Chapter Eight

Answers?

"Papa?"

Gustave Daae looked up to see his daughter standing in the doorway of his study. He smiled but inside his mind was reeling. He was so happy to see her but he feared she was there to ask questions that he might not be able to answer. He stood and went to her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. If only she knew how much it hurt him that she was not there in the house every day.

"I am so happy you are here," he murmured, meaning it. She smiled up at him but he could see all the clearly the haunted look in her eyes. This marriage was changing her and he knew it might not be for the better. He watched her sit down and clasp her hands in her lap. She looked down at them and fidgeted nervously. Gustave sat down across from her and waited for her to speak.

"Papa...you know why I have come," she whispered, it was not a question but a statement. It hurt him in a way that she had come solely to find answers to the questions she had but he knew he did not deserve anything more from her.

"You want answers," he answered. She nodded and looked at him expectantly. Gustave sighed.

"There is almost nothing I can tell you," he said sadly. Christine's eyes were flooded with disappointment. Gustave had to look away.

"Please do not look at me like that, sweetheart," he pleaded. Christine was near tears.

"How do you want me to look, Papa? How am I supposed to behave when no one is willing to tell me anything?" she demanded.

"Christine-"

"I have a right to know!" she cried.

"I cannot tell you, Christine!" he said again. Christine stood, tears now coursing freely down her face. She faced her father with an almost desperate air.

"Do you know what kind of a man Erik is?" she demanded. Gustave was taken completely by surprise. He had expected her to rant about how she should know why her own father gave her away in marriage, but she was going for a different approach.

"I am aware of some things," he said slowly.

"Believe me when I tell you that you know nothing! He is cold and heartless and the only thing he wants from me is my body!" she cried. Gustave's eyes grew dangerous as he grabbed her hand and forced her to stay still.

"He forced himself on you?" he demanded. If the bastard had so much as laid a hand on his daughter he would kill him! Christine, however, shook her head.

"No...but he is waiting for me to give myself to him...he has such a temper, Papa, it scares me," she whispered, almost becoming the little girl she once was in the face of old fears.

"We argue all the time, we have not had a decent conversation at all...he goes to other women's beds and does not care that I can smell them on him!" she sobbed, wanting her father to realize what kind of a man he had put her with. She sat down heavily and buried her face in her hands. Gustave went to her and pulled her into his arms, allowing her to weep against his chest.

"I am so sorry, my love, I am so sorry," Gustave whispered repeatedly. Christine moved closer.

"I just want to understand," she whispered. Gustave knew he would never be able to tell her most of what was going on but he could tell her part of the reason why she was now married to Erik.

"Christine...what I can tell you is the reason why I allowed you to marry Erik, partially the reason that is," he said. She looked up at him with watery eyes.

"Why?"

"I have known him many years...he was not always like he was. Many years ago he saved my life...I do not wish to discuss how or what happened but I owed him...and you were his repayment for his good deed," he murmured. Christine shoved away from the man she had loved all of her life.

"I was payment for something I had nothing to do with? I am glad he saved your life, Papa, but why did he want me?" she asked, more questions running in her mind then when she had first come here.

"He knew of your beauty because he knew your mother...he was very close to her, and he has everything the world has to offer him except a wife. But it was not just the fact that he saved my life that I allowed you to marry him. The mask, Christine, I am the reason he wears it," he whispered. Her father knew the reason why he wore that?

"I do not understand," she whispered. Gustave sighed.

"It is no longer my place to tell you anything...if Erik wishes you to know then he will tell you," he said. Christine sighed. Erik would tell her nothing, she knew this.

"Papa...I am so confused," she whispered.

"There is more to this story then anyone can tell you, Christine. But for now I do not think you should be worrying about this. It seems you and Erik need to spend some time simply getting to know each other," he said. Christine said nothing. Getting to know Erik was like asking the devil to ask forgiveness from God, it was one of those things that was not going to happen.

xXx

Christine ignored the rumbling clouds overhead as she slowly made her way down the Paris streets. She had told the carriage driver who had brought her there to return to the manor, she needed to walk and clear her mind. Several things had changed some of her opinions of Erik that night. The first being that he could not be as bad as he seemed. He had saved her father's life years ago so he could not have been as heartless as he was now. Something must have happened to him in the years since then.

