A/N: Thank you again to everyone for reading and reviewing! I have another long day at work today so your comments will make it brighter. Now… WARNING—this chapter lives up to its M rating and readers read at your discretion.

Chapter 21

For a moment, neither one stirred from their spots.

Erik kept his back to her; Christine still holding the mask in her tight grasp. Silence as thick as rope coiled around them, choking off any sounds. Christine's chest rose but not a single breath of air escaped her as she continued to stare at his back. An apology rose but quickly died once it touched her lips. How could she apologize for doing something as horrendous as breaking his trust? It was always an unspoken thing between them, and when it was brought up, she assured him he had nothing to fear from her. She even had joked she would never rip his mask off of him unawares.

How the cruel irony was now a slap to the face.

Deep down, Christine knew this wasn't her. She would never do something like this and it was another her… another Christine she was watching. The other Christine who was tormented with doubts thanks to her friends. That was the Christine who took the mask and not her. No… she loved him and she wouldn't betray him.

However, no matter how she wanted to twist the facts, the point remained… it was her hand that snatched the mask, the one shield of his, away and she did it because she allowed Raoul and Meg to get to her. To plant the seeds of doubt in her head about Erik, and ultimately chose them and not her heart.

If only she could take back those last ten seconds!

Without a word, Erik rose from his seat. His entire body tensed, his hands clutched into fists, and he began to shake.

"E-Erik?" she whispered, her free hand reaching to lightly touch his back.

The single touch caused him to quake even more and he jerked away from her, which Christine pulled her hand back as if burned. Whatever he did next… she deserved it… she was resigned to that. He could yell, curse, and Hell if he wanted to hit her… she would take it all and more because her actions were far worse than any punishment he could give.

She was bracing herself for his temper, knowing the last time he was upset… she had been frightened but she would not leave. Even if he demanded her to, she was not going to budge.

She hurt him and she needed to be punished.

Erik's hand went up to his cover his right side and finally… finally he turned around to face her.

He was panting, his turquoise eyes glowing in the dark giving off a yellow glint, and in the shadows… he looked like the angel of Hell.

"Why?" he hissed the one word. "Christine why?"

Her mouth was dry and she tried to speak, but nothing would come out. Instead, she looked at his hand covering his face and reached out once more.

Erik jumped away, the intensity of his eyes glowing brighter than ever. His lips were pulled back in a vicious snarl. "Answer me! Why Christine!"

What could she say? That she was driven due to all these suspicions? But the more she thought about it… there was more to it than what Raoul and Meg said. All this time… the pieces she picked up about Erik were few and she wanted to know the whole man. She wanted to know his secrets, his deep desires, his hopes. She wanted to know what happened back in Paris that he guarded so heavily from her. What caused him to lose his music? Yes, a woman was involved… but she wanted to know more about that part of his life.

Because she was in love with him.

Christine inhaled deeply and said, "I'm tired of the hiding. Please Erik… don't hide yourself from me now. Let me see you."

This time, when she reached for him, he did not attempt to evade her as she brought his hand away to reveal what she had always known all along.

Yes, his face was a gruesome sight to behold; a deformity that was unlike anything she ever seen before from the news or in the movies. But as she gazed upon him… the first word that came to mind was pain. His deformity looked painful.

There was hardly any skin to cover the right side of his face, and the little that was there, barely was enough as a barrier for the cool, hard mask. It was red and irritated and the tiny specks of white flesh looked sallow. His cheekbone was protruding, and the little veins exposed were bruised and black, dead from either the constant rubbing of the mask or from natural reasons. His right eye was sunk in, and she noticed he had no eyelashes or an eyebrow. His nose was completely missing—a gaping black hole was in the spot where it should have been; his lips were slightly bloated with the corner of the upper one being larger than the lower.

If she didn't know him, then she would have thought this was good make-up for a possible horror movie. But this wasn't a horror movie and he wasn't a monster… no he was Erik.

Her Erik.

Her Angel of Music.

She dropped the mask to the floor and gently cupped his exposed cheek. He winced, the air squeezing out from his tightly lipped teeth.

"Does it hurt?" she asked softly. He looked at her, baffled by her question.

"It… doesn't disgust you?"

