A/N: wow, this took a long time, but i decided to buckle down and finish all my fics starting with the ones that are farthest along. anyway, enjoy!


Chapter 11: Heading for a Trap

"Commodore," Daniel groaned, leaning on the desk Raoul was sitting at. "She won't stop yelling."

"Alright," Raoul grumbled back, standing from his chair and walking around the desk. "What is she yelling about?"

"What else?" Daniel retorted with a shrug as he followed his Commodore to the door. "She keeps spewing some nonsense about you being a traitor and leaving a man for dead."

"Still?" Raoul mumbled, not as confident as he should have been.

"Is it true that the pirate that kidnapped Miss Daaé is her brother, Sir?" Daniel asked as they crossed the deck.

"Unfortunately," Raoul muttered as they stopped at the hatch leading to the brig and sighing as he heard feminine yells and shouts.

"Then she's leverage, Sir?" Daniel wondered as Raoul started down the hatch.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that, Captain," he replied and Daniel only nodded and walked away to leave Raoul to take care of their newest guest on board.

Raoul sighed again as he heard rattles of the iron bars along with the shouts and trudged toward the cell that the sounds were coming from. The sounds abruptly stopped when he reached the cell and he gazed at the young woman in it. Her piercing turquoise blue eyes burned with contempt and her long, ink black hair was tangled as it draped loosely behind her, her chemise tattered but he could tell she didn't care. Her jaw was set in anger as her gaze bored into him, her hands gripped the bars of her cell so tightly, her knuckles were white. Raoul fancied she was imagining the bars were his neck.

"Won't you calm yourself, Krystal?" Raoul hoped. "You're very distracting to my men with all this ruckus you're making."

"I don't care!" she spat. "I don't want to be held by the likes of you! You who left my brother for dead on a burning ship!"

"Even if that was true," Raoul began, tactfully, "how did you hear about that?"

"Some of the pirates that raided the ship were talking about it," Krystal replied, still seething. "They said they heard somebody yelling for help and saw you leaving the ship before they jumped overboard themselves!"

"How do you know it was Erik that was screaming for help?" Raoul retorted, getting irritated with her.

"I've heard rumors about a pirate captain with eyes as green as the sea and hair as black as the night sky with a ship called the Phantom Pirate," Krystal shot back. "I've heard he wears a mask to cover half of his face. His description matches perfectly with Erik's. I'm not stupid, Raoul!"

"I never implied---"

"Let me out of here, you traitor!" she shouted, rattling the door a little more. "I won't stay here another second with you! You almost killed my brother!"

"Your brother has kidnapped Gustave's daughter!" Raoul snarled, stepping closer to the door of her cell and her face changed from indescribable anger, into utter astonishment. "He came back to Port Monarch, raided the town and kidnapped Christine. Tell me who you think is the worst of the two of us after knowing what he did! One of his men shot Gustave, Krystal! He could have been killed!"

"No," Krystal breathed in disbelief, shaking her head, deftly and slowly backing away from the bars. "It's not possible. If Erik went back…he never would have let that stand. He would have ordered they not kill anyone, no matter who it was." Her astonishment turned to anger and she shoved herself against the bars again to cry, "You're lying, you sea snake! Erik would never willingly do such a thing! Let me out of here!"

She shook and rattled the bars in her hands as Raoul only stared at her until she began sobbing and she slumped to the floor. He knelt down and listened to her sob, but didn't reach out to her. He knew she wouldn't want him to touch her. It would only set her off again.

"You've been away from civilization too long, Krystal," he murmured. "I'll take you back after we rescue Christine. But I need your help with that. I need you to talk Erik into setting her free. He'll listen to you. Tell him it's the right thing to set her free and turn himself in."

Krystal took in a breath, ceasing her sobs and slowly looked at him with tears running down her bloodshot eyes and a trembling lower-lip.

