Oh we are getting soooo close to the end now…I count only 3 or 4 more and it will be over…Waaaaaaaaa. I am gunna miss all your lovely reviews! My poor E-Mail box will be so lonely! I see that I am going to hit 1000 reviews soon – maybe even tonight. I am going to try and discern WHO sends me #1000. Hope it is YOU!
Ok, off to see the BIG TALK! (well some of it anyway…I warn you now, I did have to end this chapter someplace and I am sorry it will not be where you will like it)
Chapter 48
Erik and Christine just stared at one another, not speaking or moving. The air in the room was still and the only sound heard was their breathing.
"Erik?" She finally said, sliding off the bed as she stood on shaking feet.
"No…don't get up, you might…." Erik began, taking a step closer as he held up his hand in warning, but his words were empty and as she began to approach he found he did not wish to dissuade her further.
"Is it really you?" She asked now only inches from him.
"Yes, Christine. It is I." He told her, his hands burning to touch her but he held himself in check, waiting to see how she would react.
Christine reached out her trembling hand and let the very tips of her fingers graze over his chest like a feather, the sensation branding him with every touch. He closed his eyes and drank in the feeling as her hand made its way upwards until it came to rest on his exposed cheek. Erik let out a low moan of pleasure to once more have her velvet touch upon his skin. He opened his eyes and gazed down at her in disbelief, he had never thought to have this again…his angel.
Christine could not believe what she was seeing or feeling. The last four years melted away and suddenly she was right back where she had been before, encased in the love and desire she had always felt for this man. He was her Erik…her life. She could not hold back her tears any longer and let out a cry of joy and relief as she flung her arms around his neck and pulled him down to meet her lips, not caring that his mask hid most of them from her.
At first Erik was stunned, remaining still in her embrace. But then, almost as if he had woke from a long sleep, his arms came to life and pulled her to him fiercely, his lips matching hers touch for touch. He could not get her close enough to him and he certainly could not get enough of her lips on his. The emotions that overwhelmed him grew in intensity and he pushed for more, parting her lips with hungry abandonment as he sought out the taste and texture of her. Oh how it burned and teased him, filling him with a primal lust that could not be contained. When they were forced to part for air he let his mouth graze her cheek and lean in to whisper in her ear.
"Oh Christine…I have missed you so terribly." He said, his quiet voice almost choking with emotion. "I wanted to touch you so badly, to hold you and tell you that I was alive, but I was too afraid…." He words trailed off as he buried his face in her luscious curls, inhaling deeply as her scent brought back a wave of pleasant memories.
"Afraid? Of what?" She asked, her body arching into his as her head tilted back to expose her neck and throat to his wandering lips.
"Afraid that you would hate me…for your voice…for hurting you like I did. That is why I waited. I was determined to train you and give you back what I had taken from you before I made my presence known. I wanted to…" He began but stopped when he felt her stiffen and pull away.
"You wanted to train me? You…you're my Phantom! You were the Opera Ghost all this time?" She had now placed her hands on his chest and was pushing him backwards, trying to get him to release her from his grip, but he refused.
"Christine, please…" He begged, pulling her back to him.
"You hid from me…you played the part of my tutor and Phantom all these weeks and never said a thing? You heard me say that I loved you…how much I missed you and yet you did not tell me? How could you?!" Her tears were coming faster now but they were no longer tears of joy but instead those of betrayal. "Why?!" She screamed, pounding her fists against his chest, striking out at him in frustration as he stood there and took every blow like a knife to the heart. He did not try and stop her, he simply let her vent her anger until she collapsed against him in exhaustion, all the fight gone out of her. "Why?" She sobbed as he held her and stroked the back of her hair.
"I am so sorry, I just could not tell you." Erik's voice full of sadness, hating that look in her eyes. "I had hurt you so badly in Persia and I did not know how you felt about me anymore. I…I almost killed you, Christine! I was mere seconds away from choking the life out of you and there was no way I could ever beg your forgiveness for that." Erik suddenly released her and fell to his knees before her, taking her hands in his as he pressed them to his forehead humbly. "I know I can never make up for what I have done to you, the lies, the deception, keeping my past from you like I did, but please…please Christine…give me another chance and I swear I will be the man you want me to be. I will do anything you ask, just please do not send me away…do not return to...to him!"
