Sorry for disappearing. I was very very extremely uninspired, and have been trying to write this one chapter for a month! I will keep posting but I just don't know when or how much and I don't want to let my loyal readers down! Sorry for the bad chapter and the long wait to get it, ill try to make the next one decent and get it up faster.

Please also check out Moving Forward, it now has two chapters!

Please read, review all that shablaz.

ONWARD

There was a warmth. What was it? She'd never felt it before.

She turned to look behind her and saw Erik, still sleeping soundly with his arms wrapped tightly around her. He made her feel safe last night. She was really shaken, something she didn't want to admit to Erik, from the fact that there was a girl, asleep in the house who bore a resemblance to her, who had been attacked. Was it aimed at her? Was someone after her? She shuddered at the thought.

Erik began to stir next to her, no doubt her shaking had woken him, but she for some reason wished she was already out of the bed by the time Erik woke up. An awkward conversation would be sure to follow. Something changed between them thanks to her request last night. They were man and wife in name only, but they were more like friends, close friends definitely but still friends. It was an intimate hold, Christine wouldn't deny that. Sometimes she fell asleep holding her sister, that would be different to how Charles holds Alice as they sleep.

How Erik held Christine.

It's oddly intimate to see someone as they wake up, fresh faced and at their most vulnerable. Of course, she couldn't see Erik's face. but the same principle stands. He sat and adjusted to his surroundings, before his eyes fell onto her.

The angel that Erik held last night. It felt like they were waking up two different people, as though it was a new experience. He was so very warm due to their proximity. He felt as though he were in a dream. Never would he ever imagine he would be able to wake up with such a delightful woman in his arms, a woman who sought safety that he was actually able to provide for her. Was this love? He didn't know. He'd never felt love. Is this how Nadir felt when he was with Adele, so happy to be close to her yet so worried he would lose her? Perhaps he would not know. Christine had felt love, from her little family. Would she be able to tell him what it felt like, when perhaps she felt the same for him?

Don't be ridiculous.

"Good Morning." He told her, his voice husky from sleep. She replied with the same inflection

He began to get up, but all of a sudden he noticed a problem. Before he could hide it, Christine did too. His body seemed to have reacted with a mind of its own due to the closeness of Christine's lithe frame, and he tried to grab a pillow to cover the obvious rise of his sleep trousers. Her blush was so deep, so much more pink than her natural colour. "Oh, Christine, I am so sorry." He pleaded. "I don't, I-"

He didn't expect the laugh that bubbled from her as she sat surrounded by bed clothes. His blush nearly matched hers at this point. What was she laughing at, was it him? "Oh Erik." She said between giggles. "It's fine. We are married after all."

It was the first time there marriage was ever referred to as anything more than innocent.

There was no time to dwell. Erik had to focus on the young women who was in his house, waiting to be reunited with her husband, and they had to prepare for tonight's party.

Bloody Edward. Always throwing parties for couples when he didn't even have a wife or an intended. There was a different woman with him at every one, no doubt escorts. But he could dress his darling up, where she could wear a luxurious dress and decorate his arm all night, There were some upsides, but he could still dislike Edward.

While the little girl gracefully exited to the bathroom, Erik donned his robe and went to see to the rest of the household

He wanted his dog, but she ran past his feet faster than he could comprehend, like hell itself was chasing him. Not hell, but little Meg followed, running down the hall way with the grace of the dancer that she was straight after poor little Sasha "Sorry!" She shouted as she accidentally caught his toe, but he let her go.

She injected so much life into the house. And she was only the same age as Christine's Annabelle, whose life seemed so much harder

Strolling into the dining room, he was shocked to find only Adele. "Where are the others?" He questioned her, seen as so Nadir and Joseph had yet to appear. "Nadir is taking that poor young woman home, he didn't want her to upset Christine." She told him, clearly recognising the similarities to his wife in the girl. "And Joseph is yet to return". Erik didn't know why he had yet to fire that man. He always skips at least a week, and his tasks are done with little care. No time to dwell, as his lovely wife waltzed in with Sasha in her arms, talking to Meg amicably. "Empty table?" She commented as she sat down, in her usual seat next to Erik. She took the initiative to grasp his hand under the table as Sasha jumped away, smiling a little to herself as she felt his long, pianist fingers wrap around her small ones. Adele chuckled slightly, simply replying, "Your husband made the same observation. You are becoming so similar.", to which Erik replied with a retort about how it was simply a basic observation 'even Meg could've made', which in turn led to a shout from her.

