A/N: I wanted to post this earlier but ff was not letting me log in. At last it is working again so here is the next chapter. Enjoy and review. I appreciate all my old reviewers and the new. I also would like to thank those of you who have favorited me as one of your favorite authors or one of my stories as your favorite. That is high praise indeed.

A/N: I did post this but it didn't show up on the page. I don't know if the alerts went out or not. I didn't get any reviews so I assumed no one knew it was up. I deleted it and now I am putting it back up. I hope it shows up this time.

Chapter Fourteen

Best Laid Plans

Raoul awoke with a headache. He had not gone to any club but did remember stopping at a small pub instead. He had drank a little too much or rather a lot too much. He had given it an honest try to be a scoundrel. In the end thoughts of being with another woman had paled when he considered how Crystal would view such an action. Even if she turned him away her good opinion of him mattered.

He could recall being approached by several ladies with not so ladylike words for him when he refused their company. He could clearly remember seeing Crystal's face with a very dark disapproving look on her face if he even looked in the direction of those women. The woman may as well have been sitting beside him.

Lord he dreaded facing everyone this morning. He could bathe away the stench of the night's debauchery but his bleary red eyes would give away how he had spent his evening. If what he remembered represented the sum total of his evening there had been little debauching being accomplished. Why could he not be an inconsiderate scoundrel?

Dragging himself unsteadily to his bath, Raoul set about making himself somewhat presentable so that when he joined everyone at the table for breakfast he looked less like death warmed over.

Erik arose in a most unfamiliar good humor. The last week or so of Christine's constant company had done wonders for his dark outlook on life. Just being able to speak with Christine without a wall or mirror between them, felt heavenly. Fearing fate would snatch it all away from him if he showed too much happiness outwardly, Erik only let a glimmer of the joy he felt shine through.

Their conversations had been the sort men and women exchanged when learning about one another. Christine he had soon come to know had been far more intelligent than he had given her credit for when he taught her. She could speak on many different subjects without seeming as if she thought herself more informed than he was himself.

She asked his opinions on many subjects. Never having spoken so comprehensively with anyone other than Crystal, Erik had at first been rather nervous in case he made a fool of himself.

He still broke out in a sweat whenever she came near. His hands shook and he had nervous ticks he had not been aware of until recently. This unmanly behavior most young men suffered but not men who had reached a certain age as he had.

Neither of them felt completely at ease with the other. Christine hung her head when she spoke to him. Often she stuttered over even the simplest of words. Fearing that Christine still had some residual fears concerning him and trusting him, Erik had spoken to Crystal asking for her opinion on the matter.

Guiltily he had not been aware Crystal had been having troubles of her own to such a troubling level. Instead of the bright happy person he knew and cared about, a reticent, sad eyed young woman had stood before him.

When he asked her what troubled her, he would not let her avoid the issue with the innocuous answer of 'nothing important, don't worry'. He had never known Crystal to be one not to want to speak freely of either her own troubles or someone else's.

Her philosophy had always been things were better brought out into the light of day as the best method to chase away the shadows of uncertainty. Since almost his entire life thus far had been mainly lived in the shadows it had not been a point easily won for her. With just a few pointed questions posed in a friendly manner Erik had learned more from Crystal than if he had badgered or threatened her. Neither method would he ever use on her anyway. Consideration for her kept him from using anything from his old repertoire.

He had to say that opening up to Christine had been hard but thus far she had listened to all his confessions with an open mind. From the expressions on her face he gathered she did not like much of what he had to say but she had not passed judgment on him by refusing his offers to escort her through the gardens.

Last night had been particularly lovely with a full moon. He had thought he might try to steal a kiss but his nerve had deserted him at the last moment. Perhaps his intent had not been so unexpected as Christine had kept sending him covert glances from under her dark lashes. When nothing had been said or he had not made any move to even hold her hand he would have sworn he heard her sigh.

When he had answered her question about the relationship between Crystal and himself she had seemed pleased with his answer. She had even laid her head on his shoulder and held his hand. He had not dreamed those two gestures would ever come from any woman willingly.

When she told him that they should probably return she had sounded disappointed. Her disappointment had been driving him mad for the remainder of the night. Today he vowed to be extra attentive and then when next they ventured into the shadows of the garden he would attempt to kiss her. If she refused at least he had tried. This stagnant place they were in seemed safe but did not allow them to progress beyond mere conversation.

He'd be damned if spent the next twelve years speaking to her from some shadowy corner as he had the last twelve of their acquaintance. He had claimed a place in the light and he would stay there whether or not Christine came to care for him as he did her or not.

From the little he had been able to tell she did seem to have an interest in him. He had not imagined her responses to him on the two occasions he had her within his embrace. Crystal assured him that she had seen a certain look in Christine's eyes, the sort a woman has for a man she finds attractive.

Her advice had been to keep things light for a few days while gradually increasing their intimate touches. He had braved taking her hand a few times but had quickly taken his hand away as it had been slick with sweat.

