A/N: Oh my gosh, I'm SOSOSO sorry that this took so long. I haven't given up on the story, as the title of this chapter suggests. :) Add together house sitting(no computer), exams, basic business with this chapter which turned out to be so hard to write...gosh. I feel bad, I'm sorry. Well anywho, I really hope I can get back to my usual pace. It will be better once this is solved, I like romantic phluffinesssss. Here it is!

Chapter 11: Don't Give Up

Erik did not visit Christine the next day, or the next, or the next. Every day that he didn't show, her worry grew, but what could she do? She had been led by him each time down to his underground lair, and she knew the path to be quite confusing. After more than a week, Christine decided that she had no choice - if he was hurt, if he was in danger, whatever happened, Christine knew it just was not like him to not show. She had no more dreams of her father, but each night that she hadn't seen Erik, he was in her dreams. He was either in pain, or didn't love her any more, or had disappeared, but whatever the dream, she awoke in tears. Christine finally built the courage up. She walked up to her mirror, took a deep breath, and slid it open.

The hallway wasn't the same. Without Erik guiding her, it was dark and wet and cold. She stepped back into her room and grasped a lit candle firmly in her hand, before reentering the long hallway. She made it to the lake from memory, although still having to backtrack a few times. She then realized that the boat would be with Erik. Christine shed the top layer of her dress, and taking a deep breath, stepped into the freezing water. To her relief, it barely reached her thighs, but still, it was hard to maneuver in her heavy dress. When she finally approached land, she looked around, not seeing Erik. Her eyes finally fell upon the still figure lying in the exquisite swan bed. Her heart seemed to drop to her stomach. Racing to the bed and dropping to her knees at it's side, she flung herself upon his chest, and was relieved beyond words to hear his heart beat. She carefully tied a ribbon as a necklace around his neck, and grasping his hands, began to beg God to save her dearest love.

Erik's eyes fluttered open, to see his beautiful angel knelt over him, grasping his hands in hers, apparently praying in an inaudible whisper, and tears were streaming down her face.

"Mon Amour," he whispered, just before coughing, which shot pain through his chest.

"Oh my angel!" Christine cried out, collapsing onto his chest, tears still streaming down his face. "You are ill, Erik," she stated.

"Yes, I ... " he thought about the sharp pain within his chest, and his difficulty breathing, and burning fever, but didn't mention these things to the obviously worried Christine. In all honesty to himself, Erik was quite worried as well. He hadn't been able to walk for more than a few minutes for days, and then he was completely bed-bound. "I know ... " A glimpse of light reflecting from his chest caught his eye, and he untangled one of his hands from Christine's and grasped the two rings threaded on a make-shift necklace tied around his neck. "What is this?"

"They ... I ... Somehow - Father - In a dream." Christine stumbled about her words, trying to explain the unexplainable, while on the verge of hysterics. "Inside, a verse from scripture. 'Love Never Fails.' Father told me, he said to never give up, if I love you. I put them on you when I thought, think you might ... " She gave up on the sentence that she was trying to piece together through her tears, and began another. "Do you love me Erik?"

"More than anything," he whispered, as he felt his eyelids began to droop, his consciousness beginning to slip away from him.

"Then you mustn't give up. You have you be strong, Erik, for me."

"I won't give up," he replied, before slipping into unconsciousness. Christine gingerly placed a kiss on his forehead, before standing. She knew that she needed to get him help, but she didn't know what to do. She decided to wait until he woke up again to try to give him some food and water, but wasn't sure how long that would be. She kissed his forehead and gently laid down beside him, holding him tightly.

Erik felt trembling fingers running through his hair before he opened his eyes.

"Oh, Erik. Wake up, dear, wake up ... " He heard a pleading whisper beside him. He opened his eyes to find Christine's tear-stained face break into a smile. "Ange de Musique," She quickly kissed his forehead and sprang up, surprising him. 'What is she doing?' he wondered, but his thoughts were silenced as she walked back over to the bed, a glass of water and a loaf of bread in her hands.

"When is the last time you ate or drank anything, my sweet?" Christine asked him, concerned. He tried to think, and in doing so, his stomach grumbled.

"Here," she whispered, smiling, and handed him the bread and water. Once he started eating, she rose again, and returned with a damp cloth which she placed on his forehead. Erik broke into a coughing fit and Christine's eyes filled with worry.

"I think you should see a doctor Erik." His eyes grew wide at the idea. He scoffed.

"So are we supposed to bring him down here, Christine. That would go well." She bit her lip.

"Well, I don't know, dear. I hadn't thought it through but, you are so ill. You have a fever, and I'm worried about you." The tears welling up in his beloved's eyes caused the anger to diminish as quickly as it had appeared.

"I know that, Christine," he said, more gently.

"Erik..." Her voice was pleading, but she couldn't think of anything else to say.

"I'll wait it out, Christine. I just need to rest, and stay nourished." She sighed, realizing how stubborn he could be.

"I'll stay with you. That is, if you want me to." Erik took her hand in his and drew it to his soft lips, placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles. This was the man she knew.

"Nothing would make me happier, my love."

Christine awoke to Erik in a coughing fit beside her. She sat up abruptly, worried by the outburst.

"Erik?" He coughed more, but tried to smile and waved his hand, gesturing her to not worry, but it was no use. Christine could do nothing but watch him, concerned, until he calmed down. "Oh my love," she whispered and he smiled weakly.

"I'm fine, Christine, it's just," he hesitated, but continued, putting a hand on his chest. "It hurts, is all." Christine's face was twisted with worry, and he hated seeing her as such. "I'll be all right, love." He smiled, but she still looked concerned.

"Try to rest," she instructed lovingly, and he willingly obeyed, quite exhausted from all the coughing, even though he had been sleeping all day. He fell asleep to the tickle of her tiny fingers through his hair and he soft voice singing gently, filling the air around them. "Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Let me lead you from your solitude..."

A/N: There! Yay! I'm going to start the next chapter ASAP, swear. I have to work on this drug and alcohol test thingy though, or else I can't take my permit test on my birthday which is...Tuesday. So...maybe delay, but I seriously hope not like this chapter.

Awesome reviewer people:

phantomphan1911: Thank you, I'm so glad you're intruiged! Sorry to get you interested then leave you hanging though. :P

cinafran: Oh yes, crows feet, typo. I hate typos like that that spell checkers don't catch. Thank you for your awesome reviews, I love contructive critisism. If you have any thats like, plotline or something like that too, thats awesome, but I won't go back and correct spelling though, the process is too much with honestly. But you are a great reviewer, thank you so much!

Mrs.Elektra Murdock: Thank you, I'm so glad you like it!

Ethalas Tuath'an: Yes, this is what the 'never give up' thing meant. I'm glad that you like the ring thing, I was worried if it was too weird. I'll keep writing though, I swear!

hearts aflame: :giggle: I'm glad you like it. :D

ReganX: Yes, Christine isn't mad about Bouquet's murder. I'm glad that you enjoyed the dreamscape, I tried not to make it cheesy. Thanks for the review!

I'll try to update soon again!