My apologies for the delay, but work is now taking priority. Don't worry - I'm still writing. :) Expect a chapter a week as we start to head into the last fourth or so of the story.

I loved reading all of your reviews! Hello to new readers! I'm thrilled with the response this fic is getting. You all rock and keep me going.

And now, onward to the aftermath.

Chapter 25

The washcloth had grown cold. She really didn't mind the temperature, which felt soothing against her inflamed skin, but she hurt all over, and she was tired, and the bed, which was hard and lumpy, called her name. Erik's quiet sounds of lament had given way to silence, and he was motionless in the near total darkness.

"Erik," she called softly. She gently pushed his hand away, sitting up and folding her arms across her bare lap. "I'm going to shower and get ready for bed."

He didn't answer, and she hadn't expected one. He was reacting the way she thought he might. She wasn't sure if she should touch him or not, so she grabbed her pants off the floor and held them in front of her as she stood.

"Can I borrow one of your shirts? I left my suitcase in the other room." And there was no way she would go knocking on Nadir's door right now.

"Of course," he responded in a throaty whisper, and she saw that as a sign of improvement. At least he was now talking.

Taking one of his white dress shirts with her, she went into the bathroom and turned on the shower as hot as she thought she could stand it. Walking felt weird, as though she was swollen between her legs, and the red marks on her wrists were definitely going to bruise. Erik had refused to let her touch him while they… had sex, and she did understand why, but she wished he had trusted her to keep her hands to herself if he had asked.

She didn't regret it, not at all, only that the moment might have been tenderer between them. Her heart broke whenever Erik's past came to the surface, and he had been so desperate to drive those moments away, seeking his comfort in her. She wanted to be that for him – the support he needed when he was at his most vulnerable. If they were going to truly be together, she had to be that and more.

Still, she winced as she washed herself, and for a brief second, the water going down the drain turned pink. She checked herself out with prodding fingers and didn't find anything that seemed like lasting damage. First times were supposed to hurt, right? At least a little? Only, she had expected the act to start to feel better after a while. And it hadn't.

Once out of the shower, she slipped on her underwear and buttoned up his shirt. She used the hotel's minimal toiletries to fresh up the best she could. She slid a towel across her shoulders so her hair wouldn't dampen her shirt, and walked out of the room.

From the light of the bathroom, she saw that Erik hadn't moved from his spot on the edge of the bed. He perked up a bit when he saw her. "Your… hair is wet."

"Yeah, they don't have a hair dryer, and I don't have a hair brush. I'm afraid it's a mess."

"Do you require help?"

She stared at him. Was he really offering to help her out with her hair? His body posture told her that he might be asking something else, the way he clasped his hands between his knees and sat slumped over. He wasn't necessarily asking to assist her with her hair, but rather asking is it okay if I touch you again?

"Sure, you can help," she said and came over to the bed, leaving the bathroom door open for a little light. She sat next to him, facing away so he had access to her hair.

He seemed to take a long time to finally decide to go through with putting his hands on her hair, but he did, a feathery touch that made her shiver. Methodically, he separated the tangled strands with his fingers. She had a tough scalp, but she could tell he was being particularly careful not to pull. When her curly strands began to drip again, he patted them dry with the towel. He continued even after he had likely finished finger-combing her hair, and the steady touch was soothing.

She woke to blankets being pulled up to her chin. The bathroom light was off, but she could see the slight sheen of Erik's white mask in the darkness. "I fell asleep?" she asked, groggy.

"For a little while," he murmured. "The hour grows late. You should go back to sleep."

"So should you." She pushed down the blankets and scooted back a little on the double bed, which wasn't nearly as wide as the giant bed from the stateroom. It was an obvious an invitation as she could make it without speaking.

"Christine, I-"

"Please."

His voice was pained. "How can you possibly invite me into your bed after what I did?"

"I wanted you to do it."

"But not like that!"

"You're right. Maybe not like that."

She watched him flinch at her admission, and while she didn't want to scare him away, she couldn't sugar-coat the reality of what had passed between them. She could at least admit this truth. She had wanted him for a long time, but he had hurt her, and he knew it.

