A/N: As always, thanks to my beta, Le Chat Noir.
Episode 41: Return
By: Elektra
Hunter's Guild Headquarters
Erik sat across from Gus Leroux's desk, fingers tapping impatiently against the polished wood. He was growing increasingly restless. Not only had he had to leave Christine's warm embrace – and whatever it would have led to – but he was sitting here knowing very well he was suspected of something he did not do, his weapon long since confiscated.
Finally, Leroux entered the room, the masked man's golden eyes following his every move.
"What is the meaning of this, Gus!" Erik demanded. "I have been sitting here like a fool for most of the night!"
"We needed to look into something," Leroux responded, and handed Erik a sheet of paper. "Where were you during these dates and times?"
Erik's eyes skimmed over the paper. "I have no alibi for all but the last date – two nights ago – I was tending to Christine. She was not well."
More specifically, she had had one too many birthday drinks. But Leroux did not need to know that.
Erik put the paper down. "Does my lack of alibis automatically make me a suspect, Gus?" he hissed. "The only possible link to me is the strangulation."
"It is enough," Leroux explained.
"Why? Am I the ONLY person in this entire city with access to a rope?" Erik spat bitterly.
"No… but we must look into all avenues here, Erik. You understand," Leroux explained calmly.
Erik shook his head. "My lasso will not match anything you may have found on the bodies."
"We will let the lab techs discover that for themselves." Leroux glanced down at the folder in his hands and opened it, pulling out a picture of a female Erik knew all too well.
"You DO have a record of sending pretty young girls to their deaths, after all."
Erik slammed his hands down on the desk and stood up. "THAT was an accident," he growled. "Laura Ashton ran into the street!"
"Trying to get away from you," Leroux pointed out. "Sit down, Erik."
"I would rather stand," he muttered as he began to pace like a caged animal. "I have a rope – the killer used a rope. If that is all you have, why are you wasting my time?" He stopped and turned to face the man at the desk. "Better yet – what could possibly be my motive?"
Leroux shrugged. "Pretty college co-eds wouldn't give someone like you the time of day?"
Erik let out a harsh laugh. "There is only ONE pretty college co-ed I am interested in, and she has given me more than the time of day! That alone kills your theory."
"Does it now?" Leroux asked with a raised eyebrow. "Exactly how close have the two of you become? Physically, I mean."
"THAT is none of your business!"
"It speaks to motive," Leroux explained. "If your lovely little girlfriend has not given you what a man needs, then perhaps you were taking your frustrations out on others?"
Erik glared at the man before him, incensed at the implication. "That is VILE. Disgusting! I would NEVER violate a woman!"
"These girls were not violated, but they were killed. And the attacks seemed rather personal, at that." He studied Erik carefully. "You are no stranger to killing, Erik."
"Only when circumstances require. It is NOT something I do on a regular basis!"
Erik rested his hands upon the desk and leaned forward, bringing his masked face close to Leroux's, his voice cold and dangerous when he spoke.
"And Gus, should you ever legally use that against me, I will implicate YOU as a conspirator! It would be interesting to see you explain the Hunter's Guild to your fellow officers."
With their eyes locked, the room filled with a thick dangerous silence.
The knock upon the door was as loud as a thunderclap. "Sir?" a voice spoke through the thick wood. "I have the results."
Leroux quickly jumped to his feet and opened the door, allowing entrance to the man waiting.
The lab technician nervously held Erik's rope up. "No match," he said. "The rope used in the killings was nylon. This is catgut."
"As I thought!" Erik hissed, yanking the coiled rope from the man's hands. He turned to Leroux. "I am leaving! Thank you for ruining my night! I am sure Christine appreciates it as well!" he spat.
Erik slid his rope into the pocket of his duster and stormed out of the office, leaving the other two men to watch his retreating back.
Ravelle College Residence
Erik looked down through the grate at Christine sleeping so soundly, her newly golden hair splayed over her pillow, giving his angel a truly ethereal beauty.
