A/N: and here's the next chappie!

Chapter 4: Determination

"W-What?!" Christine breathed, wide-eyed and totally taken aback.

"He won't take you from me," Erik repeated, looking back at her. "If he tries, I'll die before he takes you."

"You do not own me!" Christine snapped in sudden anger. "Raoul is my fiancé!"

"Are you sure he loves you?!" Erik snarled back.

"Of course!"

"And you love him?!"

Christine felt her courage suddenly dwindle to nothing. She had to admit, she thought she loved him. She had faith that he would come for her. Once Raoul was given a challenged or mission, he didn't stop until he succeeded. She had been lying to the captain of this vessel she found herself on when she said she Raoul and were engaged. In all honesty, she hadn't even given him an answer. But at being kidnapped she wished she had said yes. At least she would have been protected by that.

"As I thought," Erik nodded triumphantly with a smirk. "You're not even engaged to him, are you?"

Christine bowed her head in shame at being caught in her lie.

"Wait!" she thought. "Don't show weakness in front of him!"

She shot her head back up and set her jaw as she stared at Erik. He suddenly stepped closer to her, making her step back in fright.

"S-Stay back!" she demanded. "Don't come any closer!"

"Giving me orders again?" Erik smirked. He brought a hand to her face as he stood directly in front of her. She froze when his finger tips touched her cheek then ran across her skin of her lips.

"You have sweet lips," he whispered. He suddenly leaned toward her but she shook her head and backed away. She fell onto the bed, shaking as she stared at Erik in fright.

"Leave me alone!" she trembled. "If you touch me again, I'll---!"

"Please," Erik groaned, tiredly. "Do not threaten me if you cannot carry out your threat."

"I can do anything! If you touch me---!"

"You'll hit me, perhaps? Maybe kick and scream a bit more?"

"If I have to!"

"Why don't you behave? If you do, I might let you out on deck."

"So that your men can have your way with me?!"

"I assure you, my men will not lay a hand on you."

"And who will guarantee my safety?! You?!"

"Yes."

Christine's eyes widened as she stared at Erik in disbelief then breathed, "Y-You?"

Erik smirked and leaned toward her a bit.

"Yes," he murmured. "Me, personally. Does that frighten you?"

Christine stared at Erik in total horror. The thought of this man watching her every move, even if it was to protect her, made her uneasy. He was a pirate. He was a cruel, pirate captain. He had already tried to seduce her, there was no telling what he would do to her in front of his men.

The ship suddenly rocked violently and Erik lost his footing. He stumbled and fell forward onto Christine as she cried out in shock. He looked at her as she blushed, making him smirk.

"I'll be right back," he whispered. "We'll finish this later."

"Nothing was started you…pirate!" Christine spat and Erik chuckled. The ship rocked the other way and this time, Christine was pushed forward while Erik fell back with her toppling into his lap.

"My dear," Erik murmured in her ear, "I'd really like to finish this, but I have captainly things to do."

"You arrogant---!"

Erik pulled her to her feet as he stood and sat her on the bed.

"Perhaps I am arrogant, but we can talk about that later as well." He walked to the door and walked out of the small room. He stopped at the threshold, deciding to leave the door open and before walking to the deck he said, "The door will remain open, but for your own safety, I suggest you stay here."

Christine stared at his back then the empty doorway in shock.

"What's to stop me from running out that door?!" she wondered out loud and stood but the ship rocked violently, throwing her back onto the bed then muttered, "Oh. That is."

Erik opened the doors of his cabin and sighed in disappointment at what he saw. The poured onto the deck of the Phantom Pirate as the waves rocked it back and forth and the lightening flashed ahead in the sky.

"Captain---!"

"Yes, Mr. Stewart! I see the storm, thank you!" Erik cut his first mate off as he stood at the helm. He ran up the stairs and took the helm from John.

"We should douse canvas, Captain!" he suggested.

"No!" Erik barked. "A storm is not stopping me! I refuse to let it slow me down!" She won't wait!"

"But, Sir---!"

"She'll hold out long enough to get through, Mr. Stewart! Trust me!"

John nodded, but still worried as he ran to the main deck to secure some loose lines. Erik stared ahead at the horizon, searching for a speck of sunlight in the grim, cloudy sky.

"She won't wait," Erik thought to himself. "And I won't force her to. Hold on. Please, hold on, little one. I'm coming for you."

Hit thought were suddenly interrupted when he heard a piercing scream.

"Captain!" John's call followed. "That girl fell overboard!"

"No!" Erik growled, running to the port railed. "Take the helm, John!"

