AN: Please bear with me, this is my first POTO/LND story and I have never written these characters before. They will be a little OOC I'm sure so if you don't like that, Sorry I'm working on figuring out all the character dynamics, but at the same time not sorry cause all my fics have characters that are OOC.

Pairings: Erik x Christine, brief Raoul x Christine. Others will be added as the story progresses and will be noted as they are. As this is a story that is coming to me in my head randomly I'm not sure where it's gonna go yet. Kind of how I see Erik and Gustave composing, the music appearing in their heads and they must translate that to written form.

Summary: As I mentioned, not quite sure where this will end up but here's the basics. The events of LND are set into motion sooner than in the canon. It's only been two years since Christine stole away to Erik's side, Gustave is just over a year old, but Raoul has already lost the majority of his fortune gambling. He's an abusive drunk who wants to cut music out of Christine's life. The performance for Mr. Hammerstein is to be Christine's last performance. Ever wondered how LND would have ended had Erik and Christine and Gustave been reunited earlier than 10 years? Hopefully I can provide one version of events. AU OOC Rated T to be safe (again, I'm not sure how this will turn out and mentions of abuse)

Will mostly be 3rd person POV or 2nd person POV unless otherwise stated. This is based off of Australia's version of LND but with Emmy Rossum, Gerard Butler, and Patrick Wilson as Christine, Erik, and Raoul respectively.

Disclaimer: I don't own POTO or LND nor do I own any of the characters involved in either musical.

Christine sighed as Raoul stumbled into the house stinking of alcohol again. She hated when he drank, which was all the time since their wedding. Setting the envelope down, unsure how to bring it up, she tried to straighten herself up. The well-known American Impresario had sent her an invitation to perform at the opening of his new Manhattan Opera House in about a month's time. The job paid well and with Raoul's gambling problems they would need that money. Although she didn't know how to delicately approach the topic; and she didn't have long to figure it out as Raoul had seen the white paper.

"What is that Christine?" he growled, reaching for the offending slip. Christine hid a sigh and handed it to him.

"It's a letter from Oscar Hammerstein. He wants me to sing for the opening of his new opera house in Manhattan. In a month." She explained, going on to disclose the amount offered, knowing it will pay off most of Raoul's debts.

"I can read." Raoul retorted as he glared at the letter, reading through it as best he could through his drunken haze. Taking a few moments to try to piece together the information, he gave a frustrated sigh. "You know I don't want you singing anymore Christine. I really don't understand what is so hard to understand about that."

"We need the money…that's all dear." Christine responded with a small voice, not making any eye contact with her husband, trying not to make him angrier than he already seemed to be.

Raoul threw the paper onto the table with another angry sigh. A few moments passed in silence before he nodded and sat down to compose a reply to the American Impresario.

"Fine. But this is it Christine. No more singing. No more music. It hurts my head." Raoul growled.

Christine reluctantly nodded, she did not want to stop singing and did not want to raise her 15-month-old son, Gustave, without music but she was desperate to stay on Raoul's good side. It really stung when she thought about Gustave's father. Raising his son away from music when music is what brought them together felt wrong. She was so lost in thought of the man she should have chosen that she didn't realize that Gustave had started to cry and was irritating Raoul until it was almost too late. Her husband hadn't laid a hand on the boy yet, but she did not want to test that when he was already irritated. She'd rather take the brunt of his anger herself than let Gustave be hurt. Grabbing the bottle that she had prepared just before the letter came on her way, she rushed to calm the boy. Thankfully her son quieted quickly with the bottle and his mother's soft voice singing to him.

As she heard Raoul move into their bedroom and pass out in the bed she let her thoughts wander again. She wondered where he was…where Erik was. Her Phantom…her Angel of Music. She let herself wonder what life would be like for her and Gustave if Erik hadn't left her that night. If Erik had stayed that night, she would have followed anywhere he led she was sure of it. With him, she wouldn't be trapped in a loveless marriage. Gustave would have his real father to teach him how to play piano and sing. Though she also knew it would do no good to sit and think on the past, she'd do nothing but get her hopes up only to have them crushed when she returned to reality. Christine shook thoughts of her lover aside and put Gustave to bed, sighing and joining her husband in bed herself.

