From Angel's Eyes

Chapter Five

The week was filled with rehearsals and Christine found herself a month from the performance itself. Dr Carter announced that they would be having seven performances, one every night for an entire week.

When Christine got home from a late running rehearsal, Trister was sat impatiently by the door. She rubbed his ears.

"Sorry I'm late. Let's go for a walk." At the sound of those most magical of words, Trister started to bark and jump about. Christine snapped his leash on and they started the five minute walk to the park. Once they were there, she let him off the leash and he started to sniff around, exploring. He wouldn't go far and she continued walking, swinging the leash in her hand.

There weren't many people in the park, which surprised her. The weather was gorgeous, but there had been forecasts of a storm and she saw dark clouds gathering in the distance. Christine hummed lightly as she walked, her thoughts wandering.

First of all they wandered to Max. Nearly everyday after rehearsal he asked her out for coffee or food. Sometimes she said yes, sometimes she didn't. But she nearly always felt guilty, whether she said yes or no. Because Max was a lovely person and obviously had feelings for her. Feelings she didn't return. If she said yes, it felt like she was leading him on. And when she said no, the look of disappointment on his face made her ache.

The next thing that they inevitably wandered to was Erik Destler. Christine chewed her lip, frowning a little. This was ridiculous. Here was Max, a perfectly nice guy of her own age who liked her, and she couldn't stop thinking about someone ten years older and seriously out of her league. How typical. She hadn't been able to bring herself to go out with anyone for two years and as soon as a nice guy comes along, who actually likes her, she develops a crush on someone completely unattainable.

That's life for you.

She hesitated, waiting for Trister to catch up to her. He bounded along, tail waving like a flag. He went straight past her to dive into some long grass, sniffing around. Christine settled herself on a bench with a book, letting him wander around. The air was stiflingly warm, thick and hazy. Christine almost found herself wanting the storm to come, simply to clear the atmosphere from the muggy heat that had settled over the land.

A strange noise shattered the peaceful atmosphere. Christine looked up as Trister came rushing back to her in fright. Thunder, she realised with dismay. She had been sat here for at least twenty minutes with her book and the storm was upon her.

"Come on, Trister." She said, clipping his leash on as heavy raindrops began to fall. She set off at a run, Trister around her heels. A crack of lightening lit the suddenly dark world and a heavy roll of thunder sounded as they turned onto the road. Christine cried out as Trister bolted with fear, tugging the handle of his leash from her hand.

"Trister!" She shouted, but the dog had vanished into the rain filled darkness. She shouted his name again, running blindly, wiping the water from her eyes. She called his name again and then her heart froze.

It happened quickly. The screeching of brakes and a yelp. Christine screamed as she ran into the road and found Trister quivering on his side, blood dripping from his hind leg. The owner of the car leapt out ad Christine pulled her jacket off, covering the trembling animal. Trister snarled, baring his teeth as her fingers brushed against the wound.

"He just came out of nowhere!" The driver said, helplessly. And then he frowned. "Hey, do I know you?"

"Thompson, what's going on?" said a voice, and another man appeared through the rain. He stared down at her.

"Good lord! Christine! Erik, get out here." Nadir called.

Christine stared from one face to the other, as though it were some strange dream. Another crash of thunder and Trister yelped, struggling. Christine held him still as Erik knelt beside her and lifted the jacket to look at the wound.

"How far are we from your house?" He asked.

"About thirty seconds, it's the one over there." Christine said, pointing through the rain.

"We'll take him there. Nadir, go to the shop and get this." He scribbled something on a sheet of paper and handed it to him. And then Erik lifted the snarling animal into his arms and set off with Christine, running down the road.

With fumbling fingers, Christine unlocked the door and they went in. Trister had now stopped struggling and lay limply in Erik's arms.

"A table?"

"In the kitchen." Christine said, leading him through to the back of the house. The spacious kitchen boasted a large wooden table. Erik laid Trister on it and turned to her.

"Blankets and hot water. Have you got any antiseptic liquid?" She went to the medical cupboard and searched through, handing the translucent brown bottle to him before rushing to the linen closet for blankets. Erik took one blanket and wrapped it around Trister, asking as he did so,

"Have you got a muzzle for him?"

"Somewhere. But he doesn't bite."

"He's injured. His first instinct is to defend himself. He'll attack if we try and clean his wound." Erik said. Christine went to a drawer and searched through, eventually pulling out a leather muzzle. Erik strapped it around Trister's nose and jaw, and took the bowl of hot water from Christine. He added a capful of antiseptic liquid to it and rolled up his sleeves.

"Some cloths?"

She went to a cupboard and pulled out some old cloths. Erik dipped one into the pungent water and dabbed it against the gash. Trister flinched and began to growl, coming out of his shock.

"Hold him." Erik ordered and Christine held Trister's head tightly, whispering soothingly to him as Erik efficiently cleaned the wound.

