Chapter XLIV

The following weeks were spent mostly in preparation for the upcoming performance of Hannibal. Christine did not have a major role, and try as she might she could not convince Erik that this was fair. She knew that he had something planned, but she could not imagine what it was. Erik had proved to be terribly secretive whenever it involved the Opera Ghost. He had explained it as being a mere precaution. He did not wish to influence her knowledge of him more than he had to out of paranoia that the Opera Managers might question her and she let something slip in her nervousness. Christine did her best to assure him that nothing like that would ever happen, scoffing at his logic. But Erik quickly reminder her that her temper knew no bounds, and when put under pressure she often said things she might not have meant to. Christine agreed that perhaps her knowing less was better.

One morning, as Christine was preparing to go up to the stage Erik stopped her before she could step past the mirror and held her lightly by the elbow. The contact made her shiver slightly as he looked at her.

"Remain far from the back of the stage today."

"What?" She blinked, confused, "what do you mean?"

"Do your best to remain at the front of the stage for today's performance, are we understood?"

"Yes," she nodded, her confusion was plain but he released her into the dressing room and then shut the mirror before she could ask him another question that he would have to ignore.

Erik waited until Carlotta got on the stage to move along the rafters above it. He was perfectly silent, he had learned how to sneak around the Opera house completely undetected and found it was also a point of pride for him. Often Christine said that he toyed too much with the idea of getting caught. She sometimes spotted him in places that others could not.

Down below him he could see Christine singing with the chorus perfectly. Her voice out shined every other voice within the opera house. It was yet another point of pride for him. Erik had worked with her tirelessly to ensure that she was ready to take the stage when the time came. That time had been long ago. She was ready. She knew all the parts, she had memorized Carlotta's choreography. Everything was perfect.

As Carlotta stepped on the stage, shrieking as he expected he grabbed hold of the rope that would send the large back piece crashing down. He knew that he could not kill the woman, it would cause too many issue and perhaps trauma if the cast witnessed her death. But perhaps a concussion would suffice.

But Erik could not stop watching Christine whose beautiful hair whirled around her as she turned about with Meg Giry and the rest of the dancers. She was quite coordinated in this particular dance, but still not perfectly on point. It was another reason why she had to take the stage as the star. Christine deserved nothing but the best and this was not what she was best in.

"Think of me," Carlotta sang, "think of me fondly..." and so on, and so forth. Erik found himself gritting his teeth as the rest of the dancers, including Christine stood to the side, allowing the woman to vocalize and destroy the aria. Erik could take very little of this and waited for the right moment. It was as she was moving backwards, adding a dramatic and distasteful flair to her movements that he pulled violently on the rope. "When you find that, once again, you long to take your heart-"

Her earsplitting shriek sounded through the air as the back piece came crashing to the floor. Christine screamed as well, jumping backwards even though she remained far from Carlotta's place. Erik calmly walked away from his place as eyeballs starting turning up and Carlotta's hysterics began.

"It's him! The Phantom of the Opera!" Cried Carlotta, clutching her head when a piece of wood had caught her. Erik hoped that she was bleeding as he walked to his usual place in box five. "He seeks to murder me!" She yelled amongst the commotion. Erik who had by now reached his place smiled at the chaos reigning down before him.

Carlotta was on her knees as Reyer pressed his handkerchief to her face, she was sobbing in her hysterics. Christine's eyes were wide and she remained far, pressed up against the piano which was on the stage to the right. Many of the dancers were looking up at the rafter, pointing and trembling. Erik smirked and took a seat. Madame Giry came to the stage and hurriedly went to the woman's side. Erik's only regret was that he had let it fall too early. It had not caught her on the head as he wished. Christine, from where she stood was now looking up towards box five, knowing that he was responsible, and also knowing that he would not remain in the scaffolding for prying eyes. He would not be so stupid.

"I will not do this thing!" Carlotta cried out, her red hair having come loose from her panic. The jade green orbs in her head were watery. "He wants me dead!"

"No, come now darling you've only experienced a scare I am sure that it was not an opera ghost but a simple error on behalf of Buquet. Buquet! Where is that man?!" Reyer yelled angrily. Erik could see the impatience written all over his face. It was at that moment that Buquet came out onto the stage and viciously defended himself stating that he was not at his post. Reyer continuously plead with Carlotta, begging her to reconsider the fact that the opening of the play was only a few days away. Surely she had a heart!

"I am leaving!" She screamed at him, causing Meg Giry to collapse beside the piano in a fit of laughter. Christine quietly scolded her as Carlotta stormed off the stage and Reyer made an attempt to follow but ultimately realized that Carlotta's fears were not misplaced.