He closed his eyes, remembering the unfortunate interruption that ended their night cold.
He could not get that lost moment back now, and would not dare request it of her again.
You are no stranger to killing, Erik…
Leave it to the Head of the Guild to remind Erik exactly what he was after Christine had almost helped him forget.
Fate had a cruel sense of timing.
Silently, Erik retreated back through the air-ducts, determined to do some research in the event that Christine might grant him another opportunity like that again.
He did not get far when he sensed something he had not felt in the last few months.
Slipping out of the air-ducts as quickly as he could, he made his way outside Residence, his hand upon the single stake he kept in his duster.
Something was here. One of THEM. He could feel it.
With his senses on high alert, he searched the perimeter of the building… but the creature had disappeared.
What a shame. If ever there was a burning need to dust something, it had been tonight.
Ravelle Student Lounge – the next evening
"You're looking pretty cheerful!" Christine noted when Meg came gliding into the student lounge with a smile.
"Raoul called me today!" she answered happily as she came to sit beside Christine.
Sorelli snorted from her seat on the other side of Christine. "Yeah… to ask about some ballet his brother is dragging him too. Said it was a business trip and he had to pretend he knew something about it."
"Still!" Meg protested. "He called ME for the info!"
"Who else would he call?" Sorelli asked snidely. "You're a ballet instructor's daughter. Don't start thinking someone like you could ever be anything else to a rich boy like him!"
"Sorelli!" Christine snapped. "Raoul's not LIKE that!"
The redhead turned on Christine. "Why aren't YOU all pissy about your ex making nice with your best friend?"
Christine frowned. "Because he IS my EX. And Meg is free to like whomever she chooses!"
"Oh, that's right." Sorelli narrowed her eyes. "You prefer eccentric masked men who like to get students in shit with their professors!" She leaned closer to Christine. "What's he hiding anyway, Chrissy? What's so bad that he has to cover his face?"
"And what crawled up your tutu and died today?" Meg asked with a scowl, arms crossed.
"She broke up with Jack." Jammes chimed in as she entered the room and made herself comfortable.
"Ahhhh…" Meg and Christine nodded in sync.
"Bastard cheated on me." Sorelli muttered. "With another guy of all things!"
"I'm so sorry, Sorelli." Christine responded as she put a gentle hand on the other girl's shoulder.
Sorelli simply snorted and shrugged Christine's hand away. "Better off without him anyway. Maybe I should date women instead."
"Well, whatever floats your boat…" Meg answered.
Sorelli looked back at Christine. "But you still haven't answered my question. What's your boyfriend hiding? You HAVE seen his face, right? Because if you haven't, that's one messed up relationship."
Another voice interrupted the conversation. A male. "Oh… yes… Erik's face. That's something else, isn't it Chrissy?"
The four girls turned to see the one person they had least expected.
Bobby "the pervert" Stevens.
Christine and Meg quickly jumped to their feet, both aware of what had happened last time Bobby had made his presence known.
"Bobby! You've been gone forever!" Jammes squealed, oblivious to Meg and Christine's apprehension. She eagerly ran over to him and gave him a hug, then stepped backed and looked up at him. "What's wrong? You feel so cold…"
Bobby ignored Jammes, his eyes never leaving Christine. "Is your Erik lurking somewhere? Should I be expecting him to drop me from a roof any time soon?"
Jammes and Sorelli exchanged glances, confused by Bobby's comments.
Meg quickly grasped Christine's hand, pulling her protectively behind her. "Bobby, go home," Meg commanded. "Christine already said she wasn't interested in you!"
"Woah, hey!" Sorelli began. "Did you try to steal Chrissy from her boyfriend? Is that what this is all about?"
"Oh sure… make ME out to be the bad guy!" Bobby snapped.
"To be honest, Bob," Sorelli continued. "You are acting kind of creepy right now."