However, she wasn't ready to admit to him what was truly on her mind: that yes, he had frightened her by his strength and willingness to take from her without his usual hesitation, but more than anything, she had frightened herself by how much she had enjoyed the lack of control.

Stretching out a beckoning hand, she said, "Please come to bed, Erik."

She could have added reasons why – she slept better when he was at her side, she didn't want him moping by himself, she needed to be close to him to ease her down from this weirdness she felt about had happened. But it was all too much, and she was sore and tired. If she had to press anymore, she was likely to start crying, and who knew how much that would set them back.

Luckily, she didn't have to plead anymore. His cool fingers folded around hers. "How can I ever be worthy of you?"

She tugged on his hand, and he followed her gentle urging, slipping under the blankets. For the first time, she turned facing away from him in the dark, and his hitch in breath told her that he didn't understand why she did so. She kept a grip on his hand, bringing his arm over and around her body, scooting herself closer within the circle of his arm. Soon, she was tucked against him, his fast breathing brushing the back of her hair.

His arm settled across her ribs, heavy and strong and exactly what she sought after.

"I chose you, didn't I?" she said.

He responded by pulling her more flush against him. He hadn't dressed for bed, and he still wore his mask, but tonight, she didn't care. He was holding her in bed, holding her close, and she was lulled to sleep by the steady rise and fall of his chest.

Nadir called them early the next morning, waking Christine with a jolt. She and Erik were much in the same position from last night, and she had to lean over him to answer the phone. As she moved, her whole body protested. She was sore in more ways than she had anticipated. Even her aching thighs quivered as they held her up for a moment.

She spoke quietly and quickly with Nadir, and then hung up. They had fifteen minutes to get ready with a long day of driving ahead of them.

When she lay back down, Erik was alert and watching her. He looked rumpled in his clothes, and his wig was slightly askew – something he fixed almost immediately. This was such a normal couple thing for them to do, waking up next to each other, even though she wasn't sure if Erik had been asleep.

Before she could wake up enough to grow shy, she laid her head on his chest and basked in another moment of being close to him. His shirt that she wore had worked up around her hips, but at that moment she didn't care. He seemed warmer than usual, whether because of the blankets or because they had slept against each other, she didn't know. Even though she did like his usual cooler temperature, the change was nice first thing in the morning.

"Nadir will be pissed if we are late," she said after a few minutes passed.

His arms tightened around her. "And this worries me because…?"

"Erik!" She laughed against his chest. "He works himself into a frenzy worrying about both of us. I don't want to bother him more than necessary."

He seemed to ponder this. "Yes, if he had a heart attack, who would make sure my bills were paid?" Erik reluctantly pulled away and sat up. He padded toward the bathroom and went inside, shutting the door behind him.

Presently, Christine heard the sounds of Erik getting ready – the toilet flushing, running water, the tap of a toothbrush. These were all such normal sounds of things people did, but she had never actually witnessed or heard Erik doing any of them. How weird was it that she had never seen him brush his teeth? She knew he did – he often tasted of toothpaste, and she knew he was adamant about brushing before she even woke up.

By the end of today, they would reach the safe house, a residency of Erik's that she assumed would likely be a lot different from his home underneath the Paris opera. After that… then what? Even though she had decided to stay with him, live with him, be with him for as long as that lasted, she had never really thought about the details.

"Christine."

She blinked up at him and realized she was still lying in bed. She jumped up and took her turn in the bathroom. Her suitcase was still in Nadir's room, so she would need to get it in order to change her clothes, but she could use what the hotel provided to at least freshen up. She did put on her bra, wanting to look a bit more like her typical self before seeing Nadir.

They didn't have to wait long before Nadir was knocking on the door. He entered with both his bag and hers, and she grabbed a set of clothes to wear, changing quickly in the bathroom. She felt better once she was fully dressed, though she immediately regretted choosing jeans. The thick seam between her legs was already starting to dig into her.

She also tossed on a green cardigan over her blouse. In the brighter light of the bathroom, dark purple bruises were visible on different points of her wrists. They didn't really hurt unless bumped, and she knew why Erik had done it – to keep her from touching him – but the sight was appalling. Likely, Erik's sharp attention had already noticed them, but at least this way she could keep them out of focus.

