Disclaimer: I have no legal rights to these immortal characters...but my imagination owns them, nevertheless...

A/N: It is truly amazing to me that Susan Kay's Phantom has presented the Erik that is most beloved by those of us who are totally obsessed with him. She is the one who has truly brought him to life! Sorry, Gaston, old boy, but you have been upstaged by a female! Sacre Bleu!

Chapter 7: Almost Paradise

Christine

That night was indescribably delicious. After traveling several miles away from Paris, we stopped at a roadside inn and acquired a room for the night. The sun's light was giving way to the darkening blue of early evening as we alighted from the brougham, and went into the inn. Erik was easily able to engage a room. The clerk who assisted us gave no sign that he found it odd for a man wearing Persian garments, and whose face was almost completely covered by a turban, to be in the company of an apparently very young man who barely looked old enough to shave.

Once up in our room, I began to light the gas jets. Erik stopped me after I had lit only one. I looked quizzically at him, and he gently took me into his arms.

"We really don't need much illumination, my love," he whispered, so sensuously that my knees threatened to give way. I gazed into his eyes, which glinted with the reflections from the gas jet. His gaze was so intense...I was totally absorbed in it. We breathed in unison. Slowly, then, he began to pull me toward him, chuckling suddenly as he became aware of my false mustache, which he very gently tugged off. I chuckled as well, and lovingly wrapped my arms about his neck. Our lips met, softly, oh, so sofly, so tenderly...We tasted each other at leisure, and he pulled me still closer to him, until I could feel the heat of his arousal.

"Christine..." His voice was a hoarse whisper of raw desire. "Christine..."

I sighed into his mouth, and he opened it for my tongue to enter, meeting it with his. I felt his arms tighten around me, just before he broke the kiss so that he could begin to undress me...

We loved each other throughout the night, finally falling asleep towards dawn. I nestled my body into his, pillowing my head on his chest, as I listened to his slowing heartbeat. The thought came to me: this is how married people fall asleep at the end of the day, comfortable with each other...

Erik

She fell asleep so trustingly, nestled in my arms, after giving me all of herself in the sweetest lovemaking... She drifted off without a care in the world, and my heart swelled with pride. I would do everything in my power to protect and take care of her. I would shelter that wonderful voice of hers, nurturing it with my own, until she was able to perform again. I was determined that she would resume her career, possibly in Italy or Germany, as she herself had suggested. This thought now took possession of my mind, and I suddenly found that I could not descend into sleep as placidly as she had. How would I make it possible for her to sing again? I might very well be captured, after all. What would I do, since I had solemnly vowed to her that I would never kill again, except, of course, in self defense, and then only as a last resort? These questions kept me awake for a long time, although I remained as still as possible so as not to disturb her. I was struck with wonder, as well. I continued to be shocked that I should have her thus, willingly in my arms. She had professed her love for me with her beautiful eyes, her perfect body, her innocent heart. And to me, a blackguard! I could only give her my own deep devotion in return, hoping that the arm of justice would not snatch me away from her...At last, I, too, fell asleep, as the rays of a new day slanted in through our window...

Christine

As I awoke, I became aware that my head was no longer pillowed on his chest. I sat up in mild panic, only to see him standing across the room, donning his Persian disguise. I smiled at the sight of Erik putting on the flowing robe, winding the turban about his face, leaving only his eyes in view. He suddenly became aware that I was looking in his direction, and glanced at me. The full force of that glance practically rendered me breathless. I would never tire of looking into those eyes that gave me a glimpse of his magnificent soul...they would never cease to mesmerize me.

"My sweet Christine," he murmured, his musical voice caressing my body, even without his accompanying touch. I closed my eyes, and sank back onto the bed, wanting him to come and take possession of me again. I heard him walk over to the bed, then sit next to me, and I felt his hand along the length of my unclothed torso.

"Yes, my love, I, too, would want to get lost in your embrace, but we must hasten to depart. We may not tarry for long. Even now, our pursuers may not be far behind."

I felt his trembling kiss upon my right shoulder as he spoke these words. Opening my eyes, I smiled into his. I allowed him to help me arise, and then went over to one of the armchairs, where I had laid my clothes the night before. I frowned involuntarily as I began to put them on. I must become a young 'man' again, when my entire being longed to be dressed as a woman, so I could grasp his hand, and look lovingly at him whenever the fancy took me...

He observed me, his amusement quite obvious. "Well, ma petite," he said, laughing. "You need not fear that you must continue to be my male friend for very long. I shall make sure you are properly attired as becomes your ravishing beauty, just as soon as we arrive at the nearest town. Although I may not be able to clothe you in Parisian style, you will definitely look like a female! And a very tantalizing one, at that!"

I blushed fiercely as he said this, which only served to add to his amusement. "Still my innocent little dove," he said softly. Then his mood shifted to become more serious and urgent.

