Hello! I missed updating .-.

I finished that English project so I'm back in the game, and sorry it took so long, school has become so time-consuming for me lately.

Anyways I hope yall enjoy this chapter, sorry if you have forgotten what's been going on due to my lack of updates, I know I did.

Thanks for stickin with me!

Hope ya like it :)

Christine POV

I couldn't help but smile on my way to the new dressing room the managers appointed to me. Right after the performance, backstage, Monsieur Andre and Firmin gave me a small basket of wonderful baked sweets and a key to my new dressing room. They told me that I deserved it and hoped I could continue working for them but as a full time Prima Donna! I could hardly believe their words as they rolled off their lips and try as I might, my smile was going permanent for a while.

"You did very well." Madam Giry assured me while giving my hand a good squeeze as she and a few stagehands led me to my dressing room through the thick crowd that kept trying to stop me for questions. "We need to get you changed, I heard how you need to be ready to go look for a dress with Meg.

"Christine!" A man with red hair and a note pad called my name as he put his hand on my shoulder. I turned my head for a second but Madam Giry pulled me away too fast for me to take any action of my own.

"Madam Giry, what's the harm of talking to one person?"

"If you talk to one, then they all will be swarming you even more than they already are for questions. Anything you say could be twisted up into something to be used against you."

I didn't understand her knowledge or even question it, though I did feel rather self-centered to not even stop and say no thank you to a person wanting to talk. I had no choice though, not with Madam Giry and the stage hands pulling me along as fast as they were.

When we finally got there Carlotta's old maids helped me undress and put something casual on. Their version of casual was much different than mine, the dress they had me wear was very gaudy and it seemed bold. I was hesitant to put it on, I wasn't ever really the type of person to beg for attention-much like the dress they wanted me to wear seemed to do, especially with the amount of cleavage it showed and I wondered if the people I could still hear outside my door calling my name and buzzing about the performance would forget me after tonight.

I had to admit, it was a nice surprise when I first saw them but I quickly grew annoyed and embarrassed during the long walk to my dressing room that should only take two minutes without their presence but ended up taking fifteen.

When I was finished dressing, I asked to be left alone to myself for a moment to collect my thoughts. So much change in very little time!

I walked over to my vanity to inspect my appearance. The maids had said this look would only be suiting for a prima donna and it would be wrong to settle for anything less, but I figured it would do them no harm if I dressed myself down a little while they weren't here.

I took a few pins out of my hair and as I went to set them down on the vanity, red petals and black statin caught my eye.

A rose. I immediately stopped what I was doing and picked it up. Erik.

A smile spread itself across my lips again. I felt excitement build in my tummy and all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around him and thank him for his wonderful lessons.

It was apparent I had made him proud and because of that I felt an unexplainable feeling of joy. I twisted the satin ribbon around my fingers for a second and tried to picture Erik's face. Would he be smiling? It wasn't often when I saw his mask raise from happiness and only on occasions did I get to hear his laugh. I had my fingers crossed in hopes that he would treat me with those rarities today.

"Christine, may I come in?" My thoughts were pulled unwillingly from my head at the sound of a voice outside my dressing room door accompanied by a few knocks.

Raul's voice. Memories of earlier today before the show flooded my mind and brought me into reality. I put my hand on my chest and pulled out the necklace that was tucked in my bosom.

How was I supposed to deal with this? I knew Erik always had me come straight back to the chapel when I was done with my business up here...but I had made other plans today.

I took a deep breath and pushed those thoughts out if my mind. I was not going to worry myself over something like this.

I set the rose back down on my vanity and went and opened the door. Raoul was smiling wide and held an over the top arrangement of many flowers of all colors.

"Mademoiselle, an exceptional performance this afternoon." He said as placed the bouquet next to Erik's rose on my vanity.

"Thank you Raoul."

"I came to say that I have a change I plans." He stated with no room to argue as he walked in my dressing room. "I have talked with Meg and we have decided that it is only appropriate for me to accompany you to the masquerade instead of meeting you."

But I still have to go shopping with Me-"

"You will. And when you're done you and Meg will go to my house to get ready. Now; shall we go? I have a carriage waiting for the two of you." He gestured for me to go through the door which he was now holding open but I just stood there still contemplating his words…It didn't feel right to just leave. If I left now, I knew I wouldn't see Erik until after the Masquerade and I could imagine he would be angry if I disappeared like that.