A few minutes later there was a knock at the door. Erik disappeared down the hallway and returned a moment later with Thompson and Nadir, who was holding a bag. Erik took out a tub of medical cream and roll of clean bandages. Christine watched in silence as he expertly rubbed the salve into the wound. Trister growled and Christine stroked his head, whispering quietly. With Nadir's help, Erik wrapped the bandage around Trister's leg and tied it. Then he reached into the bag and took out a packet of pills.

"Nadir, hold his mouth." He told his companion. Christine stepped back as Nadir deftly removed the muzzle and held the dog's jaws open. Erik slipped a pill down to the back of his throat and clamped the jaws shut, rubbing at his throat to encourage him to swallow. After a couple of attempts, the medicine went down. Christine asked gingerly,

"What… what was that?"

"A sleeping pill. It'll knock him out until the morning." Nadir said. Erik looked around.

"A dog basket?"

"In the living room." Christine said, feeling numb. Erik lifted the already dozing Trister and followed her into the large living room. The dog's basket was near the empty fireplace. Christine lit it as Erik laid the dog down, covering him with a blanket. He cast a gaze over the shivering girl and said,

"I suggest you change into something dry."

"What?" She said, looking at him blankly.

"You're soaked." He pointed out. Christine blinked and looked down.

"Oh… yes. So are you."

"I'll live." Erik said dryly.

Christine shook her head.

"There are clothes upstairs. I'll find you some dry ones." She disappeared and Erik turned to Nadir and Thompson.

"Go back to the house. I'll make my own way home."

"Erik…" Nadir said warningly but Erik gave him a deadly look. Nadir lifted his hands in surrender and they left. Erik went upstairs.


Christine hesitated outside the bedroom door and then opened it, flicking on the light switch. The room lit cheerfully and Christine looked around. They could have been back any minute. But now was not the time for remembering the past. She crossed to her father's wardrobe and opened it. The scent of her father's aftershave wafted around her and she closed her eyes, inhaling deeply, before taking out a shirt and a pair of trousers.

She turned and saw Erik standing in the doorway. He looked around the room and understood instantly. She didn't say anything but handed the clothes to him.

"The bathroom is down the hall." She said, pointing to the door. Erik nodded and went to change. Christine went to her own room and peeled off the soaked clothes, grimacing at the clamminess of them. She found a pair of jeans and a sweater, changed quickly and went downstairs to put the kettle on for tea. Nadir and Thompson were nowhere to be found.


Erik came down moments later, holding his wet clothes. Christine smiled slightly.

"Tea?"

"Yes, please." He said. Christine took the wet clothes from him and hung them over a drying rack, along with her own wet garments. Erik watched her make the tea in silence and was about speak when she turned to him and said quickly,

"Thank you. For helping Trister."

"It's the least I could do, after running him over." Erik pointed out. Christine smiled slightly and said,

"Where did you learn to treat wounds? You were very… efficient."

"One picks these things up."

"A musician and a doctor. Is there anything you can't do?"

"Ski."

His blunt answer made her smile as she poured tea into two mugs, handing one to him. Her damp hair was starting to dry, curling more than usual.

"Where have Mr Khan and the driver gone?"

"I sent them back to my house. I wanted to make sure you weren't in shock, and frankly it's much easier to deal with if there aren't various strange people running around your house." Erik explained. Christine nodded and they went through to the living room. As they sat Erik asked,

"What were you doing out in the storm, anyway?"

"I was walking Trister. I was reading in the park and completely lost track of time. By the time I realised what was going on, the storm had started."

She nodded at the window, where rain lashed violently against the glass. Erik glanced at the sleeping animal and said,

"You should take him to a vet tomorrow."

"I will. I'm just so glad you were there. If he had been injured more badly… well, he's pretty much my family." She admitted, laughing a little. "Weird, I guess. Having a dog as your family."

"Not necessarily."

Christine drank a little of her tea and shook her head.

"He got scared by the storm and just… just pulled the leash right out of my hand."

"It was an accident. Nobody is to blame." Erik told her. She shrugged and put her tea down, glancing at him.

"Were you only just leaving the theatre?"

"Yes. Dr Carter kept us talking. He seems to be very good at that." Erik said dryly. Christine smiled briefly.

"He is. He's very… enthusiastic."

"That, I can't deny." Erik said.

Christine glanced at the score that lay on the coffee table, from where she had left it after getting back from rehearsals.

"It's turning out well though. But there's still the hardest part to do."

"The ending?"

"Yeah. The Point of No Return and Down Once More. The most important parts. I hope I can do them right." She said slowly.

"You will." Erik said confidently. She smiled.

"I hope so. I don't particularly like the ending though. I always used to wish that Christine could have stayed with the Phantom."

"Why?"

She shrugged.

"He's just so lonely. All he ever wanted was her and she denied him that."

"It's a realistic ending. Christine always leaves the Phantom." Erik said calmly. She glanced up at him, an odd smile on her face. He looked at her, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"Not always. The Phantom won once."

