A/N: As always, thanks to my beta, Le Chat Noir

Erik: the Vampire Hunter

Episode 22: Nightmares

By: Elektra

Christine Daaé was surrounded by darkness.

Cold. Frightened.

She hugged herself, unsure of why she was here, or how she had arrived. "Hello?" she called out to the emptiness. No answer. She called out again, and received the same silence. "Where am I?" she asked.

"Right where I want you to be," came the reply. Christine spun around to see the source of the voice. Someone stood in the distance, an unseen light showing a tall lithe silhouette, his hair blowing in a breeze she could not feel.

"Erik?" she asked. The person stepped forward and she could finally see his face.

Yes. He had a face.

A beautiful face.

That certainly wasn't her Erik.

A shiver slid down her spine and caused goose bumps to rise on her arms. The man continued towards her, and Christine took a step back. "Who are you?" she asked.

"You know who I am…" he replied.

The closer he came, the more Christine backed away. "No," she gasped, "You stay away from me!" Christine suddenly felt herself surrounded by three walls. She could neither go back, left, nor right. Only forward… and towards the man – no, the creature - stalking her.

In a blur of ebony hair and pale skin, she found him standing mere inches from her. The frightening creature pressed his face into her neck, inhaling her scent.

"Mmmm… you smell innocent. I can have fun with you." He smirked. "After all, if you want something done right…." the creature chuckled, "Do it yourself!" He took one step back and contemplated her. "You know, I made the mistake of sending boys to try and get you away from him. It obviously failed. I know better now. A girl like you needs a MAN."

"L-leave me alone!" Christine cried out as her enemy moved towards her once again.

"Don't you like me?" He asked with a cold smirk. "I can promise you I'll make my company worth your while." His eyes seemed to glow amber. "I'm truly going to enjoy myself …" he brought his mouth to her ear, his voice low, "and I promise, angel, so will YOU,"

Christine cried out as she shot up in bed, her breathing ragged, her arms clenched tightly over her chest in fear. She looked back and forth frantically. She was in Meg's room. "Meggy?" she whispered.

Her friend let out a grunt beneath her covers, making it clear she was not going to wake any time soon.

Christine quickly jumped out of bed and ran out of the room, going to the only place she would feel safe for the night.

Erik's room

Erik was startled awake as the door to his room flew open and quickly shut. Before he could ask who dared enter without his permission, a petite feminine form slipped beneath his blankets and wrapped slender arms around him desperately.

"Christine?" He realized. "What are you-" He stopped when he felt her shaking, and immediately worried for her wellbeing. "What is it? What's wrong?"

She said nothing, only held him tighter. He heard her shallow uneven breathing, and realized she was hyperventilating. Why?

He had only witnessed this once before – when the girl had the misfortune to find the body of an opera singer in a dark hallway.

His arms went around her instinctively. "Calm now…" he began soothingly. "Breathe. Slowly. Deep breaths." He brushed her hair away from her face and felt the wetness of tears on her cheeks.

He could not find out what was wrong with the girl in her current state and did the only thing he could think of – he sang to her. "Wherein the deep night sky… The stars lie in its embrace…The courtyard still in its sleep…And peace comes over your face…"

It was a soft gentle lullaby meant to calm her. His voice was smooth and sweet, and seemed to be having the desired effect as he felt Christine's shaking slowly begin to subside. "'Come to me,' it sings… Hear the pulse of the land… The ocean's rhythms pull… To hold your heart in its hand…."

Finally, Christine calmed enough to find out what had bothered her so. "…Angel?" He began gently. "What happened?"

"I had a nightmare," she whispered as she pressed her face against his chest. "Bad. Felt real. There was a man… an evil man." She let out a choked sob, unable to continue. He could feel her tears against his skin.

Erik had had nightmares for most of his life. He could not understand how a dream could disturb Christine to the point where she ended up curled against him like a frightened child… but then again, she was not used to having such dreams.

Erik gently ran his fingers through her hair. He felt her breathing slow and calm as she shifted her little body snugly against him, her leg entwining with his as her arm tightened around his waist.

