Chapter One

Insolent boy this slave of fashion, basking in your glory,
ignorant fool, this brave young suitor, sharing in my triumph.

Christine woke up with a start. She glanced around the dark room anxiously, almost expecting to see someone peering at her from the shadows. She put a hand over her heart, trying to slow down its fast pace.

"What's the matter?" Raoul groaned, stretching out from under the covers.

"Nothing." Christine replied, forcing a smile. "I just had a bad dream that's all."

"Don't worry babe, I'm here, nothing can harm you." Raoul said, attempting to be suave. He leaned in to give Christine a kiss, but missed her lips, and fell against her chest, and began to snore gently.

Christine ignored him, and tried to block out the stench of alcohol coming from Raoul's breath. She wrinkled her brow, and tried to remember her dream. She remembered singing, and the face of the man that had haunted her dreams every night since the night Raoul and she had left the Opera Populaire. The face of Erik, her angel of music, or actually, or ex-angel of music. She pulled the rose colored covers up to her chin, trying to shake off the feeling that someone was watching her. She turned to her side, and tried to fall back to sleep, shoving Raoul off of her as she went.

"Mm." Raoul muttered, he smacked his lips, and almost rolled off of the bed.

Erik sat in a tree, ignoring the sharp pain in his side, from the prodding branch. He was able to glance into Christine window, because thankfully Raoul never drew the curtains. He leaned forward, trying to catch a glimpse of Christine's face, but she had turned around. He leaned back, and sighed, feeling his heart rise in his chest. He wanted to burst into her room, and hold Christine in his arms.

"I will have you." He muttered to her through the thick glass. He stroked the window, imagining that it was her long curly brown hair. Glancing over her still form, Erik noticed a large hump, which he assumed to be Raoul. He felt a wave of anger flush through his body, as he saw Raoul half-heartedly throw an arm around Christine. That should be him, not Raoul, he didn't deserve Christine. Raoul was a passionless man who didn't know how to pleasure a pillow, let alone a magnificent woman like Christine.

As Erik got a full flash of Raoul's face for a split second, he was hit with the fact at how beautiful Raoul was. His blonde hair framed his hair perfectly; his whole face was perfect, nothing was out of place. Erik shook his head, angry with himself for thinking about the enemy in a flattering way. Raoul probably spent seven hours alone making sure he looked decent, Erik sneered to himself.

"Hmm." Erik murmured to himself, maybe if he spent seven hours on his appearance Christine would come back to him. Erik shook his head again, and grunted in anger. With one smooth motion, Erik slid off of the tree, and landed on the pavement without making a noise. He shook his black cape, and was on his way back to his lair. "Too long you've wandered in winter, far from my far-reaching gaze." Erik sang softly to himself. He glanced back at Christine's mansion, and smirked to himself, and put his hands on his hips. "I will be cock of the walk!" He announced to the chilly night air. "Wait a minute…" Erik thought for a moment. "I am cock of the walk." And with a swish of his cloak he was off into the night.

The next morning, Christine was awakened by Raoul lying on her stomach, making her unable to breath.

"Urgh." Christine, shoved Raoul off of her, and onto the floor.

"Whoa!" Raoul sat up straight, running his hands through his tangled blonde hair. "Why am I on the floor?" He looked up, and noticed Christine staring at him, with her nightgown falling across her slender shoulders. "Did we totally do it?" He high-fived himself. "You haven"t put out in like three weeks, I've been dying of lust!"

Christine covered herself up with the covers, and threw Raoul a disgusted look.

"No! We did not do it. And I"m going out for a walk."

"Yea, whatever, do what you want." Raoul smirked to himself, then his smile suddenly turned into a grimace. "Oh I'm so going to barf." He got up, and sprinted for the bathroom. Christine shook her head sadly, and called for her maid to help her get dressed.

Ten minutes later, Christine was dressed in a long yellow dress, and was leaving the mansion. She slammed the door shut, cutting out Raoul's voice yelling at her to buy some toilet paper. She had only taken a couple of steps, when Christine heard someone call her name from behind her.

"Huh?" Christine turned around, and to her delight saw Meg running towards her. "Meg!" Christine exclaimed, hugging Meg. "I haven't seen you since Raoul and I got married."

"Yea, it seems like last year." Meg said smiling, brushing her blond hair out of her face.

"Uh, that's because it was last year Meg." Christine replied, rolling her eyes. "I need to have a conversation with a intellectual person." Christine thought to herself angrily. She was about to come up with another smart ass remark, when she heard a man's voice singing at the top of his lungs.

"Oh my God Meg!" Christine gasped. "Can you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Meg asked, looking at Christine strangely.

"He's here." Christine gasped, her face grew pale, and suddenly she fainted, landing heavily on the pavement.

"Christine!" Meg exclaimed, dropping to her knees. "Are you o.k.?"

Christine rolled her head, and fluttered her eyes.

"Mmm Erik." Christine murmured softly.

"Oooh." Meg said excitedly, bending down closer, trying to hear Christine clearly. "Who's Erik?"

"Yea, who is Erik?" Meg turned around warily, to see Raoul standing over her, looking pissed, and squinting his eyes, trying to block out the garish light of day.

"Oh wait." Raoul pressed his fist against his forehead. "He's the phantom, damn him!"

"Really?" Meg asked, looking interested. "What's Christine doing fantasizing about the Phantom?"

"She's not fantasizing about anyone!" Raoul answered angrily, shoving Meg aside, and leaning over Christine.

Christine fluttered her eyes again, and opened them.

"Oh Raoul, hello." She said, smiling faintly at Raoul.

"C'mon, let's go home." Raoul said, helping Christine to her feet.

"Well you are home." Meg helpfully pointed out, pointing at their mansion of a house, right behind them.

"Shut up!" Raoul shot back, shoving Christine towards their door.

"Whoa, careful." Christine said, still disoriented.

"No time." Raoul unnecessarily shouted into Christine's ear. He narrowed his eyes, the Phantom could be anywhere, watching them, trying to seduce his precious Christine. "Well all right." Raoul said to himself, she wasn't precious, but she was pretty good in the sack, so that could count.

Erik was watching Christine, Raoul, and Meg at a safe distance. His perfect plan was going perfect if he did say so himself. He scoffed at Raoul's pathetic attempts to be gentle with Christine.

"What a moron." Erik said softly to himself. But he had to admit to himself that Raoul was rather handsome. "But not as handsome as Christine." He quickly reminded himself. He stared at Christine, and smiled. Pretty soon he would be the one who would hold her. "And do more then hold her!" He shouted, scaring a nearby little girl. "You will have your angel of music again Christine, this I promise you!" He yelled, holding out his hand to Christine. Then he took his cape, and swished it a bit, and darted off into a nearby alley.