"It's startling to be honest, but nothing I have seen and I have seen some crazy stuff. I told you. I'm the queen of horror movies and your face doesn't scare me. It could never scare me. You're my Erik."

Christine brought his face closer and gently brushed her lips against his. This kiss was different from past kisses, now that the mask was no longer an obstacle. She was able to deepen their kiss more, but before she gave into that pleasure, she wanted to know him better.

His swollen lips were an interesting paradox. They were both smooth and rough, and she did have to angle her face more in order to touch most of him. From there, she shifted her mouth, delicately kissing his jaw-line, and then slowly moving up his cheek, being mindful not to put too much pressure where there were exposed veins. Every taste, every texture was uneven, bumpy, and even a little soft in certain parts, but it was Erik. By the time she reached up to his eye, kissing his brow-bone, she could taste the salt of his tears as he collapsed to the ground.

Christine looked down, stunned, as Erik wept at her feet. "How-how could you touch it? How—?"

Christine lowered herself to his level so she could look him in the eyes. She held his hands and said, "Because it's you. I love you Erik. I know it's too soon, but when I'm with you… I feel like I found the other half of me. I had no idea what I was missing until you entered my life."

"Y-you love me?" he whispered brokenly.

She laughed. "You're the only Erik I know. Your face doesn't change anything, except you don't have to hide from me anymore."

In all of his pitiful existence, the one thing he ever wanted was for someone to gaze upon his grotesque features with love. As a man, he was rejected by his mother and in Persia… the slave girls all turned away from him, begging and pleading for death… He was only fooling himself to think a woman would look anything but contempt at him. Even when he did brave the possibility that Christiana would be different, he was still rejected.

As a vampire, the demon whispered that no woman would have him and they should be punished. How often did he take in delight in torturing young girls with his face exposed just so he could hear their screams? And from their screams, they would suffer so. The demon took great pleasure in Erik's sadistic ways, urging him on to destroy and kill. Love would never be in his grasp and the demon would remind him of that.

But Christine…

Seeing her loving expression, something in Erik rekindled. He wanted to possess her, seduce her, but he never thought he was capable of loving her. Love did not seem plausible not with the demon in the background.

Yet, right now, he couldn't hear the demon's voice. It was silenced with her declaration of love and her sweet kisses. Was it possible for this creature to love after all? Was it possible the demon would not kill her?

Erik was in awe over the sudden rush of emotions, especially since he could not remember the last time he cried. It had to be when he was once human. And now this angel kneeling on the floor beside him was telling him she loved him, she touched his face, she kissed his deformed features, and she still loved him.

She had no idea what she just done.

Her lips touched his again and this time… Erik kissed her back fiercely. His arms wrapped themselves tightly around her, bringing her closer to him. He couldn't believe this was happening! He couldn't believe this angel was real!

His fingers tangled in her curls, the softness of her robe rubbed against him. Then he remembered what he did and he pulled away, his head dropping so not to see her. As much as he longed to be a man right now… he knew he was a monster and she had no clue.

"Erik?" His name on her lips was raspy, her eyes glazed with desire.

"Christine…" He closed his eyes and sighed. "I…I don't deserve you."

The clouded look in her eyes began to fade as anger took over. "Don't you there turn away from me now Erik! If you bring up your face and how I'm going to regret this I will kick your ass. Don't think that I won't. I told you I love you and that's not going to change. I will love you tomorrow, the day after, and the day after that. There is no regret and you better not fucking regret anything either!"

He gazed at her in amazement. This… tiny slip of a woman who was sick still had the voice and power of a lioness. Mine… she's mine.

Without warning, Erik crushed her back to him, his lips ravaging hers. It didn't take long for them to go back where they were and she was tugging on his shirt. He didn't break contact as he lifted them up the floor, his tongue snaking in and out of her hot mouth as her nails scraped his chest. Erik walked them into his room, never once breaking a beat, as he sat her on the edge of the bed. He could keep kissing her forever, but she needed air.

He drew back as she let out a loud gasp and dragged his lips down her throat, taking little nips of her sweet skin. As the lust continued to build up within him, Erik focused on Christine, the sighs and moans and the other sounds coming from her mouth. There would be no interruptions, no repeats of last time. He would be in control!

