"Christine?" Raoul asked, still wheezing and barely on his feet as he offered a weak hand to me. "Christine, we have to go."

I stared blankly at him, then back at the candles flickering a little ways off.

"Christine," he said again, more insistent.

I removed the ring from my finger, the curious one set with a black stone on silver.

"I have to return this," I whispered, turning to him.

He stared at me in bewilderment before acquiescing.

"Alright..." he told me breathlessly. "Alright, be careful, I'll watch you."

I nodded, holding up the white skirts that weren't mine in one hand. Raoul followed a short distance behind me, until I came upon the phantom, my angel of music... my friend... a murderer...

Oh, how broken he looked! He was weeping over that Persian monkey, curled up on his knees like a child. My heart gave way and I took a few more steps forward until he turned around swiftly, his eyes widening as he realized who it was.

I extended the ring to him so he would know my purpose and not be hopeful. For a moment, I considered running back to Raoul, but my angel seemed so completely and utterly broken that I didn't fear him.

He rose, dazed, coming over to me. Then he placed his hands over mine, and I turned, my heart now palpitating with fear rather than pity. Would he release me?

I felt him remove the ring from my hands, and he told me softly, "Christine... I love you."

I forgot to breathe. My head was spinning, what had he said? Did he understand now? But I was going with Raoul, I had to go with Raoul! I didn't understand, why would I stay? Why was I considering that?

But how could I leave him?

I withdrew from my angel, and his hands fell limp and allowed mine to slip out of his grasp. My eyes were welling up with tears as I returned to Raoul, who clutched me to himself for comfort.

"You're so brave," he whispered. "We need to go home now, and everything will be alright."

I nodded blankly as he helped me up into the boat. It rocked beneath me, causing me to nearly lose my balance and fall into the opaque water, but I kept myself upright.

"Sit down, Raoul," I told him lifelessly. "Let me get us across; you need to rest."

His blue eyes flickered with refusal, but he collapsed upon the prow, still quite exhausted. I began to push the boat along, but then glanced back, and for a moment, hesitated.

"Christine?" He said, confused. "What's wrong? I'll push if you ca-"

"I can't leave him," I told him, my hands beginning to tremble. "I can't, I can't!"

He stood up shakily, "You need to be free, Christine, you can't stay with him. He's a murderer, remember?... You're not well, what all has he done to you-?"

I started to cry weakly, "But I can't leave h-him."

"Darling, why not?"

"Because it's not right-"

"He killed people, hurt you-"

"I don't understand!" I cried. "Angel! Angel!"

"Shh!" Raoul clapped a hand over my mouth and held me against him, sitting down in the middle of the boat. "Shh, we need to go home, then you can think this all over clearly... Please, Christine, just listen to me. I was nearly murdered by this man. And you were tricked by him, manipulated, all these horrible things."

I sobbed harder into his soaked and ruined shirt. His hands were shuddering with fatigue as they ran through my hair to calm me.

"He nearly murdered me," he explained, "and did murder two others. You've given him far more than he deserves, far, far more. You are the most wonderful woman- person- I've ever met, I promise... Please, we have to go back now."

I nodded blankly, "We have to go back..."

"Let me have the oar."

I lied down at the front of the prow, disorientated by my own mind. My angel had let me go... He had let me go... Was he good, then? Did that redeem him from all he had done?

But he had nearly murdered Raoul... I loved Raoul... but I loved... I loved...

What would my father say? If he were here, what would he tell me to do?

The right thing. But what on earth was the right thing?! Was I to go and live out my life in love with Raoul, though possibly stripping him of his status? I had always thought what I was doing to Raoul was wrong. After all, I was a chorus girl... People would talk... We would have love, but so much to struggle through, for him especially...

But how could I return to a murderer? How could I have any fondness for him? It defied logic and explanation. I both feared him and loved him and pitied and despised, I... I was too exhausted to understand my own soul!

"Raoul?" I asked weakly, breaking the stillness.

"Yes, my love?" He replied.

"Thank you."

"I love you... You don't need to thank me for love-"

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"What for?"

I stared up at him miserably.

He ceased pushing the boat along, "You're considering... going back?"

"I'm sorry-"

"Christine, do you not truly love me?" He pleaded. "Am I just the boy who fetched your scarf still, a memory? I-I don't even mind if I am, leave me if you must, but you cannot return to him. He'll hurt you- look at what you're wearing-"

"He didn't force me into it-"

"He nearly forced you into marriage. He made you wear it, and he would've- Please, don't go back, I'll die if I know you're with him. I'll die, please, you don't have to love me-"

"I love you. I love you more than..." But I faltered.

