I know it has been a long time, but life has been crazy lately. I don't know when I can upload the next chapter, so please be patient. I love all of you for reviewing, and thank you for your sympathy about my grandmama. You guys are the best.

Chapter Twenty-three: Tangled

"Impossible!" Raoul cried when he heard the news.

Nadir shook his head. He could see why Erik held such a dislike for this young man. While he often meant well, he was irritatingly stubborn and wouldn't believe the truth unless it suited him. Well, ALMOST truth, he edited in his mind. "I'm sorry, but that's what she said."

"I'm her boyfriend! If she was going to leave, she would have told me first!"

"Raoul, no offense, but she definitely would have told me before she told you," countered Meg. "I'm practically her sister, and you know what they say: blood is thicker than water." Nadir smiled slightly, feeling sorry for the little blond girl. She had been putting up with Raoul for a nearly a week now, and with each passing day, he became more frantic.

"I'm inclined to agree with Miss Giry," he said. "Especially considering that Christine told me that she ended her relationship with you before she left."

Raoul's face became flushed. "It wasn't like that. She just said she needed some time alone. We were going to pick things pack up when she wasn't so stressed about school."

"Will you just shut up?" demanded Meg, her patience finally gone. "That's considered a breakup. You were jealous of…" she broke off abruptly, realizing that she had said too much.

"No, she can't… she wouldn't be…" The boy's eyes widened with horror. Hastily trying to keep the situation in hand, Nadir said, "I'm sure Miss Giry isn't trying to insinuate that Christine is…"

"She has disappeared before," Raoul replied weakly. "What if he…"

"Oh, please, Raoul, just think for a moment!" Meg snapped. "He wouldn't do anything like that. He was her teacher, not her secret lover. Christine wouldn't cheat on you. You're the only one who thought there was more to their relationship."

"I'm sorry," Nadir interrupted, "but who was her teacher?"

Meg's face furrowed as she thought. "Christine never gave me his full name. She only called him Erik."

"And, what did you see in his relationship with Christine?" Meg glanced at Raoul uneasily. "I think he liked her," she answered unwillingly. "A lot. He… told her not to date anyone. His reason was that he wanted her to be able to focus on her music without distractions, but… well, the lessons were free."

"They were?" Raoul asked, outraged. "Why wasn't I informed?"

"Because it wasn't your business!"

Nadir decided it would be prudent for him to leave. "It seems like you two have much to discuss. If you need me, you have my number." His eyes met Raoul's, and he suddenly felt sympathy for him. He didn't know that he would probably never see Christine again. "I'm sorry to be the one who told you all of this. Hopefully, she'll contact both of you soon." He would see it done; both Raoul and Meg needed closure.

"Thank you, Mr. Khan," Meg said softly.

"You'll be hearing from one of us soon," was Raoul's response. Nadir winced. The boy just wasn't going to give up. Erik wasn't going to be happy about this.

o0o

When Christine woke the next morning, Erik was already gone. The spot next to her on the bed was still warm, though. She wondered how long he had been awake, how long he had stayed beside her sleeping form… She shuddered at the thought. Suddenly, she couldn't stand to stay in that bed for another moment. She quickly left its warmth and tried to forget that she would be expected to share it again with her husband that night.

Her husband. The idea was an absurdly strange one. She didn't know what she ought to expect from him or what would be expected of her. What now? The question plagued her as she dressed and made her way to the dining room. Erik was already there, reading the newspaper. The sight was so ironically normal that she froze for a moment and stared at him in surprise. Several moments passed before he noticed her presence. He swiftly put the paper down and smiled. "Good morning, my dear."

"Good morning," she replied uneasily. He gracefully gestured to her place at the table. As usual, breakfast was already prepared. "Sit," he bid her smoothly. She obeyed without a word. If he wanted to act as though nothing had changed, then who was she to disagree?

They ate in silence. Once she was finished, Erik rose to take her plate, but she shook her head. "No, Erik; I can take my own plate." He looked offended, so she gave him a small smile. "I'm a waitress, remember? I wouldn't want my skills to become rusty."

Taken aback by her light teasing, he allowed her to take the dishes to the kitchen. When she started to wash them, however, he took the soap from her. "That won't be necessary, dear. Mary will take care of it."

"I don't mind," she protested, but he only laughed and turned off the water in the sink. "I don't mind, either, but she would," he explained. "She takes great pride in her job. Surely you would not want to rob her of that?"

As if summoned, the middle-aged maid entered the kitchen. She frowned when she saw Christine by the sink with the dishes. "Mr. Campion, have you not told her that while you're the master of the house, I'm the master of the kitchen?" she asked in an exasperated voice. Christine looked at Erik, who only shrugged. "I'm sorry, Mary," he apologized, sounding both sheepish and amused. "I only just told her. She wouldn't listen." His eyes gleamed with amusement when Christine scowled at him. "Thanks," she mouthed behind the maid's back.

Mary turned to Christine, her expression softening. "Perhaps would like to help me here in the kitchen sometime?" she offered timidly. "We women need to stick together." Erik's eyes widened in surprise, and Christine laughed appreciatively. "I would like that," she answered sincerely. "Let me know when it would be most convenient for you."

