Disclaimer: I do not own Erik, or Meg, or Madame Giry, or any other characters from the ingenious mind of Gaston Leroux! Or anything by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. Anne, however, she's mine...well, she resides in my head until her story is done.

AN: So...you may not celebrate Christmas and that's okay, but during this season of giving I have something I wish to give to you. The past few days have been a whirlwind of excitement and thrills for me. I have now finished writing the end of Anne and Erik's story. So, these last few chapters are my seasonal gift to you, my dear readers. It makes me so sad to post this but it also makes me joyous. I have loved this journey and am thrilled to start the next one.

Chapter 58

That Afternoon

Christine arrived home after her day of solitude heart weary over the events of the past 36 hours. She'd not slept and barely eaten since Nadir came and she had gone to see Erik. She'd grown up immensely in that time. She saw how blind she'd been in so many ways, and she was not the only one. Manchester had taken his leave of the premises not long after her return and Raoul had confessed all to them both.

"Christine?"

She looked up to see her husband standing there on the banister. "Raoul," she whispered. "I do not want to see you right now." She could feel the tears starting again and she rushed to the library to be alone. Her feelings were caught between a constant pull of anger and sorrow. Christine stepped into the room and grabbed on to the back of the couch, holding on as if she were drowning.

"What can I do...my darling?"

She whirled to face him, her anger getting the better of her. "You can leave me alone! Things have changed, Raoul! I need you to leave me..." Choking back a sob she turned away from the man she loved. She stiffened when she felt his hands rest upon her upper arms.

"You need so much, it's true. And I've denied you. Christine...can you ever forgive me."

Christine laughed sarcastically. "That's the problem. I can forgive you." She turned to look at him. His expression was hopeful but that hope fell away when she uttered her next words. "I know in my heart that one day I will forgive you, but that day is not today. I need some time."

He dropped his hands and took a few steps backwards. "Perhaps it would be best if I went away. I could visit my mother and oversee some business that needs taking care of."

Christine nodded.

"Will you send for me...when you are ready to forgive me?"

Christine nodded again. "Yes, Raoul. I will send for you."

There was nothing else said between them for the rest of the day. Raoul had his bags packed and was gone by the time dinner was served.

That Night

"You are quite sure it's Le Havre?" Nadir asked, dismounting his horse.

"Christine said that Le Havre was the farthest place in France and was the most secluded." Erik dismounted as well, giving the beast a well deserved break. Since they had been told yesterday that Elizabeth would most likely take Anne here, they had acquired two horses and had barely stopped. In truth, Erik's meeting with Christine had gone far better than either had hoped. Christine had plainly seen that there was no love left for her and that their choices had been made and had to be lived with. All he thought about and planned for liked with Anastasia now.

"How would she know this?"

Erik scoffed. "Elizabeth has a tendency to talk about herself a little too much. Not surprising all things considered." Erik took a look around the darkened streets, the unmistakeable smell of sea and fish permeating the air. There was little light in the windows of the shops and the street lamps provided just as little illumination.

"Where do we go from here?" Nadir asked.

"Fortunately when I made a little disturbance in their finances a few months back, I had a glimpse into some of their property. They have a small house here. It's worn down and unkept...perfect for keeping something or someone very well hidden."

Nadir took a moment to just stare at his companion. "Seriously? You went after their assets?"

Erik smiled and pulled his cloak closer around them. "I just wanted to shake the ground a little, to see what they were like. I discovered quite a lot in that brief time."

Guiding their horses, Erik and Nadir silently made their way around Le Havre. Erik could hardly believe how close he was in finding Anne, and only prayed that nothing had happened to her...that she had been spared any pain. Of course, it would only give him great pleasure to be able to mess up that twisted sister of hers if Anne had suffered the smallest thing. The Punjab Lasso was securely fastened inside his waist coast and there was a small pistol safely tucked away as well.

"Erik, once we even find the place do you have any idea how we'll get in or out?"

"We'll be able to assess the place in the morning when there is daylight."

Nadir was once against speechless. "You're going to wait til morning? This coming from the man who wanted to wake up the Vicomtesse in the dark of the night!"

"Elizabeth is not the sort of person to do something under the cover of darkness. No...she'd wait til daylight and sneak Anne out right under everyone's nose."
It took them some time, but Erik finally found the street and house number he was looking for. The place was truly rundown and looked almost as if it should be condemned. The only sign of life was a single light that came from a first floor window. Slowly...deftly, Erik gave the reigns of his horse to Nadir and made his way to the window. There was a conversation going on inside.

"What shall we do with her, miss?" It was a man's voice...English accent.

"Tomorrow you'll go out and find a few men. I'll leave you all with her for as long as it takes." That was Elizabeth speaking, and it was all Erik could do not to climb through the window and strangle both of them.

"For what?" The man asked.

"Well...she said that she was forced upon as a child. Perhaps a trip down memory lane would be nice for her." Elizabeth chuckled, and Erik did not like that sound. "Break her...just don't kill her. That will be my job. Now go. And don't come back til daybreak. I'll stay here and watch over our charge...not that she's going anywhere. Securely held on the top floor...it's impossible."

It was all he needed. Erik had been given the location and the plan and all he had to do was listen outside a window. Not believing his good fortune, he patiently waited until the man who had been talking to Elizabeth exited the building and with a flick of the wrist the man found himself securely in Erik's grasp. Placing a hand over the Englishman's mouth, Erik held the rope tightly around the man's neck and whispered a few words.

"If you wish to live...you will do as I say."

The Englishman squirmed but found he was no match for the Opera Ghost.

