Author's Note: I sort of want to start a game... "Name Those Phantom References." Because there are a couple in this chapter alone. Probably pretty easy to pick up, but I'd like to see if people catch on to them. I guess if you find them, just leave what you see (and any others you may have seen in previous chapters) in a review. Since this is a modern fic, I like to give a nod to all of those previous versions that have been published, and this could mean anything! (movies, musicals, books, etc.)

Anyway, glad I was able to get this one done in a timely manner. I'm hoping not to be leaving you all too long after the end of this one as well. Just because I think you'd hate me if I did... As always, reviews are GREATLY appreciated and thank you to all those who have left me very nice reviews :) But remember, I also do love critique! I do hope you enjoy this chapter.

- Phantom's angel


Christine looked around her, trying to gage where they were and how far they had traveled. Manhattan island suddenly seemed immense with the distance she felt they'd traveled, yet Erik's grip remained tight around her wrist, insisting her to continue following. She ceased her half-hearted struggle, taking note of the stillness of the air around them; it seemed much lighter, as if their escape was literally a weight off of her shoulders. The streets and alleys that Erik chose to voyage through were sparsely populated despite it being a Friday. It seemed Erik was truly able to avoid any crowd.

Erik turned suddenly toward a stairway leading downward and began leading Christine underground. Christine recoiled her arm from his grip, gasping as she looked down to the pool of darkness below. Erik was disappearing before her eyes as he stepped below, the blackness was so intense, yet the stare from his eyes was even darker. They warned her to continue on with him, so she offered her arm back to him and he snatched it back immediately.

He continued leading her through the workings of the subway system, shielding her against the rats that scurried beneath their feet. Christine felt sick as she could feel their toes and tails being crunched beneath her heels. They screamed and bit at the decorative shoes before she could take another step forward, releasing them from their torture. Eventually, Erik flicked on a lighter and held it in front of them, scaring off the rodents and clearing a path for Christine to walk. He'd stop every so often, gesturing for her to wait and would walk ahead of them in the darkness, giving the lighter a rest, and then would return, making his presence known by a gentle pull at Christine's fingers. He took her back above ground, his grip growing tighter around her wrist as if being exposed to the light of social norms made him fearful for her wellbeing. Christine felt more confident beside him when he held tightly, acknowledging that he was more on guard to her needs.

They plunged back below ground again as Christine's feet began to grow tired. They trudged behind her heavily, wishing to take a break, but Erik turned her toward a vertical ladder leading upward. Christine looked to him and he gestured for her to take the lead. She nodded and began to climb, feeling the weight press against her arms and legs. Each step was a struggle as her eyes closed and shot open again. The fatigue from the past week was wearing on her, and now their walk was proving more difficult that she'd imagined. Christine kept climbing until she emerged out of a manhole, hearing sloshing against a concrete harbor. A blue haze mixed within the darkness of the night, radiating off of Christine's weary eyes. She pulled herself out from the depths and could feel Erik climbing from behind her. He stood closely behind her with his arms out to his sides, keeping her close enough to not escape.

Erik seemed obsessed with her trying to leave him, but she couldn't imagine leaving; not now.

There was a moment she felt she should try and run… early in their trip, she felt compelled to call out for someone and to run. But she knew he'd be able to catch her. Quite easily, too. Yet, even if she could outrun him, Christine felt an obligation to remain with him. He'd saved her life and stayed with her, after all.

He was watching her even now, studying her in the new light. Christine ignored the heavy feeling in her stomach and watched the water lapping along the river. The horizon offered a deep blue view with the current raging with white foam and bubbling against buoys and docks. Yet Erik was still heavily in her presence, watching her intently and waiting.

"It's beautiful," she said to remove the tension she felt.

"Yes," Erik said, his eyes not moving from her.

He stepped closer toward her, but Christine chose to ignore it. She kept intent on the calm his presence gave her and took in a deep breath of the salty water.

