PART FIVE
Christine didn't know what to think anymore. Erik had told her he loved her, she loved him. But Christine knew in her heart that Erik could never be her husband, boyfriend or lover. She didn't want to cheat on Nick like she had with Paul. Even to this day Christine regretted cheating on Paul. Christine's wedding was one week away. She was getting more and more nervous. She was afraid Erik would try and stop the wedding somehow. But even if he came to the wedding Christine was going to marry Nick and that was that.
She would not throw away a wonderful life of love and happiness for a man who would leave for days, weeks, months and years at a time. That would not make Christine happy. Living with a man she knew would stay in one place made her happy. She loved Nick, perhaps not the way she loved Erik, but she loved nonetheless.
Nick was a good man, an honest man. He was a wonderful father figure to Sage, the only real father figure. Sage even called Nick her father even before Christine and Nick started dating. Sage held a special place in Nick's heart and he loved her as if she were his own.
Christine made a promise to Nick when he asked her to marry him, she promised she would marry him and no other and that was exactly what Christine was going to do.
Two days till the wedding
Christine was nervous. Nick's parents were coming to meet her and Sage. She hadn't met or spoken to his parents at all. And from Nick had told they were very strict people. His father was an ex fireman and his mother was an ex nurse. They had been living in Alaska for the pass nine years. Nick had a good relationship with his mother but not so much his father.
It was seven thirty in the evening and Christine was getting Sage ready. "There, you look lovely." Christine said as she looked at Sage. She wore a lovely pink costume that she had gotten for Christmas. It had little pink wings attached to the back and it was lace and flowing. She was dressed as an angel. Sage smiled at Christine. Christine wrapped her arms around Sage and hugged her.
There was a sudden knock at the door. Christine picked up Sage and carried her to the door. Nick and his parents weren't supposed to come over till eight. But, they must've gotten in from the airport early. Christine opened the door and her smile immediately faded and her spirits went down. Erik stood out side her door. He was looking at Sage and Sage was looking right back.
"Hello Christine." Erik said politely, finally meeting her gaze. "What are you doing here?" she asked him, rudely. 'Erik not tonight. Any night but tonight." Christine said in her head.
Erik stepped forward but Christine closed the door halfway. "Nick and his parents are on the way, I think you should go." Christine said to him. Sage looked from Christine to Erik. "My name is Sage." Sage said with a smile on her face. Erik looked back at the little girl. Her deformity wasn't as bad as his was as a child. "Hello Sage," Erik said back to the little girl. She held out her hand to him. Erik looked at Christine for approval.
When Christine nodded her head Erik shook Sage's hand. "Nice to meet you Sage. You look lovely." Erik said smiling at her. 'God, they even have practically the same smile!' Christine shouted in her head. "Sage, I need to talk to this man in private. Go play for a while." Christine said putting Sage down onto her feet. Sage smiled again and ran off to play. Christine stepped out in the hall leaving the door open a crack.
"What are you doing here?" Christine hissed at him after grabbing him by the arm and pulling him away from the apartment. "I just came to see you. Is this a bad time?" he asked innocently. Christine reached back and smacked him with out hesitating. "Yes! I already told you Nick will be here with his parents. You have to leave." She yelled at him. Erik grabbed Christine by the shoulders and pulled her to him. "No, Erik, stop it. Please…don't ruin this for me." Christine pleaded with him.
Erik starred into her eyes. "I can't… lose you." He whispered to her. Christine sighed deeply and shook her head "You already have." Christine said before stepping away from him. "Just go, please. If you care about me and Sage you'll go." She said to him, her voice full of heart break. It took all of Erik's strength not to take her in his arms and kiss her.
But he couldn't. She was right. He had lost her. He had lost her a long, long time ago.
Erik took one step toward her. He took her hand in his and placed her hand over his heart, and with his other hand he placed it over her heart. He leaned his forehead against hers and sighed. "You must remember this." He told her before stepping away from her and leaving.
Watching Erik go was the hardest, saddest and more heartbreaking thing Christine had ever witnessed. It hurt even more to watch him leave than it did when Sage was born. And Sage took twenty two hours to be born!
When Nick and his parents arrived (their names are Jack and Linda) Christine served dinner and introduced them to Sage. Unlike most people who were frightened when they saw her they welcomed her with open and loving arms. Sage immediately took to them and liked them.
