Disclaimer: Don't own Phantom. This is for entertainment purposes only.

This was written as a roleplay between LadyWillow and Claire Starling. Erik and Phillipe were played by LadyWillow, Christine by Claire Starling.

Notes: This fic is based on the 1990 made for TV movie version of The Phantom of the Opera with Charles Dance and Teri Polo which was based on the Yeston/Kopit book/musical. Therefore, Erik and Christine are not like the ALW/Leroux/Kay that everyone knows and loves. Erik is nearly… cuddle-able and quite innocent in many ways, and Christine has a much better backbone. Also, there is no Raoul, there is only Phillipe, who is a skanky player who has tons of sexy lady friends.

This takes place after Christine convinces Erik to remove his mask on a picnic in his 'woods'. "If you love me, then let me love you too!" is what she had told him, and he agreed, took it off, and Christine fainted. He flew into a rage and locked her up in a cage as he ran around and destroyed his pretty house. Awww…

To Love a Monster

By: LadyWillow and Claire Starling

XXXX

Christine awoke in degrees. The first thing that she registered was the ground. It was cold and hard and digging painfully into her side. She groaned in protest, wondering when her mattress had gotten so stiff. Her shot open when she recalled all that had occurred. The forest, the picnic, Erik's face... blood drained from her own at the thought. She was still dizzy and she could remember very little after the unveiling. Had she fainted? She blinked a couple of times, but noticed that there were bars blocking her vision. Sitting up quickly, Christine moaned in pain when her head swam. Clutching her throbbing skull, Christine tried to calm down. Finally, she opened her eyes again. She was in a cage. She was in a cage. She. Was in. A. CAGE.

He didn't know how long he had been watching her. Time seemed to escape him as he kept his eyes trained on Christine's face, not daring to look away, hardly blinking. Erik knew the exact moment that she'd woken up, and he strode toward the cell, kneeling down to look in at her curiously. "'If you love me, let me love you too', is that what you said, Christine?" he murmured, voice shaking. "How cruel." He shook his head sadly. "And how utterly foolish of me to have believed."

Christine didn't know how she did not scream as she rapidly retreated to the opposite corner of the cage. Her eyes were wide and trained on him. To say that he was angry would be an understatement. "Erik," she whispered, fearful of him. What did he have planned for her?

Pulling the cage door open, Erik slipped in and closed it securely behind himself, flipping the latch and inserting a key in the lock. Tucking the key into his pocket, he advanced. "How could you lie to me like that? You knew all along that you did not care for me, didn't you. You just wanted to see what everyone wants to see!" he roared, lunging toward her and dropping to his knees so close to her huddled form that his breath touched her face. "I thought you were different... oh, how wrong I was... how very, very wrong..."

Christine trembled, moving as far away from him as possible as he advanced. To her dismay, she found her back quickly pressed into the metal bars and she whimpered as he closed in. She closed her eyes, flinching away from him as he leaned into her. "Erik, please, I do care for you. You're just frightening me!" she whispered desperately.

"Ah yes, just as my face frightened you. You even asked to see it, and still it was too much for you to bear." Sitting back on his heels, he gave her a bit of space. "I wonder... if I hadn't agreed to show you my face, would you still be under the false beliefs that you love me?" He gave his head a slow shake. "Because, of course, a persons face must be everything that they are. My lack of one would of course make me unable to be loved. How foolish of me to have believed differently." He stood and dusted himself off. "No matter. You've seen my face. You cannot leave, now. You will betray me to the count, and who knows who else, and my home will no longer be safe."

Christine started to become slightly hysterical. "You're going to leave me in here? And what? Feed me food through the bars? Where shall I go to the bathroom, how shall I bathe? And what of the others... they will wonder where I have gone... they will become suspicious. And whenever someone goes missing, they always know who to blame," she said, staring at him. "They'll come looking for you." She licked her lips, inching closer to him, begging. "Let me go. I won't tell, I promise. Not a soul."

No." he said simply. "I shall bring you a chamber pot, and when you wish to bathe I shall bring a tub into here and fill it for you." Turning from her, he was silent for a few moments, before speaking again. "They can come for you if they wish. I am not completely without defenses. They will not pass the lake, of this I assure you."

Christine's eyes grew wide. "And-and what? You'll watch me!" she cried to his comment about her bathing situation. "That is completely indecent and horrible... and-and... crude. No, no, how could you even suggest treating a lady so?" Christine had bathed in streams before in the middle of no where, in ponds and lakes, but no one had been around. She was becoming more hysterical by the moment.

"Oh for heavens sake, you must really think me a monster, Christine! I would most certainly not watch you, you foolish woman." Storming to the door of the cell, he looked over his shoulder. "You think I am being cruel... think for a moment of the cruelty you have so kindly bestowed upon me."

She stood up, "How dare you! I've accepted you from the moment I laid eyes on you." She trembled slightly from her boldness, but she was too hysterical to care. "Your face... was a shock. I was expecting a scar, a blemish, a rash... I don't know. But you didn't even give me time to explain myself or my feelings. You just throw me in here like some animal!"

"I assumed your delicate faint was explanation enough!" he cried, storming toward her and stopping short of actually making contact. "But fine, explain! Tell me, Christine! Explain yourself, explain your fainting, explain whatever you damn well please!" His chest was heaving by now, and he stared down at her, a slight twinge of nervous fear in his eyes. "Go ahead."