"I've never seen the river before," Christine admitted.

"Oh?" Erik said. "Then how did you get into the city, I wonder."

Christine smiled lightly and gave a quiet laugh.

"Well, I've been over the river before, I guess," she said. "But I've never seen it like this."

"Ah," Erik said.

Erik walked toward the edge of the concrete harbor, crouching down toward the river and stared into the murk. There was no reflection in the water; it was so distorted by the waves. Christine watched from the distance, contemplating her chances of escape if she made an attempt to run. But as Erik reached his hand down toward the water, she noticed how alone he looked. He looked perfectly content by himself, watching the water below pass by thoughtlessly. Christine reached for the clip holding her heels onto her feet and hesitated, seeing him heave a sigh in the brisk night air. She just had to remove those heels and then she could run…

But nobody should be so satisfied with such loneliness.

Christine believed the condition to mean that his friendless situation was what controlled his behaviors; that the staring, the fear of losing her, and the way he biddably met her every night was all pointing toward his solidarity. The fact was, she felt very lonely too. She released the latch from her heeled shoes and walked slowly to his side, resting down on the edge of the river herself, letting her feet dangle over the water. He looked to her, the water reflecting off of the black mask, and stared. He did not smile or seem to question; he was just watching her, as if she were blind.

Turning away from his heavy eyes, she wrung her fingers amongst each other, focusing on a fluid motion to keep her thoughts straight.

"Can I ask you something?" she said.

Erik was quiet for a moment.

"Yes," he finally answered.

"Why did you do it?" she asked.

Christine had hoped he wouldn't know what she was referring to, but he seemed to immediately catch on. He continued to stare at her, his eyes growing hard beneath the slants of the mask now. He seemed either surprised that she would ask or afraid of where the question would lead.

"You don't deserve to be treated that way," he said harshly, as if speaking to the villain himself.

"Nobody deserves to be treated like that," Christine said distantly.

Erik rounded on her, heat burning from his eyes.

"He shouldn't have done that to you!" he snapped.

Christine drew back, her eyes wide with surprise and a hint of fear. Erik sensed her unease and pulled away from her quickly, holding his body within his arms like a child. He looked away from Christine and huffed. Christine reached out and touched his arm gently, coaxing him out of his darkness. She smiled reassuringly and nodded her head. He was so alone… Erik hesitated, watching Christine as if her intentions were ill. After a moment, he grew large in his frame again and became more like himself. Christine felt safer, seeing his definite eyes full of confidence as he looked down toward her.

"No matter," he said with a smirk. "He'll never be able to do anything to you again."

Christine stared at him, questioning his meaning. Despite the fear that he'd planted inside of her by the way he made his comment, she felt secure. Erik was promising that he'd never bother her again, but within that bold promise was further protective qualities. Nothing seemed to even cross Erik's path, let alone disrupt it. She realized she'd always be safe in the presence of her guardian.

Christine found herself leaning toward him as her stomach churned. She saw the mask glistening close to her lips. It grew closer, when she realized it was she who was moving closer into him. Erik's eyes watched intently as she kept growing closer. Her mind was screaming for her to stop and to run, but she continued leaning until she finally was able to pull away before pressing her lips against the side of the mask.

"I'm sorry," she said without looking back to him.

"For what?" Erik asked.

Christine blushed.

Was she the only one who noticed how close they were sitting?

"Nothing," Christine lied.

She shivered.

Erik's arm timidly stretched around her shoulder, pulling her in close to his side. It was the first time he'd voluntarily touched Christine, aside from his walking her past the construction workers down the street from her apartment. She'd always imagined his actions during their walks all week was purely out of necessity; for her protection.

"Thanks," she said quietly.

