No answer.

Christine felt her nerves grow wearier as she knocked on the iron doors once again. Nothing stirred inside, and she pressed her ear up to the door to listen for any movements or such. Nothing. Christine sighed, and knocked once more. Again, no response. Maybe she was wrong; maybe this was a bad idea. She quickly decided it was, and turned away. Her bare feet padded slightly down the tiled floors back to her room, her heart heavy with disappointment. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she failed to see the presence in front of her, walking the opposite way. She jumped and gasped slightly as the figure was close enough for her to touch.

"Oh…I, I was just trying to find…" She stammered. Erik remained still, leaving the good side of his face in shadow, only his masked side showing in the growing moonlight. His eyes twinkled madly. She felt her breath catch at the sight of him. Her heart was in her mouth, beating terribly.

"You were trying to find…?" He repeated; his voice rumbling right through her. Christine shivered. Why was it so hard to say things to him? What she was going to say had been run through her head so many times, she shouldn't forget. Yet the mere presence of him made her mind awhirl. She took a shallow breath.

"Well, you…actually."

Erik could see her twisting a finger in one of her hands nervously. He watched her shift her weight from one foot to the other, yet keeping her eyes fixed on his. He was beginning to feel dizzy with the sight of her, radiant in the moonlight. She was a goddess. Erik was raw from his last encounter with her. Their 'moment' had over taken his mind with hopeful thoughts, which again, he had tried to banish. He was still convincing himself she was toying with him, or looking for comfort. Half of him had wanted to drown in her kiss that she so torturingly offered that night. The other half was self hating for ever falling for her again. The last thing he wanted was to be a comfort for her for her loss. He would rather die a thousands deaths than be a replacement for Raoul. He would not give her that, ever. Not that it mattered, that had all been interrupted by Sara. Erik had wanted to apologise for what he had said, but ever being the proud man he was, refused to. But now that Christine was her in front of him, intoxicating his mind once more, he was now totally aware of her mood towards him, which seemed…calm. Had she forgiven him for what had happened?

"Christine…I'm sorry for my…my rudeness last night. It was wrong of me…" He sighed. She shook her head, a look of doubt in her eye.

"Formality is not necessary, Erik. I…I came to you because…because I need to know something."

Erik took a step further towards her, moving past the window and submerging himself in complete shadow. She almost cowered under his looming figure, casting his own shadow over her.

"Know what?"

She took a deep breath, her hands where shaking and her legs felt like jelly.

"Do you remember me?"

He narrowed his eyes at Christine. He began to breathe heavy through his nose, and clench his fists.

"Remember you?"

Was she stupid? Did she really think that he had forgotten her? Did she actually think he had managed to banish her touch, her scent and her lips from his waking memory? Tonight, he decided that she would know exactly how he remembered her, no matter the consequences.

"…Christine…I see you everyday. I saw you since the day I heard you sing, and I followed your voice. I see you in my dreams, I hear you in my music, and I remember you with every waking moment."

Christine was trembling, and wiping tears away from her eyes. At this he did not stop. He took another step forward to her.

"All I ever wanted when you arrived was for you to leave. I…I still want you to leave…Christine…"

His voice broke slightly. "Christine, please don't…"

"Don't what..?" She sobbed slightly. He looked into her eyes, with pleading embedded in his.

"Please…please don't hurt me again. Just stay your distance."

Her heart racked with pain and frustration. She was still in deep emotions about the woman that had come to them that night when Erik had given her the letter from her father. Although she knew about this woman Erik had been…acquainted with, she knew Erik must have felt the same raging emotions towards Raoul. And even so, Erik had turned Sara away. Was it because of her? Did he really want her to go? Christine moved to him, and took one of his hands. She could feel him trembling slightly. Was it so hard to talk? Yes. Their silences were filled with the pain from their past, their awkwardness with words was from their lack of direct contact in the past. They stood in silence for a while, before Christine spoke.

"Erik…My Angel…I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I did not want to hurt you. I want anything but to see you suffer."

He staggered his breathing, but let her continue talking. "I…Erik when I left you back at…"

"Shhh!"

