I am SO sorry I did not get this up in time for Sunday. This holiday season has just really been kicking my butt. But, I am finally caught up and must thank you all for your patience. Hope you enjoy this chapter!


Chapter 44: Absolutely Alive

"I will always find you."

Those words floated through the air, like a lone, crinkled leaf that rode on a shiver of the wind. It was barely audible, barely loud enough for her to hear. But the slight hiss in his dark tone was distinct, so clear that she was certain it was him.

She quickly inhaled, holding in the flat, damp air in her lungs. The burn in her chest let her know she wasn't dreaming. Slowly, rigidly, she forced her limbs to move. Her feet shuffled against the marble as she turned towards the breathy voice that captivated her every sense.

Near the entrance of the Mausoleum, there was darkness. The natural light of the room merely lit the main hall, though the corner remained cloaked in shadow. Yet, there was something different about the blackness before her. It seemed more opaque than normal. Christine squinted to examine it further. She could just see the tall, angular outline of a barely visible silhouette. She blinked. Was it just a play of the light or was there someone there?

She slowly stepped forward, letting a shaky exhale escape her lips. The glint of a white mask slowly came into view.

"Erik?"

Just like in her dreams, her angel appeared from the darkness. Dressed in an immaculate black suit, the Phantom looked so different from the Angel of Death she had last seen only a few months ago. He seemed almost like a fine gentleman in a tailored suit and long, black cloak than the dark assassin from the east. At first, she flinched, not recognizing him. Though when she studied his angled jaw and the fire in his eyes, she felt her tense shoulders droop instantly.

Christine slowly stepped forward. Her fingers outstretched until they came into contact with the warm ridge of his jawline. His eyes widened at the electric contact of their skin before softening.

A sharp gasp escaped her lips. A part of her had imagined that the image before her would fizzle into nothingness. In fact, she almost expected it. But as he nuzzled his cheek against her palm, reveling at the touch of her soft skin, she finally knew the truth.

"You're here. You-You are alive!"

Everything came crumbling down. Without hesitation, they both leapt into each other's arms. Erik wrapped his arms around her waist and crushed her against him in a tight embrace. Christine ignored the slight ache in her spine as her body was roughly bent against his. It was as if either of them let go, they would slip away from each other. She gripped the rough edges of his cloak and sobbed into his shoulder. She couldn't help it. The tears streamed down her cheeks as the months of worrying and praying finally ended in complete bliss.

"My angel." He whispered into her hair.

The corners of her lips raised upwards. The muscles in her face ached from the unusual movement. It has been months since she had smiled, yet now that was all she could do between her hiccups of tears. Soon she was beaming.

"You're alive...I cannot believe it." She sobbed, leaning back to look at his amber eyes. His open mouth barely showed a slight smile as he studied the woman in his arms. She could see the tension slowly ease out of him the longer he held her. A gloved thumb wiped away a tear that rested on her cheek.

"I will always find you." He repeated gently. Her heart began to swell. A warm flutter of joy flew through her stomach as she watched the corners of his lips curl upwards. Erik's arms returned to her waist, holding her tightly against him. His cloak slightly billowed around them and Christine took in every part of him. She could smell that familiar heat and spices and feel the pads of his fingers against her spine. Her eyes gazed into his. They flickered down to her lips for just a moment, before returning to her own.

She didn't hesitate. Her lips quickly found his. It was a chaste kiss. They had never officially labelled whatever this was. Persia hadn't exactly given them time to officially court. Yet, she knew it was more than just a friendship. Their years as maestro and student were far behind them. Every moment with him was something to be treasured. The past couple months without him left her empty and guideless. Now he was here in her arms, it was if the broken pieces of her heart were slowly sticking back together. She knew he had to feel the same way.

As she pulled away, still barely gripping onto moral decency, she felt a deep growl rumble out of his throat. His fingers quickly buried themselves in her curls as he hungrily pressed his lips against hers. She gasped as his tender touch. It was electrifying, completely stunning her body until she melted against him. Each kiss was desperate, hungry, and undeniably sensual. They devoured each other, slowly melting into the shadows as their kisses deepened.

