"Erik..." Christine muttered. Was there a hint of warning in her voice? Erik couldn't decide. She spoke too softly.

"Christine, you know very well that I do not joke. I mean it. Get off my land right now."

"But Erik, I'm here as a friend." Christine's voice grew softer and softer as she went on. Who knew how Erik would react to a statement such as that. But Christine was ready. She had known Erik long enough to know what would set him off.

"What did you call yourself?" In contrast to Christine's voice earlier, Erik's grew louder, and his tone more violent as he continued. "You are no friend of mine, Mademoiselle. In no way at all!"

"Erik, don't get upset!" Christine didn't know what else to say.

"Don't get upset!" Erik's voice boomed and echoed around the walls of his lair. "You left me after I gave you everything I had! I taught you to sing! I risked my secrecy by training you. An angry mob was after me! I told you I loved you." Erik had stalled before saying the last sentence, where his voice had gone soft. He had become a master at glossing over his feelings and ignoring them, but seeing Christine brought up the bad memories… and it had only been a week…

"Erik…" Christine waited until Erik looked up at her, and suppressed a shudder as she made eye contact with him. "I'm sorry."

Erik, who had fully recovered, replied quite bitterly, "Well, it's a little late for that now, isn't it?" But Erik continued looking straight into her eyes, and to his joy, although he would never let Christine see, he could only find sincerity. Erik took a deep breath and apologized. "I'm sorry, Christine." He had to calm himself down again just to say, "Now what is it that you wish to speak with me about? Come, we can discuss it over tea. Christine looked reluctant at the idea. All of a sudden, the warnings Raoul had given her about going to Erik's house were the only things running through her mind.

Erik, who sensed her reluctance, said, "Christine, I don't know what you want from me, but you aren't going to get very far if you refuse to talk with me about it in the comfort of my own home." Christine looked back at her two attendants, and sighed.

"Okay, I'll go. But promise me you won't do anything."

"Oh, I wouldn't do anything to a future countess." Erik smirked as he said this. Christine on the other hand grimaced. She never had enjoyed Erik's sense of humor. Well, she thought to herself, I'm going to have to get used to it. But still, it seemed that Erik was very upset, but who could blame him. This would be hard. Very Hard.

Erik motioned the party to follow him, and they took quiet, tension-filled journey to Erik's home across the lake. When they reached there, Erik cordially showed the three women where to sit. They all took a long couch on one side of the sitting room, while Erik took the arm chair across from them, after he served tea, which everyone declined anyways.

"Okay. Explain to me your purpose for coming back here."

"Erik, Raoul and I are concerned for you." Erik snorted.

"How so? You didn't seem all that concerned for my well being when you two ran off together."

"Well first of all, you told Nadir that you were dead. I don't know what you were going to do Erik, but I hope we got her in time."

"Christine. I could never kill myself. What would the world do without me?" Erik flashed another smirk. Christine had never seen him so light hearted.

"Well, how was I supposed to know that? You have always had a temper. Not to mention… extreme self esteem issues!" Christine hated saying this, and Erik hated hearing it, but they both knew it was true. The maids just kept glancing back and forth between Christine and this mysterious man, observing the whole scene as if they were in a dream.

Erik sucked in a huge breath of air and then let it out very slowly. "And what is it you are suggesting?"

"Well, Erik, I think you should come live with me and Raoul." Christine was also ready for this response, but it never came. When she opened her eyes again and looked up, she noticed that Erik was deep in thought. Suddenly Erik snapped out of the bout of intense thinking, and noticed the very confused look on Christine's face.

"I'm sorry, Christine, I was just thinking…"

"You mean, you do not object to the idea?" Yet again, she expected a "OF COURSE I OBJECT!" to come whirling back at her, but it didn't.

"Well, I think it is a possibility… May I have the night to think about it? You can come back in the morning, if you wish; I can give you my answer then. Now, I have some work to do, if you wouldn't mind, could you leave me alone to take care of it?"

The look on Christine's face never left her, even until she got back to her hotel room. "Of course, how does eight o'clock tomorrow morning sound? I can come back then."

