Author's Note: Just a small update! I wanted to let everyone know I am cutting down to one chapter every Friday. I overestimated my ability to do two chapters a week and I would much rather give quality over quantity. Thank you to everyone who is supporting me during this long process. Please, leave any feedback in a review!

Chapter 13-Promises

The ghastly, persistent stench of the poorly kept public stables was driving Erik further into insanity as he relentlessly paced back and forth in front of the stall that housed Cesar. Though his mania was drawing unwanted attention from the insignificant men who stopped to use the stables, he couldn't seem to find a shred of thought to care. The gawking as if he was a madman was nothing new to him. Perhaps he was mad, after all, he had a reason to be. His beloved Christine had been in the city for exactly two hours completely alone besides the frail elderly seamstress he had left her with.

Her extended absence was gnawing at his soul and he couldn't help but assume the worst. What if she was lost in the city or had taken the alley ways he demanded she do her best to avoid? Tears pricked at his eyes at the thought of finding her robbed, beaten or worse…dead.

An irritated growl filled the stables and he entered Cesar's stall and leaned back against the wall, rubbing his unmasked temple in an attempt to be rid of his racing thoughts.

"Cesar, I am going mad," Erik whispered, looking up at his faithful companion. The stallion's head turned towards him and a heavy huffing breath blew across his face. "Should I go to her?"

There was nothing but silence from the usually vocal horse and Erik wondered if Cesar had agreed that he was a madman or if he should go after Christine. There was little possibility it was the latter as only a man that had gone completely mad would believe a horse could understand a single word he was saying. With a groan, he sank against the wall, balancing carefully as to not sit on the dirty floor.

"What am I to do if something happened to her? What if someone has harmed her?" he muttered. A terrible feeling of guilt washed over him and a hard lump formed in his throat at the thought of not being able to save her from the wicked men that prowled the streets.

God, he couldn't help it, he had to go to her. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if she was harmed after he had been so foolish by leaving her alone in an unfamiliar city.

Erik pushed himself up and made his way to the exit of the stables. There were light yet urgent footsteps outside, but he didn't think anything of it since there were small boys running in and out grooming the horses. As he was turning to step through the open door, someone smacked directly into the center of his chest. He stumbled backwards slightly and heard a loud yelp from the person he collided with.

"Can't you watch where you are going, you damn fool?" Erik hissed, dusting off the front of his coat in case the imbecile was one of the dirty stable boys. Small cries drew his attention to the figure on the ground and he looked up from his coat to see a cowering woman sitting on her bottom, clutching a large garment bag to her chest. "Oh, Christine! Forgive me for my use of language, I didn't know it was you. Here, let me help you up."

He extended his hand down towards her and when she looked up at him with wide, fear stricken eyes, Erik felt his heart leap from his chest. Something did happen in the city and it was his fault for leaving her without protection. His jaw clenched and he pulled her up from the ground, pulling her against his chest.

"Erik, w–we need to leave now!" her muffled voice cried as she knotted her fists into the lapels of his coat letting the garment bag fall between them. "Please, we need to leave!"

Erik placed a firm grip on her shoulders and held her away from himself, "Did someone harm you? Who was it? He will be dead, I swear!"

Christine's mouth kept opening and closing as if she were trying to find her voice and after a dozen times, a strangled cry left her trembling lips and a barrage of tears fell down her cheeks. His beautiful fiance. He had never seen her so frightened before, not even when she gazed upon his face for the first time.

"I need to know what happened in the city. I refuse to leave until the man who hurt you is torn into a million pieces," he insisted, shaking her lightly.

Her frequent glances over her shoulder were infuriating and Erik couldn't help but grip her chin to claim her attention. Tear brimmed eyes gazed at him and her wet lips moved silently before she finally spoke, "No one hurt me, but we must go home before he finds us!"

"Who will find us? Just spit it out already!" he snarled, a little too harshly he realized when she flinched at his words.

A choked name fell from her lips as she looked at him with desperation and Erik released his grip on her chin. It was a name he had never expected to hear again, one that he had shoved to the back of his mind and forgotten about. How could he have forgotten about him? How could he have forgotten the child who had taken Christine and drove her into madness in less than a month?

"R–Raoul!" Christine carried again, shoving her face back into his chest.

Erik's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach once the full severity of the situation hit him and bile rose in his throat as anger overtook him, "You saw him in the city?"

She quickly shook her head, "No, I saw–I saw Philippe."

The Vicomte had sent his brother to do his dirty work, how very charming. No matter, they would both die, very gruesome deaths at that. Erik could already see their bodies naked and maimed as he tossed them in the Saone to be feasted on by fish. They had no right to claim her! Not after what atrocities they had committed. And to think they thought Erik the monster! Absolutely laughable!