Bobby let out a harsh laugh. "You want creepy? Ask her boyfriend to take off his mask!" He turned back to Christine. "They've never seen, have they?"
Bobby lunged at Christine, forcing her against the wall as he pressed his face into her neck, inhaling her scent. "You still smell innocent," he hissed. "I don't blame you for not wanting a living corpse to touch you!"
"HEY! Leave the girl alone, man!" Two male students barged in on the scene, pulling Bobby away from Christine - but not before she caught a glimpse of two sharp canines at the corners of his mouth.
"Chrissy... go!" Meg insisted, pushing Christine towards the dorm room and getting her out of harm's way. She grabbed the phone in the student lounge and immediately called campus security.
Unfortunately, there would be very little they could do against what Bobby had now become.
Five minutes later
Christine pulled herself up into the air-ducts above her bed and headed straight through the metal tunnels before taking a corner off to the left.
She had no idea where she was going or where she would end up, but she had to try. She had to find Erik.
Christine continued crawling as fast as she could, passing the various grates beneath her hands and knees, glancing down only briefly. Each grate led to another room in Residence. One could see everyone's private business from up here.
She stopped as she came to a ledge and looked down. Below her was a large fan, spinning slowly. She swallowed nervously, hoping it didn't suddenly speed up.
Moving carefully, she slid down to the lower level and was met with two tunnels. Where to now? "Eeny meeny miney moe…" she muttered, stopping at the tunnel to the right. She hesitantly made her way through it.
One more ledge, one more fan, and Christine found herself in yet another tunnel. The grates were few and far between, and when she looked down, she saw only darkness.
Was this the basement? She hoped so.
She finally came to one last grate, and saw the soft glow of a candle. Erik lay on his bed, one arm thrown over his head, blankets tossed off to reveal nothing but a pair of shorts. His eyes were closed in sleep, his mask upon the floor.
Christine took a deep breath and tugged at the grate that separated her from her goal. It was unyielding.
She tugged harder, and it flew from her hands with a clatter, causing the girl to lose her balance and fall through the hole ... landing on top of the man she had so desperately searched for.
Before Christine could offer an apology for her sloppy landing, she found herself on her back, Erik's forearm pressed hard against her windpipe. "Er-ik" she choked out.
When Erik realized who his intruder was, he immediately released the pressure on her throat. "Christine? I didn't know!" He then looked down at her, brow furrowed. "Why did you come through the air-ducts?"
"I had to find you without anyone seeing me," she explained. "Bobby's back… and he's kind of dead."
With a curse, Erik quickly got to his feet. "I thought I sensed something last night!"
In full Hunter mode, Erik immediately stripped down and pulled out more fight-appropriate clothing
"ERIK!" Christine sputtered.
He turned to see the girl staring at him, eyes wide, a hand upon her mouth.
"I'm right here! And you're… naked!" she blurted out, then reminded herself to glance away, face flushed.
"It was instinct. Forgive me - I will be more considerate in the future." Erik apologized, and once he was fully clothed, he grabbed his duster from the hook on the wall and tugged it on. "Stay here. I will be back as soon as I can."
Before Christine could say another word, Erik was gone.
Christine closed her eyes, her breathing shaky. I saw! Everything! The burning in her cheeks was almost painful.
She quickly grabbed one of Erik's pillows and buried her face in it, inhaling the scent he had left behind, the memory of what she had seen returning.
Naughty Christine! What kind of thoughts are you having about your poor Erik?
Basement Hall
Erik went to the fuse box and yanked down the power lever, throwing the entire building into darkness.
It was a necessary line that had to be drawn.
It was enough Erik had made his presence known to the Ravelle students both on Christine behalf and to assist Giry in teaching the finer points of music, but he would be damned if he let the students find out he battled the undead on a regular basis.
Tonight, the ghost of Ravelle would sink into the darkness once again.
Residence
Confused and excited, College co-eds ran around the building with flashlights and candles. Rumours and sightings of the ghost ran rampant, and everyone wanted in on the action.
