A/N:It has been a shamefully long time since my last update and I can only apologise profusely. Life does not like giving me much time to spend writing and so I have been unable to update until now. Again I am so sorry!

I hope that if you still remember my little story that you all will forgive me and continue to read it.

So without further ado I give you Part 2, completely in Christine's POV.

I really hope you enjoy it! Please review and let me know! (",)

Chapter 17

A Visit With The Ghost & His Lady (Part 2)

Words are a very dangerous thing you know.

People often underestimate that, but not Erik. Erik knew the pain of words.

In the beginning, and still now I suppose, I had to be careful with all that I had said.

It could be so exhausting at times.

So exhausting…but the wrong words can hurt far worse than any blow…

-Extract from Christine's Diary

I was trembling as I closed the parlour door behind us. Where had my bravery fled to? Being separated from Erik had thrown me something terrible and I could not seem to regain my composure. I was left feeling like a naughty child waiting to be punished. Yet what had I done wrong? I had only followed my heart. So why couldn't I turn and face this woman who had been like a mother to me?

We stood quietly for long, uncomfortable minutes while Madame Giry inspected the room before breaking the silence.

"So this is where you ran off to?" Madame Giry questioned sternly.

Her tone was even more disapproving then when one of the ballerinas forgot her steps.

"Yes but I did not run…" I defended meekly, turning to face her. Why couldn't I stand strong and proud, and show her that I was finally where I was meant to be?

"You ran, Christine Daae! Or perhaps it wasn't you that ran…"

Instantly I was suspicious of her words. There was something in her tone; an uneasiness in her eyes. She was searching for something. A confession, perhaps? Or did she expect a cry for help? Surely not…But then again was that not why they were here, she and Nadir, to make sure that nothing was amiss?

I was woefully unprepared for this. I felt guilty for no sound reason at all. I had never been very good at confrontations, and beneath the surface that's what this was.

I could not think of words fast enough and I know that my hesitation seemed incriminating.

"Madame…I…I am sure that I do not know what you mean…I…"

"Christine," Suddenly her tone softened and she looked at me with pleading eyes, "Child, if you need my help if…if you need to escape…I will help! You…you need not worry of Erik, we will take care of everything… " The hesitation in this formidable woman's voice threw me. What was this talk of escape? We had invited them here as guests, why would we do that if I wished to escape? My head was spinning suddenly as her words made all of the events of the past few days come crashing over me like a tidal wave of emotion. It upset me greatly that she did not seem to understand and I struggled to explain. I was so very tired of trying to think of words to explain my every thought and action.

Madame Giry must have mistook my sudden weakness for some sort of distress. And while I suppose it was, she clearly mistook its cause as she seized my arm. I did not understand why she seemed almost as upset as I was. "Come, child, there, there, it will be alright. We will just…"

Snapping out of my muddled thoughts I broke free of her grip.

"No!" I said with more force than anything else I had uttered since entering this room. "Please stop speaking to me in such a manner." Glancing around nervously, I could not help but worry. What if Erik heard her words to me? He would instantly think the worst, I knew that and it would destroy all that we had been building. The steps we had taken, how far we had come would all mean nothing if I could not quiet this woman's words…and her doubts.

Oh, this was not how this was supposed to play out. I was to be the calm hostess, happy with her life and with her choices. Instead I behaved like a skittish little mouse.

"Madame, please," I entreated as strongly as I could, "Please, you do not understand. Things are not as you believe them to be!"

"Then we did you run?!"

Why?

Why indeed?

I had not really seen it that way at the time. I had not thought it through. I had only thought of Erik…Had that been wrong of me? Had I hurt this proud woman, who had been so much a mother to me, by not thinking of her? I suppose I had…But that did not give her the right to come here and ruin everything with her misguided attempts at helping me.

"I…I was not thinking," I answered carefully, "I did not think…I am sorry if my actions have you hurt you, it was not my intention but it was necessary."

There. Surely that would be sufficient.

"Necessary? You speak as though this was a business deal. Is that was this is, Christine, some sort of exchange? What deal have you made?"

When did Madame Giry begin speaking in riddles? I could not understand her at all tonight!

"Deal? Madame, there is no deal! I made a choice and that choice has led me here."