Christine could feel his pain, it radiated off of him like a flame and it seared her heart and took her breath away. She pulled one hand free and began to run her fingers through his hair, once more enjoying the feel and touch of her husband.
"There was never anything to forgive. I do not hold you responsible for what happened to me, Erik. You were not yourself, Nadir explained everything. I know in your right mind you would never have done anything like that, you would never hurt me. It was that evil witch who was to blame…not you…never you."
"But my past…" He reminded her, keeping his head bowed in abject subjection to his beautiful angel. "The killing, the torture and the drugs…I have done terrible things. I would not blame you if you hated me forever for that…I know I do."
"And that was why I forgave you that very day back in Persia. Why do you think I came back to the apartment to find you? To tell you that I knew you were no longer that man, that you had changed and that I loved you in spite of it all. And I still do…I love you so very much."
Erik looked up, his eyes brimming with tears as he stared at her in disbelief.
"You can still love me after all I have done? You…you still want me?" He asked.
"I have never stopped loving you or wanting you. Even when I thought you were dead I could not give you up. You are everything to me…you are my life." She assured him, pulling on his hands until he was once more standing in front of her.
Erik placed both his hands on either side of her face and stroked her cheeks with his thumbs, trying to erase the tracks of tears she had cried.
"Oh my Christine, your words are music to my ears, more sweet and delicate than even what you sang on stage tonight. I swear if you give me the chance I will make everything right. I will give you everything you have ever dreamed of. I do not care what you have done and I will never speak a word of him again…simply stay with me and I will love you forever." He took hold of her once more and pulled her to him, resting his chin on her head as she leaned her cheek to his chest.
"I will always love you… and only you." She promised. "But twice now you have mentioned 'him'. Who are you talking about?"
Erik grew stiff as he was forced to remember her lover and Raoul. Would she continue to play him for a fool? He knew she could easily do so and yet he would still beg for her to love him. But he also knew he could not live with the idea of sharing her heart. She must end it with Charles and Raoul.
"Who indeed, Christine." He said, his voice turning cold. "I realize that you have so many suitors that it is hard to distinguish which one I am speaking of."
Now Christine pulled back, her head tilting to one side as she regarded him with puzzled eyes.
"I do not understand what you are talking about. I have no suitors." She told him.
Just then Erik heard a bell sound, alerting him to the presence of an intruder in his domain. He knew that Nadir, Darius and Kas were aware of each trip wire and it was not them, and so it could only be one person. That blasted Vicomte had come down to rescue his lady love from the clutches of a monster.
"Oh no?" He hissed through clenched teeth. "If not, then who is this coming to call? I will not stand for his continued interference. You are mine, Christine! Mine and I will not share you with another…not ever again!"
"Erik…what are you talking about?" Christine asked, her face full of confusion.
"I am sorry, Christine. You know I would not hurt you for the world, but I cannot let him take you. I won't!" He shouted, gripping her by her upper arms as he shoved her away from him and turned to leave the room.
"Erik wait!" She called as she stumbled forward, seeking to follow but he was too quick for her. He slipped out the door and shut it behind him, locking it behind him as he heard her pounding on it from inside. "Erik…what are you doing. Erik, let me out!"
"I cannot lose you again. Not again!" He told her before storming down the hall.
"Who is that?" Nadir asked, the three men now standing in the doorway to the sitting room, a glass of wine in each of their hands.
"I will give you one guess." Erik growled, as he walked into the room and grabbed one of the swords mounted above the fireplace and headed out the door to face the would-be intruder.
Raoul and Meg had stumbled their way down the passageways and tunnels until they at long last found what they had sought, the underground lake and the lair of the Opera Ghost. Meg had listened to each and every one of Joseph Bouquets stories of the Phantom but as she stared at his underground palace she found that the tales had not done it justice. As they approached the magnificent looking house built into the solid rock they heard a cry of rage and watched as the door flung open and the imposing figure of the creature they sought emerged.
