Greetings everyone from Erik's underground lair! Erik sends his regards. Looking at my reviews from the last chapter, I thought it wouldbe best if I stay hidden for a while. I wrote this chapter a couple of days ago but was afraid to update because I felt as if there was something missing in it but here I am, posting it. Hope you guys like it. You guys read it while I eat some of Erik's rocky road ice cream. (starts eating ice cream) Chapter Fourty-Eight:
Realization (title is subject to change, i don't like it)
Ten phone calls, three voice messages to Erik's cell phone and a couple of hours later, Christine found herself in Erik's hotel room. It wasn't as if he was there, she was waiting for him in the living/dining room on the couch in front of the television.
Ever since she got out of Raoul's apartment, she had been calling Erik to see if he was okay. She needed to know how he was, if he would see her, if he wouldn't mind if she stayed with him that night. But no matter how many times she called, he would never pick up. She knew that her cell phone bill that month would be ludicrous with all the calls she was making out of her network, but she didn't care, she needed to talk to Erik.
After she left Raoul alone, she went to Meg's apartment and called her, trying to apologize. She didn't pick up either and when Christine looked at the clock, she saw it was a little before midnight, she was probably on the plane to go to her honeymoon.
Madame Giry had to leave that same night also because she had to work the following day. So she was in the apartment by herself with a guilt so powerful that she couldn't bear it.
She couldn't help but think that it was all her fault. After all, she had been the one that told Raoul at one time about Erik's past and had driven –in some way- to drink.
She took a shower and washed out all the make up and hairspray then dressed into whatever she could find. After that, she took her purse and went to Erik's hotel room.
She was grateful that Erik had showed her where he was staying or else Christine wouldn't know where to turn. The man in the lobby recognized her immediately when she walked in and when he saw the state she was in, he went to her aid.
Christine could almost imagine what he must have thought. Her hair was wet and down, her shoulders soaked from her hair. The gray UCLA shirt and her blue jeans gave the image that she had been she had been abandoned. Her old and worn out sneakers were soaked from the puddles of the street. Her face was flushed, her eyes red and puffy from crying.
The dear man was helpful and told her that he would try to reach Erik and tell him that she was there. She had thanked him and went up to the room where she had spent a good two hours waiting until she fell asleep on the couch.
She was startled awake at three in the morning by a slamming door. She almost jumped out of her skin by the sharp sound. She had been facing away from the door and when she turned over to see who it was, she was only greeted by darkness. She blinked against the gloom and heard footsteps walking from the room she was in into another.
She got up from the couch and stumbling forward, she followed the black figure to another room where it started doing some things. She could see his outline and instantly recognized him as Erik. Only he was doing something, his back to her.
He reached inside his coat and took something long and white, like a cable and put it inside of one of the drawers. He took off the coat and threw it on the bed in the room. Taking his off his pair of gloves he placed them on the dresser in front of him. Christine didn't know why he was wearing gloves, it was August, it wasn't at all cold.
"Erik?"
The figure froze and placed his hands on the dresser.
"I-I've been calling you for the longest time and you didn't pick up." Christine sighed and ran a hand through her now dry hair, making the ends curl. "I couldn't stay by myself tonight. I just can't."
He turned slightly but not fully. "What are you doing here?" He spoke so softly that at first she didn't know what he had said.
Christine looked at him confused. That wasn't what she was expecting. "I told you, I didn't want to be alone tonight."
He turned fully and approached her slowly.
She looked at him compassionately. "I'm sorry about earlier. H-he shouldn't have done that."
Erik only stared down at her as he approached. She could see his utterly calm face by the lunar glow and the city lights coming in from the window.
His gaze burned through her and it was so intense that she had to look away to her shoes. "I had to take him home; I had to stop him- to keep him from saying those things."
In the next moment, he towered over her and he was so close that she could feel his breath move through her hair. "I don't want to talk about him."
Christine nodded, still looking at her shoes. She could feel the tears stinging her eyes again and she took a deep breath to keep from crying in front of him. But it was to no avail, because when she sniffled, she could feel a warm tear roll down her cheek.
Erik's long slender fingers touched the bottom of her chin and she almost flinched. Why were his hands so cold? They hadn't been that cold since…since… he made her choose after Don Juan.
She looked into his eyes trying to see the familiar blue but instead they were bright amber. She had never seen him with amber eyes -why did he all of a sudden?
Christine put her hands on his upper arms. "Erik, what's wrong? Why are you so different?"
He put his cheek against her temple and exhaled deeply. He buried his face in to the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply. "You smell lovely, angel."
This didn't seem like Erik at all, he seemed so detached…but his voice. There was something about it, the way he would he would say the words, it was like velvet, smooth and alluring. There was something about it that made her want to yearn for something, to crave the simple pleasure of hearing it. She wondered why he was talking like that, why he was acting the way he was acting.
"Erik," Christine said softly. "What is the matter?"
He moved the hair from her neck and started kissing it slightly. "You're so beautiful, angel, so beautiful."
She was about to ask him again what was wrong, but he placed his hands on her hips and pushed her against the wall. He pressed his body against her, pinning her to the wall. He lifted her up by her waist in such a manner that he had to reach up to kiss her. Which was what he did, he kissed her roughly and imploringly, as if it were punishment. When he found she was slipping, he put his hands under her knees and supported her up once again.
She gasped out for air when he pulled away but he didn't. He proceeded to kiss her neck and collarbone. There was something abut him that Christine found out of place. He had never been that way with her. His lips, his touch, his eyes seemed cold. Something was not right.
Although it was the last thing she wanted to do, she tried to stop him. "Erik, wait."
