Disclaimer- Sadly i do not own POTO, i just like to borrow the characters.

So here is chapter 2. Hope you enjoy. There is only one more chapter after this one, unless i write more of it.

Chapter 2

"Erik." She whispered, "Oh God, Erik."

He remained on his knees before her, prepared to beg her to marry him.

"Christine," he pleaded, "please, just think about it. You of course will follow your dreams of the opera. I would have it no other way. We would move closer to the town, where you could easily get to the opera house. I love you so much Christine, and whilst I know from your reaction that you do not feel the same for me, I am asking you to please consider my proposal. You would want for nothing my dear. Anything you could possibly want would instantly be yours. I would shower you with jewels. You would wear the finest gowns in all of France, and be the envy of all women."

Tears were now pouring down his face, unseen due to his mask. "Please" he finally whispered.

"Erik, please don't do this." she sobbed, tears also glistening in her beautiful blue eyes. "I can't marry you. I am so sorry, I have ….." she trailed off not sure how she could finish that sentence.

It was then that he knew. She was already promised to another, and he felt he knew exactly who that was, as he felt his heart shatter inside his chest.

"You are already engaged." He whispered. It was not a question, but a mere statement of fact. "It is Raoul isn't it?" he said, finally standing up, totally defeated.

Christine merely nodded, to which Erik replied;

"Please forgive me Christine, I know I have now ruined what must have been a perfect night for you. I hope we can put this incident behind us and never speak of it again." He was now speaking in a stiff business like tone of voice, in order to mask his unbearable pain. He then walked back through the door, through the throngs of people, and out of the ballroom, towards the other side of the house to his study where he could be alone.

When he finally reached his destination, he collapsed on his desk chair, fighting for breath as he sobbed uncontrollably. How could he ever have hoped she would marry him? He was the biggest fool in the world. Christine was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, of course she would not agree to marry a creature such as him. He reached for the bottle of Whiskey on the side, and proceeded to get horrifically drunk. How could he possibly have missed the signs? He was too busy falling madly in love to notice. Now that he looked back it was obvious. The looks they had given each other, the smiles, and laughs they had shared. Whist he had been falling for Christine, her and Raoul had been falling for each other, and fool that he was, blinded by love, he had failed to notice. He tore the mask from his face, and threw it aside burying his face in his hands. If he could he would tear the repulsive flesh from his face, but that would hardly make a difference. His agony was so great, that he was surprised he didn't simply die there and then.

"Oh Christine, Christine…" He cried her name over and over again, until he finally passed out in a drunken stupor.

……..

Christine was shocked at what had just happened. Erik loved her! Over the past few months when Erik taught her to sing, her feelings had grown steadily deeper for the man until she knew without shadow of a doubt that she was madly in love with him. She had been positive that he had not felt the same. Erik's declaration had come as a huge shock to her. Last week when Raoul proposed to her, she had agreed as she decided if she could not have Erik she didn't care what happened. Raoul was sweet, and she loved him in a way. He had been her best friend in childhood, and she cared for him a lot. She could do a lot worse than him. Now that she knew of Erik's feelings she knew she could never marry Raoul. Her heart belonged with Erik and always would. She had to find him, but first she had to sort everything out with Raoul. She went in search of him and found him with a group of gentlemen in the ballroom.

"Raoul, I need to talk to you"

"Christine, come here, where have you been? You must sing for us. I have just been telling everyone what an exquisite voice you have"

Raoul, no. I need to talk with you urgently."

"Ok Christine, come with me."

She followed him out onto the balcony where Erik had proposed. She felt her heart clench at being in the place where her beloved had proposed to her, and of her rejection.

"What is it my darling"

Raul, I am so sorry. I don't know how to say this, but I have to end our engagement."

"What."

Oh Raoul, I am so sorry. But I am in love with someone else. Erik proposed to me tonight. He said he loved me, and I love him to." she sobbed. "I love you too Raoul, but not in the same way I love Erik. I had no idea until tonight that he felt the same for me, and that is why I accepted your proposal. Oh Raoul, I am so sorry, and I hope I have not caused you too much pain."

"Christine, it's ok." Raoul steadied her shaking form, by placing his hands on her arms. "Did you think I did not notice the way you looked at each other. I have known for a long time how deeply you feel for each other. Whilst I love you very much, I feel that Erik deserves you far more than I do. The way I feel you is very much the way you feel for me. I love you as my best friend, and whilst I would be honored to be your husband, you deserve to love and be loved with all your heart. We both know our marriage would have been one of convenience more than anything else. You must go and find Erik, and do it quickly. If he loves you anywhere near as much as I think he does, then he may do something very stupid.

"What do you mean?"

"Just go Christine, and hurry. I wish you and Erik all the happiness in the world."

"Thank you Raoul" and she kissed him on the cheek before hurrying off to find her beloved.

"As she ran she realized she knew exactly what Raoul meant" If she had found out Erik was in love with another, and that she had to see him with her all the time, she would rather die."

"Oh Erik," she cried, "I'm coming my love, I love you so much my angel!"

She ran all around the house looking for him. Oh where could he be? She was frantic as she hurtled into the music room.

