A/N: Disclaimer: I use lyrics from ALW here. Not mine, just using them for fun.

Chapter 37- All I Ask of You

Box Five was dark and smelled of must. Raoul was sitting forwarded, almost leaning over the edge, watching the performance. It was obvious to him that no one had spent much time in Box Five recently, however, there were still signs of footprints in the dust. He assumed that the cleaners did not dare enter, they simply left it, and he wasn't sure that he blamed them. Something about sitting in the Box made a chill slide down his spine, made him feel completely on edge. He liked to think of himself as brave but he wasn't feeling it that night.

He could see Christine just behind the drapes of the bed on stage. She was sitting with Carlotta, waiting for their cue. Raoul lifted his eyes up and around, he scanned the ceiling, the stage, the doors, the floor, the audience.

Nothing looked unusual.

Perhaps this ghost was all talk after all.

He tried to settle in, tried to relax, tried to enjoy the opera, but it was niggling at him, making him nervous. Every few seconds he found himself looking around, his pulse was certainly quicker and his breath seemed shallow. Was it him or was there an atmosphere?

He glanced over at the opposite box and Richard Firmin looked up nervously but Gilles smiled and waved, in his usual jovial manner. Raoul forced himself to wave back and then he returned his focus to the stage. Two of the cast members who played Carlotta's maid and servant were singing about how she was making a fool of her husband by having it away, as it were, with the pageboy.

When the curtain slid back Christine and Carlotta gave the audience the impression that they were kissing passionately. When Carlotta stood she flounced to the front of the stage, closely followed by a more subdued pageboy, his Christine. There was a knock at the door on stage and in entered Piangi, who was playing her husband.

Conversation ensued and then, with a swing of the cape he was wearing, he exited the stage.

'Poor Fool...' She began to sing. 'He makes me laugh, haha, time to a better, better half,'

Raoul watched and was pleased with the performance. So far everything was going well, no hitches, no mistakes, no ghost...

The chorus began to sing around her, making a mockery of the Counts foolishness, there was a little dancing, not much, but to Carlotta's credit, she commanded the stage.

Then it all went horribly wrong.

The voice boomed out around them, as it had in the lobby, and Raoul leapt to his feet.

'Did I not instruct that Box Five was the be left empty?' It was the same voice, the same man, the infamous Phantom.

Raoul frantically looked around him, up and down, but he saw nothing but the confused faces of the audience members. They, too, were looking around them. Raoul leaned over the edge of the box again and looked down at the stage.

Reyer looked terrified.

'He's here,' he heard as he looked around.

Christine's eyes were wide. 'It's him...'

As she said this Carlotta spun around and faced her, 'Your part is silent!' She said, rather too loudly. 'Little toad,'

The voice came back, quieter, calmer, 'A toad, Madame?' There was a softness to his tone, something that chilled Raoul's heart. 'Perhaps it is you... who are the toad...'

Raoul watched as Carlotta shrugged off the insult and attempted to continue with the performance. Reyer, looking uncomfortable, followed and started the orchestra again.

'You cannot speak but kiss me in my...' Her hands flew to her throat and she clutched it, seemingly struggling for breath. She tried again but the words came out as a curdling croak. Looking confused she regained her composure, shooting a sideways glance at Christine, she continued, 'Poor fool he makes me laugh ha ha... uh... ah...' The words began to croak again and she grabbed her throat again, rubbing it, trying to make the sound come out normally.

She sounded like a frog... or, rather, a toad.

As she struggled the sound of laughter filled the auditorium, the Phantom's cruel and hard laughter, soared around them.

Carlotta dropped her head, staring at the floor. 'Mother...'

It was then that Richard and Gilles ran onto the strange, the curtains flew behind them, closing the view of the cast off.

'Ladies and gentleman,' Richard coughed and glanced at the other manager, whose eyes were wide. 'We er... we apologise... the performance will begin again after a short recess...'

Gilles nodded. 'Yes, when the part of the Countess will be played by Miss Christine Daae,'

Firmin looked down at Reyer who nodded.

It was Gilles who spoke 'For now though, the ballet from Act three I think... shall we, Maestro?'

As the two managers walked from the stage, the dancers all came on to the sound of the orchestra played. Their shadows bounced on the backdrop as they spun around each other, calming the audience and putting them back in their seats.

Raoul, at least for the moment, decided to stay where he was to see if he could spot the phantom or anything that looked unusual. They were dealing with someone very intelligent and incredibly resourceful.

