Author's note: A lot is going to be going on in this chapter and so I decided to start it off with a little hot action between our favorite couple, who knows when they will get the chance again. I wanted them to be close before the time came to face the enemy and so the first half of this chapter is highly rated M, so you are warned, if you do not like that sort of thing skip through it! I do not mind! But those of you who like it, like me, go ahead and read and please leave a review!

Updates: Even given the fact that this was a four day weekend I did not get much writing done, spending time with family and friends, but I am not abandoning my other stories! I would never do that! It is just this one keeps popping into my head with more and more things I need to write and it is demanding attention! DJT

Chapter Fifty-Six: Dying Flicker of a Candle's Flame

She was beautiful, perfectly made, everything flawless. Her breath came in small gasps as he touched her, his hands finding all of her secrets until she could hide nothing from him. She did not want to. Crimson spread over her breasts and cheeks as she flushed, her breasts rising and falling with her rapid breathing. His hands, large, rough, glided over her body like she was a finely tuned instrument. The feel of his warm skin left a fire of want in its wake, causing her to ache for more, so much more. Pleasure boardered on pain until her mind was a haze, nothing making sense except for the need to reach the peak along with him.

Christine's tongue tangled wildly with Erik's as they came together almost violently. One of his hands had her arms pinned above her head while the other tortured her with the promise of pleasure. Their clothes lay abandoned on the floor. Erik's mask had come off in their frenzy to come together. A candle burned low on the table beside the bed, the light illuminating the perspiration that beaded their bodies. It had been hours...hours since this heat and passion had begun, but neither could get enough. Christine had done something earlier that Erik would have never believed her capable of and the result had him hard repeatedly, taking her again and again, bringing her to her climax again and again. His mind brought him back to a few hours before, when he had seen something he would never forget...

A few hours prior...

Erik sat in the foyer, going over everything that he and Christine had talked about regarding some sort of plan. Once more they could not come up with anything and he could see that it was putting a strain on both of them. They had to come up with something soon or it would quickly become to late. Christine had gone to bed early with an exhausted look in her eyes and a strained silence between them. He hated it that Delauney was ruining what should be a happy time in their lives. It seemed with each passing day Christine's stomach became more and more pronounced and they were drawing nearer to the time they would bring their child into the world. With a sigh Erik stood up and ran his hand through his hair. He was not looking forward to tomorrow. Another day arguing with Christine over what they should do with Michael.

As he went up the stairs on silent feet he could hear noises coming from Meg's room, noises Erik was all to familiar with. Raoul and Meg were to be married, hopefully, in a months time, but at the moment it seemed as if they could not quite keep their hands off of eachother. Shaking his head Erik reached the top of the stairs and walked toward his and Christine's room. He could see a dim light under the door and he frowned. What was Christine still doing up? She usually blew out the candle before she went to sleep. And when she was really tired she did not wait up for him. She needed rest seeing as she had another human being inside of her. Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw when he opened the door.

Christine...

His angel, his wife, his lover was lying in the center of their bed. She was completely naked, the glory that was her body bare for his eyes to devour. He could feel his trousers become tight with his need as he shut the door behind him and leaned against it heavily. Christine's legs were spread wantonly, leaving nothing hidden before his eyes. Her beautiful chocolate curls were spread around her like a dark halo. Her blue eyes were glazed with passion and her full lips were slightly parted as she breathed. As he watched she slowly laid her hands right below her neck, her fingers spread wide so she could touch as much skin as possible.

A harsh groan erupted from Erik's mouth as her hands slowly began to move downward, making their way over the rise of her breasts. Erik put a hand on the door behind him to keep himself steady as Christine fingers found one of her nipples. To his utter surprise and delight she began to fondle herself. Her eyes drifted shut as her free hand cupped her other breast and began to squeeze and massage it as the other played with her nipple. A breast in each hand...did she know what she was doing to him?

She gasped and let out a small moan as her nipples hardened in front of him. Erik's trousers were now uncomfortably too small and Christine did not fail to notice. His eyes were intense as he stared at her but Christine could still see the love he had for her in his eyes. That was why she was doing this. She wanted him to know that she loved him and wanted to be everything he needed even with everything they had to deal with at the moment. Erik felt his knees nearly buckle as one of Christine's hands glided over the swell of her stomach to land at the junction of her thighs, stopping just short of the promise lands. Her eyes found his and she raised one of her elegant eyebrows. The wench was taunting him! He would have given anything to go to her and end the pressure he was feeling in his trousers but he desperately wanted to see what she would do.

