A/N: Hey everyone! Sorry about the cliff hanger! I couldn't resist! -insert wicked laugh- Anyways not much to say. As always I'd love to hear your reviews good or bad. It just makes my day when I go online and see the reviews you guys write.
Disclaimer: see previous chapters.
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Erik could not believe his ears. Christine? Pregnant? It was as if Christine and Raoul's marriage had never sunk in for him. As if he never really comprehended what it meant. He didn't know why it was such a shock for him. He had basically seen them make love, then why did his heart seem to break all over again? It was because I love her, he thought. That's why I can't imagine her having anyone else's babies. He quickly tried to erase all emotion off his face, but he knew it was too late as soon as he looked at her. She looked so sad, so guilty.
"No more lessons," he said steely.
She didn't look at him, but said, "I know." Her eyes were filled with tears. "I'm sorry Erik," she whispered looking him deep in his eyes.
He suddenly became angry. Angry with himself for letting her back into his life, angry with himself for making her pity him. He quickly stood up, and walked to his bedroom, without a word to her, and slammed the door.
Going over to the coffin he used as a bed, he picked it up and hurled it at the wall. It cracked, but didn't break. Again he picked it up, and threw it at the wall. He did this over and over again, until it was nothing, but a pile of firewood. He didn't know why he slept in it, except that he felt as good as dead anyway. He didn't know why he even bothered with life. It only brought him rejection, and pain. Going over to his night table, he picked up his knife and held it to his throat. He breathing was ragged, and his hand was shaking. Inside he knew he couldn't do it, not because he feared going to hell (he didn't believe in God), but because no matter how many lives he took he could never take his own.
He sighed, sitting down his chair. Why had he been so stupid to give her lessons again? Softly there came a knock on the door. He sat up straight, shocked. Why hadn't she left? Slowly the door opened, and she walked in closing the door behind her.
"Why are you still here Christine?" He said wearily.
She looked him straight in his eyes. "I couldn't leave you like that."
He laughed hollowly. "That's all you seem to do, Christine, leave me."
Christine was silent for a moment. Then unexpectedly he spoke, surprising both him, and Christine. "Are you happy Christine?"
She looked surprised at his question. Again she was silent. Waiting for her to speak, Erik studied her. She seemed to be thinking about it. "I am content," she said at last.
"But are you happy," Erik persisted.
Christine sighed. "Yes." But Erik could tell she was lying. He believed she was content, but she was not happy. "I have to go. I just wanted to say good-bye, and thank you for the lessons. They really meant a lot to me." She turned, and left.
"Good bye," he whispered.
Erik felt empty inside. All emotion was gone. She had left him again. Again he asked himself why he had agreed to give her lessons. Suddenly he felt trapped, in his body, in his room. He needed to escape. Moving towards his desk, he opened one of the drawers and stared at its contents. A half empty poppy-cake bag lay in the drawer along with the pipe. Pulling out the objects, he sauntered out of his room and into the main one. Collapsing onto the divan, he lit the opium and let himself become lost in the drug filled haze.
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Making her way home, she thought about what Erik had asked, was she happy. At first thought she would say yes, but then thinking about it she didn't know what to answer. She was not unhappy, that she knew, but was she happy. As she had told Erik, she was content, however there was no flavor to life, no sparkle. Only in the past few weeks from taking lessons from Erik had she found happiness. She hoped that she could find happiness with the baby that was growing inside her. No matter how much she would hate being locked in the house, unable to go anywhere, she was looking forward to having the baby. She hoped that it would be a boy, so she could fulfill her duty as a wife of a Viscount, and give Raoul an heir. She sighed. Yes, a baby was exactly what she needed to be happy.
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A/N: I think I'm going to start putting authors notes at the end of the chapters, so I can say stuff about the chapter without ruining for you.
I'd like to give thanks to Phantazm for giving me the idea for having him wreck his coffin. I always found it creepy! I was going to have him smash ceramic figurines, but I liked this idea much better.
Again read, and review! Thanks!