"You made a choice…And what about those you left behind? What is your choice regarding them? What is your choice at all?"

I was finally beginning to regain my footing in this conversation. I was just about to open my mouth and explain everything as best I could, when Madame Giry knocked me into turmoil again with her words.

"Raoul has been searching for you."

That name was like a blow to my stomach. It seemed to echo through the house. I almost thought I heard the house groan in return but surely I was imagining things. Raoul. The boy I had loved since childhood. He represented, more profoundly than anything else, the life I had left behind. The life I had never really gotten the chance to mourn, for fear that Erik would misunderstand my actions.

"Oh, poor Raoul…"

What must he be thinking of all this? I never had the chance to explain or say goodbye. I probably never would. I did not regret leaving him…I did not love him as I should have…as he deserved. It would have been terrible indeed to condemn us both to a life of half-love and half-truths. I would never have truly been able to love him or indeed be myself with him, and that would have destroyed us in the end…silently and relentlessly.

But I could not help but regret now the manner in which I left him.

So full of joy and thoughts of love, he could never have known how that night was going to end. He could never have guessed that I would leave him for the man he dearly wished me to hate. But I did leave him, I left him alone with no explanation and that did not sit well with my conscience at all. What had he ever done but love me?

But it was not to be, I knew this now. I did not need rescuing. I had no need for a white knight to ride up and save me. And I certainly did not need Raoul searching for me.

"Madame, could I trust you with a very important task; one which I shall not be able to accomplish myself."

"Of course, Christine, I will do whatever I can for you!"

She was probably expecting me to cry then and ask to be taken home to the Opera House at once. But she was in for a surprise, because I was home and what I needed from her was only what Erik had once needed from her. I needed her to deliver a message.

"Madame Giry, I wish you to tell Raoul something for me."

"But…but can you not tell himself?"

"No." I said firmly, hiding the small ache that that caused me, "No, I'm afraid that is not possible as Erik and I will soon be leaving this place."

Madame Giry seemed struck dumb by my words and so I continued.

"Please tell…please tell Raoul that I have made my choice. Finally, I have made my own choice and that I am very sorry but this…this is goodbye. I do not need him to keep looking for me. I am not lost. Only I will probably never see him again, and for that too I am sorry. But Little Lotte has grown up…and he must forget her…he must forget me and be happy. Oh, do tell him I wish him to be happy and try to make him understand that it was never to be for us. Never!"

"Christine, I don't understand…you truly wish to stay here? Stay with Erik?"

"Yes, of course I do…"

"But, I thought…when you said…"

"Oh, Madame Giry do not tell me you are like all the rest! Do not tell me that you can't see! Don't you understand? Erik has never known love, nor one moment of joy or peace! But he is learning! He loves me, oh, how he loves me!"

I exclaimed wildly, desperate to make her see what it had taken me so long to see.

"So you think to martyr yourself to the cause then? To sacrifice your own chance at happiness to teach him love out of some misguided sense of obligation?"

Her words rang angrily in my ears until I could barely make sense of them. What was she talking about? A martyr? I considered myself no such thing!

"If you think you owe him, child, because of your voice then I must tell you that you do not! Your Father did not send this man! You do not need to do this!"

Her words coiled bitterly in my mind and I suddenly could barely see through my anger and disappointment. In that moment of rage I could not see how it seemed to pain her to hurl such accusations. I could not see the reasons behind her harsh words.

"How dare you!" I shrieked, finally finding the courage to stand up for my love.

"How dare you come to our house and say such…such hateful things! I am no martyr! How am I sacrificing my life by choosing to love and be loved forever?! How is that not happiness, Madame, how? You say Erik was not sent by my dear Papa and there you are right. He was sent by God Himself; sent to save me; sent so that so we could save each other! How can you not see that this is the life I have chosen for myself? Me! No one else! I love him, Madame! I love him and you cannot make me leave him unless you wish to kill us both!"

A tremendous hush fell over us both then. I suddenly felt exhausted, drained of my very life. My Lord, where had those impassioned words come from? From the depths of my soul it seemed. They certainly had been very dramatic, but what did you expect from the soul of a performer, I suppose.