The hand in her hair froze.

Christine's innocent movement had sent an unexpected rush of heat through his body. He could not ignore how wonderful her soft warmth felt… how thin her pajama top was… how he could feel her as he had never felt her before.

Erik forced himself to swallow a moan. You sick monster – don't think of your angel that way! Not now! Not when she needs your comfort. He cursed himself. She may care for you, but she would be appalled at the current thoughts in your head. Shame on you!

He was at a loss what to do. His heart and soul wanted to comfort her, but he could not deny the hunger racing through his blood. "Christine…" his voice was strained as he slowly moved her away from him. "You… you cannot stay here tonight. You need to-"

"He wanted… said he wanted to have fun with me…" Christine interrupted, grasping Erik's arms and stopping him from pushing her from his embrace. "In the dream, he… grabbed me. It was like I could feel his hands on me. It was so cold!"

Erik squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw, feeling completely and utterly ashamed. If that was her nightmare, then I am no better... he realized.

He suddenly felt a hand upon his uncovered face. "You're the only one allowed." Christine's voice was barely a whisper.

He opened his eyes. "Allowed?" he asked.

"To touch me." She said. "No one else."

Erik was quite sure he had stopped breathing. What, exactly, was Christine implying?

He had spent thirty-one years without so much as a kind touch, yet within the last year he had not only befriended a beautiful girl, but now found her curled in his arms for comfort, telling him he was allowed to touch her.

That she could make such a declaration to him - to a man who had so much blood on his hands… whose very face had more-or-less driven a woman to her death - was beyond his comprehension.

Christine nestled against him once more, her head tucked beneath his chin. "Sing me to sleep?" she asked softly. "Please? That song… it was so pretty…"

"Christine… you can't stay here," he protested again, his restraint fading by the second.

"Why not?" she asked pitifully, raising her head to where she could meet the glowing orbs that were his eyes.

"Because it isn't-" He stopped when he saw her unshed tears and trembling lower lip. If only he wasn't so perceptive in the dark.

Erik took a deep breath and tucked her head beneath his chin once more, pushing the shameful thoughts from his mind as he soothingly rubbed her back to relax her. "And when the wind draws strong… Across the cypress trees… The night-birds cease their songs… So gathers memories -"

His voice faded out as he heard Christine's deep steady breathing and the feel of her resting in his arms.

Finally, she had fallen asleep.

Now only one question remained – how would he explain this to Antoinette in the morning?

Laramie Drive

"Oh Shay…" Laura sighed with annoyance as she stared at the man laying beside her in bed, "Your annoying new pet is making noise again."

He shrugged. "There is only so much I can do to silence it." He answered. "Just leave it alone. It'll wear itself out eventually."

"But it's banging against the walls of its room." Laura whined.

The Leader smirked. "Funny, that. You think it would be used to being locked up by now."

She frowned. "It's annoying, Shay! Make it stop!"

With an impatient sigh, the Leader slipped out of bed and left the room.

Laura waited, then heard the painful wrenching scream of the animal getting it's mind ripped and torn into shreds. She smiled at the silence that followed.

The Leader finally returned. "Well now, that's taken care of." He made himself comfortable beside her once again. "Now you must take care of ME."

"Gladly." She answered, "But tell me, Shay…" She met his golden eyes, "when will you let the animal's son know that she's here?"

Elsewhere

Erik knew it was a dream. But it was one he had never had before. He heard someone sobbing and his eyes fell upon a young boy curled up on the ground, his face in his hands.

"Why are you crying? " He demanded, having no patience for a weeping child.

"My mother hates me!" the boy sobbed.

"My mother hates me too," Erik told the boy. "You do not see me crying about it."

"But you used to," the boy said.

"Perhaps when I was a child-" Erik stopped as the boy raised his head and looked up at him. The horrid skeletal face was unmistakable.

"She didn't love you," the boy began as he stood up. "Even though you loved her. STILL love her… she despised you!" The boy cocked his head to the left. "But then, NO woman could love something like you."