Christine watched the water lap against the docks, foaming up and fizzing below her feet. The lights of New Jersey sitting across from them blinked dimly as fog rolled toward their dark shadows in the night. Christine focused purely on the view as she could feel his eyes still on her. She kept telling herself how beautiful the view looked; how breathtaking it was. It made her believe that was the reason her breathing was so hollow. They were the reason she was holding her breath. It was the night paired with the living souls across the river that made her stomach feel so uneasy. Then her mind cut in to reminding her how his fingers were firmly grasping onto her, as if they were claming her.

It's just your imagination. Stop psyching yourself out, she kept telling thinking.

"Have you ever been outside of New York City?" she asked.

Anything to keep her mind moving forward.

"No," Erik said.

"Really?" Christine asked, surprised.

This was working…

"Why not?"

"I don't belong outside of the city," Erik said.

He's so alone…

"Why not?" Christine asked.

"Because the city is a pit," Erik said in a sigh. "It's a pool for the unwanted. While others travel the world to see what it's all about, only few actually belong here."

Christine was quiet, wondering if she too belonged.

"I think the city is nice," she said to herself.

"You do not belong," Erik said sadly.

"No?" Christine said.

"No," Erik confirmed. "You deserve much better than this horrible place."

Christine kept quiet. She didn't feel she deserved any better than he did. She was just as alone and just as afraid.

"What if you were to leave-?"

"I will never leave," Erik cut in.

"But if you did… where would you like to go?"

Erik thought a moment. He looked across the water, beyond the backdrop of the neighboring state, and toward the source of water flowing toward them.

"I'd like to see the Middle East," he said.

Christine nodded.

A savage place, she though. But somehow fitting.

Christine tried to hold back a yawn.

"You're tired," Erik said.

"I'm fine," Christine insisted, watching the waves.

Erik shifted his arms and adjusted himself to keep Christine's head resting in the crook of his arm. He rocked her back and forth smoothly, his breath lulling to her like a song. Their breathing took similar rhythm, gliding her downward and shutting her eyes. She refused to let herself fall asleep like this… not when she had Raoul waiting for her.

Oh, God, she thought.

"I have to go," Christine said, shitting up immediately.

"No," Erik said, reaching for her arm as she stood up.

"I need to go home," she repeated.

"You can't," Erik said.

He seemed regretful as he spoke, as if this were the last thing he'd wanted to happen.

"It's not you, I promise," Christine said. "I just… I need to—"

"You're not going," Erik said, his eyes growing dark again.

"Erik—"

"No!" Erik yelled.

He grabbed hold of her arms and caught her close to his chest. Christine struggled against him, writhing underneath his grip and beating against his chest. He fumbled for a moment, not fully focused on Christine's movements, when he grabbed a hold of her jaw and squeezed her cheeks. Christine smacked his hands and cried out, but as soon as her lips opened to utter a sound, his hand covered over it and a small round tablet hit against the back of her throat.

Christine panicked, trying to heave the small object back into her mouth, but the more she tried, the further it slid down her throat. Erik held her chin up in the air, coaxing the pill down as he looked sadly down to Christine, his eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry; I'm so sorry," he kept saying.

Christine began to cry as well, confused at what was happening to her. He'd let go of her jaw and slid his hand down to her neck, holding onto it and keeping her arms at her sides with the other. She was able to call out; she was free to speak, but she didn't. She simply cried and looked up to Erik in question. He kept shaking his head to her, the tears disappearing down his checks beneath the mask.

"I'm sorry," he kept mouthing to her.

Christine could not respond. She began to try and speak – to ask him why he'd do such a thing to her – but each phrase was caught in her throat. Had he really saved her life to have her for himself? Her struggle grew weak and her eyes began to water. The tears stopped, but she could feel a burn in the back of her eyes, closing them without her consent. This was all without her consent…

The waves crashed against the concrete harbor behind them, moaning and calling out to Christine, but she couldn't respond. Her eyes were fully closed and her mind was dizzy. She couldn't feel anything anymore and she couldn't see. All she could hear was the East River's roar and a distant apology in the night.