"Turn himself in?" she breathed, standing slowly but he stayed kneeling and stared up at her. "Turn himself in?! He became a pirate to find me! I've heard the stories of his raids; how he leaves everyone alive, and only kills those who attempt to kill him first! He only plunders from rich nobleman. People like you with all your riches and glory! What do you have after those riches are gone?! What do have after he has taken them from you?! Nothing! And that's how the commoners under you feel! Your servants and your maids and butlers! They all feel like they have nothing! I applaud my brother for taking what you don't need! What should be given to those in need! I will not let him be taken down by the likes of you!"

Raoul sighed as he stood and she breathed, heavily in rage and from her speech leaving her breathless.

"He may raid for riches, Krystal," Raoul began, "but it's not the riches he stole from me. He stole my love. My fiancé. She is everything to me."

"You still know how he feels, then," she replied and Raoul lifted a brow at her. "Losing her, your 'everything' has been the equivalent of what he lost. He lost me to pirates, and after your betrayal, he lost the rest of his family. That was his everything. He's reached his objective with you."

"So you admit he purposely kidnapped Christine!" Raoul snarled.

"I'm not saying that at all," Krystal replied, calmly. "He would never do that, despite what you may think. She was probably taken by one of his men as an offering to him. That's what I was when the pirates took me away. The men thought their captain would be pleased with me, so they took me to him. But you shouldn't worry about that either. Erik won't hurt her or even touch her."

"You haven't seen your brother in ten years," Raoul shot back. "You couldn't possibly know if he's changed from the man you knew him to be when you were taken."

"He's my brother!" Krystal spat. "I know him better than he knows himself!"

Raoul stared her down for a moment and realized that asking her for help was all for naught. She would never talk reason into her brother when she was being unreasonable herself. He sighed and told her, "Stop making such a fuss. I'll have the cook bring something for you in a while. I'm sorry you have to stay here, but I don't have any other place for you that I'm not sure you would try to escape from."

"So you admit, I'm a prisoner," Krystal snapped and Raoul only shook his head.

"No," he replied. "But I'm sure you see it that way."

"I was better off with that pirate captain whose ship you sank!" Krystal snarled as he walked away and as Raoul ascended the stairs he muttered something to himself, something he thought she didn't hear but she had, and found it interesting and mysterious.

He muttered, "You weren't better off with him."


The Next Morning...

Christine stood on the port side of the ship, gazing out at the sea as the crew of the Phantom Pirate bustled around the ship. She had taken her breakfast with Erik who now stood at the helm while John stood by her side, fidgeting and anxious. He'd been shifting on his feet for some time now and Christine would glance at him in wonder, but never said anything.

Finally having enough of it she turned to him and asked, "John, what's the matter?"

John snapped a wide-eyed, sky blue gaze at her and asked, "Beg your pardon, lass?"

"You've been antsy all morning," she observed. "What's the matter?"

John swallowed and turned his gaze back to the sea as she frowned at his hesitance. He was usually quick to respond to her queries, but his reluctance to respond was piquing her curiosity and she couldn't help but wonder if something was terribly wrong.

"It's our course, Miss Daaé," he finally replied, still not looking at her. "It's changed."

"I noticed," she nodded. "Is it where we're headed that makes you nervous?" John only nodded, but when he didn't elaborate she asked, "Where exactly are we headed, John?"

He swallowed again and glanced at Erik who still stood at the helm then looked to the girl next to him, catching her eye and their gazes locked as he whispered, "we're headed straight for the Intrepid, lass."

Christine's amber eyes widened and she instantly whirled around to stare her wide-eyed gaze of horror at Erik. He caught her gaze and frowned in wonder at her sudden terror but she said nothing as she hurried toward the stairs of the forecastle toward the helm.

"Lass! Wait!" John called, running after her, but she ignored him as she hurried up the stairs. Erik, still frowning moved away from the helm, handing it off to one of the other sailors as he met her half way toward the stairs and she stopped at the top step with John behind her.

"Christine, what---?"

