Author's Note: Bold Italics are Erik, and Regular Italics are Christine. Just a heads up! :D

Chapter Ten: Now and Forever

Erik broke the kiss, though it took every ounce of willpower he possessed. He could do this. . . Not now.

Christine opened her soft brown eyes, "What's wrong, Angel?"

"Nothing is wrong," Erik answered quickly, brushing her cheek with his gloved fingers.

"Then why. . ." Christine began, but Erik interrupted her with an upraise hand.

"If we continue, I won't be able to control myself, Christine."

Christine smiled shyly, "But I don't want you to stop."

Erik thought he would explode from joy. For so long he had dreamed of this, and now he had to push her away. It was maddening!

"I can't . . . I won't have you until our wedding night." Erik whispered closing his eyes tight. He knew that if he looked at her, he would change his mind.

Christine eyes widened, "Wedding Night?"

Erik had wanted to wait for the perfect moment to ask her, but circumstance had made him unprepared, so he slowly knelt down before the woman who had captured his heart.

Though she still wore no clothing, she didn't seem to be cold; quite the contrary. Her whole body was flushed a bright pink, and her eyes shone with tears as she realized what he planned to do.

"Christine Daae," Erik began his voice shaky and hesitant. "Will you . . . Will you."

"Erik," Christine prompted quietly.

Erik stammered for another minute before he stopped in anguish. How could he be so scared?

"Christine," Erik said, in a sad voice. "I can't say it."

Christine slowly lowered herself down, beside him, and took his hands in her own. "Sing it to me."

Erik looked at her thoughtfully, "Pardon?"

Christine smiled kindly, "If you can't say it. Sing it."

Erik thought for a moment, for the right notes and lyrics, and then he began to sing in his deep baritone. As he sang he brought a small ring out from his chest pocket, and held it out to Christine.

"One perfect pebble -Just one humble stone.
But oh, what a stone can do - It means that I have one love forever
And one love alone
Now and Forever with you."

Erik sang with all his heart. He wanted his Christine to know how much she meant to him, and how much he loved her.

"Now and forever -As sure as the snow
As long as our music soars
I'll love you in a way that- I'll never begin to outgrow
I'll now and forever be yours."

As he softly held the last note, the Phantom gently reached for Christine's hand, and slid the beautiful blue gemstone onto her ring finger. He looked into her eyes with all the hope and sadness of the world, and asked her, "Will you be my wife, Christine?"

Christine was silent, tears pouring from her eyes as she looked down at the wedding ring. She knew she had to give him an answer, so she took a deep calming breath, and singing as one would sing a lullaby, she met his question with a song.

"Somehow I can see, just exactly how I'd be-

If I loved you, Time and again I would try to say- All that I'd want you to know.

If I loved you, words wouldn't come in an easy way. Round in circles I'd go.

Longing to tell you- But afraid and shy. . . I'd let my golden chances- pass . . . me . . . by.

Soon you'd leave me; off you would go- in the midst of day. Never, never to know . . . How I loved you. . . Oh, how I loved you."

As she stopped singing, she whispered on simple word.

"Yes."

A sob broke from Erik the second the word had escaped her lips. He crumpled the full way to the ground, and cried. His Christine loved him! And she had agreed to be his!

Christine cradled him, against her chest, stroking his back soothingly; though she herself was crying.

Erik straightened up and Christine laid her hand against his cheek. And after a moment she did something he couldn't comprehend. With purpose, the woman took the Phantoms' mask in her small hands and gently pulled it off. At first Erik cringed away, but Christine was firm, and turned his head so their eyes met.

She kept eye contact as she leaned forward and laid small butterfly-like kisses on his deformed face. Erik closed his eyes and felt the warmth of her lips. No one had ever kissed him before, or loved him as Christine did now. And he never wanted her to stop.

The kiddies are to be hitched! _ AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! *dances wildly* YESSSS~!

Anyway the songs I used are, "Now and Forever," by Barry Manilow. And, "If I loved you," from Carousel.

Still debating on changing the rating to M. We shall see. . . .

~Lyn Harkeran.