Chapter Sixty: Man and Monster

"What makes a monster and what makes a man?"
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Erik watched with slightly hooded eyes as Michael Delauney stepped out of the trees, his arms held out in front of him to show that he had no weapon. Erik kept his pistol pointed at the man and said nothing as he looked at him, contempt in his gray green eyes. It had come down to this moment. Years of grief because of this one man and it had come down to this, Erik with the upper hand. It was a rather exhilarating feeling to know that for once Michael did not have any sway over anything that would happen tonight.

"Are you going to shoot in unarmed man, Desslar?" Michael wondered softly. Erik said nothing. It would seem that this man thought far too highly of Erik's sense of morality. He would not think twice about killing this man but he would not let him know that.

"It would seem that the tables have been turned, Delauney," Erik murmured. The other man said nothing for a long moment as he studied Erik.

"She really must be in love with you," Delauney murmured, catching Erik completely by surprise. He had expected the man to beg not to die, or even try and do something drastic to try and save himself, but he was doing neither.

"I do not need you to tell me that," Erik growled. Michael continued; as if he had not heard Erik just speak.

"Look at you...how can anyone even consider you a man?" he wondered. Erik growled low in his throat in warning. This man had to be insane, it would not be good to provoke Erik at the moment seeing as he had the pistol in his hand and could fire at any moment. "And yet here is this woman who any man can call beautiful...and she claims to be in love with you."

"Obviously I am doing something right," Erik muttered. He did not like this conversation because it was making him rather uncomfortable. He did not need this man to tell him that it was insane for a woman like Christine to be in love with him.

"And it is because of this love that you will not kill me," Michael murmured. Erik's eyes found his in surprise. What the hell was he talking about? He had far too much confidence and Erik did not like it.

"Please explain," he said. Michael shrugged as if it were obvious.

"What would she think of you if she were to know that you murdered a man in cold blood?" Delauney wondered.

"She would know that I did what I had to," Erik replied.

"Would she? Or would she question why you are killing a man who is; at the moment no threat to you?" he wondered. Erik said nothing, thinking deeply about what Michael was saying. He knew for certain that Christine would not question his actions...but would she think lower of him for murdering a man who was standing in front of him-unarmed? But in all honesty he could not care what Christine would think. In his mind he watched again and again as this man brought that knife down onto Christine's stomach, preparing to do something Erik had never believed any man would be able to do to an unborn child. No man should have to witness that and he hated this man for making him see that and condemned him to the hottest fires of hell.

"On your knees," Erik barked. Michael studied the man in front of him, realizing that he had said something to provoke his anger. He had been calm but was now fuming and Delauney stumbled to do as he was ordered, no matter how much he wished he could kill Desslar.

"Will your child accept what you look like?" Michael asked, taunting him. That was something Erik had been secretly thinking about for some time. Would their baby be able to come to terms with what his father looked like when he was old enough to understand what had happened to him? Or would Erik be forced never to remove his mask for the sake of his children?

"Keep your mouth shut," Erik snapped. Michael, however, was beyond the point of caring.

"Does your wife moan when you fuck her? Do you rut upon her like the animal you are?" Delauney wondered. Erik approached him and hit him squarely in the jaw with the pistol. Michael fell onto his hands as blood filled his mouth. Erik found his foot connecting with the man's side roughly several times until Delauney was lying limply on the ground.

"Get up!" Erik yelled at him. When Michael did not do so fast enough Erik grabbed him by the hair and forced him onto his knees. Michael wiped the blood from his mouth and stared at Erik in contempt. To think that he was being bested by this beast!

"Christine is the same half-wit her mother was! Falling in love with the beast! How timeless! Really, it should go down in history as the most disgusting thing to ever happen!"

"Silence!" Erik shouted bringing the pistol down roughly on the man's head. Michael crumpled to the floor, groaning softly in pain. Erik seemed to see only a red haze, his passionate hatred for this man and all he had subjected him to his entire life.

"Can you forgive her, Desslar?" Michael whispered. Erik's eyes found the other mans, dread filling his heart as he knew what Michael was going to say.

"I told you to keep quiet," Erik answered. Michael smirked, knowing that he had this man when it came to this.

"I am sure you told her to stay in the trees where she was safe, where no harm would come to her or the baby. But, being the twit she is, she decides that she has to help you, and of course she does nothing but risk you, herself, and the baby. True love, I am sure-"

"Quiet, Delauney, I am only warning you once more," Erik hissed. He did not want to think about this, not now, maybe not ever. But Michael could see that it was getting to him and he had to goad him just a little more.

"It is because of her rash actions that you have more scars on your already hideous face, and you have been stabbed in the side-" he was forced to stop when Erik advanced on him.

