A/N Thank you for the reviews. I was so happy that you all still love my story. You have no idea how happy I was to see that so many of you are enjoying my story. Well here is the next chapter, a little late that what I had said, but here none the less. Enjoy and please review because it makes the authoress really, really, really happy!

Stephanie Lynn

Ch. 18

"Erik! She is in love with you!" Bella screamed at Erik as she burst into his office.

She had been furious when she had found out Christine was in love with Erik. The idea was so preposterous in her mind and it wasn't because she thought that no one could possibly want to love Erik, it was because she was in love with Erik and no one else needed to be. This revelation only made Bella more nervous. If Erik was in love with Christine, which he was, and if she loved him as well, which she did, then it made all the more sense for them to be together and for her to get dumped and kicked to the curb.

She didn't want to lose Erik. She had come to love him in a way she had never loved before. That was a feeling she didn't want to let go and she knew he was the man she never wanted to lose.

Looking up at her, Erik could see the hint of anger and fright in her eyes. He could see that this new information upset her. She stood before him in a state of hysterics; her normally composed self was no where in sight. Just the disheveled upset looking girl stood before him and as sad as it was, it only made Erik lust for her more. He had wanted to keep mum about Christine's feeling for him in fear that she would be upset like she now was, but it seemed that the truth never stayed secret for long.

"Why are you not saying anything?" Bella asked; her voice was dangerously low.

Erik could tell she was pissed. "Because…" He hesitated.

Suddenly it dawned on Bella. "Oh my God…you already know don't you? You bastard! You knew she was in love with you and you said nothing to me."

Erik gave her a nervous smile. "My dear, aren't some things better left unsaid?"

OOOO

Erik stood in the back of the theater watching as rehearsals went along. It had been a couple of months since Bella had figured out that Christine loved him and luckily he had been able to keep her fears at bay and trust him enough to know that he had no desire to end things with her. His feelings had not changed for Christine however, but things had not gotten any better with her either.

They had kept up with the music lessons, but other than that their interaction was minuscule.

Even through all the awkwardness Erik could still say that their singing was magical. Even though she was mad at Erik, Christine still held so much passion in her voice when she sang for or with him. Maybe they were still magnificent together because they both had pent up energy and it was released while they sang. Erik wasn't really sure, but after every lesson was over Erik went and took a cold bath.

The opera would be opening in three weeks and Erik would have been the first to say that his excitement was at a record breaking high. He had known that his Don Juan Triumphant was pure genius, but this new masterpiece was…it was special. It was something so much more meaningful and that made the excitement of it more fun.

Christine was doing well in rehearsal; she was playing herself after all. Kale, the man that Erik had hired to play Raoul was also doing very well. Erik looked around the theater and smiled. Its nice to have M. Reyer here, Erik thought to himself. It defiantly feels more like home.

"Good day?" Raoul's voice asked as the man himself approached Erik.

Erik couldn't help but be surprised and it showed on his face.

"Better than most." Erik answered uncomfortably. He still was not used to Raoul being nice to him and for the last few weeks Raoul had been exceptionally pleasant towards Erik. It was not normal in any way.

"Good. That is really good." Raoul replied cheerfully.

"Raoul!" Christine's voice called to him from the stage.

Raoul looked back at Erik and grinned. 'Well, good day." He said and walked away with incredible speed.

Erik watched him walk away and couldn't help but become curious at the boy's funny behavior. He seemed happy…stupid happy. Silently walking in the direction he had seen Raoul wander off to, he followed behind the former love birds. Erik was thankful that his past as a ghost had now come in handy with him being able to follow Raoul and Christine, but this certain scenario hit a little too close to home. He remembered the last time he had followed the young couple.

Their interaction was what had sent him into a state of madness. Their "Secret Engagement", it made Erik's mind reel. But times had changed and Erik was different. Everything was different including the fact that Christine had openly admitted to everyone that she loved Erik.

He saw that they had walked all the way to Christine's dressing room and both of them had ridiculous smiles covering their faces.

"So will you meet me for dinner again?" Raoul asked.

Again? Erik thought to himself.

"Yes, just don't keep me waiting this time." She giggled as she looked into Raoul's eyes.

"Never again." He told her as he leaned down towards her face.

Erik could feel his heart sink as he watched Christine lean in towards Raoul to have their lips meet. Erik couldn't shake the feeling of déjà vu. This couldn't be happening to him again. After everything he had heard come out of Christine's mouth, her words of love. It was all nothing to him now. He was in the same exact spot he had been in almost six years prior. He wouldn't even deny the fact that his heart was burning with the most intense feeling of jealousy he'd ever felt.

This wasn't happening to him again and he would be sure of it.

OOOO

Christine smiled as she thought about Raoul as she walked into her dressing room. The last few months he had been there when she had needed him. Giving up Erik had proved to be a good thing. She had more time to spend with Chloe Ange and with Raoul there she saw what it was like to be a family. She knew that she still loved Erik, but she suddenly was feeling loved and wanted again. If Erik didn't want her then she would be with someone who did.

"Nice night?" Meg asked Christine.

"Yes, very nice indeed." Christine responded wistfully before suddenly realizing that Meg was in her dressing room. Looking over at her best friend Christine smiled in shock. "Wait! What are you doing in here?"