I care for you, Erik, perhaps more... although I do not know the nature of the feeling," she said honestly. "But you frighten me. Phillipe does not. I fear of what you will do when you go into one of your rages. I fear who you will kill because you are angry with me." She turned from him. "And I would never have to worry about Phillipe throwing me into a cage like I was his slave, bound to work his will."

Erik's shoulders slumped, and he nodded, although she could not see him. "I... damn it, Christine, why didn't you tell me before you had me take off the mask!" he cried, reaching out and turning her toward him. "My anger is... formidable, yes, but I would never hurt you and..." he trailed off. He'd hurt her already, by locking her in the cage. Retreating, he pulled out the key and inserted it into the door. Pulling it open, he waved his arm. "Go on. You are not my prisoner." Looking at her with big, sad eyes, he gave a light sigh. "If you aren't too angry, perhaps you will stay for a bit?"

Christine felt her anger drain from her as well. As he looked at her, his eyes made her ache. Running to him, she wrapped her arms tightly about his shocked frame. Burying her face in his chest, she whispered. "I'm sorry, Erik. I'm so sorry."

Trembling, Erik carefully wrapped his arms around her as well, resting his masked cheek on the top of her head. "Don't be sorry..." he murmured softly. "You have nothing to be sorry for..."

"I betrayed your trust," she said quietly. "I deserved my punishment." She closed her eyes, snuggling into him slightly. "I am sorry for my false promises, Erik. I'm sorry that I broke your heart. But this I swear, someday I will look at your face, your naked face, and smile without fear."

Erik gave a shuddering sigh and closed his eyes, smiling slightly. "You are too good, Christine. Come, let us get out of this cold cell." he murmured, drawing back and holding her hands tightly in his own. Gently he lead her into a part of his home that had been spared his wrath, and guided her to sit on a soft chair. "There, would you like some tea, perhaps?"

"Yes, please," she said, folding herself into the chair. She had not realized how cold she was until she came into the warm house. She trembled, reaching over to the nearby couch to remove the afghan and wrap it tightly around her. She stared at the intertwining pattern on the blanket and recalled the feel of Erik's arms around her. It made her feel safe, warm, protected...

Erik retreated from the room and slipped into the tiny kitchen, quickly preparing some warm tea and placing it on a tray along with some light sandwiches. Quickly carrying the tray back to Christine, he placed it on the low table next to the chair she was seated on, and lowered himself to sit beside her on a matching chair. "There you are." he murmured, fighting the urge to reach for her hand.

So lost in thought, Christine started when Erik spoke. She hadn't even realized he had come into the room. It almost felt like he had appeared beside her, the tea and sandwiches materializing from the air to rest on the table. She breathed in through her nose and smiled gently at him, her eyes at half mast. "Thank you," she whispered. She picked up a cup, knowing without asking that it was all ready prepared to her liking. She clasped it in her hands, warming them before taking a cautious sip.

Erik watched her happily, the domestic feel of watching her sipping tea all curled up on his favorite chair with a blanket around her was enough to warm his heart. Unable to help himself, he reached over and rested a hand on her cheek, stroking the soft skin for a moment before taking his hand back.

She leaned into his hand as he pulled away, smiling quietly at him. She felt tired, but did not want to cut the evening short. "Oh," she said suddenly. "I feel so rude. Would you like a cup?" she asked, all ready reaching for the pot.

"No, I'm fine, really." he insisted, reaching for her hand and guiding it back to her lap. He held it gently, a slight smile on his lips as he looked down at their joined fingers happily. "It's growing late.. perhaps you would like to stay here for the evening?" he murmured, looking up at her with hopeful eyes.

She nodded slowly. "I don't think I could make it back," she said. "If it's not an inconvenience to you... I would love to stay..." she smiled at him, finding that her hand had tightened on his.

Smiling broadly, Erik nodded. "It is no trouble at all, my dear. You could never be an inconvenience to me." When he felt her fingers tighten on his own, Erik thought he might faint from joy. He gently squeezed her hand back, and slowly brought it to his lips, cheeks reddening beneath his mask.

Christine blushed slightly, placing her empty cup on the tray as she leaned back into the chair. She enjoyed the heat of the fire, the warmth of the blanket, and the comfort of his hand in hers. Sleep was coming to her, and she finally gave in to it. Her voice slurred slightly in her exhaustion, she said, "Take me to bed, Erik."

Smiling, Erik stood and gathered Christine into his arms, carrying her to the small room he'd set up as hers. Gently he laid her down on the bed, and stroked her hair from her face, then drew the covers up to her chest. Slowly, Erik lowered himself to sit on the edge of the bed, and he looked down at Christine with worshipful eyes.

"Don't leave," she whispered, somewhere in between sleep and wake, reaching for his hand again. She didn't want to be alone. She hated being alone in the dark.

Erik blinked, and then nodded slowly, easing himself down to lay beside Christine. "I'm right here." he whispered.

She curled herself into him, inhaling deeply. She let his scent fill her, his presence surround her, comfort her. She quickly found herself asleep in Erik's arms, her hand still tightly clasped in his.

Erik smiled, holding Christine gently in his arms and watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she slept. Finally, his own eyes shut, and he too fell asleep.