A/N: Another long wait...sorry about that everyone. Thank you for your patience!
Midasgirl: I hope you have some idea of how much your compliments mean to me and how much they inspire me. Thank you so much for all of your support. And...sorry this is going up before Angel of Music! Oops...
Fantome: I am so glad that you enjoy this story. I know it's not a Legolas/Jesus story or anything, but I can't really measure up to Cujo in some respects...lol. Anyway, I appreciate your continued reading of this : )
Soldier of Darkness: gasp You read this at a normal hour of the day? I'm shocked! Hehe, after all this time, it's lovely to have you still reading.
Olethros: Yes, this update is just for you, Julie! Hope you enjoy.
Thank you everyone for your touching and lovely compliments. That thank you is of course to the following beautiful people: Angelic Lawyer, nicole, draegon-fire, Mystic Darkness, Phantomgurl33, Miranda7911, and Claire Starling
I don't think this chapter is one of my bests, but hopefully the content will be nice enough to block out my lack of writing skills. And do remember, this is not the end of the story. There is much to come, more events and lots of ends to tie up, yes? So begins the process of that. The beginning of the end. Hope you all enjoy and please do tell me what you think! All comments are appreciated.
..........................................................................
Christine opened her eyes slowly and quickly shut them again. Everything around her was blurry, she couldn't see clearly. The room was in semi-darkness, and she struggled to make her vision adjust. Feeling rather detached from everything around her, she pulled the blanket off of her and attempted to sit up. However, she found herself unable to do so. Turning her head to look out the window, she just barely saw a black shadow cross in front of it.
Unsure if she had seen it inside the room, or outside, her eyes widened in alarm. "Erik?" she heard herself call.
There was no response, the room seemed to grow more fuzzy before her eyes. Frightened now, she tried again to sit up, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her. She screamed and looked up.
Her shoulders sagged in relief when, through the mist of her vision, she recognized a black mask and cloak. "Erik, what...?"
But he did not let her speak, holding up his hand to stop her. In the same hand, appeared a large silver key. Without speaking, he took her hand, opened it up, and pressed it into her palm.
Christine panicked when he began to back away from her. "Wait, where are you going?" she asked him anxiously.
Shaking his head, he continued to back away until the gloom of the room enveloped him and he vanished. Crying out, she tried again to sit up. This time she managed it. Clutching the key in her hand, she meant to stand up then and there when a voice stopped her.
"Christine!"
She froze then. Her heart pounding, she began to turn around when, in a great rush the light was stolen from the room. She let out another shout and sat straight up into Meg's arms. "Raoul!"
"Christine!" Meg called again.
Christine opened her eyes and focused on her friend who held her up right, Meg's face visible in the candlelight. Quickly, Christine looked down into her clenched fist to find the key was gone.
"Christine, you were shouting in your sleep."
She looked up at Meg, then again down at her empty hand. "Yes...a dream..." Christine said.
Meg smiled at her softly and helped her to lay back down. Frowning, she touched Christine's cheek, her fingers coming back wet with her friend's tears. "What did you dream about?"
Christine shook her head. "Nothing...I don't remember. Erik, I think..."
Meg nodded sadly. "It's all right, dear. I'm sure we'll hear from him very soon."
Biting her lip, she nodded her head once. "Yes...I'm sure we will..." Christine turned her head quickly then, to look towards the window. There was nothing there of course, but she had wanted to look... Bringing her gaze back to her friend she said, "I'm sorry I woke you, Meg...Go back to sleep."
"And you will be all right?"
"Yes, of course... Just...bring me my child, please."
Meg smiled softly and rose from the bed, crossing the room to the small bassinette. She lifted the small bundle of blankets, in which a babe could hardly be seen. She held the child delicately, as if afraid he might break, her steps were careful and measured. Sitting down on the bed first, she handed Erique to Christine who took him gratefully.
She smiled softly. "Thank you, Meg...will you leave us now? I'm tired."
Meg nodded and left, the door shutting with a quiet click.
There was silence in the room then. Shadows moved eerily on the walls in the candlelight. Christine liked it. The dark was comforting. Her head turned to the window again. She was crying still...she had heard Raoul's voice in her dream. Oh she couldn't believe it! She was hearing his voice. Although this was comforting in a way, at least she hadn't forgotten his voice, it upset her all the same. And the dream had ended too soon...oh if only she had had time to turn around! She could have seen him! Tears ran freely now as she stared at the window, the direction his voice had come from. Perhaps if she stared hard enough he would appear...
