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Chapter 21! Enjoy!

Phanty belongs to Leroux and Lloyd Weber

Erik

I walked away from her in order to give her the space she needed. After all that had happened between us; all that had been confessed it did not seem right to be present at such a moment. I had never thought much on religion… the afterlife, anything other than the harsh reality I had grown used to. But if there were an afterlife, and if the late Gustave Daae was watching us as we stood before his final resting place… I wanted to give him the respect he deserved. After all, what would he think of a man who had pretended to be him in order to win his daughter's affections? The more I thought about it, the worse it seemed.

I wandered behind some gravestones near her father's mausoleum. Of course, there was nothing I wished to see there, I simply wished to be out of sight of Christine and her father… I wondered where my mother was resting? She was dead. That much I knew. I had discovered that several years ago…

Folding my arms against the cold I took a seat on a bench several yards from Christine. She was in sight, I made sure of that. It was snowing now, just as it had been last night… on the rooftop… Last night had been wondrous. Just as every second was with Christine… I watched her as she stared at the mausoleum before her. She was not speaking… she did not look to be praying. If she was it must have been internally… I had been watching her so intently that I failed to notice the man approaching her from behind. It was only when she, herself turned around did shift positions so that I could see who she was staring at.

Raoul…

As soon as I saw who it was I felt the overwhelming need to approach him, protect Christine… but when I saw that he was alone the need lessened. Soundlessly I stood up and made my way closer to the man. Christine's eyes darted toward me and I hoped that le Vicomte had not noticed. Yes, she was searching for me. She was expecting me to come to her aid… and come to her aid I would.

"What are you doing here, Raoul?"

"Are you alone, Christine?"

"Y-Yes." She stammered. Good girl.

"Not very convincing, Christine."

"Of course I am alone! Do you think that I would allow anyone to accompany me here? I have come to visit my father. That is all."

Raoul studied her for a moment, brow furrowed in consternation.

"Well…" He shrugged. "I am glad that you are alone." He stepped forward. "I… could not find you at the Opera and so I thought that I might find you here. I remember you telling me that you wished to visit your father soon after the new year had begun…"

I grimaced slightly at the thought of he and Christine in such conversation but reminded myself that she must have told him this weeks ago, while she and I were not speaking. I could not blame her for seeking out company when I abandoned her so.

"When you are ready, I thought that I might escort you back…"

"Raoul, I have told you! I do not wish to see you, and after the way you treated Erik last night you are fortunate that I am speaking to you at all!"

I smiled.

"The way I treated him? If you recall, I was the one left lying in the snow. While you two ran off together."

"You interfered with us!"

"I simply came in search of my date… you had agreed to be my date, if you recall."

"I only agreed to that to throw you off the scent! Of course I did not wish to attend the Bal with you!"

"I see, Christine…" Raoul took a deep breath. I could see that he was hurt but I did not care. This time Christine stepped forward, seemingly frustrated.

"Why do you insist on treating him in such a way when you know of my affections for him?!"

"Because I know what is best for you!" Raoul cried, stepping closer to her. My hand fell to the hilt of my sword. "And… well I love you! I cannot bear the thought of him because I know that it is I whom you should truly be with…" Raoul was exasperated. Out of breath with emotion… I knew exactly how he felt. I felt the same about Christine and truthfully if I were in his situation I would be reacting the same way. Perhaps worse.

"If you truly loved me you would want my happiness!"

"I do! Of course I do! But you must see what he is!"

"I know what he is." She said sternly. "We have had this conversation, Raoul. Please leave so that I may return to what I was doing… the purpose for which I came here!" She shot another glance in my direction. I knew then that I could wait no longer. She was beckoning me to come to her aid… and while it seemed foolish to show myself when I did not necessarily need to, I could not deny her. I could see that the boy would not be easily convinced and sooner or later I would have to intervene anyway. It was better to do so before he'd had a chance to lay a hand on her. I knew that he wouldn't hurt her… but all the same the idea of him touching her at all made me uneasy.

