Chapter Thirty-Four

Masks Part 1

I love you.

Oh, God. He had said the words. He had said them and he had not been under pressure. Christine stared at the man that had become her husband not to long ago and who she still was barely coming to know. His gray green eyes never once strayed from hers although she could she the nervous gleam in his eyes. He was afraid she would reject his love. It was so clear for her to see. No one had ever loved him since her mother, and since her death he had been all alone. Erik was a complicated man, Christine had known this from the moment she had met him. His temper scared her at times and annoyed her at others. He could be the most tender man in the world, like when he had made love to her during the masquerade, but he could also be the most violent...like when he had struck her after finding her with Raoul.

Yet she loved him.

Christine believed that she had loved him for a very long time and it had just never been put into words. They were two of a kind. She felt as if he completed a part of her that she had never known was there. She was scared of feeling too much for him. He could hurt her if she let him have her heart and she knew she would not be able to stand it if he were to turn from her, or go to another woman for his pleasure. She had never told him but when he had went to Natasha when they had first married it had hurt her deeply. Not at the time it had not, but as she had begun to care for him she could not get it out of her mind. If he were to do that now, after confessing that he loved her, she did not know what she would do.

"Christine?" Erik prompted, his voice trembling. She smiled, knowing her eyes told him how she felt.

"Erik Desslar...I love you, too."

Erik pressed his mouth to hers, kissing her as passionately as he could without hurting her. She smiled against his mouth, tears appearing in her eyes. He showered her with several more kisses, trying to show her how much her confession meant to him. He had only been blessed two times in his life, he realized. The first time was the day that Emma found him in the street after stealing an apple...and the second blessing was in his arms. He wished he could make love to her, to show her this newfound love they suddenly shared but knew it would have to wait until she was recovered. His eyes found Christine's when her good hand cupped his cheek.

"Erik...I need there to be complete trust between us."

Erik said nothing, simply stared at her. Christine refused to tell him how important this was to her. Very quietly she told him of the man she had killed trying to escape from Leroy with Sienna. Erik silently wiped the tears from her eyes. He could see that she had refused to think about what she had done until that moment. He was proud of how strong she was and he told her quietly that she had done what she had to in order to get away and no one could blame her for that. She kissed him and thanked him for not judging her for something that had never been far from her thoughts. It was silent for a long time and Christine's expressive blue eyes stared at him, obviously waiting for something.

"What is it you want me to do, Christine?" he whispered. She had just told him something that she had never told anyone and it was only right that he did the same, but he wanted her to decide.

"I want to see what you are hiding beneath the mask."

xXx

"Do you think Christine is going to be alright?" Sienna asked. Anthony wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. Sienna obviously cared deeply for Christine as a friend and she had been very worried about her ever since the doctor had left.

"My sister is a strong woman, Sienna, she can make it through anything," he reassured her. But for a moment he had not been so sure and he thought he had been going to lose the only woman he had in his life before Sienna had come along. He could not lose Christine, they were to close and he would not be able to stand it if that were to happen.

Anthony had escorted Sienna to the room she would be staying in and they had reached her door. He was reluctant to let her go. He had fallen for the Italian beauty rather quickly and though he knew it was foolish to fall head over heels for someone he barely knew he could not help it.

"Sienna?" he murmured hesitantly. Her beautiful green eyes found his and he smiled slightly.

"I am going to kiss you."

She did not object.

xXx

Erik pulled away from his wife as if she had slapped him from her words. Christine looked away from him, knowing very well that her request could ruin what they had just built and she did not want to see that happen but she had to have his trust and if he could not trust him to let her see beneath the surface then perhaps he did not truly love her.

"Christine-"

"I just told you that I love you, Erik, can you not trust me with what it is I want you to show me?" she whispered. He said nothing, sitting up in the bed and putting his head in his hands. Christine could see how tense his shoulders were and she wished she had not asked, but she wanted him to trust her above all others because she loved him so much. Christine sighed and turned her head away.

"I am sorry that you cannot trust me, Erik," Christine whispered sadly, deeply hurt. Erik said nothing for a long moment.

"I cannot show you," he whispered. Christine said nothing, although she felt silent tears cascade down her cheeks. She had given him all that she was, her body, her heart, and he would not show her the one thing that held a certain barrier between them.

"No, my love, please do not cry," Erik said, turning to see her doing just that. Her eyes found his, full of sadness.

"Please."