"I have long ago learned to accept such things," Erik answered. "What you are telling me is nothing new."

"But you hope for it, don't you? You hope she will tell you she loves you."

"I care not what my mother thinks of me. Not anymore," Erik replied.

"I am not speaking of your mother. I am speaking of your angel!"

Erik grew angry. "Do not speak of her!"

"You cannot hide from me, Erik. I'm you. I'm your reflection." The boy's ugly face was all Erik could see now, pieces melting off bit by bit. "It's not only on the outside. It's inside as well! Your ugliness extends far beyond your looks! You can NEVER escape from it!"

The younger Erik laughed. "Do you think she can see past the blood?" A piece of skin fell from the left cheek to reveal moist bone. "Do you think she will give you her heart?" A piece of the right cheek fell, revealing tendons.

"Do you think she will allow you to lose yourself in her body? To taint her with your touch?" the hideous boy asked, his lips peeling back from his teeth. "Do you hope to marry her? To have her in your arms every night?" The right eye fell out of its socket.

"You are a murderer. She cannot forget that!" A chunk of scalp fell away, gray matter seeping out ever so slowly. "And as much as you wish it, you will never forget it either! The darkness won't just go away! It will always be inside you! Festering. Decaying your heart and soul until there is nothing left."

Erik began backing away from the inhuman thing before him, shaking his head slowly.

"Why are you running?" The boy – if it could be called that now – asked. "This is you! This is what you REALLY look like!"

A sudden white light blinded both Erik and his rotting younger self. The light took on the form of a woman – petite, lovely, innocent.

Her skin shimmered with a silvery glow, her bright blue eyes seemed luminescent, her long curls hung loosely about her shoulders. Her slender arms stretched out towards the two, a sweet sound escaping her lips as she sang wordlessly to them.

The rotting boy looked upon her with awe. "Now that is unexpected," He said, but now his voice was that of a man.

It was a familiar voice, one Erik was sure he had heard before. But before he could contemplate it for too long, the boy spoke again in the man's voice.

"I had not thought you able to conjure her up in such a way."

"This is how I see her." Erik explained to the corpse. "Unrealistic thought it may be, it is a visual embodiment of my emotions for her."

The boy smirked coldly. "How unfortunate for you that she will never allow you to derive physical pleasure from such emotions."

The rotting form faded away, and Erik slowly found his mind begin to wake.

Erik's Room – the next morning

Erik gradually opened his eyes to find Christine still curled against him. His odd dream was fresh in his mind. He wondered if the boy in the dream realized she was sleeping soundly at his side.

Do you think she will allow you to lose yourself in her body? To taint her with your touch?

Erik pushed the taunting voice from his head. Christine had given him so much already. He would be greedy to want more.

With a soft sigh, he studied the sleeping face currently resting upon his shoulder. The sunlight seeping through the sides of his window shade illuminated her features. She looked very much like a child at this moment. She was even drooling, which while not the most pleasant of sensations against his skin, made him smile ever so slightly.

He pressed a light kiss against her forehead and lay his head back upon his pillow, fighting the urge to gather her in his arms and hold her body against him.

Perhaps a few more hours of sleep would make such urges go away.

He closed his eyes, and soon felt a little hand stroking his unmasked face. He almost shot up in bed, wanting to hide his face from Christine's sight, knowing she could see it in the dim light…

… but when he opened his eyes, he saw the girl gazing upon him with tenderness.

"Christine…" he whispered, awed with the look in her eyes. That she could stare at his deathly visage without disgust still surprised him. He wondered if he would ever grow used to it.

"Well, at least this is progress." She spoke softly.

"Pardon?" he asked, brow furrowed.

"You're not clutching desperately at your arms, huddled against the wall, hiding your face with your hair." She smirked.

"Ah yes… you made it very clear you didn't appreciate that last time." He replied, then glanced away. "A learned response, which I will admit I had to fight the impulse not to repeat a few seconds ago."

Christine wasn't sure whether to be happy that he fought the urge to hide from her, or upset that he still had it.

