Chapter 13

The very next morning, Christine was becoming more worried about Ashley. She never thought that the Phantom would have kidnapped her that night, but he had. Perhaps she could go down and beg him to release her friend. But that's easier said than done, since she was sure he would not listen to her. But he had to. He loved her, right?

"I hope she is alright." She said mostly to herself.

"Christine?" She turned to find Ashley standing in front of the mirror.

"Ashley!" She ran over to the girl and held her tightly.

"I'm so glad you're alright." Christine cried.

"I'm sorry I made you worry." She said sadly.

"What happened to you?" Ashley shook her head. "Did he hurt you?"

Never. She thought, but she knew she had to make up something to tell them.

"He didn't do anything to me. The reason I disappeared was because I ran away." Christine stared at her in shock. "I just needed to find a place to think. I went to Notre-Dame along my journey. I got to say, it was a good place to gather my bearings. However, on my way back, I was attacked. I blacked out and found myself in a dark tunnel. But the mirror was right there when I looked up." She reached into her dress and pulled out a piece of parchment. "And this was in my hand when I awoke." Christine took the note and read it over.

"Since you are a friend of Christine Daae, I will let you live this once. However, let this be a lesson to you to obey my warnings from now on. Never sing on my stage ever again or you won't be so lucky." Christine looked back at her friend and felt relief wash over her. She would live another day, but she knew it was no longer safe here for her friend.

"Ashley!" Meg ran into the room and to her friend. "Where did you go?"

"I really don't want to talk about it." She said shakily.

"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter now, just so long as you're alright." Ashley sighed with relief. She didn't think she could handle an interrogation. "Oh, the managers wish to see you, right now." She took her hand and began leading her from the room to the office.

As they entered the room, Andre, Firmin, and Raoul were all there waiting. When they spotted her, Firmin and Andre rushed over to her.

"Miss White, we heard you were kidnapped by the Phantom after your performance. We're so glad you are alive and unharmed." Andre said and Ashley gave a shy smile.

"Andre, please! Give the poor girl some space." Firmin scolded his partner and pulled him away from her. "We're all pleased to know you're alright my dear." Ashley bowed her head a bit.

"I'm just glad I'm still in one piece." She said jokingly. Raoul noticed the note in her hands and narrowed his eyes.

"What do you have there?" He asked. He came over and swiped the note from her hands.

"No, wait!" She tried taking it back but he was already reading it.

"So, he's threatening you now?" Ashley sighed.

"Well, it was my own fault. I should have gotten the hint." She shrugged a bit then walked over to sit in one of the chairs.

"Wait, this could be a great opportunity." Everyone turned their attention to the Vicomte. "Ashley, are there any songs in this you can sing?" He handed her a copy of Don Juan. "Anything at all?" She gave him a suspicious look before flipping through the score.

"Why are you asking me this?" She questioned.

"Just answer the question." He said slightly irritated.

"I can sing Point of no Return alright. It's one of my favorites." She said nervously. "Why?"

"Perhaps, we should have you sing it." If Ashley wasn't so polite, she would have slapped him at that moment.

"Have you lost your marbles? Have me sing in the Phantom's opera? Haven't you been listening?"

"Of course. But if you were to sing, that would give him even more reason to attend. If Christine sings, he'll be there because he cast her in the role, but with you, he'll want to stop you." Ashley smacked her palm against her forehead.

"Look, I really don't think this is a good idea. And, personally, I'd like to keep my head where it is."

"Raoul, I have to agree with Ashley." Christine added. "We don't want to anger him anymore than we already have." Raoul sighed and deflated a bit.

"Christine, I'm only thinking about your freedom, and the freedom of this company. Please understand, I won't let anything happen to Miss Ashley." Ashley let out a cry of frustration and stormed from the room. Before she went through the door, she turned and glared fiery daggers at the Vicomte.

"Spoiled little prat!" Everyone's mouths fell open at her bold and venomous words as she slammed the door behind her.

Ashley continued grumbling curses as she made her way to the roof, her cloak secured around her and billowing angrily with her strides. As she made it out into the winter air, she felt herself calm as the frigid winds blew away her burning rage. She sat down on a bench on the far left between some of the statues and allowed the last of her anger dissipate. After she was calm again, she suddenly broke out laughing.

"Care to tell me what is so funny?" She saw Erik appear from behind one of the statues with a very smug look on his face. It felt odd; somehow this meeting for them feels much like all those years ago. As if those lonely years never happened and nothing changed in the slightest. To Ashley, she definitely wasn't complaining. Ashley stood from her seat and began walking toward him still giggling.

"I just called Raoul a spoiled little prat." She said which earned a deep chuckle from him.

"And I thought you preferred keeping your snide comments to yourself." He said with a sense of pride for his little protégée. "You've become bolder in your years." Ashley smiled and shook her head.