"Meg, get behind me." Raoul said, standing between his fiancé and the approaching villain.
"You dare to enter my lair and believe you can protect anyone…let alone yourself, Vicomte?" Erik spat, approaching the young man with hate in his eyes.
"Where is Christine? I demand you return her at once." Raoul said, holding the sword in front of him bravely.
"Demand? You demand things of me when you are the one who is the intruder and thief. Christine is mine and I will never give her up." Erik swore.
"You are a monster and you cannot keep her here against her will. It is madness." Raoul continued, edging backwards just a little as Erik continued to advance.
"Madness? You know nothing of madness! Madness is having the woman you love ripped from your side, taken from you and then forced to watch her courted by an insignificant popinjay such as you." Erik stopped just short of the reach of his sword and studied the handsome lad before him, his eyes filled with hate. "Deny that you asked for her hand…tell me that you did not propose to Christine."
"I…I did but…" Raoul began, however Erik wished to hear no more and cut him off.
"Enough! I will not suffer you to exist on this earth one more moment knowing that you desire what is mine!" Erik said, lifting his sword and swinging it at the Vicomte.
Raoul pushed Meg back as he stepped into Erik's blow, blocking his blade with his own as it came crashing down at him. He spun away and did his best to keep his footing on the rocky terrain.
"Erik…stop!" Nadir's voice could be heard from behind, but Erik was not listening. No, his only thoughts now were those of killing this young troublemaker.
"Stay out of this, Daroga. This is between me and the boy." He warned, not even looking over to where the three men stood, mouths open and eyes wide.
Erik could see that Raoul was having trouble with the uneven ground and he used that to his advantage as he stepped forward, forcing him backwards as he stumbled even more. Swinging his sword once more he caught him off guard and Raoul hardly had time to bring his weapon up to block the blow, the edge coming dangerously close to slicing his neck.
"No…please!" Meg screamed, causing Erik to look over at the freighted little ballerina as she stood a few paces away with her hands over her mouth and eyes full of terror. He felt a momentary twinge of guilt at seeing her distress, but it vanished as Raoul ran forward and rammed into him with his shoulder, throwing them both to the hard ground as they rolled around, each one trying to get the upper hand.
"Damn it!" Nadir growled, looking back at the two other men. "Someone is going to be seriously hurt. The only one who can stop him now is Christine! Go fetch her…quickly!"
The two men turned and ran back into the house, eager to obey and see an end to this madness.
"You will never win…I swear that Christine will go free!" Raoul said as he pulled back his arm and brought his fist down towards Erik's face. But the masked man caught the punch before it landed, holding it in his own hand as he squeezed his fingers around Raoul's in a crushing grip.
"You will die tonight and the world will not mourn your passing." Erik countered, shoving Raoul off of him as he leaped to his feet. As Raoul picked up his sword, Erik's lasso came sliding from out of his sleeve and he held the deadly weapon in his left hand, ready to end this once and for all. "You brought this fate upon yourself. You should have simply bowed out like a graceful loser…but no, you had to continue to pursue her. You couldn't resist trying to take what is not, nor will ever be, yours!" And stepping forward he prepared to end the life of the worthless boy in front of him.
"Erik, stop this at once!" He heard Christine say as he watched her appear from nowhere and step in between the two fighting men. "If you love me at all, you will cease this insanity!"
"Do not ask it of me, Christine." Erik seethed, his blood boiling with animosity for the man in front of him. "I will not let him take you from me, not while there is a breath left in my body. I was forced to endure four long years apart, I cannot live four more minutes without you by my side."
"And I accept that…I swear that I will stay with you forever. Just please, do not kill Raoul."
"Christine…what are you saying?" Raoul asked, shocked that she would speak such words to a mad man. "I know I can take him, let me win your freedom."
"No Raoul! You are fooling yourself…you cannot win against him." Christine argued sternly.
"Listen to her boy…she knows what she is talking about." Erik said, a sinister smile coming to his lips as he fingered almost caressing the rope in his hand.