Perhaps not... She sighed, and looked down at Erique, who she held carefully in her arms. Christine struggled to put Raoul from her mind. He was gone, after all. He was gone and he was not coming back. Someday she might actually accept that.
Her dream confused her. It was random, stemmed from the fact that she missed Erik no doubt. Oh God, she missed him... It seemed an eternity since he had left her. In reality it had been a few days, but every hour without him seemed to go on forever. Surely he would return for her soon. Meg kept saying that, but...what if he didn't? What if he decided that he couldn't deal with a child? Couldn't deal with her anymore? She had tried not to be difficult! Her fears were irrational, somewhere inside she knew that. But at that moment, her heart was breaking. She wanted Erik beside her, to hold her hand and kiss away her tears. But she did not even know where he was or when he would return.
Erique was looking at her now, his innocent, wide-eyed gaze, forcing a small smile to Christine's lips. She bent to kiss his nose and he gurgled up at her.
Turning her head to look out the window, she just barely saw a black shadow cross in front of it.
Unsure if she had seen it inside the room, or outside, her eyes widened in alarm. "Erik?" she heard herself call.
"It's all right, Christine."
She heard herself gasp as her head turned sharply to see where Erik stood, hovering over her. Tears formed in her eyes quickly. "You're here," she sighed softly.
He nodded gravely, the dark and the mask hiding any expression his face might have held. He sat down on the bed beside her, his eyes hovering on the child in her arms for a few moments. Then his eyes swept up to meet hers. Christine desperately wanted to fling her arms around him...
As if he could hear every word she was thinking, he took the baby from her gently and carried him back to his little bed. When he returned to her, Christine did not attempt to contain herself. She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him before burying her face in his shoulder. "Oh my love, where did you go?" she asked him softly, wanting some sort of explanation.
Untangling himself from her embrace, Erik reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver key. Christine's eyes widened at the sight of it, the same key from her dream.... Her eyes darted automatically back to the window, as if this time Raoul would be standing there. Scolding herself, she looked back to the key, then up at Erik. "I don't understand," she said, shaking her head.
"You will have to forgive me Christine, for what I have done without your knowledge, but I had to move fast, you must understand..."
"Erik, I didn't ask for an apology. I just want to know where you have been...why you left me here."
He flinched. How he wished she wouldn't speak as if he abandoned her. She must have known he'd come back as soon as he could... "This is the key to a house on the Rue des Peniches, Christine," he began, quickly charging ahead so she would not have the chance to cut him off. "I have bought it, it belongs to me...I thought that perhaps you could stay there. You will need somewhere to live...for a child to live, you see." He stopped, the lump in his throat choking him. He couldn't remember speaking so awkwardly before... Oh this was going to be more difficult than he thought. How would he get through this!
Christine stared at him in disbelief. He was sending her away... Was he mad! Did he truly think she would accept this arrangement? "I won't leave..." she began, but he interrupted her.
"I bought the house for you, Christine...but...if you were about to say that you won't leave me..." Erik closed his eyes deeply and willed his heart to stop beating so quickly. "You could marry me."
Instantly, Christine's hands moved to cover her face as a wave of emotion flooded through her. Oh, she had heard him correctly. This was it, this was the moment... She lowered her hands, knowing that Erik could very well interpret the movement in the wrong way. She stared at him and he met her gaze steadily. She sensed the tension in him, he was bracing himself for her answer...
But before she said anything, he had taken hold of her hand and was speaking again. "Wait...I can't do this anymore. This is it for me. I ask your hand because I love you and I cannot deny it any longer. There is something between us now...more than that." He stopped and closed his eyes briefly. "I want you to be mine, forever, Christine. I ask that you forget what has happened in the past and accept me...despite my faults. This is the commitment I want for us, Christine. I will not lose you. If we will raise this child together...then so be it. I cannot bear to part with you.
Christine listened to the last part of his speech with her eyes shut tightly. She couldn't believe this... She smiled then and let out a sound half way between a laugh and a sob. "I never thought it would be like this."
"Like what?" Erik asked carefully, unsure of what she meant to say.
She laughed slightly, "I just always had the silly notion that it would be more romantic when you proposed to me... Perhaps on the roof of the opera with the stars shining overhead..." She smiled at the perfection of it that could not be real. "I never imagined it would be like this, with me in this bed looking like this," she said, pulling on her tangled hair.