"Please..." his voice was husky and came out more like a grunt. Christine's eyes closed and her head fell back as her fingers slowly found that part of her that was aching to be touched. Sweat began to form on Erik's forehead and beneath his mask as Christine moaned in what could only be ecstasy. He watched her long, slender fingers as she explored herself. Her fingers dipped in and out of her wet, welcoming flesh. Erik was rooted to the spot as her back arched and her fingers began to move faster as she thrust her hips up to meet the plunge of her fingertips. Christine's body began to move faster as her impending orgasm neared. Her body flushed crimson and Erik felt his own breathing increase just from the sight of her and he almost exploded in his trousers.

"Oh, God! Erik!"

She cried out as she came, her body giving out as she collapsed against the bed, panting as everything went pleasantly limp. She raised her head when her body was back under control and she winked at him. Erik growled and launched himself at the bed. He had her hands pinned abover her head and his mouth crashing down on hers before she could even think to move. Christine smiled against his mouth as his hands roughly caressed every part of her body that he could reach. Erik nearly ripped his trousers off in his need to join with her and Christine tore the mask from his face, dropping it to the floor, forgotten. As rough as Erik was being he still managed to be careful, if that made any sense whatsoever. He never forgot about the fact that she was pregnant and even when he joined with her he managed to make sure she was alright. And that was where he had been for the past few hours, moving in and out of Christine's body as they seemed to climax every few moments. It was a night he knew he would never forget.

"I love you, Erik..."

"I love you, Christine..."

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Christine watched Erik slowly drift off to sleep and she smiled. They had definately needed this night of passion with all of the tension they had been having lately. Her surprise seemed to have worked, she knew Erik would have never believed that she would do something like that, but that was why she had done it. Always expect the unexpected. But the look in his eyes as he had made love to her again and again had been well worth it. She knew he had enjoyed himself and that was what she wanted. Christine put a hand to her abdomen and smiled. She had a feeling that if they kept things up in the bedroom the baby growing inside of her at that moment would not be the last. She was actually quite excited about that.She could easily see herself sitting outside in the sun, a babe suckling at her breast while Erik played in the grass with several dark haired children. She wanted a family with him, and she would do anything to make sure that happened.

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A single candle burned in Meg's room. Both of Raoul's strong arms were wrapped around her, holding her close. Her blonde curls were spread around their bare bodies. He had made love to her a few times that night, unable to get enough of her. No woman had ever affected him the way she had. He had fallen hard and fast and he had no idea how Meg had managed to make him fall in love. Was it the fact that she could make him laugh when he did not feel like laughing? When she looked at him it was as if he was the only man in the world. When he kissed her he felt like a king. Raoul knew her mother did not approve because she thought he was only using her to sate his desires. In truth Raoul knew he could have just about any woman if he simply wanted sexual release, but Meg was different, it wasn't sex with her, it was making love, he knew the difference now, he never had before. He wanted her mothers approval, just like he wanted his own parents, but if he could not have it he would still marry Meg, seeing as her mother demanded it now that he had 'ruined' her for anyone else.

Raoul admitted that the idea of anyone else touching Meg the way he was made him sick. She was his, and she seemed to feel the same way about him. He knew he could make her happy, and it had nothing to do with the money he could give her. He wanted to make her happy as a man, a man who loved her and wanted to see her happy. What if he had never volunteered to come and help Erik and Christine? He would have never met her, what would he have done then? Would he have continued living, wasting away because he could not have Christine? Most likely. So really Meg had saved him in more ways than one. She had shown him how to love.

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Three days prior...

Anthony leaned forward and kissed Sienna for what he hoped was not the last time. She looked like an angel sleeping in his bed like she was. He planned on waiting a few months before they married because there was still far to much going on with Christine and her husband. They had not left Rome like Christine had asked, their father brought them to a very old friend of his that was allowing them shelter, and they had yet to be caught. Anthony was surprised that his father allowed Sienna to sleep in the same room with him, knowing they were not married and what they did every night when the candle's blew out. But Anthony supposed that Gustave had once been in love, he knew what it was like needing to be with the person you loved, and perhaps that was why he allowed it. Either way Anthony was grateful. Sienna was the only form of sanity he had at the moment and without her he did not know what he would do.

He now understood what must have come over Christine when she had thought her husband dead. He understood that deep feeling of love, of rightness when you were with your soulmate. Nothing could explain what he felt for Sienna, and he thanked God every day for allowing them to find each other simply by chance. But now he had to tear himself away from her for something he had to do. He knew she would never approve and that was why he was sneaking away in the middle of the night. He had to help Christine. He felt horrible for allowing Raoul to go there without him when it was his sister and his niece or nephew growing in her stomach. Christine had always been there for him and he would not fail her now. Anthony prayed that it was not to late. Silently he slipped from the room. Sienna gave a shuddering sob and pressed her face into her pillow as she quietly watched him go. She knew it had only been a matter of time before he went to help his sister. He was a brave man and he would do whatever he had to to make sure his sister was alright. Sienna just prayed that he would come back to her, alive.

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Present...