"Christine, please…" Just as I had expected him to do, he stepped toward her. She took a small step backward before glancing in my direction once more. Her eyes seemed to widen as I actually came into view. Slowly, I emerged from behind the tombstones and stood before him, purposefully placing myself between Christine and himself. I gave her a small smile before turning to face him. His eyes narrowed.

"You." He said. "Always here aren't you. Always ready to come to her rescue…"

"Of course." I said. "But she would not need rescuing if you had done as she bid and left. Christine is clearly uncomfortable in your presence, Monsieur. I must insist that you leave."

"It does not matter to me what you insist. I will leave when I am ready and not a moment sooner."

"So you would purposefully upset the woman you claim to love for the sake of pride?"

"I would do what needs to be done in order to keep her away from you." He sneered, "Sooner or later the authorities will find you… and when that happens Christine will see the error of her ways… of yours."

I shrugged.

"Christine will see what she will see." I removed my sword from my belt and held it up. "But if you think my capture to be realistic in this scenario…" I stepped forward slightly. "Need I remind you of our last meeting?"

"I remember quite well." Raoul replied, removing his own sword and pointing it at me.

"You will not take me… and you will not take Christine." My voice was low. My gaze was fixed upon his. I had not intended to engage in anything like this with the boy but things had unfolded in such a way that I could see no other way. I addressed Christine but did not take my eyes off my opponent.

"I know that you do not approve of this, Christine. But I think that le Vicomte means to harm me in order to get to you…"

Raoul grinned.

"le Vicomte means to harm you regardless of the outcome." He said.

Christine

I watched in helpless anxiety just as I had done before. My heart was in my mouth as both men raised their swords and stepped toward each other. In a matter of moments there would be chaos; the ringing of metal in my ears… the shuffling of boots as the snow gave way to their footfalls. Erik said something to me but I was oblivious. I did not want this to happen. I did not. But I could see that there was no way around it. Raoul was intent on taking me back to the Opera… and he was intent on delivering Erik to the authorities. Bloodshed was the last thing that I wanted but I could not live knowing that Erik was facing the gallows, certainly not due to my carelessness.

Before I could properly comprehend what was happening the men had advanced toward one another with their swords raised. All I had wanted was to visit the grave of my father with the man I loved… how had such violence come from something such as that?

I took several steps backward as Raoul's blade forced Erik toward me. He was throwing his sword down with such force… I don't know how Erik was able to hold his up. He blocked the strikes thrown at him and began striking at Raoul with the same ferocity, sending him backward. Both men were blocking, advancing, dodging and weaving around each other's blades, throwing one another around the cemetery and into tombstones as they went. Raoul threw a particularly fierce strike at Erik who happened to be standing in front of a small ledge. Much to my horror the strike sent him falling backward, tripping over the ledge as he reached for balance. His sword was knocked from his grasp but he managed to take hold of it just in time to block another strike. I allowed myself a small breath of relief… From the ground, Erik kicked at Raoul, sending him backward into the snow. Erik jumped up and rushed toward him. Raoul had lost his sword just as he had the night before… He reached for it… but was too late. Erik kicked it away from him and held his sword to Raoul's throat.

"Bested again, Monsieur." He breathed.

"Erik…" I called. "Don't…"

"I won't…" He said partly under his breath. "But I would dearly love to…"

"Do it, then." Raoul challenged. "Just do it… Be the murderer she knows you to be. The murderer you know yourself to be."

"You'd like that wouldn't you." He said. I saw Raoul smiling from where I stood. And I saw him reaching for his boot but it was too late… Before I could cry out he had drawn a small knife and slashed Erik across the leg. He yelled. His leg buckled beneath him and he withdrew his sword long enough for Raoul to scramble out from beneath his blade and pick up his own sword once more. With a grimace, Erik stood to full height and pointed his blade toward his opponent once more.

"Clever." He said with the slight inclination of his head.

"You should have done it while you had the chance." He smirked. He turned to me. "It is alright, Christine. He is wounded. It should not be long now."