"Must I tell you again, Christine? You are always beautiful..."
She smiled, "You say that..." This was it now, the time she had to accept, but suddenly it felt awkward saying it to him. She rather wished he would know that her answer was yes. "I will marry you, Erik," she said at last. Taking his hand, she smiled. "Of course I will."
His hand went limp in hers. Before Christine's eyes a dramatic change came about him. He abandoned his posture, his formal elegance... He raised his eyes to look at her and she was shocked to see tears there.
"Erik..." she scolded softly. "This is not a time for tears." Her hand rose and slipped under his mask to touch his cheek and he grabbed hold of her wrist.
"Well allow it for a moment," he said sharply. Erik's eyes closed briefly. "I couldn't imagine ever actually hearing those words from you."
"And now you have," she said gently. She shook her head slightly, a small smile playing around her lips. "It amazes me that I can touch you so. I love that I have that ability. And...I'm glad I've finally realized how to use it properly."
Erik stared at her for a moment, then pulled her into a crushing embrace, holding her to him tightly. "Christine, everything you do touches me. Every moment you are in my presence, every time you smile, or cry, or take a breath. You are everything to me."
Christine's eyes widened while Erik spoke, tears formed quickly in her eyes. This was why love was all worth it, because of what was given back by loving. She could have stayed in Erik's arms like that forever. In fact, she planned on it, but he pulled away from her. She whimpered as his arms left her.
He stood up and the bed shook slightly at the abruptness of his movement. His back was to her and she could she see him taking deep breaths.
"Whatever it is you have to say, I wish you would just tell me," Christine said, gently. He always acted like this when he had something important to say...it made her nervous.
His shoulders relaxed at her words, but he did not turn to face her. That made her more nervous. "I want to say...this child will have my full support, Christine."
That's why he didn't turn around. He was looking at the boy of whom he spoke. Tears that had been threatening Christine now fell freely. She was ashamed of them, she had just told Erik that this was not a time for tears...but she couldn't help it. Erique...who was not his, who belonged to no one but Christine herself, he offered to raise him! She couldn't begin to comprehend the depth of this decision. Erik, who had never been shown any love in his lifetime, showed Christine such compassion. He loved her still. She was not pure, she had a child with no father, and this was his response!
At last, Erik turned, his eyes so full of emotion that Christine could hardly stand it... She shook her head and looked at him steadily, her eyes swimming with tears. "How can you look at me like that?"
To her surprise he smiled slightly, then knelt beside her bed, taking her hand. "I love you and I've known for as long as I've felt this for you...I would love you always and no matter what. This isn't your fault, my dearest Christine."
She began to cry out loud, unable to contain the sobs building up in her chest. His fingers gently touched her wet cheek and again he smiled. "This is not a time for tears," he said, repeating what she had said to him.
Christine smiled despite herself, but she continued to cry. She couldn't stop, she loved him so much...no matter what...he wouldn't desert her. They would be married! "You are the most wonderful man I have ever met, Erik," she said honestly. "I offered to leave you once... You should have found me repulsive, but you didn't. You love me still...."
Erik nodded. "I do."
An enormous sob shook her and she threw herself on him, desperate to be in his arms again. He was everything to her now. She and her child would be cared for and safe...with Erik.
..................................................................................................
When Christine awoke the next morning Erik was no where to be seen. She sat straight up and began to panic. No...what if it had been a dream as well? Was it too good to be true? "Erik!" she cried.
At this, the child in the corner began to cry, just as the bedroom door opened and Erik stepped inside. He looked about to ask her what was wrong, but instead turned his attention to the baby. After taking just a moment to decide he started towards the bassinet.
"Wait," Christine said and waited for him to turn back to her. She held out her arm. "Help me up."
He frowned. "Christine...no, you should stay where you are."
"Erik," she insisted. "Please..."
Without another word he took hold of her forearm and took most of her weight as she eased herself out of the bed. His arm went around her waist as he helped her to walk across the room.
Christine leaned down into the cradle and picked up Erique, so tiny in her arms. She rocked him and spoke to him softly as Erik kept his hands on her shoulders, just staring down at them both. The oddest feeling was spreading through him, watching his Christine, cradling her infant that bore his name, because he was there too. He completed the tableau.
............................................................................................................
A/N: And there you have it. I apologise for the shortness. Thanks so much for reading! Please review!