A/N: Sorry if the story is a little slow. It's going to start picking up.

"Now remember - not a word of me! You were in New York because you your mother always wanted to sing there, and your father used to speak of it often. You thought it would be a place of final solace to put your past to sleep, and thought it was best to go alone - completely alone."

"But Erik, what about you?" Christine asked, tired of hearing the same words come out of his mouth. He was worried about her for sure - but over and over he told her what to say, until it started to feel like the reality. But never had he spoke of what he would do.

"You know what I'll do."

"Tell me again."

"I'll settle down somewhere. Get a new name, just in case. Nadir will watch over you and make sure you stay safe in my absence. I'm going to make myself untraceable - even for you. No more temptations. You'll go home, you'll smooth it over with your fiancé and marry the love of your life."

"And you?"

"I just told you about me."

"What about you loving someone?"

"I already love someone."

She tilted her head in confusion. Was he referring to her or someone else?

Upon seeing her face, a small smile cracked on his lips as he shook his head, dismissing the subject.

"Do you think you'll be alright, now?" Erik asked softly, his features crinkled as he tried to hide his pain.

She stared at his long, hunched figure standing in the dark corner and worried about him. She'd be heading to a home full of only the best luxuries, to a man that loved her with all his heart. And Erik? What was he going home to? A lonely, cold house, changing his name and identity, having to find another way to live, now that he can't be the great Erik Destler. She had come to New York with only herself to worry about - and she was going back not only with her mission failed, but with a newly broken man as well. What had she done?

While she was entangled in her silence, Erik picked up their suitcases, handing her the two that were her own, then looked her close in the eye. "Ready to go on shore?"

She bit the inside of her lip as tears began to well. Inpulsively, she leaned in and kissed his cheek, then quickly nodded and turned her back to him, walking out of her room and in to the hallways. When she realized that she couldn't hear him following, she stopped and turned to see him standing in the doorway, watching her retreat.

"Erik?"

"We can't go out together."

"What?" She asked, taken off her guard.

"If I know anything about the Vicomte, he has guards everywhere, even still, awaiting for you. We can't go out there together. It's nearly dark - I'll come out in a few hours. But you must go now."

Chewing on her lip, she tried to resist all the thoughts that came rushing in to her mind.

"So this is goodbye for good, then?" She spoke in a whisper, not sure if her built up emotions would allow any more than that.

Erik said nothing, just nodded and watched her walk a few steps back towards him.

"You should go quickly. It's easier, I suppose." He said.

"Easier?" She echoed, tilting her head again.

The sky was entering it's twilight, and this shone upon her through a nearby window, making it all the harder for him to take his eyes off her. As if he wanted to anyway.

Christine stood right before him now, just a foot or so away. She stuck out her hand with a lopsided grin. But Erik, who was holding his own suitcases, plus a violin that the ship's band had presented them with at the last dinner, could only shrug a shoulder at it.

Seeing this, she put her hand back to her side, staring at his middle, trying to avoid his glowing eyes. But then, as the thought that she would never see him again came back to her, her suitcases went crashing to the ground as she threw her arms around him, pressing her cheek in to his chest, allowing her pent up tears to flow. "I'll miss you so much!" She whispered, her throat restricting.

"And I you." Were his only words. He didn't drop his things, didn't attempt to reciprocate her actions, knowing that it would only make it harder for the both of them if his arms were holding her as well.

Finally she released him, wiping away her tears with a pathetic attempt at an embarrassed giggle, then picked up her suitcases again.

"I have to go." She said in all her sorrow, her chin quivering.

"You have to go." He said, holding her with his gaze in return.

Licking her dry lips, she nodded, then slowly turned away from him and started to walk away, when she went to turn.

"No." Came Erik's deadpan voice in her ears, making her freeze. "Don't look back. Keep going."

Taking a deep breath, she obeyed him like a dutiful student and kept walking. As if in a daze, she felt her feet leading her down the hallways, on to the deck, down the dock, and on to the street. Even though she was distracted, she knew where she was. Not too far from her old home at the opera, and in turn, not far from the de Changy estate. She waved down a cab and climbed in quickly, grateful for the scarf that covered her head and hair, in case Erik was right and there were guards surrounding. She could only imagine the disgrace of being caught by guards and dragged to Raoul's porch step.

The horses lurched, and she was on her way back to her old life, but even after she was out of sight of the ship, she could still feel a hard gaze of glowing eyes upon her.

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