I am really sorry for not updating this story as much as I should. I appreciate the odd review that I still get though! I deleted the previous chapter I did as I wasn't happy with it and re wrote. I was in a much deeper frame of mind when this came to me and makes more sense than the jargon I published before hand. I hope you enjoy. A bit of fluff at the end for your patience. As usual, I don't own any of the characters and all rights go to Gaston Leroux etc. Enjoy.

The tunnels seemed to blur into one as I hurried my way down to the underground lair, heart thundering away in my chest as I finally reached the place I had started to call home. Perhaps in my haste it took me a while to open the door, but once I did, I was overwhelmed with the stifling heat that had escaped into every crevice of the room and collapsed into the nearest chair in a faint. Nadir appeared from the kitchen, concern plain on his face as he hurried over to kneel by my side.

"Christine, are you alright?" He asked, watching me with his keen, hazel eyes.

"Fine… Fine. Just hot." He didn't seem to believe me and only left my side to fetch me a glass of water that I accepted gratefully. "How is Erik?" I asked as soon as I finished my glass, placing it on the coffee table in front of me.

"Sleeping, at the moment. Other than that, as well as he can be." The displeasure of him being asleep must have passed across my face as Nadir's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"You're hiding something from me, Mademoiselle Daae. You forget, I used to be a detective in my home town so there is no use hiding anything from me." Resigned, I sat back in my seat in exhaustion as the day finally took its toll on me.

"You are right, Nadir. I was confronted by Raoul earlier."

"Again?" He asked in disbelief, taking seat next to me as I closed my eyes in tiredness.

"He is awfully convinced that Erik and the Phantom are one and nothing I say will make him think otherwise. He told me he will go to the ends of the earth to prove to everyone the imposter in our midst." Nadir scoffed in amusement.

"It's all very well saying it but proving it will be incredibly difficult seeing as Erik is all the way down here and the Vicomte is all the way up there." At this I opened my eyes and stared at the ceiling, wondering where Raoul was at this moment, pounding the street above me.

"It still doesn't stop from me from worrying, Nadir. What if he comes across this place, what if he finds Erik and kills him? I cannot live with that thought." Nadir seemed to ponder this for a while, brow creased as he stared at nothing in particular across the room. We sat like that for a while, both tired from the onslaught of the week until suddenly, he stood up and hastened to the kitchen. Confused, I watched after him but did not make to move as my whole body felt like it had been pumped with lead. I did not want to move anywhere. It didn't take him long to reappear however and I was glad I didn't waste the energy to follow him.

"This could be our answer to our problems, Christine!" He said excitedly, waving a flyer in his hand. He handed it to me with a flourish and eagerly awaited my opinion though I must admit, it took me a while to truly focus on what it was saying.

Wanted: Creative Director for the Opera Populaire.

Must have excellent communication skills, an eye for the arts and a basic training in classical arts is preferred.

Must also have standard understanding of Orchestral Conducting and extensive background and knowledge of music.

It also required that you understand the principles and theories behind music composition.

Please enquire within for more details.

I stared at the flyer in my hand for a while, not quite comprehending its words whilst Nadir looked at me expectantly, a smug grin on his face.

"Well?" He asked, impatiently and I stared at him as if he had just told me that there was a bird sitting on my head.

"I am afraid I don't quite follow." Nadir held out placating hands and sat down opposite me, his stance eager as he leant forward to tell me his plan, whatever it was.

"Ok, hear me out. What if, when Erik is well enough to of course, but what if Erik applies for the position?" I blinked at him slowly.

"Pardon?" Was all I could say, his words a mangled mess in my mind.

"Why don't we get Erik to apply for this role? He'll probably get the job, especially if he bribes them and whilst he is busy being director, I can pretend to be the ghost! Or Darius could… Either way it will convince Raoul that Erik and the ghost aren't the same person!" I felt that the tiredness had truly taken hold of Nadir as his wild eyes glinted in the candlelight. Were we really thinking of the same person here?

"You think Erik, a person we both know hates society as a whole and who I could barely convince to come to the ball with me, would actually apply for this job?" Nadir spread out his hands in a gesture of uncertainty.

"It's worth a shot, Christine. At the moment, this is the only plan I can offer you to protect Erik."

"I know, I appreciate that, but there must something more… Erik." Nadir gave me a long look, before walking over to where he had left his jacket and shrugged it on.

"My dear, believe me, from previous experience… Erik's plans never work out the way they should." He then checked his pocket watch which seemed to make his eyebrows shoot up in surprise as realised how late in the day it actually was. "Goodness, that late already?" My eyes lazily roamed over to the small grandfather clock that was kept next to the fireplace and nodded dumbly. "Christine, I need to go run a few errands, do you mind if I leave you?"

