I'm back! I didn't forget about you all, I just got really busy. I am back though and I am posting the rest of the story tonight! So be prepared to read a lot! And as always, please answer the questions at the end! Enjoy!

Chapter 17
After a few hours of dancing, talking, and falling a few times due to my drunkenness, Erik led me to the passage that led to my room.

"I had a lovely evening with you tonight." I said as I looked into Erik's big blue eyes.

"As did I."

"When will I see you again?"

"When ever fate shall permit it." Erik gave me a light smile.

"And may fate be on our side."

"Indeed." Erik looked through a small hole to insure that the coast was clear and that Christine was sleeping. When he saw Christine he sighed a bit and then turned to me. "Get some sleep tonight Jemma."

"I will." I smiled to him as he reached a hand out to open the passageway. The wall slowly slid back enabling me space to walk into my room. Erik turned to walk away, but before he could leave my sight, I wrapped my arms around him to envelope him in a hug from the back. He turned back to me and hugged me the right way. His hands snaked around my waist making me smile.

I took a step back and looked at him again. "Goodnight Erik."

"Goodnight Jemma." I stepped into my room and watched as the hidden door slowly slid shut. I grinned ear to ear as I walked to my dresses to pick out a nightgown.

I pulled out a silken blue one with a ribbon on the neckline, and walked behind the changing stand. I slipped out of my gown and adjusted my undergarments. I didn't have a corset on because I felt that the night was a night to have fun, not a night to worry about how skinny you looked. Also, before seeing Erik again, I had felt no need to do anything extra to look nice.

Once changed, I pulled back my covers and got in bed.

"Goodnight Jemma." A voice said. I looked over at Christine. She was all bundled up, and her eyes were shut. So that meant that she heard me talking to Erik. She heard me talking.

I sighed. "Goodnight Christine."

"We talk later. We have some catching up to do miss 'head over heals in love with the Phantom'." I gaped as I heard a soft chuckle.

"I do not 'love' the Phantom."

"Whatever Boo. Night."

I grumbled. "Night.

Getting to sleep was easy considering the fact that for once, I was happy. I wanted more than anything to sleep forever and ever, but that was not God's plan for me.

Shuffling awoke me from my light but peaceful sleep. I forced my eyes open to see Christine next to her drawers.

"Christine?"

"Jemma." She said with a slight smile, only able to be seen by the gift of the moon light.

"What time is it? And what are you doing?"

She put on her thinking face. "I think it is about 4 in the morning." 4 in the morning? That means that I have only gotten one hour of sleep. Great, just great. "And I am going to visit my father's grave."

"At this hour?"

"I felt something in the pit of my stomach telling me to leave. A voice, in the back of my mind, and in my dreams, beckoning me to Father." This sounds like the works of Erik. Then again, it could just be the fact that Christine had a dream about her father and so she decided to visit his grave.

"Oh, alright." I plainly said.

"Would you care to come with?" I sat up and stretched.

"No thank you Christine. For he is your father, not mine." I smiled, though I didn't know if she could see.

"Alright. I will see you later." She gave a half smile to me and then shut her drawer. I was guessing that she hadn't a thing to wear to go to the cemetery.

"Goodbye Christine." I returned her smile and yawned. "Be safe."

"I will Boo." She said reassuringly. Christine slipped into some slippers and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. She opened the door and looked both ways. Curious, I leaned over in my bed and saw a sleeping Raoul sitting in a chair. Muffling a laugh, I watch as Christine walked down some steps, leaving the door wide open.

I sigh and stand up. I shut the door and then walk back over to my bed. Looking out my window at the beautiful scene, I smile. The half twilight breaks through the mist, shedding light down upon the earth. I look down to watch Christine get into a horse and carriage, and gap at what I see.

Christine hands a man a pouch full of coins, and walks out of my sight, probably getting some flowers and a black stage outfit to wear. Then, out of nowhere, a man covered by a cape bashes the filthy man with a block of wood, sending him crashing down to the ground. Erik!

I jump up and open a drawer. Pulling out an old black dress that I had modified to suit me, I quickly pulled off my nightgown and pulled on the black dress. It was basically a black corset with long sleeves and leather gloves. I don't wear the gloves. It also came with a really long veil, which I turned into it's cape. I slipped on some plain black shoes and laced the last of the strings on the corset.

I ran out of the room and saw that Raoul was no longer in his place. Dang! that means that he was already on his way to save Christine!

