A/N:Thank you all for your reviews! Your lovely words are dearly appreciated, and very motivational might I add.

So here's the next chapter. It begins in Christine's POV (with another diary extract from Christine to set us up a bit), and ends in Erik's POV.

I know that in the original book Cesar (the Opera's missing horse) is white, but I feel that the black horse in the film is more aesthetically pleasing and much more stealthy for night-time escapes, don't you think? (",)

Alright enough from me, now let the tale continue to unfold...

Chapter 4

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

I often dream of that house…of the little moments that occurred within its walls that held deeper meaning than I had originally perceived…I understand it all a little better now, I believe.

Everything happens for a reason. I must believe that.

I've never returned there...to that house.

I suppose there's nothing really to return to…Dreams are all I have left of it.

I wonder how much Erik remembers of our time there. Are they fond memories?

- Extract from Christine's Diary

We left the Opera House through the hidden passageway that brought us to the Rue Scribe. Upon exiting through the hidden gate there, I found a horse there. A majestic black creature; I instantly knew it was the opera's missing horse, Cesar.

It seemed to be waiting for us, though it was tethered to nothing. Looking at the horse, saddled and ready, it struck me that Erik had been a little more prepared to leave tonight than I had originally thought. Readying the horse had probably been the reason it had taken him longer than I expected to reach me.

Being out in the air I felt panic begin to rise within me. This was real now.

Inside the Opera House it was like a different world. A world of dreams and nightmares, of shadows and light.

It was in that world that I had made my choice to go with Erik but here in this world, reality made the choice seem quite frightening again. Was I mad? I was leaving behind everything for a man who couldn't even believe that I loved him!

But I did love him. So perhaps I was mad. I loved him so I couldn't leave him now, nor could I allow him to notice my momentary recoil. With great determination, I pushed the panic down deep into a neglected corner of my mind. I could not allow it any hold on me. Erik needed me to be strong, as he had been for me when I was but a child. I needed myself to be strong…

I need not have worried about Erik noticing my moment of panic though, for he was experiencing one of his own. He stood frozen, his gaze shifting between Cesar and myself in worried concentration. At first I was puzzled, but it didn't take long for me to figure out the reason for his hesitation. There was one horse…and two of us.

Once more Erik would have to conquer his hesitation regarding forms of intimacy. No matter how slight the intimacy may be. I feared he was being pushed to his limit this night.

I really wanted to rid him of his discomfort but I had no idea how to go about doing so. Especially considering the fact that the idea of Erik's arms around me was producing an interesting reaction within me. I wanted him to hold me but I didn't want it to cause him such trouble.

"Erik had thought that Christine would…would not be herself when we left. This was unexpected and for that he is sorry…but…"

It was upsetting still to think that Erik had meant to spirit me away against my will. He had probably planned to unleash the full power of his voice on me, drug me or do something equally desperate in a bid to get me away with him. It almost made me angry.

But, as I watched him compose himself and gather the courage to break down some of the walls that, for both our sakes, he had put between us I felt oddly proud…even somewhat elated. That, of course, made it impossible for me to stay angry at him.

"But what?" I asked softly. Erik drew himself up to his full height but there was a vulnerability in his eyes.

"We shall have to continue as planned to my house on horseback, which means we shall have to ride together. Unless of course that is too much for you Christine…you have been so good…you are here and I do not wish to make you uncomfortable…I…"

Oh, the pain of watching him doubt himself, and doubt me.

"Erik…" He was silenced immediately.

The sound of his name always affected him. I suppose so few had afforded him the decency of calling him by it. So few had known it.

"I will ride with you. Being close to you does not make me uncomfortable…not how you think it does…it makes me feel…I…"

I sighed at my inability to explain myself in a way that he could accept. Everything was still so new for us. It was he who had the way with words. I was only a singer, he was the composer. I had only ever sung what I was told and this was a song I had not memorised.

"You will understand one day." I finished lamely.

Glancing up at him, I was startled by the look in his eyes. I thought I had failed to express the rather shocking feelings I derived from his touch but his eyes told me otherwise. Such fire! I had always believed that Erik was as innocent as I when it came to such matters but it was moments like this that made me think otherwise.

When he looked at me so, when he sang or played… Erik may have been afraid to touch me but I was starting to realise that it was possibly for more reasons than I had originally thought.

He was unfamiliar with intimacy, yes, but…perhaps it wasn't that he didn't want it, but that he wanted it…very much. I was unsure what I felt about this. Excitement or fear? Or both?

With a confidence I had not expected he held out his hand to me. There was a powerful magnetism in his movements that I had not seen in quite some time and I was helplessly drawn to him. He assisted me onto Cesar's back before swinging himself up gracefully behind me.

There was a moment of awkwardness when Erik enfolded me in his arms, both to take the reigns and keep me from toppling from the horse. But it wasn't enough to disguise the charge that suddenly filled the air. I almost wanted to demand that one of us walk. Almost. It seemed that what he made me feel still had the power to frighten me. So, perhaps I was not as grown up as I had thought. But there was time for me to grow.

