Chapter Six


Christine groaned. They had not landed gracefully as they had the first time Erik had whisked her away through that trap door. No, graceful would be the last thing she would have called the painful tumble that they had taken when they hit the ground. "Erik?" she whispered into the pitch-blackness. She felt panic begin to grip her when no answer came. "Erik? Erik where are you?" She reached around, not able to see anything. "Please, Erik…"

Her hand finally met his face, the tips of her fingers touching the mask first. "Erik?"

He moaned this time, shifting his weight and his hand grabbed hers. "Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice sounding strained.

"No… I'm all right. What happened?"

"We need to get lower," the Phantom responded, ignoring her question as he rose very carefully to his feet. He took her hand to help her up and they moved carefully down the dark hall. She stayed by his side, so close that he could feel the heat of her body. She clutched his hand with such fear that it was everything he could do not to pull her to him, promising her protection, but protection was something he might not be able to give at the moment.

It seemed like an eternity before they reached the underground house. Christine blinked against the gaslights and it all came into focus. No one had been down here, at least that was for certain. No alarms had been tripped and no signs of injury to his home were evident. It was the Phantom himself that she finally saw stumble. "Erik!" she gasped as she ran to his side, easing him to the couch where he slouched onto it. The diva reached her small hand to where she now saw the blood soaking through his jacket.

"Confound it all, Christine, leave me be!" he growled, catching her hand up before it could even come close.

There was such harshness in his voice that tears pricked her eyes as she pulled away from him. She glared slight, trying to hide her own weakness. "I'm not going to hurt you, Erik!"

"I know." He paused, shifting again so that he was sitting more than lying. His voice softened. "I know, Christine. I am sorry."

Tears rushed down her face then and she flung her arms around his neck, pushing him back against the couch, burring her face into his shoulder and sobbing. He sat there, stunned at first, then slowly wrapped one arm around her, holding her carefully. "Christine?"

"You'll be alright, won't you?" she whispered.

He forced a small smile. "Of course, my dear," he answered her quietly. "Quiet now. No more tears. We have guests."

Christine turned to see Nadir and Madame Giry standing in the entrance. The Persian man shifted, slightly uncomfortable and the woman that had taken her in as her own child gave her a smile. Raoul and Meg followed them in. Her fiancé said nothing as he moved forward, but only stared at the now ashen-faced Erik with Christine still in his arms.

"Raoul…" Christine began slowly.

"How badly were you injured?" Raoul asked, directing the question at his rival.

"Nothing that will set us back. I take it we made no progress?"

"None that I know of. M. le commissaire will know, of course, but we had another matter to deal with."

"That being?"

"Madame Giry," Nadir said simply. His eyes locked with Erik's for a moment, the two old friends conversing in a silent conversation, before he moved forward. "Let me take a look at you."

Christine watched Nadir help the taller man from the sofa and into the next room. Her eyes remained locked on the door that closed behind them for several moments before she turned back to Raoul. He shifted under her quiet gaze, but then sighed. "You love him."

"I do."

"Were you going to tell me or simply come back here to be with him after you had married me?"

"I tried to tell you, Raoul… I didn't want to hurt you! You did so much for me and you were so good to me. What was I to do? I love Erik. I…" A small, sad smile crossed her lips with her next words. "None of us can choose where we love. Who we love."

"Something he told you."

"Yes… Though it's true, isn't it, Raoul? I really did love you, in my own childish way. I've grown up so much, Raoul, but I've got so far to go… I'm so sorry that I hurt you. Please… Don't just stand there, Raoul. Say something."

He had been standing there, staring. He vaguely noticed that Madame Giry had ushered Meg off down into another room. They were there alone. If he wished it, he could take her by the arm, quiet her with a simple hand over her mouth, and drag her off to the nearest priest. He could do that. Now he understood Erik's moments of madness the year before. The utter despair. The thought that in the end, it didn't matter if she wasn't by his side.

Finally he sighed, his shoulders heaving up and then down. His eyes locked with hers. "None of us can choose," he whispered. "They are very true words, Christine. I've loved you since that day that I chased your scarf into the ocean."

A sad smile crossed her lips. "I'm no longer Little Lotte, Raoul."

