Erik

He was beginning to come apart at the seams. What if she had gone back to the boy? Surely not, but the thought made him run all the faster. As he approached the heavy door that led to the outside, he checked to make sure his mask was still in its proper place, not wanting it to have become loose in his haste. Using every bit of his power, he shoved open the old door. He found himself in a dark alleyway that he quickly deduced ran up the side of the Opera house and emptied at its front. No sooner had he reached the corner than he saw a petite shadow racing towards the alleyway. A streetlight hit its face. Christine! Not wanting to scare her, he stepped out into the light and gently called her name. A look of pure relief washed over her face as she ran to his waiting arms. "Oh Erik", she sighed into his chest, "I was so scared. I thought for sure a drunk would grab me and have his way with me and I would never see you again." He took his right hand and brought it to her chin, lifting it up so she was looking at him. In a stern voice he asked her, "Where did you go Christine? If you went only to get a few things from your room, there would have been no need for you to step foot out of the Opera House.", he reminded her. She darted her eyes away from his. "It doesn't matter.", she whispered. It seemed to Erik that she was ashamed of wherever she had been, making it all the more necessary for him to know. Once again he took her face in his hand and turned it towards his. "Where…did…you…go?", he asked, emphasizing each word. "The deChagny mansion…" she whispered. Her answer was so quiet it was almost inaudible, but nothing slipped past Erik's ears. He pulled away quickly. "Why?" he growled. She began to sob. "I had to Erik! I had to apologize to him for the way I treated him!" She added more quietly, "…and to protect you." "Protect me? Why in the hell would you need to protect me from that boy?" he asked angrily. "You forget Erik that Raoul is an excellent swordsman and marksman. He would have killed you the first chance he got. You did not see the look he threw me that night. He wanted revenge Erik! Don't you understand?" Erik rubbed his forehead and slid down the wall. "So are you trying to tell me that we now have to worry that Raoul will try to find us?" She cleared her throat and said, "No. I spoke to him and his mood seemed to pass when he realized how disgusted I was with his sudden change in character. You also forget Erik that he loves me just as much as you do, and would not want to displease me in the least.", confidence beaming from her face. At that, Erik stood up and took her hand to lead her back to his home. Thoughts of Raoul still loomed large in his mind, despite Christine's attempts to quench them. On their way back, they took a detour to Christine's room so she could pick up a few things. When they reached the lair, Christine pronounced herself exhausted and went behind the screen to change into her nightclothes. Erik was rather anxious about sleeping arrangements. He would just have to wait to see what she proposed. Once she was done, she walked over to the large bed and pulled back the satin sheets and climbed in. "Erik", she called quietly, "are you coming to bed." Her words evaporated all thoughts of Raoul and a large smile formed on his lips. He knew nothing would happen between them, at least until they were married since Christine was a staunch Catholic, but the thought of just being able to hold her sleeping form comforted him beyond words. As he slipped into bed, he pulled her against his chest. She sighed contentedly and soon her deep breathing gave away that she was asleep. Only then did Erik allow sleep to take him.