Christine was on fire. There was no other way to describe how Erik touched her, kissed her. Each caress, each teasing taste of his mouth sent her reeling and she was desperate to feel him against her. The robe she wore was stifling and she pushed him away so she could quickly undo the ties around her waist. She fumbled with the fabric, cursing loudly as the knot wouldn't give at first. Finally, she exclaimed in sheer victory as the robe parted and she could push it off her shoulders.

Perhaps, if she had been in a sound mind, she would have waited for a different time for this moment. A time that would be a little more romantic, and not to mention, something sexier to wear instead of her PJs. Yet, she had been on the verge of a desire breakdown when she was around Erik. Maybe this wasn't how she fantasized them making love for the first time, but right now it still felt right and perfect.

The robe was tossed on the floor and she undid the first three buttons of Erik's shirt so she could attack the revealing skin. She kissed and licked her way up to his throat, making him squirmed and moan. She loved that she could do this to him. For every touch of her lips only sent him more in a frenzy and when she kissed his twisted features again… Erik let out an impassioned roar and tackled her on the mattress.

His shirt was gone and she barely had a glimpse of his pale chest before he covered her with his body, kissing her with every ounce of desire he felt for her. While they kissed, she allowed her fingers to do some exploring as she teased her way down his spine, tracing the strong contours of his muscles. He was cool to the touch, which was exactly what she needed and only aroused her more, as her body was burning in an intense inferno. Then her curious fingers trailed across his abdomen, causing him to pause to let out a hiss, before she could press her hand against his aching lust.

The delicate touch had Erik trembling and it brought a flood of tears to his eyes. This was making love… all this time he only committed mindless encounters with women to quench his need for the joys of the flesh and his bloodlust. Never once did he take the time to get to know a woman's body, feel her desire for him grow. Christine's face was flushed, her eyes burning into his with love and lust. Never had he seen anything so beautiful that he wanted to capture every second in his memory for all eternity.

As much as he wanted to slow things down, Christine had other plans as she rolled them over so she was on top. Her mouth was swollen and red from his kisses and a primal sense of pride washed over him. He did that to her. He put that dazed look on her face. Not the demon… no it was only Erik.

Christine had to catch her breathing and the change in positions gave her the chance to breathe while getting a better view. She knew he was lean and his body was a true work of art. In the moonlight, his chest was smooth and strong to the touch. She continued to ghost her hands across him, feeling each contour and… scars? She looked down and upon further inspection she saw the evidence of old scars that had been long healed, but left criss-crossed markings on his flesh.

She touched the scars tenderly, wondering who would do this to him. Erik saw the change in her visage and placed his hand over hers. She brought a tear-filled gaze to him and he smiled softly.

"Don't…" he bid. "It's in the past, long forgotten where it belongs."

"But—"

"Shh." He pressed a finger to her lips. "Not now."

She nodded and pressed a kiss to his finger. "I love you."

The look that he gave her filled her with joy, and although he had not voiced it yet, she knew that he loved her too. Christine kissed him lightly once more and reached for the bottom of her shirt. She lifted it over her head and threw it to the side. Immediately, Erik reached for her, taking her in his large palms. She let out a soft sigh as Erik massaged her aching breasts and then gasped as his mouth enclosed over her nipple. Being completely distracted, Erik rolled her over so he was above her.

She was divine! So beautiful… and he couldn't get enough of her body or her mews of pleasure. She tasted so sweetly and he switched from one breast to the other, making sure both were getting attention. Then he slid his lips down her stomach, dipping his tongue in her belly button, before kissing her back up and suckling at her neck.

Christine clung to him, her moans encouraging him, as she stretched her legs out so she could rub herself against him. He grinded back as another rush of wetness went between her legs. God this man was going to be the death of her! She wanted to drive him off the deep end, to move this further, and she took a guess seeing how fixated he was on this part of her anatomy. Christine kissed down his throat, opening her mouth wide enough to scrape her teeth against him before she lightly bit him.

Erik's eyes widened in shock as pleasure like no other coursed through him and down to his loins. It was urgent now… he had to have her.

He violently pulled himself from her and began pulling her pants down. The chilled air hit her legs and Christine shivered, but the heated look in his now golden eyes warmed her and he dove for her, his own pants now gone too. She didn't have time to process when Erik thrust into her, his head tossed back as he let out a low moan.