With Christine in his arms, he picked up the garment bag and carried her into the stables, "We will discuss this further at home."

He set her next to Beauty and tied the bag to the mare's saddle, attempting to focus his thoughts on keeping Christine safe and not searching the city to exact his revenge. It would be so simple, but he couldn't leave Christine alone while he tracked them down. There was no saying how many men they had scattered about looking for her. If it was a usual alley lurker, the situation would have been much different.

"We will ride fast. Pull the hood of your cloak up and be sure to hide your face. Keep your face forward and do not look back at the city. We do not know where he is or who he is with," Erik said urgently, doing his best to keep any venomous thoughts to himself.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her quickly pull her hood over herself, cowering beneath the thin material. He faced towards her and noticed her crying had ceased and in its stead were quiet whimpers and soft mewls as she moved her lips in a silent prayer.

After a moment, her face turned up to his and she let out a shaky breath, "I love you, even if he finds me and takes me away, please know I will always love you."

Erik took her face in his hands and stooped to press his forehead to hers, "He will not take you from me, not if I have a say in the matter. I promise you, Christine, I will do anything in my power to keep you safe."

And he meant it, anything. Even if he had to die, he would gladly give his life if it meant she was safe and out of harm's way.

"I'm scared," she whispered, clinging to his forearms.

"I know, my love, but do you trust me? Do you trust me enough to obey every order I give you until we are back home?" he breathed, pressing the nose of his mask against her own fleshy one.

She nodded and let out a heavy breath, "With my life."

"Then please, don't be scared. All you need to do is trust me and I will do the rest," he whispered, pressing a kiss to her tear soaked lips. For a moment, her trembling ceased and he felt relief wash over him, but once he pulled away, the tremors returned.

His poor Christine, his poor beautiful Christine. They wouldn't touch her, they wouldn't see her. She would be safe at home, safe with him. Never again would she be subjected to the torture of seeing those two boys again.

Erik pulled away abruptly, "Will you be alright to ride?"

She nodded and opened her eyes, "Yes."

With that answer, he picked her up and placed her atop Beauty, handing her the reins. Then he mounted Cesar, "Stay close to me, and remember what I said. Do not look back, keep your eyes forward. He could have men all over the city."

He waited for her affirmation and once it was received, he pulled the hood of his own cloak over his head and urged Cesar out of the stables, looking back only once to see Chrisitne following him. Her eyes were empty, as if she were in a different reality. He could only imagine what she was thinking and cursed himself for not having the ability to read minds.

Erik turned back towards the long stretch of road in front of him, his only reassurance that Christine was still following him was the second set of hoofbeats accompanying Cesar's. He fought the urge to look back at her as he knew if he caught sight of the city, he wouldn't be strong enough to resist turning back and tracking down the threat and eliminating it once and for all.

xXx

The back door slammed against the inside wall of the cottage as Erik tore inside from the stables. He was furious and he devoted every bit of himself to contain his rage before he did anything drastic. He carelessly tossed his boots to the side, nearly knocking a hole in the wall, and threw his cloak into a pile in the corner of the small room. He felt absolutely feral as he drew in ragged breaths in an attempt to contain his anger. He couldn't lose himself, not when Christine needed him.

Once he had shed both his coat and vest and threw them to the floor along with his cloak, he felt as if he had at least some semblance of normalcy returned to him so he decided to head for the parlor. Christine sat shivering on the couch, her trembling hand pressed against her lips as tears dried on her cheeks. Her eyes stared off into nothingness and she looked so broken, so shattered and he questioned if he even had the strength to keep his composure long enough to comfort her. But, his strength didn't matter, she needed him and he couldn't allow her to suffer by herself.

After watching her for several seconds, he took a step forward and with a calm, controlled voice, he whispered, "Christine, are you alright?"

She didn't acknowledge him, so he moved to kneel in front of her, taking the hand she had pressed to her lips and placing it against his chest, "My love, please, answer me."

Her eyes flickered to his and he saw tears well in her eyes before they spilled over, "I'm sorry, I didn't–I–"

Erik stopped her by placing his index finger over her lips, "No, you have nothing to apologize for, don't even think it. You are safe now, safe with me."

Her face twisted and she sobbed violently before falling into his chest, "He could have taken me! He would have seen me if he hadn't been facing away from me," she choked, burrowing into him. "He was offering money for my safe return, he was telling a woman I was in danger!"

