A/N: Ok, so I'm officially back, and I actually have a full new chapter for you. Please, please, please let me know what you think! I know I've been gone quite a while so I'm kinda freaked the no one is interested in this anymore : /

Christine slowly raised her heavy lids, wincing as hunger bit into her very sides, and attempting to focus on the blur of colours now invading her senses. The last thing she remembered was running to the opera house cellars. Erik was long dead and this was a place hidden from man and vampire alike, a place built solely for the purpose of hiding from the world. Out of respect she stayed away from the house on the lake, even in memory that was still his sanctuary. Instead she explored that area which he had never showed her, the deepest and most deserted section of the cellars, where no one dared explore except the rats.

But then why was there light? Why were these colours now swimming before her very eyes as a familiar yet distant scent filled her with an odd familiarity?

Instantly she bolted upright, knowing perfectly well where she was. How many times had she visited this house? How many times had she awoken to this now unbearable assault on her senses? But this time she was not in her room, how silly it was for her to still think of it as her room, but instead laying tightly tucked on the divan close to the fire in absolute silence, with the exception of the flames gentle crackling.

Cursing audibly in a way that would make even a sailor blush, the meaning of all this dawned on her. He was still alive. She had trespassed on Erik's domain and Erik had found her.

One thing filled Christine's mind, leave now, leave and run. What ever else consequences all this meant, it would be dealt with later, just get the bloody hell out of there before he shows up and let your mind think then.

Quickly she threw the blankets from her, drew up her skirts, and strode determinedly to where she knew the door was hidden. His voice stopped her mid stride.

"Christine."

Never in her life had she thought one word could hold so much emotion. That one word could bring her whole world crashing down around her and make tears spring to her eyes, leaving her wondering where the dream ended and reality set in. Yes he was alive, and he was here. But then, wasn't he always here, always there to watch over her and protect her?

Of course when she looked around, she saw nothing. For a moment she though it was only a trick of the mind, but then: "You're leaving."

It sounded as though it was a question but she knew it wasn't.

"Erik! I thought you were dead... The paper..." Christine called out into the uncompassionate air but not expecting an answer.

Fear, guilt, regret filled her soul as she turned and turned searching for some tangible form to connect the voice with, but only succeeding in making her self dizzy and if possible, even more disoriented as she tried to collect her frenzied thoughts.

"I wouldn't have come had I known..." she added lamely to the echoing silence.

"Why did you come, Christine?" A shadow unfurled itself from the wall, making its presents known to the trembling girl.

Tears were blinked back as Christine gazed rigidly at the towering figure, now only a few feet in front of her. It was as if he materialized out of no where and now he stood there, scrutinizing her with his impenetrable stare, a perfect reflection of everything her mind had clung to these many years.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come, just forget this." Christine rambled, unable to think, unable to look directly into those crystalline eyes. Hesitantly, the girl made a movement toward the door but the shadow only followed her motion flawlessly, successfully blocking her path.

"Erik please, I need to go. You can't keep me here!" Finally Christine raised her eyes to his face and once again took in the expressionless appearance that mask cast over him. He was like a statue, nothing had changed from the last she had seen him but the eyes, the only thing true about him she could see, stared back coldly, calculating, and hard.

"Christine, why did you come here?" again he asked, motionless.

"I didn't come here, you brought me here, and you had promised to let me go, Erik." she spat. It was the first thought that jumped into her mind. She felt as though she were a mouse caught in a cats trap. How could she explain what had happened? How could she even begin to comprehend telling him? No, the only thing to do was to get out as quickly as possible and to think as little about what this all meant.

If it was at all possible, the shadow stiffened. Then ever so slowly, never letting his eyes waver, he took a step forward. It was only a small step, but to Christine it was as though he had just stepped across a vast chasm dividing them.

"I let you go once, perhaps I do not intend to do so again. Not when I find you half frozen and unconscious on my cellar floor. Why were you there, Christine?" His voice remained calm, gentle even, yet Christine could tell that his patience was running thin.

