AN - I'm back! and with a new chapter... I have to leave for work in four minutes, so I didn't preview it, so if things are sticking together or such, then I'll have to fix them later, I really hate this quickedit, but I already stated that. On a totally random note, I want to be able to use the line "Who am I, to break this young girls heart?" somewhere in the story. It's from the song 'Shining' by Kristian Leontiou. That boy is yummy in more ways then his voice. Rweor.

Thelostboys78 - Wow, I feel so honoured that I was your first favourite story. that makes me feel like I'm doing something right.

Lilymunster - Isn't johnny to die for in that movie? Maybe I took some influences from that subconciously. Oh yummy johnny!

angelofnight - Nope, not slowly, you did actually read that. I just am reposting... I really wanted to rework on this, since my writing has probably improved in the last three years ;) :P. So That was the plan, to rework on it. I also plan to finish it, so we know what happens to Dani and Adrienne.

EVERYONE ELSE - thank you so much!

Chapter Fourteen: The Truth

You cannot speak, but kiss me in my
husband's absence!

Erik let go of his breath as he saw the large carriage smash into the cliff. The sight was not one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen, nor was the sound of hinges and wood breaking. Yet, knowing whoever was responsible for Christine's kidnapping was dead, made the urge to kill ease just a bit. He has to be dead; no one could have survived such a crash.

It was then he felt the warm body in front of him let out an air of relief as well. An air or was it a sob? … A warm body, a warm woman's body, realizing he still held Christine, his whole framed tensed. Here she was, in front of him, his arms around the solid frame for the first time in over a year.

Her dark curls brushed against the exposed side of his face and he could smell the faint scent of vanilla and peaches. He felt her tense in his arms as well, and wondered how she was going to react to her phantom being her rescuer.

Slowly, those curls brushed pass his mask and he saw the ocean blue eyes staring into his in awe. There was silence, a deafening noise that he didn't know how to break. Emotions soared through his tired body, not caring how fast they were going. He felt horrible, and in that moment he doubted his decision to be there at her side. He couldn't take the immense wonder and shocked building behind those wondrous eyes, causing him to dismount the horse.

He wanted to say something, anything to break this uncomfortable and close contact. Why did he do it? Why did he stay? For this, so he could protect her from things like this. He felt her dismount the horse beside him, causing him to shrink back against the animal. She was going to yell, she was going to scream, rage, and rant about how he should not have come back. Now that she knew about him, he was going to have to leave, he had broken the promise to be by her side forever, by fulfilling the promise to protect her.

Closing his eyes he tried to concentrate on one word, hello. That was all, a simple word that is pronounced very simply. As he was about to sound out the consonants he felt his mouth warmed by the pressure of hers, coming as a total shock to his already fragile state of mind.

The kiss had started out to be small but engulfed both of them with a hunger that neither could describe. A moan escaped him as he realized how good this felt, and how much he would miss it when he was over. He waited for her to pull away, but instead, she tore at his mouth with hers, drinking him into her. Growling against her, he wrapped one hand in her luxurious curls, and the other pressed against the small of her back. They both broke for a moment and drew a long breath, but before she could say anything, Erik risked his chance to kiss her again. Much to his surprise, he succeeded and poured his energy into her through the kiss. Warm, spider tingling sensations crept up his spine and body, holding her so tightly, and keeping the passionate fire ablaze in his heart. He had kept his eyes open for a moment and watched her as they embraced. He wanted to memorize each feature like this. Her eyes closed, her dark lashes fluttering against flush cheeks. Her hair, wildly out of control, her urgency to fulfill his needs radiating from her skin. Erik shut his eyes once more to try and allow himself to let go and enjoy this wondrous moment.

When she did finally pull away, He realized he wasn't just dizzy from the amazing feeling, but the lack of oxygen that he was receiving.

As he took a long intake of breath, he felt a sharp pain in his good cheek, at the same time he heard the sound of hand and flesh meeting.

( ' ) '
-

The tears I might have shed
for your dark fate
grow cold, and turn to tears
of hate . . .

She had slapped him in the face.

Why? She did not know. Well that was not true, she had slapped him in the face for showing up NOW after all that time. She admitted to herself she was being selfish, and that she had wanted him long ago. She had wanted him just like this, as her champion, her lover, and her guardian. She could not describe how incredibly safe and glorious she felt in those moments, just minutes ago, when he had saved her from her fate.

Christine saw him open his eyes in confusion. She did not blame him; she did not know what she was doing either.

First, she is kissing someone other than her husband, and then, she was disrespecting and treating him as if he advanced on her.

"How dare you..." She whispered with tears in her eyes, slowly walking away from him and not turning back.

"How dare I what Madame?" He said with wonder and confusion in his voice.

His words stung her, he had not meant to hurt her with them and yet, she had never heard him use the title Madame for her before. She had always been his little Mlle., his angel, his girl, his love, or Christine. Madame seemed so cold and formal.