~~2 weeks later-day of arrival in New York~~

She could tell her husband was already irritated before they even stepped off the ship. The crowd was loud and apparently excited about the soprano's imminent arrival. As much as she acted like she wasn't, Christine was excited to see America-to see New York at least. They were late disembarking from the ship because she had had to spend extra time covering up a fresh bruise on her cheek. She made a mistake and upset her husband and in return he had slapped her. That among the crowd calling out for her had done nothing but put Raoul into a foul mood. A mood made even more sour as photographers immediately began snapping pictures as they stepped onto the dock.

"No pictures do you hear!? No pictures of the boy!" he snarled, acting as a protective father and shielding Christine from the cameras as she held the baby to her chest. "Where is Hammerstein…? We were assured he'd be greeting us in person."

Christine looked around, trying to spot anyone who seemed like they would be the man they were looking for. Instead she spotted a carriage driving up towards them; a carriage without horses. Raoul grimaced in disgust while Christine watched in complete interest as three very peculiar people exited the carriage. Introducing themselves as Dr. Gangle, Miss Fleck, and Mr. Squelch they ushered the family into the carriage-promising they were sent by Hammerstein.

Unbeknownst to the family, they were, in fact, sent by someone else…someone familiar. The man in question watched from afar to ensure his workers had done as he asked. It was not missed by Erik how meek and submissive Christine had looked while she followed Raoul through the crowd. He knew the look she wore well, and it lit a rage deep inside him at the knowledge that she was being hurt. That the one person she should trust to protect her, had been doing the exact opposite. He fought the urge to intercept his carriage and rip the Viscomte's throat out, he knew Christine wouldn't approve no matter how badly Raoul had hurt her. Instead Erik knew he had to bide his time, he'd ensure Christine and the child stayed in America and Raoul left them alone. He just had to speak with Christine.

Once at the hotel and checked in, Raoul angrily stormed into the room they were booked. Christine followed behind with Gustave, wary of her husband's raging temper. Desperate to avoid setting him off she tried to soothe his troubled mind to no avail.

"What a dreadful town! What a vulgar place! We shouldn't have come here Christine! For them to put us on display like that! Like we were mere lower-class scum! How dare they treat us so! We should just pack and go home, never you mind the money we owe. Hammerstein's a fool if he thinks we are bought by his filthy American money!" Raoul ranted, pacing around the main area of the hotel room. Christine watched silently.

"Let us leave then dear. Tonight. If it would ease your troubled mind. I only wanted to accept because we need the money…that's why things haven't been right as of late…" Christine knew she had made a mistake as soon as the words left her lips. A loud smack and a sting to her cheek followed and she shielded Gustave as best she could.

"Why am I not surprised that I'm to blame here!" Raoul raged, his gaze landing on the now crying toddler. "Enough of that nonsense Gustave!"

Raoul's rant was cut short by a knock on the door, a delivery. Raoul opened the letter and read it to himself, his mood suddenly shifting.

"It's from Hammerstein. He wants to meet with me alone at the hotel bar…well. He may lack a certain courtesy, but he does have a savoir faire in choosing a business rendezvous." He chuckled as he swung his jacket over his shoulders.

"Raoul please…" Christine started but was cut off.

"Please what?" her husband retorted, challenging her to tell him what to do.

"Nothing…" she said meekly, watching as her husband leaves the room, leaving her alone with her sobbing son. "Oh darling…" She hugs Gustave closer and sings to him, trying to calm him. It takes a while but the child soon enough calms enough to drift into slumber. Christine carried him into the room and gently laid him down in the cot they had brought up for him. She then begun getting herself prepared for bed, she had just brushed through her hair and was about to change into a nightgown when she noticed the living area go dark. She walked through the bedroom door to see what had happened when the doors leading out to the balcony opened. She gasped at who she saw standing outside.

It was Erik.

So there it was! Chapter one! Let me know what you think in the reviews. Constructive Criticism is welcome, but please keep it constructive. Until next time!