"I'm going to take my hand away and if you so much as talk too loudly, you will find yourself at the bottom of the ocean...still alive until you succumb to death." Erik slowly took away his hand and the man did not say a word.

"I see you are a man who understands the value of his own life. Now...you will listen very carefully and know that if you fail me...you are going to find just how much you can live through."

Daybreak came far too soon for my liking. My body felt stiff and it hurt to move. Slowly, gritting my teeth against the pain I moved my legs so that they were extended in front of me as opposed to underneath me. I had barely slept and I felt weak from lack of food. I'd been allowed to move only to see to my personal needs, but food was denied me and in turn sleep was as well. Whatever sleep I did get, was filled with nightmares where Erik was captured and sent to the gendarmes in which he was inevitably hanged for his crimes. Other dreams had him tortured by the very person who held me captive, or he was put back into the life he had before the Populaire...on display for all to see. When Elizabeth came to me in the morning, she wore a pleased smile on her face. She looked refreshed and as polished as her breeding had dictated.

"Good morning, Anastasia. Did you sleep well?" She asked the question as if we were true sisters that shared an unbreakable bond. "I did. The bed is so comfortable in my room."

"How could you sleep in such a rundown place as this?" I asked, my voice trembling due to my weakened state.

"Oh...I have a few rooms made over just for this occasion. When this is all done, the place will be burned to the ground. It'll be the perfect place to find your remains...granted no one will know that it is you."

A tremor overtook me and I felt that unmistakeable fear. "Elizabeth...please..."

"Oh, you'll be begging when this is all over. Make no mistake about that." She opened the door and I saw two men walk in. One of them was the man I saw yesterday and the other appeared to be a stranger to me. "These two gentleman are going to get to know you a little bit today Anne."

The fear and memories of so long ago sprung to my mind afresh. "No..."

Elizabeth laughed maniacally. "Oh, yes Annie. They won't kill you. I get to have that pleasure. But...they are going to make sure that you suffer."
With that, she turned and made her way back out of the room and closed it behind her. I couldn't say anything to the men in front of me and they were just as silent. It wasn't until I opened my mouth to let out some sort of cry that I noticed that the Englishman from yesterday fell to his knees and landed in a lump on the floor. Confused, I looked to the other man who simply smiled at me.

"I guess the costume worked better than I thought." His voice! I recognized that voice!

"Nadir," I gasped out. "But...how?"

"Explanations will do for another time. That sedative I slipped him will only last a few minutes." Nadir walked over to the window and opened it. What I saw just a few minutes later made me cry.

"Erik..." My savior...my angel was here! He rushed over to me and soon I was wrapped in his warm protective embrace. "Dearest...but how? This must be a dream!"

"No, my angel . It is real. I am here. I promised you that I would protect you." Erik stepped behind me and undid the ties around my ankles and wrists. He helped me stand but found that in my weakened state, I could not stand on my own. "I'll have to carry you," he whispered, bending down to pick me up.

"How very quaint this all is!"

We all turned and found that Elizabeth had managed to make her way back into the room! She had in her hand a small pistol and it was aimed at me! Erik could make no move to protect either of us because I was currently in his arms.

"Elizabeth...please...let us go!" I pleaded. "We're going to a place where you will never find us."

"The problem is that I know you're going to the house that Mama left you! You'll be there living your own happy lives and I'll be in misery! I can't have that!" Elizabeth raised the gun and was about to shoot when a person no one expected entered the room. He obviously had a weapon of his own and pointed it directly into Elizabeth's back.

"Hello, Lizzie."

My sister let out a gasp. "Raoul?!" She turned to face him and saw the same person we all did. The Vicomte de Chagny was indeed standing there a pistol pointed at Elizabeth. "But...how?"

"I told Christine about us after she told me what you had done. I left the house seeing as she could not bear the sight of me. It was not too difficult to know who Mademoiselle Hillcrest had fallen for and I waited until this Opera Ghost and his friend made their move to find her. I followed them knowing it would lead me to you. I can now see the person you are and can only wonder how I had fallen for your trap."

"But...Raoul...darling...now we can..."

"No...for us...there is no now." Raoul pointed the gun higher and had it aimed directly at her. "You will come quitely and answer to the authorities."

"No..." she responded, raising her own weapon. "I will not hang for this." She fired the pistol and Raoul fell. She pushed her way past him and fled out of the room. Nadir followed and soon all we heard was a scream followed by silence.

"Erik, you must put me down. We have to check on Raoul!"

"That fop?!"

"Christine would never forgive me. Raoul did say that Christine told him everything and without her telling him...he would not have been here to save us."

Erik turned the thought over in his mind, before setting me down. "I can tell I'm going to have a hard time dealing with the fact that you have moments where you are right."

I smiled at him and we knelt down to tend to Raoul who only had a grazed arm. I tore at my petticoat and wrapped his arm in the white fabric and was tending to him when Nadir came back into the room.

"Elizabeth?" I asked.

He shook his head. "She's dead."

"How will we explain this?" I looked at Erik.

"I will take care of this," Raoul volunteered. "You all need to go. With the sound of a gunshot, the gendarmes will be here soon. You must go now...don't let them find you."

"Nadir, you stay and help him. Anne and I will leave on horseback. There still just a little darkness to cover us." Erik stood and helped me to my feet. "I will take Anne back to Paris."

"Take my carriage..." Raoul said. He told us the place where it was safely hidden and we quickly made our escape. I held on tightly to my love the time passing in a blur as we found the Vicomte's carriage and made our way back to Paris.