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Destiny Takes Time	By : GueritaSalome Category: M through R > The Phantom of the Opera > Het Views: 19820 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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note: In my version, Christine has not removed Erik's mask before he takes her back from staying the night in his lair. Also, Joseph Buquet is not murdered, and the whole rooftop scene doesn't happen.

Chapter 3 – Encounters

After that first night that she’d stayed in Erik’s home under the opera house, Christine didn’t really want to go back, but he insisted that it wouldn’t look right for her to go missing for long, and she knew that he was right. Meg and her mother could tell immediately that something unusual had happened when they saw her come out of the dressing room, knowing that only a little while before it had been empty.

“Christine! Where have you been? Are you all right?” asked Meg, running to hug her in the hallway.

“I’m fine. I didn’t mean to make you worry,” she replied, feeling rather guilty.

Madame Giry was also pleased to see her, but didn’t ask questions. She already had a good idea of where Christine had spent the night.

“You look a little pale, dear. You should eat a bit and rest. Come on now,” she said kindly.

Christine did feel a little out of sorts and didn’t argue. She was grateful that her foster mother hadn’t chosen to bombard her with questions. Later that afternoon when she’d rested, Raoul came to see her outside her dormitory as the dressing room was once more occupied by Carlotta.

“Christine, how are you? I was worried last night after I returned for you and the door was locked. Then today no one knew where you were,” he said, clearly upset.

“Oh, I’m fine, Raoul, really.”

She’d chosen to ignore the implied question of her whereabouts. Even if she did tell him, he wouldn’t have believed her.

“Would you like to go and have dinner tonight then?” he asked, hoping for a more favorable answer than the one he’d gotten the night before.

“No, I’m sorry, Raoul. I really can’t,” Christine replied calmly.

It was strange how only the previous day he’d seemed so striking to her that she’d been nervous seeing him again, and now he was only an old friend.

“Is there any particular reason why you don’t want to accompany me?” he asked, also noting that something was different about the way she regarded him.

“I just can’t, that’s all,” she insisted, not wanting to explain anything.

He remembered how she’d told him about her angel of music and he’d dismissed her, then the man’s voice in her room when he’d found the door locked, and today all of those strange notes that everyone seemed to have gotten, most of which were concerning her. All of these thoughts rushed through his mind. It became clear to him as he watched her expressions that her mind was on something or someone else – someone mysterious. For the moment it was useless trying to get her to tell him anything.

“Maybe some other time then. We will have plenty of time to talk and see each other later,” he said, afraid to pressure her too much.

Christine nodded and smiled at him. He really was a dear person to her, and she didn’t want to upset him. Raoul took her hand and kissed it before leaving her alone. As she watched him go, she sighed deeply and wondered if her angel would come for her again that night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christine sat talking to Meg in the chapel, still wearing her pink dress from the performance.

“You were wonderful, Christine. I don’t think that anyone can question your position as leading lady now. What do you think happened to Carlotta? The Phantom interrupted and then she lost her voice. Maybe he had something to do with it?” Meg wondered.

Christine was almost sure that the answer was yes. She wanted to tell her friend everything, but decided not to. Although Erik had not specifically told her not to talk to anyone about him, she knew that he wouldn’t want her to. She looked up at Meg and a slight smile crossed her lips.

“Do you really think he’d do that?” she asked, blushing.

“I forgot that you weren’t there when the letters were all opened. Yes, he’d warned that something bad would happen if André and Firmin didn’t give the part to you. I think he did do something, Christine. He seems to be very protective of you,” Meg said with a mischievous smile.

Christine just grinned more at her friend’s insinuation that he regarded her as anything but a pupil.

“He does appear to have a lot of interest in my singing,” she conceded.

Meg paused for a moment, having just come to a realization.

“Could it be that your tutor and the Phantom are the same person? No one has ever really seen the Phantom and you said yourself that you have only heard the angel of music that tutors you. I hadn’t thought about it until just now…but it would fit, wouldn’t it?”

Christine could not bring herself to tell her friend that it wasn’t true.

