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

Erik: the Vampire Hunter

Episode 31: Appearances

By: Elektra

Erik's Personal chambers

Christine hugged a large bed-sheet around herself, finding the room cold as a draft came through the stone walls. She was in a large cavern of some sort. Erik's chambers, she realized. He had taken to living beneath the house.

He seems to enjoy living underground, she thought coolly.

The female guard had stripped Christine to her undergarments and told her to await the masked man's arrival. With much anger, she had ripped off the linens on his bed and wrapped them around her chilly body like a makeshift toga.

What if he isn't my Erik any more? She worried. Even with his new attitude, he had never made her feel THAT cold.

Christine limped along the length of the room – only because she could not pace - then froze as she felt eyes staring at her from the doorway.

He had arrived.

She heard the click of the deadbolt, and hobbled around to bravely face whatever fate awaited her.

She didn't have to wait long.

"Are you a FOOL?" Erik growled loudly, his voice echoing in the large room. He took several quick strides towards Christine. She soon found herself against the wall, her ankle twisting with the sudden movement.

She refused to show the pain.

He put a hand on either side of Christine to prevent escape as his full height towered over her. His eyes held an anger she had never seen focused on her before. "If Shay had gotten hold of you, do you have ANY idea what punishment you would be suffering now?" he hissed.

"But-"

"ENOUGH!" Erik interrupted, hitting the stone wall hard, causing bits of dried mortar to fall with the force. "He would have enjoyed BREAKING you!"

Christine could not meet his angry eyes, instead staring at his shirt. It was far less threatening then his masked face right now.

Erik grabbed her chin with a gloved hand, forcing her to look back up at him. "Don't you understand, Christine? He would have hurt you by making you-" He could not continue, the image far too disturbing.

"Why did you come here?" he demanded quickly.

"To find you…" Christine replied, noticeably shivering. Though whether it was Erik's anger or the drafty room causing it, she wasn't sure.

He let out a harsh laugh. "I wasn't worth finding!" He tugged off his mask and leaned in close. "Do you want to know what I've been doing these last few weeks, Christine? Killing. Without mercy. The Leader wants to show his people exactly what kind of person I am!" he hissed.

His confession unsettled her. "Is that why you grabbed me?" Christine asked, hugging herself. "Were you trying to show me what kind of person you were?"

He scoffed. "What did you expect me to do – let Laura get rid of you? Or would you have rather become Shay's plaything? I did not have many options, and I did not want to rouse suspicion!"

Christine understood now, and it made his behaviour less cold. "Erik…" her voice was soft, "that look in your eyes. It… it was so different."

"That is what I am, Christine," he answered quietly. "It is what you refuse to understand!"

He lowered his tone. "It's so easy to give in to the darkness, you know." He trailed his fingers down her neck, over her bare shoulder, tilting his head down, his mouth barely an inch from her skin. "The longer I am with the others, the more I become the one thing you could never-"

He suddenly stopped and turned away, heading to the dresser on the other side. "Cover yourself," he said, tossing her one of his shirts. "It is all I can offer you at the moment. In the morning, I will find something more suitable."

He glanced away and Christine slipped the shirt on over her undergarments. Erik turned to face her, and she saw the pain in his eyes.

"Oh Christine…" he groaned. "Why could you not just leave me in peace? Why did you have to remind me how much I miss you?" he quickly crossed the room and reached for her, but stopped himself before he touched her, stumbling back. "No! I cannot be near you! Don't you understand that?"

"Erik…" Christine reached a hand out to him.

"What do you want me to do, Christine? Be a good boy? I cannot!" he hissed. "Angel – do you have any idea the thoughts in my head right now?" he demanded, then let out a harsh laugh. "Oh I'm sure you do! It is probably why you dislike my new attitude!" He turned his back to her once more.

When he spoke again, he was despondent. "You really should not have come here." He threw the metal door open and stormed out, slamming it hard behind him.

Christine hobbled over to the bed and sunk down, hugging herself in the chill of the room – if it could even be called that. The walls were cold stone, the ground barely covered by a tattered throw rug.

She curled up on the bed and closed her eyes. Why is he making this so difficult, daddy? She swiped away the tear slipping down her cheek. Why am I acting like a spoiled child?

She was angry at herself, angry for still not telling him her feelings. No wonder Erik was fed up with her. He had every reason.

And she had no right to be crying about it…

She didn't even know anyone had entered the room until she felt the bed depress behind her. She turned her head to see Erik, masked but cloak-less, staring down at her, a heavy blanket in his hand.

"I figured you would be cold tonight." His voice was soft as he looked upon her wretched state, placing the blanket behind him. He tugged off his gloves and reached out to gently touch her little taped-up ankle. "I should re-do this for you…" he said.

Christine wasn't sure what had possessed her to suddenly crawl into his lap and curl against him. She just needed to be in contact with him.

She felt his arms slip around her, cradling her as his fingers stroked her hair.

Erik kissed away the tears on her face before his mouth tenderly found hers.

Her position shifted and she heard a low rumble in his chest at the movement, the feel of a hand caressing her bare thigh. She slid her own hand atop his, not to stop him but simply to touch him as the kiss grew firmer, more intense.

Erik immediately stopped his attentions.

He unclenched his free hand, causing Christine to gasp as she saw the bloody half-moons his nails had just made. "Damn it…" he hissed.

She gently took his hand, "Erik? Are you ok?"

He simply turned his head away from her. My need for her is worse being in this place… Erik realized. So much worse with HIM so close! I can feel him in my mind!