As quickly as I could, I ran to the stables and hopped onto a pitch black horse. I kicked it with my heal and it sped off, my dress flying in the wind. Knowing Raoul, he probably took the way that many travel to greet long lost loved ones. I however, took a shortcut. When me and Christine were younger, we would visit her father's grave each week it seemed. Realizing after a while that taking the path wore both of our horses out, we found a shortcut and made a rhyme to remember it. "Through the trees, up the hill. Behind the graves, where no one sees."

I weaved my way through the many trees, urged the horse up the hill, and then tied it to an old fence post. I looked up and seized out the gate. It seemed taller than I remember. Then again, I haven't been here in years. I rubbed my hands together and climbed up the fence. Lifting my dress up and over the fence was hard, but I made it over.

I ran to where I remembered sit Gustave Daae's grave plot being, and looked up. I stared at the back of it where many vines grew. Christine and I used to climb to the top of her father's tomb and look up at she sky as Christine silently prayed. I sighed and began to climb up the vines. I knew that if I got to the top, I could surly find Erik somewhere.

As luck would have it, I spotted him right away! He was sitting on the roof. I climbed the last few vines, and stood on the roof. I slowly crept up to Erik.

"Erik." I hissed.

He turned to look at me. "Jemma?"

"What are you doing here Erik?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Saving my friend from your trap!"

Erik walked over to me and covered my mouth with his hand. "Be quiet!"

I pushed his hand away. "Don't tell me what to do." I snapped.

"You will ruin everything!"

"And what is it that I will ruin? You taking my friend and holding her captive?"

"Well…" Erik was at a loss of words.

"You really need to open your eyes Erik. She doesn't love you!"

"You lie!" He hissed!"

I sighed and sat down on the roof. "Erik, she doesn't love you."

Erik crouched in front of me. His expression became one of sadness, then anger. "Well I will just have to make her then, wont I?"

Erik walked back over to his spot at the edge of the mausoleum and crouched down. "Erik, you are being stupid." I said.

Erik turned to face me again, fire dancing in his eyes. "I'm being stupid? Well at least I didn't forgive the man who nearly raped me!" He hissed through clenched teeth, venom dripping from his mouth.

I opened my mouth to say something, but I couldn't. What could I say?

"Jemma I-"

"Save it Erik."

"But I didn't mean it."

I sighed. "Must we go there again? Stop saying that you didn't mean it, when you clearly wouldn't have said it if you didn't mean it." Tears glazed my eyes. I shook my head and crawled over to the back where the vines were.

"Jemma please."

"No Erik…just…please stop talking." I climbed down and looked around. I finally let the tears drip from my eyes as I slid down against the small wall like barricade to sit.

"Help me say goodbye. Help me say, goodbye!" Christine's voice could be heard from where I sat. Knowing Erik, Christine finishing her song, was his cue to make some move. I stood up and peeked out. Not for Erik's sake, but for my dear Christine's did I stand to watch as Erik attempted and failed at seducing her…again.

"Wandering child,
So lost so helpless
Yearning for my guidance" I listened as Erik sang to Christine.

"Angel or father?
Friend or phantom?
Who is it there, staring?" I fought the urge to tell Christine that it was indeed the Phantom. As to why, I don't know.

Erik jumped in and began to sing. "Have you forgotten you're…"

Then Christine joined in as well.
"Angel, oh, speak
What endless longings
Echo in this whisper"

A light in the mausoleum turned on which made me jump a bit, nearly out of my skin.

"Too long you've wandered in winter
Far from my fathering gaze." Erik sang to her. The doors to the tomb slowly began to open. Wow, creepy.

"Wildly my mind beats against you."

"You resist."

"Yet your/the soul obeys…" They sang together. "Angel of Music!"

"You denied me" Erik sung.

"Christine then sang. "I denied you"

"Turning from true beauty
Angel of Music!" They once again sang in unison.

"Do not shun me" Once again Erik sang first, then Christine.

"My protector."

They sang a line together. "Come to me"

"Your strange Angel…"

"I am your Angel of Music...
Come to me; Angel of Music" Erik's melodic voice sang. If he were trying to put me in a trance, he would have no problem. Same with Christine only because to him, she is like a puppet and the Phantom is her string master.

"No, Christine, wait!" Raoul's annoying voice shouted. I looked around and saw the knight in shining armor ride into the graveyard on his white horse. "Wait!"

The dazed Christine spun around. "Raoul." She spoke silently as she snapped out of her trance.