"Let's go!" she announced to both men.

It was not quite six o'clock in the morning. Nadir went first, followed by Erik, followed by Christine, the two shielding the masked man in case they encountered anyone in the halls. Nadir knew which passages to take that led quickest to the parking lot, having already checked them out, and when he pulled out keys, a large white van nearby lit up.

There were two front seats and a bench seat behind the front. In the back of the van, a large crate took up much of the rest of the room, and Christine guessed this was the same box in which Erik had traveled in the cruise ship. The sight made her shudder, but she ignored it the best she could. Erik sat in the middle of the back seat while Christine took up the front passenger seat. Nadir would drive.

As Nadir pulled them onto the main road, he flipped on a radio station that sent classic rock reverberating throughout the van's cabin. He was cheerful, singing along to the Who's "My Generation."

Christine glanced over her shoulder at Erik, who was trying to bore a hole in the back of Nadir's head with his glare. She swung back around to hide her grin.

Without stops, they had ten hours until they reached Saint-Ursanne, Switzerland. They had to travel into France for a little while before popping over to the other country. Since Erik didn't have a passport, or any type of papers at all, he would have to return to the crate for brief periods while they passed through borders.

It was going to be a long day.

The passage from England to France went smoothly. Both being in the European Union, the transition from one country to the next was easy. They had traveled through the Eurotunnel across the Channel, a new experience for Christine, and arrived in France only a couple hours into the drive.

Nadir had driven them at a brutal pace, stopping only to fill up the van. He let Christine buy snacks later in the morning after they made it inside the French border, but her stomach was rumbling by the time he felt it was safe enough to stop for a late lunch. He pulled over somewhere in the middle of nowhere in France, east of Paris, and bought them all sandwiches.

Erik, for the most part, stayed silent and sullen in the backseat. Throughout the drive, she could feel his eyes on her. Even when she tried to include him in conversation, he wouldn't say much, responding with short replies if he answered at all. She wasn't sure why he was so despondent, if it was because of last night or something else.

Either way, she was getting sick of the sullen mood in the van. More often than not, she caught him with his head tilted back, eyes closed as though he was napping. Maybe he was still exhausted from his ordeal in the crate. She joined him for an hour of rest herself, leaning her cheek against his shoulder as she dozed.

Nadir did try to lighten things up, which she appreciated. She mostly rode up front with him in order to draw attention away from the back of the van to any nosy passersby. If Erik wanted to sulk, that was on him, but the older man at least made for some good entertainment. Christine wanted to be excited about this last stage in their journey. By the evening, she would see where she would be living for who knew how long.

After they stopped for lunch, Christine offered to drive for a while. Nadir had been driving for over six hours by this point, and she thought he might like some rest before they reached the more mountainous region of southern France. She was too nervous to maneuver the large and unwieldy van on anything but straight highways.

He nodded and shot her a grateful look, pulling over at the next opportunity.

They switched places while Erik drummed impatient fingers on one knee. Nadir got in first, shutting his door, while Christine used the hand rail over her head to haul herself into the high seat.

Unfortunately, she flopped into the hard cushion of the seat quicker than she intended, causing her jeans to rub in a most unpleasant way against her soreness. She stifled a gasp, but not hurriedly enough for Nadir not to notice.

"Are you all right?" he asked, frowning at her as he buckled his seat belt.

"Y-yes," she said. She was too quick to dismiss his comment, and she could feel him eyeing her.

She turned on the engine and set both of her hands upon the steering wheel. In hindsight, she probably should have thought more about her actions, but she was too eager to get them back on the road. As she stretched out both of her arms, the sleeves of her cardigan rode up, exposing her wrists.

And the dark bruises that encircled them.

Nadir's brown eyes widened.

She glanced at him, trying to keep her eyes on the road. "Nadir, don't worry about it."

"What happened?"

Behind them, Erik had turned his attention forward, sitting up a little.

"N-nothing," she said, the lie fleeing her mouth.

"That doesn't look like nothing," Nadir said, anger coloring his tone.