"I was still a mousy little ingénue when I first came here. I think your influence rubbed off on me." Now it was Erik's turn to burst into laughter.

"Yes, I remember. Perhaps I'm a bad influence on you." He had one hand holding her chin as she gazed into his eyes.

"Maybe I like your influence." She said and stood up onto her tip toes and met his lips with her own.

Raoul could not believe his eyes. He had come to find Ashley to demand an apology for her rudeness when he came to the roof, which seemed to be a place she frequented often, and found her in the arms of the Phantom. Raoul couldn't have been more appalled. Could she have been playing them all along? Working with him since the start? He knew he would get his answers, unless she wanted her secret known.

"So, what did the Vicomte say to make you use such language?" Her smile faltered a bit at the question, but she kept it none the less. Should she tell him about Raoul's suggestion? Could he be angry? Would he tell her to go along with it? She didn't want to figure it out.

"He was just kept going on about his plan." She lied. "He's overly confident that Christine could lure you out of hiding and into the fray." She noticed something in his eyes. Perhaps he sensed her lie. If he did, he probably would have stopped her when she had begun. No, he knew, she knew he did.

"Ashley, you are a talented singer. But an actress you are not." He reprimanded. "Now, tell me the truth." Ashley looked down at her shoes.

"Raoul wants me to sing one of the songs in the opera to lure you out." She admitted. She felt him stiffen a bit and could see the rage burning in his eyes.

"So, he's willing to put you in harm's way to capture me, is he?" He hissed and she felt his hands tighten their grip on her.

"Erik, please." She brought her hands up to his face and he was brought back from his angered thoughts to see the worried look in his angel's eyes.

"I'm sorry Ashley." He said and loosened his grip on her but did not release her. "I just can't stand the thought of that boy using you for this. It isn't fair to you." Ashley leaned her head against his chest.

"I learned a long time ago that life is never fair. But I just hope we can get out of this and finally be free." Erik began stroking her hair.

"We'll think of something."

Ashley was feeling nervous about this whole ordeal more than ever. She knew that if anyone was to know about hr and Erik, it would become dangerous not just for her, but she was aware that Erik would go to all lengths to keep her this time. She just prayed that no blood would be shed in the process.

"Enjoy your little rendezvous?" The hairs on her neck bristled at the sound of Raoul's voice. "Now, what would a young beauty such as yourself be doing associating herself with such a beast as the Phantom of the Opera?" Ashley held her head up and gave him an icy stare.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She said evenly.

"Oh, I believe you do." He said and strutted towards her with an arrogant smile on his face. "I saw you on the roof with him. You can't hide this secret from me." Ashley tried as hard as she could not to shake. "So, how long has it been going on? Since the beginning? Or perhaps it's been going on… long before then." He whispered the last part in her ear and he pulled out a news clipping and shoved it into her hands. It was one of the articles from six years ago about her disappearance. "I found this in your room."

"You can't honestly believe-"

"I'd suggest you save your excuses mademoiselle. Now, you will help with our little plan, or I will reveal to everyone your involvement with Monsieur le Phantom." He plucked the article from her hands and began backing away. "Your choice." When he was gone, Ashley finally broke down. She fell to her knees and started sobbing. It was finished. She was trapped.

"Forgive me Erik."

As the weeks went by there was no sign of the Phantom's presence. Ashley would just walk around in a daze most of the time hoping that perhaps she was caught in a very bad dream and would wake up back in the arms of her dear Erik. But Fate was not so kind. Finally, opening night was upon them. Ashley was to sing Point of no Return in the opera and then she was finished. But with each passing moment, she dreaded having to appear in the opera.

"I must be brave…" She began to sing. "…Come, come what may… can I be saved?... Is there a way, at the opera tonight?" She sat down on her bed and held up her costume. It looked about the same as Christine's only in a different size. She wanted nothing more than to toss it aside and just run down into the catacombs, but she knew that would not be a smart idea.

Erik, down in his lair, was also preparing himself for the up and coming debut of his opera. After tonight, she would have Ashley back and would give these fools a night they will never forget.

"I've made my peace…"

"No chance for peace…"

"I hold no grudge…"

"I'll end this grudge…"

"I'm gonna sing…"

"I'll take the stage…"

"My final song…/ she will be mine…"

"At the opera tonight."

Ashley stood from her bed, fully in costume and made her way to the stage.

"At the opera tonight."

Ashley had just finished her song and the crowd was going wild. She was definitely the winner here. She looked over towards box five and saw a shadow pass by the curtain and smiled.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, as the judges make their decision, please take this time to stretch your legs and help yourself to refreshments in the foyer." Ashley made her way off the stage and towards box five. She softly knocked on the door and waited until it opened slightly.

"You were incredible." She heard her teacher say from the other side.

