It Was Always Her

Chapter 20

Before I start, I want to dedicate this chapter to Toilken4Life because she gave me inspiration for an idea I use in this Chapter, and she has also been a really dedicated reader!

Charlotte's POV

"Yvee, you'll never believe what happened last night!" I exclaim as I burst through her bedroom door. Luckily, she had left it unlocked. I smile and look around, but I couldn't find her. The smile quickly faded from my face as I became confused, where had my sister gone?

I walk over to her bed and throw the covers off, she wasn't sleeping. I check behind the changing screen and she isn't there either. Beginning to panic, I check in her closet, under her vanity and even in the small private bathroom she had connected to her room.

"Yvee, if this is a joke, it isn't funny anymore!" I call, looking around the room and hoping that she'd appear out of thin air. I walk over to her vanity and notice several things laying on top of it. I pick up one of the several wilted red rose and gently set it back down. Next to the pile of roses, there is a note. I open it and begin to read.

My Dearest Sister,

How did I know that you would be the one reading this? Well, you are my sister and I know how nosy you can be sometimes, so I'm guessing it is you who is reading my letter. To get back to the point of letter, I just left for the night. I can't tell you where I am, but I  bet you have assumptions on where I am. (You bet I do...cough cough Erik) I will return sometime this afternoon, do not worry for me, I am safe. And do not speak of this note to a soul.

Love,

Yvee

I would bet all the money I have on Yvee being with Erik, I had met him once at the ball last night. He seemed like a charming man, he was quite the gentleman and pleasing for the eyes. Not that I thought of him as my sister did, but there was something about his eyes that seemed so familiar to me.

"Charlotte." I hear a small voice call from the doorway. I turn to look and see Raoul, quickly stuffing my sisters note in the back of my dress. I smile and he walks over to me, pecking a kiss on my lips.

"What were you reading, Little Lotte?" Raoul asks me. I freeze for a second but gain my composure.

"Just a list of things my sister wanted me to get her while she was gone." Raoul raises his eyebrows questioning the truth of that statement, but he doesn't say anything.

"Lotte, I came to ask you a question about your childhood" I move and sit on my sister's bed, motioning Raoul to sit next to me.

"Go on." I urge him

"Well, I was wondering what you remembered, such as your family, friends, neighbors.." He trails off, looking at me with his dreamy blue eyes.

"Well" I start, taking a breath and concentrating on my memories "I was thrown out when I was six, but I remember my father telling me stories and my mother singing songs to me about an angel of music. The memories are nothing much, really." Looking up at raoul, I see his face has paled.

"Do you recall what your last name was?" I close my eyes for a second, thinking. I know Yvee had told me once when I asked her long ago, but she told me never to speak of our last name. I never understood why but that was my seven year old self thinking.

"Oh! DuBois." I exclaim suddenly remembering it. Opening my eyes, I see Raoul is crying. "Oh Raoul, what is wrong?"

"I-I can't believe that I actually found you." He slowly brings his hand up to caress my cheek.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh Lotte, my sweet Christine." I stand up and retreat from his touch. What on earth was he talking about? My name was Charlotte.

"You don't...remember me?" He says slowly. I shake my head and he sighs, "I thought that I would never see you again. You left so suddenly and your parents told me you had gone off to live with your Aunt in Germany." I take another step away from him.

"Raoul, you are speaking nonsense."

"No, please believe me Charlotte. We were childhood friends. When I saw you that day on the street, I thought it was you but I knew that I couldn't be, because I never remembered you having a sister. But now, I know that it really is my little Christine from our childhood." He pulls me in for a hug, crying.

I can't believe that Raoul knows me from our childhood, I'm amazed. Even I cannot remember him, but he found me. It was almost as if we were meant to be.

"What did you say my real name is?" I stutter out, Raoul pulls away, his eyes still red and puffy from crying.

"Christine, your name was Christine." It sounds so foreign to me, but I guess I could learn to get used to it. Why had my sister called my Charlotte though? Surly she had known that my name was actually Christine and not Charlotte.

"Then why did my sister  call me Charlotte and not Christine?" Raoul cocks his head, looking just as puzzled as me.

"I'm not sure, you should ask her." Raoul looks around her room, "By the way, where is your sister?"

"Oh, she said she had to um...run out and get some things."

"But I thought that she gave you a list of items she wanted you to buy from the store?" I frown, remembering my lie I told Raoul.

"O-oh right, she is going dress shopping and she wanted me to get some food for her." Raoul nods, believing my lie.

"Do you want to go out and get something to eat Lotte?" I smile, nodding. I had not realized how hungry I was until now. Raoul hold out his arm for me to loop mine through. We walk out of Yvee's room arm in arm. I smile as I fiddle with the small silver ring on my ring finger of my left hand.

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Hello my lovely readers! I know this story is kinda a mess right now but don't worry, I'll straighten it out and sorry for the super short chapter. So if you didn't know, "DuBois" is the last name of Christine in the 1943 film of "Phantom of the Opera". Sorry this is yet again another filler chapter, I didn't want Yvette and Erik to leave without letting the other people in 1881 knowing why. Keep voting and commenting if you are enjoying this story!!