He pressed fingers to her lips threatening, not wanting to hear of the times that were still raw in his mind. He felt the cold stab of the memory in his heart. She waited till he removed his fingers slowly. He almost didn't want to, feeling their amazing softness at his finger tips. What he wouldn't give to taste them once more…

"…I woke every night, screaming. I woke from nightmares. Nightmares were I would see you, retreating into darkness, and I would weep…"

She did weep at this moment, while Erik watched her coldly. "I would weep…weep for what I had done…Wept that you had been as stupid as to turn me away! I wept that I was with the man that I had…I had wanted to save! Not be with!" Christine also finally admitted something to herself and to him at the same time, shocking them both.

"I wept…I wept that I could not taste your kiss one last time…"

At that point, Erik grabbed Christine and pushed her aggressively into the wall opposite, her feet barely touching the ground. He snarled at her angrily.

"What do you want me to do? Forget about the two months of darkness I spent grieving? Forget about the times I had convinced myself I hated you with all my heart? Forget that you left with HIM?"

He was pushing her so hard into the wall, she whimpered under his grasp. But this time he did not loosen his grip. He reached up one hand, and tore the ghostly white mask from his face, tossing it aside.

"IS THIS WHAT YOU WEPT FOR? YOU WEPT FOR THIS MONSTER? TELL ME CHRISTINE, YOU KNOW THAT IT IS A CARCASS THAT LOVES YOU?" He was shaking violently, his face twisted hideously. Christine was in shock at his outcry, and she winced under the sight of him, so aggressive towards her, she felt her world would end. He continued to shake her, to get an answer from her.

Christine in response caught her lips with his. Erik's entire body went rigid, and he dropped his grip from her shoulders in shock. He backed away, his eyes wide and full of shock. Christine wiped tears from her neck that had travelled down her cheeks and over her chest. She reached out a hand and took hold of his muscular arm. He was backing away slightly from her as she came forward, but she moved at a quicker pace. He backed completely against the opposite wall. Run you fool! His mind screamed. He could easily knock her out the way, easily walk from this place were he had dreaded and dreamed about. Not again. He could not let her have his heart, only to break it once more. But despite Christine's lack of physical strength, she held a huge force over him, weakening his knees, and trapping him completely. All he could do was watch her stand on her tiptoes and reach up to him once more.

She slid her hands around his head and brought his lips down to hers. She lightly kissed them, sending him into a paradise. Against his own screaming thoughts, he drew a shaky arm around her back, bring her closer to him. He also bent slightly so he could fall deeper into her kiss. She awakened whole new senses exploding in him as she slid a tongue across his lips, begging entrance. He gladly accepted, twisting his fingers in her hair with the growing passion the kiss was taking on. Christine drew from the kiss for a moment, and held his deformed face.

"I would have my heart broken for a life time if only I could have your love for a day."

Erik's world was in disarray. He didn't know whether he agreed with her. Could he have her for one day, just to loose her? He knew that one day would be his last if it should occur. He would die of loss. But how could he refuse the one woman who was kissing him so lovingly. He could not refuse his soul.

He now lifted her up and turned her into the wall herself. He brought his body close to hers, supporting her. His breathing became heavy and raw as he began to explore her body with his hands. They ran down her neck, down her chest, curving over her waist and hips. She whimpered in pleasure at his touch. She ran her hands around the base of his neck, and wrapping her legs around him, drawing him closer.

Suddenly, Erik stopped. Christine felt dread rising in her, as she let thoughts run through her head of Erik deciding he didn't want this after all. He let go of her quickly, causing her to gasp with the loss of his support, and falling to the ground. Erik ran to the window, and looked out, worried, almost terrified at what he saw there. He completely ignored Christine as he scrambled for his mask, and ran past her. Christine went to call after him, but he had disappeared down the corridor long before she came out of shock to respond. She picked herself up and ran to the window. She squinted in the darkness, still breathing heavy, and tried to pick out what Erik had seen so shockingly. She could hear something, like horses hooves. She looked harder, only to see a figure riding at full speed toward the house. As the figure dismounted, they ran from the horse and banged frantically on the iron doors.