Erik always had a way of making an entrance, but his exits were never this dramatic. Unfortunately the plan didn't follow through to the very last detail as Erik had played out in his mind over a thousand times by now. Gerard was very persistent when it came to the inspector and the police but this time his sliver tongue was not on his side. As Red Death issued his final warning the inspector rushed in and luckily at this moment Christine was to be found in her room instead of there watching this event unfold. The inspector had to pry has way through the crowd trying to make his way to Red Death before he disappeared again and all traces of him gone. Gerard quickly locked eyes with him and found Meg in the crowd wondering who it was that Red Death had placed his eyes on. Meg turned and saw the inspector making his way to the front. Gun in hand. Meg quickly retreated to their meeting place where she wasn't sure if she would find Christine but if so would still be ready to face her.

Erik noticed Meg was gone and the inspector was on his way. He cut his meeting short. His 'Don Juan' was delivered. His warnings were made. They all were informed he would be in charge of his production. Erik had no real further use to be there any longer. The way Erik saw it his Christine was out of the way safe somewhere awaiting his return. As the inspector drew closer the tension in the crowded room rose to a peak. Red Death showed off his magical talent with a flame that shot clear out of the floor, and with that being shot out two gunshots were heard from the crowd. The first one to clear the way and the second one aimed at Red Death.

As the smoke cleared the area Red Death was nowhere to be found. The inspector cursed under his breath annoyed with the fact that he just had the Phantom in his reach, but managed to slip out of the cracks of his fingers once again.

"I want all of my men! Check this opera house up and down! Tear it apart if you have to just find me the Phantom!" The inspector shouted. He stormed off to the side of the crowd as it dispersed. Everyone in a panic and afraid that the Phantom lurked around every corner. Young dancers feared to walk the halls alone remembering Joseph Bokay's warnings and stories. Gerard stood in the back of the crowd wondering where Erik was as Joshua approached him. "What we do now? Erik's going to kill you. You were supposed to keep him outside Gerard. I thought Erik made that quite clear."

"Shut up Joshua." Gerard snapped. He was trying to think of how they were going to deal with this. Gerard glanced across the room and saw the inspector talking to the Viscount. He knew immediately that was not good. Gerard noticed earlier that Raoul wasn't anywhere in the room after the dance between Christine and Erik. Raoul and the inspector moved to the hallway. They were headed right for Christine's room. Gerard gestured to one of the many hidden passages and Joshua followed. They had to hurry to the room and find Erik. They knew the main task was to keep the two of them apart, which everyone knew wouldn't be easy.

While Gerard and Joshua entered the tunnels, Christine waited anxiously in her room. She had become very worried she was able to hear the gunshots from her room.

I got up from the bed and went to the door debating wither I should go and look for Erik or not. "No." I said to myself and backed away from the door. "Erik promised he would come for me." My nerves were on the breaking point of madness. I began to pace time went on and I was dying to know exactly why the gunshots were fired. The one thing I wanted to know besides the location of my angel was what was the gun aimed for. I tried to dismiss the thought that it was aimed for Erik and the possibility that it just might have hit him. "Maybe that's why he hasn't come yet." I said worried. I closed my eyes and held back tear of horror trying my best not to imagine the worst. The mirror in the back of the room opened and I rushed to my feet. Meg entered the room.

"Alright where is he?" she asked immediately. I had a questioned look on my face.

"I thought he was with you." I said nervously. Meg and I both jumped as a hard knock broke our awkward silence. I began to rush to the door hoping it was Erik.

Meg knew me too well she grabbed my arm to stop me "Wait, it can't be Erik. You know as well as I do he never comes in through doors. He always makes an entrance." As much as it pained me I knew she was right, but either way the door still needed to be answered. Meg released me and I slowly went to the door.

"Miss Daae I know you're in there. Open up, we need to talk." A voice called from beyond the door. I took a deep breath and opened it.

Somehow a managed a fake smile. "Inspector Ladue what a surprise. To what do I owe this honor?" I teased. He looked at me very serious and not amused. Ladue had been on Erik's trail for years now but as sneaky and talented as my Erik was the inspector never came as close as he did tonight.

"You know as well as I do why I'm here Christine." My fake smile vanished and years of acting fell into place.