"You don't love him, Christine," he sighed. "Listen to me, you don't love him-"

"Just because you love me, Raoul, my darling Raoul, it doesn't mean you understand my heart."

"I... I won't let you. He's driven you mad, Christine, he nearly murdered me-"

"He repented-"

"Please," Raoul begged. "Please, don't you know what he'll do to you?"

"You only care about my purity?" I retorted.

"No, no, that's not, of course not... But Christine, what if he falls out of love with you, out of his obsession?"

"How could he? Who has ever loved him-?"

"You don't know how he'll behave once he has you as his wife, after all the lies he's fed you." He said gently, overwhelmed with fear for me. "How can you think of risking that? He'll want all of you. You told me you feared him-"

"I don't fear him now... And you can't force me to remain."

He was crying now, "Of course I c-can't... But he won't let you go if you change your mind."

I shook my head, "No, he won't... But he loves me. I'm all he has, all he's ever had-"

"We have to go." He told me as the boat hit the stone shore. "We have to leave here-"

"G-get off of the boat Raoul," I pleaded weakly, standing up.

"No... No, Christine-"

"Get off... please."

"I won't let him hurt you! He'll hurt you, and... and he's probably run away by now, or been found."

"Found..." I mouthed, horrified. "I have to see him, I have to find him."

"Then let's go up and hope the police have caught him."

"But they'll kill him!" I pleaded.

"He's murdered multiple people and nearly me!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

He placed his hands about mine, "I'm sorry, too, for all of this... Let's go home, rest, and it'll be better. You're not well, we both aren't, why should we be..."

"Okay... Okay, let's go back."

"I love you, you're safe now, and I love you."

"I love you... too."

We were confronted by the police immediately upon reaching the main hallway.

"Monsieur le vicomte!" One said, the mustached man from earlier that had led the attempted capture. "Where have you been? Where's the man?"

"You haven't caught him?" Raoul replied, clinging to me as I buried myself in his side, afraid of letting go and losing him.

"No, monsieur. Although there was a group of people that may have, we'll have to see."

"Do you need my account?"

"Account, monsieur?"

"Yes, after Mademoiselle Daaé was abducted, I went after her."

"Is the mademoiselle well enough to speak herself?"

I shook my head, devoid of words, and Raoul rubbed my arm consolingly.

"But I can do well enough," Raoul said.

"Do we need to add to his list of crimes?"

"Yes, attempted murder of me, and... Christine, my darling, is there anything specific he did to you?"

"No," I mouthed.

"He tried to force her into marriage," Raoul continued.

"I don't believe we can list that as a crime, only assault."

"No," I said swiftly. I wouldn't have him accused of that.

"Are you writing this down, Claude?" The policeman asked a young man behind him, who was holding a pencil and paper.

"Yes, monsieur," Claude replied.

The policeman gave me a look of sympathy, "You can return home, monsieur, thank you. Will you give a full testimony in court?"

"Both of us will," Raoul said, glancing down at me.

I nodded in tired agreement.

"We'll apprehend him, I can assure you." The policeman told us. "He cannot hide easily... Is there anything more we can do for you, mademoiselle?"

"No, gentlemen," Raoul replied on my behalf, "thank you for your efforts."

He helped me into his brougham, which was waiting outside in the dark. The sky was covered in dense clouds, and I felt quite blind in the midst of it. I knew Raoul was as terrified as I that my angel had not been apprehended, and had he been, I would have been free to remain with Raoul.

"It'll be alright now," he told me softly, kissing my forehead.

"I'm so sorry for what happened to you," I replied, the words having remained in my mouth for far too long. "I'm so sorry-"

"Shh, don't be. We're alright now. We're going to go to my house, a ways from the opera house, and I think a bath is in order for you, and perhaps a bit of laudanum to help you sleep. Then in the morning we can think through it all together."

I held him closer, "I love you, Raoul, thank you."

I was in his arms the whole ride, even when the road was uneven. I wasn't afraid, but I wasn't content. I knew this was wrong. Something inside me was uneasy, and I knew why.

I had to go back to my angel.

I had to go back whether I wanted to or not. I knew I could never have peace with Raoul, though I loved him deeply and wished I could remain with him forever. But that couldn't happen now, not after everything, not when I knew that I couldn't possibly stay.

My father had always told me that kindness was the only way to live by, and that kindness was treating people better than they deserved. Erik deserved nothing, not after everything, but he... he wanted to try again, didn't he? People deserve second chances, and I doubted anyone had offered him such a thing...

Oh, but I wanted to remain with Raoul and forget the whole, miserable world! To forget people who weren't considered deserving of kindness... To be without worries, without fear... without music, though... without him.

I had to go back.