Erik took a deep breath before pulling her further into the darkness. He turned her until she was pressed into the corner of cool marble. For a brief moment, they stared at each other. Christine could only see the vulnerable and desperate gleam in his eyes. He panted deeply as he stepped forward. Christine remained completely still, letting him tangle one of his hands in her locks as the other tightly palmed her lower spine. As if on instinct, her hands found his chest as his lips fervently returned to her own. She kissed him over and over, each one a spark that ignited her cold, empty heart. Soon she was reveling in the heat that consumed her. Her numb lips felt like they were on fire, though that was not the only part of her body that felt heat. Her hips naturally rocked against his own as he constantly tried to pull her closer to him. The way he curved her towards him was as if she could melt into his skin and they would become one. Each sway sent stars fluttering around her. Her cheeks burned at the unusual feeling near her hips. What was that fire between her legs? Was that his hip bone that dug against her...or was it...

A gasp escaped her lips and she quickly pulled from him. Her burning cheeks were the only indication of what she had deduced in her mind.

"Are you hurt?" She asked, quickly scanning his torso for any sign of blood. It was the least she could do to distract her dangerously wandering mind. Erik's jaw unhinged slightly, clearly confused by her sudden flight. Yet, he quickly composed himself at the sight of her genuinely worried expression. He shook his head.

"No. I am fine. Are you hurt? Did...did he hurt you?"

Christine finally found the courage to meet his eyes. For a moment, they flickered to his now rosy lips before forcing herself to maintain eye contact. "No. I am uninjured. I've just..." Christine felt dizzy, completely lost in the emotion. Her hands found his shoulders and she leaned forward for another chaste kiss. More than anything, she wanted to get lost in this moment with him. But deep down, she knew they were far from the freedom they thought they would find in Paris.

"Erik, you're not safe here."

The exposed half of his face hardened. It was as if the lustful gleam in his eyes turned to something darker with the snap of her fingers. The sudden change almost caused her to stumble with her words, but Christine continued. "There is a guard here to watch me. If I stay in here for long, he may come and look for me!"

"I noticed him at your arrival." He hushed gently. "Do not worry about him, he will not disturb us for a while. Why are the Chagnys sending you here with a guard?"

Christine sighed. She ran her fingers across her tremble. How could she explain all that happened? The past two months could not be summarized in one quick meeting, though she was afraid this would be all the time they had. "They think you killed Philippe and they knew you would come to Paris to find me. Please, I cannot let them find you. You have to go!"

His hands slammed against the marble at the side of her head causing her to squeak. She curled internally, her hands covering her rapidly beating heart. The sudden outburst completely contrasted against their passionate exchange only moments ago. Erik seemed almost like a different man as he craned over her. There was barely a hair's length of space between them. She watched as his face formed into a snarl. "I am not going anywhere without you. That bastard has taken you away from me twice now and I refuse to let it happen again! I do not give a damn to what I must do to remain at your side, but I will do it willingly."

She shuddered at the intensity of each syllable. If it was under different circumstances, she would have wordlessly agreed to whatever he decided. Yet, she could not shake away the fear of his capture. "If they find you, then they will arrest you." She whispered as her lower lip trembled. "I can't lose you."

"You will never lose me, which is why I refuse to flee without you." His dark tone stopped her ramblings in their tracks. "Come with me." He begged. "I have a carriage at the other end of the graveyard. It won't be hard to distract the guard and then we can finally be free of it all. No one will be able to hurt us, I promise you this."

The more he explained his plan, the more she shook. Christine bit her lip and shook her head. More than anything she wanted to take his hand and be whisked away into the night. But she remembered Charles's threatening promise.

"Erik, Charles de Chagny is working with the police to find you. He told me that if he suspects I know your whereabouts, or if I leave, he will hurt the ones I love."

He grabbed her shoulders. "He won't be able to hurt us."

"What about Madame Valerius? She is the only family I have."

"You have me."