Danger? That fool was offering money for her safe return because she was in danger? Erik would never put her in danger, no, not his Christine. Besides, the Vicomte hadn't a clue of her whereabouts. How was he to know that she was residing with the infamous Opera Ghost? Not unless he was told where to look for her. But who–

Erik pulled away from Christine and looked her in the eyes, her tear stricken eyes. The same ones that looked at him with anger the night before she wrote the letter to the Vicomte to break off their engagement. Erik never did take her up on her offer to read the letter, after all, he wanted to show he trusted her, to get her to try. Was there a possibility she told him who she was with? Had she asked him to come save her from the monster? Was her agreement to stay with him only to keep his anger at bay while she waited for rescue? Sudden curiosity to know the words exchanged between only two pairs of eyes overcame Erik and he gripped Christine's shoulders.

"What did you write to him in the letter, Christine?" he asked, anger nipping in his words.

She looked at him with furrowed brows and breathed, "What?"

"The letter! The letter! The one you wrote to the boy!" he snapped at her, shaking her in hopes of jogging her memory.

Her eyes squeezed shut and she whispered, "I broke off our engagement and asked him not to look for me. Did you not read it before you took it for delivery?"

"No, because I trusted you, I trusted you not to betray me!" he hissed, standing and walking to lean on the mantle of the fireplace. "Are you certain that you did not mention me in your letter? You didn't ask the Vicomte to come save you from the monster?"

She scoffed loudly, "You really know how to choose the perfect time for self-loathing, don't you?"

Erik pinched the bridge of his nose, realizing the mistake he had made, but there was no time for apologies. "Just answer my question please. Did you tell him who you were with?"

Christine scoffed, "No! Why would I tell him? He has no right to know where I am or who I choose to spend my time with. Don't you dare accuse me of such a thing."

After a few deep breaths, he briefly looked at her over his shoulder, "I was only worried that if he knows you are with me then he would be able to find you, that is only if he was in the least bit intelligent. Though, I highly doubt he even knows his–" he paused and grumbled, thinking of how vulgar his next words were and decided to keep them to himself so as to not offend her.

Silence filled the room, then after a few moments he heard Christine sigh followed by quiet footsteps which stopped right behind him. He felt her standing near him and heard her soft sniffles as she recovered from the barrage of tears that she had previously been victim to. He stood perfectly still, waiting for her to say something, anything to cut through the silence. Then he remembered that he had never apologized for what he had said.

He opened his mouth and closed it several times, trying to think of what to say to rectify the situation, but before he could speak, he felt a hand on his back and she moved into his field of vision. Her face was slightly swollen and red, her lashes still had small droplets of tears on them so he reached out and wiped them away with his thumbs.

"Christine, I–" but he couldn't finish as she had placed a finger over his lips, just as he had done to her only minutes ago.

"It's alright, just please, don't ever think that I would betray you. Even when I wrote that letter, I had hope for us," she whispered, moving her hand to cup his face. It was warm and clammy, but he didn't mind. He craved her touch and she always gave it so willingly, even when she was upset with him. "You make too many assumptions, my love. You are far from a monster, and I've never once thought of you as one."

Erik was ashamed for his actions and even worse, he was the one that was supposed to be comforting her and there she was making sure he knew he wasn't a monster! How was she supposed to be assured that he would keep her safe from any threat when he couldn't even keep his emotions in check?

No more doubting her, focus on her safety, he scolded himself.

"I do tend to make foolish assumptions. I promise, never again, my love," he vowed, taking the hand that caressed his cheek and kissing each fingertip before moving his lips across her knuckles before resting them on the top of her hand, all the while keeping his eyes trained on hers.

She bashfully smiled at him and she looked away as a rosy blush flooded her face, "Alright, I will take you at your word," she shifted on her feet and sighed, glancing back towards him, "Would you like to sit for a while? My feet hurt from standing all day."

He perked up and nodded quickly while leading her back to the couch, "Here, you lay down and I'll rub your feet while you tell me of your day."

"I couldn't ask that of you," she argued as she sat on her bottom.

Erik pushed her back against the arm of the couch so her head was resting on it, and sat down, pulling her stockinged feet into his lap and starting his ministrations, "I insist, now, tell me, did you find a lovely gown?"

Her face lit up and she nodded, "Yes, it's beautiful and I think you will like it very much," then she was glowering at him, "Didn't we agree that I would be paying for it as well? You broke your promise."

He suppressed laughter and averted his eyes from hers, focusing on massaging the balls of one of her feet with his thumbs, "You did purchase it, my money is your money, so technically, I didn't break any promises."

"But I made a point of saving my own money for the dress! I was so excited to pay for it, now I'm quite angry with you," she crossed her arms and huffed.