"Now is not that time, however," Erik interrupted. "I believe it's time for your lesson, Christine." He took her hand and began to lead her out of the kitchen. "Thank you for breakfast, Mary!" Christine called over her shoulder. "And, I'll be happy to work with you soon!" The maid grinned as they walked through the door. I can't believe it, she thought to herself, but it seems… it almost seems as though there's hope for Mr. Campion.

o0o

They didn't pay attention to time as they sang together. They only focused on the music they were making. Finally, Christine raised her hands in protest. "I need a break, Erik," she told him apologetically.

"Of course," he replied instantly, closing the piano. She turned towards the window. It was a beautiful day, and she was filled with longing. Erik couldn't help but feel envious. This is perfect. I'm jealous of the sun now. "Would you like to go outside for a little while?"

"If you wouldn't mind," she answered in a nonchalant voice. Her eyes were shining, though, as she tried to repress her eagerness.

"My only condition is that you wear something warm." She smiled hugely as she ran out of the music room. Sighing, he rubbed his forehead. While he was doing everything in his power to keep things as normal as possible, he knew that this was only the calm before the storm. Something was going to have to be done about Buquet. They would never be able to move forward until all of this was behind them. And, the fact that he was madly in love with Christine didn't simplify matters. In all of his numerous dealings with Buquet, the man had always been searching for a weakness, some kind of flaw in his armor. Erik never had a weakness, though; he had nothing worth losing.

Now, all of that had changed, and Buquet knew it.

Less than a year ago, Erik wouldn't have hesitated to simply kill his opponent. Yet, he found that he was growing tired of violence and subterfuge. Christine had become his conscious, and he couldn't shed blood and look into her eyes at the same time. He was ready to call it quits.

I'm growing old, he thought cynically. I shouldn't love her; she's half my age! I've pushed her too fast. Every day, she pulls away from me, and I'm putting her in danger by loving her. Buqet is proof. I need to let her go. Yes, that's what I'll do; as soon as this ordeal is over, I'll let her go. Then, she will be safe from me. Defeated, he moaned.

"Erik? Are you alright?" a soft voice asked. He raised his head to see Christine watching him, concern written in her features. Her concern only rubbed salt into the wound. She's only concerned because she's a good girl and she's terrified of being left here alone. He forced himself to smile. "I'm fine; it's only a headache," he lied smoothly. Her look of relief made him feel guilty, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her his decision. Not yet. He walked over to her, and to her complete surprise, he cupped her face in his hands. "I love you," he breathed. "So much." So much that I will live without you to make you happy. Then, he kissed her forehead. A tremor passed through her body when his lips touched her. Confused, she murmured, "I know. Erik… Are you sure you're okay?"

"I've changed my mind," he said, dodging her question. "Why don't we go to the park?"

Her eyes widened in astonishment. "The park? Isn't that… isn't that rather… public?"

"If you wouldn't mind." Of course she wouldn't want to be seen with me. How foolish can I be? Her gentle smile, however, confused him. "My only condition is that you wear something warm," she told him. Laughing, he took her hand and squeezed it. "Your wish is my command." With that, he went to obey his wife, choosing to enjoy the calm as much as possible before the inevitable storm hit.

o0o

About an hour later, they were sitting on a bench in the park. The sun was very low in the sky, and the park was completely theirs. Christine shook her head. "It's sad, isn't it?"

"What is sad?" Erik inquired distractedly.

"People are always rushing. Rushing to go to work, rushing to a class, rushing home… they never stop and think about how lucky they are." She looked at him ruefully for a moment. "I used to be just like them," she added in a low voice. "All I could think about was how to get through the day. I was always going, rushing, but I wasn't living." She laughed a little bitterly. "I took everything for granted."

"What about now?" Erik asked. "Are you alive?" She pondered for a moment. "That's what so strange," she answered slowly. "I shouldn't feel alive and thankful, but… I do."

Before Erik had a chance to ask about the meaning of her words, they heard a male voice cry, "Christine!" They both turned… and Christine's heart skipped a beat out of pure terror.

Raoul de Chagny was walking towards them, a look of disbelief and fury on his face.

Christine reacted first. Grabbing Erik's hand, she stood and started to run. The sound of footsteps was heard, and she didn't have to look back to know that Raoul was chasing them.

"Erik! Let her go! I swear, if you don't let me see her…"

They never heard the rest of Raoul's threat, for Christine pulled Erik into a crowded shop. Quickly, they found the exit and made it to the car. Once the doors were locked and they were moving, Christine leaned back against her seat, gasping for air.

"Are you alright?" Erik asked quietly. She looked at him. His eyes were burning, but his voice was calm… too calm.

"I'm fine. You?"

"I'm less than fine, but I'll be better once we're home." He gripped the steering wheel. She could see that every muscle in his body was tense. "Erik, are you upset that I ran?"

A moment of silence passed, and then, he shook his head. "No, Christine; I'm not upset that you ran. I'm only trying to understand…" he stopped, uncertain.

"Tell me," she said softly. Turning to meet her eyes for a moment, he said, "I'm trying to understand why you ran away from him instead of towards him."

She watched his face carefully before speaking. "You're my husband now, Erik," she reminded him, wondering at the way she had accepted it. "He's not a part of my life anymore. Raoul has no claim to me now."

He refused to meet her gaze this time. "Do you hate me, Christine?" he asked, his voice hardly more than a whisper. "Do you hate me for taking everything away from you?"

"No, Erik," she sighed. "I'm tired of trying to hate you." She leaned against the window wearily. "Let's go home."

She didn't have to ask twice. The rest of the ride was passed in silence. By the time they were home, Christine still hadn't untangled the complicated knot that was her life.

Posted on January 25, 2010