by LiltingBanshee
Author´s note: Peeks out from my bomb shelter Ok, the cliffy didn´t do too much damage;)
Clayphan16: glad you´re happy, here´s a lot of Erik for you:)
Shdwcat27: Sorry about that, hehe. But the next is here now:)
Pinkichigomewmew: Thanks:)
GoldenLyre: Thank you:)
There you are, Chap. 7...
The moment seemed to have frozen in time.
Christine and Erik stared at each other, Meg had gone white as a sheet and Angeline stood in the middle of the whole thing and looked from her mother to the man, whom she seemed to know.
Erik was the first to break the silence.
"You´re looking well Christine", he said.
Christine was still in shock, but managed to find her voice.
"But you were dead Erik! I couldn´t find you! What are you doing here?", she rambled.
"I´ve been around here for some time. I was informed you wouldn´t be at this party tonight, so I thought I would come out for a while", Erik said.
"You´ve been here long? How did you know I wouldn´t be here? How….", Christine suddenly turned to Meg.
"You knew he was here?", she spat at her.
"Christine please…", Meg didn´t know what to say.
"Tell me! Did you know?", Christine felt the anger boiling inside her.
Meg looked at the floor. " He´s been living with my mother for several years", she almost whispered.
"I don´t believe it!" Christine nearly screamed. "neither of you ever thought to tell me?".
"You!", she looked at Meg.
"You were supposed to be my friend! You know what I went through all these years. I kept asking your mother if any of you had heard anything and you both denied it!".
"Christine we really didn´t know anything for many years", Meg said.
"And you", Christine looked at Erik. "Did you just stop loving me?"
"You left" Erik said.
"I left?", Christine shrieked.
"I was dragged away from you crying and screaming that I loved you! Do you call that leaving? No, you made me leave! You abandoned me and the child I was carrying!".
Erik lowered his eyes. "I thought I was doing the right thing for you. That you would be happy and safe with the Vicomte. I didn´t know about the child!", Erik felt he had to defend himself. He had never seen Christine like this before, he was almost afraid of her.
"No, of course you didn´t know about the child. You didn´t give me time to tell you. You never listened!", with that said Christine stormed out the door.
Meg looked at Erik.
"We made a mistake in not telling her", she said in a sad voice.
"No Meg don´t blame yourself", he said. "It was my fault, I told you not to tell her".
There was a short silence in the room until Meg looked up.
"Where did Angeline go?", she asked and looked around.
No one had noticed the young girl quietly slip from the room earlier.
"Would you go look for her ?"Erik asked. "I will go talk to Christine".
"Sure", Meg said and left the room.
Erik opened the door to the room Christine had run into.
He found her sitting on a divan sobbing her heart out. He carefully sat down next to her and gently put a hand on her shoulder.
She flinched away from him.
"Don´t touch me!" her voice was cold.
He didn´t take orders from her so he moved over and enveloped her in his embrace.
This time she didn´t resist.
Neither said anything for a while, they just sat there, Erik softly stroking Christine´s curls while she cried.
He felt her sobs begin to subside and tightened his embrace.
"I´m sorry Christine", he whispered. "I´m so sorry".
"Did you stop loving me?", she hiccupped.
"No, of course not my darling. I never did", he said.
"How could you ever doubt my love for you after the night we shared?", she asked him.
Erik thought back to the night so long ago.
……..
Christine was having a singing lesson in his lair. He knew that she was tired that evening, but he kept pushing her to sing a particular line over and over again.
"No Christine! It´s still not right. Try again!". He must have spoken too harshly because instead of recommencing her song Christine began to wail like a child, sat down on the floor and buried her face in her hands.
He was quite surprised at her reaction, so he got up from the organ and sat down on the floor next to her.
"I´m sorry Christine. I didn´t mean to yell at you", he said.
She didn´t say anything and just kept crying.
"Oh Christine come on. It´s nothing to be so sad about", he was getting a bit concerned.
Suddenly she threw herself at him and wrapped her arms around his upper body.
"No Angel don´t apologize! I´m sorry for not doing it right. It´s just so hard and I´m just so tired!", she wailed.
Erik couldn´t help but smile a bit, she was really cracking up.
When she seemed to calm down a bit he stood up and lifted her into his arms. .
"Come on my dear. You should get some rest. I will make some tea for you and then we´ll continue the lesson tomorrow."
Christine did nothing to protest and leaned into him as he carried her to her room.
When he returned with her tea, she sat on the bed looking a bit happier.
He sat the cup down on the table next to the bed.
"Thank you Erik", she said with a wee smile.
"You´re welcome dear, Now drink it and get some rest", he bend to kiss her cheek.
Apparently Christine had gotten the same idea and when she turned her head to reach his cheek her lips met his instead.
Neither of them moved for a second. Then Erik began to move his lips softly over hers and Christine responded.
She put her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. He gently pushed her back to lie on the bed and made her forget all about her tea…..
………
"God, I´m so sorry Christine. I still had so many doubts, even though you had given yourself to me. I really thought you loved him. Still when you kissed me on the night of the fire I thought you were just trying to save him", Erik said in a chocked voice.
"But why didn´t you come back to me?", Christine asked. "If you have lived with Madame Giry for years you must have known where to find me".
"I did Christine, but when I saw you at Meg´s wedding you looked so happy with the Vicomte and your little girl, and I really thought I had done the right thing. I didn´t want to disturb your happiness", he said.
"You were at Meg´s wedding?", Christine was surprised.
"Who do you think was playing the organ my dear?" Erik smiled.
"Oh Erik you fool", Christine sniffed. "I wasn´t happy, the music in the church brought so many memories back to me. I was a wreck that day!
"And why didn´t Meg ever tell me? Why didn´t she tell you?", Christine felt some of the anger from earlier return to her.
"Don´t blame Meg or her mother", Erik said. " I asked them both never to tell you. They actually tried to tell me about you, but I wouldn´t listen. I can be quite stubborn you know", he smiled.
"Erik, that little girl you saw in the church all those years ago. She is your daughter", Christine said and looked into his eyes.
"I know Christine. I just found out. I was talking to her in the ballroom. She plays amazing piano and she is absolutely beautiful. Her eyes are incredible", Erik said.
"She has your eyes", Christine said. "She is so like you Erik. Passionate and out of control at some times, gentle and caring at others. She has unbelievable talent for music and she loved it".
"But she can´t sing", Erik smiled.
"Oh she told you that much", Christine laughed.
"Don´t worry Christine, I will take care of that", Erik said.
Christine brought a hand to his cheek.
"Erik, why do you wear a black mask?", she asked.
He lowered his eyes. "The white one didn´t really suit my mood any longer", he said.
"Christine", he said, his eyes looking serious. "Do you think you could love me again?".
"Erik", she let out the breath she had been holding. "I never stopped. I love you with all my heart".
"I love you too", he said and captured her lips in a sweet kiss.
Meg burst through the door looking very upset.
"Christine! Erik! You need to come quick! It´s Angeline – something is wrong!".
Right, I´m off to work;)...