She was caught off guard by his words. Pure joy burned through her veins at the thought of him becoming...family. But an image of the older woman flashed before her. She had not seen her guardian in nearly half a year now, but could still remember the scent of her perfume. Madame Valerius would never leave the house without spraying lavender on her neck and smiling brightly into the little mirror near the door. What would Charles de Chagny and his men to do that innocent smile?

"I can't leave her."

"I cannot lose you." Erik begged more sternly. Christine could feel his grip tighten on her shoulders. "She would want your happiness above anything else. For the love of God, Christine, come with me."

"So I let her die? What if they hurt Madame Giry or Meg? I cannot be the reason for their deaths."

He let go of her, running his hands through his hair. "I refuse to let you out of my sight. To lose you again would kill me. What part of that do you not understand? I will not let you go back to him!"

Christine trembled. What was she to do? Let her guardian suffer at the hands of one of the most powerful men in France? Should she risk losing Erik forever?

"You are not safe with them." He reiterated. "Your guardian would want your safety."

"I don't think they will hurt me."

"It isn't the Chagnys I worry about."

Christine furrowed her brow. Erik winced, as if he had said something he shouldn't have. He turned from her as his fingers curled into fists at his side. Christine quickly cupped one of them in her own hands. She refused to let him sliver away from this conversation. "What do you mean?"

Erik hesitated. His lips opened and closed a few times before he was finally able to let the words slip out. "The Sultana survived the coup. She is here, in Paris."

Christine felt her heart sink. "But-but I thought…"

Erik gently rubbed her shoulders, studying her softly. He hushed her as he straightened out her cloak. "The Shah refused to yield his power and was killed by his son. The palace was destroyed, but Mozaffar was still able to earn the people's acceptance into power. Nadir and I ensured it.

"Nadir is alive?"

"Yes, Nadir is alive and he is here in Paris too. We left Persia as soon as we could and arrived this morning. I came to find you immediately because you are not safe here. Somehow, that witch knew of our plan and was just able to escape. Some soldiers informed us that she too had found a boat to Europe, and there is only one reason why she would come here.

Though his hands were gently against her shoulders, she could not help but shake at his words. The Sultana; that viperous woman who brought nothing but misery and pain into their lives had survived. Christine knew that she was cunning. It wouldn't be difficult for her to manoeuvre around Paris or blend in with a crowd. Once her mind was set on something, it would be near impossible to stop her. now, she had no rules holding her back.

"I believe she is here to enact her revenge. She is coming here to find you. If you leave me now I am terrified that I will lose you forever. Please, my love, come with me. I will do everything I can to ensure Madame Valerius's safety but we must leave now."

Christine felt frozen. "I can't."

Erik sauntered back, as if he had been stabbed in the heart. His soft eyes turned into a glare. "Do not let my nightmares be remotely real. You want to go back to him?"

"No-No! I do not love him, Erik. I swear to you. I want nothing to do with him or his family, but we do not have much of a choice. People will get hurt because of me...I can't do that. I have already brought so much pain and suffering to everyone else."

"What are you talking about?"

Christine felt her lower lip tremble. All of the pain in her heart began to swell until it completely overflowed. She took in a shaky breath as she tried to explain herself without crying. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't sent that telegram to the Chagny then Philippe would be here today and-"

"Stop it." Erik silenced her sternly. She flinched at his words. His palms gently cupped her cheeks, lifting her eyes to meet his. "None of this is your fault."

"But it is! This whole time I went out of my way to defy the Shah and fight against the rescue attempts. If I had just complied, Darius and Philippe would still be here."

"Christine, stop." Erik said. He gave her one quick shake before stepping closer to her. She pressed her forehead against his chest. Looking into his eyes would surely break the little resolve she had. In fact, when he firmly wrapped his arms around her, he nearly did.

"It is easy to blame yourself when others suffer more than you. This is guilt that you feel is due to your trauma, not your actions. You do not bear any of the blame. Do you understand? None of it. It is because if you could, you would take their place and end all of this suffering. But you cannot, no matter how hard you try. It is eating you apart and I can see that. You need to understand that there was nothing you could do to change their fate and there is nothing you can do now to reverse it. They are dead and we will mourn them. But they were not taken by your actions."

