Once again it's raining outside and I can't go out so what better way to spend a rainy afternoon than to write another chapter. Enjoy and don't forget to R&R thanks…..I hope everyone is enjoying the new plot.

Late that night, Christine awoke out of a horrible dream. She had dreamt about Erik being swept away in a terrible fire and couldn't save him. Christine closed her eyes again, and rolled over to wrap her arms around Erik's soothing body when her arms hit the mattress. Christine opened her eyes, to see a huge vacant space beside her instead of Erik's warm body. Christine rose to her feet, and walked to the bathroom area of the room to see Erik standing over a basin of water with his hand over his distorted skin.

"Erik?"

"Oh Christine….go away, please."

"Erik what's wrong?"

Christine approached Erik, and looked at him, his chest being the first thing she noticed about him. His flesh was all inflamed with red spots covering every part of his chest. Christine then lowered his hand from his distorted flesh to notice inflammation and spots all over his face as well.

"Erik, you look terrible."

Tears were forming in Erik's eyes. It was as if he didn't know what was happening to his body. Christine immediately grabbed a damp cloth, and began to dab the spots on his face.

"What's wrong with me Christine? Look at me."

"Shh…Erik it will be ok. You've got an infection from being out in the cold with no shirt on."

Christine helped Erik back to bed, and lied him down before covering him up with the blankets.

"Oh Christine, why was I born?"

Christine crawled in bed beside Erik, and held him in her arms.

"Angel don't speak like that. Where would I be if you were never born? Just get some rest and I'm sure you'll be all better in the morning."

"Can I ask you something Christine?"

"Yes angel, anything."

"Where would you be if I was never born?"

Christine ran her fingers through Erik's soft hair and lied down to face him in the darkness.

"I would be no one with out you Erik, you inspired my voice and taught me how to sing. Without you I would probably be still at the opera house and in an abusive relationship with Raoul. I'm glad you came into my life Angel, without you my life it just couldn't be lived."

"Oh Christine I love you so….so much."

Christine tucked Erik in beneath the blankets and watched him close his eyes once more.

"Get some sleep Angel, you have a busy day tomorrow."

Christine waited until Erik was fully asleep before wrapping her arms around him and falling asleep beside him. Early the next morning, Christine awoke and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before silently rising out of bed. She glanced over at Erik's body to notice that he was still sleeping peacefully. Christine walked over to the fire place, and placed a kettle of water on the stove to get hot enough to make some tea. Moments later, she spotted Clorinda out of the corner of her eye walking towards her bed chamber. Christine quickly but silently grabbed her arm and motioned Clorinda to be quiet.

"Don't go in there Clorinda."

"Why not Mother?"

"Monsieur Kire isn't feeling well and he finally got to sleep a few hours ago."

"Is he ok?"

"Yes, but he needs his sleep so we need not to disturb him."

Christine carried Clorinda to the dining table and sat her down. Christine then poured herself a cup of tea and had a seat across from Clorinda, blowing on her cup before taking a sip of the hot liquid.

"Mother, may I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"You always have bad luck with guys so instead of hurting yourself all those times, how come you've never just loved Monsieur Kire?"

"People make mistakes Clorinda, and if I could change the past that would be what I would have done. Monsieur Kire has been there for me when no one else was, and that is true love."

"I feel bad for him sometimes."

"He's had a hard life Sweetheart. The world just can't see the beauty that lies deep down in his heart."

Christine then poured some tea into an empty cup and rose to walk to her bed.

"Stay here Clorinda, I'm going to see if Erik is doing alright."

Once Christine approached the side of the bed, she sat the hot cup of tea down and touched Erik's fore head with her soft hand. To her surprise he was burning up and the spots he had the night before were now more noticeable and looked very discomforting. She had begun to believe that maybe he had caught something more serious than she had thought from being out in that dreadful cage those many night ago. He was covered in sweat from head to toe and looked very uncomfortable. Christine began to remove his soaked trousers when she noticed something other than the spots on his leg. There on the side of his left leg was close to ten small red bite marks. She got closer to examine them and realized that they were only large enough to possibly come from maybe a flea. It then occurred to Christine that the spots weren't from being out in the cold, but a reaction from the bite marks, most likely from Erik being trapped in that filthy disgusting cage. Her father had once been bitten by a flea while digging out in the garden and looked just at Erik had looked now. He had told her that being bitten by diseased animals and bugs causes the so called Rat-Bite Fever. Everything had began to add up, Erik's pain, the spots, the fever….everything was happening because of the bites on his leg. Christine took a damp cloth from off of the nightstand and began to dab the bit marks on his leg to disinfect the his flesh. Every part of his body was covered in spots, even his knees and neck.

Erik opened his eyes ever so slowly and looked at his angel of music in such desperation. He couldn't move any joint of his body and was not only in dire pain, but also uncomfortably warm.