"Oh. Raoul, could you please just give me a few minutes, I still need to collect my things. You go ahead." I felt guilty for having him and Meg wait on me but I needed to at least tell Erik first before going. I was not looking forward to how he might react but just maybe if he was happy enough with my performance he would let me go without anger.

"Ten minutes Christine." He kissed my hand after he said that and I watched him close the door behind himself. After he left, I just stood there and stared at the door for a minute, contemplating the words I would use when talking to Erik.

When I had everything planned out in my head, I turned around to fetch the rose he gave me, but my action was stopped short by the sight I saw. I was frozen and my jaw was slightly parted open.

"He lacks taste, don't you think?" Erik's soft voice wrapped around me and I automatically felt trapped in it. His tones were filled with a calm anger-one that appeared numb and bottled up, seemingly no danger within in its smooth chords…but was in fact as deadly as a knife.

He was sitting on the sofa in the corner of my dressing room, his back against the arm of it, with his legs outstretched in front of him. His feet extended a good foot off the other arm and his arms were crossed over his chest.

My eyebrows creased a little in confusion and words were scarce on my tongue. "Erik…"

He stood up and walked towards me, his cold eyes never left my gaze and I felt a shiver go down my spine at his stare.

"You impressed me in many ways today Christine." He grazed his fingertips lightly across my jaw and trailed a path down to my collar bone. With his other hand he grabbed the rose off my vanity and placed it gently in my hair. "However" He spoke as both of his hands moved slowly, tickling my skin, to the back of my neck. "The impression you made on the Vicomte did not please me in the slightest."

It took me a minute to wrap my head around what he was doing. It was impossible to think with his eyes on me the way they were and his fingers causing goose bumps on the back of my neck. I didn't fully grasp what he was doing until I saw his hands slowly retreat from my neck, but with the golden chain of the necklace Raoul gave me dangling from his hands.

"I know you remember very well that I told you to stay away from this fop." He spoke calmly as he gestured towards the necklace then placed it into the inside of his jacket pocket. "I thought you would have been smart enough to decline his gifts and his invitation to the masquerade."

"I was going to tell you."

"That makes no difference my darling." I looked down to the floor and avoided his eyes that appeared to be scolding me.

He reached for my left hand and when he did, my eyes followed a path up his arm and to his eyes. His touch was gentle and I wondered what he was going to do but my curiosity was quenched when he brought my hand up to his lips slowly and kissed the red rose that was wrapped around my ring finger.

He then ran both of his hands up my arm to my shoulder, then down my back. I felt my heart begin to race faster and a strange feeling came over me.

His hands stopped at the curve of my back and wrapped around my waist, pushing me flush against him. His breathing was heavier and I could feel his hot breath on my face. His eyes met mine once again and in them were feelings I could not identify. He leaned in and as if on instinct I closed my eyes and leaned in too. Oh God, I knew what was going happen and it felt so right. I knew I shouldn't, but at the same time I knew I wouldn't stop him, or myself. Perhaps he did love me as more than a mentor would their pupil.

I wrapped my hands around his neck and I could feel the presence of his face getting closer to mine.

Suddenly he tensed up and caused my eyes to open. I was still enfolded in his arms, but it was as if he was looking passed me.

"Christine?!" Raoul's voice called from outside my door along with a few frantic and worried knocks.

I felt Erik's arms become untangled from me and watched him take a few steps back.

My dressing room door swung open and I looked back to see a very petrified Raoul. Then, I looked in Erik's direction, but he was gone. He had vanished as silently and as swiftly as a cat.

Raoul scanned the room with suspicious eyes, then grabbed my hand and took off out the door. "Meg is waiting for you."

Raoul POV

It was incredibly easy to talk Meg into having her and Christine get ready at my house.

I absolutely did not want to give Christine a single chance to be kidnapped by that madman and if that meant having her get ready at my house then so be it.

I knew though, of course I could easily keep Christine there and not even let her go to the ball, but then there was Meg; I didn't feel much like explaining to her why I would not permit Christine to attend the ball, and on the flip side I much rather liked the idea of showing up with Christine for that madman to see how it was me who had her. Not only that but after Christine's performance today it wouldn't be a bad thing for other people to see her on my arm at the dance. No matter how you chose to look at it, I held the ace.

However, I was a little leery about leaving Christine alone in her dressing room to gather her things before going to the carriage so I stayed right outside her door the whole time, just in case that man appeared.