Christine knew the moment she opened her eyes that something was not right. She turned her head to see Erik hurriedly getting dressed next to the bed. There was a look on his face that she could not quite explain and it frightened her. What was going on? He glanced at her and seemed relieved that she was awake.

"Put something on quickly, Christine!" he demanded. Christine dared not disobey him or question what he was doing. She scrambled from bed as quickly as she could, given the fact that her entire body was sore from how many times Erik had made love to her. She pulled on a chemise and turned to Erik.

"Go downstairs and wake everyone up, and be quick about it, my love, we do not have much time!" Erik said. Christine remained rooted to the spot for a moment. Not much time? She felt the blood drain from her face as realization hit her. He had found them. She did not know how, but he had. Erik went to her and grabbed her by the shoulders, bringing his gaze to hers.

"Look at me, love, you must hurry, wake everyone and tell them to put on their darkest cloaks and to draw the hood," he said. Christine managed to nod and rush from the room. Her legs did not seem to be attached to the rest of her. Her mind screamed to run faster, there was not much time, but she could not seem to run fast enough.

"Nadir! Nadir!"

Moments later the Persian opened the door, a frown creasing his brow.

"What in the name of Allah is the matter, child?" he demanded. Christine simply told him to put on the cloak like Erik had told her and Nadir seemed to realize what was going on. Nadir grew white but Christine fled down the hall before he could say a word, she could not deal with anyone or anything at the moment, she had enough to worry about herself. This had come to soon, she was not ready for this. She had no idea how Michael had found them and she was not ready to let him fight this enemy. She woke everyone in the house and gave them their directions before running back upstairs to Erik. She felt a shuddering breath escape her mouth as she saw him preparing his pistol. He looked up and caught her eyes and sighed. He knew she was not the only one not ready for this, he was not either.

He had been unable to sleep that night after sating his body with Christine again and again. Donning his cloak he had gone for a walk to the nearby village and had heard that men were riding this way, with only one intent clear. Erik knew without a doubt that it was Michael and he had to get Christine to safety as soon as possible. He knew he did not have much time left. Erik pushed everything from his mind except what he had to do. He grabbed Christine's cloak and put it on her, drawing up the hood and hiding her white chemise, which would be easily seen in the dark night. He could feel her trembling against his fingertips and it took everything he had not to just give up.

"Erik? We are ready, what do you want us to do?"

Both Erik and Christine turned to the door to see Raoul and Nadir standing there. Christine looked down at the floor and Erik sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I am staying here with you, Desslar," Raoul informed him. That made Christine feel a little better, not much, but a little. For once Erik agreed without arguing. Nadir knew what he had to do, he would take care of the women and do whatever Erik said he should. The masked man turned to the Persian.

"I want you to take Christine and everyone else to the trees that are at the end of the field, go as deeply inside as you can and stay there until I or Raoul come for you," he instructed. He nodded and Christine went towards the door without a word to anyone. Erik could not let her leave like that, not like that. He knew what was going through her mind and he did not want her to worry. He grabbed her and and stopped her before she made it out the door.

"I will go and make sure Meg and Antoinette are ready," Nadir said. Raoul nodded and followed him out, leaving the couple to their privacy. Christine continued to look down at the floor because she did not want Erik to see her tears. She wanted to be strong because she knew he did not need to worry about her at a time like this. Erik pushed back her hood and raised her head.

"Oh, Christine..." he whispered, wiping the tears from her eyes. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. She had to believe that he would be safe or she would not be able to stand it. He leaned forward and caught her mouth in a kiss, bringing back the memory of all they had shared that night and all the nights prior. She felt sobs rise in her throat and she had to pull away, shaking her head.

"Christine-"

"I am trying to be strong, Erik!" she whispered. He nodded, understanding, and drew her hood up, securing it in place.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too."

With that she fled the room, running down the stairs before she threw herself at Erik's feet and prayed that he would not make her go. Everyone was waiting downstairs for her and before they could leave Erik came down and took Nadir by the shoulder, looking him straight in the eyes.

"I am trusting you with her life, do not make me regret it," Erik murmured. Nadir nodded and shook the masked mans hand. He knew that Erik did not just trust Christine and their unborn baby with anyone and he felt honored to be the one to take care of her. He refused to let anyone down.

"Hurry, you must all go and quickly, do not walk, run!" Erik urged, ushering them all out into the night. Christine wrapped her cloak around herself as she was shrouded in darkness and the cold wind. The moon was high in the sky but she knew there was still a chance for rain. They began to run towards the trees like Erik had said, and Christine forced herself not to look back.

Author's note: So what did you all think? This chapter took me a lot longer than it should have and I hope you all like it! A little information, I am looking for a beta for a couple of fan fics I will be working on in the future and if you are interested let me know! DonJuanTriumphs