DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own anything from Phantom of the Opera. However, any original character is indeed mine (duh).
Author's Note: I apologize for the long wait; I have been very busy in the past week. So here is the new chapter and I hope it makes up for the horrendous wait.
P.S.
Please please please review! I must know if this story is worth continuing!
Chapter Two
When they reached the edge of Paris, the Phantom slowed César to a relaxed canter. The worst was over. "Where do we go now?" Christine asked; her head still resting on the Phantom's back.
He simply answered, "I have a connection."
Not wanting to press further, Christine remained silent. Her eyelids were beginning to become heavy and her body was starting to ache. To relieve the uncomfortable feeling, she used the Phantom to hold herself up. She pressed her weight onto him and her arms were wrapped lazily around his waist. The Phantom was far from bothered by the close contact. His heart fluttered at the thought that this beautiful creature was so close.
"We're here," he said softly, breaking the silence.
Christine lifted her head slowly to see where they were. The only light was coming from a lamppost to their left. In front of them was a small house of stone. Shrubs were covering the entire front of the house. All was green except for the heavy wooden door and the windows. The windows on the ground floor were hidden behind dark shutters. The ones on the second floor had curtains hiding what was inside.
The Phantom swiftly dismounted his steed and aided Christine on her way down. He handed Christine the reins and instructed her to wait. "But, what about…" she stopped herself. She was ready to ask about his mask, but thought her question would offend him. Knowing what she was asking about, the Phantom took one of her hands in his and kissed it. Blue eyes met chestnut; he then smirked and said, "I have no need for a mask here, love." Slowly releasing his hold on her hand he walked up to the house and knocked on the heavy door. Christine watched nervously. After a few moments of waiting the door slowly creaked open and a loud voice called out, "What business do you have being here at this hour?"
"I've come to seek sanctuary," the Phantom replied confidently.
The door opened more to reveal the silhouette of a large man. It was too dark to see his features but Christine could see that he was taller and more built than the Phantom. Christine was afraid for him. However, the large man didn't make a move towards the Phantom.
"Why have you come here?" the man said, clearly fearing the response.
"I've already told you, Navid, to seek sanctuary."
The man flinched when he heard his name, "From what, pray tell?"
"From those who fear the ugly truth."
Navid asked no more questions for a few moments. He just stood and searched the Phantom for malicious mannerisms. Then his eyes found Christine.
"Who is the girl? Please tell me you haven't kidnapped her!"
"No! No, old friend. She is here on her own free will. She is with me you see," the Phantom countered.
Navid looked at the couple with a suspicious eye. "Fine. Tie the horse in the back. Then we must discuss what brings the famous Phantom of the Opera to my modest domain."
"Merci, friend," the Phantom said. He then strolled over to Christine and took the reins from her.
"Who is that man?" she asked.
"An old friend," he responded, not wanting to reveal too much of his past. "You have endured much my fair Christine. But this truth is too much, even for you," he thought to himself. Christine knew that she was headed into dangerous territory. But it had already been a long night. "I knew that he would have interesting friends, if any, but what does a Phantom have in common with a Persian immigrant?" she thought.
The couple led the horse to a small barn in the back. The Phantom took the saddle off César's back and tossed it to the side. He shut the steed up in the only empty stall and left him for the night. Once back at the entrance to the house the Phantom slowly opened the door. The inside of the house was full of candlelight. The man was sitting in a large chair in the corner of the room.
"Welcome to my home," Navid said. "Please, have a seat. We have much to discuss." He motioned to the large rosewood settee. Christine could finally see him clearly. He was a darker skinned man. He had dark stern eyes and a strong jaw with a thin, black goatee. His ebony hair was slicked back and shone in the light. He wore black trousers and a crimson tunic. "Rather bold," Christine thought.
"I see you've changed a bit," the Phantom told his friend.
"As have you," he motioned to Christine. "Never thought of you as a romantic."
The Phantom chuckled. "Oh? I always thought I had the better looks."
"Don't flatter yourself. I too have found a woman. I even have a child."
The Phantom cocked an eyebrow, "You have been busy as of late. Are we going to meet them in our stay?"
"Perhaps. It depends on you."
"What does that mean?"
"It means I have a family to watch over now. I do not wish to put them in harm's way. Now, tell me. Why do you seek sanctuary? The smell of smoke is following you and you have never come to me for help," he paused for a moment. "What have you done?"
The Phantom looked at the ground, not knowing exactly what to say. He knew he was a wanted man and his crimes would infringe on anyone who tried to aide him. Before he could come up with an answer, Christine spoke. "He saved me from the fire."
"What?" Navid was surprised. "What fire?"
"It just happened, I'm sure you'll hear the news soon. There was a fire at the Opéra Populaire and he helped me find my way out."
"Oh? Then why are you on the run? Surely a hero wouldn't need to run from anyone."
"Well, you see. He jumped into the opera we were playing and I- I pulled off his mask. The crowd saw his face and became terrified. The other performers tried to rush off the stage"
"I see…" the man said clearly not convinced.
"It was at that moment that the old chandelier finally gave way and dropped. It was shaking for years and nobody ever thought to try to fix it. He pulled me off the stage and helped lead me away from the flames. In the background we heard people yell, 'That beast started the fire!' We knew it would not be safe anywhere near the opera house. So we went to the stables to get a horse to make our escape. And… here we are."
Navid was quiet for a few moments. "What is your name, mademoiselle?"
"Christine. Christine Daaé."
