Christine's POV

I had left Erik, what else could I have done? He was upset, and I needed time to think…..think about everything. I plopped myself down in the parlor, only to have Nadir look my way.

"What was all that shouting?" he asked.

"I told Erik about the baby….."

"Really? And did he give you the answer you've been hoping for?"

"Yes….."

"Well then, I can have everything set up in an hour's time. I'm a man of my word….."

"But he was lying." I blurted out.

Nadir came walking in, and slowly took a seat beside me.

"What do you mean?"

I placed a hand over my stomach, and looked the Persian man in the eyes.

"I told Erik about the child, and he gave me permission to abort it. He said it's always about me, and that he would do anything to make me happy. Oh, Nadir, I know he wants this child, and yet, he gave me permission to get rid of it."

Nadir's hand covered my own ever so gently.

"What should I do? Tell me what to do, Nadir? Should I just forget about Erik and get rid of this child? Or should I keep it…..live with the fact that all of it was my fault."

He slightly smiled.

"I can not tell you what to do, Christine, because the child you're carrying does not belong to me. It is Erik's and therefore you should speak to him. Just go in there and talk things out. Find out what he wants to do….."

He was right. I stood to my feet, and reentered Erik's bedroom. He was not laying in the coffin, but sitting at his desk. I knew working on music always calmed him down….

"Erik?"

I softly called his name, and he turned around, his eyes red from the tears he had cried.

"I believed we both needed that few moments to calm ourselves." he said, wiping more tears away from his eyes.

"Indeed. But be as it may, I'd like to have a civilized talk with you."

"Right…." he moved aside on the bench he was sitting on, and motioned me to him. I took a seat beside him, keeping as much distance from his body as possible. When he didn't start the conversation, I took it upon myself to do so.

"Right…..So, I'm pregnant…."

"Yes." Erik replied, continuing to work on his music. "Erik was completely stupid, and has given Christine permission to get rid of it."

"Yes…..I think we've established that a few moments ago, Erik. I actually came back in here to find out what you want….."

"What do you mean?"

"I want your opinion on this matter. Yes, the sex we had created a child, but it's just as much yours as it is mine…"

"And I gave you permission to abort it."

"What do you want to do, Erik? I want your honest opinion. For five seconds I'm giving you the chance to feel human. I want you to truthfully tell me what your opinion is…."

His eyes widened, and tears came rushing to his mismatched eyes again.

"But what does it matter? The decision should not be up to me. You're the one who has to carry it and suffer through the pain of giving birth…and then its whole life. No, just do with this child as you please."

"You wish to keep it, don't you?"

The room fell silent. His hand trembled over his pen, as he once again found the courage to face me.

"In Erik's dreams, he only wishes for Christine's love…..He sees the both of us together living happily…..with children. Erik always wanted to start a family with his beloved wife, but…but as he's told Christine before, Erik must accept the fact that she will never love him. In my heart I still love you, Christine, but….I know there is no love for Erik, and therefore there wouldn't be any love for their child."

"What if I tried?" I questioned. "What if I worked at becoming happy over this child?"

"No, Christine, think about what you're saying….Erik knows Christine wishes for a happy ending with a husband and family…..This child would prevent all of it."

I looked down at my feet.

"Erik, I'm not sure what I really want any more. I miss Raoul terribly, but I know he's never coming back. Perhaps this child could change my life…"

"Yes!" he snapped. "For the worst! Erik can create beautiful music, flawless buildings, even teach his songbird how to sing…..but these things were all done with Erik's hands! If there were ever any mistakes, he could erase wrong notes, knock down crooked bricks…..even correct Christine in a voice lesson…..But….this child is being created by my seed….my hideous seed….Erik cannot correct or even erase the hideous flesh and features it will most likely inherit…"

"Erik, I may not love you, but you deserve better…..you deserve something. Maybe I can't give you the love that you desperately yearn for, but perhaps this child can."

"Don't have this child because of me." he snapped. "I deserve nothing! Not after all the pain I've caused you. You're right, you should be with the boy, and what did I do? Came along and ruined everything…..You shouldn't be here, and you shouldn't be carrying Erik's child…..forgive me…."

"Erik, you know it was me who made the first move on you…..I'll think about it." I said. "I have plenty of time to get rid of this child if I please…..I'll keep it a while, and see how things progress."

"If that is what you truly wish for…."

"It is…..but I know it's what you want too….."

When he didn't say anything, I knew I was right. I then turned to leave the room, when I heard him call my name, causing me to face him yet again.

"Christine?"

"Yes?"

"I was planning on sending you to stay in Cheshire, but…..if you're going to be tolerating this child for a while, then it doesn't seem right to send you off alone."

He was right….the last thing I wanted to be was pregnant and all alone.

"I'll be heading back to Calais, to leave Europe for good."

"Where will you go?"