"What will I do now!" He asked them all as Meg Giry came to her feet and wiped the tears from her face, "do you all realize that Carlotta was the only one capable of singing that song? And you Meg Giry, why do you laugh? I do not see you participating to sing the aria!"

"Christine Daae could sing it sir."

All eyes turned to the left of the stage through which Carlotta had exited. Reyer turned green and Christine's eyes widened horribly.

Out from behind the curtain stepped Raoul de Chagny. His hazel eyes glistened at her as she blushed and clenched her jaw. Meg Giry looked at her with a knowing gaze and then looked back at Raoul with something akin to nervousness. She knew what an awkward position her friend was in now.

Erik stood there with his eyes wide and his fists clenched. What is this? He seethed from where he stood as the fop slowly walked forward. He was staring at Christine with a calm sort of look. But there was something in his eyes. It was as if he was expecting something from her. An explanation perhaps, Erik thought as Reyer opened his mouth to speak.

"Miss Daae, sir?" He asked, calmer now, but still his voice trembled. "Forgive me, cast," he turned to his dancers, "this is the vicomte de Chagny. I am certain that you all know whom this is, he is our new patron." He turned back to the vicomte and asked his question again, "Miss Daae sir?"

"Yes," he stared at her sadly now, "I have heard her sing. She has been well taught."

Christine had still said nothing. Her face betrayed her. Erik could see from where he stood that she was amazed, afraid, and perhaps a bit enchanted by the young man. He had not changed much since the last time Erik had played eyes on him, but there was a changed aura about him. But perhaps it was just at seeing the change in Christine.

"She does not sing Sir-

"If you want my family to help you pay for all of these productions then you will hear miss Daae sing," Raoul told the man firmly, laying his eyes n him seriously, before turning them back upon Christine who was looking at the floor, almost doing her best to collect herself. "She will astound you. I am sure of it."

Reyer looked nervously between the two of them and then swallowed, nodding and moving towards the piano. "From the beginning of the aria then, mam'selle."

Christine swallowed nervously and moved to the center of the stage as the cast, and Raoul, moved away, giving her all the space she would need. Madame Giry handed her the detailed piece of cloth that Carlotta had dropped in her panic over the Opera Ghost. Christine looked up at her cue and opened her mouth.

Erik's senses were flooded by her. But it only served to intensify his anger. She looked beautiful, her voice soared throughout the rotund room. He could see the gaping mouths of all those around her while keeping his eyes trained on her. His anger was still burning, especially because of how the vicomte stared at her. As if he were proud. What does he have to be proud of? Erik seethed down at them all, she is not his to be proud of! He was not the one who freed her voice!

Christine enchanted them all with her flawless voice, and the more she sang the closer some of them drew, including Raoul de Chagny. Erik violently turned on his heel and stalked out of the box. His hands trembled with anger. He could kill the young fop. The boy was nothing but a splinter in his side. A constant tick that he had yet to permanently remove.

As Erik stalked through the hallways Christine nervously looked at Raoul and backed slightly away from him as she sang. Erik could not have been happy at the moment. She could only imagine his ire. Certainly he was watching. He had to be. He was responsible for the backdrop falling onto the stage. She had been angry with him for that, but now it was forgotten.

When Christine finished the song they all praised her. Reyer announced quickly that she would be taking over the role for Carlotta. She thanked him and backed away from the stage as they all came rushing at her. She could see Raoul trying to have a word with her. He kept saying her name, but she was overwhelmed by her friends. Her dear friends who did not know how horrible of a position she was in now.

"Come," Meg grabbed her hand and elbowed past some ballerina's. Christine allowed her to lead her from the stage in a hurried manner as they moved through the back. She glanced behind her and knew that Raoul would soon follow them. "You looked like you would be sick!" Meg told her as she quickly jogged with her to the dressing room.

"I was," Christine told her.

Meg opened the door and found Carlotta angrily wiping tears at her face and shoving her makeup into a large bag. She turned her green eyes at them and glared. "What do you want?"

"Get out!" Meg shrieked angrily. Christine was trembling like a leaf at her side. Carlotta noticed the same and frowned.

"Is she alright?"

"Get out!" Meg repeated, rushing forward and grabbing all of her makeup and then the bag. In one fatal swoop she shoved all of the makeup into the bag and then grabbed Carlotta by the arm who was cursing the small blonde woman. Meg threw the bag out of the room and onto the floor before pulling Christine into the dressing room and shutting Carlotta out.

"Sit!" Meg commanded the green looking girl. Christine did as she was bid and then turned to the mirror.

"Meg give me a few moments alone."