Almost without realising it I leaned back into Erik's embrace. He gasped and the air thickened further…but then we were off. A dark blur as Erik drove Cesar to sprout wings in an effort to move us faster. Somehow I managed to drift off, feeling unexpectedly safe. My dreams were consumed by shadows that burned.

I awoke when Erik lifted me from the horse. The sun was high in the sky.

Upon seeing that I was awake, he gently lowered me to the ground and I got my first good look at my new, albeit temporary, home.

It was beautiful. Ivy-covered, it almost blended with its surroundings; obviously Erik had intended it to be so. It consisted of two floors, and while not overly large, it certainly wasn't small either. There was something ethereal about it which captivated me. We appeared to be deep in a wooded area but I had no idea as to where our location actually lay. I sensed that we were no longer in Paris, but that was all I could guess. I did not know whether Erik wanted to keep it a secret and so I decided not to ask just yet.

The interior was just as captivating as the exterior. Marble and wood seemed to be the favoured materials and they were used to perfection. An elegant chandelier hung above our heads in the foyer but I didn't allow my gaze to rest on it for too long.

Erik was far too preoccupied with chandeliers if I recalled correctly.

"My dear," Turning to face him, I found Erik beckoning me into what appeared to be the parlour. This house certainly was bigger than it appeared from the outside. Another trick of Erik's I supposed. We sat and Erik regarded me closely before continuing.

"We must lay low for now. We shall stay here for a time until I have decided upon a safe location for us to move to. Once there we shall hopefully be able to stay there and…what is it, Christine?"

I couldn't help but show my unease at Erik's plan. How could I put this delicately?

"Erik…I…I do not wish to spend my life running. Isn't there some way that we don't have to? Why can't we stay here? The house seems perfectly charming and I can run all our errands if you prefer and…" I trailed off as I watched a dark expression cross his face.

"Does Christine not trust in her Erik? Does she believe that he cannot take care of her?" He all but jumped from his seat and flew into my face. "Do you regret your choice yet, my sweet? Do you! Do…"

"Erik, stop it!" I screamed as I flew from my seat. I would not take this from him after I had given up so much to be here. He was shocked; it had been rare indeed that I stood up to him. I watched as remorse flooded his being. He dropped to his knees before me and held out his arms in supplication.

"Christine, my Angel, forgive me. It is in Erik's nature to doubt, but he is trying…for you, he is trying. We will not always have to run, not always, I promise. Erik will fix everything. He can do anything for you! I will care for you as you should be cared for. As Ra…as you would have been cared for. I promise. Do you believe Erik when he promises? Oh, say you do!"

Watching him kiss the hem of my skirt as tears gathered in his eyes moved me greatly. Once again my anger left me. I was suddenly weary.

I dropped to my knees beside him, and ignoring his instant stiffening, I wrapped my arms around him. "Oh, poor, unhappy Erik! My poor, unhappy Erik. We must take care of each other, don't you see? I am not so much a child anymore. We must learn to rely on each other, learn to trust. You are not alone any longer."

He drew back a little in my embrace but he did not leave it and for this I was glad. Though he did not return it.

"Erik is not unhappy. Not so long as you are here. I will try but it is difficult. My mind is…it is dark inside so often that sometimes Erik can't see. But he…I want to. I will!"

We stayed like that for some time until reluctantly Erik stood and helped me up also.

"We must only stay hidden for a time. Out of sight, out of mind, Christine. I have found that can be true. We will be careful until they forget, and they will. They always forget. Out of sight, out of mind. It can be so, it can."

Out of sight, out of mind. Why did it strike me that these were words that Erik lived by, more so than he let on. Under the Opera House he lived out of sight so that none of humanity's cruelty could reach him. He hid his face behind his mask so that none would have to look at it, not even himself.

Out of sight, out of mind. Those words made me want to cry.

Erik took his leave of me then, claiming that he had some work for our future to attend to. I had a feeling he just needed time to compose himself. Sharing his emotions was still a strange concept for Erik, so I let him go without comment.

I wandered the house, checking each room. There were three bedrooms, a locked room (in which I supposed Erik was holed up), a kitchen, a dining room, a parlour, a library/study, two bathrooms and of course, a music room. For a man who loathed his reflection the place was certainly full of mirrors. However they all remained covered, apart from an ornate one in one of the bedrooms. The house was certainly impressive.

As I walked through the rooms I couldn't help but wonder where Erik and I would go when the time came. What our life would be like together. My mind even wandered to the ones that I had left behind, Meg, Madame Giry…Raoul…

What became of him when he realised I was gone? What had he felt? Anger, pain? Or betrayal, as Erik had?

I felt a pang as I thought of him. My dear, sweet Raoul. No, no longer mine. He hadn't deserved to be dragged into this. So brave and loyal. Suddenly I was filled with dread.

