Ack! Weekends just get so busy! Out of town one day, then Super Bowl party (How about them Giants? Suck it Tom Brady!), it's just been crazy. Fortunately, I'm now ready with our next chapter. It has a little bit of angst, some phluph, and as always, a fun song.

Oh, and we also have Gerry singing, as usual. He's on a Maroon 5 kick today, and he's serenading me with "Sunday Morning". And he has Angel Food cake with strawberries for you.

The One

There was talk of lawyers, of lawsuits. There were tears and shouting. Christine hadn't seen this side of Erik in a long time, but she was so angry, hurt, and shaken that she really couldn't blame him. She was ready to spit nails herself.

They had been sailing smoothly along after their honeymoon. Erik had been back at work for around a month, but after catching up on things, he had arranged his schedule so that most of the time he could handle things at home, only going into the office a few days a week. That allowed for the couple to spend most days together. Erik had been looking around for a record label for Christine. He insisted that she move forward with their plans for her career, and although she was nervous, she was excited about maybe having an opportunity to fulfill her and her father's dreams of a singing career.

Then that blasted tabloid article came out, and shook their lives horribly. Someone who supposedly been at the hotel "That Night", as they referred to it between themselves, had suggested that Christine and Erik had shot Raoul themselves, and somehow bribed the investigators to say otherwise. It wouldn't have been so bad, except that a few of Erik's enemies from business jumped on the bandwagon, talking about how ruthless he was in business, and how it wouldn't have surprised them if this was true. As the weeks went by, the story kept growing and growing, spreading further till they couldn't even leave their home without reporters hounding them.

Erik was livid. He couldn't decide what to do first, sue the reporter or find out who this shadowy "Someone" was and throw them from the roof of the Chrysler Building. Didn't anyone remember how his wife almost died because that monster shot her? How was that getting overlooked? But it was. This rumor was far more sordid and mean-spirited than the truth, so it took off like a rocket. But what hurt most was Christine's pulling away. She became distant, and while he knew that it was more because of her pain at this, he still would gladly have killed everyone connected with this. But Erik didn't know the real reasons behind her distance.

When it first came out, Christine simply said "Let's just let it slide by. If we try responding, it will only make the story last longer." But since it stayed around anyway, she was beating herself up every day for not allowing Erik to handle it immediately. She knew now that the hope that it would die down was silly and foolish on her part. She couldn't handle seeing Erik's anger and hurt at the situation, and Christine couldn't help but blame herself. She kept thinking that if Erik had never met her, he never would have had this pain. She knew he still sometimes had nightmares about the night she was shot, and she felt that she wasn't worth this pain for him.

Finally Erik had enough. He called his lawyers and told them to prepare a libel suit immediately against any newspaper and reporter that had anything to do with this story. He knew Christine had wanted to just leave it alone, but since it was now tearing at his marriage he wasn't taking any more. Then he began a plan to bring Christine back to him.

She was lying down in the bedroom when she started smelling what she assumed was dinner. She hadn't eaten much in the last few days, and had taken to eating alone, not wanting to see the pain and anger in her husband's eyes. But her stomach growled insistently, and she decided to go and see what was cooking. When she walked out, she was greeted by dozens of roses all around the rooms. Erik appeared instantly, taking her hands in his. "Christine, my love, please, don't shut me out anymore. I can handle anything the world throws at me, but only if I have you by my side. As long as I have your love, I can fight anything." He spoke fervently, the love and need showing plainly in his eyes.

Christine's eyes welled up with tears as she asked "But isn't it all my fault? If you hadn't met me, you wouldn't have any of these troubles?" He put one hand to her lips, halting her words and replied "I wouldn't have love. I would be a troubled, hurt, angry man, totally alone. Do you think I want that life? I need you desperately, dear. I can't live without you." Then he kissed her, pulling her close as both of them wept tears of relief at the love surrounding them.

As they pulled away from the kiss, Erik began slowly swaying, still holding her tight. He gently started singing:

"No rush though I need your touch
I won't rush your heart
Until you feel on solid ground
Until your strength is found, girl

I'll fill those canyons in your soul
Like a river lead you home
And I'll walk a step behind
In the shadows so you shine
Just ask it will be done
And I will prove my love
Until you're sure that I'm "the one"

Somebody else was here before
He treated you unkind
And broken wings need time to heal
Before a heart can fly"

Christine smiled through her tears. It felt like everything was better, just by being in Erik's arms like this. 'Why did I pull away from him?' she thought to herself, mentally promising to never be that stupid again. When she snuggled even closer to him, Erik felt a burst of relief. He knew that they would make it through together, that he wouldn't lose the one part of his life that meant everything. He sang the bridge of the song, whispering it close to her ear:

"Trust in me and you'll find a heart so true
All I want to do is give the best of me to you
And stand beside you

Just ask it will be done
And I will prove my love
Until you're sure that I'm "the one"

Erik then dipped her down low, kissing her as she moaned in appreciation. As they parted, she was about to speak when her stomach growled loudly. It broke the moment, but it caused them both to laugh together. Christine briefly thought that it seemed like forever since they had laughed together as Erik asked "I presume you are hungry, darling?" She laughed more and said "Yes, that's what brought me out here in the first place! But someone decided to distract me!" she finished with a poke to his stomach. He chuckled, kissing her neck as he muttered "I'll show you distracting." She reveled in his kisses, not wanting to move, not wanting to lose this moment. But before he got much further, his stomach growled loudly as well, causing them both to laugh again. He started pulling her to the kitchen with a whispered promise "We will be finishing that later, my dear." She gave him a knowing look and replied "You better. But feed me first. I have a feeling we will need all our strength and stamina." She winked at him, and he went weak in the knees from desire.

Wow… these two love the phluph! I can't keep it un-phluphy for long!

You Are Love, you're going to request another "Deleted Scene", aren't you?

Review, it makes me happy and makes Gerry bake more!