"I can't lose you." Christine cried in between her tears. She gripped onto the edges of his cloak. "But I don't want to lose anyone else either. Please, there must be another way."

Erik looked down at her. A flash of fear dashed across his expression and she watched as his mind raced. She could almost see the cogs spinning in his brain as he processed her words. After a while, he released a sigh.

"How could I tell you no?"


The guard leaned against the carriage, flipping a knife in his hands. As Christine approached, he quickly placed it back in his side.

"You alright, miss?"

Her red eyes and pale face told him all he needed to know. She had come here to see her father, just as the Vicomte has mentioned. He had ensured that the young woman made it to the grave where her father rested before scouting the perimeter. Nothing seemed out of place.

The young woman nodded. "Of course. Could I please return to the Chagny residence?"

He straightened his cap and nodded. "Of course. I will inform the driver."

Christine nodded before climbing into the carriage. The guard locked it behind her, ensuring that no one tried to sneak in during the ride. He had been told this Phantom was a force to be reckoned with and a master of disguise.

The guard smirked. It would take a miracle to get past him.


Christine did her absolute best to avoid any eye contact. As the carriage arrived at the residence, Christine felt her heart flutter. How many times had she lied to the King of Persia? Would one little lie to the Chagny's really be that difficult?

She exited the carriage quickly, shuffling forwards towards her room. The sooner she got there, the sooner this would be over. She barely acknowledged the staff that greeted her or looked in her direction. Instead, she focused on her path to her room. It took all her self control to refrain from skipping up the steps and sprinting down the extravagant halls to her chamber. Instead, she briskly walked towards her destination.

As she rounded the corner, she felt herself exhale. There it was. Once she was there, all of this would finally be-

"Christine?"

Christine's hand froze on the door handle to her room. She was so close. In fact, she was certain she could taste the sweet sugar of victory before it was ripped away from her. Worse yet, she recognized that voice immediately.

"Hello, Raoul." Christine replied softly. She turned to face him, though her hand remained on the handle. He wore a fine suit, a dark grey wool that was clearly tailored to him. Any indication of his fractured jaw had completely diminished. Though, his once boyish grin that seemed so natural on his face was replaced by a somber gaze.

He slowly walked towards her, his head low though he maintained eye contact. Christine bristled as he stopped a few feet in front of her.

"How are you feeling?"

Christine's mouth went dry. It would be a lie to deny that she had wanted to talk to Raoul. What had gone on between them caused an unshakable rift in their friendship. She was certain things would never go back to how they used to be. Regardless, she wanted to at least leave on good terms, or on an understanding of some sorts. Their brief reunion in Persia was not the conversation they needed to move on.

"As well as can be expected. I just visited my father's grave and I am afraid I am in need of some rest. If you will excuse me."

She twisted the handle, but flinched as Raoul reached out towards her. At the sign of her wince, he pulled his hand back. Christine felt her heart ache at the flash of pain that crossed his face. "We cannot keep doing this." He stated somberly.

Christine looked away from him. He was right. The two of them had not talked since their time in Persia. Whenever the other appeared, even in conversation, they would avoid each other at all possible costs.

If it wasn't for Erik's plan, she would have stayed and continued the conversation. In the Mausoleum, Erik had described his new plan in great detail. She would unlock her window and he would scale the building to the second floor and enter. There, they would remain hidden until Charles de Chagny allowed her to leave. Christine already spent most of her time in her chambers and this would ensure they could be together.

But their plan would, yet again, burn to a crisp if she did not unlock that window.

"I agree." Christine responded truthfully. "There is much that needs to be said between us. But I need time."

Raoul sighed. "I understand, trust me I do, but we do not have much time left. I will be leaving shortly to go on an expedition. It was something Philippe had always encouraged me to do, and I think some time away may be beneficial. But I do not want to leave without talking to you."

