Chapter Eight – Sing for Me, my Angel

The Destler Mansion – Early July 2005

It is a month before the opera is due to open when Christine appears at Erik's door for what is to be one of her last lessons. Erik, dressed simply in a pair of dark-wash jeans and a black t-shirt, welcomes her inside and leads her down to his room in the basement. They reach the room, and Christine drops her handbag on his bed, slipping her sandals off on the area rug.

"Christine," Erik says to her, reaching for her and touching her arm lightly, "you've come a very long way from where you started. I'm extremely proud of you. After today, I ask that you come only once more, and we'll just go over Down Once More, seeing as you know all of the melodies. Today, we're going to work on All I Ask of You. Is that all right with you?"

"Yes, Erik. Of course." They've never worked on that song before. She's sure it's because he doesn't want to ruin chemistry between her and her Raoul, but they had to work on it sometime. In her deepest, darkest, most private dreams, Christine has thought of sharing this song with her tutor, a song of caring and love. She had never thought of him in that way before a particularly interesting lesson a few weeks before.

"When will the blood begin to race? The sleeping bud burst into bloom? When will the flames at last consume us?" Christine sang the words with all of the heat and passion she felt onstage with Richard. She'd been working with Erik on that song in particular for many lessons now, perfecting her stage presence, her interactions and movements. But when his hands touched her hips that day, it set a strange fire to her that she had never felt with Richard. It was one of unbridled passion, one of a love that couldn't die out, one of a true lover, not a phony.

"Past the point of no return, the final threshold; the bridge is crossed so stand and watch it burn! We've passed the point of no return." Erik's hands had passed over her waist and stomach, inching ever closer to her breasts, as one of them ran itself across her neck, making her shiver with delight. His body brushed hers, and she was almost disappointed when he wasn't ignited by her, his passions not set free by the mere closeness.

However, he had decided not to sing the Phantom's closing lines so it would work onstage between his student and her co-star. She was exceedingly disappointed. "Christine?"

She's been daydreaming. "Yes?" Christine looks at him, his dark eyes connecting with her own.

"I'll play the intro for you, since I know you've been working on this with Monsieur Friar." She nods. "Would you like me to sing?"

"If it's all right with you, then I see no problem in it." He acknowledges what she said and begins to play the introduction to Raoul's part.

"No more talk of darkness. Forget these wide-eyed fears! I'm here; nothing can harm you. My words will warm and calm you. Let me be your freedom. Let daylight dry your tears! I'm here, with you beside you, to guard you and to guide you."

"Say you love me every waking moment! Turn my head with talk of summertime! Say you need me with you now and always. Promise me that all you say is true. That's all I ask of you…" Erik continues to play, and Christine sees that his eyes are fogging over in what could be tears.

"Let me be your shelter. Let me be your light! You're safe, no one will find you. Your fears are far behind you."

"All I want is freedom, a world with no more night, and you always beside me to hold me and to hide me."

"Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Let me lead you from your solitude! Say you need me with you here, beside you. Anywhere you go let me go too. Christine, that's all I ask of you…"

"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime! Say the word and I will follow you!" As she sings, she realizes that the piano has stopped playing along with her. Erik stands up and comes over to her, joining with his own voice.

"Share each day with me, each night, each morning!" Her voice mingles with his own, causing her to shiver.

"Say you love me…"

"You know I do." Erik touches his large, rough hand to her cheek. Maybe he's getting me ready for my role, that's all.

"Love me, that's all I ask of you!" Immediately, realizing what he was doing, Erik runs to the piano and plays the loud, interlude, and Christine follows him, placing her small hands on his broad shoulders. "Anywhere you go let me go too! Love me, that's all I ask of you!" Erik continues to play, but the tune now mournful and sad.

"I gave you my music, made your song take wing, and now, how you've repaid me; deny me and betray me. He was bound to love you when he heard you sing! Christine…" She moves to sit on the floor beside the piano bench, her fingers resting on his leg.

Almost against her own will, she hears herself murmur, "Richard…" Erik stands up with a jolt.

"What?" He shouts at her.

"Nothing! I didn't say anything! You just…remind me of him so much," she stammers, a little afraid of her coach.

"I never want to be compared to rich scum like that, Christine! Never!" In his rage, he has thrown the piano bench to the floor, music spilled all over the carpet. She hurries to pick it up, righting the bench as well. Standing up, she takes Erik's hand in her own, feeling his rage.

"Sit down, Erik." He lets go of her hand rather harshly and walks to sit down on the chaise in the opposite corner of the room. "Aren't we going to go over some more for the show?"

Her coach shakes his head. "Sing for me." She says nothing, and he continues. "Sing for me something you know, something in your head."

"But, Erik, rule three clearly stated…"

"Well, rule four 'clearly stated' that I am always right. Sing for me, Christine." She takes a deep breath. What to sing? What does she know by heart? Something familiar…the previous night she'd watched Titanic with Elle, but that song was much too sad. But the vocalist…yes, she would sing something Celine Dion.

And Christine starts to sing. "For all those times you stood by me, for all the truth that you made me see, for all the joy you brought to my life, for all the wrong that you made right, for every dream you made come true, for all the love I found in you, I'll be forever thankful, baby. You're the one who held me up, never let me fall. You're the one who saw me through, through it all!" Erik closes his eyes, taking in her voice.

"You were my strength when I was weak. You were my voice when I couldn't speak. You were my eyes when I couldn't see. You saw the best there was in me. Lifted me up when I couldn't reach, you gave me faith 'cause you believed. I'm everything I am because you loved me." He stands up as her vocals die out, taking painfully slow steps towards her, his bare feet padding across the carpet.

To her surprise, Erik, wraps his arms around her back and leans his head against her shoulder. "Keep singing. Don't stop."

She swallows hard. "You gave me wings and made me fly. You touched my hand, I could touch the sky. I lost my faith; you gave it back to me. You said no star was out of reach. You stood by me and I stood tall! I had your love, I had it all. I'm grateful for each day you gave me. Maybe I don't know that much, but I know this much is true; I was blessed because I was loved by you!" Christine moves to rest her arms around the back of her coach, leaning into his tight but tender hold on her. She remembers vaguely Monsieur Webber telling her not to get involved with her coach, but this shouldn't matter…should it?

Christine repeats the chorus, Erik rocking her softly in his arms, like a mother and child. He pulls up from his embrace, standing at his full height before her. She places her hands on his chest and sings again. "You were always there for me, the tender wind that carried me, a light in the dark shining your love into my life. You've been my inspiration, through the lies you were the truth. My world is a better place because of you."

At this point, Christine stops singing completely. The two stand there for what seems like hours, and Erik says calmly, "You should be going now." Christine breaks away, looking a little embarrassed.

"Oh, yes." She grabs her things from his bed and slips the sandals on her feet. "Um, thanks. I'll come by next week then for one last lesson?"

"Yes, Christine. That'll be fine," he says, returning to his piano bench. Erik does not choose to escort her as he normally does, but as Christine reaches the stairs to the main level of the mansion, she hears faintly in the darkness of the basement Erik's voice once more. "You will curse the day you loved that boy, Christine. You will curse the day you didn't do all that I asked of you!" She runs up the stairs and out of the mansion, her head pounding. She needs to get home.

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