"No, not at all." He nodded in thanks and hastened towards the door shouting out, "I will see you shortly!" For a while I remained in my chair, allowing the events of that night to fully wash over me. It seemed all so bizarre, how Raoul practically threatened me in the dormitory whilst at the same time Erik was acting as Meg's hero. I thought over Nadir's plan and couldn't see how Erik would possibly ever agree to such a situation, but then considered if I explained what had happened to me that night, he'd reconsider. I also thought it odd that I hadn't seen any of the flyers posted around the Opera House but perhaps in my dazed state, I hadn't paid much attention to my surroundings. So, I gathered up whatever strength I had and made my way to the room where he slept, in my bedroom which we had moved him to the day previous. It didn't seem right to make him sleep on the floor of the parlour room and we all agreed he'd be comfier on the bed, but that didn't stop him from cursing at us as we manoeuvred him through the hallway.

The door barely made any sound as I opened it, just the soft brush of wood against carpet and I was met with the unbearable sensation of heat. Nadir had left the fire roaring in the small, stone fireplace as well as blankets heaped over Erik who looked utterly dead to the world and I wondered how he hadn't melted there on the spot. Erik's normally ice cold skin was actually now warm to the touch but his skin was still pallid, apart from the blush that had spread across his forehead. I took my seat in the chair pulled up next to him, pouring a glass of water ready should he wake up soon, though Nadir did not specify how long he had been asleep for. I had never seen him look so peaceful, for when he was awake, he always looked like he had the world's worries on his shoulders. His brow was smooth, lips slack and face relaxed so that his deformity did not seem so menacing as it could be. I ghosted my finger across his arm that lay prostrate on the bed, porcelain skin with thin lines of indigo blue running throughout until they were obliterated by the angry red lines Erik had done to his skin all those nights ago. I was surprised that Nadir didn't choose to mention anything about it, but then thought perhaps damage like this would be no surprise to him and that he chose to turn a blind eye. After all, it hurt me that Erik could easily slip into the mind-set that enabled him to cause himself so much pain. My finger must've accidentally wavered as I got nearer for I brushed his sensitive skin ever so slightly, yet it was enough to jolt him awake. He was such a light sleeper and I watched him look around in alarm before his eyes landed on my face. He seemed to calm considerably when he realised it was just me in the room for he gave me a crooked smile, his eyes glowing warmly.

"Hello."

"Good evening. Sorry for waking you up." I murmured, slipping my hand into his which he seemed to grasp immediately in a tight grip as if to check I was actually there, before he lessened his hold.

"Don't worry about it. It wasn't a good sleep anyway." He shifted in bed and grimaced.

"How's your wound?" Erik shrugged.

"It doesn't feel infected so fine, I guess." I hummed in approval, placing my elbow on the bed so that I could rest my head in my hand.

"Nadir did a good job." At the mention of his name, Erik pulled a face and I tutted in disapproval. "He did. You can't deny it."

"I'm always owing that old man favours." Erik grumbled, running his thumb over my knuckles.

"Because he cares about you. You should've seen the determination in his face to keep you alive that night."

"I know. He's a good soul that one." I nodded in agreement and rested my eyes for a moment, enjoying the warmth and the pressure of Erik's hand against mine. "You're tired." He said, more of a statement edged with concern.

"It's been a hectic week." Was all I replied, re opening my eyes to find him studying me intensely, worry plain on his face. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Might this have something to do with Meg knowing about the murder by any chance?" I could see he was a little perturbed that someone like Meg would know about something so delicate but knew now was my chance to mention Raoul's behaviour towards me that night.

"Yes. I wouldn't have told them if I didn't have to, you know that." He did not say anything but motioned me to go on with a slight inclination of the head, his eyes set on mine. "They know about the murder because of what happened on the night you got stabbed."

"You disappeared." He mumbled, shifting his focus to our entwined hands.

"Because Raoul took me away by force. He led me to the dormitories where he knew we would be alone and undisturbed because he said he needed to talk to me about something." Erik's grip on my hand tightened and looked at me alarmed.

"He didn't hurt you, did he?" He demanded, and I shrugged.

"A little. He gripped my arms a bit too hard but nothing too serious."

"Nothing too serious?!" Erik spluttered angrily, his face darkening from the rage that slowly burned within him.

"Erik, please. It is fine. I am here. I don't want you getting too worked up and making your wound worse."

"But"

"Please, just listen," I implored, carrying on with my story before he even had the chance to protest, "He apologised for his behaviour over the last few days and then told me he had made some advancements in his brother's murder case. You see… A witness came forward with details and information of that night. Details that Raoul linked to me."

"How…?"

"Because of the description of you. It might have very well been some stranger and Raoul wouldn't have thought twice of it but it was because you shouted my name. Raoul thinks the opera ghost is a real person… Well in fact he thinks the person that I introduced as my tutor that night, you, and the opera ghost are the same person... Which granted, they are, but that is information that Raoul is not privy too and is also information that Raoul is determined to use to uncover you." Erik scoffed, sounding a lot like Nadir and relaxed back into his pillows.

"He will never find me."