What had happened to her father that Erik had to save his life, and what was he hiding beneath the mask that had been caused from this rescue? God, so many questions and no one to answer them! She muttered her frustration under her breath and then cursed her bad luck when it began to rain. She had not noticed that it was getting late or the fact that most people had gone inside to get away from the storm. And storm it was. Within minutes she was soaked to the bone. Could things get any worse?

"What have I done?" she demanded when thunder illuminated the sky overhead. Perhaps it had not been such a good idea to let the carriage go home ahead of her. Of course she would not be thinking clearly when there were so many things on her mind! She began running, hoping she would get to the manor soon when she began shivering.

xXx

"I thought Christine was a smart woman!" Erik snapped. Susannah sighed and said nothing as she made the bed in the room her master and mistress shared. Erik was pacing back and forth and continued glancing out the window with the hope of seeing Christine. Susannah was worried as well; it had been hours since the young woman had gone to see her father and then the carriage she had come in had returned without her. Erik had been furious with the driver and several men had to restrain him before Erik choked the poor man to death.

"Perhaps she was taking a walk and got caught in the rain?" Susannah suggested. Erik said nothing but his pacing never ceased. If Susannah did not know better she would think that Erik was worried! But of course he did not look worried, only extremely angry.

"When I get my hands on her!" he growled under his breath. Susannah did not want to mention the fact that his temper might be what was detaining Christine from running home.

"Master! The mistress has arrived!" Douglas cried as he ran into the room. Susannah followed Erik as he fled the room and down the hall way before climbing the stairs with a pace the overweight woman would never be able to match.

When Erik saw Christine all thought of punishing her for her stupidity fled his mind because she looked so...pathetic. He could not think of any other way of putting her condition. She was sitting down on the cold marble at the bottom of the steps, a shivering mass of wet clothes and skin. Her hair was sopping and clung to her face in various places and she was very white. He would have laughed but he was too concerned that she might catch a fever or something worse from being in the cold so long.

She glanced up at him as he descended the stairs before looking away, trying to keep her teeth from chattering so much. Susannah gasped when she saw the young woman.

"Oh, Madam! We were so worried about you! Look at you!" she cried, near hysterics. Erik rolled his eyes.

"Susannah, go and have a bath brought to our room with hot water, immediately," he instructed. The woman nodded and went as quickly as she could to do as she was asked.

"I do not want your help," she whispered when he picked her up. Erik smiled sarcastically.

"I do not care," he replied. She sighed and said nothing as he carried her up the stairs and to their room.

"You know-"

"I know I had made a foolish mistake and it is not going to make it any better by your reminding me," she interrupted, too tired to argue with him. Erik hid his chuckle. Christine was a strong woman and he liked how she still managed to hold her own even when she had had a very bad day. He set her down on the bed when they reached the room. The tub had already been brought in and several of the male servants were filling it with buckets of steaming water.

"Do not move," he instructed.

"I have no where to go," she said dryly. Erik went to the wardrobe and pulled out several thick quilts that he set at the foot of the bed. When the bath was full Erik dismissed everyone, including a rather surprised Susannah. He shut and locked the door before turning to Christine. She only glanced at him briefly before slowly taking off her soaking cloak that was weighing down her shoulders. Erik went to her silently and turned her around, unlacing the laces the back of her dress.

Christine said nothing although she stiffened in surprise. When the laces were done he helped her remove the heavy dress until she was only sitting in her undergarments and corset. When his hands went to her corset she slapped them away. He grinned slyly.

"I am helping you, Christine, there is no use in fighting," he stated calmly. Christine took a deep breath and slowly nodded her head. She was extremely tired and the effort it was taking to remove her wet clothing was almost too much. Besides, whatever he saw he was not going to get, so there was no harm in letting him help.