"Well, Christine. I am not entirely sure that your story is true," he glanced at her then at the Phantom. "But, you seem to be honorable and he is one of my oldest and truest friends. I will let you guys stay here for the night. But you must leave at dawn. If he is really being hunted down, I don't want them to condemn my family. I hope you understand."
"I do. You only want to do what is best for them," Christine said.
"Thank you, old friend," the Phantom said graciously. "I assure you, nobody will endanger you or your family."
Navid nodded. "Now, I shall show you to your room. Please step lightly, I don't wish to wake my wife and daughter."
The couple followed him upstairs to a spare room where the attic should have been. There was a large bed on the opposite wall with a nightstand one side. There was a small window on the wall adjacent to the bed. On the wall opposite of the bed sat a small chaise and a bureau. Navid lit the candle on the nightstand. "I hope this will suffice for the night," he said.
"It is wonderful. Merci monsieur," Christine said.
"Oh, if you would like new clothes to change into there are some of my wife's clothes in that bureau. She has enough clothes to fill every drawer in the house."
Christine looked down to her torn and tattered dress. "Um, yes. Yes that would be much appreciated. Thank you so much!"
Navid smiled at the young woman and bid the couple a good night. Once the door was shut, Christine immediately went through the bureau, looking for some nightclothes. The Phantom slowly made his way to the door to give the girl some privacy. Before Christine could say a word, he was out of the room. "Such a gentleman," she thought. After finding a new nightdress, she changed quickly. Once she was presentable she walked to the door to let the Phantom back in. He had his back to the door and was leaning against the door frame.
"You are free to join me anytime," she joked.
The Phantom turned around and smiled at her. "You look stunning," he said.
"It's just a simple nightdress," she said softly, blushing furiously.
"That doesn't matter. You could make a pauper's rags look stunning, dearest."
Christine smiled broadly and embraced him. He held her close as if she was going to disappear any moment.
"We must rest. We will be having a long journey ahead of us," the Phantom said softly, releasing his hold on the girl.
The couple slowly made their way towards the bed. Christine pulled the covers off and climbed under them. The Phantom on the other hand, merely stood at the end. "Aren't you coming?" she asked.
He sighed heavily. "Are you sure you want to share a bed with this?" he asked, turning his head so Christine couldn't see the damaged side of his face. Christine noticed the pain that plagued his features. She rose and approached the Phantom. He kept his head low and avoided eye contact. Christine put her hand on the scarred side of his face and had him look at her. Her eyes bore into his.
"If I did not want to be here with you, I would not be. I chose you. I chose my Angel of Music," she said softly. The Phantom's eyes glistened with joyful tears.
"Oh Christine," he whispered before capturing her lips in a searing kiss. She returned the kiss with fervor. Suddenly, the Phantom pulled away. "I almost forgot. Thank you, my dearest Christine."
"For what, my Angel?"
"For lying for me. I would not want to tarnish your soul but-"
"It was for us both," she laughed. "Besides, we aren't harming anyone with this innocent lie."
"True," he said before pulling her into another heated kiss. Before their actions could escalate, the Phantom ended the kiss. "As much as I enjoy this, we really must rest. Once we are out of harm's way…"
"I understand. We have plenty of time."
Christine returned to her spot on the bed while the Phantom took off his boots and began to pull off his shirt. Christine blushed at the sight. She imagined him to have scars or other deformations on his body, but it was flawless. She could see the slight muscle tone in his back every time he moved. His muscles were lean but noticeable. He noticed her staring and started to put the shirt back on. "I- I'm sorry. I forgot I was in the presence of a lady," he stammered. Christine put her hand on his shoulder.
"There is no need to apologize," she assured him. "I was… I was just observing."
The Phantom smiled and tossed his shirt onto the chaise. Then he blew out the candle and crawled into bed beside Christine. He lay on his back, placing one hand behind his head, and resting the other on his stomach. Christine seized the opportunity and slid over to his side. She rested her head on his chest and placed her arm over his stomach. The Phantom went rigid for a few moments but grew accustomed to the close contact. He pulled his arm out from under his head and wrapped it around Christine's shoulders, pulling her closer. She sighed contently and nestled he head closer to his neck. The two were finally able to slow down and enjoy their time in each other's embrace. Before they could fall asleep Christine broke the silence and whispered, "Angel?"
"Hmm?" he mumbled groggily.
"What is your name?"
His eyes snapped open. A feeling of panic struck him. "I have not a name, but a curse. A curse that was concealed with 'The Devil's Child,'" he thought. Memories of his tortured past flooded his mind. Christine sensed his distress, pulled herself up, and positioned herself above him. While balancing on her elbow, she found his eyes in the darkness. Then she kissed his scarred cheek and said, "I only wish to know what to call the one I love. I will not use it to betray you, Angel."
He instantly relaxed and sighed, "It has been so long since I've had a name..."
The reality of the situation struck Christine. "This poor creature has spent so long in the darkness he's forgotten the dearest thing anyone can have…" she thought. Despite herself, she began to cry. Her tears fell onto the Phantom's face. He immediately felt guilty for making her feel miserable. He sat up slightly and pulled her close to him. "Erik," he said. "My name is Erik."
Christine looked up at him and whispered, "Erik?"
Their eyes met and Erik wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb. Christine revealed a small smile. "I love you, Erik," she said.
Erik smiled warmly and replied, "I love you too, Christine."
The couple shared a kiss. It was more chaste than the first but the emotions were more charged. They then fell asleep in each other's arms with dreams of their future flowing through their heads.
Author's Note part 2:
Anyone notice that I tried to sneak the Persian in here? Anyone? Yes? Good!
(Granted we never learned his name but... I gave it a shot)