“I suppose it’s possible,” she replied, feeling guilty for not telling Meg everything that had happened.

“Maybe you should ask your angel the next time he speaks to you,” she suggested. “If he is the Opera Ghost, I don’t think you have anything to be afraid of.”

Christine’s look softened. Of course she wasn’t afraid of Erik. He made her feel very safe if anything. Meg noticed that her friend had become very pensive and looked at her curiously.

“Are you all right?”

“Yes, I was just thinking about what you said, that’s all,” Christine replied.

“I hope I didn’t upset you. It was just an idea. If I were you, I know I would be curious to find out if they were actually the same person. The Phantom must be a man, after all. Ghosts can’t go about making things fall and speaking where everyone can hear them. We can talk about it another time, though. I think I am going to go to bed. Are you coming?” Meg asked.

“You can go ahead. I’ll be there shortly.”

“All right then. I’ll see you in a bit,” Meg said and gave her a pat on the shoulder.

Christine nodded and smiled. She was fortunate to have such a good friend.

A little while after she was alone, there was a sound like the rustle of velvet. Christine turned around to find Erik there beside her. She smiled at him.

“I thought that maybe you weren’t coming,” she said.

“I wasn’t sure if I should,” he answered.

Christine smiled at him.

“Of course you should!” she playfully scolded him.

He held out his hand which she took, allowing him to help her to her feet. She glanced over at the picture of her father, then back to Erik.

“Let’s go,” she said contentedly.

Down in his lair, he showed her to his dining table, which was a very fine piece of furniture like all of his other fittings. It was laid out with fruit, cheese, and sweet cakes. In the middle was a bottle of wine and two glasses. Christine blushed with pleasure.

“Oh Erik,” she almost whispered, “You didn’t have to do this.”

“I wanted to,” he said, brushing a finger against her flushed cheek.

He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d dined in the presence of another person. He pulled out her chair at the head of the table and let her sit down, then took his place beside her to pour them both a glass of the wine.

Holding up his glass, he proposed a toast. “To your present and upcoming success.”

Christine blushed even more profusely before asking, “Erik, did you do something to Carlotta tonight so that the managers would give me her part?”

She saw his left eyebrow shoot up at the question, and a sly smile crossed his lips.

“You did, didn’t you?” she scolded him, but couldn’t hide the fact that she felt flattered.

“If you must know, yes, that was me,” he answered, very pleased with himself.

Christine took a sip of her wine and eyed him curiously.

“Did you really have to make her croak, though? The poor thing, she was mortified. I actually felt sorry for her,” she said.

“Well, you shouldn’t. She is very conceited. Perhaps now she’ll think before insulting you again.”

He held up a plate of bread, and she took some.

“Maybe you’re right, but still…I know how upset I would have been if it had happened to me,” she insisted.

“You’re too kind, my dear. Save your sentiments for those who deserve them,” he told her sweetly.

They enjoyed themselves, eating and talking to one another. Christine finished her first glass of wine and he served her a second. When they were through, Erik thought it best that she not linger this time.

“We should go back now before it gets too late,” he said.

“I don’t really want to, but if I go missing for two nights in a row it probably wouldn’t be a good idea,” she admitted.

“No, we can’t go jeopardizing your reputation.”

“As it is people already think that I spent the night with Raoul. How silly,” she said, rolling her eyes.

Erik tensed at the mention of the young man’s name.

“He wants you.” His voice had quickly become stern.

“That he may, but it doesn’t matter,” Christine told him. “I think I’m rather taken with someone else.” As she said this, she glanced up at him, catching his eye.

Erik got the feeling that she had consumed just a little too much wine. She was being a bit bolder than usual. He decided to play along.

“Oh really? And who is this man who you’re so taken with?” he asked.

“Well, he’s been around ever since I was seven, and he has the most beautiful singing voice,” she said sweetly.

“I see. And he is…special to you I take it?”

“Oh yes,” she said, almost purring.

Christine smiled at him, a smile that truly lit up the room. He took her hand and kissed it. She was doing it again, giving him that look of adoration. They did need to head back before she tempted him too much.
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Destiny Takes Time