A/N: The order of some of this has moved around slightly but its there or there abouts.

Chapter 45- Crash and Burn

Nine the next morning came quickly and sleeplessly. Raoul walked into the lobby to find the managers both drinking steaming coffee, looking very tired. Philippe was standing at the base of the staircase, surveying what was around him. Christine had brought Meg, Madame Giry, Carlotta and Ubaldo Piangi with her, so that they could make a decision about the show first.

His eyes drifted to his fiancées pale face. The usual sparkle in her dark eyes was missing that morning and had been replaced by a dullness reminiscent of the moon covered by clouds. He wanted to walk to her, to take her into his arms and make everything alright, but he knew that he could not.

Philippe walked to the middle of the crowd and looked at each of them in turn before standing on the bottom step of the grand staircase.

'Good morning,' He began. nodding his head. Some people returned the sentiment, most stayed quiet. 'I trust you are all feeling a little better this morning,'

'Not really,' Carlotta huffed.

'I'm sorry to hear that,' Philippe responded calmly. His brother was always so composed, so in control. When there were a lot of people around he controlled the room, commanded their attention. 'The managers and I have been talking this morning and have decided that we, at least for the moment, should go on with this Phantom's Opera,'

'This a joke!' Ubaldo piped up, looking astonished.

'I will not perform it!' Carlotta folded her arms across her body and nodded her head, satisfied that she had made her stance very clear.

'Then you will leave,' Philippe said simply as he looked around him. 'Anyone who refuses to perform in this opera will leave this instant and will not be asked to return, is that understood?'

They all looked up in shock.

'A decision has been made by the managers and by myself and that decision is final,'

There were grumbles and moans around the room but no one left, they all stayed still, waiting for Philippe to continue.

'The casting will be exactly as the instructions say,' he carried on with his speech. 'Christine Daae will play the lead, Ubaldo the male lead, Carlotta your role...'

'Is an insult,' She snapped.

'That it may be but, for the time being, that is the way it is to remain,' Carlotta turned her nose up to the ceiling.

'The score... it is terrible,' Ubaldo said, placing a comforting hand on Carlotta's shoulder.

'We agree,' Richard Firmin stepped forward. 'It is ludicrous but I'm afraid, for the sake of this Opera House, we cannot afford to ignore the warnings this time,'

'We have no choice,' Gilles Andre agreed.

'It is already settled, La Carlotta,' Philippe's eyes were warm and he smiled. 'We will get through this, believe me,'

They all murmured to each other but Raoul did not catch what they were saying.

'Now, we have been left several notes which we have not read yet,' Philippe nodded at the managers. 'We thought you should all hear what he has to say,'

It was Gilles who stepped forward first, his face ashen. 'Dear Andre, Re: My Orchestrations. Number one, we need another first bassoon, a player with tone if you could. Number two, the third Trombone needs to go, the man is clearly tone deaf and why he has been with us for so long is basically anybody's guess.'

Richard nodded. 'Dear Firmin, vis a vis my opera,' He rolled his eyes. 'Some chorus members must be sacked. If you could find out which has a sense of pitch. Wisely, I have assigned minor roles to those of our cast that cannot act.'

Carlotta huffed loudly, turning to face the exit so that her back was to Richard. If the situation was not so serious, Raoul would have found this amusing. Instead he felt a wave of dread build inside him.

'So, Miss Daae has the largest role in this Don Juan,' Gilles said.

'Ha,' Carlotta spun around to stare at her. 'She does not have the voice,'

'Signora, please,' Richard pleaded.

'Well it is an outrage,'

'Insult,' Ubaldo added, for effect.

'I realise you are upset,' Philippe stepped down from the stairs. 'But it is important that we do this, at least for now,'

'She is the one behind this!' Carlotta pointed a chubby finger at Christine, who simply stared back, wide eyed. 'You!'

'How dare you,' Christine finally said.

'I'm not a fool,'

'This is not my fault,' Christine looked from Carlotta to Raoul and then to the managers. 'I don't want any of this!'

Raoul stepped towards her. 'We have to do this, we need to... we're going to win, Christine,'

'I don't want to be part of it,' She said, staring right at him.

'Why on earth not?' Andre demanded, staring at her.

'What did she say?' Ubaldo asked.

'I don't want to...'

'She is backing out,' Carlotta was still pointing.

'You have a duty, Miss Daae,' Gilles said.

'I will not sing, duty or not,'

Raoul had heard enough. They had all crowded around her, surrounding her and he could not bear it anymore. He pushed through the small crowd and sat Christine down on the seat by the stair case. He gently touched her shoulders, looking into her eyes. 'Christine...' He whispered softly.

She let her soft, brown eyes settle on his face.

'You don't have to,' He continued, trying to comfort her. 'They can't make you,'

The silence that followed was finally broken by the sound of Madame Giry's calm voice piercing through it.

'I have a note too,' She held the piece of paper in front of her. They all turned to her. 'Fondest greetings to you all,'

'My isn't he a pleasant chap,' Richard sighed, rolling his eyes dramatically.

Madame Giry scowled at him before she continued. 'A few instructions before rehearsals start, Carlotta must be taught to act, I don't want to see her usual trick of strutting around the stage,'

The Diva visibly paled and then shook her head.