"You stupid man. You honestly still think I have something to do with your phantom? I have told you time and time again I have nothing to do with him." Ladue always came to me first after any phantom sighting and/or warning. When I was young and Erik first started causing trouble I was always the first at the scene. There also were often reports of me in the tunnels years ago when Erik and I were seeing each other. People were always out to get me when it came to Erik, and most of my first hand warnings didn't help. Everyone knew that the phantom contacted me every now and then. Although not many knew of the true relationship between Erik and I they all still knew he had a soft spot for me, that was only because I carried on his massages and warnings for years. Ladue studied the annoyed look on my face. He already knew I was fed up with him constantly coming to me for tips and advice that I never gave.

He gave me a look that most women would bend to and tell him anything he wanted to know. But I am not most women. Ladue knew that look didn't work on me but he tried anyways. He let out a long sigh and rubbed his forehead then placed the other hand on his side. I smiled slightly I knew I had won the questioning battle but knowing Ladue as I did I knew there would be another battle. He looked to me then asked "Can I at least know where you've been?"

"Why is it any of your business where I've been?" I snapped back.

"It isn't, but it is your fiancé's and he is very concerned and worried about you." He came back hard and fast. Meg stood behind me mouth gaped open. She knew Raoul and I thought of marriage but she never thought we would actually go through with it.

"Fiancé?" Meg asked. Ladue looked to Meg then back to me.

He cleared his throat "You haven't told anyone yet?"

"No. It figures he would tell you and not inform me."

"I'm sure he meant to he probably just forgot."

"You and I both know Raoul would never forget something like that Ladue." I snapped. It was unlike Raoul to keep secrets from me. But there was much I didn't tell him so I let it slide. One little secret like that was nothing compared to the ones I kept from him. This engagement was getting harder to manage and I hated it.

"If he must know I've been here in my room." I said somberly. He looked to me then to Meg.

"Thank you for your time ladies." Ladue politely bowed and turned to leave when I called to him.

"Edward. Let Raoul know I'm staying here tonight so there will be no need to send for me." Ladue nodded and walked away. I shut the door and turned to Meg. She opened her mouth to speak but I held up my hand to stop her. "Don't even start with me Meg."

"Wasn't going to say a thing. But I do want to know if Erik knows." She said with a smart alike tone and look everyone but Erik had grown to love in Meg. But at the moment I was not a fan of it.

I stomped a foot in irritation "I knew it! You were in the tunnels weren't you?"

"I was in the tunnels because I was instructed to be. And I just happen to catch you're your little argument that ended very intensely." Meg dared not menschen the fact that Raoul was in the tunnels I was angry enough without knowing the one reason he was not seeking me out himself, and sent Ladue to find me.

I shook my head and asked "How much did you hear?"

"Oh, I saw and heard just enough." She said.

Just before I could say anything else Joshua rushed through the mirror in a panic. "Christine, Meg thank God your both alright." He said out of breath. Meg and I looked at each other wondering why we wouldn't be alright. Then it hit us.

"Joshua, where's Erik?" Meg asked and feared the answer as much as I did. Joshua looked to me and I knew something had happened; something went wrong, I knew the plan didn't go right.

"Quickly both of you come with me. I'll take you to him." We all rushed out the room into the tunnels. We didn't go far before Joshua stopped which made me worry more. Then a cry of pain broke the silence. It came from around the corner.

"Erik!" I called. We rounded the corner and saw Erik lying against the wall and Gerard trying to help him but he was doing more harm than good.

I rushed and knelt to his side. Erik's eyes shot out and landed on Joshua after a quick glance at me. "I thought I told you to keep her away!"

Joshua rolled his eyes and shouted back at Erik "I figured would like to live or at least have her by your side when you die!"

"Ok, you know what everyone shut up!" I yelled over them I was getting quite tired of all this arguing. I examined his wound. All of his left shoulder was bloodied and his right hand from hold it to try and stop the bleeding. "Let me see." I tried to reach for his shoulder but he pulled away then cried out from moving the wrong way.

"Just leave me." He said.

"No! You need help and I'm the only one around here who can do it right then not turn you into the police." He shot two fiery eyes toward me but I wasn't fazed by their sting. He slowly rolled himself back to me. I looked to Meg and started barking orders. "Meg go get the things I need Joshua go with her trust me she's going to need help. Gerard I need you to locate Jessica and make sure Raoul is out of the opera." Meg and Joshua left quickly unlike Gerard who slowly rose and looked back to his foster son every chance he got. As soon as he disappeared I turned my attention back to Erik.

I had never seen him so weak, so vulnerable it truly pained me to see him like this. He looked to me and released his hand from his shoulder surrendering himself to me. His hair was a complete mess and his favorite costume ruined with the stains of his blood. I inched closer to him and gently removed that side of his coat. He winced and yelped I did it as fast as I could without further injuring him. I moved my hand to his mask and brushed away the strands of hair that had fallen free. I sighed deeply. "Oh Erik, what has the world done to you?"

