This story takes places directly after Susan Kay's lair scene in Phantom. I have never begun a story where Erik is left heartbroken and Christine leaves with what's his name. Rest assured, while I may have had her leave with Tool boy, I have a few things planned. ;)

"Every Rose has its Thorn"

Madame Giry sat silently by the fire. It was colder than one expected for this time of year. She marveled how the temperature matched her mood. Did it all really happen? Did she betray the man she swore to protect and care for? What made her forget her promise and instead help a stranger try to destroy him?

She opened the music box and laughed at the irony. Gustave Daae, what would you have thought of all this? Did you foresee the events of that night? You trusted us with your only child and yet you left the secrets of her past in a music box that would make anyone stop and look inside it, if only to satisfy their curiosity. She thought for a moment of throwing it into the fire but something made her stop.

I can't do it. Damaging as it might be, it is her past and no one should have the right to take away someone's past. Maybe one day, she will have to know for her own safety? She got up, only this time she kept the token close to her. "Safety… I did it for her safety, yes? The Vicomte will protect her….But would he still protect her if he knew the truth about her?" She took the letter out of the music box and grasped it in her hand.

"Dear God, Erik what did I do? Please, know that I did it for you… I did it for both of you."

"Did what, Mama?"

"Meg! How long have you been standing there?"

Meg looked hurt at her mother's harsh tone. "I only just entered the house and heard your voice. I thought you were calling for me."

Madame Giry looked at her with guilty eyes. "I am sorry, my Meg. I was just… Never mind, it isn't important." She then took the letter and placed it inside her dress pocket.

"I miss her, Mama. It's been three weeks since she left. Why has she not come by? Why have we not received any word of her wedding?"

"Oh Meg, I told you, Christine has a new life now. It is best she forgets her old one and all that was associated with it."

"Including us? We were her only family for years before the Vicomte showed up and remembered her. Funny how he didn't even give her a second glance until she was the Prima Donna."

"Meg…"

"No, Mama. You have refused to discuss this since that night but I will not just forget she was a part of my life. She was like a sister to me, just as Erik was like a brother to you. Why must she turn her back to us? Why must you turn your back on Erik?"

"She didn't turn your back on you, Meg. She is to be a Vicomtesse. She can't associate with commoners."

"Commoners?! Is that… Is that what she thinks we are now? Because she would have been out on the street if you hadn't taken her in or if Erik hadn't tutored her."

"Meg, I am not saying Christine thinks we are commoners but her new world will demand that she embrace her new life and the Vicomte will want her to forget the past, especially after… That night."

"He would want her to be without her best friend and mother figure? Maybe I will believe that but what does she want? Has she no more mind of her own, now that she is marrying him? And what about you and Erik? How come you haven't been down to see him?"

"Meg, I can't see him. It's too dangerous and …. I am not sure he would even wish to see me."

"Mama, he is all alone and was left for dead! He would welcome any company."

"Nadir was with him." Madame Giry started to feel nauseous.

"If that's what happens when you fall in love, I want no part of it. You either lose the ability to think for yourself or are left alone because you fell for someone you shouldn't have."

"He went mad!"

"That's what love does, Mama. If you ask me, he needs us now more than ever. I know you always wanted me to keep my distance but you never would have associated with him if he was truly as wicked as they said. Besides, you told me that he helped us many, many times after Papa died."

"I know. I want to see him but…."

"He may be afraid too. Afraid that you will think less of him. Mama, he let her go. Nadir told us, he let them both go. Surely, that must count for something."

"I can't see him just yet."

"Why?" Meg then looked at her mother with a new sense of understanding. "It was you."

Madame Giry's eyes fixated on her daughter. She knew she has been caught.

"You lead the Vicomte to the lair… Oh Mama." She threw her arms around her catching her mother off guard. "It's alright. We all make mistakes."