"For what?" He breathed against her ear. Christine shivered slightly. His voice, that voice there was something about it, it was seductive and enthralling. If he would have asked her to do something right then, she would have done it.
She looked at his gold eyes and placed her hand against his cheek. "Tell me what is wrong, Erik. Confide in me."
He closed his eyes and pressed his cheek into her hand, kissing her palm. "Oh, Christine…"
Then his mood suddenly changed, he placed her on the floor and leaned against her. He placed his cheek against it as if savoring the feel of her hand against his skin. Then he stepped back from her as if defeated.
He sat down heavily on the bed and Christine followed suit, just looking at him. What was the matter with him? He looked at her as if unsure then ran his fingers through her hair, Christine looking at Erik's features intently.
"How did you know I was staying here?"
The smooth silky voice was gone, it wasn't as if he was seducing her anymore. "You brought me here last night, remember? To show me the view."
Erik nodded slowly. "I must have forgotten."
Christine sighed and looked at his sapphire eyes. "I couldn't stay alone tonight. Not after what happened. I-I also came to apologize."
"For what, dearest?"
"F-For what Raoul said, he shouldn't have said that about you, not after you've tried so hard to put that behind you."
"But he spoke the truth, did he not?" Erik asked, stroking her cheek with his thumb.
Christine shrugged then looked away. "Damn Raoul, him and his petty jealousies."
Erik smiled, it was obvious that he hated Raoul even if he wouldn't say it to her. "He shouldn't have said those things about you, Christine." He sighed and kissed her forehead. "I would never want to cause you any pain. I'd die before I'd let that happen."
Christine shut her eyes and Erik continued. "He spoke the truth, didn't he Christine, when he said that you- you almost-"
"Killed myself?" Christine finished for him when it was obvious that he wouldn't go on. When he nodded, she shook her head. "I didn't try it. I toyed with the idea for some time but I would never do it. Never."
He kissed her lips. "I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you."
Christine returned his kiss and deepened it, clutching onto his shirt helplessly. Her tears flowing freely for what seemed to be the umpteenth time that night. She had been so stupid, so naïve back then, why would she even think that? Why did she even think about that?
Erik embraced her and pulled her to him, her lips brushing against the fabric of his shirt as she spoke. "He shouldn't have used the past against us. Especially not you." She sniffled. "You couldn't help it if your mother- if she-" She couldn't finish the sentence.
He seemed to be on the same train of thought for he finished it for her. "Sold me to the circus?"
Christine nodded and sniffled once again. "Madame Giry told me of what happened. Right after the Masquerade, do you remember?"
He nodded. "Annette was good at keeping things private until the time came that it needed to be revealed."
Christine couldn't understand the logic behind that woman's decision to leave her son at the hands of some strangers. "How could she do that to you? Just abandon you like you were- you were-"
"Nothing?" Erik asked, when Christine nodded, he continued. "Ah, well you see, Madeleine was not very well known for wise decisions."
Christine looked up at his face. "Madeleine, that was her name?"
Erik shrugged. "That I remember, yes."
Christine looked at him sympathetically and kissed him.
"I do not need your pity, Christine," he said, his lips brushing against her own.
"I know," she said softly. "I should know of pity. After Father died, I was known as the orphan in my old school. When they found out about my father being on his deathbed they tried their best to console me, but I didn't care. All I wanted was for him to get better." She sighed. "He shouldn't have said that about my father. I could kill him for what he said."
"Would you like me to?"
Christine looked at his determined face. Yes, he meant what he was saying, his blue eyes told her of that. She stroked his cheek and sighed. "No, he has to live with what he said." She looked out the window. "I have to go back tomorrow."
She could feel the bed move as Erik shifted. "Why?"
Christine turned to look at him. "We have to talk. He needs to know of what he did. I should be the one to tell him."
"No," Erik told her strictly. "I don't want you to see him. Not anymore, not ever. Especially if he's causing you so much pain."
Christine looked to the moon as it hid behind a building. "But tomorrow will be the last time I see him." She turned to Erik and looked at his handsome features by the moonlight.
"Knowing that fop," Erik said acidly, "he will do something to have you back. He is taking advantage of your kind heart, Christine."
Christine sighed. "He has to know of what he did, darling. He has to know of the pain he caused Meg, his brother, his father, you-"
He interrupted. "Somehow, I don't think he cares if he hurt me."
Christine looked at him right at his eyes. "I care."
He looked at her and his features softened a bit.
Christine looked back at the New York skyline. "He has to understand that my life is with you now, that it will never be the way it once was. He needs to see that or he will try anything to have me doubt you." Christine looked at Erik again, realizing how much she loved him. She would stay with him forever, through everything that would be thrown their wa y. She would stay with him until the end ofeternity."He doesn't see that I'm yours."
Erik looked at her with resolute calm, his hand brushing back the sleeve of her shirt. "Yes, mine."
Erik has kindly offered to give me protection until the mayhem from the last chapter dies down. (cowers from Lady Skywalker) If this chapter sucked -which in my opinion it kind of did- let me know in a review. BTW, Christine isn't doubting anymore and she finally decided that she would stay with Erik...just in case I didn't make that clear enough. Okay, so yeah, that was it. I decided to lower the rating because reading it again, I realized it isn't as strong as I first thought, if you guys have any suggestions, let me know. If you guys don't know the reason why he didn't answer Christine's phone calls, you must re-read the begining when he walks in. If anyone can guess what he did then they get a uh... Erik plushie! Yeah, an Erik plushie! Or for the Raoul lovers, a Raoul plushie complete with a hand mirror...whichever you prefer. So, uh, yeah, that's it. I will update when I can, or when I actually start writing the next chapter.