He smiled and said "It was just one man Christine. I don't believe it took the whole world to pull that trigger." He tried to amuse me but it wasn't working.

"It may not have taken the whole world to pull that trigger, but it did take the whole world to bring you here." I said angrily.

He gently touched my hand with his blood stained one and said "Then with that being said, if it wasn't for the world I wouldn't have you and I would probably be dead by now." He reached his hand up to my face and tangled his fingers in my hair to stroke it back out of my face. His blood spread through my hair but at the moment I really didn't care. I softly kissed the tip of his mask and he leaned into me. He brushed his lip against mine and I smiled at the kiss and welcomed it. I placed my hand on his chest and shifted my position so I wouldn't harm his shoulder but still be able to enjoy his kiss. My hand slid from his chest to his mask. I slowly reached under the mask to take it off and look upon the one face that hunted my dreams. He didn't pull away and break the kiss; he didn't wince at the feeling of my warm fingers wrapping themselves around the cold un-livening mask secured on his face. Footsteps started in our direction. He took my hand away from his mask and sweetly broke our kiss.

"I don't think this would be the best sight for them to come to." He said with a small laugh. I smiled at him as he kissed my nose. But we both quickly turned our heads to an unfamiliar voice.

"You four go down this tunnel and you three come with me."

I looked at him in shock and he whispered "Guards." The stress of this new problem worsened his condition. He winced and held his breath trying his best not to cry out in pain. He grabbed my arm "We have to get out of here, now. The twists of my tunnels will not keep them busy forever." I nodded and rushed to his other side he wrapped his arm around my neck and push on the ground to get up, but that only caused him more pain. Gerard and Jessica quickly rounded the far off corner and came to our aid. Erik rolled his eyes at Jessica as she had a very motherly like disapproving stare in his direction. They helped me move Erik out of the tunnels and into Jessica's office. Her office was in the back of the opera house so we knew no one would find us there.

Joshua and Meg were already waiting on us. As we laid Erik down on the couch little Meg didn't know what to think of this sight. Meg had helped her mother and I with injuries that happened around the Populaire ever since she was thirteen, she was seventeen now and nothing prepared her for this sight. Joshua quickly handed me all of the supplies I needed. Erik was in a great deal of pain and the rapid moving through the tunnels didn't help anything. The gunshot wound was getting worse Gerard help get his shirt off. I thought to ask Meg to help but when I turned away from Erik she was backed up against the wall next to the small fireplace. She was parallelized with fear and her being in the room with Erik's cries only made the horror more unbearable. I hadn't seen that look on her face since we went to the gypsy fair when she was seven and I was nine. Every time Erik made a noise she would jump. I couldn't take it anymore.

"Joshua get Meg out of here, now!" I ordered turning my attention back to Erik. She didn't want to leave surprisingly.

She fought with Joshua for a while screaming "No! No I will not leave my brother!" Meg started to cry. Joshua had no choice her defiance was too strong. He drug her out of the room to try and calm her down. None of us blamed her for fighting with him about leaving, after all Erik was the closest thing she had to a brother. The look in Erik's eyes was enough to tear any heart in two.

"Jessica, I need your help." She bent down next to me and I gave her orders. Erik was getting worse and worse we all knew that if we didn't do this quick he would possibly die. Jessica wet a rag and placed it on the wound. Erik tried to jolt forward and pull away but Gerard restrained him. Erik hated being restrained which only made matters worse. I jumped up on the couch and sat next to him then placed my hands on his face to try and steady his head. I made him look at me.

"Hush Erik, hush. Look at me. Calm down and listen to me. Focus on the sound of my voice." I said to him. As soon as I did he calmed down. Gerard and Jessica were amazed they had both forgotten how easily it was for Erik to listen to me. Jessica continued to clean the wound. Erik's eyes tightly closed and his body stiffened but he never pulled away. Sweat and tears streamed down out from under his mask. I reached to remove it but he grabbed my wrist and shook his head. I couldn't think of anything I could do to help him while Giry cleansed the wound. Erik's eyes grew heavier and his body colder. I would sooner have him give into madness than watch him give into death right before my eyes. I reached for his hand and held it tight. "No. No Erik don't stop fighting, please keep fighting. Don't you dare give up!" Tears began to fill my eyes. He slowly opened his eyes and looked to me. I shook my head "You can't leave me. Please, please. You can't, you just can't Erik." Tears streamed down my face and his next words forced me to fall forward onto his chest.