"Erik is busy talking with maman." Meg said looking incredibly tired as she sprawled out over the couch Christine had in her dressing room.

"What?" Christine asked surprised.

"Yes, about an hour ago Erik came to maman's and my room. He looked very mad about something. It was the same look he had at the Masquerade, the one back home in Paris. That mad yet hurt look. It was creepy. He asked if he could have a word with maman. Then she kicked me out and told me to come here." Meg explained. "You don't mind do you?" Meg asked raising her head to look at her friend.

"Of course not, Meg." Christine told her.

Christine went and sat in front of her vanity. Silently taking her earrings off, her mind began to wonder what had caused Erik to be so upset. What if he had found out about her relationship with Raoul? What would he do then, Christine asked herself.

Christine shook her head of such ridiculous thoughts. Erik wasn't her husband or her boyfriend. She certainly didn't need to ask his permission to do what she pleased. Christine decided she was going to stick to her guns; Erik couldn't and wouldn't rule her life.

O&O&OO

Erik angrily paced back and forth through his music room. Christine would be there in a few moments and he wasn't sure what he would say to her. He had gone to talk to Antoinette the night before and she had confirmed the Vicomte's and Christine's relationship. Erik was surprised at how badly the realization hurt him. He could feel the pangs of jealousy throb through every part of his body. It was a type of pain he had never felt before.

Something that was beginning to cause him some uneasiness was his state of mind. He could feel the cloak of madness sweep over him and as much as he hated thinking it he couldn't help but think that if he was a true madman, why deny his fate? But he knew he couldn't do that. The last time he had succumbed to these feelings of craziness he had ended up losing so much more than he had intended to.

He kept pacing when he heard a soft knock on the door.

"Come in." Erik said.

Christine came in to the room very blatantly avoiding eye contact with Erik. She knew he knew about her little secret.

"So lovely to see you today, Mademoiselle Daae." Erik said sweetly, but his voice was laced with an underlying tone.

"Shall we begin?" Christine asked just wanting to get the lesson out of the way.

"Oh my dear…it has already begun." Erik hissed.

Christine looked up at Erik and felt herself cower away from him. That look…it was the look of madness and she had seen it in Erik's eyes many times before. Christine suddenly realized that she was the switch to it all. She was the one who could awaken such feelings and thoughts.

"What is wrong with you?" Christine asked in a shaky voice.

"Nothing my dear. Nothing is ever wrong with poor, pitiful Erik." He replied.

Erik could see the fear in her eyes. She had always been frightened of him when he got like this. Years ago when she would leave him after an episode like such he would go and cry like a baby at his immaturity.

"You know don't you?" She asked although she already knew the answer.

"Know what?" Erik asked playing innocent.

"Stop playing this game with me Erik!" Christine cried out at him.

"Why? Is it exhausting?" he quipped back at her. "Its much like your games, is it not?"

"I play no games." She said in a low, angry voice.

The words she had spoken had caused some sort of repressed rage to waken inside him. Seeing red, Erik picked up a glass figurine that had been sitting upon a small coffee table and hurled it across the room. He hardly noticed Christine's cry of protest.

"Erik!"

"Tell me why!" He yelled at her. "After all the pain you have put me through, after all the bull shit you have said about you loving me, why are you with him again. It makes no sense. I shouldn't have believed you when you said you loved me."

Christine could feel the tears spill over, but she was mad enough to fight back. Shooting daggers at Erik with her eyes, Christine began.

"Do NOT presume to tell me my feelings. You don't and will never understand what I feel about you." Christine hissed at him.

"Then tell me why you are with him." Erik asked in a low voice, his breathing was labored.

"Because you won't be with me!" Christine shrieked. "You have cast me aside. What was I to do, Erik?" Watch you go off and marry Bella? I am so sorry if I don't have enough strength to stay alone the rest of my life."

"Look at you." Erik said. "And you wonder why I won't be with you. It's because you are still with him. He was the reason my trust in you was shattered and here you are doing it all over again. My heart is not that open to have you keep breaking it."

Christine took a deep breath; the sobs were now starting to take over her small frame. "I love you Erik, with every single fiber of my being. I have said it more that enough times. I love you and only you, but you don't love me any more. Yet you still won't let me go. So please, tell me what to do. What will make you happy? I can't keep doing this any more." She said, pleading with him to stop her pain.

Erik looked at her and felt shame over take his body. He didn't know what to do. He was so mad at her, yet he knew he had no right to be. He had made it clear that he didn't want her, but he did love her. He had always and would always love her, but she didn't know that.

"Erik, please just tell me once and for all, what the hell do you want from me?"

He looked into her tear streaked face and felt himself melt. She wanted all or nothing, there was no negotiating this. Erik, forgetting his sanity, walked over to her and crushed his lips to hers. At first she had wanted to fight him, but feeling closeness like she hadn't ever felt, she let her body mold against his.

Her kiss was like it had once been, sweet and welcoming. Erik could feel the passion that lied between the two of them radiate all around them. Erik pulled away to see tears still falling down her face, but she looked shocked.

"I love you." He said. "I always have. God Christine, I want you so badly."

Smiling at last, Christine leaned up and gave Erik another passionate kiss. Erik kissed back with as much fierceness at Christine was giving off. He didn't know where this was leading to, but he knew that where ever it was it was somewhere they were both daring enough to venture.

If you think this is the end, its not. Please review.