Erik carefully slid Christine off his lap, unable to look at her, his voice barely above a whisper. "Now you understand why you should not have come here." He quickly stood and headed to the door. "Good night, Christine. I will see you in the morning…"

"Nadir!" Christine called out suddenly, causing Erik to halt his steps. "Erik - Nadir and I snuck in together! But… he was taken away earlier. I don't know what they did with him."

"I will find out. No doubt Shay will want to inform me about catching a Hunter." Erik's voice was coldly detached.

"Your father isn't exactly the nicest guy."

Erik finally turned to her. "How did you-"

"The others told me," she said, then met his eyes. "I wish you would have told me."

He glanced back to the doorknob. "At the time, I was worried it would turn you from me."

"You could have trusted me." She said.

"But that is just the thing, Christine. I am not used to trusting people." He finally opened the door. "Least of all myself!"

Without another word, he stepped out of the room and disappeared into the darkness.

Christine glanced at the blanket he had brought, and the gloves that rested beside it. He had left them. She quickly slid them on, her own hands lost in the soft leather.

Clutching the blanket, she wrapped it tightly around her as she tried to make herself comfortable on the bed, wishing she had a warm ghost to hold her.

Servant's quarters - the next morning

Verna was the first to approach Christine when the girl finally returned to the Servant's quarters. "Are you hurt? Did he do anything to you?" she asked, ready for any physical assault Christine may have suffered. Verna then noticed the tattered t-shirt and ripped linen pants she was wearing.

It was all Erik could find that would allow Christine to walk down the hall with some semblance of modesty.

"Oh god! What happened?" Verna gasped.

"I'll be ok," Christine replied quietly.

"I'm so sorry, Christine." She spoke softly. "Let me see your ankle," Verna's asked.

"Um… it's a lot better," Christine began as she sat down.

Verna furrowed her brow, "What is this?" she asked as she studied the fresh tape around her ankle. "Did he do this?"

Christine nodded and offered a small smile. "He hasn't forgotten me…" She then grew concerned. "But maybe it's better if you didn't tell anyone. People will wonder why he took care of me."

"Well it's obvious why. He didn't want damaged property." Verna replied with a wink.

Christine nodded. "Of course."

The last thing Christine wanted was people thinking Erik was some horrible creature who stolen the innocence of a young girl - considering the aforementioned girl still had her innocence - but if word got around that the Leader's son cared for her, she was quite sure all hell would break loose.

Dean Giry's Office – three days later

"Hello?" Giry answered her noisy cell phone. She tried not to show her surprise at the voice on the other line. "Yes, this she…" she paused. "You are the last person I expected to hear from. I didn't realize you had access to-" she was interrupted, "Ahh, I see. That is quite lucky for us then. Are you well? We have been rather concerned here… ahhh, good. Please, tell me what is going on. "

The voice continued on, putting Giry's mind at ease as it brought light to the latest events that had concerned the Guild. "Is that so now?" Giry replied. "And you are sure about this?" she waited for an answer. "It is a relief that things are not lost then…"

Suddenly there was a buzzing and crackling on the line. "You are breaking up… I am afraid I'm losing you… yes, please… contact me again when you can… hello? Hello?" Giry heard nothing but electronic beeping, followed by the tell-tale silence of a connection lost.

She only hoped the person on the other line had not come to harm.

Recreation hall – that night

"Why am I here?" Christine muttered quietly to Erik as they entered the recreation hall. He had given her a sleek black dress to wear. A dress that showed off just enough of her lithesome figure to incite stares, yet let her feel comfortable in doing so.

Well, as comfortable as a girl could feel in a room full of lusty males who may or may not be human.

"Remember that conversation about trust?" the masked man answered, and Christine realized now was not the time to talk to him as she would talk to her boyfriend. Now was the time to pretend to be nothing more then his… well, whatever it was she was expected to be.

"It seems you finally decided to take your female to bed," the Leader spoke as Erik sat on an elegant padded stool beside him. Laura sat upon Shay's knee, looking less then happy with the attention Erik was giving his little ingenue.

"I did enjoy her," Erik spoke. "She was innocent our first night. It was incredibly exciting! She's a feisty one." Erik pulled Christine into his lap possessively, much to her surprise … but looking around at the others in the room, it seemed such public acts were normal behaviour.

"You don't know what you're missing." Laura sniffed, her nose in the air.

"Not much, apparently." Erik replied with a frown as he traced his fingers over Christine's revealed shoulder and down her bare arm. "Her ballet training actually makes her quite agile… especially when she arches her back… how wonderful it is!"

Christine had to bite her tongue to prevent herself from sputtering incoherently at the masked man's false tales, but she couldn't hide the embarrassed blush.

He has quite an imagination, Christine thought, …and he can STOP telling stories any time now.

"Erik, I think you may find this of interest." Shay began. "It seems my guards have found one of your fellow Hunters. No doubt, he was the one who brought your lady here."

Erik's expression could not be seen beneath the mask.

"He's locked him in the dungeon for now," the Leader looked at his son. "I will leave his punishment up to you. Make it a good one."

"I am nothing if not creative." Erik smirked.

The Leader nodded. "Very well. Send your girl away and come with me,"

Christine was about to protest, but Erik tangled his fingers in her hair, tilting her head back as he silenced her with another cold, harsh kiss.

"Await me in my chambers. I will expect to see you there when I return!" His command was not to be disobeyed. Christine frowned, growing increasingly annoyed with his over-eager role-playing. He was quite good at being a perverted jerk when the situation called for it.

Erik slid her off his lap and stood up, following Shay out of the room.

As Christine headed off, she felt someone watching. She subtly glanced behind - only to see Laura herself, her shadowed and suspicious eyes following Christine's every move.

END OF EPISODE 31