Thank you again for all the great reviews! I know about the whole sleepign together thing, most of you don't agree about the whoel fornication thing. Me, being Christian, I'm not a big fan of it. But they're in love so, there. ;o) I'm glad that I don't have to go into detail cause...no, not gonna happen. It was originally going to be a little graphic (this chpater I mean) but I deleted it because naomipoe is right, no smut necessary if the story is good (see that? my story is good! --grins-- Yay!) Ahem, okay so (phew!)so glad that you guys think that they're not moving too fast. Thank you to Erik'sLittleLotte for all of your support and help, I really appreciate it! here is Chapter Thirty-Six:

A Stroll Through Paris

Christine reached into her back pocket and took out the key, placing it in the metal box. The light turned green and she went in her room humming a song she learned when she was little.

As childish as it seemed, Christine thought it was the only song that would describe how she was feeling. It was the song Cinderella and Prince Charming sang to each other as they waltzed at the ball.

And it wasn't because of what happened last night, a smile spread as she remembered. Okay maybe it did a little, but it was because he finally told her how he felt. He finally said I love you.

She drained the tub (she had forgotten that she left some of the water in there) and started the shower. How happy she was that he finally told her. That he never stopped loving her.

Stepping into the shower, her thoughts ran away with her. How had he felt all those years after she left? Was he alone? Did he try to forget her? What would she do if he left with someone else? She shook her head free of such thoughts, he wouldn't.

The guilt that she had gotten rid of years before began to claim her again.

It wasn't as if she shrugged all thought of the Phantom aside after she left him. There were times, she felt less guilty because she helped him escape but then the guilt would come back ten-fold when she remembered the hurt in his eyes.

There wasn't a night thereafter that she didn't wake up in a cold sweat reliving that dark memory, crying at what she had done. Sometimes she had wanted to take back what happened, to choose Erik instead of Raoul.

Maybe then, she had thought, Erik wouldn't be so alone.

She had spent many nights without sleep thinking about him, wondering where he was, if he was happy, if he was dead. Then her sobs would come again and she would cry until she thought she had no tears left.

The guilt ate through her body and there was a time when she wouldn't eat for days at a time and not sleep. One night, she had snuck out of the Giry's home and into the closed down auditorium. It had taken her a while for her to get through all the rubble and police tape but when she did, she went through the borkenmirror and down the steps, letting the small light of a flashlight guide her.

She didn't know what she expected to see down there but she kept going anyways. Maybe it would be like in her dreams, the gondola would be there and she would take it and go across the lake and he would be there. He would take her in his arms and she would apologize and he would forgive her and….

But all she found down there was the dank cold river and a darkness so thick that Christine thought she could breathe it. She collapsed at the stony bank of the river and cried to herself, singing a hymn that she had learned when she was little in her church.

Maybe he would hear her crying and he would go to her and embrace her and tell her it would be okay. Then he would take her to his home and he would play on his organ and she would sing and….

But nothing happened. She cried to herself and hugged herself against the cold, willing her legs to work and take her up to the burned auditorium. Then she would go back to her bed and she would cry again.

Then there were dreams that he didn't forgive her. He would go to her in her room and he would force her to give into him against her pleading cries. He would make her sorry, he would do so repeatedly and she would refuse again and again and she would cry begging him to stop but he wouldn't. And the mask, it was always there, haunting her, taunting her, grinning at her. It was as if he hated her, loathed her…

Christine shook her head to rid herself of those nightmares that she had so long ago. They had tormented her before, but not now. She knew now for a fact that he didn't hate her. He would never force her to do something she didn't want. He had proved it the night before.

She smiled at the memory, knowing that it would stay with her for the rest of her life.

She had made love to someone she loved, unlike so many she knew like Jammes, a girl in her high school. She had done it with some guy only to break up with him five days later.

She shook her head firmly. She wouldn't break up with Erik, no, she loved him. She turned off the water and dried.

She decided to pack her bag. She didn't want to leave it to the last minute. When she was done, she started dressing comfortably. She wanted to explore Paris on her own, maybe someone spoke English. She put her jeans on with white sneakers. Even though it was the middle of summer, it was surprisingly cool so she put on a hat over her brown hair and a cream colored sweater.