Two days later, the wedding day
Christine stood in front of a giant mirror starring at herself in the mirror and in her beautiful wedding dress that had belonged to her mother before she died. Meg was by her side fussing over little things about the dress. Meg was Christine's maid of honor for the wedding. "You look so beautiful!" Meg squealed. Christine laughed and smiled brightly. She was so excited.
She was marrying the perfect man. Christine couldn't believe that only a few years ago this was the man who was investigating her kidnapping. It all seemed so surreal. Christine's father, Raymond, entered the back room of the church. "Five minutes, angel." He said before leaving again. "Meg? Could I have a few minutes alone?" Christine asked. Meg shook her head. Meg walked over to Sage and picked her up. "Come along, sweetie, Mama need's some time alone." Meg said to Sage as they walked over of the room.
Christine turned back to the mirror and smiled again. She looked down at the engagement ring and touched it. "So, you're going through with it." A familiar deep voice said behind her. Christine turned sharply around to see Erik standing there in the corner near the back door which led down to the basement of the church where Christine was. "I'm surprised you even came into a church, Erik. Weren't you afraid you'd burst into flames?" Christine spat at him.
Erik smirked at her and started coming toward her. "Good one Christine, you still have the sharp tongue I always loved about you." He said to her in an evil tone. "I thought we left everything be when you came to my apartment the other night. Why can't you just stay gone?" she asked him, tears forming in her eyes.
But she held them back because she couldn't ruin her make up. She wanted to look perfect for Nick, he deserved that. "I couldn't stop thinking about you," Erik said when he came up behind her. Erik put his hands on her shoulders and pulled back to him. "It's too late." She told her sadly. Erik shook his head. "It's never too late for people who are you in love." Erik told her. He turned Christine around in his arms and starred into her dark eyes.
He cupped her face in his hands and starred at her. She looked so beautiful. So wonderfully perfect. She looked innocent even. Erik had never been so jealous of a man. Nick was getting this beauty and Erik was left to watch. Erik knew Christine loved Nick but she wasn't in love with him the way she was with Erik. She hated Erik and loved him.
Erik leaned his forehead against Christine's once more. "Christine, come away with me." Erik said suddenly. Christine pulled away from him and shook her head. "No. I can't. It wouldn't be right. I can't hurt Nick, Erik! I love him." She said raising her voice a little. A knock came to the door. "Christine it's time." Her father called from behind the door. Christine's eyes darted from the door to Erik. He took her hand and pulled her to him. "Christine, we belong together. You know and I know it." He told her almost pleadingly.
Another knock. "Christine are you okay?" Raymond called sounding worried.
"But Sage-" Another knock. "She can come with us," Erik told her, holding her a little tighter. "We can be a family, Christine," another knock. "We can make things the way they were supposed to be," another knock, a little harder. "I can love you."
Christine was no far beyond tears. Her heart was breaking again and again. "Please… don't do this to me." She begged him. She clutched his shirt in her hands.
"Christine, they're waiting." Her father called. "Please… I love you." Erik told her. Christine just starred into his eyes. "I love you too. God, I love you so much it's killing me. It's breaking my heart." She told him. "And that's why… I can't be with you." She told him stepping away from him. He took her hand and it slowly drifted from his own. "Christine… I can't go on with out you." He told her.
She shook her head. "I feel the same way." She said turning away from him and walking toward the door. She never got to the door before Christine grabbed her once more. "No! I won't lose you. I won't let you leave me." He told her shaking her. "I don't know why I feel like this. I haven't in so long." He said to her. Christine suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
Erik kissed her back with equal passion and love. Their tears mixed in with their passionate kiss. Another knock came to the door. Erik never wanted to let go of her of her. "If you love me… you'll let me go." She whispered when she pulled away from him.
Raymond finally got fed up. He opened the door to find Christine ready to open it. She looked at though she had been crying. "Oh, sweetie, are you alright?" Raymond asked her. She looked at her father and shook her head. "Yes, I guess I'm just… happy." She said to him before taking his arm.
As Raymond walked Christine down the isle the music that was playing with the theme song for the movie Titanic that was sung by Celine Deon. It was just the piano playing with no one singing.
When Raymond reached Nick he kissed Christine on the cheek and then handed her off to Nick. As Christine and Nick took their vows and placed the rings on their fingers a lonely soul in the rafters watched from above like a guardian angel. What Christine never knew what was Erik had never left the states. He might've said he had left and traveled all over the world but he never did.