"Where ever the ship takes me…..which will be far away. If I left you here, I don't know if I would ever be able to get back. If you are serious about having this child, then I suggest we stick together."

"Erik, I didn't say I was absolutely certain…."

"I know….." he interrupted. "But either way, child or no child, you're pregnant now, and that's what matters. If, or when you ever decided to abort it, I'll make other arrangements for you…."

I smiled.

"Ok…"

"In the mean time, just relax…..We'll be safe here for a while longer."

I didn't say another word, and left him to his work. That night, I ate dinner with Nadir, while Erik stayed within his room.

"So, have you thought about what you're going to do about this child?" Nadir asked, sipping on his wine.

"Erik seems to want it." I said. "I told him I'd wait a while…"

"Seems that you want it too."

"I'm not really sure. I do have time to think about this, don't I?"

Nadir nodded.

"Yes, a month or two…."

"I just need time is all."

"This child could ruin your life, Christine. I do hope you're considering the fact that you would probably never marry, and be stuck raising this child on your own."

"Yes, I have thought about that."

"Erik may want this child, but you must realize that you need to do what's best for you. He's dying, and once he's gone you're going to be the one raising it, not him…."

I laughed.

"This morning you were on Erik's side…who's side of this are you really on?"

"I'm on the side of what's best for both of you. It's not my decision to make….."

"I know….." I stood up, excusing myself from dinner. "May I be excused now?"

"Goodnight, Christine…."

After gathering up my nightclothes, I approached Erik's closed bedroom door and knocked. Unfortunately, the only bathroom within the house was located in his room.

"Who is it?" came his soft voice.

"Christine. I was wondering if I could use your bathroom to take a bath?"

"Come in…."

I opened the door, and noticed Erik sitting at his desk drinking a steaming cup of tea. He looked up at me, and pointed to the door on the other side of the room.

"Bathroom is in there. You should let the water heat for a few moments…it can be rather cold at first."

I looked inside, and noticed a large bucket hanging over the tub with a bin beneath it to hold a small fire.

"Do you have a match?" I asked.

Erik instantly began rummaging through his desk, before standing up with a book of matches in his hand.

"Here, let me do it for you."

He came walking past me, his robe flowing with the swift movements of his body. He filled the large bucket up with water, and then threw a lit match into the bin below. The flames licked at the bottom of the bucket, beginning to warm the chilled water within it.

"There….you'll have a warm bath in no time."

"Thank you." I said, watching him retake a seat at his desk. "Did you eat?"

"I'm not very hungry. But I am drinking some tea. Nadir said the honey would sooth my heart."

"Is it helping?"

"It's calming my nerves, but as far as my heart goes, I'm not certain. I'm actually more exhausted than anything."

"You should be in bed." I reminded him. "You need…."

"Plenty of rest…..I know."

He placed down his pen, and began to make his way over to his coffin.

"It's funny how I never felt sleepy until now. Yes, we all need sleep, but I've never felt as exhausted as I am now."

He crawled into his coffin, and covered himself up.

"Your water should be warm now…" he yawned.

I walked into the bathroom, and let my dress drop to my knees. Afterwards, I sunk deep into the comfortably warm water and sighed. I stayed in the tub until my water turned cold….only then did I rise up and wrap a towel around my naked body. I slipped my nightgown over my head, and bounced out into Erik's room, where I quietly sat down at his desk to brush my wet locks. I wasn't sure if Erik was asleep, but he looked so peaceful laying in his coffin.

"Are you asleep?"

His eyes were closed, and he didn't answer me.

After brushing my curls, I placed my brush down and stood to approach Erik's coffin. His mask was off, but I was glad his deformity was pressed against the pillow, enabling me from seeing it. I gently placed my hand against his neck, only to hear a beautiful sigh escape his lips.

Erik was so innocent…..so innocent that the littlest things brought him pleasure.

"Goodnight, Erik…" I cooed. "Get some rest."

I began moving my hand away from his neck, when his hand gently pulled it back to his flesh. His eyes opened, and I smiled warmly.

"Am I dreaming?" he softly asked.

"No." I chuckled. "It's real."

"How was your bath?"

"Refreshing, thank you."

I pulled away again, and adjusted the blankets he had covered over his body.

"Goodnight, Erik."

I was halfway over to the door, when I heard him tell me goodnight. After walking back in my room, I yawned and laid down within my bed. I laid there rubbing my stomach, smiling as sleep slowly overtook me. It was strange knowing that I was pregnant with Erik's child…what was even stranger was the fact that I was happy. I laid there humming a soft tune, singing to my unborn child as if it were sleeping in my arms.

I was nearly sound asleep, when I heard a soft knocking at my door. My eyes shot open, and I sat up, one hand still rubbing over my stomach.

"Christine?"

I sighed in relief when I heard Erik's voice, but what could he possibly want? Had I not bid him goodnight?

