"All I wanted was to be

like everyone else..."

Chapter Six

Scorpion's Sting

Christine carried the candle in front of her, jumping at every shadow she saw. She really hated the dark. But she had heard muffled noises coming from Erik's room down the hall and it was frightening her. She had to be sure he was alright. When she reached the doors to his room she knocked, not wanting to intrude, but desperately hoping he was alright. When she received no answer she hesitantly opened the door.

A large bed sat in the center of the room and Christine could just make out Erik's form. She approached him slowly, her body shaking in fear. The closer she got to him the more clearly it became what the problem was. He was tossing and turning in the large bed, the sheets tangled about him. He wore no shirt and Christine tried to look away but her virginal innocence made her far to curious. She had never seen a man without his shirt on and Erik was...there, so she just had to look.

Barely controlled power was hidden beneath the rippling of his pale skin. Muscles tapered into a flat, hard stomach. A nest of black hair splattered his chest before slowly making its way down to disappear under the waistband of his trousers. Christine felt a blush spread over her face as she looked away from the trail his chest hair seemed to make so sinfully. He turned from her, presenting her his back, and Christine was faced with the horrors of the scarred flesh. They appeared to be...whip marks. A shiver passed over Christine and she swallowed back her revulsion of such an act. How could anyone do such a thing to him?

Erik began mumbling, his thrashing never ceasing. Christine sat down on the edge of his bed, trying to make out his words, although they were incoherent. She set the candle on the nightstand by his bed so she did not accidently drop it.

"Luciana!" his cry was heartbroken and filled with pain and it caused Christine to jump in surprise. Then a frown crossed her smooth brow. Who was Luciana? She had never heard the name before and wondered who she was in regards to Erik's past. Christine wanted to soothe him and so reached out and hesitantly touched his damp cheek.

Christine had the breath knocked out of her when she was suddenly and unexpectedly thrown off the bed by the force of Erik's hand connecting with her cheek. She crumpled to the floor, tears beginning to form in her eyes from the intense stinging she felt. She scrambled back when Erik sat up, his eyes opening for the first time since she had walked in.

xXx

Her whimpering was what woke him. Erik sat up to see Christine lying on the floor, a pile of tears and whimpers. He had been dreaming of Luciana again, but this time he had seen her body lying crumpled in the stone, cold. When the cool hand had touched his cheek he had acted purely by instinct and struck...Christine.

There was a long moment when they both simply stared at eachother. Christine's blue gaze was full of tears and pain; Erik's green gaze filled with regret and sorrow. Erik had always believed that a small portion of him could not be a monster because he loved this woman so passionately. Monsters cannot love, and so he had thought that a part of him was human. But he had just hurt her, she who he had been willing to give his life to.

"Y-you m-must leave!" he said finally. The room became deathly quiet as Christine stared at him. She opened her mouth to say something but Erik's temper erupted.

"Get out, Christine! Get out!" he yelled. The way he had become so angry so fast scared her and she shut her eyes to block everything out. This could not happen! She had no where else to go, she did not want to leave! She had no idea why Erik was losing his temper. Christine had expected him to apologize and escort her back to her room...he was doing the complete opposite.

"Get out, Christine, or I will not be responsible for my actions!" he growled, clearly threatening.

"Lower your voice, Angel, please!" she whispered. He did not seem to hear her. He stalked over to her and grabbed her roughly by the arms, causing her to whimper in fear. He began dragging her to the door and Christine tried vainly to struggle but found it useless.

"Stop struggling!" he demanded. He was making her leave with him and Christine refused to let that happen. With one last frantic attempt she tossed herself against him.

"No, angel, no! Please do not make me go! I am sorry!" she sobbed. Erik's arms had come around her to stop her from falling to the floor. She buried herself against him, her body shaking.

"I'm sorry, Angel, please, please, do not make me go!" she pleaded. Erik froze in shame. She was apologizing when she had done nothing wrong.

"Please, Angel!" she whispered. Erik's hands came up and hesitantly wiped the tears that continued to fall from her eyes.

"No, Christine, shush!" he pleaded.

"I do not want to go!" Christine sobbed. Erik still had trouble coming to terms with the fact that she wanted to be with him.

"You do not need to apologize, Christine," he said softly. She looked up at him.

"But I am sorry!" she insisted. He smoothed the hair from her face.

"Do you know what you are apologizing for?" he asked.

"No," she admitted. For once Erik could not hide his grin.

"That is because I am the one who should be apologizing...you did nothing wrong," he said.

"Yes...yes I did. I should never have come in here! It was not my place!" Christine cried softly.

"No, I lost my temper when there was no grounds for it," he said. Christine said nothing. Erik's finger gently ran over her cheek, where the bruise was already beginning to form. He felt his breath hitch in his throat. How could he have done this to her?

"I...I am sorry, Christine," he whispered. Christine closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.

"I know, Erik," she said. Erik knew the guilt would be with him for as long as he lived and though she seemed to forgive him he would never be able to forgive himself. Christine leaned her forhead against his chest.

"I am so tiered, Erik," she whispered. The past couple of days had really taken their tole on her and she was extremely exhausted. Without a word Erik picked her up in his strong arms and carried her to his bed. She snuggled into the pillow and closed her eyes with a sigh.

"Just rest, mon ange, I will let no harm come to you," he whispered. It seemed all the insurance Christine needed for she closed her eyes and quite easily fell into a deep sleep. Erik stayed awake all through the night, the whispers of his inner demons taunting him.