Forget Me Not: Chapter 4

Authors Note: Ok, I'm an eager beaver! I just uploaded chapter 3 and already I'm on 4! I don't own POTO (sadness once more) but, if they ever wanted to give up the rights to some random person, I totally volunteer.

PS: In the first chapter, I wrote that Raoul had 'adoration' in his eyes. Don't get me wrong, I hate R/C. I just thought I'd clear that up in this chapter.

Erik had slept for hours. He would groan, tense up every so often, but aside from that, he slept like an infant. Christine watched over him carefully. He was so different from Raoul, in every way. There was the obvious, in appearance and status. But the little things made them like night and day.

Erik put his life in his passions. He had dedicated his whole life to his music…and was prepared to give it all for her. She closed her eyes, her mouth curving upward in a smile. He loved her entirely…her fingers danced absent mindedly over her wedding ring. But Raoul…his passion was his business. At first she'd thought him different, but in the end, his work was his main priority. When Erik kissed her, it was full of passion, lust...and he managed to transform her feelings of disgust and hatred to excitement and longing. At first, Raoul had kissed her like he wanted her…but once they had left Erik behind, he felt he had won her, had no more need to make her swoon. His passion deteriorated and their romance became shallow. There was no more denying it: Raoul was a selfish man. Many times she had mistaken something in his eyes for love, adoration even, but he was usually thinking about his work, or speaking of his work. She didn't love him.

She didn't love him?

Christine's eyes widened in shock. Of course she loved him! And what would she do, even if she didn't love him? She couldn't stay with Erik. People would talk…

And once again, she was thinking of Raoul's wishes! She pulled of her wedding ring and flung it at the wall.

"I don't love him!"

She gasped, rushing to Erik. She prayed he hadn't awoken…Erik's hand twitched and he groaned. His eyes remained closed. Christine sighed in relief. She didn't love Raoul. But did she love Erik?

She looked at him. He still wore the same ivory mask he did five years before. His chest heaved and fell. Carefully, carefully, she removed the mask from his face. A small, pitiful smile crept up her face. The pale skin on the left side of his face was a strange contrast to the reddish flesh on the right. She caressed his face, tracing his deformed skin. Suddenly, his hand shot up and grabbed her wrist. His eyes opened. His blue-green eyes stared up at her, at first angry and hurt. But he soon closed them once more. He sighed out in ecstasy and let go of her wrist. She continued to hold his face, until he noticed the absence of his mask. Sitting up, he breathed in deeply. He was about to speak, but was interrupted by dry heaves.

"Calm down!" Christine cried out, placing her hand on his back. He soon stopped, and stared at her intently. "You're going to have a fit! Please, Erik, try to calm down," she sighed suddenly, and stroked his hair. "It's all going to be alright…"
"Why did you take my mask?" he asked weakly. "Did you really wish to see this? The face of hell itself?" He tried to suppress tears as he pointed to his face. Christine placed her hand on his face again, stroking it.

"I knew what lay behind your mask, Erik, and know that I am not frightened, nor do I find you ugly!"

"Liar!" Erik cried out. "Get out! If I should need you I will call to you. But do not insist on watching over me like I cannot take care of myself, and do not act as if you are my mother!"

Christine stared at him. Careful to be fast, she kissed the right side of his face. He stared at her, dumb-founded. Without a word she rose and exited his room.

Erik placed his hand to his cheek, not believing what had just happened.

She kissed me…

He trembled in pleasure, He'd never been kissed before…

Pitiful creature of darkness

What kind of life have you known?

God give me courage to show you

You are not alone!

The lyrics came to him like a memory…Erik had never thought of a complete aria in less than a moment before…

He stared at the door. Why did he have this effect on her? He fought his own desires, begging himself not to walk outside after her. He sighed, lying back down.

He stared at the ceiling. He wasn't going to be able to sleep until he spoke to her. Stumbling, he turned the door knob and walked outside.

Christine was sitting by the edge of the water, staring out. She got up at once, coming towards Erik.

"Do you need me?" She asked him, touching his arm. Erik felt his pulse rise. She drew back, unsure of what he wanted. He wasn't sure, exactly.

"Why are you staying with me?" he inquired finally. It was an issue that had been pressing him for some time, but had not yet brought it up.

"Because I care about you." She said, as if it was an obvious answer. She smiled at him.

"Why?" he cried out desperately. "Why do you care about me? What could I have possibly done that made you care about me?" He placed both hands on her shoulders, as if he could not hold himself up. Christine stared at him. She held his face in her hands, stroking his cheek.

"You did more than you know, Erik."

"Please, eat something!" Christine coaxed him. "If you don't eat something, you will continue having uncomfortable dry heaves!"

"If I eat, I will vomit!"

"Vomiting is better than constant dry heaves! At least drink something!"

Christine grabbed one of his goblets and filled it with water from the lake. She placed it in front of him with only one instruction: "Drink!"

"Madame de Chagny, I have not once in my life drank that water and I certainly will not trust it now."

"If you refuse to drink this, what do you drink when you thirst?" she asked, pouring the water back into the grotto.

"I have a wine cellar below here. But I do not go down very often, I rarely thirst!" Erik said defensively. Christine looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Please?" she begged him. Erik sighed. He walked slowly to the desk. Pushing it back, he felt the floor. Pressing down on one of the tiles, it moved back to reveal a stairwell. They began to descend it, Erik leading the way.

The wine cellar was a mess. Barrels filled the tiny room, not leaving any extra space.
"My apologies, I have not been down here for weeks." Erik confessed, slightly ashamed. Christine walked through the room with some difficulty. The room was dark, the only light came from Erik's torch.

But it was then that it caught her eye. It was small and sparkled as it lay on the ground, as if thrown there. It was covered in dust, but had no less beauty then when she had seen it last.

It was her ring.

So he hadn't gotten rid of it! Christine held back giggles of joy. He hadn't cared so little…he hadn't cared so little of her to get rid of it! But did this mean….

She stared at the man beside her, careful to hide the ring in the palm of her hand. He was searching through the endless supply of barrels, moving them, trying to make things a small bit neater.

Did he still love her? Did he, deep down, still remember her?

Erik coughed violently, his whole body shaking. She slipped the ring into her dress, having no pockets or pouches. She ran to Erik, holding him. His coughing finally ceased, and she realized she was holding him for a different reason. She didn't want to let go. Now that she knew that he still cared for her, perhaps even loved her…

She looked up at him, who was staring at her, wondering why she was hugging him. He wasn't protesting. Christine closed her eyes, pressing her head to his chest. She could hear his heart beating rapidly. He was wearing only a thin shirt, and beads of sweat rolled down his chest. He extinguished the torch and placed his arms around her. She stared into his clear eyes. She suddenly knew the answer to her question.

She loved him.

I am so cruel for ending it here! I am sorry…more will come soon, that's a promise I intend to keep.