A.N: Well, after some time, I finally have a chapter out. Forgive me for taking so long, I got so entranced by the next chapter that I didn't have time to write this one... So I hope you forgive me and enjoy. .

Chapter Eight: Anywhere you go let me go too

As a safety measure, Erik climbed through the fly system first. Holding hands, they walked slowly. They had a list so they could write down which ropes needed replacing.

"This rope looks a little frayed. Do you think it needs to be replaced?" Sarine asked, examining a rope.

"Hmm..." Erik said thoughtfully, examining the rope. "I would replace it, just in case."

Sarine nodded, writing down the rope number. Erik looked at her, her face red and her black eye becoming apparent. He turned her head gently to look at him. She gave him a light smile.

"Are you alright? I can see you're pretty shaken under that smile," Erik said, taking her hands.

"Yeah," she said, looking down at their hands. "I just hate when Jonathan's mad at me. He was always there for me, my shoulder to cry on. He was right there for me when Xander died."

Erik raised an eyebrow, "Who's Xander?"

"My ex-fiancée," she replied, pulling her hands away and examining the next rope. "We met at an opera house in Venice. I was in the chorus, and he was in the audience. There were so many other girls in the chorus, yet he came to me after the show and told me that my voice was the only one he heard. He came to every show after that, sitting in the front row and bringing me a bouquet of roses. Every night he asked me out to dinner, and every night I refused. Finally, I broke down and agreed. He took me out every night after that, either to the theatre or to dinner. Finally, after two months, he proposed. I agreed and everything was perfect. We were to be married in the fall. That year, in June, he was sent to Africa on business. He worked as an architect for a major company. But when he came back, he was very sick. He had caught a disease there, and the doctors gave him a month, maybe less. The night he died, he told me that he wanted me to get married. He said that if I find someone who I can't take my eyes off of, the go for him. He wanted me to be happy, even if it wasn't with him. He died with me holding his hand."

A single tear fell down her cheek at the memory. Erik took her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. He wiped the tear away with his finger.

"How does Jonathan figure in that?" Erik asked, pulling her in an embrace.

Sarine smiled through her tears, "He was to be Xander's best man. They were the closest friends I have ever seen. They both worked at the same company, and they both went to Africa. Jonathan could never forgive himself for Xander getting sick and not him. He left Venice with me, and we came here to Paris. Xander told Jonathan that he wanted me to star in an opera. That's why he wanted so badly for me to star in one here. Both him and Xander knew I got stage fright on my own on the stage, but Xander always tried helping me. After he died, it was Jonathan who suggested that I take Xander's last name, so I did. I really miss him… You're a lot like him, with music. You're both so determined to see me freeze on stage, I swear you both are evil!"

They both laughed. Erik held her tightly to him. He never wanted to let her go. She shouldn't have to bear all of this pain alone. He was glad that she had told him. In time he, too, would tell her of his lost love. But not yet.

"Sarine? Erik? Can you come down here for a moment?" Amy called up.

"Be right down!" Sarine replied, pulling herself away from Erik.

They both walked carefully to the ladders, Sarine going down first. When they both were down, they walked over to the girls.

"Now Erik," Amy began, showing him the sheet music. "All I Ask. Is it between Christine and the Phantom, or Christine and Raoul?"

Erik flinched at the memory of the vicomte's arms around Christine, "Christine and Raoul. Do we have someone for a Raoul?"

"I know someone," Tara said.

"Can you take the place of Raoul for now? I want to go over the songs," Amy said to Erik.

Erik nodded and escorted Sarine to center stage. Amy started playing and Erik took Sarine's face in his hands.

"No more talk of darkness

Forget these wide-eyed fears

I'm here, nothing can harm you

My words will warm and calm you

Let me be your freedom

Let daylight dry your tears

I'm here, with you, beside you

To guard you and to guide you."

Erik could feel Sarine starting to shake. When she began to sing, it was quiet and shaky. He placed his hand on her stomach and pushed, causing her to sing louder.

"Say you love me every waking moment

Turn my head with talk of summertime

Say you need me with you, now and always

Promise me that all you say is true…

That's all I ask of you"

Erik smiled as he felt her shaking subside. He took her hands lovingly.

"Let me be your shelter

Let me be your light

You're safe, no one will find you

Your fears are far behind you"

Sarine sang her next part loudly and firmly, knowing that her heart was behind every word she was singing to Erik.

"All I want is freedom

A world with no more night

And you, always beside me

To hold me and to hide me."

Erik took Sarine's face in one hand, holding her hand to his heart with the other.

"Then say you'll share with me

One love, one lifetime

Let me lead you from your solitude

Say you need me with you

Here, beside you

Anywhere you go, let me go too

Sarine, that's all I ask of you."

Sarine smiled when he replaced Christine's name with hers. She took a step closer to him.

"Say you'll share with me

One love, one lifetime

Say the word and I will follow you"

Erik took Sarine's face with both hands and pulled her to him. He gently placed his forehead to hers. She reached up to cover his hands with hers. They both sang a promise to each other.

"Share each day with me

Each night, each morning"

Sarine backed her head off and lightly tapped Erik's nose with her finger. She laughed as she sang

"Say you love me"

Without skipping a beat, Erik sang back

"You know I do"

With their whole hearts, they leaned in as they sang

"Love me, that's all I ask of you"

They moved the final distance and their lips touched. As catcalls came from Tara and Rose, they both smiled in the kiss. Reluctantly they pulled back to finish the song.

"Anywhere you go, let me go too

Love me, that's all I ask of you"

They shared another kiss, this one more passionate than the previous one. Erik was so glad that he could think of the song and remember this moment, not the one years ago. Every time he will think of this song from then on, it will be for him and Sarine, not Raoul and Christine. He broke the kiss and pulled her close, burying his face in her hair. He loved her, and would do anything for her. Even reveal his face to the public again at the end of Point of No Return. He would give his life, and even his freedom, to see her sing in his opera.