It was the most entertainment they had had in a week full of stressful assignments and tests.
Erik could not find the time to be amused by their actions. He was lurking along the main floor when he sensed Bobby nearby - or rather, what USED to be Bobby.
He followed his senses to the College gym, long since abandoned due to the blackout, and slid the stake out of his pocket before heading inside.
He got no more than five feet when a barbell flew at his head, silently thanking his quick reflexes for ducking it.
"Finally we're on equal footing!" Bobby started as he circled in the shadows around Erik. "By the way, tell Christine that I like her as a blond. That girl is hot as hell!"
Erik's grip on the stake tightened, jaw clenched. "You have no right to speak about her!"
Bobby snorted. "Like YOU do? She hasn't even let you screw her yet!" Erik saw him shrug in the darkness. "Then again, what girl would want her body to be tainted by something like you?"
Erik watched Bobby's every movement as the boy continued his incessant stalking. "You can see pretty good in the dark, can't you?" he asked as noted that Erik's eyes had not once left him. "What are you anyway?"
"The angel of death!" Erik snapped, shooting a fist out to catch Bobby in the mouth before the boy could blink.
"Son of a bitch!" Bobby hissed, wiping the blood from the corner of his lip.
He sent the Hunter staggering back with a kick to the stomach and pressed his advantage, taking a swipe at Erik's face. The masked man dodged it easily.
"I've probably touched her more than you have, you know," Bobby taunted. "We used to partner together all the time. She has the softest little curves." He laughed at the fierceness in Erik's eyes. "Oh, am I pissing you off?"
Erik let out a shout as he tackled Bobby to the ground. "DO NOT SPEAK ABOUT HER!"
His temper allowed Bobby to connect a punch to Erik's throat, causing the taller man to choke momentarily.
His wits quickly returning, Erik ducked a sweeping roundhouse and landed a kick to Bobby's jaw. He was about to continue the assault, but the sound of steel being pulled from a sheath stopped him cold.
"Don't move, freak!" Bobby hissed as he held a large dagger before him. "Even with this new strength, I wasn't sure whether it was enough to beat you, so I brought some insurance!"
Bobby's hand began to shake. "You ruined my life! After you threw me off the goddamned roof, I KNEW I'd never be able to dance again! My body was a mess! But you didn't give a shit about that, did you? You don't give a shit about anything!"
"Is that why you decided to go in for the undead look?" Erik asked calmly.
"I wouldn't talk about looks if I were you!" Bobby lunged at Erik, causing the masked man to feel a sharp sting just below his shoulder as the dagger made contact.
Allowing his instincts to take over, Erik's hand shot out, grabbing Bobby's wrist and squeezing until the boy had no choice but to drop the weapon in his hand. Erik then twisted the bone severely, smirking coldly as he heard a sickening crack.
Without a second thought, he threw the screaming boy away as if he were no more than a piece of trash.
Bobby landed hard on the ground, Erik immediately pressing a knee to his sternum as he clamped his right hand around Bobby's throat.
"You haven't been at this undead thing very long, have you?" Erik asked as he raised the stake high and prepared to impale the creature beneath him.
"FREEZE, POLICE!"
Erik quickly jumped away from Bobby's prone form and into the shadows before the high-wattage flashlights could find him.
"That's him! That's the guy who tried to hurt Chrissy!"
Erik recognized Meg's voice, along with Sorelli and Jammes as the flashlight came upon the boy who lay dazed on the floor.
Meg looked over to the left, and he allowed her to catch a quick glimpse of him before he pulled himself silently up into the air-ducts.
No doubt Little Giry would figure out Christine's whereabouts soon enough. Erik was quite content to leave it at that.
Outside Residence
He watched through the window as the ungrateful one and the vampire fought.
Having been distracted from his search for a victim, he had been drawn by the commotion within the darkened building, seeing two figures fighting in the college gym.
