Chapter Thirty-Seven

Stay By My Side

"No!" Christine's cry echoed in the suddenly quiet room. Anthony said nothing, although his eyes did hold a new appreciation for his sister's husband. Erik also said nothing as Christine frantically grabbed onto his hand. It was the only way. He needed to end this once and for all. There would be no more running, no more looking over his shoulder.

"There has to be another way, Erik, please think logically!" Christine said, hating the fact that she knew there would be no way to talk her husband out of this. He was almost as stubborn as she was and when he had his mind set on something he did not let it go.

"There is no other way, Christine, you and I both know this," Erik said. Christine refused to believe this and glanced at her brother, begging him to give them some time alone. Anthony understood and he silent removed himself from the room. Erik took Christine's hand and led her to the bed, carefully sitting them both down on it.

"Erik..." Christine whispered, her voice pleading.

"I do not want to forever worry that you are going to get hurt for something you never had any part of. We need to end this Christine," he said softly. Christine pulled away from his grasp and went to the window to look out into the quiet city of Rome.

How could she tell him that if anything happened to him she did not know what she would do? She finally had someone she loved and who loved her in return and he wanted to risk all of that. Erik came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Christine's body, however, remained stiff and unyielding.

"Tell me what I can say to make you stay," she whispered. Erik sighed and pressed his face into her hair. She had no idea how hard it was for him to hold her like this and no that he would have to let go in order to get done what needed to be done.

"I cannot continue to run, my love," he whispered. She spun around in his arms to face him, her eyes full of tears.

"I would run to the ends of the earth with you, Erik, as long as you were with me!" she cried, collapsing against his chest. Erik admitted that he was surprised with the way she was acting. Christine was a strong woman, she did not break down easily, which proved to him how much she did not want him to go. He kissed her tear stained face several times, trying to calm her down without saying a word.

"I am doing this for us, Christine. Please understand," he asked softly.

"They will kill you," Christine said, clinging to him as if he would evaporate should she let go.

"Do not think like that," he pleaded. The idea of not returning to her was something he refused to think about. Christine looked down at the ground. How could she not think about him dying when he was going to confront two men who would do anything to see him dead. Erik took her chin in his hand and raised it so he could meet her gaze.

"When I come back I am not going to leave your bed for two days," he murmured, trying to lighten the mood.

Christine continued to stare at him with a great sorrow in her eyes. He had never seen her this sad. Deciding that there was only one way to keep her mind off the separation he gently pushed the robe from her body. Christine sighed when he pressed his mouth against her collarbone, knowing all to well what he was doing.

He wanted her to forget for a moment what was going on, but she could not forget, not when she had not told him what she should have said from the beginning and when she was so worried for his safety.

"I love you," he whispered. Christine leaned against him and removed his mask, kissing the deformed side of his face. She would find some way to stop him from going.

She would not see him hurt. If tonight was the only night that she could share with him then she would make every last minute count, and pray that he would realize that if he went to that manor house he would not make it out alive. She refused to let that happen.

xXx

Anthony could hear his sister and her husband fighting through the walls and he instantly felt guilty. Perhaps he should not have mentioned it to Erik. Perhaps he and Raoul could have gone and saved her. But when Erik had said he would go Anthony had realized that if anyone could save the woman he was falling in love with it would be Erik.

But they had been fighting for a long time and he knew how worried Christine was that something would happen to Erik. He had not known that his sister's feelings for her husband had become so strong. He realized she loved him and Anthony was glad for them, Christine deserved someone who would love her for the rest of his life. He had not thought so in the beginning but that night Anthony had changed his mind about the masked man. He was not a bad man, most likely just misunderstood. He knew now not to judge someone when he did not know them just because they were different.

And Erik was definitely different.

xXx

"For the last time, Christine, you are not coming with me!" Erik shouted.

Christine's face was flushed from over an hour of yelling at her husband. Erik had decided to leave in the late hours of the night and so all that morning he had spent making love to the only person who meant anything to him. Christine had made those hours pressed against him last as long as she could, clinging to him long after each shattering climax. She had decided that if he would not stay then she would go with him. This had caused a very heated argument.

"I am going with you, Erik!" she said for the hundredth time. Erik went to her and grabbed her by the shoulders, staring angrily into her eyes. Christine stared right back. He wondered what had happened to the woman the night before who had been a crying mess. The woman in front of him was like an angry goddess, who would not take no for an answer.

He refused to take her with him. He did not care how much she ranted and raved. This was one thing that he would not give her. He was willing to give her the world, but not this. Erik would do whatever he had to do to protect her.

"I will no longer argue with you over this, I need to go and get things ready for tonight," he growled, angry. This was the spit-fire he knew, and though he loved her spirit right now he did not want to deal with it. He turned and began to walk to the door. Christine rushed to him and grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop or drag her with him.

"Christine, you are at the end of patience with this," he warned. Christine stared at him defiantly.

"You have no right to make the decision about this," she said.

"This has nothing to do with you! These men want me for killing their brother and son!" Erik growled.

"'Nothing to do with me'? Sienna is one of the best friends I have! You are my husband for God's sake! It has everything to do with me!" she shouted. His eyes held hers steadily. He hated it that they had spent the previous night and all of that morning sharing their love in their bed as husband and wife and here they were now arguing like two people that hated each other.

"I am going, Christine, and you are staying here."

Christine watched him walk to the door. His shoulders stiff. He had opened the door when she spoke her next sentence, causing him to stop dead in his tracks.

"I am pregnant."

A/N: I am sorry this chapter is so short, but I am sure you guys have been waiting far to long for this update! Hope you enjoy! Please read and review!