A/N: As always, thanks to my beta, Le Chat Noir, especially for the fight scene.
Erik: the Vampire Hunter
Episode 19: Confrontation
By: ElektraLaramie Drive
"You still haven't told me where he is!" Laura started as she walked into the Leader's study. "Here I am, eagerly waiting... and you continue to keep secrets!"
He laughed, "But if I told you, would you still come to ME every night? I assure you, I would be far more exciting then him!"
She studied him a moment, "I don't understand, Shay." She began, "I look at you and see the most beautiful man I have ever laid my eyes on... and yet Erik, your son..."
"...is not?" the Leader finished. "Yes. That is often the case when my kind procreate with mortals."
"I would love to know what your kind IS, exactly." Laura replied as she moved before his chair. "Certainly nothing like MY kind..."
He leaned back in his seat and looked up at her, "Tell me, Laura - you were in the same classes as my son way back when," he started, "What did the boys at school call him?" he smirked knowingly.
She shrugged, "Many things - Freak. Monster. Living dead boy. Devil's child. Spawn of Satan-" she stopped, eyes wide, "But YOU'RE not-"
"Oh no no..." he waved a hand dismissively, "Though He's an interesting fellow. I could tell you some stories..."
Laura didn't care at the moment. "Shay, where is my plaything!" she demanded again.
"Hmm... well... I will take you to him soon. But you must know, my dear... once you've lured him, he won't even know what to do with you!" He then grasped Laura's hips and slid her into his lap. "Let me show you a few things you can teach him."
Giry Residence - Erik's room
Christine opened her eyes and rolled over sleepily, only to see Erik sitting beside her on the bed, his back pressed up against the wall, ebony hair covering his face, and long bony fingers clutching desperately at his biceps.
He seemed deeply troubled.
"Erik?" she began, concerned for his well-being.
"Christine." He answered. He was silent a moment, then spoke again. "What happened? How did you come to be here...?"
She immediately sat up, taken aback by the question. Didn't he remember? "Well, I had a fight with Meg. You got all pissed off, so I figured it was better if I didn't stay with her last night." She watched him for a moment, then continued. "I came into the room with my pillow and asked you if I could sleep here instead. You said it was ok!"
"So... that was NOT a dream then..." he whispered.
"A dream?" Her eyes went wide, "Oh Erik! I thought you were still awake!"
He shook his head. "I was very tired last night, Christine. I fell asleep rather quickly," he turned his head away from her. "If I was aware, I would not have touched you."
She furrowed her brow, "What are you talking about? You didn't touch me!" Then she realized his worry, and laughed. "Are you referring to the cuddle?"
His head shot up at the ease with which she spoke. "I had no RIGHT to-"
"Erik!" Christine interrupted before he could continue, her voice still cheerful. "I LIKED the cuddle! I haven't been cuddled in a long time. It was nice." She pushed herself to her knees and saw he was still upset.
Christine crawled over to him, prying his fingers from his arms as she took his hands. She could see small bruises on his alabaster skin from the tightness of his grip. "What's wrong?"
He simply stared at her - Surprised. Amazed. Confused. "You know what I am. What I am capable of." He yanked his hands from hers and brought them self-consciously to his face, "You have seen me. You look at me even now. Any other woman would be horrified!"
Christine took a deep breath, and spoke. "I'm NOT any other woman. I'm ME. And I like you. A lot. And I don't mean as a friend."
There. She'd said it.
He glanced away, a frown on his pale lips. "No. You pity me." He spat. "Pity me or abhor me. That is all any woman can do!"
Now Christine grew annoyed, "I pity the beggars on the street when I go downtown!" she snapped, "That doesn't mean I've CUDDLED them! Or HUGGED them. Or KISSED-" she suddenly stopped, slapping a hand over her mouth.
Oops. He hadn't been conscious for that.
Erik focused his golden eyes on her, brow furrowed.
Christine ignored his unspoken question, far too angry to explain herself. "You know, sometimes I wonder if that stupid mask totally blinds you!"
Without another word, she grabbed her pillow and stormed out of the room.
30 Minutes Later
"Erik..."
Erik froze as he stepped out of his room, having since dressed and masked himself. He turned to see Madame Giry standing before him, arms crossed, lips pursed.
She was not happy.
"Yes, Antoinette?" he asked innocently.
"What happened between Christine and yourself last night?" she demanded.
Erik took a deep breath, "I do not know. I had no idea she was even there. Not until I woke up this morning."
