A.N: Yes, I know, finally. Blame LoverOfBalto for her roleplaying entrapment!

Now for an actual A.N. For this story, let us pretend that they did have boxers back in 1876. And let us imagine that Erik wore them. Please, I know it's not historically accurate, but let us pretend please?

Also, I know Sarine was married before, but she was too young then in Xander's mind for them to make love, so they didn't.

Due to the nature of this chapter, an R rating has been installed near the middle of the chapter, and lasts until the end. I'm sorry, but you have to know.

This chapter is dedicated to LoverOfBalto and Norah Roberts, for their assistance and inspiration.

Chapter Fourteen: Returning Home

The next morning Sarine and Erik woke to find their room filled with people. Jonathan was in the middle of them, directing the placement of their clothes into various trunks. He looked over when he saw Erik and Sarine awake. Sarine sat up and glared at him.

"Oi, did we wake you? I tried to be quiet, but I just wanted to get back home to Paris," he said, sounding like his cheerful British self.

"Jonathan…" Sarine said, her own British accent more hard when she's not concentrating. "It's too bloody early. Bugger off!"

With that, she fell back on the bed, and snuggled close to Erik. He was looking at both of them, shocked. He could always hear their British undertones, but never this prominent.

"C'est incroyable…" Erik muttered in his native French.

He sat up and, with much difficulty, got Sarine up. Both of them dressing quickly, they assisted in the packing. By mid-day, they were all packed and in a carriage heading to the boat dock. The dock was crowded with people, as Paris was often a popular tourist spot. The group snaked through the crowd and climbed the boarding platform to the first-class entrance. Walking down the hallway on C deck, they all climbed into the lift and took it to A deck. From there they went to their rooms. Jonathan had his own stateroom, but Erik and Sarine shared. When they finished unpacking, they went up to the boat deck to watch as Venice slipped away.

The trip was altogether uneventful, except for one night when Sarine and Jonathan got drunk. Erik watched and sipped on his champagne as Jonathan and Sarine got into a drinking fight. For each pint Jonathan downed, Sarine had to drink more, and vice versa. By midnight, they were both completely drunk. Jonathan's manservant helped him back to his stateroom and Erik carried Sarine back.

When they got back to their stateroom, Erik laid her gently on the bed and carefully changed her into a nightgown. Knowing as drunk as she was, he twisted her hair into a loose braid and began patting her forehead with a cool wet rag. She looked up to him.

"I'm sorry I'm such a burden…" she muttered, trying to get rid of her queasy feeling.

"Shh…" he said, stroking her face gently. "I know it's natural for you English to get drunk at a party. You just haven't been fully acquainted with the French ways of moderate drinking."

They both laughed. When he could tell she wasn't going to be sick, he changed into more comfortable clothing and climbed into the bed. He laid down next to her and pulled her so she could lay her head on his chest. She started fingering the frills on his poet's shirt as she began to fall asleep. He stroked her hair gently and sang "Music of the Night" from the Opera. Slowly his gentle voice put her to sleep.

XxXxX

The next day they arrived in Cherbourg, France. Erik needed to help Sarine, seeing as she was suffering from the worst hangover she'd ever had. At the dock, a separate carriage was there to take Erik and Sarine back to the opera house. They walked in to the opera house to find an open-armed welcome. There were decorations everywhere and the entire cast and crew was there. Amy, Rose and Tara ran up to Sarine and gave her a big hug.

"My goodness, we missed you!" Amy said, all three letting go. "You left without a single goodbye."

That moment Amy spotted Sarine's engagement ring. She looked from Sarine to Erik and smiled.

"I told you he look a liking to you."

Sarine smiled and leaned against Erik. He wrapped his arm around her protectively and kissed her hair.

The party went on for about three hours, but Sarine and Erik stayed for only two. Amy introduced them to the new cast and crew, Sarine gave a speech of thanks, and then Erik ushered her up to bed. After she changed into a nightgown, he helped her into the bed and covered her up with the velvet sheets. She cozied into them, pulling the blanket up to her chin.

"I missed lying in this bed with you," Sarine said. "It always seemed so perfect."

Erik smiled down at her. He then changed into a pair of pants for sleeping, but since it was so hot he ignored the shirt. When he was finished, he walked over and slipped under the sheets to lay beside Sarine. Gently he stroked her stomach through the thin nightgown. She turned over and faced him, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

WARNING! R MATERIAL FROM HERE TILL END

A furious red shot to his cheeks as her body pressed against him. He tried hiding the blush, but couldn't ignore the fact that his lack of shirt and the thinness of her nightgown caused him to feel every curve of her body. Sarine looked up to him and noticed the blush.

"What is it, sweetie?" she asked, totally oblivious to the problem.

"N…Nothing," he stammered, blushing even more.

Sarine looked down, recognized the cause of his blush, and giggled. Running a hand down his chest, she felt the tightened muscles. Each inch her hand got closer to the waistband of his pants, the more he tensed up and blushed. By the time her hands fell on his belt, his chest muscles were rock hard and he was as red as her lipstick.

"In my mind I've already imagined our bodies entwining, defenseless and silent. Now I am here with you. No second thoughts. I've decided…. Decided…"

Sarine whispered the last decided against his lips, then ravaged his mouth. As nervous as he was before, his return kisses showed no mercy. He let out a quiet moan as she nibbled on his bottom lip then ran her tongue over it. Right before it was about to leave his lip, he caressed her tongue with his, causing her to shiver.

After his belt was tossed aside, he slowly slid her nightgown over her head. He threw that to the floor, and he brought his hands down, lightly caressing her face, then her newly exposed breasts, then her bare side. His eyes traveled with his hands, causing her to blush in turn. In retaliation, she pulled his pants off and held them off the floor, then let them drop. They collapsed in a heap near her nightgown.

Now left only in their undergarments, Erik moved her onto her back and leaned gently on her. Sarine's heart rate increased as his hand caressed her side gently and then his finger hooked in the side strap of her underwear. Slowly he slid them down. They ended up beside his pants.

She, in turn, slid off his boxers. Throwing them aside, they landed on the monkey box.

As his hand ran up her side, it left a trail of goosebumps. His left hand cupped her left breast, and his thumb caressed it. He smiled down at her, then moved to act as if he were kissing her, but stopping just short of her mouth.

"Damn you," she growled.. "Take me and get this ache over with."

With those words he plunged into her. The initial surprise of it shocked her and she let out a gasp. That was cut short by his lips furiously being pressed on hers. With slow, hard thrusts he drove her wild, causing her eyes to cloud over. He rode with her as she crested over each wave of intense pleasure. Realizing she was on her first time, he kissed her lovingly as he took what was only hers to give. Her cry of pain was muffled by the kiss, but a tear managed to escape her eyes. He saw it, and caressed it away.

As they were lying there, him on his back now and her newly moved to his side, she stroked his chest gently, and he stroked her arm in turn.

"I'm so sorry it hurt," he whispered, kissing her forehead. "I tried my best for it not to. I'm so sorry."

She laid her head on his chest, breathing in the scent of him and smiling, "I knew it would. And I'm glad it was you."

Erik smiled and continued to caress her arm. Quietly he began to sing her to sleep, with a soft lullaby to calm and soothe the pain of her first time. He had taken Christine's first, but this one mattered more to him, because now he and Sarine were one, body, heart and soul.

Wow… that was odd typing… This is my first time writing something like this, and it's mostly based off of reading Norah Roberts' stuff. So, please R&R.