"Do you know what you did to me? I am going to see my wife pinned to that bed again and again in my dreams!" Erik yelled. With each word he roughly kicked Michael in the side. Tears came unbidden to Erik's eyes as he thought of his Christine. He did not care about his face or his wounds! None of that he blamed on Christine, but the fact that she had put their baby in danger was something he might not be able to forgive so easily. Did she have any idea what it did to him to see the love of his life as she almost lost their baby in the most horrible way?

"Get up!" Once more Erik forced Delauney to his knees in front of him and took a few steps back, raising his pistol. Michael stared at him, unmoving as he looked at the pistol pointed at his head.

"Erik..."

Erik closed his eyes when he heard Christine's voice. He turned his head slightly to see her standing not far away from him. Behind her a few feet was Anthony and Nadir, all of whom were staring at him and the pistol, wondering what he was going to do. They had heard his shouts and much of what had been said and though they all knew that they should not they had come outside anyways.

Erik's gaze remained locked with Christine's. Her arms were wrapped around herself and she looked for all the world a small, frightened young doe. He did not like her to look so vulnerable because the woman he knew so well was stronger than that. He looked back at Michael to see him smirking and Erik knew what the man was thinking. He thought that if Christine was right there in front of him Erik would not possibly shoot. The man was deadly wrong. His eyes found his wife's once more and he could see many emotions swimming in her gaze, none of which he was willing to look at to closely at the moment. Tears made her eyes round and moist and his gaze forced her to look only at him. She contained her gasp when he pulled the trigger. The shot echoed in the still night air and the only sound that followed it was the thump of Michael Delauney collapsing to the ground, never to get up again.

"Erik!"

Christine was forced to break her husbands gaze when he slowly slumped to the ground, the pistol falling limply from his hands. She ran towards him, her heart racing in her chest as she collapsed onto her knees beside him. Her frantic hands felt for a pulse and she began to sob when she found one. Thank God! Nadir and Anthony came rushing towards them and between the two of them they were able to pick him up. As Christine followed she turned to look briefly at the sight of Michael Delauney's body. She felt no remorse as she turned and followed after her husband.

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"Christine?"

Christine raised her gaze from Erik's still form to see Meg Giry standing in the doorway, holding a cup in her small, fragile hands. It had been four days since the incidents that took place in this cottage, four days since Erik killed Michael and four days since they all lost any of the innocence any of them could claim. Erik was lying unmoving in the bed, bandages on his face, side, and shoulder. He had not moved or made a sound since collapsing but the gentle rise and fall of his chest was reassuring to Christine. She had insisted that they move into Nadir's room because she could not stand the sight of the bed in the room she had shared with Erik...she would break down completely if she were to go in there again.

"Yes, Meg?" Christine whispered. The blonde woman tried to put on a warm smile but was herself not convinced. Raoul, too, was still lying in bed from his injury and each moment Meg was awake she worried for him, how could she not? This entire house was full of misery and sorrow.

"I made you a cup of tea," she murmured. Christine thanked her softly and accepted it, bringing the hot liquid to her mouth to drink. Meg was worried about the young woman before her. She had not left the room since the moment they had brought Erik into it and she hardly wished to speak with anyone. Meg had heard Nadir and Anthony speaking quietly in the parlor and she overheard that Christine was blaming herself for everything that had happened that night. She could only imagine what the young girl was feeling at the moment.

"I will leave you to rest," Meg said. Christine said nothing as the woman walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Christine set the cup of tea down on the windowsill and drew her legs up against her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she stared silently at Erik. She had done many things in her life that she was not proud of, things she would give anything to take back or forget. But none of them compared to what she had done that night in the cottage. She had not acted like an adult, an expectant mother; she had acted more like a little girl who was rebelling against what she had been told to do, in which case it had been to stay in the trees.

She had not thought beyond her need to help Erik, and that foolish reasoning had nearly gotten Erik and herself killed. I almost had my baby taken away from me! All of this is my fault...Erik told me to stay hidden and I did not listen! How am I ever going to forgive myself? How is Erik ever going to forgive me?

The truth of the matter was, she did not expect Erik to forgive her and that was slowly eating away at her. Christine knew that Erik had every right to want to leave her, and she would not blame him if he never wanted anything to do with her again. Her thoughts were eating away at her peace of mind and the more she looked at Erik, lying there, in so much pain, the more she knew that though she did not deserve him, she could not imagine living without him. There was no way she would ever be able to make up for what she did to him that night, ever.

"Christine?"

"Anthony..."

Her brother came to her and pulled her into his embrace. Christine pressed her face against his chest so he would not see the tears she tried so hard not to shed. Anthony smoothed her hair away from her face and brought her gaze to his. Christine knew he was not aware of it but if Christine did not have this man as a brother she had no idea what she would do. He was always there for her if she needed anything and she would never be able to thank him enough for that.