"Come, we must leave," he said, entreating me to hurry.

I swiftly finished dressing myself, attempting to adjust the cravat, which made me uncomfortable. Erik laughed when he saw my struggling, and came over to adjust it himself. Satisfied that it now looked acceptable, he smiled once more, and possessively patted my rump as we walked towards the door.

Everything was moving along perfectly for us. Indeed, I thought uneasily, too perfectly. As Erik asked the clerk when and where we might be able to board the next coach heading for the nearest town, I could not help but feel that our luck could not possibly hold out for much longer. Surely the Parisian police would have detected our escape by now. My heart ached so for poor Nadir! I was not reassured by Erik's assertion that the daroga would come out of this situation unscathed.

The feeling of impending doom continued to hover over me as we waited, sitting on a bench outside the inn, for the coach to come by. I began to wring my hands, unable to help myself. Erik, having noticed, attempted to soothe my fears, but it was in vain. In my mind, I was now seeing him being dragged off by several police officers, as I screamed and screamed, securely held by the iron grasp of two more policemen...Reality slapped me fully on the face, and I had to confront it, whether I wished to or not: I was soon to marry a murderer. I loved him beyond all thought, but the fact of what he was remained uncomfortably true. What would I say to our children one day, when they wanted to know about their father's past? Then, the inevitable realization my thoughts had led me to made me gasp involuntarily. I might even now be carrying his child!

Erik, who had walked out into the road, gazing into the distance, returned to my side immediately. I noticed that he had become quite pale. "What is it, my love?" he exclaimed, anguish in his eyes.

"It is...nothing, Erik..." I murmured, ducking my head before his anxious gaze. The guilt nearly overwhelmed me.

"Christine! You are unwell?" He gathered me into his arms as my tears began to slip uncontrolled down my cheeks.

"Erik, Erik! What are we to do? What is to become of us?"

He wound his arms tightly about me, and one of his hands began stroking my hair. "Shhh...No, my beloved, do not fret so...Shhh..."

I allowed my head to rest on his chest, unable to stop weeping. I could not understand what had so suddenly come over me. Worse, I could not tell Erik the true source of my distress, for I knew how deeply he could be wounded. I therefore had no choice but to allow him to continue to soothe and comfort me, believing that I was merely apprehensive about his possibly impending capture. Truly, I had always been aware that he was quite capable of killing. Additionally, he had a most formidable temper. Had I not seen evidence of these two things with my own eyes, in the darkness of his lair?

My sobbing at last calmed as he continued to stroke my hair, and my back as well. At length, the coach arrived, and we boarded without incident, although the coachman did give us some strange looks. I noticed that Erik had to actually restrain himself from handing me into the coach. I smiled through my tears. Soon we were on the way. To our vast relief, we were the only occupants of the coach. We settled back and began to relax.

We traveled thus, for the most part in companionable silence, for the rest of the day. Night was falling when my uneasiness returned. Erik, always mindful of my slightest change in mood, felt that it was time for us to rest. So he tapped firmly on the roof of the coach, calling out to the driver to stop.

We alighted, and walked about, stretching our stiff legs. The coachman kept a discreet distance, but I could see him doing his best to pretend that he was not giving us intermittent looks. A half hour or so later, we were back on the road. I do not remember much of the rest of the night, for I fell asleep with my head in Erik's lap.

A bump in the road brought me rudely awake. Immediately I felt his hand, stroking my forehead lovingly. His beautiful voice greeted me tenderly. "Good morning, my sweet betrothed. We have arrived at our destination. You have slept through the night!"

I groggily sat up, not sure of where we were. The motion of the coach reminded me instantly that we were traveling, although I knew not where. No matter, I told myself. Erik knew, and he was now informing me that we had reached our goal, whatever that might be.

Holding the door open for me, he took my elbow to help me down, but remained in the coach himself, so that the coachman would not see a man assisting another 'man' from a coach.

My feet touched the ground, and I put a hand to the side of the vehicle, as I was afraid I might simply fall over, so stiff was I.

"Behold!" said Erik in his best stage magician's voice. "The town of Belle Foret!"

I looked around, and was pleased by the sight of the simple, cozy-looking buildings my eyes encountered. I was even more pleased when they found what I had longingly been searching for: a church. Was it not true that every French town, no matter how small, had one? This one certainly did, and it was the tallest building on the horizon.

Turning to Erik, I gave him my sweetest, most loving smile. "Mon amour, what a beautiful little town this is!"

He laughed, having noticed the direction of my glance. I wondered whether anything ever escaped his awareness.

"As soon as we are settled in the inn, we shall acquire proper clothing and go find a priest!" he announced with a broad smile, which I heartily returned. Gone for now were my misgivings. We would soon be legally and properly married!