"And why was she running from your room in tears?" Giry pressed. "She's locked herself up with Meg, sobbing,"
"Ah, so they are not arguing any more?" He asked.
"Don't change the subject, Erik!"
"I did nothing horrible to her, if that's what you fear!" He frowned, then glanced away, his voice growing quieter. "She confessed to liking me, as a female likes a male." He shook his head, "I accused her of pitying me, and she accused me of being blind." He explained. "Well, you saw what happened after that."
"Goodness, Erik. You really DON'T know how to behave towards a woman! Do you realize she just admitted one of the hardest things she will ever admit? And you REJECTED her!" Giry was annoyed, "I would have thought you would be more sensitive to such things, given your own history."
Erik frowned. "The women I know either curse the day I was born, or end up one of the undead. So how am I to react when a female tells me she has feelings for me? It was the last thing I ever expected!" He hissed.
Giry sighed. "I suggest you go apologize to the girl when she's in the mood to talk to you again. The sooner the better. I wish to have peace under my roof!"
Erik swore under his breath and headed angrily out into the yard.
Giry backyard - later
Kathleen Bell watched Antoinette Giry's newest houseguest from her adjoining backyard.
She enjoyed observing him as he worked on the wooden deck. Currently, his left hand was gripping a piece of wood - a strong, firm grip - as the long graceful fingers of his right hand checked for knots and rough edges.
Kathleen wondered at the feel of those hands. Would they be soft and limber, or rough and coarse?
Her eye-candy seemed angry about something as he lay the wood and hammered it into place. If she wanted to speak to him, she would have to be careful. His golden eyes were keen and suspicious, the frown on his perfect mouth showed that he would not be easily impressed.
And the mask. Well... she couldn't quite figure that out. Was he, perhaps, scarred? Surely it couldn't be that bad, for beneath the soft black material, she could make out high elegant cheekbones.
She smiled to herself. Even if his face was somewhat scarred, a body like his would not be kicked out of her bed. She admired the way his black ribbed tank top showed his lean hard torso, and how his fitted black yoga pants offered her a nice view of his lovely backside.
He was pale. So pale, in fact, that light traces of blue could be seen beneath his skin. It gave him an almost ethereal look. The paleness was a stark contrast to not only his choice in clothing, but the ebony hair he had tied back. She wondered, perhaps, if he was ill.
He was intense in his work. And thorough. She could only imagine what kind of lover he would be.
Kathleen leaned forward on her white picket fence, and continued to enjoy the view... until a sound unlike anything she had ever heard before drifted to her ears.
It was sweet, heartbreaking, and heavenly all at the same time...
Alas my love you do me wrong
To cast me off discourteously
And I have loved you oh so long
Delighting in your company
Kathleen's breath caught.
Her eye-candy was SINGING. And it was beautiful...
Greensleeves was my delight
Greensleeves my heart of gold
Greensleeves my heart of joy
And whom but my Lady Greensleeves...
She didn't even know that song had words.
Kathleen slipped through her gate and made her way around the front, sneaking up the Giry's driveway and through the side of the house, until she was in the backyard.
Her eye-candy stopped what he was doing when he noticed her, and stood up straight. Goodness, he was tall! And he had the most incredible eyes she had ever seen. A golden amber. She was quite sure no one else had eyes like that.
She was even more desperate to know what he hid beneath that mask now...
"Hello," Kathleen held out a neatly manicured hand with hot pink acrylic nails, which matched her hot pink overly tight t-shirt and capri pants ... which, Erik thought, clashed horribly with her blindingly bright red hair. "My name is Kathleen Bell. I'm one of Anti's neighbours."
Kathleen smiled with brightly-painted lips. Erik could see her darkly tanned skin crinkle just a little. She had to be around Giry's age - mid to late 40s, though she seemed rather well preserved. No doubt artificially.
"Anti?" Erik repeated, then realized "Ah... you mean Antoinette..."
"God, you have an amazing talking voice!" She gasped, the very sound of his voice sending pleasant shivers over her skin. It was smooth as silk. "And I heard you singing just before. Beautiful! Angelic, even!"
"Thank you," he answered, and saw she still had her hand out. Antoinette had kindly asked him to be civil to her neighbours. Reluctantly, Erik put his tools down and took the lady's hand, giving a quick squeeze in the hopes for as little contact as possible. "My name is Erik." He attempted to slide his hand from her grip. She seemed unwilling to let go.
She looked down at their entwined hands, "Mmm... nice strong hands..." she spoke softly. "And long... slender fingers..."
