A/N: okay, sorry this is taking so long, but there are so many things still to come. *grins evilly*

Disclaimer: See first dozen chapters.

Guardian Angel

*One or two days,* Michelle thought as she fastened the buttons on her soft blue dress. *Boy, was I naïve.*

It was now December twenty-first, more than a week since Erik had put her to bed sick. After a week she had felt better. But Erik had insisted that she remain in her room.

She had long since finished her presents for Erik... and Christine, Meg, Nadir, and Raoul. They were all nicely wrapped in colored paper and tied closed with bright, festive ribbon.

*Four days until Christmas and we don't even have a tree,* she thought as she tied her hair back with a ribbon. *I don't care what Erik says. I'm getting out of this room, or I may just go insane.*

She checked her appearance in the mirror, nodded to herself, and left the room for the first time in days. She didn't wonder why she had taken such care with her appearance this morning. She already knew.

When she arrived in the kitchen, a surprise awaited her. Erik was at the stove scrambling eggs and frying bacon. He wasn't wearing his usual attire; at least, not all of it. The trousers, shirt, and shoes were from his regular wardrobe, but the apron wasn't. Michelle hid a smile behind her hand, which was unnecessary since he hadn't noticed her presence yet. He looked...charming. That was the only word for it. There was something engaging about a man cooking for a woman. Or maybe that was just her.

Erik still hadn't noticed her. Figuring she had ogled him long enough, Michelle cleared her throat. Erik spun around, eyes flashing angrily. *Lord, but he has nice eyes.*

"What are you doing up?" he demanded, thankfully oblivious to her thoughts. "Go back to bed."

Michelle just smiled. "Erik, I'm well. I've been well for a while now. Thank you for being such a good nursemaid, but I don't need one anymore."

They stared at each other a while longer. Well, she stared, right into those amazing gold eyes; Erik glared.

Erik finally let out a defeated breath. "Okay."

Michelle wasn't sure she heard him right; his eyes were making her dizzy. "Okay?"

"Okay. You're well. You can get out of bed."

Michelle smiled sardonically. "Thank you for the invitation."

Erik flinched slightly, and Michelle was immediately sorry. "I only wanted you to get better," he said.

His crestfallen expression made her feel even worse. Deciding that they both needed cheering up, Michelle smiled and said, "I do feel better. Much better." Her grin turned mischievous. "Especially knowing that you've been cooking in that adorable apron."

Erik looked down at himself, then yanked the neck loop off his head. Unfortunately, he had forgotten to untie the ties from around his waist. Michelle shook with barely suppressed laughter as Erik, trying to hold back a smile, and failing, removed the garment and laid it on the table.

Once Michelle had gotten herself under control, she picked up the apron and started to put it on. "What are you doing?" Erik asked.

"You seem to be asking me that a lot lately."

Erik took hold of her hands before she could tie the apron around her waist. "Don't bother. The food is finished already."

Before she could say anything, she was sitting at the table with a plate of food before her. *This seems rather familiar,* she thought. *Only backwards somehow. *

In a few moments, they were eating and chatting over the meal. Then, Erik said, "I haven't asked in a long time, but have you had any more of those dreams?"

Michelle's fork hesitated over her plate. Then she took the bit of egg on the utensil in her mouth. "No. At first I was so...busy during the day that I fell right asleep. Then I was sick and slept like the dead." That wasn't entirely false. In actuality, when Erik hadn't been speaking to her, she had worked herself to the bone so when she went to bed, she wouldn't have to think about him and why he was mad at her. In fact, she still didn't know.

"Erik," she said in a small voice. "Why were you angry with me? Did I do something to upset you? Because if I did, I'm very sorry."

Erik could see that she was. He silently cursed himself. Because of his pointless vow, which he hadn't kept anyway, he had hurt the one person who had been his true friend and confidant.

"I have...reasons for acting the way I did, but it was nothing you did. I simply had to learn something for myself." That something being that no matter how little he saw of this amazing woman, the feelings that were growing inside of him were not going to fade any time soon.

Michelle's face relaxed into a smile. Erik loved her smiles. They were mischievous, or compassionate, or sweet, all so full of light and life, and all so beautiful.

"Hello! Is anybody here?"

Erik turned from his companion's smiles and called to Nadir, "We'll be right there."

Abandoning their plates and utensils, Erik and Michelle went out to meet Nadir. His eyes examined them as if he was hoping to discover what had happened in his absence. *Hmm. I half expected them to be engaged by now,* he thought. *Oh well. There's still time.*

"I just came to inform you that I will be leaving soon," he said.

"Leaving?" Erik asked. "Where for?"

"And why?" added Michelle.

Nadir suppressed a smile. They were even finishing each other's sentences. "One of the culprits in your case has been apprehended. I must go out of town and bring him back to Paris, then send him on to England to be put on trial."

The underlying message became clear to Erik. "So, you mean there's only one man left?"

"To be caught, yes."

That meant once he was captured, Michelle would be leaving him. Back to her old life. Whatever kind of life it was that she came from. It didn't really matter.

"Well," he said. "Well, well. That's...good news. You are almost out of danger, Michelle. How...wonderful."

"Heh. Yes," she replied sadly. "Wonderful."

Nadir glanced discreetly between those two and smiled to himself. "I'm leaving tomorrow morning, so don't expect me for Christmas."

Temporarily broken out of her misery, Michelle said, "Oh, then let me get you your present."

She scurried to her room leaving the two friends alone. Erik cleared his throat. "So," he said, "Will it take a long time to find the other man? I mean, it did take a while to find this one."

"Well, it might be faster if the one that has been captured chooses to cooperate. He may tell us where his accomplice is, if getting out of the hangman's noose has any appeal to him."

Erik nodded. He was going to lose her soon.

Michelle returned just then with a package wrapped in red paper with a gold ribbon and gave it to Nadir. "Here you are. Merry Christmas."

He chuckled. "Thank you. Merry Christmas to you, too.

"I must be going. I still have some preparations to make before I leave."

Michelle smiled. "Of course."

"Oh, by the way." Nadir looked around the room. "I noticed that you don't have a tree yet. You might want to get one soon, before they are all gone."

Michelle replied a little sadly, "I don't think we are having one this year."

Nadir raised an eyebrow. "Indeed? Oh, well. Good bye."

After Nadir had left and Michelle had returned to the kitchen to clean the dishes, Erik started thinking. Then, after a few moments, he went to his room and put on his jacket, cape, hat, and mask. He slipped out and went to the boat in the lake.

"I am going out," he called to Michelle.

"Okay," she called back.

Erik pushed the boat away from the house and started for the opposite shore. *Now, where would one buy a Christmas tree?*