"I will hold him off as long as I can." Meg nodded, knowing how frightened Christine was. She rushed out of the room then and went off in search of Raoul, ignoring Carlotta who came storming after her.

Inside the room Christine immediately grabbed her cloak off of the wall. Erik was already pulling the mirror aside. She stuttered out a greeting before moving past the mirror and waiting for him to say something. He was seething. She could feel it coming off of him in waves. His eyes were fire against the glow of the lantern. He took her hand firmly and began to pull her down under.

As soon as they were in the boat she began to rant nervously.

"I do not know what happened. I-I did not expect him to be here. I saw him and thought I saw a ghost. For a moment I thought I was hallucinating Erik. I did not invite him here if that is what you are thinking. I'd never do something like that. Can you believe that he would do that to me? Asking Reyer to allow me to sing? Who does he think he is? I suppose I should be grateful." She ranted on and on. Erik said nothing at all imagining all the deaths that he could give Raoul de Chagny. Christine was naïve, she did not understand why he was so angry, and she voiced this confusion when they reached the rocky land of their home.

"Erik?" she asked, coming after him as he tossed his robe to the ground, stalking towards his organ and playing a violent tune. His jaw was locked so hard that she could see the muscle there straining against his skin. His eyes were awfully narrow. "Erik say something to me?" She begged him, breathing heavily with panic, "I do not know what to make of this."

Erik was not hearing her, not much anyway. His fingers ran over the keys fast, hard, making the organ thunder as if it were his own voice. How he wanted to hurt that miserable boy. I should have killed him as well. Christine could never understand the threat that this boy posed to his life, and it was all because of her.

"Erik say something to me!" She yelled furiously, slamming her hand down on the organ and cutting of the music he played. Erik's fingers stopped as she continued, "you cannot ignore me. I know that something is bothering you and it no doubt as to do with Raoul's presence but you cannot ignore me as if I am at fault. I knew nothing about this and yet you sit there and ignore me?"

Her masked fiend sat there for a long moment. His eyes saw nothing. She continued to search his face for any sign of anything but found nothing. His face did not betray him like her own did. Finally he stood up and stared down at her. When their gazes met she felt a cold feeling shoot down her spine.

"You will not talk to him Christine," he stated quietly, warningly, "I do not know what he is here for but I doubt that his intentions are all pure. I imagine that he somehow found out about where it is that you are and wanted to come see you."

"There is no way that he would have known that I am here," she told him sincerely, "I know that he has many connections but it is not logical that someone would point out my name and tell him that this is where I was. That makes no sense."

"Then why is he here!" Erik exclaimed furiously, grabbing her arm and bringing her close, he was trembling with rage at that boy, "I hate him! I do not want him here. Send him away!"

"I cannot just send him away," she stuttered, shaking in his grip, "I do not have that power."

"Tell him that you detest him and that you never want to see him again. Ensure that he does not ask for your audience with the Managers of the Opera house. You know very well that he will want to speak with you privately. And you know about what. I expect that you will obey me and ignore him to the best of your abilities."

"Obey you?" Her eyes widened and she shoved at his chest, he remained firm on her arm, "who do you think I am? I do not obey you," her eyes were ice now against his fire, "I will see him if I want to!"

"Then you do want to?" his eyes narrowed.

"I do not!" She hissed and made another attempt to shove him away but he took her other arm in his grip too. She was all too aware of the proximity. Christine turned her face away, glaring out towards the body of water to her right. Erik's face was close to her own now, she could hear his breath and almost feel his skin and the plastic of his mask as he stared at her.

"Christine," his voice was soft, delicate almost despite it's deep undertones, "promise me that you will not seek an audience with him. You must swear it to me." He quickly released her arms only to press her closer to him. The quick shuffle of his hands did not give her ample time to release herself from his strong grasp. "I am begging you. Do not do this to me."

"I am not doing anything to you Erik," her voice came out harder than she had intended it, but she could not smooth out her voice, "I am innocent in this and yet you choose to persecute me."

"I am not persecuting you," I am protecting you, he thought as he began to feel her slacking in his hold, her joints no longer as stiff as before, "I am only... seeking to protect you," he almost choked it out.

"Raoul would never hurt me." She whispered quietly, looking up to Erik with a frightened gaze. Something lingered behind his words, and she did not know what it was but it was something like fear. "Erik... Raoul would not harm me."

"If you love me at all then you will not speak to him. You will avoid him at any cost Christine," his grip tightened on her and for a long moment she remained silent. Had he just acknowledged her love, and then used it as a source of power? "I am begging you," his eyes searched her own blue depths.

"Alright Erik," she breathed, dropping her head to his shoulders, completely aware suddenly that her feet were off the ground. She wrapped both arms around his neck and shut her eyes, "I will not speak with him."

