Chapter VII
Erik's powerful legs pushed against the water violently as he swept Christine up with him towards the surface. He had never felt a body as limp and weightless as hers was at that very moment. The only thing he could think of at that very moment was getting her out of the freezing water and to the safety of the candle light where he might attempt to warm her ice cold skin. He spluttered water as he reached the surface and pulled her with him towards the safety of the rocky floor.
Erik lay her limp body down on the rock with a gasp for air and began pushing her hair from her tiny face.
"What have you done, Christine?" He rasped, his voiced sounded foreign even in his own ears. And there was a horrible rushing sound in them too. Taking a deep breath he placed both his hands above her chest and started to push, trying to not crack her ribs with the force he exerted.
He needed to call Nadir, Nadir would know what to do best but this was the best he could do without letting her die this very moment.
"Christine, open your eyes," Erik commanded fiercely as he stole glances at the young girls face while trying to remain calm and perform the tasks necessary to get the water out of her system. Her pale form was unmoving beneath his figure and he started to panic when he noticed the blue coloring to her lips.
She can not die, this is an injustice! She will not die, not tonight, tomorrow, not while I live! Erik decided suddenly.
He pushed at her chest with more fervor. "Wake up," he huffed, "do not disobey me, girl."
Then suddenly, to his relief Christine's neck lurched forward and water came spewing from her lips weakly, dribbling out the corners of her blue lips as he pushed her to the side so that she might not swallow it back down.
"Breathe," he instructed the young girl carefully as she coughed violently and quaked. She gasped for air and gagged as more water forced its way out of her system. Erik only placed his hand on her back and pulled her hair away from her face as she struggled to catch her breath.
…
Christine didn't know what to think as she turned her blurry and panicked gaze to Erik. His mask was still in place and try as she might to read his expression she could not fathom what it was that he was thinking. Christine could only tremble on her hands and knees as Erik sat beside her with his stony façade of emptiness and omnipotence.
He had pulled her out of the water, and not only that but he had saved her by getting the water out of her system. A sense of shame and adoration overcame Christine as her eyes roamed his wet face. He had sacrificed himself for her.
Christine vowed to never again dismiss Erik's commands from that moment on. She hated that he looked like this before her now with his black hair falling all over his forehead and partially covering his eyes, his skin was glossed from the water and not only that but his lips seemed to be shivering the tiniest bit. She knew what Erik was supposed to look like, and his countenance had been disturbed because of her foolishness.
Even his eyes seemed a little shaken, he kept them on her face as if expecting her to faint at any moment, and as his hair partially covered them she realized they seemed to be shining more so that they were partially covered.
"Erik," she croaked horribly and struggled to hold back her tears. As they presented themselves Christine threw herself at the man she now adored for saving her from a most unfortunate end. Erik stiffened as her arms came around his neck and she buried her cold face in the equally cold skin of his neck. "I'm so sorry, I'm so, so-
"Do not speak, you must rest." Erik said in his calmest voice, it soothed her and her tremors eased to shivers as he held pulled himself to his feet, and carried Christine wordlessly to her bedroom.
Inside Erik felt that he might have a panic attack. How odd that she would willingly hug him.
Once there Erik set her on the chair before the mirror and got a towel. He pulled it over her frame and told her to dress herself warmly and that he would return when she was done. Christine sniffled and did as commanded, calling him back softly when she was done.
"Get in bed; I must fetch Nadir to ensure that you are alright."
"Erik don not tell Nadir," she begged him as he came around to her side of the bed, he stared at her stonily, "he will be so angry with me."
He snapped, "do you think he does not have a reason to be?" Christine became instantly silent, "I specifically told you no. I told you that I do not wish to see you around that Raoul boy and in all your childish spite you go against my commands and throw yourself into the lake. What did you think you were going to do? Swim out of here?"
She sniffled and looked down at her fingers as they trembled, "I had hoped to return without you noticing."
Erik grew silent at this and watched her for a moment before sighing impatiently and taking a seat on the chair, he pulled it closer to her side and waited for her to turn her gaze on him. When she did he held them for a long time, she was unable to look away, "Christine, I know when you're presence is missing instantly. You are not as careful as you think you are."
Christine's lower lip trembled and she looked away, then back to him, "I'm sorry Erik."
He said nothing to her and stiffened as her hand darted out and grasped his firmly, almost feverishly.