He stripped off his coat and gazed into the water as John ran to the helm. The captain searched, desperately trying to see any sign of Christine on the surface of the waves.

"Bloody hell!" he snarled, slamming his fists onto the railing then climbed up onto it. "You r father would never forgive me if I let you die like this!"

He dove in, John calling after him, but he ignored the other man. Once under the water he began searching and saw Christine struggling toward the surface several feet away. He went to the surface for a breath then dove after her.

"She's wearing too many bloody layers!" he thought, angrily and panicked when he noticed her stop moving. Once he reached her he gathered her into his arms and started for the surface, stripping off her layers of nightwear as he did to get there faster until she was only wearing her chemise. He finally reached the surface and gasped for air as he pulled Christine's head above the water. He quickly looked around for his ship, but couldn't see it anywhere, leading him to believe only one thing.

"Damn it all, you mutinous blackguards!" Erik snarled into the wind. He started treading water as best he could, trying to keep himself and Christine above the surface but he turned, a huge wave swallowed them to thrash them about the waves of the sea.

Dawn...

"Raoul?" Meg called from the door. He looked up from a map he was studying on his desk to see her standing in the doorway. "May I come in?"

Raoul only nodded and looked back at the map. Meg quietly walked in and shut the door.

"What's wrong, Meg?" he asked as she stood in front of his desk.

"I…" she trailed off as she twiddled her thumbs and Raoul looked up at her again. "I'm worried."

He smiled warmly and stood from his chair then walked around his desk and toward her. Placing his hands on her shoulders he assured her, "Nothing will happen to Christine. I'll find her before it does. I promise."

"I'm not worried about Christine," Meg corrected him, making Raoul frown in confusion. "I'm sure she is fine. She would strong. I'm worried about you."

"Me?" Raoul wondered if he'd heard right. "Why on earth would you be worried about me?"

"You've never been in a battle with pirates before!" Meg exclaimed.

"I've been in battle before," Raoul replied as he walked back to his chair. "It's the same thing."

"But, Raoul---"

"Please, Meg, I have to concentrate. I must find out where they might have taken her."

"You know where he'll take her" Meg reminded him and he looked at her in shocked confusion.

"He?" Raoul questioned. "Who is 'he'?" He stood and marched toward her, gripping her arms as she stared at him in fright. "What do you know that I don't, Meg?!"

"I know what you know!" Meg cried. "You're hurting me!"

"What do you know?!"

"It's Erik's ship! You know that as well as I, Raoul! The Phantom Pirate is Erik's ship!"

Raoul stared at her in disbelief, letting her go. Meg backed away, rubbing her arms where he'd grabbed her.

"She didn't tell me," he breathed, drawing Meg's attention then he growled, "She didn't tell me!"

Raoul marched out of his study and toward one of the guest rooms, Meg trailing behind him. He flung the door to the room open to find Antoinette sitting at her vanity, pinning up her long hair. He stared at her through the mirror in rage, and she stared back, knowing why he was there.

"Mother!" Meg called, stumbling behind Raoul.

"Go sit with Gustave, Meg," Antoinette advised in a serious tone. Meg nodded and stepped back out, closing the door behind her. Antoinette turned to look at Raoul face to face, her expression emotionless.

"You didn't tell me," he said through clenched teeth. "I told you the name of the ship. You knew it was Erik and you didn't tell me! Why didn't you tell me?!"

"To avoid this attitude from you," Antoinette answered calmly, unmoving.

"Attitude?! How else am I to react?! With this information, I can start charting a likely course! I could have done that hours ago instead of wasting precious time if you had told me!"

"Raoul…" Antoinette stood and walked toward him to look him in the eye. "Perhaps she is better off with Erik?"

Raoul's rage heightened to mix in with disbelief as he stared at the older woman.

"What did you say?" he asked rhetorically in a dark tone.

"You and I both know he was telling the truth," Antoinette continued. "You left Erik for dead. His face is evidence of that."

"How could you believe him over me?!" Raoul shouted.

"Because I was the only one who did, and still do," she replied, still calm. "I saw the truth in his eyes, and I saw guilt in yours that day. There was no mistaking either one of those emotions."

Raoul growled and began pacing around the room as Antoinette stood, watching him. He stopped after a moment and turned to her again.

"You think I shouldn't go after her," he theorized. "You think I should leave her to Erik."

"Yes," Antoinette nodded.

"And you think Gustave would agree with you?"

"Perhaps."

Raoul marched directly in front of her and looked her in the eye as he gritted, "I cannot accept that. I love her, and I will find her. I will rescue her. I will marry her."

A/N: HOLY LORD! lolso, yea...wut is all this mysteriousness going on, huh? reviews please