"Christine? Are you still awake?"

I didn't know weather or not to answer him, but I didn't want to be rude.

"What is it?"

"Could Erik come in for a moment?"

I reached for my robe, and draped it around my body before calling Erik to come in. There was a dimly lit candle on my night table, giving off just enough light to spot his skeletal frame walking through the door wearing his mask.

"Erik? What's wrong?" I ran my fingers through my tangled locks.

Erik paced my floor back and forth, with his hands wrapped around his back. Something seemed to be bothering him, but I didn't know what.

"Erik, it's extremely late."

"Yes, Erik knows that. He apologizes for disturbing Christine, but he needed someone….."

Erik was still pacing, and was breathing rather heavily.

"Erik?"

"It's his anxiety….Please forgive Erik…."

Was Erik having an anxiety attack? This poor man….

"Erik, come sit."

He instantly stopped pacing, and looked my way as if I had just given him everything he could have ever wanted. And then, slowly, he came my way and took a seat at the end of my bed. He could have sat beside me, but he didn't….he was acting as if he weren't worthy of such a thing. As if I were a queen and he the poor peasant. I instantly crawled out of my blankets, and took a seat next to him….

"Breathe, Erik…" I replied, trying to soothe him. "Take some deep breaths."

I even patted his back to calm him down, and it seemed to be working.

"Erik's nightmares bring him such anxiety."

"Erik, it's just a dream."

His breathing finally slowed down, and he was able to calm himself.

"Thank you for making me feel better."

"Anytime. It's the least I could do for you after all you've done for me."

I was waiting for Erik to stand and leave, but he didn't move. In fact, he pressed his eyes shut, and grasped the bed sheets with closed fists…..what was he thinking of now?

"Erik?"

"Erik should leave, but…" he paused, looking down at the black covers.

"But what?"

"I….I can't go back to sleep." he cried. "The nightmare will return. If Erik goes back to his lonely coffin, his master….Oh, Christine…."

He was now sobbing into his hands.

"Erik, talk to me…."

"No, I could never ask this of you."

"Ask what?" I questioned.

"Forgive him for asking such a thing, but would it be alright if Erik spent the night in your room? He knows that his nightmares would stay away if he knew Christine was sleeping inches from him. Please allow Erik to spend the night at the end of your bed!"

He was begging me to allow him to sleep in my room, but not just in my room, in my bed! The thought of this frightened me….

"He will be like your loyal dog, Christine." he pleaded. "He would even sleep like one…..at your feet. Erik will never ask Christine for anything else. Erik would usually suffer and let the nightmares plague his pitiful mind….but he is so exhausted. Erik just wants to sleep, but alone, his nightmares won't allow it."

I was still afraid of Erik, but I knew he was extremely exhausted. He needed his rest, and I wanted to get my own. I would have sent him back to his room, but I was carrying his child and if I was going to give birth and raise it, I couldn't do it alone….No, Erik needed to be here, and I knew keeping him well rested was one of the ways I could do it.

"I'll allow you to sleep in here." I said, passing him a pillow. "But at my feet."

He seemed shocked by my reaction, and he even had tears running down his cheeks.

"Oh, you've made Erik so happy….thank you! Thank you!"

I laid down, and closed my eyes, feeling Erik's hand resting on the blankets that covered my ankle. When he realized that my foot was beneath his palm, I began feeling him gently rubbing his thumb over the circular bone of my ankle. I would have told him to stop, but it felt absolutely wonderful….even through the blankets.

"Erik…." I sighed his name, as I laid there snuggled into my pillow.

"If my touch disgusts you, I'll stop…."

"No, it's very relaxing."

"Does this mean that Christine wishes for Erik to keep rubbing her ankle?"

"Only if you wish to."

And just like the gentleman Erik was, he continued rubbing my ankle as I slowly slipped to sleep. I wasn't sure how long I slept, but I awoke later that night, with my room now in complete darkness. I wasn't sure of the time, but by how dark it was outside, I figured that it wasn't any later than three or four. I even forgot that Erik was sleeping on my bed, until I felt his hand still laying on my ankle. I moved my eyes from my pillow, to his skeletal form laying at the foot of my bed like a loyal puppy. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully, until I noticed him shivering. God! How could I be so selfish as to not even offer him a single blanket to cover himself with? How badly I wanted him to feel human, and yet I was treating him worse than I had at the opera house.

Before laying back down, I tore a blanket from off me, and placed it over Erik's shivering body. His trembling instantly stopped, and I was able to lay back down.

"Thank you, Christine." I heard Erik murmur.

I gasped….had he been awake the entire time?

"Erik? You're awake?"

I sat up, and relit the candle that was on my night table. Erik sat up as well, and pulled the blanket closer to his body.

"Yes, it was unbearable to sleep without having any blankets to keep Erik warm."