As the music below became to build to crescendo Raoul spotted something on the curtain that made his heart sink to the pit of his stomach. There was a shadow, not one of the dancers, darting back and forth and then disappearing. It was a distinctly male looking shadow, tall and wearing what could have been a cloak and hat. Suddenly, the shadow began to get bigger, some people in the crowd gasped, some stood and began to leave.

And then... the room was dark.

Raoul wasn't sure quite how he did it but the room plunged into blackness, with no delay and no hesitation, when the lights came back up, people were stood still, confused and looking around them.

He heard someone underneath the box ask what the hell was going on.

For a moment, Raoul did not think anything could possibly get worse. The show had been destroyed, the audience looked terrified, and the cast were too scared to move.

However, he was wrong.

As he stood there, trying to figure out what to do next, the lights dipped again and when they relit there was an almighty crashing noise. From above the stage something fell and then bounced on the rope that was holding it up.

Raoul looked in horror as he, and everyone in the theatre, realised what it was.

It was the hanging body of Joseph Buquet.

'Oh Jesus...' He gasped, before sprinting out of the door.

Joseph's head was lolled sideways, blood dripped from the wound around his neck, and his body convulsed slightly, but it was clear that he was dead. Christine, though horrified, simply could not take her eyes away from the dead body. People were running all around her and she could feel her hands shaking, her palms sweating, but she could not move.

She was aware of the panic, aware of the screaming and fainting, but her feet remained, quite firmly, planted to the floor.

'Christine...'

She managed to look away. 'Madame Giry...' She could barely get the words out.

'Come away, child,'

'He did this,'

Madame Giry looked at her but said nothing. She did not need to. They both knew it. Before she knew what was happening Madame Giry's fingers had curled around her arm and pulled her behind the curtains, making sure that the body was out of sight.

'Christine!' Raoul's voice pierced through the chaos and found her ears. It was a welcome sound, a comforting sound, and suddenly, she was glad he was there.

She turned to face him and he ran to her, pulling her into his arms and holding her tight.

'I told you...' She whispered.

She felt him nod. 'I know,'

'We're not safe here,' She whispered, letting go of him and pulling away.

He looked at her.

She remembered what Meg had said to her all of those months ago. 'The roof,'

Raoul frowned at her.

'We need to go to the roof,' she repeated, grabbing his hand and pulling him towards the corridor and then into the stair well.

'Where are we going?' he asked.

'Roof,' Was all she could managed as she dragged him higher and higher, as fast as she could.

When they arrived she let the door slam shut behind them and looked at Raoul's ashen face.

'What is going on?' He asked. 'Why have you brought me here?'

'We're safer here,' she gasped, catching her breath, feeling the fear flow through her veins. 'He doesn't come up here, it is too exposed for him,'

Raoul nodded and looked around him. 'We can't stay up here,'

'I need to...'

'We have to go back down, see if we can help,'

She looked at him. 'It's you...'

'What's me?'

'You're the reason... you're the reason he's doing this,' The realisation hit her hard, their conversation...You and Raoul De Chagny... 'He thinks we're courting,'

'We're not,' He stated the obvious.

'I know but he doesn't,' she placed her hand on her heart. 'He's angry with me, he's angry with you... jealous,'

'Are you courting him?' Raoul asked sharply.

She shook her head. 'He loves me,'

'And you him?'

She looked at him. 'He'll kill you if you go back,'

'He'll have a fight on his hands...'

She shook his words off. 'Raoul, he'll find us and he will kill you,' She said firmly.

'Christine...'

'His eyes will find us Raoul,' She shook her head,. 'Those burning eyes, they'll find us,'

'Don't even think that...'

'If he has to kill a thousand men...'

Raoul took her by the arms. 'Stop, forget this, it's a nightmare, it won't happen, I won't let it,'

'He will kill...'

'Christine,' he pleased. 'The Phantom is a fable,'

'You saw what he did tonight,' She said, her heart hammering in her chest. 'He will kill and kill and kill again,'

She felt sick, her stomach churned and her head was spinning. Raoul's face was confused but she did not care, she knew all too well what was going on, she had seen what he could do. The rumours, she knew, were all true.

'There is no Phantom of the Opera,' Raoul said softly, looking into her eyes.

'Oh God...' she murmured.

'Who is this man...' He frowned. 'The mask of death.'

'I can't escape from him,' She felt dazed, her body was weak, as if her legs could no longer hold her weight. 'I don't think I ever will,'

'There is no Phantom of the Opera,' Raoul said forcefully.