Raoul hopped off of the horse and ran up the steps to Christine, all the while pulling out his sword. "This man…this thing, is not your father!" Just as Raoul spoke, Erik jumped down from the top of the mausoleum.

With one swift movement, Erik's sword was out and already clashing with Raoul's. The sound of the clanging of the metal echoed all around me. Christine just stood there in shock.

Erik swished his cape in the air and in the one second that he did, Raoul jumped off of the tiny wall. Being the fop that he is though, he fell to the ground and tumbled into a leafless bush. I shook my head and muffled a laugh, reminding myself that this was no time to laugh. At seeing Raoul fall, Christine's face held an expression of worry as she ran down to the snowy grass.

Being a trooper, Raoul stood right back up and Erik jumped down. Erik landing on his feet made Raoul seem even more foolish. Around the graves the two men went, clashing swords when ever they could.

With one rough swing, Raoul was on the ground, and Erik's sword had just missed him, hitting a log. At that, my eyes widened and I ran out from my place of hiding, but hid behind another gravestone.

Standing up quickly, Raoul swung at Erik once more. The battle of the swords was back on. I looked over at Christine and saw that her jaw was dropped. Mine was too!

With Erik's sword always being one inch from Raoul, I was even scared. Erik's metal rod got caught in between a gate post, giving Raoul a second to take a step away from the danger zone that is Erik. Christine took another step forward as Raoul and Erik each hid behind a side of a grave stone with slits in it. They glared at each other from each side, and then Erik was gone. Raoul, being the confused person he is, began to look around for Erik through the slits. Then, out of no where, Erik's sword was flying at Raoul, but the swing was blocked.

Now in combat again, the ran around in circles. Swing here, swing there. It scared me! And Christine for that matter! I think that both me and Christine's eyes widened when Erik's sword sliced into Raoul's arm, causing blood to soak his shirt. I cam out from hiding and ran next to Christine.

"Are you alright Christine?"

She looked at me with bewilderment. "Yes, but this must end! I don't want my love or my angel getting in harm's way!" She hadn't taken her eyes off of the scene and I hadn't taken my eyes off of my worried friend.

Raoul fell onto a snow coated grave, but jumped right back up. Going back to fighting, the atmosphere was tense. Back and forth, they each took a swing at each other, each time missing. One lucky swing was all it took though for Raoul to get Erik on the ground. Raoul kicked his sword away and towered over him, lifting his sword up ready to end Erik's life.

"No Raoul!" Christine shouted taking a step forward. Raoul and Erik both turned their heads to look at Christine, and of course, they both spotted me. "No." Both Erik and Raoul looked at each other as if sending a secret message with their eyes. "Not like this."

Raoul stood still for a few seconds and then stepped away from Erik. He stuck his sword back into its holster, and walked towards Christine and I. Giving me a light shove, Raoul led Christine to the horse. He got on, and then helped Christine up. "Jemma?" I looked up. "Are you getting on?" She held a hand out to me.

I shook my head. "Good, we don't need a freak like her riding with us Christine." Raoul blurted out. Christine's expression was a sorrowful one as she rode away into the night.

I stared after them, still shocked at Raoul's words.

"Now, let it be war upon you both." Erik spoke into the night. I heard his cape swish in the wind, and I looked over at him.

"Erik…"

"Not now Jemma. Please." His expression became one of a distraught man.

"But Erik…"

"What do you want? Do you want me to tell you that you were right? That she does love Raoul?" I sighed and shook my head as I stepped in closer to him.

"I want you to shut up!" I yelled. He raised an eyebrow. "I know that you are in love and would fight for Christine and I am not going to try and make you do anything but what you want to do. Stop saying sorry to me also, because words don't faze me anymore." that was a lie.

"So…you don't want anything? You don't care that I am a tribal friend?" I sighed. How I wish we could be more than friends. You know what? I do wish that! I am going to stop blocking the thought out of my mind. It's true, I love Erik! The phantom of the opera!

"You are not a bad friend Erik." I took in a sharp breath. "And I do want something from you, but just one thing."

"Which is?"

"I want you to stop talking." I leaned in and kissed Erik smack dab on the lips, and then pulled away. I stared at Erik, wondering if he had felt the sparks that shook my body and filled me with joy. His expression wasn't the same as mine though which made my faint smile fade. "I-I'm sorry." I turned and ran away to find my horse and go back to the Opera House. With hope, that was all just a bad dream, and I didn't just kiss the Phantom of the Opera.

My question for everyone today is... what do you think will happen now that they have kissed?