"You made me incredible." She said smugly. Suddenly, a black leather gloved hand reached out and grabbed her before pulling her into the dark box and a pair of lips crashing down upon her own. "Well, aren't you eager? I have to get back to the stage." Before she could protest any farther she was silenced with another kiss.

"Soon you won't have to worry about pleasing others with your presence. Because when you make your wish, I'm going to take you back bellow with me and never share you with anyone again." Ashley giggled as he began kissing her neck.

"Would our two contestants please return to the stage?" Erik growled with frustration and released the girl in his arms.

"It will only be a moment." Ashley promised and kissed his unmasked cheek before turning and leaving the box. As she took her place on the stage next to her opponent and sighed. The suspense was unbearable.

"The judges have reached a decision. And the winner is…" Ashley held her breath. "… Ashley White!" The entire room burst into applause and Ashley was jumping up and down and screaming like a little girl. "Now Ashley, since you're the winner, your prize is having your greatest desire fulfilled. Now, what is it you want most?"

"What I want most?" She said innocently. "What I would like most is to be able to stay in this world."

I wish to stay with the man I love. The room soon broke into nervous chatter and the judges' faces became pale.

"Um… Ashley. Is that really what you want?" Ashley started having a bad feeling in her gut. The smile faded from her face.

"Yes."

"Well, I'm afraid that's not something we can do." Ashley felt her heart was about to stop.

"But you said anything." She muttered.

"I'm sorry." She shook her head and was about to go into a panic attack when…

BOOM!

Some sort of explosion went off and the room was filled with smoke. All Ashley could hear were frantic shouts and coughing and her vision completely impaired. Ashley covered her face with her shirt and tried opening her eyes only to feel them burning from the smoke. Suddenly she felt someone grab her arm and pull her away from the stage and down one of the corridors. When her eyes stopped burning she looked to see Erik pulling her away from the scene. He led her to one of the secret passages leading to his lair and they began their dissension. All the way down they were silent and they were moving so quickly that Ashley managed to stumble one or two times on the way. And when they reached the lake, the boat was already there waiting. Erik helped her into the boat before getting in and taking the poll and bringing them towards his lair.

"They did say anything." Ashley said softly.

"I believe you." Erik said. "Even if they wouldn't let you, I would have taken you either way."Ashley let out a soft giggle and looked down into the water. As they made it back to his home, he jumped from the boat then helped Ashley out. He led her over to the bedroom with a large swan shaped bed and just stood there taking her in his arms. "I will fight to keep you here Ashley. I promise, I will never let you go." He vowed to the young girl."

"No matter what, I will always love you." She said leaning her forehead against his chest. He didn't care of her age, whether she was fourteen or twenty four, she loved him and he loved her. They may have only known each other a few weeks but she was everything to him. He took her chin and lifted her head to look at him before lightly pressing his lips to hers. The kiss started becoming more passionate, so much that they fell down onto the bed right behind her.

Out on the stage, Raoul was working with the police, getting them into position.

"You, in the pit, do you have a clear view of box five?" He asked the officer in the orchestra pit.

"Yes sir!" He answered.

"Good. Now when the time comes, shoot. Only if you have to, but shoot to kill."

"How will I know sir?" The officer asked.

"You'll know." He said cryptically. Firmin and Andre were talking nervously to each other when Ashley appeared in full costume.

"Miss White, the time is drawing near." Andre said and took her hands. "Are you ready?" Ashley sighed.

"As I'll ever be." She said sounding almost dead. She was hoping Erik would not show up tonight. If he figured out what was going on she couldn't take it.

"My men are now in position sir." The chief officer said.

"Go ahead then." Raoul said and he turned out towards the theater.

"Are the doors secure?" He shouted. Several of the men began shouting the door they guarded was secure. Ashley knew better than this since Erik had more than one entrance or exit that a simple door. Then, they began to hear his ominous voice.

"I'm here, the Phantom of the Opera…" Everyone began searching the theater for the source of the voice, but it was coming as if from nowhere. "I'm here, the Phantom of the Opera…" He continued throwing his voice all over the room coming from in front, in back, above, everywhere. The officer in the pit fired his gun and Ashley screamed covering her ears from the noise.

"You idiot!" Raoul shouted at the officer. "I said only when the time comes!"

"But Monsieur le Vicomte-"

"No buts!" They heard the Phantom shout. "For once Monsieur le Vicomte is right." Ashley began giggling but Raoul gave her a hard look silencing her.

"Seal my fate tonight… I hate to have to cut the fun short… but the joke's wearing thin… let the audience in… let my opera begin!"

The song used in this chapter was At the Opera Tonight (with slightly altered lyrics) from Repo! The Genetic Opera.

So I did change this chapter a bit to fit with the previous chapters but it still keeps itself about the same. I also wanted to use this song because it's just so exciting and foreboding. So, next we get to the Phantom's opera! Stay tuned!