He frowned when he recalled what they had been fighting about. A pretty girl, of all things.
Pretty things were made to be broken. A beautiful woman would never share herself with a hideous monster. For such a thing to happen was impossible.
Completely, utterly impossible.
Erik's Room
Christine jumped at the sound of the door opening as she tore her eyes away from the flickering candle before her.
"You are still here?" Erik seemed surprised as he walked into the room.
She shrugged. "You told me to stay, remember?"
"Yes… of course… I just didn't think you'd actually listen," he replied as he gingerly slid off his duster.
"You ok?" Christine asked when she heard his sharp intake of breath.
"I'll be fine. Your Bobby decided to get stab-happy for a moment."
Christine was immediately on her feet. "Let me see!"
"I told you I will be fine," he answered, then met her eyes and sighed. "Very well. Perhaps I could use your assistance. You know where my first aid kit is?"
Christine nodded and grabbed the kit from the bottom drawer of his desk. She placed it on the bed and went up to him, seeing the difficulty he was having tugging his shirt over his head.
She reached up and helped him remove it, tossing it on a nearby chair, a brief flush coming to her cheeks as she remembered the last time she removed his shirt.
She quickly shook her head, trying not to think of it. "Sit." She indicated the bed.
"A small slice to my left arm," Erik explained as he did as she requested. "In the kit, you will find a sterilized needle and thread."
Christine nodded and went to grab a wet cloth from the bathroom, cleaning the blood that had trailed down the arm from just below his shoulder. She then grabbed the rubbing alcohol in the kit and cleansed the wound itself.
"I… I have to sew you up, don't I?" she asked.
"If it makes you uncomfortable, I will do it," he offered.
Christine shook her head. "You're a lefty. Unless you've suddenly become ambidextrous, it would be better if I do it." She tore open the package holding the needle and thread and took a few deep, calming breaths.
Erik moved only a little to grab the candle with his right hand and bring it closer, the power to the building not yet reset.
Christine hesitated and dabbed at the wound once more.
"I am used to pain, Christine… but blood loss is another matter. As much as you try to clean it, the wound will not stop bleeding on its own." He met her eyes and saw her uncertainty. "Pretend you are sewing me another a mask," he offered. "It is that simple."
Christine nodded and took one more breath before she slid the needle through his skin and began to suture the wound. She swallowed hard to fight back a wave of nausea - sticking a needle and thread through someone's flesh was not exactly pleasant.
Christine glanced up to see if Erik was in any pain, but his face was still covered by the mask, making it near impossible for her to tell.
Releasing a sigh of relief, she put in the last stitch and knotted it tightly, then cleaned up the wound once again and wrapped it before putting away the med-kit and cleaning the blood off her hands.
Christine joined Erik once again, gently patting down the gauze before her fingers traced the faint blue-black lines that could be seen beneath his deathly pale skin.
She then reached over to light another candle as the first one had almost melted to nothing.
"I am sorry for the darkness," Erik spoke softy. "I know it frightens you…"
She offered a small smile as she blew out the match. "The dark isn't so scary when there's a little bit of light."
Erik lifted his right hand and gently ran his fingers through her golden hair. "You deserve more than just a little bit of light."
Christine's voice was quiet as she reached up and slid the mask from his face. "So do you."
She slid her arms around his neck and pulled him down beside her, resting her forehead against his. "Can I stay tonight?" she asked shyly, wondering if he would feel comfortable after what had almost happened between them.
"You may stay as long as you like." he answered.
"But… are you… okay?"
"Sweet Christine, I don't even have the energy to worry about the other night."
Christine brushed away a lock of ebony hair to place a soft kiss upon his forehead. His eyes fluttered closed, the touch of her lips finding their way over his harsh skeletal features.
Erik tried to speak her name, but was silenced when her mouth found his.
The parting of her lips, the sweet taste of her mouth, and the feel of her warm pliant body was too much.
Perhaps he had more energy than he thought.
END OF EPISODE 41