(A/N: I just wanted to apologize if any chapters have been named with the wrong numbers. I had added a few chapters in between old ones, and forgot to change some of them. I know I haven't updated in a while, and I probably won't get chapters up for the next little while, but I'll see what I can do. Enjoy the next chapter!)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN:
Christine POV

I stood off stage, watching Piangi belt out garbled words that had taken him ages to memorize. I dreaded the thought of having to face him again. He had already molested me during one scene tonight, and it wasn't even the climax yet! But the show was wrapping up, and there had been no sign of Erik throughout the entire performance, which made the police look like utter idiots.

Piangi had gone off stage and it was almost time for me to go on. Someone caught my arm and I looked around.

Meg stood there, an expression of pity on her face.

"Meg?" I stammered, apprehensively. I hadn't spoken with her for so long. She was almost a stranger nowadays.

"Christine, I know what you've been thinking and I'm so sorry if I caused you any trouble. It's Philippe that I'm in love with, not Raoul."

Everything suddenly made sense. Philippe had been there the day Raoul came. He was remarkably similar in appearance. It was easy to confuse one with the other.

Relief flooded me, and I felt a smile spread across my face.

"Oh, Meg, I was so worried~" The music for my cue began to play and I had to step on stage.

I mouthed, "I'll talk to you later," before beginning to sing.

"No thoughts within her head but thoughts of joy. No dreams within her heart but dreams of love!" I sang, my voice carrying around the theatre. The basket of roses I carried fell. I sat down on my heels and waited for the next lines.

It took a moment, and I assumed Piangi was having trouble putting on his cape, as he had numerous times in rehearsal. In the meantime, I played with the leaves of the roses, acting innocent, while inside I wondered what was taking so long.

A voice reached my ears, but not the one that I had normally heard in rehearsals.

No! It could not be!

"You have come here in pursuit of your deepest urge. In pursuit of that wish, which 'til now has been silent."

I whirled around to lock eyes with Erik, who radiated somewhat of an animalistic mood tonight.

He placed a finger of his lips with a mysteriously passionate gaze, and I forced myself to look away. My thoughts were scattered, divided between keeping my head and making sure Erik wasn't about to act rashly.

"Silent…" he breathed, forcing me to glance back again. He held my gaze long enough to send chills up and down my arms, before allowing my eyes to wander away from his.

"I have brought you, so our passions may fuse and merge. In your mind you've already succumbed to me…" but the rest was lost for I could no longer hear the words, but only the voice. He could have been singing anything in the world to me, and it wouldn't have mattered.

I closed my eyes, basking in his voice, which created a world entirely his own on my eyelids. A world of music and darkness. A world of passion.

He swished his cape, a movement so small but stirring nonetheless. I took the cue he gave and stood up, ready to face him.

I heard him sing, "Our games of make believe are at an end," before slipping into the dream again.

I knew what those words meant. There were no more fake Angels. It was only Erik now, nothing more and nothing less.

He walked to me, his mouth open in song, conveying emotions instead of words.

Turning as he circled around me, I caught a glimpse of Raoul's flabbergasted face. Obviously, he did not understand how Piangi had shrunk several belt sizes so quickly.

Erik caught me around the neck, his hand caressing my skin more lovingly than I could ever have imagined.

I lay against him, not resisting, to Raoul's great dismay. I knew he wanted me to go against Erik, but there was no chance in Hell I was giving away this passion-filled moment for a second's loyalty to Raoul. He had never shown me any affection, other than kissing, and that was not an experience worth remembering.

Erik's hands slid across my neckline and down my arm. They clasped my hand tightly against his chest, which was exposed beneath his open shirt.

His segment of the song had finished and he let my hand go for a moment. My mind fluttered into reality and I looked up at where Raoul stood.

"Is it him?"Raoul mouthed, and I quirked my eyebrow up in a 'you've got to be kidding' manner. Instantly he began nodding to Andre and Firmin who seemed to have guessed this revelation for themselves.

For a moment there was silence and my gaze flickered to Erik's. Go on, his eyes seemed to say. Sing, my Angel.

I began to sing, just before I missed my cue. I couldn't begin to think what I was singing and hoped it was the correct lyrics, not a broken up stuttering of what was running through my mind, most of which were variations of "Oh my God," repeating in my mind.

I tuned into my normal thoughts to make sure that I said to him, "I've decided." His lips curled up with triumph, and he began to walk exactly parallel with me up the stairs.

Though everyone around me probably thought so, I simply could not see how being here was so wrong when inside it all felt so right. This seemed like destiny, no, something even more than destiny.

We reached the bridge over the stage and I willed myself not to simply fling my body at him, ready for the taking. There was an audience after all.

With a backward swing of his arm, the cape hanging from his shoulder was removed, and we advanced towards each other singing with as much desire as humanly possible without bursting.

Up here with all the lights shining on us, his usually black hair looked nearly blonde, but as he put his arms around my waist and leaned closer into shadow, it changed back to black.

He spun me around in his arms so that I was pressed against him in the same position as before, which seemed to be his favourite hold. To be truthful, I didn't mind his choice.

His hands slid to my neck, holding my head gently to the side as his face pushed into my black curls.

The music changed to something very familiar to me and he began to sing softly in my ear.

"Say you'll share with me one love one lifetime. Lead me, save me from my solitude."

I opened my eyes, knowing what he was going to do.

"Say you want me with you here, beside you." He pulled to the side, taking hold of my hand in both of his.

"Anywhere you go let me go too~" He slipped his hands over my shoulders and held fast. I slid my hand against his cheek, feeling tears of pure joy rolling down my cheeks.

"Christine, that's all I ask of~" I forgot that I was engaged to Raoul, and forgot that Erik and I were currently standing in front of at least a hundred or so people.

He never finished his sentence, for I slipped my thumb under his mask and tore it off, revealing his disfigurement to the whole of Paris.

It was as if my ears had suddenly been unplugged. My original intention of kissing him shattered as the screams of the crowd deafened me.

I did not look at them. I could only stare at Erik's devastated face.

You betrayed me… He mouthed softly, not able to get the words out. Hot guilt flooded my insides.

"Erik… Erik, I…" He shook his head, angry tears spilling down his cheeks.

The guards around the theatre were hurrying towards the stage and he snatched me into his arms. I fell against his chest as he cut a rope that connected to the grand chandelier. It began to tremble violently, row upon row of dagger-like diamonds threatening to fall at any moment.

"No…" I whispered, looking out at the screaming crowd. So many might perish, and it was all my fault. Everything was always my fault!

I felt the ground give out beneath me and I clutched onto his shirt tightly.

I fell through the darkness, and away from the screams. Once more we had left the world above and disappeared into his. But this time, this world was not gentle, as it had once been. Now it was a world of punishment.