'Our Don Juan must lose some weight it isn't healthy in a man of Piangi's age,'

Ubaldo frowned but remained quiet.

Madame Giry coughed. 'My managers, they must both learn that their place is in an office and not in the arts. As for Miss Daae; no doubt she'll do her best, it's true her voice is good but should she wish to excel, she has much still to learn... if pride will allow her to return to her teacher, your obedient friend and Angel,'

Raoul felt as though he had been struck in the head, suddenly, it all felt very simple to him. 'We have all been completely blind!'

They all turned their attention from Madame Giry to him.

'The answer is staring us in the face!'

Philippe stepped towards. 'You have a plan?'

'I do!' Raoul grinned, for the first time in a long time feeling as though he was free. 'This is the chance we have been waiting for, the chance to ensnare our clever friend!'

'We're listening,' Gilles said, eyes fixed on him, looking intently.

'We'll play his game and perform his work,' Raoul continued. 'Let him believe he has got us,'

'Yes...'

'But remember we hold the ace,' he looked at his fiancée. 'For is Miss Daae sings, he is certain to attend...'

He watched as the realisation began to show on the manager's faces. Philippe nodded and smiled at him, no doubt proud of his younger brother.

Gilles spoke next. 'We make certain the doors are barred and guarded with armed men!'

'And when the curtain falls,' Raoul nodded. 'His reign will end,'

It was Madame Giry who called out. 'Madness!'

'Madness?' Gilles asked. 'It's brilliant,'

'It's not madness if it works, Madame,' Raoul smiled.

'Exactly, the tide will turn,'

Madame Giry shook her head. 'There is no way of turning the tide!'

Raoul argued back and the room erupted into chaos, he could vaguely make out Carlotta arguing with Firmin, as Philippe looked on in bemusement. Antoinette Giry was shaking her head, her face paler than he had ever seen it, but he had to talk her around. Somehow she needed to understand that this was there only way.

Though he knew it wasn't true he said, 'Or could it be that you're on his side?'

Gilles eyes widened and he stared at Madame Giry whose posture was slumped, not the way he was used to. She shook her head again, palms up as if to show him she had nothing to hide. 'I only want what is best for the people here,'

'Then you must help us, Madame,' He continued to prod, trying to get her aid. With the help of someone who knew him they at least had a fighting chance of succeeding. Raoul would not fool himself into believing that ensnaring the infamous phantom was going to be an easy task yet he had to look confident, show the others how ready he was to end the madness.

'I can't help,' she looked away as the shouting continued around them. 'I know nothing of any use to you,'

As the noise is the room became louder and the panic more pronounced the usually small voice of his Christine pierced through the chaos. 'If you don't stop I will go mad!'

Silence dropped like a curtain around the lobby as they all turned to look at Christine.

'Raoul...' Her voice was soft.

'We need your help,' He coaxed gently.

'I know,' Her face was grey, her eyes bloodshot and tired, as she looked up at him. 'Raoul, I'm frightened,'

He stared at her, the pain she was feeling, the fear, it was painted on her face, in the darkness of her usually sparkling eyes. At the thought of her hurting his own heart began to ache, the very sight of her in so much anguish filled him with pain.

'We need you,' He managed to say, through the thickness of his throat.

'Don't make me do this,' She whispered, leaning towards him. 'Don't put me through this ordeal... he'll take me, I know he will, he'll take me and we'll be parted forever, he won't let me go,'

Raoul, not caring about the other people in the room with them, wrapped his arms around her tightly, he gave her a squeeze, pressure to let her know that she was not alone. He would always be there for her. He hoped that she felt it though her body as he hugged her, hoped that she felt his spirit, his fight, his support.

She pulled away and her eyes met his. 'What I once used to dream I now dread, you realise if he finds me it won't ever end?'

Raoul touched her face gently with his fingertips. 'I'm here to guard you, remember?'

'He'll always be there,' Her eyes were looking right through him. 'Always, we'll never escape,'

Carlotta's voice broke through the uncomfortable silence. 'She's mad,'

Raoul twisted his neck around and glared at her hard. 'Be quiet,'

She rolled her eyes.

When he turned his attention back on Christine she was staring into space, as if she was somewhere else. 'Christine,' He said softly.

She blinked. 'Raoul...'

'You said yourself he is nothing but a man,' He kept his voice as soft as he could, he wanted her to know that he was always on her side. 'But while he lives he will haunt us until we die,'

A sigh escaped her and it felt like a punch to his heart. 'What answer can I give?'

He reached out and took her hands in his.

'You're asking me to risk our lives so that we win the chance to live,' Her eyes were on his face, he felt their intensity. 'He kills without a thought and he murders all that's good... yet...'

'Christine, you're our only chance,' Raoul squeezed her hand gently. 'Don't think that I don't care but every hope we've got rests on you now,'

She nodded her agreement but it was half hearted.

He turned and looked around him, found Philippe's face in the crowd and gave him a short, sharp nod. 'So,' he said, looking around him. 'It is to be war between us but this time clever friend, the disaster will be yours!'