"Erik, are you alright?" I called, ignoring him. Erik did not respond. His gaze was once more fixed upon Raoul.

"Advance, Monsieur." He said, his voice; low once more.

"As you wish." Raoul replied, rushing toward Erik with more ferocity than before. I knew that Raoul had served time in the Military… and while Erik had quite a reputation I had not much considered his fighting skill; where had he learned it? Would it be enough…?

Erik parried and countered several times before his sword was locked with Raoul's. He pushed against him with all the force he had. Raoul did the same. Erik had to be the stronger man… And he seemed to be winning until Raoul kicked out his injured leg…

Suddenly Erik was on the ground and before I could speak, Raoul had thrust his sword downward... A low, guttural yell escaped Erik as the blade went through him.

"Erik!" I screamed in desperation. I ran toward him, my knees buckling as I reached him and my eyes were met with the blood... his blood. "Erik! My god... please..." I looked up at Raoul. "What have you done!?"

"What have I done?!" He cried. "What have I done, Christine?! I saved your life... and mine! The man attacked me, you saw it!

"He challenged you for me! It would not have happened if you had just left! Why would you do this... why?!" I cried. I turned back to Erik. "You'll be alright... you will!"

"Ch-Christine..." He mumbled through gritted teeth, holding his hand tightly over his stomach in attempt to stem both the blood flow and the pain. Unfortunately his efforts were achieving neither.

"Shh... you will be alright. We are going to fix this, alright?" I cried, placing my hands over his and pressing down. He threw his head back and squirmed in pain but it had to be done. I turned to Raoul once more. "Raoul you need to get help, take the horse and find a doctor?!"

"You must be joking, Christine!? Come away, now." He reached down and took hold of my arm, attempting to pull me away from the man lying in the snow; the man whom I loved...

"No! What are you doing! No! I will not leave him!"

Raoul pulled harder. Erik did not possess the strength to stop him and I knew that if he were not entirely preoccupied he would have been furious.

"Christine... come!" I snatched my hand away. Raoul took a deep breath. "Look, you cannot stay here. You will freeze to death! Come back with me... I promise to send someone for him."

"No... no, you will not. You will not and he will die... If you still feel any affection for me whatsoever, please... grant me this."

"I cannot." He said. "I would do anything for you but I will not help this man. I will not undo what I have done."

"Leave, then. If you will not help, leave us."

"Christine, if you do not accompany me this instant I will send no doctor, I will send the authorities after him."

"You will do so anyway." I sneered. I placed my hands over Erik's wound and applied pressure once more. He could not bleed to death. He could not.

"So be it." He spat. He strode away and I heard him mount his horse once outside the gates.

"C-Christine..." Erik called again, now a whisper.

"Yes?!" Tears were now freely falling down my cheeks.

"H-he is... right..."

"What? About what?"

"Y-you will –y-you will freeze... if you s-stay."

"Well, I am not leaving. We need to get you out of here..."

"It is... n-not possible..."

"It has to be."

"I...c-cannot move."

"You have to." I said indignantly. "The carriage?"

He nodded and gestured weakly behind him.

"Well then it is simple. We move you to the carriage. That is the first step."

He smiled wanly. He was growing paler by the second. Clearly we were doing nothing for the bleeding.

"I... I cannot, C-Christine. Y-you... you go..."

"You are wasting time. I am not leaving you." The snow beneath him was now a dark red... and it was slowly spreading. I knew that I needed to stop the bleeding before anything else. "Hold on." I said. I scrambled to where Erik's discarded sword lay in the snow and used it to cut the seam of my dress. I tore away the entire hem of the dress and made my way back to Erik.

"This is going around the wound. You need to lift your body up so that I can wrap it around you."

Eyes closed, he shook his head.

"Stop being so stubborn! Do you wish to die!? Is that it?"

He looked at me weakly.

"What of me? What of us; our plans? Would you simply just leave me now? Leave me alone on this Earth?!"