"And I see that now." A silence passed for a moment and he reached up for her face, brushing the curls from it. "I understand why he did what he did last year. To think of you on the arm of any other man…"

Christine choked back a sob, but said nothing.

"If you wish, you will never see me again after this ordeal is over."

"You are my best friend, Raoul."

"And if you wish it so, I will stay as such." He gave her a mock bow and a sad smile, turning his tear-laced eyes down. "Your wish is my command, m'lady."


"The wound itself is not terrible," Nadir said as he placed a warm, dampcloth on Erik's cool skin to clean the blood away. "But you know that is not the worst of it, don't you?"

"I was not employed by the shah without knowing some tricks."

"Or course, but you never studied the… oh what did you call it? 'Cruse Persian toxins.' Yes, I believe that was the phrase."

Erik hissed in pain and clutched at the small couch's cushions. It had been more-less a blur since they had all arived. Nadir had ushured him into his room, and now hefound himself lying face down on the small couch by the fireplace. He shuddered as Nadir moved away and resisted the urge to curl up. "Do you… have any idea how long?"

"No," Nadir said quietly. "I'm not entirely sure what they dipped the bullet in, but knowing you, you'll live through it if you have the will to. And seeing the way the girl was looking at you out there…"

The Phantom grumbled something under his breath. "She shouldn't know of the poison."

"Is that wise?"

"Did I ask that? I simple said she shouldn't know."

"She'll be angry."

"Well yes, if she finds out."

"Erik, you will not be able to hide this. Need I remind you that the last time that you dealt with Persia's poisons you were retching blood the first night and it went downhill from there. You won't hide it from her." He moved opened cabinet after cabinet until he found what he needed and pulled the bandages from them. "Sit up." Erik did as instructed, albeit very slowly. "Perhaps you should send her away with the de Chagny boy."

"I'd risk loosing her all over again."

"Or risk loosing her forever. You'll never be able to protect her like this."

Erik nodded slowly and stood, testing his own strength. When he found his legs willing to hold his weight, he stepped forward and made for the door. He turned back to his old friend. "Not a word."

"Not without your permission."

"Thank you," Erik said sincerely as he reached for his porcelain mask that would replace the black one he had worn as Don Juan.


Madame Giry and Meg had moved back into the main room. Christine stood the instant she saw Erik. "Shouldn't you be lying down?"

"I'm alright," he responded quietly. "And you, child, have you been crying again?"

She smiled slightly and wrapped her arms around his neck, nearly sending him stumbling back. "I am no longer an engaged woman," she whispered into his ear. "I am free to love you openly and fully as I have in my heart."

Erik pulled her close for a moment, inhaling deeply the very scent that was Christine. He had to do what was best for her. "May I ask something of you, my love?"

"Anything."

"Go with your Raoul."

Christine went nearly as pale as Erik had become. "What? Why? Why would you ask…?"

"I… cannot protect you, Christine. I cannot bare to loose you forever."

"I will not leave you," the diva answered sternly.

"They will find this place, child, don't you see?" he asked, voice giving way to his frustration. "They will find it and if you are with me they will take you or kill you. You will be safe with… with him."

"Perhaps," Raoul said from his place in a chair, "it would be best if we all went into hiding for a bit. You are injured, Erik, and Christine is not going to leave you. I have a place in the country that will keep us safe until we can come up with a suitable plan." He looked pointedly at Erik. "All of us."

"That sounds as if it might be the best of plans," Nadir said before Erik could comment. He returned his friends glare and set his jaw. "Put your pride aside for once in your life and do what you know is the best for everyone."

Erik opened his mouth as if to give a harsh retort, but then his eyes met Christine's worried ones. His mouth closed and his shoulders dropped in defeat. He turned his mismatched eyes to Raoul's steady blue ones. "It seems… as if that would be best."

Raoul nodded. "Then arrangements will be made and we shall be off within the hour."


A/N: For those who have not read Kay's book, Erik was poisoned in Persia and was in terrible shape, but he survived. Yay for that! Lol.

Lynx Ryder: My only reviewer as of now… :hugs: thank you! Yes, I'm afraid I did shoot Erik. :tries to look innocent: You've read my PotC fics! You know I torture my main characters! Lol. It's a horrid habit, I know, but ah well… Thanks for reviewing :)