Sweet Intoxication

Chapter Five: An Unwilling Rescue

Authors Note: Hey guys! Hope you like this update. Sorry, but this one will feature more R/C fluff than E/C fluff, and it may or may not stay that way for a couple more chapters.Again, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE,R&R! Do you guys want me to go nuts from lack of reviews? I didn't think so :)
Disclaimer: I OWN THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA -cough-DVD!
Christine had a great night's sleep. She had felt so tired after everything that had happened yesterday, she felt like going straight to bed. Erik had been perfectly understandable. He had even sat on the side of her bed and sang softly to her, untill she fell asleep (which didn't take very long). A few hours later, he wearily crawled into bed. He noticed Christine had thrown off her covers, and was now shivering. He crawled into bed beside her, and tucked both of them back in. He hugged her warm body softly, and she pressed up against him. Erik laid there,taking in every detail of her: her snow white skin, the rythmic rise and fall of her chest under her lacy white nightgown, her soft, velvety chesnut curls, her soft pink rosebud lips, and thought about how lucky he was to have finally found someone in his horrible life that might actually love him.

Christine awoke the next morning, feeling happy and refreshed. She sat up out of bed and looked at Erik. He was still asleep on the bed, with no shirt on! Christine could feel her face beginning to redden, even though she was the only one awake. She accidently let out a small giggle. Erik snored! But her giddiness quickly dissolved. Erik wore his mask, even when he slept. Christine wondered what his face actually looked like without it. She had only seen his right side of his face for a few seconds the last time, before he covered it with his hand. And he wouldn't be awake to have a raging fit like last time, she thought. She reached out her hand ready toremove it, when she stopped. She couldn't do it. It was Erik's business, she told herself firmly and besides, she thought, she wouldn't want anyone looking at her (she felt her face begin to redden again) private places when she was sleeping.

She forced herself up and walked into the main room. It was completley dark, so she lit a few candles and lit the place up. Her stomache was rumbling, considering she hadn't eaten in over a day, and wonderd where Erik kept some food. She also wondered where the bathroom was so she could batheand freshen up.Thankfully, she found a bag on the table with a note and a fresh rose.

Christine,

I thought you may be hungry when you woke up,and I usually sleep late, so I left you a little something to tide you over untill I awaken. Hope you slept well. Bon appetite!

Your angel,

Erik

P.S. The bathroom's two doors down from my music room, in case you were wondering.

Christine smiled as she read Erik's note. He was so thoughtful! She reached into the bag, and pulled out some bread, ham, cheese, apples, some crackers, a quart of milk,and a cinamonn bun and two bars of chocolate! How in the world did he get all this? And how could he have known about her sweet tooth?

After Christine had eaten everything but a few apples and the extra bar of chocolate, she took a bath, and just decided to stay in her nightgown. She assumed they weren't going back upstairs yet, and she didn't feel like wearing her corset or her stockings today. She knew it was horribly naughty, but she was feeling lazy and knew Erik wouldn't mind. He loved her no matter what she wore.

She was going to go in and see if Erik was up yet, when she heard a strange clang from the gate at the end of the lake. She turned around, startled, and was shocked to see Rauol standing there, dripping wet, opening the gate. "Rauol?" she said. He instantly turned around to face her. "Christine!" he said. He ran over to her and embraced her." Oh thank God you're allright! I was so worried about you!" He broke away from her and held her directly away from him, looking her straight in the eye. "You are allright aren't you? Has anyone harmed you?" he asked.

"Rauol, of course not! Don't be ridiculous. I'm fine. But what are you doing done here?"

"I was concerned when you just disappeard after the gala, so I went looking for you in your room. I couldn't find you anywhere and several days had passed.I was nearly going mad with worry untill finally I spoke to Madame Giry . I pestered her a bit, and she told me everything and showed me that tunnel behind the mirror.Christine, did this 'Angel' kidnap you, or did you just have a momentary lasp of judgement?"

"Rauol, I don't know. He just showed up and I was so enchanted by him, I just followed him. It was as if nothing else mattered. I'm sorry to cause everyone worry, but I'm fine now.Please don't get upset" Christine nearly whispered as silent tears began rolling dowm her cheeks. Rauol embraced her comfortingly.

"So, where is your 'Angel' ? Writing more notes?"

Christine glared at him "No, he's still asleep."

" Oh, good. Christine, come on. Everything will be fine. I've come to take you back upstairs with me."

At that, Christine sharply broke away from Rauol. "Rauol, no! I'm fine down here. Really. I'd kind of like to stay a little while longer."

Rauol looked at Christine oddly "Christine, you can't be serious! You can't want to stay dowm here with that man!" Rauol looked at her a moment and suddenly inhaled sharply. "He's threatened you, hasn't he? He's making you stay down here! Oh, Christine, don't worry. I'll help you, we'll leave right now. Come on."

"Rauol, no! He hasn't done anything to me. I want to stay down here! Rauol, please listen to me!"

"Christine, you must be extremley upset, and you're obviously not thinking clearly. Come on, it will be okay." Rauol grabbed her arms and started to lead her into the lake towards the boat. Christine struggled against him.

"Rauol, let go of me! Leave me alone!" she pleaded, kicking against him and fighting him desperatly "I don't want to leave!"

"Christine, calm down! Stop it! It'll all be fine when we get back upstairs!"

Christine still fought and struggled away from him. He held her tightly against him. Christine began to scream.

"ERIK! ERIK!HELP ME, PLEASE! ER-"

Rauol covered her mouth with his hand. "Quiet! Do you want to wake him up?"

Christine pulled his hand away from her mouth. "Let me GO!" she said, kicking him on the last word. He instintivly loosened his grip on her, and she broke away. She began to run up onto the land. He ran after her, grasping for her and accidently tore a piece of fabric from her nightgown. She splashed him, and ran up towards the table, grabbing an ink pen, and scrawling a note before Rauol could get to her again. He came up from behind, picked her up tightly, and started towards the boat.

"Christine, honey, come on, stop it. It's all right, no one's going to harm you. I'm here, you're safe."

Christine kicked and tried to push away from him "Rauol, please, let go of me! You don't understand! Please stop!"

Christine burst into tears and he gently laid her in the boat. She held onto him as he rowed away, and she stole one last glance at the lair before Rauol turned the corner. I'll find a way to get back to Erik somehow she thought, as she was unwillingly rescued by her Vicomte in shining armor from her Angel of Music,the man she truly loved