"Erik…" Christine began softly. "You're coming back to the college, aren't you?" she asked. For some reason, the sudden thought that he may not be there came to her mind. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen.

"Ah yes, you and the Girys are returning in two weeks, correct?"

Christine nodded.

"What is Ravelle College without its ghost then?" He asked. "I have that lovely cold basement to return to as well. I cannot pass up such wonderful accommodations."

Christine laughed, then met his eyes and sobered, growing serious for a moment. "Would you like someone to keep you warm at night?" she asked softly.

Erik forgot to breathe. "Christine?" he began. "What do you mean by that?"

Before she could answer, a loud knocking on Erik's door startled both of them. A frantic voice spoke on the other side. "Erik? Are you here? I can't find Chrissy!"

"Little Giry…" Erik sighed, then reached over to grab his mask from the bedpost where it hung.

Christine quickly slid out of the bed and went to the door, opening it a crack and wincing at the bright light in the hallway. It was such a stark contrast to the darkness in Erik's room. "Meg? I'm here. I'm fine." She said softly.

Her friend's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You spent the night with him?"

"I had a really bad nightmare," Christine answered innocently.

Meg studied the girl for a moment. "Why are you still dressed then?" she asked.

Christine furrowed her brow "What? Why wouldn't I-" she stopped, eyes going wide. "Oh! Meggy! No… no we SLEPT, that's it! I swear!"

"Damn." Meg seemed disappointed. "I was hoping for details."

Elsewhere

Why is Momma so mad at me? I only asked a question. I wanted to know why I have to wear this scratchy piece of linen on my face. It's hot in the summer. And uncomfortable. I'm growing bigger, but the cloth on my face seems to be getting smaller. It hurts my skin.

It hurts when you're mad at me, Momma. Don't you know I love you? I do, Momma. Even though you hate me.

Momma forces me in front of something. A big something covered by a dust cloth. She lifts the cloth up and rips the material from my face.

"Look!" she demands of me. "LOOK at that!" She is shouting in my ear. Her voice is so loud. I turn to her, but she twists her fingers in my hair, forcing me to stare. My eyes go wide as I see the THING staring back at me.

What IS that thing?

Why is Momma shoving my face against the cold glass? Momma… stop… please stop! I don't want to look at it!

"See that?" she asks. "See the demon in the mirror!"

I'm scared! The demon is repulsive. Ugly.

"Make it go away!" I beg her. Tears spill down the reflection's horrid features, and I feel wetness on my own cheeks. "Please, Momma! Make it go away! Make that yucky thing stop staring at me!"

It's revolting! There's a hole where its nose should be, and it has big yellow eyes! I can also see light traces of blue beneath its pale-white skin. The only thing normal is Its mouth! The rest of Its face looks dead!

Why is a dead thing staring at me?

Momma grasps my hands and forces them to my face, and the monster in front of us is doing the same thing. Is it taunting me?

"Feel this?" Momma demands. "Feel the dead boy? This is YOU! This is why you have to hide, you little freak!"

No more! Please, Momma! No more!

I pull my hands from hers and smash my fists repeatedly into the glass. I'm bleeding now. I feel my hands stinging. It hurts! I want the monster to go away, but it's still staring at me! Even through the cracks in the glass, it still stares at me!

And it's crying.

It's so ugly… but it looks so sad.

I feel bad now. Does Its Momma hate It the way my Momma hates ME?

"You wanted to know!" Momma says, but I'm too busy staring at the sad monster. It seems so alone.

No one will ever love It because it's so ugly.

And then I realize what Momma did.

I touch my face slowly, the creature behind the broken glass imitating my every movement.

And I know.

It's me. This is my reflection.

And Momma hates it.

Momma hates ME...

… because I'm not pretty… not like she is…

… I'm a monster…

Madeline woke up with a start. She looked around the well-furnished room and hugged her knees to her chest.

Shay had come to visit her earlier. Complained she was making far too much noise. He then said she should be happy that this new prison cell was nicer then her old one.

Why had he kidnapped her from the halfway house? Was it to punish her?