Erik studied the woman, not sure if that was a compliment or something else. "Yes, well, I use my hands a lot," he said, yanking himself free.
"I'll just bet you do..." Kathleen said with a wink. Erik was beginning to feel rather uncomfortable. "So, are you here for the summer? I see you're building Anti a deck,"
He nodded, "Yes. She hired me as an independent contractor," he answered.
"Amazing!" She replied, and slithered closer. Erik nearly recoiled as the perfume she wore almost overpowered him. She arched her back ever so subtly, causing her silicon-enhanced chest to nearly make contact with him. He took a step back, despising the thought of being touched. "Do you have a card? I may need some home improvements myself."
Kathleen suddenly heard a girl's voice cry out from the house... and before she could enjoy the rest of her eye-candy's company, he immediately rushed inside.
Well... damn...she pouted.
Giry Kitchen
Christine cried out as the knife with which she was cutting celery sliced her finger in the process. She grabbed a tissue and wrapped it around, but the cut was deep, and the blood wouldn't stop.
"Come here!" Erik suddenly grabbed Christine's wrist, having run in from outside when he heard her cry. He quickly dragged her to the bathroom.
He practically pushed her onto the closed toilet seat, and quickly raided the Giry's medicine cabinet, then knelt down before her with the tools he needed.
"This will hurt," he warned, and placed an antiseptic-soaked cotton ball upon the wound. She hissed at the sting. "Hold that on there now," he said as he grabbed a bandage and placed antibiotic ointment on it. "Ok, let go..." she did so, and he quickly wrapped the bandage tight. "This will soak through in a short while, but at least it will stop the bleeding."
"Um... thank you..."
He nodded, then looked up at her from his place on the ground. "Are you still upset with me, Christine? I have been informed that I have yet to learn how to behave towards a woman."
"Just like every other man I know," she smiled sweetly as she brushed a stray strand of hair off his mask. Her hand then rested upon his covered cheek.
He could feel her warmth through the cotton mask and closed his eyes for a moment. Such a simple touch... and yet it meant so much.
When he opened his eyes, Christine's lovely face was so very close to his...
"Very well then," he quickly jumped to his feet, "I am glad that is settled. I will see you later."
Soon, he was in the backyard, engrossed in his work once again.
Giry Residence - outside (that night)
Erik could sense them nearby. Two creatures that had no right to be here. They were watching him. Spying, as it were. Which meant two things.
The Leader knew where he was. And he had just put Christine in danger.
He clutched at the stake in his hands, and walked over to where he sensed them.
Quietly... quietly...
There!
Erik immediately yanked the creature out from It's hiding place behind a birch tree. He shot his fist out, catching It across the temple. The toe of his boot then hit hard in It's stomach, sending It back against the bark and allowing It to become easy fodder for his stake.
The second attacked from behind, and Erik spun around, his long leg sliding out and tripping his attacker to the ground. He quickly dropped a knee hard into its sternum, pinning it to the ground. "How much does he know!" Erik demanded.
"Who?" The Creature asked with feigned innocence.
A rush of anger filled him as he clocked the creature in the jaw, sending tiny spatters of blood spewing out. "HOW MUCH!"
"He knows your weakness!" It laughed at this.
Erik did not find the humour, instead smashing It's head hard against the cement, indulging in the sickening crack of bone against concrete. Once. Twice. Three times before he turned Its body to powder. "I have no weakness!" He spat at the pile of dust.
Erik stood up and brushed the residue from his tank top and pants. He then sat on the stoop of Giry's house. He did not want to go in. Not yet.
He heard the patter of light feet, and soon Christine was sitting beside him. "You're really good at that," she said as she glanced over at the dust. She then looked back at him, "I... I haven't seen one of them since we got here. Does that mean they know?"
Erik nodded. "It means I should leave."
"No!" Christine immediately wrapped her hands around his upper arm, as if he were going to disappear that very moment. "Don't. Please?"
"It would be safer," he replied.
"HOW?" she demanded, "HOW will it be safer? We're still here! They know it. If you leave, we have no protection!" she hugged his arm, "And I don't want you to go!" She then rested her head against his shoulder, her voice a whisper now, "I don't want you to..." She repeated as she slid her hand down his arm and entwined their fingers.
Erik released a shaky breath, but for the first time, Christine noticed he didn't flinch. It gave her hope.
"You make a good point," Erik admitted. "I will have to talk to Antoinette. Perhaps she can call upon some hunters to patrol the area."
A rumble of thunder was heard in the distance, causing Christine to grasp Erik's arm a little tighter then necessary. He glanced at her a moment, then looked at the sky.