"Erik…please." Christine said, walking forward until she stood directly in front of him. "Don't do this. Put that away and let them leave in peace. You have no quarrel with Raoul. He is only doing this to protect me…he does not know about us. He does not understand."
"I understand that he kidnapped you and is holding you against you will. What else do I need to know?" Raoul asked, shocked once more by her over-familiarity with the dark Phantom.
"I will not have him perusing you…thinking that he can make you love him, entice you to marry him!" Erik insisted, locking hate filled eyes on the Vicomte.
"Raoul does not love me." Christine said, her voice once more filling with confusion. "And I do not love him."
"Lies! I heard you tell him you loved him at the ball and I was present the other day when he professed his love for you to Madame Giry and said he intended to ask for your hand in marriage!"
Now it was Raoul's turn to look confused as he lowered his sword a little and attempted to verbally defend himself.
"What you apparently overheard was me telling Madame Giry I intended to propose to Meg…not Christine."
Erik was stunned into silence by this revelation and his mind quickly relived each word that was spoken during that fateful conversation. Could he have misunderstood? Now that he thought back, Raoul had not actually mentioned Christine by name.
"Raoul asked Meg to marry him tonight during intermission." Christine explained, stepping over to where her frightened friend still stood and grabbing her by the hand she dragged her over as she held up the ring on her finger for his inspection. "Meg is engaged to Raoul…not me."
"But he admitted that he proposed to you!" Erik told her, pointing to Raoul accusingly.
"He did…years ago. And I turned him down." She gave Raoul an apologetic look, which he returned with an accepting shrug. "I told him that I was still in love with my husband…that I was still in love with you."
"Good lord…this… is your Erik? Your husband?" Raoul gasped in shock as his sword slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground with a loud clatter.
"Christine! You married the Opera Ghost?" Meg chimed in, her voice reaching that squeaky pitch that happened when she was surprised.
Christine could not help but laugh to herself at her friends words. Oh yes, Meg I not only married the Phantom…I also married the Angel of Doom, she thought with a smile.
"I thought you said your husband was dead? Certainly this mad man could not be him!" Raoul questioned, still looking at Erik with suspicion.
"Reports of my demise were highly exaggerated." Erik shot back in a barking tone. "But they will not be for you if you do not keep a civil tongue in your head, boy!"
"Erik, please. Can't we cease the threats?" She asked, placing her hand on his chest gently.
"I will do more than threaten, Christine when it comes to keeping what is mine! I will kill anyone who would dare to keep you from me. And while I may have been mistaken about this nave, I will not sit idly by and allow your relationship with this Charles to continue a moment longer. You must get rid of him, now!"
Christine took a step back and covered her mouth in horror at his hateful words. She had feared that Erik might have reacted poorly to the news that he was a father but suddenly all the words he had said before as the Opera Ghost came flooding back. He did not want his own child? He still insisted she give up her son to be with him? No, this could not be happening! Erik was supposed to love Charles, just as she did. How could he be so cruel, so heartless…this was not the man she remembered. Unable to look at him any longer she burst into tears and ran back into the house, slamming the door behind her and making the three men who were watching on in silence flinch at the noise.
Erik and Raoul looked at one another through narrowed eyes, each still hating the other and now casting blame for Christine's distraught departure.
"Who is Charles?" Meg asked, curious as to why her friend had reacted so strongly to the Phantom's words.
"Her married lover!" Erik spat out.
"Her son!" Raoul answered back at the same moment as Erik.
"Her what?!" Both men then countered, speaking over one another.
"Christine has a son?" Meg asked, just as shocked as the two men in front of her.
"Yes, his name is Charles." Raoul said, not taking his eyes off of Erik as he answered his fiancé.
"My son's name is…Charles?" Erik asked his voice now horse with shock. He turned then and looked over at Nadir for some sort of explanation and the Daroga just gave a confused shrug.
"I know no more about this than you do." He said in defense, holding up his hands in front of him in a helpless gesture.
"You don't even know your own son's name?" Raoul asked, accusingly. "And yet you have the audacity to ask Christine to abandon him? To give him up?! Good god man…you are insane!"