Erik grimaced and nodded for me to continue with what I was doing. With a pained grunt he rolled onto his side so that I could push the piece of fabric beneath him. He yelled as I reached beneath him and pulled it out the other side.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Then, as tightly as I could, I tied it around him. Again, he yelled in pain as I did so but I tried my best to ignore it. I had to do what was best for him if I was to save his life.

"Alright, now... we get up."

"C-Christine... I cannot."

"Yes you can!" I cried. "You have to!"

The wound was on his left side so I moved around to his right and took hold of his arm.

"You must help me; I cannot do this by myself." I cried, slightly frustrated.

He nodded in compliance, the grimace never leaving his face.

He placed his hand over his stomach and slowly sat up. I sat down beside him and pulled his arm over my shoulder. Then, with all my might I pulled. He was incredibly heavy, and if it weren't for his efforts I would not have moved him at all. As he stood he cried out in pain. I could tell that every movement was excruciating. He would not show his pain unless he was absolutely desperate and it drained me to witness it.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." I said.

"It...is alright..." He breathed.

"Lean on me as much as you need to..." I offered. I hoped that he did not take it literally. There was no way that I would be able to support his full weight. I knew that and so did he. As he stood up I caught sight of the snow that was beneath him... It was bright red and there was so much of it. I knew that I didn't have much time. Ever so slowly we made our way to the back of the cemetery and began to walk to the carriage. I glanced back at Erik, he was very pale and there was a thin sheen of sweat covering his face from the exertion.

Please, father. Please help me now. I need you now more than ever.

"T-that bad?" He asked.

"No... what? No, you look fine." I lied. He smiled weakly.

"I- I can s-see it in your eyes..." he began. "I... I h-have lost a lot of b-blood. And... I-I'm g-getting weaker."

"You... have lost a lot. But we will fix this! I promise."

I can't lose you.

"I- I may n-not make it..." He said quietly.

"You will!" I looked ahead. "Look! We are almost there!" I leaned him against a stone wall near our entrance and slipped through the gap in the fence. Then I held out my hands for him to follow me. I knew that it was going to be hard but I knew that he could do it. Leaning heavily on the fence with one hand and holding his wound with the other he began to follow me through. At the last second he lost his footing and fell through the gap, landing in the snow on the other side.

"Are you alright?!" I rushed to his aid. "Come, get up. You are almost there."

"I cannot!" He growled, no doubt frustrated with himself.

"You can and you will!"

He looked up at me with pained eyes. I hated that I had to force him into something that would bring him pain but if not me, who? There was no one else that could help him. He cried out as he pushed himself up off the ground.

"You can do it, Môn Ange… You can!"

Finally we made it to the carriage. Haphazardly I swung open the door and pushed him inside. He put all his weight on one leg and using only one arm managed to pull himself inside. I knew that I would have to drive the carriage; I would need to sit on top of it, away from him… I wanted nothing more than to be able to have him with me but I knew that he would not have been viable. Not in his condition. I placed a kiss on his forehead before closing the door.

"Please… hang on, Erik. We are leaving now. Hang on."

"Yes…" He spoke. The fact that he was able to speak at all gave me hope. I hoped that I had stemmed the blood flow. If he were not in danger of bleeding to death I would have more time to comprehend what I was going to do in order to save his life…

Raoul

"Inspector… I know that you are there!" I stood knocking at the door of Inspector Auguste, that fiend's mask in hand. I had been told that he was not to be disturbed but I was certain that he would not have fault with my visit once he was aware of its purpose.

"Inspector!" I called again. My knocking did not cease. Finally, the door opened to reveal the Inspector in his shirtsleeves, iced palmier in hand.

"What is the meaning of… Vicomte? What are you doing here?" He questioned. "I am very sorry to be rude but you disturb me in the middle of a much earned break… What is it?"

"You will want to hear this…" I began. I held up the mask… "I assure you."

Inspector Auguste's gaze shifted to the item in my hand and it did not move as he opened his door further and invited me inside.

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