"Thank you Christine," he murmured, breathing a sigh of relief.

She nodded and pulled back to stare at him for a long moment, very aware of the way he watched her mouth and licked his own lips. "Why do you hate him so much Erik?" Her eyes searched his face but he gave nothing away, as usual, "I do not understand what he has done to you."

"He has posed a threat Christine," Erik told her simply, gripping her with one arm firmly and allowing his other hand to touch her hair, stroking it carefully. He loved the texture of her hair, and despite what he had promised himself before he could not stop himself from wanting to kiss her. The proximity did not help him.

"A threat?" Her fingers touched the long strands of hair was the back of his neck. She would have to give him a hair cut, "what sort of threat Erik?"

The amber orbs in his head rose to meet her gaze, "you know exactly what sort of threat," he did not enjoy having to say it out loud. It made him feel like a love sick fool. A blush covered her face – giving her away.

"I do not know," she played coy, it didn't suit her well. For an actress she did not know how to feign innocence. Her pretty blue eyes dropped to his mouth. She was closing the distance between the two of them, and he would not stop her if she chose to kiss him.

"You are mine," he murmured quietly as her lips grazed his own. Thunder rolled down his chest and abdomen and straight to his groin as she tentatively brushed her mouth against his, "he threatens to take you away."

"That would never happen," she whispered softly, shutting her eyes and ignoring the way her body wanted to rub against his, "I would never leave you Erik. Never in a million years. The sun would be snuffed out before that."

And then she did kiss him. Her lips molded themselves carefully against his own. She had waited a long time for this, but then so had he. His soft sigh made her quiver. He was more vulnerable than she was in these things, and it made it easier to deal with. She was in control, not he.

"I love you," he purred against her mouth, stifling any other sounds. He set her down onto the piano, carefully placing his hands at her hips and relishing in the way she dominated his lips, turning his face this way and that to allow her better access. He almost whimpered with pleasure when she pulled at his hair slightly. "Christine..."

"Don't speak," she whispered sweetly. She was only slightly taller then him now that she sat above the piano. She lifted her legs and stepped onto the keys, the sound echoed throughout the lair but he did not care. She had kicked off her shoes long go. His hands were feverish at her hips, gripping her so tightly that she began to wonder if she'd bruise. But his mask continued to get in the way of what she was doing. She ignored it and continued to kiss him. Enjoying the way he reacted. She could sense that he was reeling himself back, it was clear in the way he suddenly slammed his hands down onto the piano. They were trembling, and he would not touch her. He did not want to.

"Touch me," she ordered him softly, kissing his neck as he looked off towards the body of water. Gritting his teeth as he fought for self control. She was a siren, a seductress, but he could not afford to lose to her tonight. Or ever. He would not harm her. "Touch me," she whispered again, allowing her hands to slide under his arms and pulling him closer. His nails began to dig into the top of the piano. He wanted to touch her. He wanted to feel her flesh beneath his fingertips. But he could not do it.

"Christine please," his voice was taking a husky turn, and he continued to allow her to maul his throat with her mouth. Her breathing was getting loud, and his was getting short. "We cannot."

"Why not?" She whispered huskily.

"It... just," he did not know what answer to provide. "I will not do this to you. I cannot."

"You want to," she pulled her face back and went for his lips again, but she stopped her with both hands at either side of her face. Her eyes were darkened with arousal, it was amazing to him. He could see the flush on her face, and the swell of her lips.

"I cannot do this to you, not with... what happened."

It was the wrong thing to say.

Her throat tightened. "What happened..."

"Yes Christine," he reached up and stroked her soft cheek, "you're not ready. You just want to.. forget. You aren't ready for this yet."

Christine's eyes went from dark to empty. It seemed that something had clicked, but instead of being angry she seemed to be embarrassed.

She looked away from him and swallowed. Nodding, silent and resigned.

Without another word she hopped down from the piano and began to quietly walk away towards the kitchen on the other side. He ran a hand through his hair. She was upset. How could she not understand his reasoning?

"Hello?" A foreign voice came calling. Christine and Erik turned towards the entrance nearest to the kitchen and frowned with confusion, it could only be one person. As he stepped forward into the light of the lair Christine smiled, wiping away the empty expression on her face and grinning. "Well, don't you look radiant," Nadir grinned as she ran towards him and embraced him. Erik did his best to look as normal as he usually did, "and you Erik," Nadir smirked, "well you look as morose as usual. I take it things are going well?"


NADIR! WE'VE MISSED YOU! AND RAOUL?! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST STAY AWAY!

Well I mean... I do need you for the story but whatever! Stay away fool! STAY AWAY.