Hi friends! Thank you for the reviews, there were so many! It is so great to know that I was missed in my absence and that you guys are still reading and enjoying this! Here is the next chap. Please let me know what you think as you always do. It has been really helpful and has actually inspired me to get cracking again on both of my stories!
Phanty belongs to Leroux and Lloyd Weber.
Christine
I must have been exhausted for I awoke in the same position in which I had fallen asleep; curled up against Erik, snuggled against his chest with my arm around his waist. I smiled to myself as I opened my eyes and looked up at him. In spite of my movement he did not wake. I brought my hand up to touch his face; my fingers ghosted over his chin, from rough texture of his unshaven jaw to the smooth surface that marked the beginning of his deformity. There, I allowed my fingers to travel upward, caressing the unusual skin that covered the right side of his face. Knowing that he wouldn't want me studying it for too long I gently traced his bottom lip that still hung open ever so slightly in a way that suggested an innocent serenity; one that Erik would only ever find in sleep. I placed a kiss upon his parted lips and snuggled back into the warmth his skin provided me. The kiss must have awoken him for I felt him stirring.
"Christine?" He mumbled sleepily.
"Good morning." I said with a smile, placing a kiss on his chest. I looked up. "How are you feeling?"
"M-much better." He said with a yawn. He placed a kiss upon my forehead. "Thank you for last night, Christine. And everything else."
"Don't thank me yet." I said, pulling away. "I need to change your bandages." I began to get up but before I could Erik had pulled me back down beside him.
"You aren't going anywhere." He purred with a smile.
"Erik!" I laughed. "As much as I want to stay here…" He began to kiss me and I found it harder to speak as the seconds wore on. "We need to…" The kiss deepened. "Erik… we need to… ok, stop, stop." I pushed him away gently.
"You don't want to?" He asked, genuinely confused.
"Of course I do! But we need to talk about what we are doing; where we go from here! I cannot rest until… until I have a plan of some kind!"
He sighed and scratched his chest absentmindedly.
"I simply find it hard to resist you and it feels like it has been far too long since we have been intimate with one another."
"I know." I smiled. "But with each passing hour the risk grows…"
"I… know that. Or at least, I would have known that… before…" He looked up at me. "I cannot think straight when I'm around you."
I smiled and kissed him before standing up.
"Just wait here, after I change your bandage we will decide what to do."
He nodded and rolled over onto his back with a grimace. He was in pain. Of course he was, but it was an utter relief to see that we had potentially beaten the fever. That fever had terrified me.
When I returned he was attempting to sit up.
"What are you doing!?" I asked rushing toward him.
"Christine, please. Before you chastise me, I have been lying down for more than twenty-four hours. It is highly unusual for me to lie down for more than five hours at a time. I need to move. I have strength enough, I promise. Will you help me to stand up?"
"Erik, you have been stabbed! I know that you want to prove something to yourself and to me, but can it please wait? At least for another day?"
He sighed and looked at me. I could tell that he was irritated and that he was trying his best not to let his usual temper get the better of him, and to prevent me from seeing it.
"I will help you to sit, alright?"
He nodded. Standing before him I pulled him upward. I didn't need to do much though. He was determined to do most of it on his own in spite of the pain it caused him.
"I know that you are angry." I said with the ghost of a smirk. I sat down in front of him. Again he nodded.
"Not at you, though." He said. I placed a hand on his knee.
"I know that you are used to doing things on your own, but apart from your obvious need of assistance, I want to help you and it offends me when you dismiss it."
"I know." He said with a sigh, clearly still frustrated. I moved closer to him and leant my forehead against his.
"I'm glad you're well enough to be your usual self." I said.
"And what does that mean?"
"Nothing at all." I mused, pulling away and reaching toward his bandages. His wound looked much better but I knew that I needed to keep it clean, and along with food he had run out of bandages.
"I had hoped that this could have waited but it cannot."
"What?" He asked, attempting to look at his wound.
"I must go above ground."