"Yes, yes, that would be fine. If you'll excuse me from showing you out, I have quite a bit left to do, I wasn't expecting this meeting." Erik said all of this quickly, it seem as if he was rushing them out.

"Yes, that will be fine, I remember how to use the boat. I'll see you tomorrow, Erik. Thank you." But as Christine peered at his face, she realized that he was deep in thought again, and hadn't heard a word she said. As she and her servants stepped into the boat, Christine couldn't mistake the sound of an organ being pounded on. They got back to their hotel, and Christine immediately retired to her room. She had to think about the preceding events.

Just a few blocks away, five levels beneath the street, Erik was also thinking as he played out a symphony that was both long and sweet. Erik had too many thoughts running through his mind all at once. That was in part why he was playing, music always helped him calm down and think. Now, he was in the process of sorting out the positive and negative aspects of agreeing to Christine's proposal. Erik, being the very pessimistic man that he was, started out with the negative side.

If I went with Christine, I would have to be around her and her boyfriendErik grimaced at this. He hated that fop with a burning passion. I would be in the light, I would have to be around people! I wouldn't have my privacy, with all of the servants and what not. I might even have to attend social functions. I would have to act proper all the time… and I definitely do not want to be around the Comte. Erik kept revisiting his hatred for Raoul. After some more brooding, he decided to move onto the positives. I would get to be around Christine, although that might be more of a problem. Erik could not for the life of him think of anymore good things about this arrangement. He kept returning to his thoughts about Raoul, and then it hit him. I wonder… I could get my revenge on Raoul. He took my Christine away from me, I could finally finish the task I set out to do last week, before Christine kissed me. But now, now I have no problem going after the fop. I could observe him, night and day, and maybe I could get Christine to finally love me, she could come back to me! In Erik's mind, this was the perfect plan. Kill the Count before he could marry Christine, and she would be all his. With Raoul out of the picture, Christine would jump at the thought of marrying him! Well, its settled then. I'll go with Christine to live with her. I'll tell her first thing in the morning. Now, I have to pack!

Christine bounced along with the carriage as it worked its way back to the Ruse Scribe entrance to the Opera. She walked down the tunnel, quicker than yesterday. She was very eager to hear Erik's answer, although in her mind, he was surely going to say no. But Christine was willing to work on him. She wouldn't give up so easily.

Erik was waiting on the shore, very eager to deliver his answer to Christine. Christine greeted him and he responded with a light kiss on her hand. She failed to hide this shudder as his lips brushed across her skin. Christine sighed.

"Erik, what do you think?"

"Well, Christine, I have decided to go with you, and stay at your home." Christine could help but smile.

"Wonderful!" She said, but then, she started thinking again. "Erik, you understand that you are going to be living in the same house with Raoul. I want you to be nice to him. I'll speak with him about it too, so you won't be provoked, well, as long as you don't provoke him."

"Christine, I'm not a child. I can restrain myself."

"Good, you'll no doubt need it." Erik smiled. He could still lie to her, good to know.

"Well, I've already packed, so we can leave immediately." Erik waved his hand towards a small pile of bags that Christine hadn't noticed before.

"I just need to pick up my suitcase at the hotel, and then I will be ready."

The party made their way to the carriage, then to the hotel. The bellhop brought down Christine's luggage, and they were ready to go. The journey, which was already fairly short, seemed to pass before Christine's eyes. Before she knew it, they were pulling up to the front of the Chagny mansion. The driver pulled all of the luggage from the carriage and carried it to the front door. Christine, Erik, and the two maids walked slowly up to the front door. Christine looked at Erik, and smiled at him before she rang the bell. Raoul, who was inside, somehow knew that Christine was at the door, rushed forward and insisted on opening the door for his fiancé. From the inside of the house, Raoul opened the door, and Erik and Christine watched the door open slowly. All three took deep breaths as the door opened.

I just wanted to say thank you to rebecca, you know who you are, for giving me hte idea for this chapter, what would i do without you? haha thankyouthankyou 3