Raoul followed Meg through the twisted tunnels silent until he grew tired of nothing but the sounds of their footsteps, and none of his questions being answered. "Meg what on earth is going on around here? And don't say you don't know because I know you do." She stopped, wondering how to approach this gently. But she knew that was an impossible task.

"How much has Christine told you of her past? Or more specifically her past with Erik?" Meg asked trying her best to hide the taunting look the screamed 'I know something you don't know.'

He looked at her somewhat confused and answered "She told me about how he came to be here, and how she has protected him throughout the years she has known him."

Meg turned away and let out an annoyed laugh "Figures that's all Christine would tell you."

Raoul looked at her curious to know more of his brides past. "What do you mean?" He asked "What do you know that I don't?" Meg shook her head and looked at him no longer hiding the taunting smile, but she really did regret what she had to tell him. If Christine hadn't told him by now Meg knew she would never.

"No one's perfect Viscount, not even our sweet little Christine." She said opening more questions in Raoul's mind. What did she mean? What has Christine done? What hasn't Christine told him? Meg motioned her hand telling Raoul to follow her. "We've all made mistakes. The one everyone that know of Erik tries to forget is the biggest mistake they made together."

"What do you mean?" Raoul asked somewhat relived he was finally getting some answers, but then again debated if he was ready to hear the hardcore truth.

Meg stopped and smiled looking over her shoulder to him "They were in love." She stated as sweetly as she could. But for Raoul it was as if someone had run him through with a sword right through the heart. He knew Christine had a past but he never imagined anything of that sort with Erik of all people.

"So it was a mistake that they loved each other?" Raoul forced out the question. He didn't really want to ask it but it had to be done.

Meg shook her head and said "Their love ended in a mistake." She was toying with him trying to get him to figure out for himself but it was no use. He was clueless and hopeless. He asked her again what she meant and regrettably asked what the mistake was. "Their mistake? Their mistake was that your precious Christine ended up pregnant, with his child." Raoul stood still he was thinking of the worse but never that. He felt like he was falling back into a bottomless hole. He dared not ask any more questions in fear that this true tail got worse but Meg went on. If Christine did go through with the rumored marriage he would have to know everything and she knew that Christine would never tell.

"They were seventeen." She began, a smile lit up her face as she remembered a more peaceful time. "They had been sneaking around with each other for a while, none of us have ever seen either of them so happy, and then one day he proposed to her. Naturally she said yes. It was a month or so after that Christine told us she was pregnant. She and Erik were overjoyed and we were all happy for them."

The smile disappeared and Raoul asked "What happen to the baby?" She turned away doing her best to stop the tears in her eyes.

"Christine was about four months into the pregnancy and one day we were walking around back stage, they were setting up for a show. Something went wrong with one of the lifts and a set fell on top of Christine." Meg cringed still able to hear the screams of this bride to be. "She was bed ridden for weeks. Many thought she would never dance again, but instead she lost the baby. Christine told us that she would rather never dance again than lose their child. Erik and she didn't speak for weeks. He blamed himself for what happened with her, and to this day I still think he does. After that they started fighting more and more about it. She didn't like how he blamed himself for something he had nothing to do with. Eventually they stopped seeing each other and called off the engagement. Erik thought it was for the best but she disagreed." Raoul looked at her hardly believing the story she told. He found it unlikely Christine would ever get involved with a masked madman such as Erik. But clearly he didn't know Erik as they did. Raoul was speechless. He felt he didn't know Christine anymore but then again he never really did. Raoul was finding out the hard way that Christine had an unbearable past, but he didn't understand why she never spoke of it. He didn't know her anymore and couldn't come to realize that.

Meg held back tears from the past still knowing she had little time to get Raoul out of the tunnels before Erik found them. They looked down the tunnel as they heard a noise "Erik." Meg whispered.

"What?" Raoul asked almost certain of the name she just uttered.

"Quickly come this way." Meg demanded "Hand at the level of your eye, I'm sure Christine has taught you at least that much." Raoul did as told and held his hand up to his eyes and followed her, their pace quickening. Raoul still had many questions that he was determined to get an answer to. The one thing Meg should have commanded him was to keep his mouth shut.

"If he called of the engagement then why dose he still feel for her?" Raoul asked annoying Meg and bracing himself for the answer.