Erik was… well big. He stretched her and filled her to the brink that it was almost painful. Yet, her mind turned to mush as Erik moved over her, his short, deep thrusts bringing her closer to the edge. She arched her back, her nails digging into his back, as his movements grew frantic and desperate. She hardly felt his fingers holding her waist tight, keeping her lower half pinned, but all she could think about was yes…yes…right there! Right there!

"ERIK!" she cried as she came, but to her surprise, he didn't stop. Erik kept pushing, grunting in his throat, as she could feel a second climax building up in her. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as Erik drove her over the threshold once more, and he followed her, his body slamming against hers.

Breathing hard, Christine welcomed his weight on top of her, her arms cradling him. She pressed small, quick kisses over his forehead, as her fingers stroked the ends of his black hair. Erik lifted himself up and looked into her smiling face, a pleased look in her eyes.

"Wow…" she said and he had to chuckle.

"Christine." He ran a finger down her cheek to her chin. "I…I love you."

Her smile grew even wider as she raised her face to kiss him. When she could feel him hardening inside her, she pulled back with her brow raised.

Erik could only smirk and they were once more moving together in that age old dance.

xxXXxx

Raoul stopped at the apartment and knocked. He called Meg to see if she talked to her, but the blonde wouldn't give him any details. All she said was they talked and argued and that was all. He assumed Christine didn't believe her if they fought and thought he would take the risk and talk to her himself.

And this time he was armed with proof.

If Christine didn't want to believe that Erik was their killer, then fine but she can't argue with the facts that he was not the nephew of Joseph Buquet.

Raoul clutched the file inside his coat tighter, knowing he was putting too much on the line, but this was nothing compared to the other offenses he had already committed.

He knocked again and there was no reply. He pulled out his cell and tried calling her house phone. It rang until the answering machine kicked in. He debated on leaving a message, and decided to leave one. It was straight to the point with a request to call him as soon as possible. Perhaps she was in the shower and knowing her… it will be a while before she got the message.

Sighing, Raoul turned around to leave when he pulled back in surprise as Nadir Khan was coming down the hallway.

"If you're looking for her, I can assure you, she's not at home."

"What…? Have you been watching her?" Raoul asked, his voice rising.

"Mr. de Chagny, please," Nadir said, motioning with his hands for the young man to lower his tone. "After what you told me earlier, you should have known I would follow up."

"I didn't think you'd follow her!"

"It wasn't difficult to find her address. And you're right… her resemblance to Christiana Danvers is uncanny. The first time I saw her I didn't put two and two together, but she did look familiar."

"What? When did you see her?"

"In a café some days ago. Anyways, I was at the club she works at and there was no denying it now. I believe she is the reincarnation of Christiana Danvers or at least a distant relative of hers. Regardless, this situation is what I fear the most. The creature has had contact with her. I saw him walking out of her dressing room and when I came here… I was hoping to speak to her, but she had a visitor… a young woman with blonde hair…"

"Meg," Raoul said.

Nadir nodded. "Her visit was short but when I knocked… I had no reply. She hasn't left her apartment all day, but I believe she is with him."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's find the bastard!"

Nadir blocked him. "Listen to me. Going right now without any preparation is death."

"But you said—"

"Yes, I know what I've said. But this is not something you can rush into with guns a blazing in hopes to save the girl. He is a vampire! He has not survived this long on luck. No… we will wait for the opportune moment."

"But Christine…"

"Right now… I believe she is in no danger. If we were to go after the beast now, then we would be putting her life at risk. No. We will wait. As for now, it's best you will not do anything to interfere unless she comes to you. Don't object, it's what needs to be done and you know it."

Raoul was reluctant to agree, but the hunter had a point. If he was to go in swinging, then he would be signing his death warrant and Christine's. No… they had to wait for the right time to strike. As much as he hated that, he knew that was their best option to remain alive.

"Fine. But are you certain he won't hurt her?"

"Honestly… he won't hurt her unintentionally. Not when she looks like her. If anything, I believe he might see this as his second chance to reclaim what he always wanted. Even the demon can recognize what a man wants."

"And that is?"

Nadir looked straight in the young man's eyes, knowing this was going to hurt him.

"A mate Mr. de Chagny."

TBC…