"How can he ever forgive me, Anthony?" she whispered. Anthony sighed. In all honesty he had no idea what to say to his sister. He could not even begin to guess what Erik was feeling as far as what Christine had done, and even Anthony admitted that it had been a foolish action.

"He loves you, Christine," was the only answer he could give. Christine shook her head. She knew he could not possibly love her now, not after everything that had happened. A soft groan from the bed caused both of their heads to turn as Erik slowly began to open his eyes. Christine turned to Anthony and he nodded, quietly slipping out of the room. Christine hesitantly got up and went to his bedside. His eyes opened fully and he turned to look at her. Christine did not like the fact that she felt like cowering in his presence from shame.

Erik stared at the woman standing before him silently, his eyes drinking in the sight of her. She was wearing a chemise with one of his robes on over it. Her hair was loose and tumbled down her back and shoulders, and she had a very haunted expression in her eyes as she looked at him. Erik's whole body was in pain and he wanted to go back to sleep, but he pushed all of those feelings aside as he lay there looking at his wife. What should he say to her? His first reaction was to rant and rave at her for the things that had happened because she did not know how to listen, but at the moment he really did not feel like ranting, he did not think his body could take it at the moment.

"H-how are y-you feeling?" Christine whispered. His eyes found hers again when he heard the near desperate tone in her voice. She looked as if she were trying with everything she had in her not to cry. Erik knew that now was probably not the best time to talk to her, because they both needed some time to think about what they wished to say.

"Could you ask Antoinette if she will change my bandages?" he asked softly. Christine looked at him in sorrow. He was not going to talk to her. She was sure he probably did not want her in the same room. She swallowed before nodding.

"Yes, Erik," she murmured, turning and going out of the room. She would show him that she could be a good wife, that she could change her impulsive ways and be the sort of wife any man would be proud of. She wanted him to be proud of her, and she was willing to do whatever it took to show him that she was sorry.

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Six days later...

Erik knew that his cold shoulder towards Christine was slowly breaking her down. It had been six days since he had first opened his eyes after his battle with Delauney and she had yet to say a coherent sentence to him. It was always yes Erik, no Erik. If he asked her to get something for him she did so without question, like a meek and timid mouse. He had not said a word about what had happened that night in the cottage and everyone knew not to mention it if Erik did not. He was now able to get up and walk about, if not for a very excessive amount of time, and he had begun making plans for their return to France. It had been far too long since they had been home.

"Are your things packed?" Erik asked.

"Yes, Erik," Christine whispered. Erik sighed and ran his hand through his hair. He had his mask back on but his cuts were still sensitive when they rubbed against the white porcelain, but Erik would not go another day without it. He had been thinking for several days how he should approach this whole affair with Christine and had come up with only one sort of decision.

"Christine?"

"Yes, Erik?" she whispered. Erik had to look away from her as he said his next sentence.

"I think it is best if you ride ahead with your brother and the rest of the household," he said. Christine looked at him in confusion.

"I will follow later," he murmured. Christine collapsed onto the bed when he walked out of the room, sobbing into her hands. She knew that what she had done was wrong, and every moment of every day she would have to deal with that, but she had never in her wildest nightmares believed that he would want to separate from her! Perhaps he was trying to tell her something. Perhaps he no longer wished to be with her and this was his polite way of saying so...oh, God, please do not let that be the case! Maybe all he needed was some time away from her, maybe then he would be able to be in the same room as her? It was a depressing thought but perhaps she could give him this. Sobbing, she grabbed her satchel and fled out of the room.

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"You will be leaving tomorrow morning," Erik said. Both Raoul and Meg nodded. Raoul had insisted that Meg and her mother come with him, that as soon as he and Meg were married they would be moving into his estate in Paris to start their new life. Anthony, too, was anxious to get going because he desperately wanted to get back to Sienna, who still had no idea if he was alive or dead. Erik felt dead at the moment. He had never been so confused in his life. He had no idea what to do with Christine and it was killing him. Perhaps some time away from her was the best thing, although it was not very appealing to Erik. Separating himself from her felt like he was avoiding the situation, and he did not want that, he wanted to fix the problem, not make it worse. Sighing he walked back to his and Christine's room and pushed open the door with a weary sigh...only to find that Christine was not there. Deciding not to panic Erik looked around the room. Her bags were all gone. Time to panic.

"Christine! Christine!"

Bolting from the room Erik ran into the foyer to find Nadir standing in front of the fire place, staring into the flames.

"Where is Christine?" the masked man demanded. Nadir turned to look at him with sorrow in his eyes.

"She's gone, Erik...and I highly recommend that you go after her."

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A/N: This chapter is not particularly long but I hope you all enjoy it none the less! Erik and Christine still have big problems! I am currently working on the next chapter of Dark Prince and I might get that out to you all tomorrow, hopefully! Please read and review! DJT