Disclaimer: I do not own Erik, or Meg, or Madame Giry, or any other characters from the ingenious mind of Gaston Leroux! Anne just currently resides in my head until she's done telling her story. She's getting alone quite well with all of the other voices that reside up there. :)

AN: Let me just say that I am totally E/C and that I don't personally think Christine is this way. However, there is a reason she's become this way. Explanations will soon follow!

Chapter 26

"She's back, Erik. Christine and her husband have returned."

At first Erik wondered who Madame Giry was talking about. It had been some time since he had heard her name or had even gave any serious thought about her. His mind had been a bit more agreeably engaged with the events of the present rather than the events of the past. But slowly, the pieces fell into place and he understood. He sat down in a chair, grateful that Madame Giry had come to his home to give him the news, rather than any other place.

"When did she get back?"

"Within the past few days, according to Anne."

"What would Anne know about this?"

Madame Giry bit her lip. "Apparently, while she was walking at the Luxembourg, Christine found her and invited her over for tea."

"Tea…"

"It seems that Christine met Anne's younger sister. She assumed the connection would be something Anne would have no objection to."

"And how did that go?"

Madame Giry chuckled. "Not well. Anne says that Christine has no sense of moral compass, any idea of what is to be expected of her despite being married and in the spotlight of society for five years, and has absolutely no idea of what she is doing. But, if you want to know her reasons, you should go talk to her."

"She has no idea of what she's talking about!"

"Erik, you can't mean that you still care for Christine, after all this time? She's married and has children. There's no room in her heart for you."

"That's not the point. I will not have Anne's opinion of Christine be so low because of one meeting!"

"You will not have?"

Erik looked behind Madame Giry to see the very woman they were talking about. "Anne…"

"Don't you 'Anne' me, Erik. I will tell you exactly what happened while I was with Christine. I was resting peacefully at the gardens minding my own business, when she practically waltzed up to me, introduced herself, then whisked me away to her house where I was almost forced to sit down to tea with her. Her husband soon came in, well, I should say stumbled in since you could easily smell the liquor on his breath. Christine mentioned the Opera House and asked what was going on as if she expected me to tell her the latest scandal. She dismissed Meg's dreams as if they were of no importance to her. She dismissed Meg as if she were the greatest refuse that was ever placed upon the earth. Meg! Her best friend while she was here at the Populaire! She even mentioned you…Erik." Erik noticed the way Anne's voice got really low when she was angry. He watched as she clenched her fists so tight that her knuckles turned white. Her words were cutting his soul deep. He could never imagine that his beautiful, innocent Christine could become such a person. "She spoke of you as 'unspeakable evil.'"

"Stop it! You lie!" He put his hands over his ears in an attempt to block out her crippling words.

"It's the truth! The person you thought Christine was no longer exists. And if you don't believe me, then you can come see for yourself!" Anne turned her attention to her Aunt. "She's going to be here in one hour."

"Just her?" She asked.

"No. She's bringing her fop of a husband and her two daughters."

Erik tuned out the rest of their conversation and staggered out of the study and towards his music room. He needed time to think. Not only was his precious Angel returning, but she seemed as if she was no more an Angel if Anne's words to be believed. Such vile and unbecoming words she spoke of his precious Christine. Antoinette had tried to get him to move on but that was impossible. Christine's name was forever branded upon his heart and there was nothing anyone could do to change it. He had to see her, if only once more.

"Erik…"

Her voice was soft and came from behind him. He did not want to see her…not after what she said.

"Erik, please try to understand." He felt her hands on his shoulders and he could feel their warmth through the material of his shirt. It seemed as if the warmth went straight to his heart calming his anger that he had towards her just moments earlier. "I lashed out unnecessarily, and I'm sorry." She knelt down and turned his face to her. The color in her eyes was nearly gone, and she appeared almost ethereal as her black hair was left unbound and fell to her waist.

"You said…"

"I know what I said, but my opinion of her is not favorable at the moment. You were not with Meg last night as she cried her tears of betrayal as Christine left without so much as a second glance. For five years Christine has not bothered so much as a 'how are you' to the people who cared for her more than anything…and I don't just mean Meg and Aunt Giry. I mean you as well."

Erik was silent.

"Misguided and selfish you may have been in kidnapping her, no, you will let me finish." She took his hands in hers and held them close to her. "I believe that you loved her far better than anyone else in the world and would have done anything for her. If she was too blind and insipid to see such a thing, then that is her own fault. Any woman would be a fool to reject such devotion."

Erik was still speechless and he felt his world tilt as she pressed her soft lips to his knuckles.