She trembled more violently than before, dropping her gaze to the ground. "I wasn't unconscious, I was... just asleep..."

Something sparked within him, changing the entire temperature of the room. "I thought you were dead Christine. People are able to wake up when they're just asleep. I think I deserve an explanation if anything."

He paused to force his voice back into a lulling calm and took one more step, barely even a step, towards her. "Just tell me why you were there, and I'll let you go."

Pitifully she raised her eyes back to his, taking no notice of their close proximity. "Erik please, I can't– "

"Can't what?"

"Be found here." Her voice dropped as their eyes locked, searching each other for some form of recognition.

He regarded her for a moment before turning slightly from her. "No, I suppose your little husband wouldn't like that too much, would he?"

Christine flinched, giving Erik the proof needed that he was on the right track.

"He'd prefer you half dead and frozen on the cold ground instead now is it? Don't worry Christine, we're quite safe here, nobody can find us, least of all your precious Vicomte." He bit off the last words with a wry smirk.

Christine started shaking her head involuntarily as Erik rounded on her and took yet another step towards her, making it all too easy for one of them to simply close the gap between them. Clenching and unclenching her fists, Christine's eyes wandered to where she knew the door must be located and a place just beyond that mask so she wouldn't have to meet those painful eyes.

"You're not wearing your wedding band."

The emotionless words fell softly enough from his mouth but cut into her like a dull blade. Unconsciously the girl's right hand grasped the left as though to hide the fact from sight. She forced her eyes to once again meet his own, but this time with frantic fear clearly showing through her ridged expression, as she took a small trembling step away.

"What has happened? You were hiding. That's why you where here." How Christine could have thought his voice was expressionless seemed incomprehensible now for with every syllable it seemed to strengthen and reverberate ever more clearly around her.

"What did he do to you? What has that boy done!"

"I simply did not wish to get it dirty," she replied quickly, twisting her hand within her fingers.

He stared at her, letting the seconds tick by till Christine felt as though the tension in the room would suffocate her. "Then why are you hiding your hand as though you don't want me to know it's missing?" he began very calmly. "You came here to hide."

A cold sweat broke out over her brow as once again her stomach gave an angry lurch. Something must have shown on her face for Erik's forced calm was quickly slipping.

"What has he done to you Christine? Has he hurt you?" he growled with growing strength. "Curse that wretched boy; I should have never let him take you--"

"No," she gasped breathlessly, though more to herself than to the now enraged man before her. Christine's thoughts raced to the night before, the image of Raoul's lifeless eyes staring up at her, empty, dead. Her own eyes became glassy pools, as she couldn't rid the image from her mind.

But Erik continued, taking no notice of any change. "I swear Christine! I swear, if he's so much as touched you, I'll—"

"Don't say it!" she screamed once, sufficiently shocking him with her panicked cry. Her entire body was shaking violently and a tear slipped from her eye. "I couldn't bare it. Keep me here if you would, just don't say anymore."

Obviously startled, Erik at once calmed himself. "Christine, please," he said while slowly raising a hand slowly towards her but she quickly flinched away.

"Don't touch me! Just keep away."Defeated, Christine turned from him and sat back on the divan she had awoken on and buried her face in her hands. After about a minute, she heard him approach her side with that cat like grace, which would've gone unnoticed by anyone else.

"Christine..."

"I can't, Erik. I just can't!" she breathed frustratingly, concentrating intently on her knees. "I can't tell you why. I can't be found here, not now. And I can't..." Where would she go if she left? Where else could she hide? Her mind raced to think of some option but could think of none. "And I can't go anywhere else, but I can't be found here, I can't..."

"Who would find you? Who could find you?" He asked distantly.

Christine's head turned to look at him with a calculating expression etched upon every inch of her face before slowly nodding to some inborn decision.

Please R&R