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Nadir walked through the dark passageways not knowing what he would find. He hadn't been down to see his friend since that night. He couldn't remember when he ever saw him so out of wit. In Persia, he was vicious but calm. When he tried to kill the boy and himself in the process, he was barely recognizable to Nadir. Yes, he was vicious but he seemed crazed, lost, desperate, sad and completely out of control.

Nadir still didn't know what caused Erik to change his mind. One minute he and the Vicomte were going to their deaths and the next they were set free. Nadir saw Erik looking ashamed and no longer was he a frightening Phantom but a frightened child. When he heard him ask the young soprano and her suitor for a wedding invitation, he thought he had surely gone mad.

The weirdest thing was that they each promised and the girl….. The girl looked almost hopeful that she would have Erik attend her nuptials! Was she just as out of it due to witnessing Erik's wrath? When he asked to have tea with me, I thought I was going to faint right on the floor from shock.

We drank the tea in silence, other than his telling me he was in shock that Christine and the Vicomte would agree to bring him an invitation to their wedding. I was about to tell him that he shouldn't expect to see it, when he surprised me again and said he knew that neither would ever return but he was still amazed they would agree, despite everything.

Afterwards, he told me to go and leave him. He said he wasn't worthy of my friendship and wished to be left alone. As if I was going to leave him to his own devices. I still cared for him, despite his trying to kill me. After two days of standing guard to make sure he wouldn't do anything to harm himself or go back on his word, I finally left. But I have been looking for an excuse to go back and when Antoinette told me she hadn't gone to see him, I knew I had to.

Nadir couldn't believe he had found the entrance so quickly. Was he that lost in thought that time escaped him completely? He opened the door and walked inside. The place was even in more shambles then when he left.

Dear Allah, did the mob return? Wait…. "Erik! Erik!" He didn't see him anywhere. He walked over to what once was Erik's music room when he turned pale at the sight. "Erik?"

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Raoul stood in the parlor with his father and brother.

"I tell you she is completely a different person. She is deeply troubled and needs help. She has been nothing but distant and distraught ever since we arrived. It is as if her spirit is gone."

Phillip laughed. "Hardly. She is probably playing the part of a scared victim."

"Phillip, please not again." Raoul faced his father. "Can't you tell him to have some respect for my future bride?"

The Comte looked at both of his sons dismayed. "Raoul, Phillip does bring up a point we should discuss. Are you sure you still want to marry her? She is a former theater….. Person. That alone is scandal to this family. Yet if you do wish to marry her, you better heed my warning. Divorce will never be an option."

"Why would I even consider divorce?" Raoul looked agitated.

"You fool! What father is saying is that you can still call off the engagement. People will understand. If she is this much trouble now, can you imagine once she is your wife? She is not Vicomtesse material. At the end of the day, she will still be just playing a part and frankly, she wasn't that good of an actress to begin with!"

"Phillip, she has been through an ordeal no one can even imagine. She was kidnapped by that… Thing and forced to kiss him. She hasn't been able to get it out of her mind. She won't even kiss me since we got here."

Phillip laughed. "A cold fish too? Raoul, wake up. She was the Phantom's whore and now she won't even kiss her fiancée? You are asking for trouble."

Raoul turned and looked out the window. Secretly he was dismayed that Christine rebuffed all his advances of affection. At first, he assumed it was because of her ordeal but three weeks later she still barely left her room and wouldn't even allow him to kiss her lips.

"Raoul, did you hear what I said?" The Comte said in an exasperated voice. "What Phillip said about her being the Phantom's….. Well, is it so farfetched?"

"What do you mean?" Raoul turned with keen interest. It was one thing for Phillip to make comments, but his father was usually much more restraint.

"What do you know about this girl? You were what, 5, 6 years old when you knew her at the beach? Her father was some poor violinist. She has no mother, which means we don't know her background on her mother's side. She was raised in an Opera House and you two didn't see each other again until she was 18. How do you even know who she is, much less love her enough to marry her?"

"Since when does love count for marriage in this family?" Raoul tried to throw it back at his father but regretted it when he saw his eyes.