"But what if he did?" Erik gave me a dubious look, refusing to comment on such a preposterous assumption. "Erik, I know Raoul and he will go to the ends of the earth to find you. He will not rest until you are behind bars and will do anything in his power to get to you. And he has a lot of power. How are you not concerned about this?"

"Christine, I live 5 cellars worth of depth underground plagued with tunnels that have traps in every nook and cranny. He will not be able to find me." He was right of course and I frowned in frustration at his words, when I had a thought that could possibly sway his mind.

"What if… What if he threatened the Giry's?" Then I realised that this thought could possibly become a reality and panicked suddenly, "What if he threatened them? Forced one of them to take him to your home, what then?" He frowned at my words so I decided to twist the knife further, "What if he threatened me?" At this, Erik balled his free hand into a fist, the other tightened its hold around my own.

"He wouldn't dare."

"This is what I am saying, Erik. It could happen! If we could do something to prevent this from ever occurring, I wouldn't worry as much as I am now." I emphasised, reaching forward to brush a lock of his dark hair out of his face. His eyes fluttered at the touch and his head leant in to my hand so I moved from the chair to the bed and lay down next to him, on my side so that I could play with his hair more. He looked at me in surprise as I lay close to him.

"Christine, should you really...?"

"Oh propriety be damned. It's just me and you, underground. No one will know." He smirked mischievously before he carried on with the subject on hand.

"What would we do to prevent it?" I removed the flyer from my pocket and handed it to him, wondering if he would have the same reaction as I did.

"Nadir came up with a plan." Erik groaned, flipping the paper over and back again to see if any information was withheld from him and studied it once more.

"Nadir's plans never work out the way they should. I know that from previous experience." I couldn't help but giggle at the statement, it was so typical of those two to say exactly the same thing about each other. He heard my giggle and turned his head, his frown breaking into a soft, confused smile.

"What?"

"He said exactly the same thing about your ideas." Erik smirked, turning to study the flyer once more.

"Let me guess. He thinks I should apply for the position?"

"Yes." I murmured, moving my hand to trace my fingers across his forehead. "That way, you can't be Director and Opera Ghost at the same time. If Nadir pretends to be the Ghost, all we have to do is make sure something happens when you're in the same room and then that way, it should completely debunk Raoul's theory that my tutor is the ghost. Then he can chase someone to blame." Erik was quiet for a while, chewing over the idea.

"Let me get this straight. You want me, someone who has no interest in human activity and loathes them entirely, to start helping them? To go above ground where I am most at risk and pretend to be someone I am not?" I lifted my head, kissed his temple and breathed in his musky scent, nuzzling my nose in to the crook of his neck.

"That sounds about right. You could wear that flesh mask of yours." When he stayed silent, focusing on the fire before him, I turned his head by his chin and gazed into his troubled eyes. "I know it's asking a lot of you and I completely understand if you want to think of something else but… It's all we have at the moment and we're running out of time. I cannot almost lose you again, Erik. My heart cannot take it." I realised how close our faces were to each other and felt his warm breath tickle my face.

"I know. I know you're doing this to save me and I appreciate that but-"

"Erik, I am doing it to save us. I want a future with you. I can't have one when your buried underground." He gave me a funny look and I rolled my eyes, "Physically buried. Dead. Gone. I don't want that. I want you and me, together, with no one to bother us, to live out a life where we won't have to worry about stupid Vicomte's hunting you down."

"You really do want to spend the rest of your life with me, don't you?" Knowing that words wouldn't be enough to sway this stubborn mule of a man, I inched forward so that my lips were close to his.

"Forever." I whispered, gently pressing my lips against his, eyes half lidded with desire that I had done what I had wanted to do for a while. Erik's I noticed, widened with surprise, shocked at the contact and when I pulled away, he stared at me for a very long time. I couldn't help but giggle at that.

"What?" I laughed, brushing my thumb against his lips which were smooth to the touch.

"I… I just love you so very much." It was he who initiated the kiss this time, our lips glided smoothly over one another, both eyes closed with pleasure. I felt my ears turn red at our intimacy and I am fairly sure Erik's whole body flushed from the amount of heat that radiated off him until he pulled away, gazing at me with such adoration that I felt my heart melt.

"I'll go ahead with the plan, Christine. If it means more moments like this and less of you worrying over my wellbeing, then by God, I will do it."

"Thank you." I whispered, kissing the corner of his lip so that we didn't get to invested in another kiss, I did not want him to over exert himself. We lay like that for a while, forehead against forehead, breaths mingling as we allowed the warmth to wash over us. My eyes fluttered shut as sleep tantalised my brain so I wriggled down, snuggling into the crook of his neck once more and rested my hand upon his chest. He reached one arm underneath my head and then moved his other hand to where mine rested upon his chest and took it in his grasp before resting his head atop of mine. We both fell asleep within minutes, our heartbeats thudding away in a harmonious beat all alone in Erik's underground kingdom where for once, I felt utterly safe lying in the arms of the man that I loved.