"How dare you come back!" She said searching for a suitable reason to be upset with him. In some ways, she was amused, for he had never seen her like this. Her temper had never completely left after little Dani's birth.

"I have always been! It has never been a matter of coming back." Erik said coming after her.

"You horrible man!"

"How can I be horrible? If it were not for me you could be lying amongst the wood and wreckage back there." He said with a cool disdain that made her shudder.

She looked at him with such visible distress that he realized what he had just said, and how he had said it.

"Christine you must know I did not mean it like that, I..."

"So I see, I have to be on the brink of danger before you can pay me a visit?" She said looking him directly in the eye, and turning once more to hurry off.

( ' ) '
-

I must see
these demands are rejected!

"Oh yes, because one of my visits are such a celebrated event!" He hissed after her.

Damn her! He was trying to be nice. No, that wasn't what he was trying to be, nice was something he didn't express very well. He was trying to be reasonable. Why couldn't she see that in by staying away he had secured her happiness with the Vicomte de Chagny? He saw her freeze from his harsh words, and though he knew he would regret it later, he wanted to hurt her more.

"What possessed you to stay? Didn't I do enough damage back in Paris?" She raged back towards him and stalking off in the direction of her chateau.

"Oh, the damage you did was insurmountable, but I knew leaving you in the care of a child would be condemning you to death, and even you do not deserve that, my dear. I'd rather you alive for many years, allowing the guilt to eat away at you as you wondered what happened to your 'poor, unhappy Erik." He spat loathingly.

He saw her stop turn towards him and raise her hands towards him once more. It seemed this time she was intent to push him, but his instincts kicked in and he ducked her advance, causing her to stumble forward. As she did he grabbed her arm, and pulled her small body against his frame, all while using his other hand to grab her neck.

"Do not tempt me Christine, or have you forgotten that your Angel is really a mercenary for hell? I could break your neck right now if you keep attacking me." He whispered in her ear. He had expected her to shudder, he expected her to cry, maybe even a whimper or some indication that she still feared him, but there was nothing. Nothing at all to indicate that she still was afraid of his presence. Instead she pressed her body against his, calmed her raging breath and sighed lightly at him, as if she was bored or tired with him. He let go and threw her to the ground, hating himself for being so predictable.

"But we both know that is not true, no matter what you do to me Christine, I will always make sure nothing harmful will ever come your way. Call it a curse," He said and walking away from where she lay.

"You could have come and seen me!" She wailed at him, not tearfully but still with much anger. Rising to her feet she ran after him as he stalked broodingly away from her. When she reached him, she grabbed for his shoulder and he flung himself around to face her.

"Now, what would have possessed me to do that? What, indication have you ever given me that you enjoy my company? Was running away from me at every turn your own special way of going 'Oh Erik, I do love the time we spend together, perhaps 'morrow we could dine together?' It was always about that wretched boy Christine. He haunted your thoughts more than I did the halls! Oh yes my dear, How was your wedding? Were you really wishing for a visit when you were being married? You have everything you could possibly want, a wonderful home, a loving husband and your beautiful daughter, Dani. Did you really want your angel of darkness also? I'm sorry my girl, but you cannot have your cake and eat it as well!" He said spouting off a horrible cliché.

"I... You… Do not change this around on me! I..." She said flustered.

Good, he thought. He was winning, and at this point that was all that mattered.

He could care less in this frame of mind if he hurt her so bad that she never returned to his arms. His pride always would get in the way, and right now, he must defend his honour and himself.

"Wait a moment, how do you know I have a daughter?" Christine said, using his angry words against him.

Oh no, he realized, she had advanced and trapped him in this little game of mental chess they were playing.

In his haste and rage, he had forgotten how to keep his secrets. He hadn't done so in a year, when you have no one to talk to it is very hard to keep in shape for these little battles.

"Don't you remember Madame? The angel knows all, the angel sees all..." He said with a touch of venom.

He was trying to keep his temper in control. This was an argument they both could not escape; he just wanted to get his point across now without doing much damage.

He had advanced in the game so that he was no longer trapped, but he would have to keep a steady ear for her words.

"Do not trying and hide behind mystery now, Erik! Tell me the TRUTH! If it is the last thing you do in your life, tell me how you know I have a daughter and most of all how you know I named her Danielle."

Checkmate.

( ' ) '
-

Once more to those
sweetest of charms
my heart and soul
surrender!

Christine wanted to know, needed to know. Her heart was going a mile a minute.

The possibility that her angel had been within a carriage ride's distance away began to bother her. She knew, that once the initial shock wore off, she would have been there in secret everyday, letting herself sink deeper and deeper into his majestic aura. It would of been possible that she would of never had her daughter Danielle if she knew of Erik's existence on this plane still. That was what bothered her most of all.