"To him she is everything she has always been everything. The only reason he called off the engagement was to try and keep her safe. Everything he does is for her. Everything he writes, paints, and composes it's all for her. We are the closest thing Erik has to a family. Christine has been the most motherly than any of us." She stopped now moving to pieces of Erik's past. "Did Christine tell you who the man in the cage was?" He shook his head and Meg sighed. "That was his father. Erik lost his mother when he was only six, and she was the only one that showed him any form of kindness. She hid him from the world and its cruelness. They traveled everywhere together. To his mother he was the greatest joy anyone could possess. She was the only thing that stood in the way of him being put on display. She died and Erik's reason to fight and live left, until Christine came along and saved his life. He was kidnapped from the traveling group he had learned to call family, and taken to his father, who put him in a cage for the world to see. I told you once and I'll tell you again. You don't know us Viscount. Not any of us." Footsteps approached and Meg stepped in front of Raoul to protect him from Erik. Even though she hated Raoul and it would give her great pleasure to hand him over to Erik, she had to think of Christine.

They stood there for a moment but no one rounded the corner. Then out of nowhere a white shadow lunged at Raoul sending him back against the walls of the tunnel. "What are you doing here?" He screamed. Meg stood there trying to figure out where Joshua came from. It seemed Erik had taught both of them well when it came to lurking in the shadows.

"Raoul I believe you are familiar with Joshua." Meg said in an annoyed tone that never seemed to leave her face. Joshua quickly turned to her still having Raoul pinned on the wall.

"You brought him here? What were you thinking?" He asked angrily. She rolled her eyes at him as Raoul started to turn red from the lack of air. Joshua had been instructed by both Christine and Erik to take care of any unwanted visitors in the tunnels.

"Oh, for God sake let the boy go Joshua!" He threw Raoul aside. He began to gasp for breath as he went down on his knees listening to them argue like siblings.

"Why did you bring him in the tunnels?" Joshua demanded.

She scoffed "You really think I brought him here?" She asked annoyed at the assumption.

"Well I know for a fact Christine didn't bring him here." He replied with a smart alike tone.

She rolled her eyes at him and told him "Erik was meeting Christine." He looked at the boy then drug him to his feet, and pinned him back to the wall grabbing him by his collar so he wouldn't suffocate him this time.

"Why were you following her? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Joshua demanded. Meg grabbed his arm as they heard more footsteps coming their way.

"Josh, there's no time for this. He'll be here any second." Raoul looked confused as Joshua's grip loosened. When he released him Meg nodded to the end where the footsteps were, and where they were commanded to meet Erik. "Stay here. Do not move. Do not even make a sound." She instructed.

But the curious mind Raoul was, and one secret piling on top of the other he peered around the corner once again so no one would see him. He saw a red shadow appear down the hall in an open space. It was Erik. "Do have it?" he asked Joshua immediately. He nodded and pulled out of the satchel a small box that looked like a gift. Erik smiled as Joshua tossed it to him. It was his beloved 'Don Juan'.

"So you spoke with Christine?" Joshua asked and Erik nodded.

"I think there was a little more than talking going on." Meg added as Erik's head snapped up from the box.

He rolled his eyes "I have taught you too well little Meg." She smiled at his annoyed compliment.

Joshua looked at him and said nervously "Do…do I even want to know what she's talking about?" Erik shook his head and smiled.

"It will all be reveled in time my friend. Trust me on this. Now is everything ready upstairs?" Raoul tried his best to contain himself and not go after Erik. He wanted to know why exactly someone such as his darling Christine could fall for someone such as Erik. He wanted to know what did Christine see? What could Erik give that he could not? He could give her nothing! Raoul told himself.

"Everything is ready Erik. It will all go according to plan." Meg answered.

"Good, now Gerard should have the inspector out of the building by now. Joshua you know what you're to do, correct?" Erik asked very professional but also very hurried as if he would miss his one and only shot.

Joshua lifted his arms up as if surrendering "It's like you have no faith in me Erik." He laughed and Erik smiled and rolled his eyes. He turned to disappear in the shadows again, but before he could a small pail figure caught the corner of his eye. He smiled and knew who it was.

"Welcome to my part of the Masquerade dearest Viscount. If you hurry back you won't miss a second of it." He smiled and let out a soft menacing laugh. Raoul's eyes widened, he stiffened not able to make a move or look away. His heart dropped to his stomach and his stomach dropped to his knees. How Erik was able to vanish so quickly amazed him. Meg quickly ran to Raoul to get him out of the tunnels before Erik could even think about touching him.