Ever since she had gotten here, she had been having dreams of being a little boy. A boy who was despised by his own mother.

No. These were memories. Memories of herself. Of what SHE had done to that little boy. Her little Erik.

She always woke up crying, consumed by emptiness as she stared in the mirror that stood at the foot of her bed.

Her eyes saw another's reflection– a corpse's face that stared back at her. The tears on Its little cheeks, the pleading eyes that begged, just once, for her to love them.

"Monster…" she whispered to the empty room. "I'm a monster…"

Giry backyard – evening

Erik sat on the deck, long since decorated with patio furniture, studying the paper before him. He was scratching his head as he scribbled something down. It was a detailed recollection of both his and Christine's dreams - as she had told him a few hours ago.

"What is wrong, Erik?" Giry spoke as she came out, pulling up a chair beside him.

"Have you had any odd dreams lately, Antoinette?" He asked.

She frowned. "Not that I recall. Why?"

"It seems Christine and myself both had strange ones last night. She claimed hers felt so real. Mine…" he frowned. "Well, mine always seem real, but I am used to that. She was rather disturbed, however, and came running into my room."

Giry raised an eyebrow. "She stayed with you last night?"

Erik's head shot up as he looked at Giry. "Yes… well… she was frightened." He bowed his head over the paper before him once again. "Where she spent the night is not important." He said quickly.

"No need to feel ashamed, Erik. I know what it is like to find comfort in a man's arms."

"Antoinette! I did not comfort her!" He stopped, then reworded his explanation. "Well, yes… I DID comfort her… but… perhaps not in the way you are implying!"

"I know, Erik." Giry answered. "Otherwise I surely would have heard Meg and Christine speaking about it in hushed whispers when I walked by their room."

"I just wanted to make that clear. I do not wish to sully her reputation."

"You certainly are an old-school gentleman," Giry replied, then glanced over at the paper on his lap. "Now tell me about these strange dreams you and your lady suffered last night."

Before Erik could, his cell phone went off. "Pardon me, Antoinette." He said, then answered the phone. "Hello? Erik speaking…"

"Erik?" Giry spoke when she noticed his body stiffening, his jaw clenching.

"When was she last seen?" He hissed into the phone. He waited for the response. "Why did no one contact me earlier?" He wasn't pleased with the answer. "No one noticed?" he shouted angrily. "How is it that no one notices when an ex-convict disappears from her room?"

His words startled Giry. Had Madeline gone missing?

"Visitor? What visitor?" Erik demanded. As he listened to the voice on the other line, Giry saw his body tense, his mouth turn down into a scowl. He suddenly swore into the phone, slamming it closed and sticking it on his belt once again.

"Erik? What happened?"

"She said she didn't know him!" he snapped angrily. "That lying bitch said she didn't know him!"

"Who?" Giry asked. "Who did she claim not to know?"

"The Leader!" he answered. "I should have probed her. Forced her to tell me." With an angry shout, he grabbed a patio chair and threw it across the backyard. "Of all the things to lie about!"

"What's going on?" Came a concerned Christine as she ran out onto the deck. "Erik?" He glanced at her once, then charged past her into the house.

Christine ran after him, unable to keep up as he darted into his room only to emerge moments later with his duster.

Before Christine could ask him again what was going on, he tangled his fingers in her hair and surprised her with a hard hungry kiss on her mouth. When he pulled away, he brushed his fingers gently over the surprised girl's lips and immediately headed out the front door.

"Erik?" Christine called out, but only heard a slam in response.

She rushed to the window and watched as Erik ran down the front drive and disappeared into the night.

DeChagny Residence – 4 hours later

Raoul DeChagny stared at the tall masked man before him. He had barged through the front doors, waking the entire household ranting and raving, demanding to see Philip.

"You really ARE insane!" Raoul shouted. "How the hell did you get past our security!" He went to a nearby phone and pressed a button.

"Are you calling the front gate?" Erik asked coldly. "I am afraid they are unavailable!"

"What?" Raoul's eyes went wide. "What did you do to them!"

