Okay, sooooo sory it's taken me so long to update! School's finally back in session and I have time to write again, at last! Hopefully updates will come a lot more often now. Again, I apologize so profusely for the delay, I don't own any characters, etc., I hope you forgive me! Read on!
Things Change
The next few weeks flew by, too quickly for Christine's taste. There was much to do, both at the Giry house and at Raoul's residence in preparation for Christine's move. Christine found herself looking forward to and dreading the move at the same time. She knew that she would be treated well at the de Chagny manor, but found it hard to believe that the situation would not be awkward with her recent confession that she did not love Raoul. On the other hand, she also knew that her proximity to Raoul would help Meg's pursuit of him. The night before she was to leave, she stayed up late talking to Meg again about the change about to come over their lives.
"Meg, I expect you to come visit me as often as possible. I don't know what I'll do there, without you and your mother. I will be living in a house with Raoul and his brother and Raoul's widowed mother. Not the most enthraling of companies, I can imagine." She frowned mockingly, and Meg giggled at Christine's false dirision.
"Oh, Christine, I will. I'm going to miss you so much," she said, giving her a quick, fierce hug. Christine looked at her sternly, and she laughed again. "Well, of course I'll see you all the time, but it won't be the same as you living here. Besides, when I'm with you there, I'm sure my mind will be... otherwise occupied," she said dreamily. It was Christine's turn to burst out laughing.
"It's not that funny!" Meg protested, as Christine laughed harder. "I can't help it," she said sheepishly.
"I know," Christine said after a moment of calming down. "I used to feel the same way. But I'll never know," she said seriously, "how I could ever fall for such an utter fop."
Meg's eyes grew wide. "Christine!" she squealed in outrage. "He's the Vicomte! You cannot say such things!" Christine couldn't hold out any longer, and she laughed harder than even before a her friend's shocked expression.
"Sorry, Meg, but he really is a fop. I think he takes better care of his hair than even I. It doesn't mean I care for him any less."
"I suppose you're right. He probably spends more time getting his outfits ready than you did before an opera!" Christine grew suddenly somber, remembering the joy, the thrill of preparing herself for her first debut onstage, and the overhelming love she had felt for the man who had brought her to that point. A man whom she might never see again. You alone can make my song take flight... She shook her head gently as tears gathered in her eyes, remembering those words.
"Oh, Christine," Meg breathed. "I'm so sorry. Here I go again, complaining about how hard it is to capture the man I am infatuated with while you've lost your lover. Will I ever learn to mind my own tongue?"
"Not likely," Christine said miserably, then smiled tentatively when Meg's eyes opened wide again. "It's okay, really. I know I'll find him again. It's just... I can't bear being away from him for so long. It's like part of me is missing, and I can't find it again until I touch him, hold him, hear his voice..." She trailed off, looking lost.
Meg leaned over and hugged her again, comfortingly, and Christine returned the embrace. "It'll all be okay, you'll see. You'll find him again. It might not be soon, and I hardly expect that it will be a happy reunion at first, but you'll find him. True love is not so easily set aside." Christine sighed deeply, and watched as Meg stood up and grabbed a dress that had been hanging over the back of chair in the disaster that was Christine's attempt a packing. "What is this," she sighed indignantly. "This is horrid. I don't think I've ever seen a more miserable piece of clothing in my life. Please tell me you're burning this, not taking it with you."
"Actually, I was wondering if you wanted it. When I saw it, it reminded me of you immediately. I figured it was exactly to your taste."
Meg shouted and threw it at her, and Christine threw it back. "Packing" as such ensued over the next few hours, until it grew late and both women decided to attempt to catch some sleep in preparation for the trying day ahead. They both stared at the ceiling all night, watching their thoughts chase each other through their heads.