Disclaimer: I don't own the Phantom characters. But I do have the right to surprise you sometimes, don't I?

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Erik experienced a mixture of fear and rage. Raoul was approaching the Laurent carriage, with no knowledge whatsoever of who was waiting within. Should I leave? Erik wondered. Should I confront him? I have no idea what I should be doing right now! He was frustrated…he had never envisioned a meeting with the young Viscomte this way. In his visions, he had always been the one in control, and not the other way around. He found himself praying fervently under his breath for some sort of distraction or way of escape. If he were to discover me in this carriage, he would know that I live on the Laurent estate, and he would quickly discover where I am employed, and… He sighed in exasperation, knowing that everything could be lost in such a situation…including Christine. I would surely be arrested and possibly executed for my crimes. Please, Lord, help me!

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Christine watched as Raoul advanced upon the dark carriage belonging to the Laurents. Suddenly a thought dawned on her…when she had last seen the Laurent carriage, it was heading in the opposite direction as if it were leaving town, more than an hour before. What would that carriage be doing here, now? Unless…oh, God, NO! She bolted from her chair and raced out the front door of the bakery, shouting Raoul's name at the top of her lungs. He turned sharply and saw her, as she shot a panicked glance at the carriage. He seemed surprised that she would be pursuing him at all. "Please, Raoul, I…I haven't finished speaking with you yet! I don't want it to end like this! I…I haven't told you of my future plans," she said, loudly enough that she knew Erik would hear her if he were inside the carriage.

Raoul glanced between the carriage and Christine, and after a few seconds, he turned toward her, reaching for her hands. "Alright, Lotte, I will listen," he said, studying her curiously.

"Oh, thank you, Raoul!" She breathed a heavy sigh of relief and they turned back toward the bakery, with Christine shooting a quick glance over her shoulder at the carriage when Raoul was focused elsewhere. She glimpsed a very familiar hand closing the carriage curtain and knew that she had done the right thing.

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Erik stared in amazement as Christine came chasing out of the bakery, her voice shrieking unnaturally as she called out to Raoul. When he saw the way she glanced back at the carriage, he knew that she had distracted the young Viscomte for him. He heard what she said regarding telling Raoul of her "future plans," and he also knew that Meg was with her at the bakery, probably for Christine's peace of mind. At first he wasn't so certain that he shouldn't be angry, but upon analyzing the situation and praying for level-headedness, his anger cooled.

As he watched his Christine and the Viscomte walk away, he closed the carriage curtains and tapped on the roof of the carriage, directing the driver back to the church at once. It would not be wise to remain here spying and risk being discovered, he realized.

Upon arrival, he entered again through the church's side door. Father Michel was in the kitchen, humming an off-key tune. For some reason, the sound no longer bothered Erik. It now felt…comforting…to him somehow. He smiled to himself and strode to the alcove curtain, pulling it back quickly. Father Michel jerked in surprise. "Erik! Must you always startle me? I am an old man…one day my heart may not be able to stand it!"

Erik smiled at him, chuckling in a low voice. "I have to find something to do around here to keep myself entertained, you know!" He drew in a breath, as if remembering his purpose for the visit. "Father…were you able to…to find the rings?"

Father Michel chuckled. "Why, Erik, you are as anxious as a schoolboy! Yes, I have them. I hope that they will be satisfactory." He reached across the countertop and handed Erik the velvet ring boxes, gazing at him hopefully. Erik opened them and set them on the counter facing him, leaning in to study them. The rings the old priest had chosen could not have been more perfect. All were platinum bands…Erik thought that the color was much more flattering to fair skin than brash yellow gold. Christine's engagement ring boasted a single European-cut diamond in the center, flanked by seven tiny diamonds in a line down each side of the band. Erik was relieved to see that it looked nothing like the ring that Raoul had given Christine, which she had, in turn, given to him. He pensively placed a hand on his chest. He had worn that ring around his neck on a chain since the first day that Father Michel had bought him clothing and supplies. He hadn't been able to part with it. He smiled at Father Michel. "It's perfect."

Father Michel breathed a sigh of relief. "And is the wedding band what you imagined it to be?"

Erik had been so busy gazing at the large diamond that he had forgotten about Christine's wedding band, as well as his own. He picked up the middle box and nearly gasped. Her band was exactly what he had pictured: one that looked like foliage and vines interwoven, with tiny diamonds hidden at various points. It reminded him of the roses that he had given to her many times, and he hoped that she would be reminded of him every time she looked upon it. Tears sprang to his eyes, and he could not speak. Father Michel took note of it and spoke softly. "My boy, I hope this means that you are pleased." Erik could only nod. He picked up the last box and studied his own ring. It was a wide, smooth platinum band with no ornamentation, and in the very center there was a blood red, round-cut ruby, flanked by two rectangular baguette diamonds. It was striking to him and he told Father Michel as much. The old priest simply smiled and said, "It made me think of you right away when I saw it."

Erik shook his head in disbelief. "The stone is the exact color of the roses that I used to give to Christine after a performance. How did you know?"