A storm was coming.
Christine and Meg's room - later
Christine...
A beautiful voice called to Christine as she slept.
Christine. I love you
"Erik..." She whispered in response. She wanted to go to him. "Where are you, Erik?"
Outside. Come see me. I want to give you something...
"What is it?" Christine asked as she slid out of bed, her mind and body in a blessed trance.
A kiss. Under the stars. In the backyard.
"I've been waiting for a kiss, Erik..." She replied as she followed the voice through the kitchen to the sliding door leading outside. She opened it slowly, and stepped through. "It's raining..." Christine noted, but didn't seem overly bothered by the fact she was soaking wet in moments.
Come to me, Christine. Let me hold you.
She saw him beckoning to her.
My sweet little angel.
She stood before him now. Looking up into golden eyes. "I'm here..."
Close your eyes...
She did so, sighing as she felt long slender fingers trace down her jaw, against her neck.
Kiss me, Christine...
Christine tilted her head up, felt his warm breath on her cheek. His mouth was almost upon hers...
...and she knew something was wrong.
Instead of feeling eager and warm, she grew frightened and chilled. Christine started to back away.
What are you doing, little angel? Why reject me?
"You make me feel cold..." she answered softly.
"Christine! Get away from him!"
Christine's eyes flew open. She spun around only to see the REAL Erik rushing out into the backyard. She then turned to the man in front of her.
It was Phillip De Chagny's business partner.
Or as Erik called him, The Leader.
Erik rushed at him in a blur of pale skin. This man... this thing was trying to take advantage of his Christine.
Emotion overwhelmed his discipline as Erik crashed into the Leader, hands reaching for the man's neck. Calmly, the Leader caught Erik by the throat, holding him at arm's length. He shook Erik like a rag doll, and threw him to the ground.
Erik crouched, breathing heavily, just as the Leader connected a kick to his ribs. Erik rolled back, caught himself with a hand to the muddy earth, and wheezed a strained breath in.
Staggering to his feet, he prepared to throw a punch when he felt his knees go out from underneath him. The Leader stood over him and shook his head as Erik groaned.
"Why do you keep rushing your advantage? Not that you could possibly have one, but I thought you were better trained. Would you like to try again?"
Erik stood and waited for a moment as the rain came down harder. He knew Christine was out of the way, but as much as he longed to confirm that, he dared not take his eyes off this thing.
He began to walk slowly, feeling the earth give way under his bare feet, until he was in a better position to look at the Leader and Christine.
His breathing labored, Erik quickly brushed his hair out of his eyes and stepped forward into an offensive stance. Three quick strides brought him into contact with his opponent, and Erik managed to connect his right fist with the Leader's jaw as he grabbed for the man's coat. Drag him down...thought Erik.
Are you so sure you can? Or that you want to do this in front of that angelic girl?
Erik stayed his second punch. His eyes widened at the voice in his head, and he backed off slightly before lunging forward again. The Leader evaded the second punch and smiled.
You cannot best me.
Erik sneered at him and landed his third punch. The leader, however, seemed unfazed.
She's very pretty. I commend you on your taste.
"Stay the hell away from her!" Erik hissed.
And what will you do if I don't? Execute me? Tell me... how did SHE feel about your talent with a rope? She's a little frightened of you, isn't she? When she first found out, she even ran away.
"She dealt with it!" Erik insisted.
Does she now? Then why is she STILL frightened of you? Oh, it's not obvious, but it's always there. At the back of her mind. You scare her... and yet, you excite her at the same time.
Erik shook his head. "I would never hurt her."
She thinks you're talking to yourself right now. She's starting to wonder at your mental state. She can't hear me, you understand. Only YOU can. She's rather confused.
Erik let out a frustrated shout and tackled the leader to the ground.
Without so much as a sigh, the Leader lifted Erik and threw him off. Erik hit the ground at an angle, his arm pinning and jabbing into his already beaten ribcage.
As he started to push himself up, the Leader was there, and another swift kick to the ribs forced Erik to fall back into the mud.
When Erik's eyesight cleared, the Leader was gone.
Erik climbed gingerly to his feet and stood before Christine, trying to ignore the sharp pain in his ribs. "Are you ok?" he asked.
"I'm okay... but... you're hurt!" Christine worried. "You need to see a doctor!"
Her hands went out to support him, but he waved away her concern. "No... no I'm fine..." he replied breathlessly, but Christine knew he was hiding the pain. Why wouldn't he just let her help?
