all wrong on her, making love to the Viscount was painful and beyond fighting off. All she wanted to do at that moment was to be in her love's arms and not being pinned down on the bed in her dressing room.

"You like that don't you? Take it like a woman Christine."

Christine tried to scream but couldn't because of the red scarf that was wrapped tightly around her mouth cutting off all the cries building up in her throat. She had once met up with Erik after an opera and untied his scarf and ran it around his trousers and waist to seduce the both of them into a cold winter's evening of making love till dawn. That had been one of the best nights with Erik she had ever had but not now, now was full of pain and suffering she had never thought she'd have to go through.

Once the Gondola hit the shore of the stone stairway of the opera halls Clorinda climbed out of and walked up to the hallways. The halls were dark and quiet except for a small light that was coming from under her mother's doorway. Clorinda approached the door, and jiggled the handle of the door but couldn't open it. The door was locked and it was at that moment she realized that something was wrong for her mother never locked the door. She listened closely and heard a small grunting coming from inside. Clorinda then got down on her knees, and looked under the doorway to peak inside the room. When she did, what she saw brought tears to her eyes. There on the bed was Philippe under the covers holding her mother down as he was doing something that she wasn't sure of. She had never seen such pain in her mother's eyes before and there was no way of stopping it. She heard Philippe yell out cruel words to her as he continued to do what ever it was he was doing to her. Once her eyes could no longer take in such images, she ran off down the halls as fast as she could with tears in her eyes.

Once Philippe had finished, he untied the scarf from around Christine's mouth and began to put his clothes back on. Before he left the room, he turned to Christine's sobbing body.

"If you ever tell anyone or Erik, I won't hesitate on shooting him personally."

With that he left Christine lying there on her bed to sob over the events that had just taken place. The next morning, Erik awoke and walked over to his bathing area of his lair and took off his mask so that he could wash his distorted flesh. Once he had ran the cloth over his face a few times he re placed the mask back over the right side of his face. He then walked towards his organ to still find Clorinda asleep on the pillows. He found it unusual to find her asleep as late in the morning as it was. He gently touched her shoulder, and saw her open her eyes to glance at him but then re close them seconds later.

"Clorinda, it's getting late, come we shall practice the violin together."

"No, just leave me alone."

"Are you ok?"

"I don't feel well, just leave me be."

Erik felt her head, and as he did Clorinda pulled the covers over her and shouted at him.

"I said leave me alone!"

Erik didn't know what had come over her to yell at him.

"I'm going to go see your mother, would you like to come?"

"No, just go away!"

Erik put on his cloak, and then wanted to tuck her in but instead just left Clorinda to rest in peace. He jumped into his gondola and pushed himself through the murky waters of the opera house until he docked and walked through the halls to get to Christine's room. Before he got the chance to reach her room, Meg stopped him.

"Erik, please may I talk to you?"

Erik kindly stopped and nodded.

"There's something wrong with Christine."

"What do you mean?"

"I went into visit her this morning and she wouldn't talk to me. All she did was cry and lie there ignoring me."

"You're her best friend, why on earth would she do such a thing?"

"I don't know, did something happen to her in the last few days?"

Erik pondered a second and shook his head.

"No Nadir gave her the vaccine yesterday so she should be getting better if anything."

"Please cheer her up."

"She's always happy to see me little Meg."

With that Erik walked to Christine's door and entered to see her lying in the bed wide awake with her head faced towards the window watching the birds fly by. Erik approached her bedside and kissed her forehead when he noticed that she didn't flinch or react to it at all. Once Erik had a seat at her bedside, she kept her face turned away from him never even looking at Erik's masked face.

"Christine, is something wrong?"

Christine didn't answer him and kept looking lifelessly out the window.

"Christine, are you feeling alright? Meg tried to talk to you this morning but you didn't say a word to her."

Once again Christine didn't answer him and kept her focus on the window.

"Clorinda yelled at me this morning, and for what I don't know."

When Christine didn't answer him, Erik walked over to the other side of the bed and got close to her face.

"I know that you can hear me Christine, please don't do this to me. If I did something to make you mad then tell me. I love you my angel and don't want to see you lying here like a vegetable."

Christine couldn't help but cry and watched his hand come and wipe them away.

"Oh Christine, please don't make me sit here and cry with you."

Erik put his hand around her neck gently, and she came and pushed him away.

"Don't touch me."

Erik began to cry, and pounded his fists into the mattress.

"Clorinda yelled the same thing to me today Christine….oh Christine what's wrong? Please tell me what is wrong. How is it possible that I go to bed happy and wake up with everyone around me showing such hate?"

"I don't want to be in this room any longer Erik." cried Christine

Erik held onto her hand and kissed it as the tears from him soaked into her skin.

"Yes my angel, anything that you want is my command."

"I want to be with you in the lair."

Just then Nadir entered carrying a cup of cough syrup.

"Erik, how nice to see you here."

"I'm taking Christine down to my lair with me Nadir."

Nadir gave Christine the medicine and looked at him.

"I don't think that it's a great idea. She needs to recover."

"Please Nadir let me go with Erik to his lair."

Nadir took away the cup and gave her a confused look.

"Why so sudden?"

"Because I hate being left alone at night, just please let me stay with Erik."

Nadir sighed and nodded.

"I shall come check up on you every few days Christine."

With that, Erik scooped Christine up in his arms and walked to his gondola and sat Christine down in it. When they reached the lair, Erik carried Christine over to his bed and lied her down in the comfy blankets and pillows. As he was making her comfortable, he noticed a few bruises on her legs. He gently ran his fingers over them and looked at her.

"Christine, where did you get these bruises from?"

"It was from a dancing accident during rehearsal the other day."

"They look new."

"I've been in bed the past couple of days, where else could I have gotten them from?"

Erik ran his fingers over the bruises once more and covered her up. Before he could leave, Christine grasped his hand and pulled him back to her.

"Don't leave me."

Erik just couldn't understand what had come over her. He lied next to her, and wrapped his arms around her trembling body.

"Christine, you know you can tell me anything. Is there something that you want to tell me?"

"No, I'm just not feeling well."

Erik kissed her brown curls and got to his feet.

"I shall be just over across the room my love."

"Erik?"

"Yes my angel?"

"I love you."

Erik smiled, and was about to pull down the privacy drapes when Christine stopped him.

"No Erik, please don't leave me in the darkness."

Erik nodded, and walked over to his organ to work on his music. He looked over at Clorinda who was sobbing as she lied on the pillows. He just couldn't understand what was going on between Christine and his daughter. They were both fine the day before and then when he woke up they both became depressed zombies. He had to do something to at least get Clorinda in a good mood.

"Clorinda?"

Clorinda just rolled over and pulled the covers tighter over her head.

"Clorinda, come I shall teach you the organ."

When Clorinda didn't move, Erik realized that something truly was wrong. How on earth could she have begged him day after day to play the organ and now turn away the chance when he asked her to play it. Something wasn't right and Erik was truly worried about his love and his daughter……

More to come soon…..please R&R