Father Michel looked astonished. "I…I didn't."

Erik grinned. "Well…He knew. And you couldn't have chosen more perfect rings for us. Thank you, Father." Erik was so moved that he reached out and embraced the old man without a second thought. He could feel emotion welling up from deep in his belly. "I…I don't know where I would be right now…if it wasn't for you." He pulled back and fixed his watery gaze on Father Michel's face. "You are like the father I never had."

"Oh, Erik, my boy…" Father Michel began, growing emotional himself, "and I thank the Lord that though I will never marry…He has given me a son." He patted the side of Erik's face in a fatherly gesture and smiled. They were both silent for a moment until the old priest decided to change the subject. "Well, now, when are you planning to propose?"

"Soon, Father," Erik replied resolutely. "As soon as I am certain that she is ready."

Father Michel looked askance at him. "When she is ready? My boy, that young woman is in love with you. She has seen you at your worst and loves you still! How can you say that she is not ready?"

"She…she needs to marry me because she wants me, not because she is running from her former fiancé. I refuse to simply be a 'harbor of safety' for her. I want to be so much more than that. And I'm afraid that it may be too soon for her." He certainly does have a point, though, doesn't he? Erik realized.

"Oh, Erik! Now you are just being stubborn!" Father Michel chastised him. "What reason do you have to wait? Do you not love each other? Do you not both have the same faith and desire for a family? She has spoken to me of him…and of you. My boy, there is no comparison. She needs to feel safe in your arms, yes, but I know that in her eyes, you are the one for her."

Erik cocked his head. "So, she spoke to you about him…and me?" Father Michel nodded. Erik shook his head. "Well, who am I to argue with God's servant?" he chuckled heartily.

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Raoul frowned. "Christine, I would like to be happy for you, but I simply cannot be. You tell me that you plan to marry this…this man, in the near future, and you expect me to share in your joy? I don't even know how to respond to that." He shook his head in confusion.

Christine laid her hand on his. "Raoul, I told you this because I wanted you to know that I value your friendship, but there cannot be anything more between us. I fully intend to marry Erik, and I wanted to be honest with you about it."

"You will marry him, even though he deserves to be executed for his numerous crimes?" She nodded curtly, and he continued. "What if the authorities find him one day, Christine? Where will you be then? You will be left without a husband to care for you!"

She sighed pensively. "Raoul, I cannot live my life wondering if bad things are going to happen. God knows that I have had my share of tragedy. I have faith that Christ will see me through whatever may come. He has cared for me all of my life…surely He would not abandon me in a time of great need. But I do hope that you will not be a hindrance to our happiness in any way, Raoul," she frowned. "You have already shown me evidence of his past crimes, and I understand why you did it…but from now on, I must ask you to please respect my decision. I am not a child, and I now know my own heart. Just admitting the truth to myself has caused me to mature as a woman. I could not be a wife to you now, even if I wanted to be, because I have changed…I could never be a proper Viscomtess. You will surely find someone who will love you deeply and be blessed by all that you have to offer, my sweet friend." She reached out to touch his cheek, and he smiled weakly.

"I don't agree with your decision, but…," he studied her face intently, "it seems that you are quite sure of yourself. This is truly a side of you that I hadn't seen before, Lotte. I give you my word of honor that I will not hinder you in any way. But please know, Christine…that I will be here for you if you should ever need me." He looked away, his voice trembling. "I love you." He stood up to leave, and she caught his arm, rising from her seat to draw closer to him.

"Go with God, Raoul." She leaned in and kissed his cheek, resting her forehead near his temple. She pulled away to look at him, cupping his face in her hands. "Adieu, mon ami." He turned away to leave the bakery, and she wiped a few tears from her face. She glanced and nodded at Meg, who had seated herself a few tables away to give them some privacy. They both stood and left the restaurant, locking arms outside and heading for the Girys' flat.

"Are you alright, Christine?" Meg asked tenderly, watching her friend's face closely.

"I think so. I…I don't know," Christine began, tears threatening to spill from her eyes again. "I just hated to hurt him, Meg. He has loved me and I cannot return his love…and I feel truly awful for it. I just couldn't lie to him, though. I had to tell him about my plans to marry Erik. What else could I have done?" She looked at Meg expectantly, waiting for her answer.

Meg quickly realized that Christine had not meant for her question to be a rhetorical one. "Oh, Christine, you did the right thing…for everyone involved. And for some reason, I don't think he'll be back to bother you again." She smiled faintly, and Christine brightened. "I hope you're right, Meg. I just want him to find his own happiness."

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A/N: A big THANK YOU (is that big enough?) to those who took the time to review. You don't know how much your reviews encourage me! And I hope that a few of you at least, were slightly surprised by the way the "cliffie" from the last chapter turned out. I wrote this chapter several days ago, by the way, well before posting it. All of your comments regarding what you thought might happen were neat to read! Hmmm. Perhaps we should all team up and write a "choose your own adventure" book someday! LOL!