A/N: I am really really sorry everyone! I have several reasons as to why this is late but basically it all boils down the fact that real life is a royal demanding B-CH! I have not given up on my stories just trying to find a spare moment to work on them before I drop from exhaustion. Hugs to everyone!

CH7

Christine leaned forward ever so slightly and touched her lips to his. He started and his eyes darted to hers and he saw them twinkle as she sighed. He closed the distance again and she met him with passion. He pulled her as close as their bodies would allow and returned the kiss with fervour.

He reluctantly released her lips in a desperate need for breath. He kissed her once gently and rested his forehead against hers, as they caught their breath.

"I want to go slowly with this, cherie. We have so much more to talk about between us."

She nodded understanding, "We do." she sighed, "Will it keep? I just want to be close to you right now. I...I just. . . I" she stumbled as more tears slipped down her cheeks and she gripped at his jacket.

"Shhh." He crooned pulling her close again. "Moi aussi cherie, moi aussi."

"She rested her head against her shoulder and he praised the gods. He was holding his angel, not Raoul de Chagney's. He Erik, the devils child, was holding his angel and his angel loved him. He breathed in the scent of her hair, rose water and the new scent of horses and fresh air, as if she had never spent a day inside. She was real.

There was just one problem.

His leg had fallen asleep. But he was loath to disturb her. And his leg was killing him.

Erik shifted his weight in the chair in an attempt to alleviate the pain in his leg, but to no avail. He attempted to shift again and Christine lifted her head from his shoulder.

"Erik what's wrong?" She asked quietly her voice rough from crying.

"Nothing cherie. I was just changing my hold that's all," he said not wanting her to leave his lap.

"I should probably get up." Christine said tucking her head back into his shoulder. "I am no longer un petite rat."

"I hadn't noticed." Erik's said shifting once more sighing when his leg became a rush of pins and needles.

"Yes you have that is why you are shifting about aren't you?"

He heaved a laboured sigh, "Perhaps."

"Well, Perhaps we shall retire to the salon." Christine said moving to get off his lap and he tightened his arms around her keeping her in place. "Don't worry ange I am not going far."

"Promise."

"I swear." Christine whispered looking in his eyes, kissed him softly and only when his arms relaxed she stood.

"Shall we clear away the supper things?" Erik asked as he tried to compose himself and buy some time so that he could stand.

She shook her head. "I'll get it in the morning. Don't worry about it. Grab your glass and I'll bring the wine."

They settled themselves down on the chesterfield across from the candlelit fireplace. Christine topped up thier glasses and then set the bottle on the floor beside the couch. Sitting so close to one another they were at peace. Many things still needed to be said of course there was still so much between the two of them for there not to be. But for right now the simple fact that they were so near to each other was a balm on thier battered hearts and the rest of it all could really wait until tomorrow.

Eriks' thoughts were on such a simular path that their thought were virtually identical as much as he would like to have the answers to the questions in his mind of what had happened to Christine since that final night. He knew it would keep and having his angel here next to him was more than he could ask for. She shifted next to him and timidly laid her head on his shoulder and he sighed. It really could all wait until tomorrow it had been so long since he had been near her. And knowing that she was near and loving him was more important than the answers to the questions weighing on his mind.

They sat in a companianable silence for quite some time. Christine relished in the feel of his shoulder beneath her cheek, warm and real. And most importantly here. She reached out and grabbed the bottle of wine off the floor and topped their glasses up. Once she had set the bottle of wine on the floor again she took up her possession of his shoulder once again.

"How's your foot?" He asked quietly his voice rimbling beneath her ear.

"Hmm?" she asked contentedly.

"Your foot, the one that got stepped on earlier."

"Oh it's fine. A little sore I'll admit, but I've been stepped on so many times in the last few years. I usually wind up forgetting about it."

"Never thought I would see you handling horses."

"Well, that makes two of us." She said sipping her wine. "I like it here, though."

"Should I even ask?"

She snorted, "Back to being under Carlotta's thumb? Pft! Not for all the gold in Solomon's mines."

"You wouldn't have to be."

"No."

"You. . ."

"I meant no, Erik. I don't want to go back there. The only thing I miss is you, Madame Giry and Meg."

"What about the music?"

"I never left the music." Christine said placing her hand over her heart, "It's right here. Tucked in very safely between you and my father."

"So that's the end of it then."

"I never said I wouldn't sing again." She said giving him a dark look. "I just don't want to go back Paris. I like it here Erik."

"I can see that." He said softly. "It's just that, we worked so hard Christine. I just want to see you shine and enjoy what we worked so hard to perfect."

"I do enjoy it Erik because I got something out of it that no one else in this world will ever have and no one can ever take away from me." She said putting her hand on his face and turning it toward her. "Something far more important that a cheering audience."

He huffed and gave her a perplexed look "And that is?"

She smiled and leaned forward bringing her face with inches of his, "You."

"Why?"

"You love me." She said with a smile. "And you saw me when I was nothing, I thought, I was nothing. Just another homeless orphan to be pittied and put to work. And you brought back to me that which had been taken away from me."

"Music."

"And you gave me what I needed." She whispered pausing to watch his face.

"And that was?"

"An angel."

"That was a lie."

"No it wasn't, you were-are my angel."

"It was a lie Christine. I made it up so that I could selfishly get closer to you."

"Perhaps. But would you have ever considered the idea had you not seen me in the chapel? Would you have even seen me? Why were you even there that night? Your haunts rarely included the chapel unless I was there and that was only after you became my angel."

"It was your voice." He said quietly his eyes glazing over with the memories from that night. "The pain, I could feel it, it called to me. Another who knew pain like I had felt. It was only after I saw you that I even thought of teaching you."

"And you became what I needed. And I became what you needed. Not all angels have wings Erik some have a mask and a soul needing love just like everyone else. You were a heaven sent mortal angel."

Erik sent her a look of disbelief still thinking his motives were selfish but at the back of his mind there was a small tiny spark barely an ember asking What if she is right?

"Please believe me ange." Christine said pleading, "I have spent a lot of time thinking about this. You are my special angel and despite what you think. I know you were heaven sent."

A/n#2: If you have some free time and would like to indulge in some phantomy goodness head over to deviant art and search me opera777 You wont be sorry! Very much dream inducing spleandor! or you can use the link on my profile page.