"What? You cannot, Christine! It is too dangerous without me and according to you, I am not fit to walk."
"There is no food here and you need to eat!"
"I am not hungry."
I gave him a stern look before continuing.
"Well we have just run out of bandages…and… anyway, for the sake of argument do you think that you are fit to walk?"
"Well… I… No… but…"
"No, you are not. So trust me when I tell you to stay in bed."
"I am in bed, am I not?"
"Arrghh, I mean before… when you wanted to stand… you…" I stood up and ran my hand through my hair in exasperation. "You are infuriating!" Erik took my hand and pulled me back toward him.
"But you love me." He said with a smirk.
"No I don't!" I teased.
"Yes, you do." He smiled, pulling me closer until I was almost on his lap. "I know you do. You love me so much." He teased.
"Is that so?" I laughed.
"Yes." He said with a smug grin. Forgetting myself, I attempted to climb onto his lap, only seeing my folly and recalling his injury upon hearing him yell.
"I am so sorry!" I soothed. "Was it me? I am so sorry, Erik. How could I have forgotten?"
"No, no…" He managed, holding his stomach and grimacing. "I must have strained it. It was not you, Môn Ange."
"You have to be careful!" I cried, suddenly overwhelmed. What had come over me? Perhaps it was the exhaustion, perhaps not. Either way as I sat beside him and was surprised to find that I could not prevent my tears. I hid my face in my hands.
"Oh… Christine… please do not be upset! What is it?" He wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
"I am not upset." I said indignantly, my words muffled by my hands.
"You are, my love." He said with a slight chuckle. "That much is clear."
"No, I am not… and don't laugh at me."
Erik pulled me toward him and placed a kiss atop my head.
"I am sorry… Christine… what is wrong? Please tell me. Is it something I have done? I cannot bear to see you upset."
Finally I removed my hands, wiping my eyes haphazardly in an attempt to hide my tears.
"I almost lost you!"
Erik stared at me for a moment.
"Christine…" He said, his voice heavy with emotion. Why was he upset? "Is that why you weep? Out of worry for me?"
I nodded.
"Even now, I cannot comprehend my fortune…" He said quietly. "Never would I have imagined that someone would weep at the thought of losing me… perhaps because of me…" He smiled.
"Erik!" I scolded, still wiping my tears. Now was not the time for his self deprecating humour.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He took a deep breath. "Come here, my love." He pulled me closer. "I will be careful, alright? I promise. Please do not cry. I am still not accustomed to all of this. I regret that I don't know how to comfort you."
I laughed slightly.
"You are doing well." I said, looking up. He smiled.
"That is good." He said, giving me a reassuring squeeze before releasing me. "Now, about you going above ground…"
"Yes." I began, wiping my eyes again. "I will go to Madame Giry. I cannot think of anyone else that I would trust enough…"
"Yes, of course." He nodded in agreement. "I know that you must go, but I worry for you. How can you be sure that you will not be followed upon your return?"
"I… don't know. And I know that people will be searching for me. It has been two days…"
He shrugged before looking down.
"I suppose you will just have to be cautious." He said.
"What if I see Raoul?"
Erik's gaze never left the ground; he appeared to be searching himself for the best answer.
"…He will know that you are with me. That is a fact." He looked up. "Honestly, the only course of action I can think of is for you to stay away from him."
"But what if I cannot?"
"Christine." Erik began. He looked up. "With so much at stake I cannot think what he would do, what he could do…"
"I know! But I may not be able to avoid him! I… I still don't think that he would hurt me, though." I said innocently.
"No. I don't think that either. But he would take you away from me…"
"And… he would hurt you." I replied.
Erik nodded.
"Do you honestly believe that he would steal me away now? With… rehearsals for the show… could he get away with it?"
"I wouldn't have believed him capable of something like that before but… he has grown desperate. And I'm not sure what he is capable of… given his status." Erik sighed in frustration. "I wish that I could accompany you, or go in your stead! I should be able to do that for you… it's just now… with this!" He gestured to his wound.