"Christine…..I…I.."

"Shh…don't speak Erik, you'll only tired yourself out. You're very ill, I found bite marks on your leg. Probably from being in that disgusting cage those few nights back. How on earth could I have been so stupid? I should have noticed those bite marks on you sooner."

"No…don..don't blame…..yourself….how would you have known? We were making……love the……..last time you saw me without my trousers on……you weren't supposed to be looking at …….my legs."

Christine covered Erik up, and watched him black out once more. She hated seeing him in such pain and couldn't help but to shed a few tears. She didn't know what she was going to do, tonight was going to be the first night of the freak show and Erik wouldn't be there to run it. The first thought that ran through Christine's head was to cancel it until Erik was strong enough to work it. She had tell the performers that their would be no show until Erik was feeling better. Christine through on her cloak, and walked down the hall of mirrors to get outside to let out the bad news. Once she made it to the tents where everyone resided, Christine stood up on an old soap box that was lying around and watched everyone surround her.

"I have bad news, the show won't go on tonight."

The crowd was in an up roar at that point, and Esmeralda came forward to speak to Christine.

"What do you mean? we came here to perform and that is what we must do."

"Monsieur Is sick and I can't let the show go on without him."

"What about you? couldn't you run the show tonight?"

"No, I have to stay by his side."

"Don't worry about it, we'll take care of the show and you take care of Monsieur."

Christine nodded, and walked back to her room to check on Erik. Once she approached him, she felt his fore head to feel the extreme heat of his fever. Christine soaked a cloth in the cool water that was in the basin, and lied it on his fore head to break his fever.

"Oh Erik, my poor angel."

That night, Christine stood outside in the cool air of the night and watched the crowds of people enter through the gate to witness the freak show. Curtis was standing outside collecting the money from the people wanting to come in. Erik was fast asleep letting Christine stand outside to witness the whole show going down. She had to admit, Erik sure knew how to run a show even though he wasn't even there. Christine heard the familiar moaning agony of Erik coming from inside her room. She took one last look at the crowds, and walked back to her room to get to Erik's aid. Clorinda was fast asleep, while Erik lied in agony in his bed. Christine easily touched his neck, and ran her fingers up and down his flesh to calm his agony down. The spots were still noticeable on his skin, and the fever was still hanging around. Christine lied down beside him, and held him in her arms as she whispered in his ear.

"Would you like me to sing to you my angel? I know that would make you feel better."

Erik didn't answer her, and Christine decided to sing to him so that he could get back to sleep.

"you were once my one companion, you were all that mattered.

You were once my friend and father then my world was shattered.

Wishing you were somehow here again, wishing you were somehow here….sometimes

It seems if I just dreamed some how you would be here. Wishing I could hear your voice

Again, knowing that I never would. Dreaming of you helped me to do all that I dreamed I could. Passing bells and sculpted angels……why can't the past just die. No more silent tears no more wasted years….help me say goodbye help me say goodbye."

Just then Christine heard the far distant yells of an angry crowd. She immediately lied Erik back down and ran down the hall to get outside to see everyone standing around the stage with the performers backed up against the wall. The crowd of people began to through rocks and all that they could find at the freaks as they shouted out hurtful names. Christine didn't know what to do, all she could do was stay back and watch. Seconds later, Christine stood up and shouted at the crowd.

"The Police are coming! I suggest that you leave at once."

Once the people left, the performers looked at Christine and turned their backs toward her.

"Guys, what's wrong?"

Everyone left the stage and Christine followed them to their tents.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

Everyone ignored her, and walked into their tents leaving Christine all alone. The next morning, Erik awoke to find Christine sitting in the kitchen area of the room. He still had a slight fever and was in complete agony, but forced himself to rise due to the pain in his bladder. He walked quietly over to the bathroom area and lowered his trousers to relieve himself of an urge he had held in for what seemed like days. Afterwards, he stumbled over to the table and had a seat across from Christine.

"You look terrible Erik, you should be in bed."

"I'll return in a few minutes after I get myself something to drink."

Christine rose to her feet, and approached the bottles of liquids that were sitting on the counter.

"What would you like? Water? Tea? Juice?"

"A glass of red wine will be fine Christine."

"That isn't such a great idea Erik, alcohol is more dangerous to drink when you're sick."

"Yes but it will knock me out for a few hours. Sleep is what I need and I won't get it by drinking anything else. Just do as I ask and pour me a glass of the red wine."

Christine did as she was told and poured the thick red liquid into an empty glass and handed it to him. Erik sniffed the glass of wine before taking a few sips and placing the glass down beside him.

"Tell me that I look horrible."

"What so ever do you mean?"

"Come now Christine, I look worse than a sick chicken. Spots covering my flesh and I don't even want to go into detail as to how painful they are. All I want to do is fall asleep and wake up when this night mare is over. Once I'm better I'll be able to run my show and pretend that this nightmare never happened."