Madame Giry looked suitably shocked and yet a sort of pride seemed to be growing in her expression as she stared at me. She stared and stared and stared until I began to feel very paranoid indeed. Had it really been so shocking? I almost felt the urge to apologise but I could not for fear of making her doubt my words again.

Suddenly she was across the room and holding me very tightly in an unexpected embrace. Now I was the one who was shocked and more than a little confused. I had just shouted most appallingly at Madame, I had been very rude indeed…and she was pleased by it?

"Oh, my dear! Such fire, such conviction!"

She whispered into my hair. Pulling back as best I could to regard her, my puzzled face only seemed to amuse her further. I did not understand this sudden change. And to think that I had thought that Erik's mercurial moods were bad…

"Madame, really, I do not understand…I…"

"Oh neither did I…neither did I…but I can see now! I can see it in your eyes! You truly love him!"

She believed me!

She could see! Finally someone understood!

And I had done that, I had made her understand! I had stood my ground!

The relief I felt was indescribable. I had won this battle. Perhaps it would be the first of many, but I did not dwell on that. There were be time for that later, for now I knew that I had this woman's acceptance at least. And for now that was enough…

Just as Madame Giry moved to enfold me in another unexpected embrace the door burst open. We turned to find Erik in the doorway, a strange look gleaming in his eyes.

Instantly I moved towards him, drawn like a magnet…or a moth…I am still not quite sure which…

"Erik, Erik, my love, what is it? What is the matter?"

His expression gave away nothing and that frightened me. I did not know what he was feeling. I did not know what to think.

"Erik…" I began, before finding myself in another sudden and unexpected embrace. (I was beginning to see a pattern emerging…)

"I love you, I love you, I love you…"

The words became like a mantra and the sound of Erik's indescribable voice repeating them to me so ardently made my heart feel full to the brim.

Suddenly I understood. Erik had heard my words to Madame Giry and they had made him so very happy. Finally!

The joy bubbled up inside me until it escaped in the form of an ecstatic giggle.

I had not failed him! I had not failed us!

As Madame Giry stood by, smiling proudly, Erik held me to him with such love and joy that I never wanted this moment to end.

However, it did end, as all things must, when a polite cough sounded from behind Erik. It was Monsieur Khan.

"Dinner is served."

He said wryly, a pleased expression, much akin to Madame Giry's, on his face.

Quickly, Erik pulled away. Seeming to recover himself, he glanced around warily as though waiting to be scolded…or attacked…

Normally, this would bother me but I was in too good of mood to linger on it. At that moment I was convinced we would overcome the emotional scars that his cruel life had left him with. I was convinced that we would overcome anything!

Strange the little things that can so lift your spirits and make you feel almost invincible. Certainly I was letting my heart run away with itself but I was loathe to stop it. I wanted to hold on to this feeling of power and confidence that I once only felt when I was on stage. I wanted to believe…

And so instead of worrying about what the next moment would bring, or the next or the next, I simply took Erik's hand firmly and started towards the dining room as though nothing had happened at all.

"Come along everyone, I am positively starving."

Erik's awed expression nearly made me giggle again but I refrained.

Though I'm not sure Madame Giry and Monsieur Khan quite managed the same. Their quiet laughter followed us as we left the room.

When we finally sat down to eat together, I could almost imagine we were like our own little family. For one night I let myself pretend that things were simple. We all did. And we were happy. All of us. Completely. Even if it was just for one night.

I had not wished to say those cruel things to that poor child. I had not wished to push her so.

But I had to be completely sure! I had to be sure that she was there willingly and that she understood the path she had taken.

And, Lord, did she prove her love to me! I had never seen her so certain and so…formidable!

She made me proud and I think she proved her love to Erik as well in that moment…more, perhaps, than ever before!

It was a good step for them. It was the right step.

And I had to let them follow it through…

- Extract from the Diary of Madame Giry

So there you go! Hope you enjoyed it!

I thought it would be nice to sort of end it on a bit of a positive note since the last chapter's cliffie seemed quite grim.

Also my spirits needing a little lifting too after sobbing my way through the demise of the effervescent 10th Doctor as played by the truly brilliant David Tennant in Doctor Who.

So please review and let me know your thoughts. (It will help to cheer me up even more as you know I'm always so grateful to hear from you all!)

x Restless And Tempted x