"Please Erik, Please." She said, loosing her angry tone, and stepping closer to him. She touched his arm, gently, and looked up into his eyes. Those amber eyes, so full of love and hate directed at her. He looked to where she touched his arm, like she was burning him with her hand, but he never moved from the contact.

"I..." He was at a loss for words.

It was then she figured it out. Slowly she dropped her hand, and backed away from him. She couldn't help but feel the tears well in her eyes again. He was never really gone; he had always been there singing songs in her head. Dreams and hallucinations of his presence were not ones of a mad and deranged woman but real as the man before her. He had been there that night so long ago when she spoke her love, he had been there when she was upset and wanted him to check in on "their" child. He was there for her labour on and off.

He was there and always would be. "How far away?" she asked numbly, she couldn't look him in the eye, she couldn't see his acknowledgement yet.

"How far away!" She said finding herself angry once again.

She was not upset with him; she was upset by her hearts betrayal. She would of given Erik the sun if it meant he would live for it, instead of the night he belonged to. She would of left her husband in a heartbeat if he had only asked the words.

Nevertheless, he did not know these were the thoughts racing through her head.

"About a kilometre from your and the Vicomte's Estate."

"ERIK!" She exclaimed furiously, looking up to his face only to find that he was staring at his feet in shame.

He looked up into her eyes challenging her. She could tell he was trying his best to understand this new and broken Christine.

Alas, she had always been broken though, in one-way or another.

Her father, The Phantom, Her angel, Raoul, the personal Opera that played out between them was mostly her doing. Then her pregnancy, always wishing and praying for something to bring him back, though she knew she was happy. Lastly, she had proven to be a hormonal and emotional mess who never regained the patience and virtues of the woman before the traumatic experience.

"Yes Vicomtess?" He said hurting her purposely.

( ' ) '
-

We have all been
blind - and yet the
answer is staring us
in the face . . .

He had said it to hurt her, and it had worked. He saw her flinch at the harsh words. Damn him and his incorrigible anger. He wasn't even really upset; he was just confused as to why Christine would care where he lived, other than to stay away from her.

"You have been only a kilometre away for the last year?" She said, it had been more of a rhetorical question, Erik realized, he could tell by her voice.

He felt sheepish, knowing that he was in the wrong. She was right, it was wrong of him living in such close vicinity as her when they were in love.

Wasn't that what was going on? Surely you can be in love with someone from beyond the grave? He loved her from that very deserted tomb of his mind.

And she, she stated her love clear and true, singing vows to him with her eyes, even when she thought he was a hallucination from pain.

He looked over to the woman who was still standing before him in shock. What was he going to do? He couldn't take her home; he didn't know if it was safe there, he didn't want her to go back where the kidnappers obviously knew she lived.

"Your hand." He said blatantly.

"Yes?" She said still trying to comprehend the impact of all that had happened.

"It's bleeding rather badly." He said taking a closer step, closing the gap between them.
He took her hand in his and studied it carefully; it was badly cut up, which surprised him since he had never really seen it. He had seen everything in black and white, laced with red, his anger had flowed from him and caused him to get distracted. He rarely ever got that distracted when angry. He definitely was slipping, it was something he was going to have to remedy.

He realized she probably had not noticed till now either and she looked down to it.

"Oh, I must of hurt it when I was trying to escape." She pondered hazily. Just then, she swayed dizzily. He looked at the ground and her dressed, both covered in blood. There wasn't enough blood to cause extreme worry, but there was enough that he knew the bleeding wasn't going to 'just stop'. He un-tucked his shirt and ripped a piece of the end.

"Erik that's your..."

"Hush, I have more at home." He said carefully wrapping the smaller frail hand in the material to try and stop the bleeding.

"That is an extreme wound, we should get you to the cabin so I can tend to it properly." He said clasping his fingers around hers.

"The cabin?" She said curiously.

"Yes, I think it would be safest if you hide out there, until your Vicomte comes back and you are safe. You never know who is waiting to see if the other one got his job done." He said sincerely, truly concerned for her safety.

"He is to arrive at home tomorrow late afternoon." She said nonchalantly.

"Then I suppose you are to spend the night." He said wondering if this would spark emotion.

Of course it did, for she looked up at him surprised and blushed.

He noticed that she seemed surprised she could still do that.

"Then I suppose I am." She said sheepishly, and allowed herself to be lead back to the horse.

Erik mounted Phantom first and them pulled Christine up into his arms. This was the way it was suppose to be, the way it should, with him riding off into the sunset with her.

It would never happen though, and of course, he knew it. She was a mother and a wife, important not only to him but claimed by to other individuals.

Raoul and Danielle.

He would send her back later though, to those who loved her and depended on her the most. He knew the threat of the kidnappers had most likely gone over that cliff with the carriage and man, and yet he wasn't able to let go of this precious woman.

Not yet at least.