This stopped my heart. Why? Why didn't he just wake me….or pull a blanket over him?

"Why did you just lay there shivering?"

"Because…..because Erik is a loyal dog. Dogs don't get blankets…."

"Yes, because they have a fur coat to keep them warm." I gasped.

But what I said sounded worse than I first thought it to be. I made it sound as if I were calling him a dog….making him think that it's what I thought him to be.

"Erik, don't refer to yourself as a dog."

"If that's what Christine wants…"

"You're not a dog. And I want you to promise me that if you're ever cold again, you'll ask for a blanket instead of laying there awake, shivering to death."

Erik smiled, and laid his body back down.

"I….I love you, Christine."

My heart began to race…..Why? Why had I done this? Why had I given him a blanket? He was cold, damn it! Yes, it was the right thing to do, but I was bringing feelings to him, feelings that were nothing more than false hope. As soon as the words escaped him, Erik raised his hands and covered his mouth as if it were poison.

"Forgive him!" he cried out. "Forgive Erik!"

Erik was in hysterics as he wrapped the blanket around his neck as if he were trying to choke himself.

"Stop!" I gasped, pulling the cover from him. "You're going to hurt yourself!"

"Erik deserves it! Hurt him! Strangle him!"

"Why? Why would I hurt you?"

"Erik shouldn't say such words…..he shouldn't tell Christine that he loves her. But….oh, such feelings tear through his body when she does nice things for him."

I placed my hand on his neck, causing him to deeply sigh.

"It's ok, Erik…..I know how you feel about me."

"But Christine does not feel the same for Erik….which is why he should never tell Christine how he feels."

I didn't say a word, for I didn't know what to say….or how to make him feel better.

"Erik….please don't be like this…."

I plopped back against my pillows, knowing there was nothing I could say that would make him feel better. But moments later, Erik was hovering over me, the same way he had done the night we had sex…..only this time he was dressed.

"Erik…." my voice was trembling. I knew behind Erik's skeletal body lied power….more power than I had ever seen in a single man before. He might have looked weak, but Erik was anything but. He could take advantage of me right now and I wouldn't be able to do a single thing about it.

"Please, don't be frightened of me…." he begged. "I would never hurt you, Christine."

One of his trembling hands placed itself at the side of my neck.

"Please, Christine."

He was right. In a few days it was going to be just the two of us. If I were going to be spending a lot of time with Erik, I had to get over this fear of him. Yes, I knew I would probably never get passed the fear of his face, but I couldn't stay afraid of him. I pulled him down beside me, and laid there, face to face with him…..And I don't know why, but I even covered our bodies up with one of my spare blankets. We were laying in my bed, like husband and wife…..like lovers…..and yet, we were not….

"Erik, I promise not to be frightened of you…"

Erik cupped my cheek with his hand, his lips being only a few inches away from my own.

"And I promise not to be afraid of my feelings…" I closed my eyes, dreading the feeling of his lips up against my own, but they touched my neck instead. A heavy sigh escaped my lips, his mouth sending waves of pleasure down every inch of my body.

"What would Christine like for breakfast?"

"What would you like?" I happily asked.

"I asked you first."

I giggled, and rolled my eyes….Erik, always thinking about me first.

"I want things to be different between us, Erik." I told him. "I want your opinion on things. Now, what would you like for breakfast?"

In my mind, I wanted French toast, but what ever Erik wanted would be fine with me….I was really going to attempt to try getting along with him…..as a lover would, without actually being his lover.

"Erik is craving French toast." he said. "But I want to know what you'd like…"

"You're a mind reader." I giggled. "French toast is what I wanted too."

And I don't know how exactly it came about, but at the same time, we both blurted out the exact same words.

"With fried potatoes…."

We both gasped, before Erik stood up from my bed. God! It was so strange…how we thought alike, said the same things at the very same time.

"That sounds perfect." he replied, throwing his robe around him. "Just relax and I'll have breakfast ready in a little bit. After breakfast we'll work on changing our appearances."

"Changing our appearances?" I questioned. "Why would we need to do such a thing?"

"Because if we are to head to Calais, we need to change the way we look. Paris is looking for a woman with brown curls, and a man in a white mask….We'd be spotted before we could even get onto the ship."

I answered him with a simple "Ok" before watching him leave the room. I laid there staring up at the ceiling, wondering what the next few days would bring, and what my new appearance would look like…..I pondered, thinking about a new style for my hair, until I began to smell the wonderful, sweet fragrance of Erik's cooking…..I knew by the wonderful smell, that our breakfast was almost ready…it was time to get up, time to start a new day, the first day of my new life….my life with Erik….

Please review! Oh, and I took some suggestions from a certain reviewer. I went back into previous chapters and changed some terms that were too "Modern" for this time era. Thanks! And please keep the reviews coming in.