"Better me than my unborn child." The memories of our past together swirled around us. The long nights in his house sharing secretes, the engagement, the pregnancy, all of our plans would now be lost.

I shook my head "No I'm tired of you talking like that. I thought we settled this years ago. It was an accident."

"How much longer are you going to keep telling yourself that? We both know it was no accident." He said weakly. I shook my head. I honestly thought we had moved on from that incident. It had been almost three years now and I wanted to forget it ever happened. We all knew it was a mistake. Everyone but Erik and I thought the mistake was rushing into marriage we thought different though. He and I agreed our mistake was getting pregnant, and after the baby was gone that seemed to be the only thing we agreed on. I was sick and tired of fighting him. I knew it was no accident I had only lied to myself. I didn't remember much from that incident but what I did proved it was not an accident. But he still had nothing to do with it.

"Please Erik, just stop this isn't the time." I tried my best to pull myself together. I had to be strong for the both of us. Erik was growing weaker and weaker by the second. I knew if I didn't get my emotions under control soon I wouldn't be any help to anyone and my poor Erik would die right before my eyes. Jessica finished cleaning his shoulder and I had to get the bullet out not to risk any infections. Gerard handed me a glowing fiery hot knife. Jessica got up and left the room, she had seen enough of Erik's suffering and couldn't take any more. As soon as the door closed I looked to Gerard who nodded to me.

Then I looked to Erik who just said very weakly "Just, get it over with."

I nodded and took a deep breath.

Erik's cries of pain could possibly be heard throughout all of Paris. When it was over and done it seemed the whole world had gone silent. I couldn't even hear myself breath. Was I even still breathing? So many questions swarmed my head. Is Erik going to be alright? Did I do everything right? Was it too late? I had given him some medicine Jessica found to help him sleep through the pain of his recovery. Joshua escorted Meg to her room hours ago, but I remained unmoved at Erik's side. Cleaning the blood from my hands, his chest and shoulder. I sang softly to him parts of his 'Don Juan' that I remembered. Jessica had gone to bed not that long ago and Gerard had been asleep in one of the chairs by the small fireplace in the office since around one in the morning. It was somewhere around four in the morning now and I was fighting sleep. I laid my head on the edge of the couch still singing softly to him and closed my eyes.

Then I felt a hand swipe my face clear of stray hair. I stopped singing and opened my eyes to Erik. I smiled at him "You should get some sleep." He said to me. I softly laughed not wanting to wake Gerard.

"How are you feeling?" I asked in a sleepy whisper.

"Well let's see here the last memory I have was getting shot at by the Inspector. Then brought here to Jessica's office where I unintentionally frightened off my little sister. Then this beautiful angel sliced open my shoulder. So how do you think I feel?" I rolled my eyes at the comment but wasn't to annoyed by it. I was just glad to hear that his sense of humor was still there. In the hours that had past us the warmth had slowly returned to Erik's body and color had been restored to his chest and what we saw of his face. I dared not remove the mask obeying his only request in his time of weakness. Seeing a slight smile come to his face gave me so much hope. But examining his words my smile disappeared.

"You must have been very delusional for what you saw was no angel." My smile gone I did my best to avoid his eyes. He looked at me confused not understanding my words.

"What are you talking about Christine?" I honestly didn't know how to answer that. I studied the floor trying to gather my thought as he studied every detail of me that screamed for the comfort of his embrace.

"The angel you saw is unworthy of that title. She failed to do the one thing she swore she would do, and that was protect you. Instead of being here by your side like she should have been all along, she denied you and sought out a different man to protect. That angel you saw had more than just a spark of stupidity. She turned away from everything she knew and loved only to be harshly awakened by a gunshot." My words just came out of nowhere. I was truly unsure of what I had just said to him. Erik's eyes softened, he didn't dare argue with me in a time like this, he knew better. He placed his hand under my chin then gently turned my head to meet the crystal eyes I had been avoiding.

He let out a deep sigh then softly and almost fatherly said to me "It's late. Get to sleep. We will discuss this later on when we have our strength." I smiled at him and nodded. He saw right through my eyes of concern. Erik lightly laughed "I'll be fine, I promise." He reassured me.

"Not even you can control the matter of life or death my angel."

"True, but I can try." We shared a short laugh then said our goodnights. Somehow I managed to drag myself all the way back to my room and into the bed, and as if some miracle I went right to sleep.