"They're not dead, if that's your concern. Though they may not be feeling entirely healthy when they wake up!" He growled. "Now WHERE is Philip?"

"What do you want from him?" The young man asked suspiciously.

"It is about your brother's business partner!" Erik hissed. "I wish to know if he has had any contact with him as of late. NOW!"

Raoul frowned. "How dare you come in here and-"

"Christine may be in danger! Do you really want to risk her just to spite me, boy?" Erik barked.

"Danger? What…?" Raoul shook his head, remember how uncomfortable Mr. Shay had made Christine when she had first seen him. "I knew you were trouble! I KNEW Chrissy should have stayed away from you!" he accused. "Do you have some history with Shay? Did you steal something from him? Kill a family member? "

"My business with him is my own. He took something of mine! Something that was important to me… at one time," Erik replied.

"Can't you buy a new one?" Raoul snapped.

"Can you buy yourself a new mother, DeChagny?" Erik replied, seeing he wasn't going to get anywhere unless he told the boy at least part of the situation.

Raoul looked up at him, voice quiet. "Your mother?" he gasped, surprised that Erik's mother was even still alive. "Why would he want your MOTHER?"

"If I knew that, things would be far simpler for me!" Erik answered.

Raoul swore under his breath, then headed towards his brother's study, knocking loudly. "Phil? Are you in there?"

Philip DeChagny opened the door, bleary eyed and frowning at the interruption. "I'm very busy, Ray. What on Earth do you want?"

"Have you spoken to Mr. Shay recently?" Raoul asked.

Philip looked at his brother, then turned his head to face the shadowed masked man a few feet away. "What is he doing here?" He glanced back at Raoul. "You didn't try and steal Christine away from him, did you?" he asked.

"Phil, please. Erik needs to know about Shay. Christine may be in danger!" the younger DeChagny insisted.

Philip muttered something under his breath and headed back into the study for a moment. "I haven't seen nor spoken to the man in a few weeks. He said he was taking care of some personal business."

Philip went through his address book and quickly jotted something down, handing it to Erik moments later. "Here is his address and phone number. Just don't let him know who you received it from."

Erik suddenly wrapped a hand around Philip's throat and pinned him against the wall. "And I trust HE will not know I am on my way, correct?"

"PHILIP!" Raoul shouted out, trying to pry Erik from his brother.

Philip's eyes went wide, desperately attempting to claw at the hand that was currently cutting off his air. "Won't…. won't… tell… tell him…" he choked out. "I sw… swear…"

After a moment, Erik finally released the older DeChagny. "I am glad we have that cleared up then."

Erik turned to Raoul. "Go to the Girys. Stay with Christine. If he shows up, get the ladies as far away from him as possible! You have a car. That will make it easier to run."

Raoul simply stared at the man who had nearly choked the life from his brother.

"GO, damn it! Or would you rather HE get to her first?" Erik hissed. "I thought you cared a bit more about her than that!"

Raoul now grew angry. "Don't talk to me about caring for Chrissy! You and your mother are the ones who may have put her in harm's way!"

Erik could say nothing to dispute that.

"I truly despise you, DeChagny," he hissed. "But I trust you to have Christine's best interests at heart!" he growled. "Tell her I will try to come back as soon as possible. That I need to take care of things. She will know what I am referring to!"

"I wish I knew what you were referring to!"

Erik ignored the comment. "If something happens to her or the Girys, I will blame YOU and YOU alone! Consider that incentive and stop standing here like a fool!"

Erik then spun around and stormed out of the DeChagny home, making a quick call to a certain Guild detective as he headed to the house on Laramie Drive.

Laramie Drive – An Hour Later

The man known as the Leader sat up in his bed, a cold smirk slowly spreading on his lips.

"Shay?" Laura asked as she glanced over at him. "What is it."

His glowing amber eyes slid in her direction, the smirk never fading.

"My son has come to visit…"

END OF EPISODE 22

Extra A/N: The song Erik is singing to Christine is "Courtyard Lullaby" by Loreena McKennitt. I though it was fitting given the circumstances.