"I know, I know! Its is alright!" I soothed.
"But I cannot. I cannot wait."
"I know." He sighed once more. "I know..."
He looked out onto the lake, something he must have done numerous times over the years when deep in thought. Perhaps deep in thought over me. I touched his face affectionately, smoothing his hair back behind his ear. Without meeting my gaze he smiled awkwardly. I would never tire of touching him, being with him. I had often wondered what love was like… and now I knew that it was glorious as they had all made it out to be; those writers, storytellers, playwrights and poets… they had all experienced it, and now I had too. After a few moments of staring at him something else came to mind, something that was perhaps more pressing.
"I wish that you could wait… just a week. Then I might be strong enough to climb those stairs and…"
"Erik…" I began. "You spoke of leaving this place…"
"Yes." He replied absentmindedly.
"What has become of that plan now?"
"What do you mean?" He asked quizzically. "The plan is still in place." He turned to me. "Do you not wish to…"
"No, I do. I only meant with your… current state… how long would it be before we can travel?"
"Well… a few weeks ideally." He began, fiddling with the blanket beneath him. "But with things as they are I don't think that we can afford to wait that long. If things get desperate I… could be ready in a week."
"What of your Opera?"
"Christine…" he sighed. "That Opera is important to me, and it was written with you in mind. The leading part was written for you to perform but…" He shrugged slightly; finishing the sentence with gesture in place of words and assuming that I understood. I did.
"I understand." I said. "When is opening night? How long have you given them… given us to prepare?"
Erik smirked and then with the slight inclination of his head, he spoke.
"A few weeks."
"I see."
"Christine, if you wish to stay and perform, I will understand. I would never wish to take something like that away from you. But… I simply cannot see anyway in which you would attend rehearsals that would not put you in danger. I feel as though le Vicomte would take any chance he could get to take you away from me… take you for his own. So… we must make a decision now…"
"As to whether or not we leave?"
"Yes. I have been thinking on it and what I am proposing is this; you travel above ground now, meet with Madame Giry and tell her of… our intentions. You gather the required supplies and return below ground. You may need to return again if supplies dwindle but I hope to be strong enough to do it for you when the time arises. Then in a week… or when the opportunity arises, we leave."
I nodded.
"Or… you attend rehearsals as planned and stay for opening night. It is a risk, but if you choose it, I am willing to support you…"
"No, Erik. I choose the first option."
He raised his hand in protestation.
"Hear me out, my dear."
I remained silent.
"Now, because of the risk involved in that option we would not see one another until it was time… Then we would meet at an agreed upon place after the performance and leave."
"But I wouldn't see you for weeks?"
"No. You would not." He rubbed his neck irritably. "I am convinced that it would be harder on me than it would be on you but it would be too dangerous… of course, the third option, which has always been open to you is this; you head above ground and stay there…"
"Erik, how many times do I have to…"
"Alright, alright. I just wanted to make sure that you knew it was an option."
"Look…" I began. "I am not leaving you! Performing is important to me but not as important as you! I know that you wrote that for me… but things have not gone to plan."
"They rarely do with me."
"Well, so be it. But I choose plan number one. I will leave right away. I will inform her of our plan, find food enough for a week and… I will say my goodbyes… then I will return to you."
Erik smiled.
"Christine, I…"
"I know." I said, placing a kiss upon his head. "I will return shortly."
Raoul
I knocked on the door before me. Perhaps Madame Giry would be at rehearsals, perhaps not. If she wasn't I was determined to wait for her for as long as I needed to.
To my surprise, within seconds of my knocking the door opened to reveal the woman I was seeking.
"Madame." I began cordially. "Might I come in?"
"Of… course, le Vicomte." She replied, opening the door with a casual nod of the head and allowing me inside. I looked around. The room was dark and littered with paintings, photographs, tapestries and ribbons… I could barely see the walls. This room told me that this woman had lived a full life. I wanted the same for Christine. I had never seen the inside of her quarters before… I smirked to myself. Why should I have? It was improper for such a thing to take place; a man inside a ladies dressing room. It was unheard of unless the two involved were courting…
Christine…
That monster…
My blood boiled at the thought of any another man inside my Christine's dressing room, much less a man like him.