Their morning was slightly boring after that, the husband and wife going for a short singing lesson, where Meg used one of the few times they sang through full songs as an opportunity to dance in the room next door. It was like their own little Opera house, tucked away for their privacy.

Meg and Adele insisted they smuggle Christine away in the afternoon, ahead of the 'intimate affair' at Edward's tonight. Reluctantly Erik let her go, thinking of how he would be able to show off his lovely wife for the first time tonight. Of course, they couldn't disclose their true meeting, and would have to create a fabulous story to appease their minds. But he had done it before, for the mask.

Upstairs the three women were having a tremendous time, all laughing at stupid little stories or Meg's antics. Christine had a moment where she thought of her little sister, back at home, wondering if she had someone to laugh with. Christine had always been that for her. She was shaken out of those thoughts as Meg pulled another one of the gorgeous dresses out of the cupboard.

"Oh Christine you must wear this one! It is the most exquisite!" Meg announced, holding the dress to her frame as she spun around the room. As she stopped, Christine gave it a proper look, and saw it was a gorgeous mix of both pale and dark blue, with golden threads and lace adorning it. Christine has never seen it in the before, but she couldn't disagree with Meg about it being truly stunning. Erik had given her many luxurious things in her time with him but this was truly one of the best. Plus, Erik loved her in blue, she knew from his eyes. "Okay, fine." Christine giggled her response.

She bathed herself with the most gorgeous honey scent, smelling it on her own skin even as she dressed. All new undergarments had been placed in her drawers without her noticing, much like the dress. Surely Erik would've found the task embarrassing, but both Adele and Meg denied any knowledge. Sneaky man in her private drawers! Besides the point, she was dressed in the new chemise and pantalettes, with Meg pulling the corset so tight she had to tell her to stop, "Oops, sorry. That's the dancer in me!" She replied, quoting her apparent dance teacher "'It can always be tighter!'"

When she saw herself in the mirror, she was blown away. Her hair had been pinned away and the dress suited her flawlessly. She looked like a real, true wife. Shame she wasn't.

Erik had dressed in a spare room, leaving her to her own piece, but being sure to take the pocket square made from the very same material of her dress. They had to make an impression, didn't they?

When he saw his wife, he knew it would be impossible not to. Even with a wide grin on her face and a dog trailing behind her, she was the definition of elegance and grace. She looked like water flowing down the stairs, if water was also Aphrodite herself. She smiled as she stumbled towards him, reaching out her hands to steady herself on him. "Look at me, i can hardly walk!" She laughed, but Erik's face was deadly serious, completely in awe." I am looking, darling." He told her, as their eyes met and held each others gaze.

"Isn't she pretty, Erik?" Meg said, skipping down the stairs. "Practically did it all myself." He only nodded at her, trying to take in every inch of his wife as she blushed under his gaze.

"That man will want you even more."

Meg's comment was off the cuff, only aimed as a compliment as she didn't exactly understand the complexity of th issue, but Erik saw Christine's eyes close as she shivered. His own eyes closed as he tried to reign in his anger. How dare she make a comment that clearly would scare her so much? His hand went to a fist.

"Adele, take away your daughter right now." He said slowly.

"Erik, she didn't mean any-" Christine was cut off.

"Now!"

And with that the two Giry's had left the room in an instant. Erik's eyes opened again as he met Christine's, and he tried to ignore the small amount of fear he could detect in them. "I think our carriage awaits."

Again, i really am sorry about how long this took to come out. Chapter three of Moving Forward is half done for any of my readers reading that (which is hopefully all of you)!

Love youse.