She put the already packed suitcase with all her belongings in the small closet next to the bathroom. Singing the same tune as earlier, she left the room with her messenger bag over her shoulder.

There was something about the city that made everything seem so different that day. Smiling, she knew why. The sky was clearer, the trees somehow greener and the air was crispier. She smiled as she passed some people and they smiled back. They certainly seemed cheerier.

Passing some stores on her way to the park in front of the Eiffel Tower, she saw a couple of things she liked. Jacques had given her a small lesson when it came to the money so that people wouldn't take advantage of her because of the language barrier.

She bought different things and by the times she was in the park, she had a smile that not even a stormy day could destroy. There were some kids there flying kites with their parents and the parents asked her if she wanted to join in, (the parents spoke English).

She didn't know the French were so friendly, not to disappoint them she joined in. The kids were wonderful and they ran around the park as Christine and the father conversed. The mother joined in at some of the times, smiling but then scolding her children if they were running too close to the street.

She went back to the hotel after lunch to put her things away and wait for Erik. As she approached her room she froze in her tracks when she heard vicious sounds coming from Erik's room.

She could hear things crashing to the floor, mirrors smashing glass crashing onto the floor. Ane Erik's angry cries as he did so. He was mad again, Christine noticed.

Christine knocked on his door, wanting to ask him why he was so mad.

The crshing continued but only stopped when she spoke his name. "Can you please open up?"

That, he did, he opened the door but what was before her wasn't the Erik from that morning. His eyes were almost golden the way he furiously stared at her, his black hair was disheveled but plastered to his forehead with sweat. His hands were red and bloody, as if he had cut himself on the glass.

She was about to ask him about it when he pulled her harshly by her arm into the dark hotel room. He slammed the door shut behind her and turned her around to face him. He turned her around so suddenly that the hat that had been on her head fell to the floor.

"Where the hell have you been?"

Christine flinched when he screamed at her and she had lost all words that she had been going to tell him. He hadn't screamed at her like that since…

"E-Erik, what's wrong?" she asked calmly. "What do you mean where have I been? I've been around Paris, I went to the-"

Erik took her upper arms in an iron grip and shook her. "You're lying! You were going to leave me!"

Christine's breath left her lungs. "No, Erik. Never, I would never leave you. Why would you think that?"

"You packed everything and left me!"

Christine shook her head. "Erik, I packed for tonight's flight, I wouldn't leave you."

Then his grip loosened and he let go, all fury leaving his face, realization crossing it. He fell to his knees and grabbed her around the waist, sobbing.

Christine looked at him. How had he managed to go from raving fury to weeping in less than five seconds? He held onto her, kissing her sweater. "Forgive me," he whispered. "I went into your room and didn't see your things and I thought you left me again..."

Christine's heart broke in two. Why would he think that she would leave him?

Because you did before…

She sank to her knees beside him. "Oh, Erik. I'm so sorry, please forgive me. I didn't know that you would think that."

His tears soaked her sweater and she held him against her. "I couldn't bear it if you left me, not again, not again…"

Christine kissed the top of his head. "Never again, my love. I swear it."

He whispered against her shoulder. "Not after last night…"

Christine made her face him and kissed the tears away from his cheeks. "I won't leave you, never." Kissing his lips, she saw how much it hurt him. "I gave you my soul last night, why would I leave you?" She put her lips to his forehead. "I would never leave you, my love."

--Sniffle, sniffle--
--Erik hands a tissue to Authoress--
Thank you --blows into tissue--
So there it is, Christine swore it, didn't she? --grins--
Okay, thank you for the reviews again.
Musicallover- --looks at fingers-- But then how would i write?
Okay, from now on I have changed my name and it will not Jinxed4Ever but Erik'sMuse. --grins again, looks at Erik taking out his lasso-- Ooo-kay, but it's staying that way. Tell it to all your friends that know of the phic! Thanks!
Got to go, but take care you guys, thank you for the reviews(again) ten reviews and an update, remember! To come,
Chapter thirty-Seven: Back To Reality