"I am," she begged him to understand, her eyes widened as if though that might help him look into the truth of the matter, "I never wanted to hurt anyone."
"You did not hurt anyone but yourself." He reminded her sharply. "How stupid could you be? All for that Raoul de Chagny, I am tempted to thrash him –
"He didn't make me do it." She whispered. Her small frame shivered now and she removed her hands from his. The warmth was gone.
"No but he lured you into the false belief that this was alright to do, did he not?" Erik's shimmering eyes pierced through her and she shook her head no. "How could you be so dense? How does it occur to you to simply swim across a lake for someone you do not even know-
"He's my friend-
"No he is not," Erik stated, Christine stared in shock, "if he were your friend he would not tell you to do stupid things."
"All he told me was to do whatever necessary to make sure I could see him so that was what I did."
"I do not want you around the boy, are we understood?" Erik asked her quietly. She nodded firmly. "He almost got you killed tonight; your naivety almost got you killed tonight. He will ruin all that we work towards by distracting you with immature promises."
Christine didn't really comprehend what Erik told her but she trusted him completely and simply agreed silently. "I'm sorry Erik… I trust you." She voiced softly and took his hands in hers again, looking up at him softly, "I wouldn't ever wish to endanger you, or myself. I will stay away from Raoul."
Inside Erik felt his heart flare up for her infallible trust. I will construct the perfect world for her, he promised silently, I will ensure that no one harms her, that all her needs are met before she needs them, that everything she could possibly want is given to her… I will keep you safe Christine. And anyone who tries to endanger you, purposefully or not, will pay severely for destroying the innocence that makes you so perfectly different from my own monstrous soul.
"Rest now, Christine," Erik carefully bent over her figure, "I shall return with something to help you sleep, and with the company of Nadir."
Christine sighed heavily and nodded.
…
"She dared to do what?" Nadir gasped when he came to the cave after receiving word from Madame Giry that Erik needed him to go to the lair. He had arrived hastily and instantly found Erik at the mouth of the entrance with a sour expression on his face.
Erik explained to him that he had retired for some time only to hear footsteps, and when he came out he found Christine trashing and sinking into the lake.
"I cannot believe that she would be capable of such foolishness," Nadir whispered with shock.
"Well, she is capable of it. All because of that Raoul de Chagny." Erik's eyes narrowed as they approached the hall to Christine's room. Nadir rubbed his face with exhaustion. "I have a severe distaste for that boy and his interest in Christine. He will not be allowed her company."
"Why do you blame the boy?"
"Christine expressed interest in going to church with him for mass. I told her that she was not allowed to go." He took in Nadirs bemused expression, "I will not have her running around with boys. I do not know if his intentions were as pure as Christine would like to believe but I will not run the risk. And it is improper any way."
Nadir agreed, "You are right in this. There is no reason why a girl of perhaps 6 should be running around at night without her guardian."
When they opened Christine's door Erik found that she was sleeping. She looked adorable within the huge bed. Quietly he approached her and sat on the edge of the bed at her side. It dipped silently with his weight
"Christine, wake up. Nadir is here to examine you and ensure that you are in proper health." His voice, smooth and silky, woke Christine from her slumber gently. She looked up at the tall man towering over her sleeping form with confusion, his strange amber green eyes were alight with some type of humor, and then her eyes settled on Nadir, whose expression disturbed whatever control she had left. She couldn't stand what she saw within the depth of his large brown eyes.
He looked at her with sadness and almost… disappointment. She tried hard to suck in a cry and managed, she was proud of herself for this. Nadir approached her as Erik moved to the shadows and he touched her forehead gently. "How are you feeling, Christine?"
"I feel okay," she murmured gently, sitting up weakly and wincing at her sore joints.
"You're very lucky that Erik found you."
"I know." She murmured weakly.
"Okay, no more talking, let me get this over with so that you may go back to sleep. You sound hoarse."
Nadir checked to ensure she didn't have any broken bones or anything along those lines, he examined her small skull for bruises or bumps but found nothing of the sort. He told Erik that he recommended that Christine get a bit of rest for the rest of the night and perhaps that she rest the next day. When she told him that she wished to get back to classes he assured her that this too would be fine but for her mental comfort she should stay home, she disagreed and Erik agreed that she should get back to her normal activities as soon as she is able.
Nadir left Christine with a kiss to the forehead and a hug, Christine apologized weakly to him for disturbing his night but he assured her that making sure she was safe was nothing he minded.