Erik fought to keep his raging body under control as he undressed Christine. When he had her naked he had to look away from the perfect goddess in front of him. It took him several moments to get himself under control before he could pick her up and place her in the tub. Christine for her part was not as embarrassed as he would have thought she would be given the circumstances and she sighed in relief when the hot water enveloped her.

"Call me when you are ready to get out," Erik said, his voice coming out slightly husky no matter how hard he tried to stop it. Christine glanced at him before nodding. Erik left as soon as he could, and when he was in the hallway he took deep, long breaths, cursing his body's weakness.

xXx

Christine watched Erik very closely when she called him into the room an hour later. Her body was warm and relaxed and she watched him cautiously as he helped her out of the bath. He slipped a chemise over her still slightly wet body before lying her on the bed and pulling several of the quilts over her. He removed his shirt and got onto his own side with a book in hand that he opened and began to read. Christine glanced at him and took a deep breath.

"Thank you," she murmured. Erik glanced at her in obvious surprise.

"What was that?" he asked, although she knew damn well he had heard her. Of course he was going to be difficult.

"I said thank you," she repeated. Erik glanced from side to side dramatically.

"What, is the world ending?" he asked. Christine rolled her eyes.

"Oh, do shut up!" she said, turning away from him and facing the door. Christine was slowly drifting off to sleep when she felt Erik's hand on her shoulder, slowly pushing until she was lying on her back. Christine looked at him with her question in her eyes but Erik said nothing, simply leaned forward and kissed her. Christine's eyes widened in surprise when his body slowly made its way on top of her and his kiss deepened. It was a passionate kiss, one like the one they had shared in the study. This one was not cruel or harmful, but coaxing.

His hands tangled in her hair and he pulled her mouth closer, opening her mouth and thrusting his tongue inside. Christine would not admit that she liked the feelings she had when he kissed her, and he seemed very experienced at it. Erik groaned in surprise when she sucked his tongue almost skillfully into her mouth. He shifted her lithe body beneath him until his arousal was resting in the natural cradle of her thighs. His mouth let go of hers to lick and explore the soft skin of her neck.

His hands went to her hips so he could hold her still as he pressed his aching arousal against her. Christine moaned softly and Erik took pleasure in the sound. He loved women's bodies and Christine's was the most beautiful he had ever seen. So perfect. Knowing that any moment he might have to stop and wanting to taste as much as he could before that, Erik's mouth enveloped her breast which was covered by the thin material of her chemise. Christine's back arched in surprise and she gasped as heat ricocheted to the already tingling place between her legs.

Her moaning grew louder and Erik loved it. He had always preferred woman who were loud bed partners, ones that were not afraid to tell him how good it felt. He pulled and sucked on the plumpness of her breasts until it was not enough. Taking the hem of her nightgown in his hands he raised it until it was bunched up above her breasts. Erik could feel the heat between her legs through the material of his pants and it almost made him lose control

When his mouth found her breast without the barrier of the cloth hindering him Christine could no longer think. It no longer mattered that they knew nothing about each other. It did not matter that they were almost to the point of hating each other, all that mattered was that he continue these delicious feelings he was producing in her.

His hands slid beneath her to her back, smoothing down the soft skin until he reached the firm roundness of her rear. He pulled her against him and began moving his hips, pressing himself harder and harder against her, hoping to relieve some of the desire they both felt. He glanced up at Christine's face as it was flushed as she panted. Perhaps he could use this to his advantage. Taking her nightgown he pulled it back down and gave a confused Christine a hard kiss before pushing himself off of her. She stared at him in disbelief when he settled himself beside her and opened his book, beginning to read as if nothing happened. Would she ever understand this man?

A/N: There is a another chapter! Just wanted to say thank you all for your reviews, they mean a lot, and if you are reading Scorpion or Soprano, do not worry, I have not abandoned them, it is just this story is taking up a lot of my time! DonJuanTriumphs