Was she really angry with him? If he knew Christine would be so upset, he would have never left a payment with the seamstress. But, it was done and he had no way of changing the past, so he would simply need to make it up to her.

"You were very diligent and I applaud you for that. How about next time you can buy whatever you want and I will allow you to use the money you saved," he looked into her eyes and smiled, "I promise and as an apology for going back on my word, after we are done here, I will prepare your favorite supper."

Christine gasped, "Kåldolmar! Oh, Erik, I would love nothing more. Thank you."

Erik grinned, knowing he had more than made up for his mistakes from the day. With a satisfied sigh, he crept his fingers along her calf and halfway up her thigh, feeling her shiver under his touch. He hooked his finger under the hem of her stocking and slowly rolled it down being as gentle as he could. Once he had it to her ankle, he brought her foot to his lips and kissed it gently. She squirmed and giggled under his touch and he smiled against her skin, then slipped her stocking from her foot and set it next to him on the couch. He mirrored his actions with her other stocking and when she closed her eyes, he stuffed them into his pocket, being sure to pat down the fabric so she wouldn't be able to see that he had anything stashed inside.

The stockings would be added to his small collection under the mattress on his side of the bed. He knew it was strange to still collect the undergarments of a woman he finally had complete access to, but it was a habit he had a hard time being rid of and one he was sure he wouldn't ever be able to shake.

After several minutes of silence, Christine sat up on her elbows, "I bought you a gift from the jeweler's shop today."

Erik's eyes flickered up to hers and he frowned, "For me? You should not have spent your money on me, my love."

Christine smiled proudly, "Well, I did, and you will accept it whether you like it or not."

Erik let out a heavy sigh and furrowed his brows, curious as to what she had found for him at the jewelers. He was upset that she wasted her money on him, but the deed was done and he had never received any gifts other than the two locks of hair Christine had given him so the thought of what it may have been was slightly intriguing.

"Would you like it now? I am finding it hard to wait to give it to you," she sat up, pulling her feet from his grasp and swinging her legs over the side of the couch.

"If you must," he chuckled, leaning into a more relaxed position and crossing his ankle over his knee.

His eyes followed her as she bolted into the hallway and busied herself at the small console table. Her back was to him and he watched the sway of her hips as she danced with excitement while she rummaged through something he couldn't see. There was a sound of scattering coins then she let out a frustrated groan and disappeared behind the cover of the second couch. He tried not to laugh as he heard the scraping noises as she presumably gathered the coins and picked them up, all the while wishing he had neglected to purchase a second couch.

Suddenly, she emerged and quickly turned towards him with a mischievous smile on her face. She all but ran back to the couch and dropped down next to him, leaning her weight against his side.

"It's not much and I hope you aren't angry with me," she giggled, looking down at her clasped hands with what looked like unwavering insanity.

"Why would I be angry with you?" he questioned, genuinely curious as to what gift would anger him.

She only laughed and held out her hand to him and he slowly moved his hand under hers to accept her gift. Something cold and hard dropped into his palm and when she pulled her hand away, he saw a pocket watch. It was beautiful, and fully black with intricate designs and when he opened it, he saw an even darker clock face. It was truly perfect and he was at a loss for words at how amazing of a gift it was.

He looked up at her and she was biting her lip and looking between him and the watch impatiently, "Do you like it?"

"It's wonderful, thank you. I do have to say, I am rather disappointed to learn that you don't trust my timekeeping abilities," he chuckled, and leaned towards her to place a light kiss on her cheek. "I will cherish this for as long as I live."

Her laughter filled the room, "I'm glad you like it. I figured it would be useful so you could tell the actual time and we wouldn't be caught out in the dark nearly every time we leave the house."

"You are absolutely ruthless, my love," he teased, pulling her across his lap and placing the watch in the same pocket as her stockings, "I am deeply offended that you don't enjoy our rides under the moonlight."

She feigned surprise, wrapping her arms around his neck, "Please forgive me. I only wanted to give my wonderful fiance a gift to show how much I appreciate and love him."

Erik grinned and caressed her face, running his thumb over her cheekbone and locking eyes with her, "Wonderful? Please, elaborate."

The pace of her breathing picked up and she shivered against him, her face just an inch from his, "Well, he takes such good care of me and never stops doting over me nearly every second of the day. He is the most handsome man I have ever laid my eyes on and he doesn't know it, but he is all I think about."

"This fiance of yours is a very lucky man to have a goddess so consumed by him," he pressed his lips against hers and ran his tongue along her lower lip, begging for her to allow him to deepen the kiss. With a deep moan, she parted her lips and he dipped his tongue into her mouth, her sweet taste enveloping him.

