Thankyou to IndiaPyro, forever in a bottle,Clayphan16 and Mrs Julian for your reviews. They were greatly appriciated.


Chapter 2: Echoes

Erik hadn't gone far. He'd been miserably wandering through the passages when he'd heard his name, faint though it was. He frowned but ignored it. Surely it was his imagination. But there it was again. Intrigued he started to follow the echoes. Then it stopped. He waited for it to repeat itself. Nothing. He shrugged to himself; fool, hearing voices, you really are going mad. He turned to go when the sound torn through the passages, "Erik!" His eyes opened wide and he tore along the passages, determined to find the source of the voice before the echoes died. It had almost sounded like...no he chided himself. No good would come of him thinking like that. She was with Raoul. So if he was so sure that it wasn't her, why was he going to help them again? And how would they know his name?

He entered the lair and saw the silent form prostrate next to the organ. Genuine panic welled up inside him, he who never panicked; he who never felt fear was terrified now.

"Christine," he ran to the still body. She was cold, too cold but there was still a pulse. Quickly taking off his shirt he laid it over her then knelt by her side. The cold wound its way round him but he ignored the chill.

"Christine," he cried rubbing her hands in a desperate attempt to warm her up, no he couldn't lose her. "Christine, wake up, wake up, fight it, please!"

Christine could hear someone calling her. She began to shiver as her body warmed up. Her eyelids fluttered, she recognized the timbre of that voice, soft and musical. They flew open in surprise and stared into the face bent over her. He'd found her!

Erik saw the surprise in Christine's eyes and quickly dropped her hands. How could he have been so stupid to forget that the last thing she'd want to see when she woke up was his face? He quickly pulled the mask from his pocket and put it on.

"Erik?" Her throat was hoarse. He began to walk from the room. "Erik!" It was slightly louder this time, tinged with panic.

"I'll be back in a moment Christine." Then he was gone into an adjoining room. Christine struggled into a sitting position then leaning on the organ she fought to pull herself up. There was a sharp pain in her leg and they buckled.

"Christine!" There was a strong grasp on her upper arms. "What on earth did you think you were doing?" he asked angrily, "Stay still will you." She was shocked at the anger in his voice. Erik scooped her up, "If you can't walk I guess I'll have to carry you."

Erik had only left the room momentarily to fetch some blankets or something to warm Christine up. As he'd come back in he'd seen her struggle to get up, using the organ for support. Swiftly he'd crossed the room to help her and it was a good thing he had, for he had barely reached her side when she'd fallen. He was afraid of what would have happened had she actually fallen. In the state she was in she probably would've hit her head. He was carrying her towards the swan bed when he noticed her leg. He recoiled at the deep gouge in the skin. "How on earth did you do that?"

Christine looked at her leg as if only just noticing.

"Oh. I just caught it swimming under the portcullis."

Christine rested her head against his bare chest. Erik took a deep breath. She's just delirious he told himself. Laying her on the bed he piled the blankets on and around her. "Are you warming up?"

Christine was barely awake. She had stopped shivering so nodded at Erik's question. "Good you can now sleep if you want." She was asleep in an instant.

Erik gazed at her sleeping form lovingly. He had come so close to losing her he thought, then rebuked himself. She was never his. She loved Raoul. So why was she down here? Probably got separated in the Labyrinth and got lost he thought. She'd managed to find his lair by chance and had called for him because he could show her the way out. Yes that must be the answer. Raoul should really take more care of her. He shook himself mentally. The least he could do was take her back to the opera house. Taking out some bandages he applied a poultice to her leg then bound it up. Then leaving her asleep he slid from the room but didn't go far.

Raoul scowled. How dare that little chorus girl try and jilt him? No one jilted him. Not he, the Vicomte de Chagny. "Christine!" He banged on her door, no answer. "Christine answer me!" Still nothing. He unlocked the door in a rage and threw it open. He'd show her. But there was no one there. He looked at the open window and cursed at himself. He was so stupid. How could he not think she'd escape out that way? No he persuaded himself I'm not stupid, she'd just cleverer than I took her for. Now he had reassured himself he smirked. Well he'd just have to get her back, and he bet she wasn't clever enough not to go back to Erik. He'd just have to go fetch her, and then…his eyes glittered.