"You have known such pain, Erik, and I'm sorry you've had to bear it alone. But you can't claim her anymore. She's gone. She's not coming back for you."

He whisked his hands out of hers, not in anger but because of something entirely different. Anne had to leave…now! He needed to think. To sort out what was going in his mind and to put an actual word to this emotion stirring in his heart.

"I think it's time for you to go now. You will surely be expected when the guests arrive."

"But, I…"

"Go!" He shouted at her. He didn't mean to sound angry but it was clear she interpreted it that way.

"Fine," she bit back and stormed out of the room.

When he was sure that she had left his house, he went to his study where he could watch her leave. He slightly pulled back the curtains and watched as her dark tresses disappeared behind a wall and out of sight. Whatever it was that he felt for her, and it was a confusing emotion to be sure, it was definitely not friendship.

I quickly braided my hair over my right shoulder and fastened it with a tie and changed out of my clothes into something a little more appropriate to receive guests. Still wishing to be in mourning for Mama, I pulled out a dark blue dress trimmed with black lace. It was one of my old dresses that had seen better days, but it was suitable. I tried to do everything to keep my mind off the tormented man living in the darkest caverns of the Populaire. I had tried to apologize to him for my unkind words, regardless of the fact that they were true. I had realized that Christine's arrival would take an emotional toll on him so I tried to comfort him in his pain and what did I get for it.

"It's absolutely unacceptable," I muttered, lacing up my boots. "Comfort should not be met with such an attitude. I was only trying to help."

I clasped my locket around my neck leaving it visible instead of hiding it. I made a mental note to look over everything in the box when I returned. Meg was going to be busy with rehearsals and I was going to have some time to myself. I had only glimpsed at the treasures inside, and I had put the box out of my mind, Mama's death being such a pain that I didn't want to think about her or anything associated with her.

I left my room and made my way to the auditorium where it would be such an obvious spot for the Vicomte and Vicomtess to make their grand entrance as was the common thing for all who enjoyed making spectacles of themselves. I took a seat in the fourth row in front of the stage and watched the ballet rehearsed their scene in the fourth act. The scenery was mostly finished and the ballet took place in a grand palace. As always, I loved watching the ballerinas flutter across the stage, their soft shoes making hardly any sound over the orchestra.

Suddenly, the music stopped and there were a flurry of whispers and exclamations coming from the stage. I sat up in my chair and sure enough the de Chagny family was making a grand entrance onto the stage being led by the Managers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's all welcome back to the Populaire a familiar face to us all! The Vicomte and Vicomtess de Chagny along with their two daughters: Adele and Eloise."

Although everyone gave a polite applause, the Managers seemed to forget that after the fire, everyone that was currently employed at the Populaire were completely new. Very few people would remember Christine Daaé and the events that happened during her short time as Prima Donna. It was almost laughable as she made her way around and said hello to people who had no idea who she was. Meg, of course, was a different story. She stepped out of the formation and tiptoed towards Christine, her face a light with excitement at seeing her friend in so long.

"Christine…"

The brunette turned and smiled back. "Meg…it's so good to see you again." She took Meg's outstretched hands in hers and grasped them tightly. "My, you look positively beautiful. How kind the years have been to you! And to your mother as well!"

Either Christine had made a huge change in character in twenty four hours, or she was putting on a really good show. I decided on the latter. As I watched introductions being made, I caught a glimpse of a white glove from Box 5. My eyes quickly looked towards the box and could clearly see him in the darkness. He could see the stage, but none would see him. Only I could see him in the dimly lit auditorium. He watched the scene below with obvious interest and seemed transfixed on Christine as she glided about the stage with grace.

"The de Chagny's are accompanying our newest patron and his fiancé to our Populaire." Monsieur Laurent gestured to the backstage area where we could see two shadows but yet to make out two people.

"I met the fiancé just recently and when I heard that she and her soon-to-be-husband wished to become patrons, I insisted on bringing them myself." Christine smiled as if this entire thing were her idea and that praise should go where praise should go.

I was not prepared for who I saw, however. I had no imagination or inkling of who could have added themselves to the list of patrons, but this was something that never would have crossed my mind. The man I had never seen before, but he was finely dressed in a black suit and his blonde hair was pulled back. The woman however, was the cause of my anxiety. She was dressed in an emerald green dress that brought out her blonde hair that was piled atop her head.

Christine cleared her throat and put her hand atop the young woman's and I felt my stomach turn over. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I please introduce the Earl of Manchester and his fiancé, Elizabeth Hillcrest."

AN: SHE'S BACK! Leave a review if you've got a thing or two to say about Elizabeth! :-)