"What can I help you with, Vicomte?" Madame Giry began, interrupting my spiralling thoughts. "I have just returned from rehearsals and would very much enjoy some well needed rest."
"I… apologise, Madame. I will make this brief." I gestured to the divan beside me. "May I?"
She nodded and I sat.
"Madame, you have been with this company longer than anyone… or so the managers tell me."
She nodded again.
"So… if anyone were to know of… certain goings on under this roof… it would be you?"
The woman's eyes narrowed.
"What are you asking me, Monsieur?"
I sighed. There was no point in evading what I had come for, no sense in delaying it further.
"This so called… Phantom… do you know of him?" I thought I saw her tense, but she regained composure too quickly for me to be sure.
"I know of him, of course. Every soul under this roof knows of him." Her voice told of thinly veiled sarcasm, unusual for her. "Why do you ask?"
"Madame, I am going to cut straight to my purpose in being here this afternoon."
"Please." She replied curtly.
"When was the last time you saw Christine?" I asked.
"Christine?" She repeated, her face almost expressionless. "Why… it was early this morning. She…"
"You lie…"
"I beg your pardon?"
"No one has seen Christine since the Bal Masque, and yet you tell me that she was here this morning? You lie."
"Monsieur, if you have come to dismiss my answers as such; why do you question me?"
"Because Christine sees you as a mother. I know that she trusts you and I need to know where she is!"
"That, I cannot tell you I am afraid."
"You do not know where she is or you will not tell me?"
"I will not tell you."
"Madame! Perhaps you do not understand the situation here; the dire need! So let me explain…"
The woman across from me said nothing, only stared at me with an expression that only increased my frustration and shrugged slightly; a gesture for me to speak.
"I have cause to believe that your Christine is with the Phantom."
"You what, Monsieur?" She scoffed. "Such a concept is ridiculous!"
"Do not toy with me." I warned.
"Monsieur, the Phantom is not a real person… he…"
"I know him to be a real person, Madame. I am not asking your opinion on the matter, I am informing you of the situation. And…" I stared at her. She was fiddling with the fabric of her dress, something I had seen Christine do at times when she was nervous…
"You… you already know all of this, don't you?" I asked; more of a statement than a question. My eyes widened in realisation as it all came together in my mind; the facts, what I had seen… "You…"
It couldn't be, though. Could it?
Part of me doubted my conclusion… but part of me knew that it made perfect sense. Perfect sense. I had to say it. I had to say it aloud… and only then would it be true. Then, I would be one step closer to finding Christine.
"You… know him, don't you?" I asked. My words hung in the air for a few moments before she spoke; giving them strength and further convincing me that I had come to the correct conclusion.
"Monsieur…" She began. "I regret that I…"
"You know where she is." I said, my eyes wide. I stood up. "And… so… you know where he is."
"I know no such thing, Monsieur! I know not where she is and if there is a Phantom I regret that I wouldn't have a clue where he…"
I approached her.
"Madame. You must tell me." I said, walking closer. I had no intention of harming the woman but I was growing desperate. I had always thought myself a scrupulous man but in truth, there was nothing I wouldn't do to find Christine.
"I… must insist that you leave." She spoke, standing.
"Tell me where he is!" I said, my voice louder. This was infuriating! I had the answer standing before me and she would tell me nothing, give me nothing. I took hold of her shoulders.
"Tell me, Madame!"
"Monsieur, unhand me!" She spat.
A knock at the door sounded.
"Madame…" A small voice called. It was unfamiliar to me, one of the chorus girls no doubt.
"Y-yes…" Replied the woman in my grasp. I released her immediately and looked down at my hands. What had I done.
"Madame…" I whispered. "Please… I apologise… I."
"What is it, Claire?" She spoke, ignoring me and calling to the voice outside the door. Her gaze never left mine.