"That might be true if she was of noble descent but we both know she is not. Therefore, I would think love is the only possible reason. But son, is it worth it? Is it even really love?"

Phillip smirked. "Raoul, you don't have to marry her to sleep with her. She's bedded murderers, she will surely bed you. Besides, from what I hear, it runs in the family!"

"Enough Phillip!" The Comte ordered. "Raoul, I ask that you think this through. This may be your only chance to break free and avoid permanent scandal."

A few hours later Raoul knocked on Christine's bedroom door. When she didn't answer, he tried the handle and was more than irate that it was locked.

"Christine, it's me. Please open up. I have something to show you. It just arrived and I wanted you to see it at once."

Slowly he heard her footsteps as she unlocked the door. He charged into her room with excitement.

"Now then, look at what I have here!"

She smiled weakly and it didn't take much to notice her eyes were red from crying. He looked at her in alarm and then saw that her tray had not been touched yet.

"Lottie, have you eaten? What are you doing to yourself?"

"I am fine, Raoul. I just haven't had much of an appetite these days. I just…."

He put the box down. "What? Tell me." He walked over to her and put his arm around her.

She became stiff at the contact and it did not go unnoticed by Raoul but he still held her firmly.

"I miss Meg and Madame Giry. Why have they not come to see me? Do you think…. Do you think they blame me for what happened? Oh Raoul, I think back and….."

"Now, now, Lottie. Stop and take hold of yourself. I am sure they have been busy. Besides, it is better this way."

"Better?" She looked at him in confusion. "How could it be better? They are my only living family."

"Christine, come now. Stop acting like a child. You know they can't be a part of the wedding. It's just as well they aren't here. It would be rather rude for us to throw it in their faces."

I am not a child….."Why can't they be a part of the wedding, Raoul? I want Meg to be my Maid of Honor. She is as close to me as a sister is."

Raoul shook his head. "Christine, that's not possible. My cousin will be your Maid of Honor and Phillip's wife, Lucile will stand as your bridesmaid."

"But Raoul….."

He walked towards the box. "Now just look at this and then we can turn each other heads with talk of our wedding." He pulled out the wedding invitation.

Christine's face lit up. In fact, Raoul hadn't seen her look so happy since she was on stage singing….That night. When he made the connection he grew angry and ignored the thought.

"Raoul, the invitations! They arrived. Now we can go back and see him. Now we can give him the invitation and ….."

"Go back? Go back to that demon's hell hole? Are you as crazy as Phillip says you are? I am never going back there. He almost killed me. He almost raped you!"

"No! He would never do that. He couldn't do that. You promised him! We promised him we would go back and deliver the invitation to him."

"To appease the monster. My God did you think I meant it? Next thing you are going to tell me is that you meant to kiss him!"

Christine grew silent and turned away from him. Raoul looked at her with disgust. The Phantom's whore...He shook his head and threw the invitation back down into the box.

"You are obviously still not well. I will leave you tonight so you can rest. I am sure things will be clearer for all of us in the morning. Good night, Christine."

She never turned around. All she did was sink to her knees and let the tears consume her once more.

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Raoul flew down the stairs and was stopped by the butler.

"Monsieur Vicomte, you have someone asking for you at the front door."

Raoul was in no mood for visitors. He was heading straight to a tall glass of scotch. He then thought he better see whom it was first.

"Thank you." He walked into the waiting room and saw Meg Giry greet him with a smile by the door.

"Monsieur Vicomte, hello. I have come to see Christine. I have missed her so much. Can you please tell her I am here?"

Raoul knew the last thing he needed was a renewed relationship with anyone from Christine's past.

"I'm sorry, Mlle. Giry for your trouble but Christine does not wish to see anyone and would prefer if you left her alone. I hope you have a pleasant night." He shoved her outside and slammed the door in her face.

Meg looked at the closed door is shock. "Son of a Bitch!"

A/N: Thorn One.