One simply word and it broke down the fragile defense he had. How could he not show her? He pledge his love to her and yet would not give her all of himself? It was not right and he knew it. But she would turn from him and he would once again be alone. But as he gazed at her, he was once again reminded how much she looked like Emma. Emma had seen him...she had not turned from him, quite the opposite. Perhaps Christine could do the same? He knew it was a very long shot but he had to take the chance.

"Tell me you love me, Christine," he whispered. Christine's eyes found his once more. She could see that he needed her to say this.

"I love you."

Erik pulled off the mask.

xXx

Persia

1864

"Where are you going, Emma?" Erik asked, standing in the dark hallway. Emma jumped, having not expected him up so late in the night. His hair was tussled and his eyes sleepy as he gazed at her. She had hoped that she would have been out of the manor before anyone could see her, even Erik. Obviously things were not that easy. Smiling she went to him and crouched down beside his lean body.

"What are you doing up?" she asked. Erik sighed and shook his head.

"Another nightmare?" Emma prompted, knowing that to be the reason. It was always the reason he could not sleep. Many of his nightmares she knew were about her and Isaac and she hated that he had to go through that all the time.

"Yes...I came to see if I could lay with you?" he asked hopefully. Emma smiled tenderly and nodded.

"Of course, darling, come," she said, standing and taking his hand. Erik, however, did not move, looking her over and seeing that she was fully dressed. He remembered the question he had asked prior.

"Where are you going?" he asked again.

"No where, Erik, now lets go into my room before someone wakes up," she said. Erik followed her and waited patiently while she checked on Anthony in his nursery before going into the room adjoining it.

"You are going to see Gustave, aren't you?" Erik whispered, stopping Emma in her tracks. His question was so forward and emotionless that she was surprised. He was the only one that knew about her and Gustave's nightly rendezvous and until this moment he had never mentioned anything.

"Yes...I was going to see him," she answered softly.

"What about Nadir?" Erik demanded. Emma flinched at the mans name and she took a deep breath, knowing that she had to be careful what she said.

"Nadir and I no longer speak to one another," she answered, knowing he knew this very well.

"I do not care if you speak to him or not, Emma! Don't you still love him?" he asked. Emma was extremely surprised with the way he was acting, it was not like him and she wondered what in the world was the matter.

"Of course I do-"

"Then why do you sneak off in the middle of the night to go and see another man?" he demanded. Emma said nothing. She knew that the way she had let things go with Nadir had been wrong but she did not want this little boy to be lecturing her about something that haunted her still.

"I care about Gustave, Erik," she finally said.

"And you love Nadir!" he yelled. Anthony began to cry in the other room upon hearing Erik's voice.

"Nadir and I are no longer, Erik!" she said. Erik was nearly shaking in his emotions.

"How can you tell me all the time how important love is if you yourself shun it?" he asked.

"I shun nothing, Erik, and I will ask you kindly to lower your voice!" Emma answered. She turned from him to go and get Anthony, this conversation truly affecting her. Erik was not done.

"Follow your heart, Emma," he pleaded. He desperately wanted her to be happy and he knew how much she had loved Nadir. Why was she not willing to fight for this love? He knew how frightened she was of the consequences of going back to the Persian but he thought that any risk was worth it to be with the one you love. Did Anthony not deserve to know his father? He had met Gustave Daae and knew he was a good man, but he felt that he could never give Emma what she needed like Nadir could.

"Erik?"

Emma's voice brought him out from his thoughts. She was holding Anthony who had already fallen asleep and her eyes were sad.

"Could you watch him? I need to go and see Gustave," she whispered. He wished he had the strength to tell her no but he loved her to much to do such a thing. He nodded with a sigh and Emma gently gave him the boy. She leaned over and kissed Erik's brow.

"You know I love you, Erik?" she whispered. He nodded. He knew. She showed him that love every day.

"Be careful," he pleaded. She nodded and silently slipped from the room. Erik brought Anthony back to the nursery and for a moment after setting the baby down he thought about Emma. Something inside of him was telling him not to let Emma leave the house alone. He had relied on his instincts for far to long to ignore them and silently he left the room. With quickened steps he made his way down the hall and when he spotted Emma not far ahead of him he sighed in relief. Making sure she could not see him he continued to follow her. Thirty minutes later Erik watched Emma disappear into Daae's barn. Silently he slipped inside in time to see Gustave embrace Emma and give her a rather passionate kiss. Chuckles broke into their private moment and Erik concealed himself in the shadows.

"Ah, how sweet."

Isaac glared at the couple from the corner of the barn.