Moments later, Clorinda was at the table side.

"Mother?"

"Clorinda, I'm talking to Monsieur Kire right now. I need you to run along and play until I'm finished."

"But I got something really important to tell you."

"Clorinda, what did I tell you? Go and play until I'm done talking to Monsieur Kire about the show."

"Everyone is leaving mother!"

Erik turned towards Clorinda and gave her his full attention.

"What? Leaving? Who?"

"Your workers Monsieur Kire."

Erik quickly rose to his feet and through on his cloak before hightailing it outside. Once Erik made it to the door way of his home, what he saw confused him more than it surprised him. All of his workers were heading towards the gates with everything that they had come with. He just didn't understand why? Why were they leaving when his show hadn't even begun yet? Quickly Erik ran towards the gates, and stood in front of it so they couldn't leave. Everyone had stopped and looked at Erik in such anger, wanting him to move out of the way.

"What is going on here? Why is everyone leaving?"

The head gypsy Kasdon stepped forward, and looked Erik right in the eyes with such rage.

"I think I speak for us all when I say that leaving is the best thing for us."

"Why? The show hasn't even begun yet Monsieur."

"Yes it has, and may I say that it was the worst show I had ever done in my entire life! You promised us safety and fame. Last night has hurt us Monsieur."

"Last night? What happened? I was in bed with the flue."

Curtis stepped out of the crowd, limping and carrying his small bag of belongings. He had a black eye and many cuts on his arms. He placed his bag down on the moist ground and looked up at Erik.

"They hurted us, they picked up stones and hurted us."

"What do you mean? hurted? Hurted isn't even a word."

"No protection, no safety they hurted us! Hurted Curtis, hurted his friends."

Erik then realized that the crowds of spectators had come in and threw stones at his performers.

"How did this show go one without me? Which one had started the show without me!"

Curtis picked up his bag of things, and tugged on Erik's cloak, causing him to look down at his small slung over body.

"The girl, it was the girl Monsieur. She tell us you are sick and that the show would be cancelled and then she change her mind and say the show would go on."

Erik curled his fists in anger, and looked at all of his performers.

"I had no idea that that is what happened. All I can say is that I'm sorry and that it shall never happen again. Please forgive me and let it be known that you shall be hurt no more. The show must never go on without me being in it's presents. Do not leave me, give me one last chance to prove my promise to you all. Please, one last chance is all I'm asking of you. I swear that no more rocks shall be picked up off this ground."

Moments passed, as the crowd stood there in silence. Seconds later, Erik saw them slowly turn around and begin to go back to their tents. Erik sighed in relief, and with a swoosh of his cloak, he turned and headed towards his home once more. He had a bone to pick with Christine, and made sure not to take a breath before entering his room. He was relieved to find that Clorinda wasn't around, god help him for ever letting her hear one of his and her mother's arguments. He found Christine standing over by the counter making a cup of tea and couldn't help but be angry already.

"So do you always get off on keeping things from me?"

Christine turned to him in such confusion as to what he was saying.

"What are you talking about Erik?"

"You know damn well what I mean you little vixen! When were you going to tell me that you ran the show last night? When my performers were gone?"

"Look Erik I cancelled the show last night but your little gypsy insisted that it go on."

"Go on? With out me? Christine I promised them safety! I promised them that no rocks would be thrown! They were going to leave me today Christine! Once again you pull through as the stupid little girl who doesn't think before she acts!"

"You know what Erik! They were going to leave last night if the show didn't go on! I bet they didn't tell you that did they? They were so concerned about money that if they didn't do the show they would have left! I think before I act Erik! I stayed by your sick and agonized body last night because you were in pain!"

Erik through off his cloak, and headed towards his room, ignoring the whole argument.

"You promised me you would control your temper Erik!"

Erik turned back around and headed towards her, grabbing both her shoulders with his strong hands.

"I am controlling it Christine! You make me so angry when you take matters into your own hands! While I'm busy lying on my death bed you're out making decisions without even asking me first. Now a smart girl would have asked me my opinion on that matter and I would have said no. What did you think was going to happen to them Christine? The world is a terrible place, by being with me you should know that by now!"

"Should I Erik?"

"I hate it when you play dumb with me Christine."

"When you're in a relationship Erik, it's a two way street. It can't be based on what the one person wants. I has to be about what they both want."

"Exactly, then why didn't you come to me last night? You made a decision for me, which was wrong and could have caused me my show."

Christine sighed, and looked up at Erik.

"You're right, I was stupid to go behind your back like that. I'm sorry, it won't happen again I promise."

Erik let Christine go, and walked away back to his room, where he looked at himself in the mirror and removed his mask.

"May God have mercy on the Monster who dares to pick up the first stone"

More to come soon!!