"Might I come in?" The girl squeaked.
"Yes, my dear. The door is unlocked."
"Madame… I…"
I heard the door open behind me.
"Madame…" Claire began in a small voice. "Is everything…"
"Come in, Claire. Monsieur le Vicomte was just leaving." She said sternly.
"I… Yes." I said. I knew that I could achieve no more where I was and in truth I was utterly ashamed of myself. The very least I could do for this woman was leave. "I am sorry." I whispered before turning on my heel and brushing past the small girl named Claire.
"Mademoiselle." I nodded my head as I passed her and closed the door behind me.
What had I done? I had handled a woman improperly, almost violently. I had had the perfect upbringing. I had been taught never to lay a hand on a lady, no matter what she had said or done. My father had taught me that at a young age and my brother had reinforced it. So what had come over me? Love? Had love made me do this? No… of course not. Love could not be capable of such a thing. It was hate. He had made me do it… that Erik. My hate for him had driven me to this and nothing else. I left the sleeping quarters and strode down the corridor with a renewed sense of purpose. I would find him, and once I had Christine this was just another thing that he would pay for.
Christine
With Erik's instruction I made my way up through the secret passage I had previously used; that which led me to the grand foyer. I knew that I couldn't emerge near the auditorium, given the time rehearsals would soon be over, there would be people everywhere, searching and asking questions and I wanted to remain as scarce as possible. As I made my way up to the sleeping quarters to wait for Madame Giry I came across Meg.
"Christine, where have you been?" She asked, running up the stairs of the grand escalier to reach me. "Have you been with him!? Everyone has been searching for you!"
"Meg. Where is Maman? I need to speak to her. It is urgent."
"Why wont you tell me, Christine? You tell me nothing now. I hardly even see you."
"What… why are you being like this? Listen, I need to…"
"The last time I saw you was before the Bal Masque and you hardly even spoke to me. You disappeared with him and that was the last I saw of you. I heard nothing from you. I didn't know where you were or what had happened!"
"Meg…"
"All that you care about now is him!"
"Meg you know nothing of what you speak. If you only knew what was happening then you would understand!"
"Then tell me!"
Madame Giry had warned me not to tell Meg too much. She always had but it had nothing to do with her integrity as a person… simply the fact that she was incapable of keeping secrets. It was just something I had learned to accept about our friendship… up until now.
"Meg…" I sighed in frustration before looking up at her. Meg was my childhood friend… but then again so was Raoul and he could no longer be trusted. Fear and jealousy had warped his mind, turned him into someone I longer recognised. In truth I saw no harm in allowing Meg vague details in the hopes of preventing our friendship from reaching the same fate. And I resigned myself to the fact that I would only tell her that which Raoul already knew. I took a deep breath before moving closer to her. "Alright." I acquiesced. "I have been with him."
"I knew it." She scoffed. "Why? What is happening?"
"What do you mean 'what is happening?'"
"Something has to be! The place is in a flux! It has been since the Bal! The Vicomte has been accosting everyone, pulling them aside and questioning them as if he were a policeman!"
"…About what, Meg?"
But I already knew the answer to that question.
"About your Opera Ghost, of course!"
I sighed. I could see now that I would have to tell her more than I had already planned on.
"Has he approached you?"
"Not yet." She said.
"Well, listen. What I am about to tell you, you cannot divulge to anyone! Anyone at all besides Maman!"
"Yes, alright. Alright."
"On New Years day I went to visit my father… and… Erik accompanied me."
Meg nodded.
"Raoul found us there and… there was a disagreement."
"A disagreement?"
"Yes. Raoul was trying to take me away and… I did not want it! So… Erik challenged him… Oh, it was awful to watch, Meg."
"What happened, Christine?"
"Erik is injured. The worst is behind him, I believe… But… he is far from well. I have come up to see your mother but I must return to him right away."
"But you cannot simply disappear, Christine. The managers want to begin rehearsals for… his Opera. And if you do care about him then you should stay above ground! Going missing will only make things worse for him."