I began to fear that he would come looking for me. It was a thought that had never occurred to me before but now, thinking about Raoul's nature, I questioned why it hadn't.

He was so very much the hero in this tale. And the hero always rescued his damsel in distress. But real life was not as simple as fairytales. I did not need rescuing, but he didn't know that. Oh God, the horror that would befall him should he try to take me from Erik! I almost went to warn Erik but something told me not to. Raoul's very name was taboo for me now. It hurt Erik to hear it, I could tell. No, I couldn't voice my concerns. I could only hope they were needless.

I finally settled in the library but I could hardly focus on the book I had chosen. My mind kept straying to my elusive Angel. It had been hours since I had seen Erik. I wasn't even entirely sure where he was anymore. I had assumed that he would stay by my side all day, eager to please, eager to be near me. Was I a little disappointed?

Since Cesar remained in the tiny stable by the house, I assumed he was still somewhere inside.

His absence was beginning to affect me.

At the beginning of our acquaintance, when I still believed him to be an angel, I had always missed him when he left me. More recently my fear of the newly discovered man behind the Angel had overpowered that old feeling. Yet I had always craved his praise and even, though I denied it, his presence. It seemed that those old feelings were returning…but stronger than before now that I was hiding nothing from myself. I missed him; I wanted to be with him.

The house was losing some of its initial charm now that I was alone. While still beautiful it seemed cold now, empty, and full of impenetrable shadows as evening set in.

"Oh, Erik…where are you hiding? Why are you hiding from your Christine?"

I whispered into the shadows, almost hoping that I felt his presence there.

Erik's POV

I had trailed her all day without her knowledge. Erik was not known as the Phantom for nothing. She had truly looked like an angel gliding through this house, bringing light wherever she went. Such a vision! She almost burned my eyes.

I had tried to stay away and get some planning done. I had also needed time to be alone, time to think. But I soon found I was so very tired of being alone.

Still, I tried to stay away. I had assumed that Christine needed time to think as well. A lot had happened in such a short time and even more had changed. I was no longer alone. That sweet child had chosen me. She had left behind her boy for me, for her Erik.

And so I found I couldn't stay away from her for very long.

I could still barely believe she was here. And alas, I could still barely believe her… She had tried to tell me the thing I had so longed to hear and I just…I could not hear it! Erik has only known loneliness, only darkness and lies. It is hard to believe. It is hard to forgive. It is almost painful. But Christine is worth pain. I think I could die for her if she asked me. And so I could not…cannot stay away. All day I followed in the shadows.

I watched as she examined the house with undisguised joy. That it pleased her so made me happy. It had been made for her after all. I had built it for her before I even knew it was her's. But we couldn't stay here forever.

I was not naïve. I expected the boy would not give her up without a fight. Such a brave, impetuous young fellow. I would've admired that had I not disliked the poor Vicompte so very greatly. It is difficult to be the one left behind. But it was a lesson that he would have to learn, for now that she was mine, I would not relinquish Christine without a fight either! And Erik does not always fight fair.

I saw the dark thoughts cross her mind as the daylight began to wane. My Christine is not always adept at hiding her true feelings. Not always. But for all my many talents, I could not read her mind, and I hated not knowing what caused her distress.

I wanted to run to her and demand she tell me what was wrong; demand she tell me every little thought that crossed her mind. But I was trying to be better for her. I did not wish to stifle her as others in my position surely would have. A nightingale sings so much better when she is free.

So, I stayed hidden, loving her from the shadows. A familiar feeling. I suppose not everything had changed. Not everything was alright now as if by magic. No, reality is not so merciful.

I long so much to hold my Christine, to touch her…to kiss her…But I want it too much! That frightens me. Yes, the fearless Opera Ghost is reduced to a terrified man. Only flesh and blood, heart and mind, and battered soul. I have never loved so fiercely, never wanted so completely. I must take things slowly or I will consume my little love. And she is not ready for that, neither of us are.

I still couldn't bear to hear those three beautiful words from her. I am still hesitant. Still couldn't give my Angel the words of forgiveness that she needs to hear. But I forgave her…didn't I?

Her expression darkened further and I felt my old companion, doubt creeping back in. Was she happy here with me? No, maybe it was too soon for happiness. But surely she did not wish to leave; leave her Erik to die of a broken heart as I surely would.

Such sadness in those eyes!

"Oh, Erik…where are you hiding? Why are you hiding from your Christine?"

She thinks of me. She calls my name, not his! She misses me!

Softly I allowed my voice to float around her,

"Christine, your Erik is always with you."

I was overwhelmed by emotion as I witnessed her face light up in response to my call. The shadows melted from her expression and I basked in the radiance of her smile. There was not a strong enough word for what I felt! But it had to be joy. Joy and love! I was drowning in it, but what a beautiful death it was!

I was out of her sight, but not her mind!

As she searched for me I allowed myself to slip from the shadows and join her in the dying light of day.

Out of sight, not out of mind…

As always, please review and let me know what you're thinking!

x Restless And Tempted x