Once they were back inside, Erik went to the linen closet and grabbed a few towels. He was only wearing his sleep shorts and the towel rid him of the wet mud easily enough. He considered taking a shower... but he could barely stand as it was.
He glanced over to Christine, and saw her pajamas were soaked - albeit much cleaner than his own - And silently cursed himself for finding her current appearance desirable.
Erik immediately wrapped one towel around her shoulders to cover her shivering wet form, then placed another atop her head, massaging his fingers into the material as he attempted to dry her hair.
"How did he get you out there?" he asked.
She looked up at him from under the cloth. "I heard his voice in my head. He... he pretended to be you... and promised me something if I went to you-or him, I guess..."
Erik's soggy cotton mask clung to his face like a second skin, allowing Christine to see his facial expression perfectly. He was noticeably perplexed.
"And what could he-or ME, for that matter, possibly promise that would send you out into the rain?"
Christine met his eyes, then rolled to her tiptoes and gently grasped his shoulders, not wanting to hurt him any more then he already was.
One little hand slid up and peeled the mask from his face, letting it slop heavily to the ground. Her other hand slid behind his neck and into his damp hair.
"... this..." Christine closed her eyes, the towel falling from her head as she tilted her chin up... and brushed her lips against his.
Erik's entire body went rigid. No words could describe the rush of emotions that suddenly overwhelmed him and threatened to spill over.
He didn't know whether to laugh, or cry, or run, or scream, or hurt her.
Christine could not possibly understand what she had just done to him. She couldn't possibly understand the feelings that had started to stir in his numb soul since the first night he had seen her, the first night he had heard her beautiful voice join him in song.
"Erik?" Christine began nervously as she pulled away, not sure how to read the look on his face, the conflict in his eyes.
"Why!" he hissed harshly, "Why did you just do that?" He could still taste her sweet kiss - like cherries.
His first kiss.
"Because I wanted too," Christine replied.
Erik froze as Christine pulled his head down to hers again, her mouth meeting his once more.
The kiss was firmer this time. Harder. The contact made his senses reel. He felt a rush of heat course through his body, heard his mind screaming at him to respond.
It was almost too much to bear.
Every desire, every emotion that he had tried to push down, push away, now came to the surface. He wanted to remember this moment, remember her touch, her warmth, her taste, her smell.
Christine... angel...
His hands suddenly pressed against her back, crushing Christine's little body against his own. He pulled a gasp from the girl that parted her lips, intimately deepening the kiss with her inadvertent submission.
She was going to push him away, he was sure of it. What woman would not? What woman would not find his physical affections repulsive? Offensive?
But he could not stop himself as he slid one hand over her shoulder, trailing up her neck until his fingers were cupping her wet cheek.
Please forgive me, Christine... you just taste so sweet...
Her reaction was the last thing he expected.
Christine reached up and slid her arms around his neck, responding eagerly.
Erik's instincts took over as he tangled his long graceful fingers in her hair, the towel around her shoulders slipping to the floor.
His mouth pressed firmer as a strong arm wrapped tightly around her waist and lifted the girl off the ground. The pain and exhaustion from his fight with the Leader disappeared as he felt her wet form pressed against his own, setting his cold body on fire.
Christine couldn't help but whimper out a delighted response...
...and Erik immediately broke the kiss.
He quickly lowered the girl back to her feet and stumbled back, frightened. Breathless. He shook his head desperately, appearing to be on the verge of a breakdown.
"Christine! I'm sorry!" He cried out. "I shouldn't have! I ... I didn't mean to-"
The agony of his fight suddenly returned with full force, causing Erik to let out a distressed groan as he clutched his ribs painfully. He clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut. You wicked, evil, ugly monster! His silent voice taunted. Your physical suffering is no more then you deserve! How dare you force such a kiss on your angel? How dare you taint her with your touch?
"I... I'm so sorry!" Erik gasped out, then quickly spun around and raced into his room, slamming the door shut behind him.
Christine simply remained in place, stunned as she brushed her fingers over her lips.
"Erik?" she called out, but received no answer. He had been so quick to leave that he had even forgotten his mask. She picked it up and stared at it.
Then she grew annoyed.
"Damn it, Erik!" she shouted, not caring if Meg or Madame Giry heard her now. "You don't just kiss a girl like that then run away!"
END OF EPISODE 19
Extra A/N: The song Erik sings while working in the backyard was the traditional song, "Greensleeves". The particular version quoted was recorded by Canadian music artist Loreena McKennitt.