If he had to spend one more night inhaling her seductive perfume without doing something rash he should be given some sort of award for his reticence. All the while they held polite conversation his mind drifted toward scenarios where he kissed her senseless.

In those fantasies she kissed him back. A few times his fantasies had gotten a little too far from mere kisses. On those occasions he had to bite his tongue to keep from groaning aloud. If he had stood she would have been able to see his response to her very plainly poking against the front of his trousers.

He had heard men can go insane from deprivation of sexual contact. Was it any wonder he had gone slightly insane with the years he had spent in celibacy? His libido had been well and truly awoken these past few days. He must do something to find relief or go crazy once more.

Glancing at the clock he saw he did not have much time before he must join everyone downstairs. A cold bath seemed in order what with the stiff show his manhood was putting on after all those sinful thoughts of Christine.

Christine herself had been having some very inappropriate notions about Erik. Last night she had gone to Meg's room so she might tell her sister just what her mind had been conjuring up for her to see. She and Meg had always shared secrets. The only one she had kept had been about her tutor. Even then she had told Meg in the end about her Angel of Music.

They had talked until the sun began to rise this morning. To say she had been given a shock would be to put things mildly. Meg had her own confessions.

It would seem Monsieur de Chagny, Demitri that is, had been wooing her quite vigorously. Christine had not known whether to reprimand Meg or ask her the secret she possessed when she spoke of kissing Demitri and various other things.

In the end Christine had chosen knowledge over rebuking Meg for doing what young people the world over managed to do beyond the keen watchful eyes of their parents.

Meg had been quite proud of the fact that she had been the one to initiate that first kiss. Demetri had been trying to behave himself for her benefit. In the beginning she had found it charming but later it had been frustrating when all she could do was think of his lips on her own. One night she had been watching his lips while he spoke and the next she had silenced him very satisfactorily.

Christine had staggered to her own room to lay thinking about how she might use the information Meg had departed to her. Her heart beat pounded in her chest when she recalled those kisses she had given to Erik just before they separated.

Lord but the man had soft warm lips. For a moment Christine had been rooted to the spot in wonder. If he had not angrily told them to leave him alone and to forget all about him she would most likely have made a fool of herself.

In fact she had gone back to give him the ring in an attempt to have him begging her to stay. Instead he had looked at her with his green eyes drowning in tears and misery as he told her he loved her.

Why had he not asked her to stay once more? If he had asked maybe she could have found the bravery she needed to stay with him. She could remember how confused she had felt at that moment. One word from him and she would have told Raoul to leave without her.

Thinking how gallant Raoul had been and under the influence of love perhaps it had been best they left. If she had chosen to stay Raoul would have seen it as his duty to take her back where she would be safe in the arms of her family.

Knowing Madame as she did it would not be impossible to think she herself would have tracked them down. Meg had gone against her mother and traveled the tunnels to find Erik's home. She had gone looking for Raoul and her sister. Not knowing what she would face Meg had braved it all to find Christine.

With the mob searching his home Meg had taken Erik's mask then gone into the escape route Erik had hidden behind the mirror he had broken. He had not let her find him. If some of the stragglers of the mob had not found her Meg may well have died down in one of those tunnels. Erik had safeguarded his home very well with many traps.

When Erik had told her that he had been shot a couple of nights later, Christine had choked back the tears for all he had suffered. She would never be able to thank Crystal properly for all she had done for Erik.

If they could get passed this first kiss, Christine had plans how she could begin making things up to Erik for all his years of suffering. He needed some tender loving care. She would make it her life's mission to show him just what it meant to be loved by someone.

Yes, love. No more denials. Christine felt she had gone passed the fondness stage. Women did not feel as she did about mere friends. If she had been brave enough she would have jumped Erik long before now. In her dreams she had done much more than kiss him.

All those passionate operas and books she had read had not been wasted. They had fueled her mind with some very vivid imagery. It would not come easily for her to act so boldly but one of them had to make the first move. She felt it should be her so there would be no misunderstandings about her response.

He would know for certain how she felt about him. If it took more than one kiss she would not be adverse to that. Perhaps it might take several to convince him of her sincerity. Whatever it took she would willingly do it just to prove to him that she felt him worthy of her even if he did not.

She had not liked it when his moods took him into places where he could only see the bad in himself. When that happened she had to use her recollections of the many kind things he had done for her over the years.

Madame had told her Erik had given her and Meg support at times as well. It had not been his fault that almost everyone he encountered feared him, including herself at one time.

Now she knew all her fear of him had not been because of his criminal actions but because of all those confusing emotions he had brought out in her. Being naïve as to what those emotions meant she had hidden behind Raoul's safe broad shoulders.

Another type of man would have made her honor her promise to marry him or at least give more than kisses as a reward. Now that Erik had returned to her she felt glad she and Raoul had not gone beyond kissing. Truth be told she couldn't say he had even tempted her to want to do anything more, unlike…well unlike Erik who brought out a side of her that had been just under the surface waiting for the right man to light the fire.

Well that fire had been lit and only one man could douse the flames, her Angel of Music.