"What production was this?"

Christine sat up straight and considered him for a moment, wondering whether or not to divulge this piece of information that was so dear to her heart. After a moment she decided and gestured for him to follow her. She led him through the dark house to a room on the opposite side. She flicked on the light and Erik looked around her treasured Music Room. Christine crossed to a bookshelf and ran her finger along the programmes of shows that had once been, before selecting one. She turned and passed it to him.

The Phantom of the Opera was emblazoned in gold across the black cover. Erik opened it and glanced through. It seemed like any other performance he had seen. Christine smiled.

"It was more of a… backstage romance. This man, who played the Phantom really was in love with his Christine."

She pointed at the picture of a smiling, handsome man. Erik examined the picture and glanced across at the beautiful young woman who had played Christine.

"Only, the man playing Raoul also loved her. He was going to ask her to marry him, but the Phantom got there first. The Christine had already decided that she loved the Phantom too, and said yes. Raoul wasn't happy, but he got over it and ended up with one of the dancers. So you see… the Phantom does win once." Christine smiled.

Erik flicked through the programme, searching for her source of information.

"How do you know all this?" He asked, puzzled. Christine smiled and gave a little sigh.

"The Phantom and his Christine were Charles and Faith Danes."

"You mean…?" Erik stared at her and she nodded.

"My parents. It was always their favourite musical, I was brought up on it." She looked down at the smiling photographs and then placed it back on the shelf, with the other programmes.

"They couldn't resist calling me Christine, when I was born. A sort of symbol of the show that brought them together. They thought it was incredible when my best friend turned out to be called Meg Grayson." She said, going to the other side of the room, where rows and rows of records stood. "Would you like to hear them?" she asked, taking out one of the large black discs. Erik nodded.

Christine set the record playing and smiled as The Phantom of the Opera began to play. Erik watched her face go through a serious of emotions. Happiness, misery, delight, torture before settling from a sort of pained contentment. The two voices that came from the speakers were unfamiliar to him, but for her there were thousands of memories. When the song ended she turned it off and sighed.

"It's been a while since I listened to it."

"Too painful?"

"Hmm." She confirmed, placing the disc back on the shelf. Erik looked around.

"This is an impressive collection."

"It's theirs. They loved music almost as much as they loved each other." Christine said, with a slight laugh. She hugged herself tightly, looking around the room.

Erik watched her closely. She squeezed her eyes shut, a lump rising in her throat.

"I… I miss them so much."

"Of course you do." He said quietly. She looked up at him, eyes bright with unspoilt tears.

"But I didn't even cry. When I found out that they had… not even at the funeral. I didn't cry once. Not until afterwards. Surely that's not normal? Why can't I just accept it? Why can't I just move on?"

Too many years

Fighting back tears

Why can't the past just die?

The lyrics ran through both of their minds and Christine clasped her hands to her mouth to suppress the rising sob.

"Oh god…" She whispered as the tears ran unbidden down her cheeks, humiliated that he should see her like this, horrified that she should appear so weak and the final, dreaded knowledge that what she had feared was true and that she would now have to face the world alone.

And in an instant all of that was gone as Erik moved fluidly across the room and pulled her into his arms and she sobbed into his chest, keening, piercing wails that could shatter the heart. Erik didn't say a word, just held her tightly, thinking in the depths of his mind and heart 'I'll never let go.'


"I'm sorry." She whispered, sat on the living room sofa again. Erik shook his head, sat beside her, his eyes fixed on hers. She didn't meet his gaze, her eyes on her hands in her lap.

"You have nothing to be sorry for."

"I just… I…"

"Christine, you don't need to say anything." He told her gently. Christine sniffed hard and lifted her eyes to meet his.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." He said softly. She offered a tiny smile and he returned it. After a moment's hesitation, he opened his mouth to speak, but his mobile phone began to ring. He snapped it open furiously.

"What? Nadir, deal with it. That's what I pay you for… Fine. Yes, send the car. On it's way? Yes, yes, fine."

He stuffed the phone back into his pocket and got to his feet.

"A slight emergency. I have to…"

"Of course." Christine said, standing too. The storm was still going, but above the noise they heard the beep of a car horn. They went to the door and Erik stared down at her. She smiled slightly.

"Thanks again, Mr Destler. I'll take Trister to the vet tomorrow after rehearsals."

"It was nothing." He said and she said,

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

He swallowed, looking down at her tearstained face. And then he leaned over, planted a light kiss on her forehead and whispered, "Tomorrow."

And then he was walking down the path to the waiting car. Christine gazed after him, hugging herself. He didn't look back, but climbed into the car and drove away. Christine closed the door and leant against it, sighing.

A/N: OMG, ERIK RAN OVER HER DOG! Aw, poor Trister. And poor Christine. Thank you for the lovely reviews, you all rock! Seriously 73 reviews for four chapters? OK, wow.

Love you guys

Katie