He never left. He left her because he had to believe the people that were trying to kill him that he had left. He couldn't put Christine in danger any more. He had stayed in New York when she was there. He had followed her to Paris when she was sent there. He had kept an eye on her and watched over her. Erik had promised himself he would never let anything happen to Christine and as long as there was a breath in his body, and as long as his heart would beat in his chest, nothing would ever harm Christine, Sage and even Nick.
Erik would always be there singing songs in her head.
After the wedding Christine and Nick went to the reception. It was in a very beautiful hall. There were over two hundred guests. Plus one.
After Christine and Nick had danced their song everyone was having a blast. Christine was having fun but her heart was still broken. "Christine, you have to sing a song!" Meg said when she got hold of the microphone. Christine knew Meg wasn't drunk, not yet anyway. Meg ran down from the stage and pulled Christine up. Everyone was cheering Christine on to sing. "Fine but what should I sing?" Christine asked the crowd.
The guests started shouting out requests. "Okay, I'll sing that song." Christine said when she had decided. She told the band the song and they got ready to play it. Christine took the microphone in her hand and waited for the band to be ready.
"Every night in my dreams
I see you
I feel you
That is how I know you go on
Far across the distance and
Spaces between us
You have come to show you
Go on
Near, far, where ever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more you open the door
You are safe in my arms and my
Heart will go on and on
Love can touch us one time
And last for a lifetime
And never let go till we're gone
Love was when I loved you
One true time
I hold to
In my life I know you go on
Near, far, where ever you are
I believe that the heart does go on
Once more you open the door
You are safe in my arms and
My heart will go on and on,"
Christine paused for a moment and looked out through the crowd to see couples dancing. Nick was out on the dance floor dancing with Sage in his arms. Then Christine spotted someone on the balcony. Someone she knew all too well. But Erik quickly disappeared when he realized she had seen him.
Christine suddenly dropped the microphone and ran off the stage and toward the stairs that led to the balcony. Everyone gasped and started talking amongst themselves. One of Raymond's singer/actress' got up on the stage and started to finish the song.
Christine could hear the music behind her and it was as if the music were following her.
"You're here there's
Nothing I fear
You are safe in my
Arms and my heart
Will go on
We'll stay forever this way
You are safe in my heart and
My heart will go on and on."
As the music faded away Christine reached the balcony. She opened the door and saw the entire crowd of guests. But the balcony was empty. The only thing that was in the balcony on a small seat was a half black mask. Erik's mask. Christine walked towards it slowly. She knelt down and picked it up. Christine put it over her heart and began to cry once more.
Christine suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She touched the hand and continued to cry. The person knelt down and wrapped its arms around her. Christine opened her eyes and looked up to see the kind eyes of her father, Raymond. He was the only one she ever told about Erik. She never did tell him who Sage's father was but somehow she knew that he knew that it was Erik. "Nick can never know, neither can Sage." Christine told him.
Raymond shook his head. He pulled Christine closer and kissed her forehead and cheek and stroked her back gently.
And Nick never did know. Never and neither did Sage. They both went on with their lives never knowing who Sage's father was. And Raymond promised to take Christine's secret to his grave.
Five years later
It was five years after Christine and Nick had gotten married and five years since Erik had left. Christine now had two children. Sage and her son Michael and one more child Christine was pregnant with. Christine still worked for her father and Nick was still a cop. Michael was five years old and Sage was now eight and had more friends than she used to have.
Not a day went by that Christine didn't think about Erik, but she would never let her emotions and feelings for him out of her. She kept them in and only on rare occasions would she find herself breaking down and crying over him. She still had both of his masks that she kept in a lock chest in her closet.
Yes, Christine was happily married and loved Nick she was still in love with Erik and would always be his. He alone would hold the key to her heart. And it would remain locked and hidden until the day Christine died.
As for what happened to Erik, Christine didn't know what happened to him. She wondered if he went off traveling the world.
But he was actually closer than she realized. He was only five doors down from her.
Watching her children get on and off the bus to school and making sure they were safe. He would watch Christine and make sure she was always safe and he even made sure Nick was safe when he went to work.
It gave Erik a type of peace to know he was protecting the woman he loved and would always love until his dying day.
Fin