"But how can I? He has no one else!"
"Yes, I know but the last time anyone saw you, you had disappeared after his sighting… It looks suspicious, Christine! And… besides, would he want you to sacrifice your career; the one you say that he built for you? He would want you to stay here!"
"How can you say that? How can you know what he would want when you can't even utter his name!? He needs help, Meg. I cannot see why you can't understand that!"
"Christine, you would simply throw away what you have? Your talent?"
"He was the one who gave it to me!"
"You don't appreciate what you have! You take it so for granted! I would kill for the leading role in this production… In any production! But instead your talent is going to waste!" Meg turned away and let out a frustrated groan. "You are so lucky!"
"Luck? Luck has nothing to do with it, Meg! As a performer you should know that! I have worked for every single thing I have in this life. I have worked for my voice, for my dancing ability, for my place at this Opera, and for my happiness with Erik!"
Meg spun around to face me once more.
"I'm not saying that you did not work for it!"
"Then what is it? Jealousy?"
"Jealousy?!"
"Yes!"
"What do I have to be jealous of?"
"I do not know! You tell me!"
My friend stared at me for a moment. I could see words on her lips but I would never know what they were for her gaze fell to the ground. When she looked up she wore an unfamiliar expression; sarcasm masked by a thin veneer of loathing. I had never dreamed my friend to be capable of such feelings toward me… and in aide of what? Happiness?
"Why did you return, Christine?" She spat.
"I told you, I have returned to find your mother! I returned for him!" I gestured to the floor. Meg followed my gesture with her gaze.
"Is that where you go? Is that where he is? Below?"
"I do not think that you deserve to know, Meg Giry…" I cursed myself for my carelessness. I had given away too much already. "Please, tell me where your mother is."
"She is in her quarters." Meg spat.
"Thank you." I said. Curtseying with an heir of sarcasm before turning around. Regardless of what Meg had said, I hated leaving things the way they were with her but I had more important matters to take care of. As I reached the top of the stairs I heard her speak once more.
"Are you choosing him over our friendship?" She asked, her voice carrying over the marble bannisters to reach me. "That murderer?"
"Don't you speak of him like that." I retorted, approaching her once more. I could not believe she would have said something like that so loudly; for all to hear! "And I am not choosing anything, you are forcing me to!"
"But he is, isn't he? A murderer?"
"Meg." I sighed. "I have to leave. I will speak to you soon, alright."
"Go, Christine." She pouted. I was used to her acting like this. "It hardly matters to me anymore."
"Meg! You know that I care for you! You are my best friend! Nothing will change that! I just…" I sighed in frustration once more…"…There is just so much going on right now! The past twenty-four hours have been… difficult… and I can't see anyone and I cant trust anyone and… I can't handle it all and know that you are upset with me! Can I still trust you?"
Meg looked down.
"Yes, Christine. Go."
I didn't know whether or not I was convinced but I had no more time to spare on this argument and soothing Meg's insecurities. I had already spent too much time above ground and I had not yet seen Madame Giry.
As I made my way up to my sleeping quarters I could not help but feel a sense of nostalgia. I walked in and stared at the small, dank area with a fond smile. It was messy, yes… but we had always had more than we needed and it had been home to me for such a long time. I sat down on my cot that had not been slept in for days and smoothed my hand over the sheets. So much had changed since I was a little girl, lying in this cot unable to sleep while the others snored, praying to my father or whoever would listen… Things had been so much simpler. I stood up and stared out the window as I had done more times than I could count. The wind was freezing. One of the girls had probably forgotten to pull it shut this morning. They always did. I reached over and pulled it closed, as I was so accustomed to doing. After a few more moments of staring out onto the cold, Parisian street below I turned around.
My heart stopped in my chest as my eyes were met with the figure the doorway.
Raoul.
I told you the next update wouldn't take as long :) Hope you enjoyed! There was a lot of talking in this, I know but it had to happen in order for the next few chapters to make sense. More action will soon follow, I promise :) Please review!