Christine felt the handle slowly begin to spin. her heart raced. Was Erik on the other side of this door? She quickly gripped it, doing her best to stop it from unlocking. If Erik opened this door, there would be no saying as to what he would do.

"Raoul, please. Now is not the time."

"Then when? When will be the time? Do not let me wait in agony, Little Lotte."

"Tomorrow." The words flew out of her mouth before she could think them through. She would have said anything to get him to leave, and that was the best she could come up with. "Please, Raoul. Tomorrow."

His lips formed into a thin line. She could see a blend of emotions in his expression: a dash of trepidation, a wrinkle of disappointment. He nodded solemnly. It was difficult for Christine to feel sorry for him, especially with Erik's strong grip trying to silently twist the door handle open against her meager attempts. "Tomorrow it is." he agreed.

Christine nodded. She quickly opened the door, just barely wide enough for her to sneak through without anyone seeing the inside. Quickly, she closed and locked the door behind her.

Erik stood with his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. He glared at her, his lips formed into a sinister snarl.

"I will kill him." He hissed. "How dare he try and beg for your forgiveness after what he has done!"

"Shh!" She whispered. "He may hear you!"

"Like I care." Erik snarled. He silently stepped away from the door and began to pace near the bed. "I will warn you now. If he was to discover my presence, I would not be entirely disappointed nor would you be able to stop my response. No amount of batting your pretty little eyes is going to stop me from tearing him apart."

Christine couldn't stop the slight blush that crept onto her cheeks, though she faced with a disapproving glare. Did he think she was pretty? "You wanted to come here." She reminded him.

"You left me no choice."

"I don't want anyone else to suffer because of me. If you were to hurt Raoul, you would be doing just that."

Erik scoffed. "Don't tell me you would not enjoy to see him beg for mercy after what he did to you."

Christine hugged herself. Her tone softened. "I wouldn't enjoy it. I wouldn't enjoy anyone suffering because of me. I don't think I could live with it."

Erik didn't respond. Instead, they stood in silence for a few moments. Christine turned from him, walking towards the small desk near the window. To her relief, the window was not destroyed but merely unlocked from the outside. She had to applaud Erik's incredible talent. How he was able to dangle from a second story window and pick the lock without being spotted would be a mystery. He had also managed to climb in without damaging the small tray of food sitting on her desk.

"Here, you must eat. I doubt you have had much rest since you arrived."

Erik nodded slightly. "I am not hungry, though I cannot remember the last time I slept."

Her eyes widened. Why was it that he never seemed to care about his own health? She rolled up her sleeves. Erik had taken care of her for so long, the least she could do was ensure that he got some sleep. She quickly walked over to her bed. "Then you must rest. Please, sleep here for as long as you need. I have many books to occupy my time while you get some rest."

Just as she began to fluff the pillows and straighten the sheets, Erik had moved besides her. She nearly bumped into him as she turned away from the bed. Stunned, she stumbled back before a long arm shot out to catch her. Christine gasped at the closeness of his body against hers. Erik seemed apprehensive, his shallow breathing the only indication he was affected by their touch.

Christine sighed with relief. Her arms slowly found their way to his chest, queuing him to hold her closely. She rested her head against his chest and listened the the beating of his heart. It thudded loudly against his sternum, but she enjoyed it. He was alive. He was definitely alive. The entire world around them seemed to fizzle away yet again as they just enjoyed each other's presence.

This was what she wanted; to finally be safe and alone with him. Every inch of her skin relished his warm touch as he held her so tenderly. It wasn't as aggressive and full of desire as before. Regardless, it was heavenly.

Erik's voice was a silky hum against her eardrums. He gently kissed the top of her hair, trailing down until his thin lips brushed against her cheek. "I don't want to rest." He whispered. He rubbed the pad of his thumb along her spine and it sent a lustful shiver throughout her body.

The butterflies had returned, along with the unfamiliar heat in her abdomen. Her eyes fluttered upwards as she placed her hands on his chest.

"Then what do you want to do?"


Oh yes, it is about to get steamy. However, no post this Sunday because of the holidays. I will see you all in two weeks! Have an amazing holiday!