When she next awoke, rays of sunlight shone through the curtained windows and into her room. Stretching pleasantly, Christine rose from the bed, allowing herself to take her precious time in readying herself for the day, knowing they had a full day before travelling again. No sound came out of her as she laid out her only other dress, a beautiful green one she had chosen hastily from her dressing room, and the undergarments to go with it; then she walked towards the only other door in the room. When entering, she noticed the washroom was slightly changed from the last time she had been inside it - objects had been moved and reorganized, surely after Erik used them as she slept soundly in the bedroom. She shut the door behind herself, concluding her observations, and began to undress.

After her bath, as she clothed herself, she remembered one of Sorelli's well-known tips for the rest of the dancers. If her memory wasn't failing…

Ha! She thought triumphantly, some minutes later. Never before had she needed to tie her own corset, and it was embarrassingly easier than she had thought it out to be, but she was still proud of herself. Looking in the full-body mirror, she was pleased with how it looked and the sense of independence it gave her – with this new skill, there was now no need to repeat the previous day's ordeal of asking her companion for help ever again.

As she exit the bedroom, now fully clothed, she was surprised to have caught Erik in the midst of leaving the room. Christine smiled brightly and approached him.

"Good morning," she greeted joyfully, earning an amused stare from him.

"Good morning. Is there a reason for your particularly good mood today?"

"Must there be one?" She would definitely not explain why she felt so accomplished.

"I suppose not," he said. "I was just about to ask for breakfast to be brought up here."

"Please, don't let me stop you. If you wish, I could go myself," she offered kindly. She winced internally, realizing they had already gone through this same situation before, but this time he simply shook his head passively.

"Thank you, but I was just on my way. Excuse me."

This time, the door was shut quietly. Christine went to the balcony, breathing in the fresh air from the outside as she thought, looking out to the bustling streets of Rouen.

It hadn't even been two whole days since the incident at the Opera House; everything seemed to be going both so slowly and so quickly. She had expected him to have put up more of a fight to her loving advances - the Erik she knew before would have reacted aggressively, snapping pushing her away immediately. This version of him, however, seemed resigned and somewhat sad around her, like all of his lonely years had suddenly fallen on his shoulders heavily the moment she first kissed him. He complied with nearly all she said, but there were moments, some nearly invisible if she wasn't paying attention, that seemed like he was fighting for control. She shuddered when remembering one particular time where he'd looked at her, gaze fleeting yet haunting, before he shut his eyes and shook his head in earnest, as if flicking away all invading thoughts.

Perhaps he wished for such a load to be taken off him, though he didn't want to admit it; the trace of anger she had seen when he stopped her from leaving previously showed that, even though he was considerably less violent and definitely changed by that night, the fight within him was not over. She could only hope her actions and presence were a pillar to his strength.

She jumped visibly when he cleared his throat.

"Are you alright, Christine?"

"Yes, of course," she laughed, blushing. Erik stood a few feet behind her. "I've been thinking a lot, lately, and you caught me in the midst of it."

"I understand, but your meal is here."

They sat across from each other but, much to her disappointment, she was the only one with breakfast in front of her. She did not comment on it, however. They chatted lightly as she ate, but it was as she finished that Erik decided to speak of more pressing matters.

"I assume you don't have enough clothing with you, Christine."

"I don't," she agreed timidly. "I only had the bare minimum for one day and my money in my dressing room."

"That will not do if we are to travel more," he said, touching his chin as he glanced to the right. "There are some shops here. Would it be alright with you to buy some new clothes?"

"Yes," she replied in relief. "Will you be accompanying me?"

"Of course. Unless - you wish to go alone?"

"No, not at all," she replied quickly. "I just thought you'd be bored watching me shop."

"You're hardly a boring person, my Christine. I would like to visit an acquaintance after, if you're not too tired - I did have the chance to bring sufficient personal luggage until we've settled, so we will not be wasting time on myself."

"Very well."


Walking store to store with Christine on his arm was the most normality Erik had ever felt. Minus the occasional stare, they casually blended into the crowds, everyone blissfully ignorant of their identities, much to his relief. She happily dragged him along, asking his opinion occasionally when choosing hats and bodices and skirts to match, though she did quietly protest whenever he took over paying. The only time he chose to wait outside was when she required undergarments and she, of course, didn't say otherwise. After leaving her purchases at the hotel, they walked through smaller streets together, though they weren't linked at the arm like before.

"Thank you, Erik. Truly," she said, breaking their comfortable silence. He looked at her, then forward again.

"You need not thank me. It was… a pleasure."

She was silent once again as they turned to another street. He continued -

"If I remember well, his house is on this block."

"His? Who is he, Erik?" she questioned curiously. He breathed deeply before answering tightly.

"A man I met many years ago, during my days in Persia. I left with him some things I wanted kept safely out of Paris and my Opera House," he said. They stopped in front of a good-sized home, which Erik eyed for a second, then turned to face her. "We're here. Now, Christine, this man has always disapproved of my actions while living at the Opera, beginning with the fact that I even had a home there, though some time ago he relocated here from Paris. Though we have not spoken since he gave me this address, he will probably know all about the… incident. He may not be happy to see me."

"He wouldn't put you in jail, would he?" She asked. He chuckled dryly.

"No, I don't think so. He will most definitely believe I've forced you to become my bride, however."

"I shouldn't have come here, then. I could have saved you the trouble by staying back in the hotel -"

"No, it's better for him to know the truth now or else he might feel the need to track us down in the future -"

"Track us down?!"

"Hush, Christine; he was once a policeman," he sighed, taking on an annoyed tone with his next words. "And he is a good man who would be very worried about your wellbeing, should he hear that you are with me or otherwise missing. It wouldn't do well for you to be nervous; remain calm, for there is nothing to fear, and I will handle this."

"Fine," she agreed with a huff. They walked together and Erik knocked too forcefully for her liking, especially after a young woman, a maid, opened the door.

"Good evening, sir, madame," she greeted shyly.

"I've come to see the Daroga," Erik replied with slight impatience, making Christine frown. Who is this man? Why does meeting him make Erik's mood fall so quickly?

The girl nodded quickly after a curious look and asked for a moment before shutting the door. Erik snickered and Christine reached to touch his hand lightly. He sighed, but still seemed on edge. As soon as the maid opened the door once more, she moved back and told them directions to the Daroga's office. They stepped into the house and begun making their way there; Christine never let go of Erik's right hand.

A/N: I have always loved the Persian, and it makes me sad that ALW didn't include him in his version of the story. Apologies for the slight cliffhanger here but you'll meet him soon, I promise. Thank you for reading!