"I would never abandon my child!" Erik fumed stepping forward and taking Raoul by the shirt and pulling him closer to him in rage. "I only found out I had a son this very day, so how the hell was I to know what his name was? When she spoke of Charles before…I thought…I thought he was her lover!" Oh the pain he now felt over this mix up was almost unbearable. He had railed and ranted at her so hideously that day, telling her that if she wished to continue her lessons with him she must give up her son…his son! Oh what she must now think of him.
"You imagined that Christine had taken a lover?! Do you not know her at all?" Raoul gasped, doing his best to wiggle out of Erik's grip, but it was useless. "That poor girl was never once unfaithful to your memory. Not even when she was left alone in the world with a child on the way and I asked her to marry me did she even once waver in her affections for you….god only knows why!"
"I thought she had died! I would never have left her had I even the smallest hope that she had survived her escape from Persia." Erik growled, his face so close to Raoul's that the boy was forced to tip his head backwards in order to focus on him. Suddenly Raoul became still.
"He has your eyes." Raoul said in a quiet voice, full of reflection.
"What?" Erik asked, not sure what the blasted boy was talking about.
"Charles, your son…he has your eyes." Raoul repeated.
This piece of news seemed to somehow disarm Erik and he dropped the Vicomte so suddenly that he fell to the ground. Meg was quickly at his side, kneeling down as she cradled him on her lap as they both looked up at Erik, wondering what he might do next. What he did do shocked them both.
Letting out a loud cry of rage and anguish he picked up the sword that Raoul had dropped and threw it into the lake, the blade making a whirling sound as it sailed over the water and landed with quiet splash.
"Leave! You are free to go!" He yelled, storming towards the house in his desperate need to speak with Christine. "Nadir, see to it that they are properly escorted back up stairs and if you value your life at all, do not enter this house again tonight!" And with a second slam of the door, he was gone.
Nadir and the other two men approached the wary couple still on the ground and the Persian reached out to offer the Vicomte a hand up. Raoul eyed him skeptically for a moment before he took it.
Once he was on his feet, brushing off his suit with Meg clinging to his side, Raoul address the men before him.
"And who might you three be…the Phantom's body guards?" He asked sarcastically.
This idea made Nadir snort in humor and brought smiles to the faces of the other two men.
"While I do claim an affinity to looking after his mangy hide, I am afraid I see no situation where Erik requires, or would want, any form of protection. Least of all from the three of us." Nadir said with a chuckle.
"You are his friends, then?" Raoul continued.
"Yes, I am proud to admit that we are. We are also dear friends of Christine, and we can assure you that she will receive only the best of care while in Erik's domain. You need have no fear for her safety or happiness any longer and may return back above without any guilt or apprehension." Nadir told the two. "I think they have a lot of things to work out and discuss, and we would just be in the way." He held out his hand in an inviting gesture. "If you will allow me, I will show you the way back."
Raoul looked at the man before him and then over to Meg with a questioning glance. She gave a small shrug in reply, as if to say it was up to him. So turning to Nadir he made a decision.
"My name is Raoul de Chagny." He introduced himself, holding out his hand politely.
"Nadir Khan." He responded, shaking his hand warmly. "This is Darius and Kas, also friends of Erik and Christine, from Persia."
"Ah yes, she spoke of you all from time to time. She was never very forthcoming about her time spent in Persia, I think it caused her too much pain to remember the loss." Raoul said, falling into comfortable conversation as the five of them began their trek back up. "So tell me…how did you meet this Erik fellow?"
"Well that is quite a long story…." Nadir began, chucking to himself as he thought back to that fateful day that changed his life forever.
Sorry…. I warned you I would have to stop the chapters at bad times. But more will be coming tomorrow – and you will get the Charles/Erik meet and greet as promised. Just hang in there a little longer. And thank you to Lupa Eira for giving me a few of the lines at the end with the whole Raoul/Erik conversation!
Soooo, tell me what you thought of THIS chapter. Did ya like it? Did ya? Do tell, please.