It wasn't long at all until I heard a voice coming from inside her dressing room. The same voice that belonged to the bastard that failed to kill me. I was going to barge in right then and there, but I stopped myself and decided otherwise. I wanted to hear what he had to say. Maybe I'd figure out exactly why it is he is set on keeping Christine away from the world and with him all hours of the day.

He spoke about me. It was apparent that I was not on the top of his good list and that did make me smile. Oh how I would enjoy being the one who ends up with Christine in the end, and not him.

I was very amused until…the room was silent. I pressed my ear up against the door in an attempt to hear any evidence of their presence in the room but it was dead quiet. Did he already take her? My heart began to pound with anger and I opened the door in a flash.

It was just Christine…

I looked all around and there was no man to be seen. Was I hearing things? Embarrassment over took me and I quickly grabbed Christine and lead her to the carriage that Meg sat in, waiting for Christine. I paid the driver half the money in my pocket to take the girls to several different dress shops then told him I would pay him the other half when he took them to my house.

I watched them drive off with the memories of that voice echoing through my head, taunting me.

Meg POV

I really enjoyed helping Christine find a dress to wear. She looked lovely in absolutely every one she tried on and I couldn't help but feel a little jealous of her.

It was really nice to reconnect with her though, she had isolated herself so much in the last few days and I was beginning to feel like I hardly knew her at all anymore. But, it now felt like it did before and we were back to laughing and giggling with each other in no time.

When we got to the Vicomte's mansion I felt like a Princess. There were many maids helping us change and serving us little chocolates. I just knew that if Christine was smart she would quit shying away from Raoul and do her best to provoke a marriage between the two of them. She would be really very happy here and of course I wouldn't mind bothering her to invite me over for tea a few times a week.

However her good mood and smiles seamed to run out about the time we were getting ready for the ball and she appeared to be preoccupied with other thoughts. I don't think she could help it though-she did look like she was trying to have a nice time with me but it was clear that something on her mind was bothering her.

"Christine, are you sure you're alright?" I asked her for about the fifth time.

"Yes Meg, you can quit worrying yourself over me, I'm just fine."

"Well you sure are acting like something is troubling you."

"Really Meg, nothings bothering me." She said with a forced smile.

"Well you got awfully quiet when we started getting dressed, you know."

"Oh, I didn't realize."

"What are you thinking about then, to make you so quiet?"

She took a deep breath and sent the maids out of the room.

"Lots of things…like Raoul, and my Papa, and…"

"And what?" Her eyebrows creased in the middle and she looked somewhat pale.

"Are you sure this dress isn't too fancy?"

"What?" She was doing a pitiful job at trying to change the subject. "You're avoiding the conversation, Christine."

She just sighed and looked down to the ground. Sensing she was becoming uncomfortable, I tried to think of something else to say.

I put my hand on her shoulder and looked into her eyes with a smile on my face. "If you ever need anything, I'm here to talk. You can tell me anything, just like before.

She didn't answer me back, and she was somewhat scarring me so I decided to just change the conversation all together.

"Well I believe we are done here and it's about time we leave, so let's go, shall we? I bet Raoul is waiting on you." I extended my arm out to her like a gentlemen would do and her and I walked down the long hallway towards Raoul-arm in arm just like when she first came to the opera house.

Erik POV

Pain. It coursed through my veins slowly and numbingly. I thought about giving up, forcing myself to never even lay eyes on Christine again, then maybe the pain would go away. When the curtain rose, and the performance began, as soon as I heard Christine's first beautiful tones I knew forgetting her would only make the pain grow stronger.

I never wanted to live without her chocolate curls, sweet laugh and bewitching voice. It would be impossible.

I closed my eyes and laid my head back onto the red, velvet cushion on my seat in in box five and let her voice's echo from the stage below trap me. I succumbed to its alluring call and I let it wrap around me and take me whole.

I wouldn't give this sensation up. I would fight for her and so be it if that did mean locking her up. Like I have always known since I gave her that ring, I wouldn't be able to stop myself if it came to that. She was mine, and if I could help it, she was not going to the Masquerade ball with the Vicomte.

Ok, so kinda short I know but I really missed updating and I felt like I needed to put something out. It literally took me a week of waking up early in the mornings before school to write this and I'm thinking I might only update once a week now because I have SO MUCH to do for school.

To those lovely people helping me with editing- I'm sorry if I did a bad job trying to clean up my errors in the first place I didn't get much of a chance to look over this chapter, but I submitted it today anyways cus who knows when my next chance will be :0 sorry :p

Also thanks for reading! Reviews help me lots :)