"Are we really headed toward Raoul's ship?" she asked, instantly and Erik shot a look of anger at John who only swallowed and said nothing but his attention was drawn back to Christine when she said, "You know you're committing suicide if you do! He'll kill you!"

Erik stepped toward Christine and took her wrist firmly into his hand to lead her past John and back down the stairs as he ordered, "Mr. Stewart, take the helm! I'll have words with you later!"

"Aye, Captain," the Irishman replied, stepping toward the helm as Erik pulled Christine into his cabin, shutting the door behind them.

"Christine, I would appreciate you not saying such things in front of my men," he requested, turning to her as she stood next to the table. "You'll make them nervous."

"They have every right to be," she shot back and Erik frowned at her. She was in her fiery mood, and although he liked seeing her that way, he didn't much like the tone she was giving him at the moment, but she continued, "I know she's your sister, Erik, and I know Raoul is your enemy now, but heading straight for him is suicide!"

"If you say that word one more time, I'm throwing you in the brig," he ground out, irritated at the fact that she was interfering with things she couldn't possibly understand, at least he thought she couldn't. "I don't like your tone, Christine."

"You're headed straight for a trap," she resumed, just as angry as he was now. "He knows you'll come for Krystal, and that's what he's counting on."

"Suddenly you are an expert in tactical warfare?!" Erik shot back, stepping toward her and gripping her arms. "You forget, he and I were both officers. You were not even born yet!"

"I may not know war, but I know Raoul," she replied, suddenly calm, and Erik's grip loosened on her arms as his expression of rage softened. "He's intelligent, and this is what I think he would do if he were thinking with a devious mind. He'll trap you using Krystal, and meet you head on. He knows she's your weakness."

"She's not the only one I have now," he murmured, seriously and she knew he was referring to her. "That's why, when we meet him, I want you to stay in this cabin. Under no circumstances are you to come out of that door, do you understand me?"

"Erik---"

"Am I clear, Christine?" he cut in before she could object. "This is one thing you cannot fight me on. It's for your own safety."

"If I do that he will board you and turn this ship upside down looking for me!" she snapped.

"I'm counting on that, my dear," he murmured, leaning toward her now shocked and confused expression. "Once he's on my ship, he'll have no where to go. Krystal will be safe, you will be safe, and I can take care of him without too much fuss."

"Stop," she pleaded softly, making him frown at her tone. Her eyes were filling with tears and when she realized he was staring at her she cast her eyes down, unable to control the first few soft sobs that she let out. "He may be your enemy, and I may have accepted that, but he is still my friend, Erik. I can't so easily hear you talk about how you're going to 'take care of him'."

Erik felt guilt clench at his heart as she still didn't look at him and gave a few more quiet sobs. He chanced to pull her closer and when she didn't struggle against him he held her close to him, leaning his chin on her head as she buried her face into his chest.

"I'm sorry, my dear," he murmured. "Sometimes, I forget who I'm talking to. But I think this is all the more reason you should stay hidden when we reach the Intrepid, so you'll not have to see us fight, and fight we will, unfortunately."

"Please," Christine shuddered as she pulled away enough to lift her head and look at him to continue, "Try not to kill him. I'm sure, what he did to you was an error in judgment on his part. You are both older now. Surely the two of you can sort this out…reasonably?"

"If he wanted reason, he should not have taken my sister," Erik replied in a low tone, looking into her eyes. "If he wanted reason, he would not have sunk Xenos's ship. A ship that was carrying my sister, pirate or no. No, Christine, he knows what he did that day, and he's been trying to make atonement for it ever since by playing Marine and Suitor to you to make himself look respectable to your father and Antoinette. He has everything I strove for, but he didn't work for it, he took it from me. That night as I called for help, he weighed the options and found one in his favor, so he took it. He only cares for himself, Christine. I think, somewhere in your heart, you know that."

He let go of her and stepped walked toward his desk to lean on it, suddenly exhausted as Christine only stood at the table, frozen in place, her mind running a million miles per second.

