A/N: More to come.

Undermyangels: I try to reply to all of my reviews and it's easy enough. Lol, I don't get that many! Thank you for the review, again. I'm not sure how reasonable an explanation you'll find this chapter… but you might like it.

Elektra: Thank you for the review. Keep thinking about it… guilt/ suspicion… it could be either or both couldn't it?

Kaledena: Thanks very much for the review. And you weren't supposed to see it coming. Lol

Modesty: As always thank you for the review. I'm sure something will be sorted so you can figure out how to update soon. Thanks again!

Chapter 40- More than Words.

Erik stared at her as she turned her back on him and began to walk down the stairs. The room suddenly seemed as if the sun had dipped along with the mood of the day. As he followed her he noticed the hallways desperate eeriness, a feeling he wasn't used to washed quickly over his body. For a moment, he thought it was fear.

When she reached the living room she spun around to stare at him and when he tried to stop towards her she simply stepped away from him. His blue eyes were deep and as she looked at him she thought that she sensed sorrow but her anger was overcoming any other emotion she may have felt. She wanted an explanation.

'Erik,' she said, her tone was hard. 'Why do you have pictures of my friend?'

'I don't,' he said, his eyes staying riveted to her face.

'I've seen them, don't treat me like an idiot.'

'They're not of Meg,' he said.

'Then...' she said and stopped, her mind flew back to the pictures. 'Who is he?'

'He's a friend of Meg's,' he said slowly.

'But...'

'I told you, it's complicated.' He said. She looked at him, watched him as he stepped towards her, his arm reached out. She let him place his hand on her shoulder.

'Please...' she whispered.

'I'm doing this to protect you,' he said gently and suddenly tears flowed down her cheeks.

'I recognise him from the theatre,' she said. 'But I don't remember his name.'

'There's no reason you should,' he said, his tone had become so comforting that she almost swayed in it.

'Is Meg...' she began then swallowed hard. 'Is she... in danger?'

'No,' he said firmly. 'None.'

'Are you...?' her voice caught as he shook his head.

'I promise,' he said. 'And neither are you as long as you're with me.'

She nodded slowly shaking a tear from her chin. Her eyes met his.

'Christine, I…' he stopped, his voice trapped in his mouth. 'I would never let anyone hurt you,' he said, wondering where the words had come from. Her eyes softened but the tears continued, everything was finally catching up with her. The running, the hiding, Raoul...

Then Erik surprised her.

He pulled her into his chest and slid his arms gently around her tiny body, cradling her to his chest. She buried her head there, letting the tears wash his shirt and she clung to the back of his jacket, the material crumpled in her fists. She didn't sob and he didn't speak, he simply held her for what could have been infinity. She didn't care.

He was holding her.

His lips rested in her hair, he breathed in the soft apple fragrance and kissed it gently. He felt her sigh against him. As she raised her chin so that she was looking in his eyes he moved his lips down and kissed her softly.

Abruptly, her heart seemed to stop beating and she felt as though one day she could feel well again.