She managed to move away from him and walk to the wall at the edge of the roof. 'Raoul, I've been there, with him, I know he is real,'

Raoul said nothing but she felt him move closer to him. She wanted to pull away, to save both of them, but another part of her longed to be held, to be comforted.

'He lives in a world of unending night, so dark, so lonely,' She continued, swallowing back the lump in her throat. 'It's as if the daylight dissolves into it and there is nothing but darkness... and I have seen him Raoul, I have seen his face,'

Raoul's hand was on her shoulder but she found the strength to shrug it off, to move away from him.

'I don't think I will ever forget it,' She leaned against the wall. 'It was distorted, badly deformed yet... his voice, that voice...'

'What?' Raoul asked softly.

'His voice filled my whole body, my soul, lifted my spirit to heights I didn't know existed,' She turned to face Raoul.

'His voice is a dream,'

'No,' She snapped. 'No, his voice is heaven, not a dream. But his eyes... God, all the sadness of world in those eyes,'

Raoul stared.

'He has pleading eyes,' She said. 'They change colour, they are always so sad yet they can be threatening, frightening... but also, sometimes, so adoring...'

She stood, tears in her eyes.

'Christine...' She felt Raoul's hands on her shoulders again and this time, she did not move away. 'Christine...'

The breeze blew by and she was sure, as she felt the cool tingle on her spine, that she heard his voice echo Raoul's, 'Christine...'

She looked around her.

Nothing.

She was even imagining his voice now.

'Christine...' Raoul repeated, pulling her from her trance. She looked at him, his soft eyes filled with concern. 'Forget this,'

'I...'

'No more talk of darkness, forget these wide eyes fears,' He said, taking her hands in his. 'I'm with you, I'm here and I won't let anything hurt you... nothing,'

She blinked, could barely breath.

'Let my words calm you, Christine, just listen,' He was speaking to her softly, so gently she felt as though she could rest in his voice. 'I'm always right beside you, no matter where you are, no matter what you're doing, I will take care of you,'

'I don't know what to do, Raoul,'

'Stay with me, Christine,' His eyes were so earnest, so caring, so not Erik...

'I'm lost...'

He nodded, touched her face with his fingertips. 'I know,' He said softly. 'Let me take care of you, I'll look after you, I promise,'

There was something in his voice that made her pause, something there that made her sure- very sure- that this was the right thing for her. The softness, the way he was being gentle, careful, the way he obviously cared.

'You've been so alone, Christine,' His hand touched her hair tentatively. 'Let me bring you back, let me lead you from the solitude you've created. I can help you,'

Christine felt herself nod.

'I love you,' He said. 'I've always loved you,'

She knew.

'I love you too,' She managed, though a tear escaped her eye. She felt guilt tear through her soul and she wondered why.

'Promise?' he asked, leaning down to look deep into her eyes.

She stared back. 'Yes,' She meant it, she did love him, she loved him the moment they met. Raoul De Changy had always been the boy and man of her dreams.

Yet...

'Ill never let anything or anyone hurt you,' He meant it, she could see that he did. She believed him, trusted him, wanted to be around him, felt safe with him.

Safety.

'Say you'll be everything, Raoul,' She said, looking at him, unable to take her eyes off him. 'Tell me... say you love me, tell me again, say you'll shelter me and protect me and be everything I need,'

He nodded, pulling her into his arms. They were warm.

'I will,' He whispered into her hair. 'I love you, I'll protect you and shelter you and bring you back from this dark place, I will care for you and make sure that your fears are all far behind you,'

'I need this,' She said, half to herself. 'I need your warmth,'

'Christine,' He murmured, his arms still tight around her body. 'I love you,'

She pulled away a little so that she could, once again, see the gentle sparkle of his eyes. He leaned in gingerly and touched his lips to hers. She felt her lips tingle when the embrace ended.

'Love me,' He said to her. 'That's all I ask of you,'

She nodded. 'I'll go anywhere with you,'

She said it, meant it even, but somehow not all of her heart was in it. She still felt the hurt, the pain, the memories...

'Get your horses,' She had found some resolve, made her decision. 'I will be with you and I will love you,'

His smile was soft, delicate, almost as little fragile.

'I'll meet you at the gates,' She followed him through the door to the rooftop and down the steps. When they reached the bottom he kissed her again, more passionately this time.

'Wait for me Raoul,'

And then they went their separate ways