"He made his choice, Christine," Erik suddenly said, walking toward her and standing next to her for a moment, but she didn't look at him. "Now he must suffer whatever consequences will be delivered to him. I can't say I don't relish the thought of his punishment for what he put me through, but I do wish it hadn't involved you or your father. I'm sorry, Christine."

He stepped toward the door but she stopped him from opening it and stepping out of the cabin when she called, "If you didn't want my father and I to get tangled into all this, why did you go back to Port Monarch?"

Erik froze as his hand reached the handle of his cabin door. He straightened and turned to face her as she stared at him with a burning gaze.

"I went back searching for Krystal," he replied, and Christine's gaze softened. "I had heard reports that she had gone back, but obviously either I was lied to, too late, or my sources were mistaken. I told my men not to take any hostages, not to kill anyone, but I cannot be with my men all the time. I stayed on the ship because I knew that people would recognize me, even though it was years ago since I'd been there. Gustave and Antoinette would have known my face right away."

"But why let your men raid?" Christine asked, angered at the memory of the fear and panic she felt when his men had invaded. "Why not just let a few men go ashore and look for her?"

"Impossible," Erik replied simply, with a slight shake of his head. "They look too much like pirates. They would be questioned and my ship would have been crawling with Marines before I could even think of a plan to escape."

He sighed, tiredly again and stepped toward the table to sit on the edge as Christine stood in front of him. He suddenly lifted his hands, beckoning her to place her tiny ones into them and when she did, he pulled her closer to continue.

"The order was to bring any woman with blue eyes and black hair back to the ship, and not to harm her," he continued, running his thumbs over her fingers as he gazed down at them. "I never thought they would bring back a girl to appease me. When I saw you and knew you weren't my sister, I decided to simply play along with it, but I was furious that they hadn't obeyed me. When you told me one of them had killed your father, that was the last straw. I killed that man to remind them who was captain, but…"

She frowned when he trailed off and let go of one of her hands to rubs his eyes then continued, "I'm exhausted. Keeping a ship of unruly men from mutinying is wearing me out. In the Navy, all I had to do was give an order and it was done without question and to the letter. Here, it's different. They question me from time to time and try to exceed their orders, thinking it will make me happy." He lowered his hand to hold hers again and murmured, "But I must get Krystal back, no matter what."

Christine could here the exhaustion in his tone and knew it was taking a lot to admit this to anyone, let alone her. She felt tears prick her eyes in empathy for him, sharing his weariness and loss of his sister. She stepped closer to him, sliding her hands from his to wrap them around his neck and pull his head under her cheek, his ear hearing her heart beat. Sighing in contentment, his arms slid around her waist to hold her closer.

"I shouldn't be so soft," he murmured as Christine ran her fingers through his unruly hair, soothingly. "How is it you always manage to pull all my feelings out into words?"

"I don't know," she whispered back, honestly then smiled, "I only ask a question and you see fit to tell a whole story."

Erik scoffed and lifted his head to smile up at her as she kept her hands in his hair. Her heart sank when she noticed a small tear had escaped down his visible cheek, and without a word she leaned toward him and kissed it away, but before she could pull away from him, he caught her mouth in a passionate kiss.

She moaned against his lips when he parted her lips with his tongue as he stood and turned them until her back was facing the table, then gripped her waist and lifted her to sit her onto it, his lips never leaving hers. His hands ran down her waist to her knees as his mouth left hers to trail warm, wet kisses down her neck, and his hands parted her knees before he stepped closer to her.

"Captain!" John shouted, bursting through the door.

"What?!" Erik barked at him as Christine tried to push him away out of embarrassment, but he was unmovable as he stared angrily at his first mate.

"It's the Intrepid, Sir!" John replied, knowing Erik wouldn't be angry for long. "She's off our port bow, Captain!"


A/N: ok, wow. things are gettin heated, arent they?! reviews?