"Oh Erik where are you!" by now she was terrified. What if Raoul was right? What if he had done something stupid? She could not bear it if she lost him now. Now she had discovered the truth of his feelings.

She collapsed on the piano chair, deciding that remaining in the same place may be a good idea. Erik may decide to come to the music room, where she would be waiting for him ready to declare her love for him and beg him to take her back.

She buried her face in her hands, and wept out her sorrow. Why didn't she make him stay as soon as he had proposed? Make him understand that she loved him too, that she had only agreed to marry Raoul, as she thought he didn't love her. Her shock at Erik's proposal had been too much for her. She hadn't known what to say. Eventually she fell asleep, her face buried in her arms leaning on the piano top.

………………

Erik awoke his head pounding.

"What the…"

Then it all came flooding back. His proposal to Christine, and her rejection. He felt the pain wash over him, and his heart break once more.

He would have to leave. There was no way he could stay around here anymore. To see his beloved in the arms of another man was more than he could bear. He knew he would rather die a million deaths than see her with anyone else. However, he knew he would also die of the pain that would come with not seeing her again, not hearing her voice again.

He stood up, and moved out of the study towards him bed chamber. He would have to leave and now was a better time than any.

An hour later he was in a carriage taking him to another house he owned across the country. It would take him many hours to get there, but he didn't care. This place was somewhere even more remote than stone heath. No one would ever find him there. The skeleton staff who worked there would be the only people who knew he was alive. Never would he see anyone else ever again. He knew he was going there to die. Without Christine he was nothing. He knew he would always love her, and he would die with the knowledge that his beloved was happy. Even though it caused him more pain than he could possibly imagine, Christine was happy, and that was all that mattered.

………….

Christine woke with a start. Her arms where cramped and her hair was a mess. Why was she in Erik's music room? And then she remembered.

"Oh dear lord" she cried "I must find Erik."

She stumbled out of the room and down the corridor. It was still early, as the sun was only just rising over the horizon. She bumped into Joseph Erik's butler as she turned the corner

"Joseph, do you know where Erik is. I must find him immediately."

"Mademoiselle Daae, M. Carrier left over an hour ago. He said he was never coming back here, and that if I was to see you I was to tell you that you were not to try to find him. He said that he gives you his blessing about your engagement to the viscount and that he wishes you all the happiness in the world"

"No!!" she cried. "Joseph, I must find him. I need you to tell me where he has gone. I love him, and he loves me. He thinks I am engaged to Raoul. Well I was, but I'm not any more. I love Erik!"

"Mademoiselle, I was told not to tell you where he went"

"Joseph you don't understand. He thinks I don't love him! If he knew how I felt, then everything would be different. You have to tell me, please!" by now she was in floods of tears, she was so hysterical she was barely able to breathe.

"Calm down my dear, its ok. I must know if you truly love him. Erik has been through a lot in his life. The last thing he needs is to have his heart broken once more."

"What have I just been telling you? I love him! I have to find him. Please tell me where he is. If he knew how I felt about him all this could be different."

"Ok, mademoiselle I will prepare a carriage to take you there. Are you sure you want to though. It is a good few hours away"

"I would walk the whole way over hot coals if I had to! Now please take me to him!"

Soon she was hurtling her was across the French countryside on her way to Erik. She could not wait until she was in his arms. She needed to see him. What if he didn't believe in her love? What if he thought she was a gold digger and had only come back to him because of his wealth? She could not bear the thought of it. She would go down on her knees before him and beg him to take her back if she had to. She would make him believe in her love, and that the only reason she had agreed to marry Raoul had been because she thought she could never have him.

What seemed like an eternity later, she finally arrived at a huge house miles away from any sort of civilization. If she had thought the house Erik had owned near Paris was big it was nothing compared to this one. It was like a gothic castle, a deep black colour, the building seemed to loom out of the darkness. She could not bear the thought of her beloved in such a place, all alone, and shut off from the world.

She leapt from the carriage before it had stopped and ran to the door, pounding on it.

"Erik!" she cried "Erik I know you are in there. I love you my darling!" Please come out, please Erik….!

The door creaked open and an old woman stood there looking very angry indeed

"What is the meaning of this girl? Be gone. We do not tolerate beggars here. Go now before I make you"

"Where is Erik!" she cried. "I know he is here. You must take me to him."

"The master will see no one. He gave me strict instructions to let no one in. leave now!"

"No! I am not going anywhere. I have to see him." realizing this woman was not going to let her anywhere near Erik, she shoved past her to go in search of him herself.

"Oy! Come back here this instant girl! The master will not be pleased at this! Do you have any idea what you are doing?"

Christine ran up the first flight of stairs she saw, franticly searching. Then she heard the music. It was the most beautiful sound she had ever heard, but it also held a pain so immense it made fresh tears come pouring from her eyes and she knew it came from her beloved. She hurried after the music, stumbling down corridor after corridor, and g terribly lost in the process. Eventually she found the room where the music was coming from, and she burst thought the door, where she knew her darling Erik was.

AN-I told you it was soppy! If you think this is bad, just wait for chapter 3! As I said before this was all written in one go, with no plot. If it's really bad, then i can do better, and my new story will have plot as well as the romance.

Oh! i also love reviews. (hint hint)