"It's fine. Really!"

Nadir swung around in his seat to Erik, who looked back at him calmly. "Did you do this to her?"

"Nadir-" Christine interjected, but Nadir cut her off.

"Did you, Erik?"

The masked man met Nadir's hard stare unflinchingly. Then Erik gave a small, almost unnoticeable, nod.

Nadir threw himself back in his seat, gesturing at Christine. "Pull over. Now."

She huffed a sigh but did as he asked. Before the van had even stopped moving, Nadir was out of his seat, out of the van, and wrenching open the door to the backseat. Luckily, they were in a fairly remote area with few cars passing by.

Nadir leap into the doorway and grabbed the front of Erik's suit with two hands, yanking him out of the vehicle. Christine yelped and scrambled to join them, running around just as Nadir slammed Erik into the side of the white van. All the while, Erik remained silent, yielding, allowing Nadir to manhandle him, his own arms limp at his sides.

"I trusted you!" Nadir spat, fisting Erik's clothes. "I trusted you to take care of her, to protect her. I thought of all the people in the world, she wouldn't have to be protected from you."

Erik's nostrils flared, but he said nothing.

Christine stood wringing her hands, unsure what to do as the two men stared each other down.

Nadir was livid, face red. "She brings out the man I know you are, the man I see you can be. And yet, again and again I have to witness how you do your best to mess it up. I have stood by while you two have tried to sort yourselves out, watching as she cried over you. I bought the damned ticket that brought her to you, Erik!"

Erik's eyes burned, narrowing. "Are you quite finished now?"

Nadir responded by releasing one hand from Erik's clothes long enough to make a fist and punch Erik on the unmasked portion of his face. Erik's head jerked to the side, bright red flooding to the surface of his cheekbone. Christine yelped at the sudden violence from the usual docile Iranian.

Nadir released him and stepped back, rubbing his knuckles. "Maybe I made a mistake when I encouraged her to choose you."

In a flash, Erik jumped upon the other man, spinning him around and trapping him with an arm around his neck, the curve of his sharp elbow threatening to cut off Nadir's air supply. Though Nadir clutched at Erik's arm, he held still, even as Erik slammed them both against the side of the van.

"You get one free punch, old man," Erik growled. "But if you try to take her from me, I really will kill you."

Christine leaped forward. "Stop it, both of you! Erik, let him go!"

Erik ignored her. Not even Nadir spared her a glance. The two men were too focused on each other. They raged in silence for a span of time before Nadir cut in with a wheeze of choked words.

"How could you do such a thing?"

The tension seemed to flood out of Erik. He loosened his grip, allowing Nadir the freedom to take a deep breath.

"It is my shame," he whispered.

He released the other man, stepping away, unable to look at either of them.

Christine slapped her palm against the side of the van, the loud noise causing both men to swing their gazes to her. She was so angry at both of them, but especially at Nadir. Even though he was trying to uphold some sense of her honor, she was in no mood. She had been stuck on a cruise ship for a week, stuck in a van for the better part of a day, and now Nadir was poking at wounds that she wasn't ready to deal with, especially not with him around.

"I don't need you to defend me," she said to Nadir. "It was all consensual and frankly, none of your business!"

He at least had the presence of mind to seem a little abashed.

She turned to Erik, softening a little. She had to say something to him, something to banish that guarded look he gave her. She spread her hands. "None of this is easy. I never expected it to be easy. I knew very well a week ago what I was getting into. But I'm here, aren't I? I stayed. And over time, we will have to learn how to deal with each other in better ways. We will have to continue to figure it out as we go. Okay?"

His amber eyes had a sheen to them she didn't often see. Erik drew himself up, coming out of his slumped over stance, straightening his body to his full height. His jaw worked as though he might speak, but instead, he swept down in a low bow.

She nodded, satisfied for the moment. "Now, both of you get back in the van. We have a full tank of gas, and I'm ready to see where I'm going to be living."

Without protest, the two men resumed their positions in the vehicle, again with Christine at the wheel. She checked her mirrors, turned the radio to classical, and pulled them back onto the highway. None of them spoke much after that.