Erik stayed with Christine while Nadir found his way out.
He watched her as she struggled to sleep, every time her eyes would start to close they would burst open again and she would say his name gently, ensuring he was within the dark room. Every time she would reach out and catch his hand in her own, squeezing it tightly.
"Are you dreaming bad things?" He asked her cautiously.
"I dream that I sink every time," her voice was trembling, "and you do not save me."
Erik moved closer to her and drew his face closely so that she would hear him, silkily he reassured her, "I would save you every time Christine. I will not let harm befall you," he paused, then added in a dark voice, "or do you not trust me?"
"I trust you Erik." She turned and clutched his hand tightly like a teddy bear under her chin. "Please stay. I fear sleep will not come tonight if you are not here."
"Yes." Erik said nothing else as she clutched his hand to her face and started to drift into sleep. He watched her in the dark for some time, noting the way she squeezed his hand every once in a while as if though ensuring that he had remained – even in her sleep.
It was sometime in the night, when all was silent and the only thing sound was their breathing as Erik slept lightly on the chair and Christine on the bed, that he woke with a start at the sound of her whimpering.
"Oh, papa why could I not…?" She didn't finish as she moaned and twisted away from Erik's hand. A sudden coldness overtook the flesh of his hand where her grasp had once been. He sat on the bed and placed a gently hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"Christine, it is only a dream." He shook her lightly, "it's nothing."
In the dark he watched her blue eyes open to the blackness around her, wide and confused. She could not see him but he could see her, years of being in the dark did amazing things to his eyesight. She was not as clear as the day, but she was still visible to him.
"Mon ange, is that you?"
Erik stiffened at the title. Ange? Angel, she thinks me an angel? Truly the eyes of a child are full of deceitful lies, how can I be an angel when I live in a cave deeper then hell with a face that would rival any demon? Has she lost her mind?
"I am no angel," he murmured, "It is only Erik."
Christine frowned and sat up, looking to where she believed his musical voice to be. She heard sadness in his tone, she didn't like this. 'Only Erik' he had said, as if that were some insignificant thing to be. "Mon ange, why do you sound so sad?"
"Stop calling me that Christine." His voice became challenging now. She sensed his discomfort, "I am Erik."
"That's why… you're my Erik," Her Erik, she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world and felt for his arm. When she found it she threw herself into him, embracing him tightly and closing her eyes with her cheek rested against his shoulder. Erik sat stiffly, unsure of what to do.
She was embracing him. In all his years Erik had never imagined that someone would… embrace him! He could still remember being prodded with a stick and being touch behind the safety of gloves because others feared that his face was somehow the cause of some foreign contamination. And here was this girl, this young girl who had all the right in the world to fear him, who didn't even question him about the mask at all! Embracing him! Erik's heart stiffened and twisted in his chest as the burning flared up in his chest once more. Then against all belief's he'd held once Erik embraced Christine gently.
Unsurely at first, this was never something that had happened to him, and she was so small he feared he might break her if he embraced her any tighter, and he wasn't embracing her tightly at all...
She is the princess of this darkness place... Erik was unsure if he meant his soul or his home.
It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, but when she did - the last words on her tongue were single-handedly the most beautiful thing he had ever had the honor of being called, "Mon ange…"
Tomorrow Erik would have words with de Chagny.
So finally we have Erik and Christine being pleasant with one another, not only that but we have Christine giving Erik the title (and position?) of guardian her ange.
Now, just to point this out because I felt it was time, I would like to RESTATE that I did not skip YEARS ahead, i only skipped a few months, maybe three or five? And also Christine's age and Erik's age I left vague in order to give the reader more freedom to envision them themselves, all I said was that Christine (as speculated by Nadir) is perhaps six years old, and Erik is young, I will say that he is no more then 22 years old. But as the story progresses naturally he will age. I always thought that Erik seemed a bit like an old soul, so even if he were say... 17 he would behave like the old grouch he naturally is. So, don't worry about their ages, when the romance comes they will both be of appropriate ages, okay? haha, if I were to just COME OUT and give you every detail it wouldn't be so much of a story, now would it?
Not only that but no, Raoul is not in love with Christine (yet?) he is just as young as she is, she was not going out on a date. They are simply wild children.
So, I hope you've all enjoyed this chapter :) Review and tell me what you think Erik thinks of this new title and position and what you think he should do next? :)