After a minute or two, she pulled away and laid her head on his shoulder, her soft lips brushing his neck. He closed his eyes and rested his head against hers, losing himself to her seraphic humming. The beautiful tune she carried was one he didn't recognize and he made a mental note to inquire of its origin during their next music lesson.

The humming abruptly stopped and a sigh escaped her lips instead, "I suppose now is as good a time as any to ask what our plan is if Philippe finds us."

God, he had forgotten, once again, of the infernal boy that lurked within the city! The torture of the thought of losing Christine struck him like a lightning bolt and he let out a shaky breath, kissing the top of her head.

Erik had to assume that the Vicomte would start his search for Christine with Madame Giry, after all the woman was her guardian. Though, he must have exhausted the trail if he was searching anywhere other than Paris.

A lump formed in Erik's throat at the realization that Madame Giry knew where the cottage was since she was the one who had organized the transfer of ownership. What if she betrayed him and told them of the cottage to protect Chrisitne?

"There is a possibility that they may know where we are, but that is only if Madame Giry has informed them of any properties I own. She is the only person who knows I am in ownership of this place besides you and I," he muttered against the top of her head.

Christine shuddered, "Do you really think she would betray you?"

"If it means protecting you, then yes, after all she did betray me that night I lost you," he whispered, trying not to let any of the awful memories flood his mind. "In any case, if there is a rise in suspicion, we will need to flee. I doubt it will come to that, but I want you to pack your valuables in case it does."

A slow nod of her head told him she understood and she looked up at him, "Where would we go? Back to Paris?"

He thought on it for a moment and let out a long sigh at the realization that he had no other housing in case of emergency. His other properties had no buildings and were used merely as a source of income, though he could start construction on the property closest to Paris, after all once the Opera Populaire was restored, they would need to move back regardless. Perhaps, he could find an apartment in the city or a house in one of the surrounding towns to reside in until then.

"I am unsure, my love. In the morning, I will start looking for a new home for us, just to be safe. I would prefer to have a place ready for us before we leave. A permanent residence would be more to your liking anyways," he stated, taking her hand in his and twisting her engagement ring around her finger. "After all, my fiance deserves more than a simple cottage."

Christine cocked her head, "Is this not a permanent residence?"

"Of course, but there are only two bedrooms here. Hardly enough for a–" he paused and decided not to push the topic any further than he had to, "I want to give you more than a cottage hidden in the woods, my love. You deserve a beautiful chateau with a garden and plenty of room for whatever obscure hobbies you wish to pursue."

She rolled her eyes, "I am hardly in deservence of a chateau, besides, what if you don't find a home for us in time? Will we stay below the opera house?"

Erik felt his stomach churn at the mention of his old home and he swallowed hard, "No, I will not subject you to such horror."

"I really don't mind staying there if we have to, it won't be a problem at all," she whispered, placing a light kiss on his neck.

Her words surprised him and he pulled back to examine her face for any hint of fear, but instead he found she looked rather content. Did his old home not scare her as it used to?

"I will consider it, but it would be only temporary if we were to stay there," he muttered, leaning his head back against the couch and thinking of how messy the place would be after being neglected for so long. It would be rather embarrassing to have her there when he was sure he left many things strewn about and of course, he would need to be rid of anything that was sure to bring back any unsavory memories, including–

"Can we make supper? I am very hungry," she said, interrupting his thoughts.

God, he had forgotten about his promise of making her favorite meal. His priorities were now in keeping that promise, so he nodded, "Yes, my love. I need to head upstairs for just a moment, then I will be back to make you supper."

"Alright, but don't take too long," she whispered, pulling his lips down to hers and placing a light kiss on them, then with a sigh, she stood and crossed to her chair by the fireplace, picking up a book.

Erik slowly stood and excused himself before bolting up the stairs, his hand digging into his pocket and pulling out the stockings he had stashed there. He crept into his room and closed the door behind him before crossing to his side of the bed, lifting the mattress and adding the stockings to his collection of Christine's used undergarments. Shame flooded him and he stared at the garments for several seconds before letting the mattress settle back into place. If he didn't stop his thievery within the month, he was sure he would have nearly all of her possessions stored there.

With a quiet chuckle, he left his room and committed himself to the kitchen for the rest of the evening, determined to make the best kåldolmar Christine would ever have the pleasure of consuming.

/

Author's Note: Kåldolmar is a Swedish dish. It's a cabbage roll with meat and rice. My stepmom used to make it all the time and it was one of my favorite meals.