Disclaimer: Ok, listen up. Does this stuff look familiar?? Of course it does! Because it's not mine! Not at all! I suppose I have to say it belongs to Gaston Leroux, but does it really? He doesn't really own these people. They own themselves. Well, they're still not mine at any rate. Some quotes from ALW may be used somewhere in this story. Anything else that you recognize, I make no claim to own. So yes, I think that's quite enough of that nonsense.

A/N: My first phic!!! Ahhhh!!!!! Don't be too hard on me, it's my first remember! But do give me a chance! I have what I think is a very good plan for this story and I hope it will work out and people will read this!! Um…let's see, I'm an Erik lover, but promise to be very very nice to Raoul. I promise! :)

Background: Only a month after Raoul and Christine fled the opera house. They left Paris together and left for a small home that the Chagny family owned in northern France. They have plans for their wedding if life can ever return to normal. But there is no telling how long that will be. You don't just forget an ordeal like the one Christine went through. She'll never forget, can she possibly move on and take back her life?

Christine looked on with horror as a rope suddenly appeared around Raoul's neck. She cried out and ran to him, but before she reached him, his body was pulled into the air and out of sight. She shouted his name, but there was no reply. She screamed. And then she woke up.

She was screaming when she awoke, with tears streaming down her face. Raoul came rushing into her bedroom as he seemed to do almost every night. Christine was plagued with such horrible nightmares, but there was nothing that could be done.

Raoul did his best to comfort her as he always did. But even he couldn't penetrate the depth of Christine's despair. She was always haunted by the fact that she had killed him. The man who had saved her when she was so distraught that she had wished herself dead. He had brought her to life and she had taken his in return.

But in her nightmares, his anger could easily return and she could once again see what horrible things he was capable of.

But in her dreams, she saw his broken form, crying for her to come back to him. She could never reach him in those dreams and she woke with such a horrible pain in her very soul that she could never get back to sleep.

After promising Raoul that she would be all right, he went back to his room and Christine lay back on her pillows. She wouldn't be all right. She didn't sleep again that night.

The next day she and Raoul went for a pleasant stroll through the garden behind the house. It was more like a miniature park really, with trees and benches and more flowers than you could ever count. There were no flowers then because of the season. It wasn't quite spring, but small green leaves were appearing on the ground and on the tree branches. It was really quite pretty with the white frost that covered everything. They said not a word, but walked arm in arm silently, enjoying the beauty and peacefulness of the place.

At noon, they went inside the house for lunch.

"Christine?" Raoul said to her from across the table.

She looked up at him. She'd been idly picking at her food. She wasn't feeling very hungry.

"Christine, how would you like to go out for dinner tonight? You rarely get out of this house, what do you say?" He smiled softly as he awaited her reaction and was pleased when she smiled.

"That sounds like a lovely idea Raoul."

That night, Christine rather enjoyed preparing for the night out as it had been so long since had really gone out. She selected a hunter green gown. The bodice was velvet, while the skirt was a lovely satin. It was one of her favorites. She tied back half of her hair and let the rest of her curls hang down her back. She also took her ivory cloak that looked stunning with the deep green of her dress.

Raoul took her to the best restaurant in the small town that was near the house they were staying in. It was a lovely little place with crisp white tablecloths on all the tables and it was lit by hundreds of candles, giving the place a very elegant, romantic look. There was even a violinist as entertainment for the patrons as they ate.

As they sat down at their table Christine breathed, "Oh Raoul, this place is wonderful."

Raoul smiled as she admired the restaurant. "I had hoped you would like it. I've been waiting for a chance to take you here."

Their meal was as lovely as everything else in the restaurant and Christine found that she was truly enjoying herself. Raoul had succeeded in taking her mind off of him even if it was only for a little while. It hurt him to see her pain and anguish. He wished there was some way he could simply diminish it, but he didn't know what he could possibly do. He had no way of knowing just how she felt, he'd never be able to relate to it.

The evening was going extremely well. That is until the violinist began to play a new song. A song that was awfully familiar to Christine. As the violin began to play, Christine dropped her fork in shock.

"Christine…" Raoul frowned at her. "Christine, what is it?" But she didn't answer, she jumped up and ran for the door of the restaurant.

"Christine!" Raoul called after her. He left enough money on the table to cover the bill and ran after her.

He caught up with her right outside the door where she had dropped to her knees sobbing.

"Christine," he called to her softly as he knelt down beside her and pulled her close to him. But she pushed him away. She stood up abruptly and looked down at him with fire in her eyes. Then she ran toward the street and hailed a cab.

Raoul hurried to her and grabbed her arm before she could climb into the carriage. "Christine! What are you doing?" he asked, bewildered.

She looked at him, her eyes filled with tears. "Oh Raoul," she cried and fell into his arms. He lifted her into the carriage and instructed the driver to take them back to the house.

When they reached the house, Raoul helped her inside and led her gently to the couch in the parlor. "What happened Christine?" he asked her softly.

"Oh Raoul…" she said quietly. "It was that song… That song… The song that he always…" But she stopped, she couldn't go on.

She didn't need to, Raoul was able to guess quite easily what she was going to say. He stared at her unable to grasp or understand what she was feeling. He wished he could understand, but he simply couldn't fathom it.

Christine stood up and walked to the fireplace. Not looking at him, she said, "Please say something Raoul."

"Do you love me Christine?"

She turned to face him. She looked at him, trying to figure out where that question had come from.

"Do you really want to be here Christine?" he went on when she didn't answer. "You think only of him, yet you are here, is that what you want Christine? Do you love me?"

Her mind slowly processed what he was saying. Did he think she hadn't wanted to leave? Had she wanted to leave? Her mind spun. He took a few steps closer to her so he was standing beside her.

She looked at the floor. His hand gently lifted her chin upwards until his gaze met hers. He repeated his question, but she didn't hear it. She saw his lips moving, but couldn't hear a sound. Her eyes glazed over and soon she wasn't aware of anything anymore.

She was completely lost in her thoughts, her memories. Of the man who hid in the shadows. The man who had entranced her with his voice. The man she had left behind. The man she may have just destroyed.

Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground.

"Christine!"

Raoul's voice sounded so far away. She felt herself slipping further and further from the world she knew. Or was she going to one she knew better? The world beneath the opera house. The man she may have just destroyed. Tears began to flow. That she may have just destroyed… She heard his screams as she had left with Raoul. The choice she'd had no time to make. She had left him there, alone.

She loved him.

Suddenly, she looked up. Her mind cleared and she came crashing back to reality. She looked at Raoul. He was on the ground next to her. His hand rested on her shoulder and he was looking at her with such concern she thought her heart would break. Because she loved him too.

"Yes," she answered weakly.

"Oh Christine, you scared me," he said with relief as he helped her into a chair.

"Yes," she said again.

"Yes?" he asked her.

"I love you," she told him. She grabbed his hands and held them in her own. "I love you with all of my heart, please don't ever doubt that Raoul."

He smiled at her and they embraced.

"Promise me you won't ever doubt it," she whispered in his ear.

"I promise."

A/N: Alright, alright, this story will have a plot I promise!!! Lol, I have such big plans for this story!! Ahh! I'm so excited! Hopefully someone will share my excitement! Hm…how can I find out? Oh I know!! You have to review!!! Please review!!!!!!!!!! I don't care if you think this is the worst story you ever read! If it is then let me know! I love all feedback, good and bad. I don't mind! So review!!!!!!!!! Thank you kind readers, until next chapter then! :)