A/N: Sorry it took so long for an update! I've been having a minor case of writer's block, as well as getting all four wisdom teeth out… that was fun, let me tell ya…. Anyway, I know you can do better than two reviews! 100 hits and 2 reviews! That's sad! Enjoy this chapter, and please review!

Christine de Nuit

Chapter 3: Acceptance

Christine looked at herself in the mirror. She was dressed in a black gown that hugged her slender features. She nodded to herself in approval. Yes, it did suit her well. Normally she didn't wear black, but it seemed to match her mood as of late.

It had been a day since she had last spoken to Erik, when he had angrily spat insults at her in his lair. She had been too overwhelmed with hurt to even so much as say goodbye before leaving him to regret his hasty accusations. Sometimes she really did not understand him.

Tonight was her dinner with Raoul. As much as she disliked Raoul as more than a friend (his advances were becoming quite annoying), she was glad for the distraction from her current situation.

Tossing her luscious curls about her shoulders, she grabbed her cloak.

Taking one last glance in the mirror, secretly hoping Erik was watching her, she turned and left the room.

She had promised to meet Raoul in the grand entrance hall of the Opera house. Ah, there he was.

Dressed in navy trousers with a matching navy vest and coat over a crisp white shirt, Raoul de Chagny looked the part of Prince Charming. Blushing at this realization, Christine allowed him to take her hand in his.

"Ah! My dear Christine! What a pleasure this is, to spend an enchanting evening in your presence catching up on old times, as well as celebrating your great triumph!" Raoul smiled as he leaned down to kiss the back of her palm.

Christine rolled her eyes. 'Great triumph' must be his favorite phrase; he used it in nearly every conversation he had.

"Hello, Raoul. Nice to see you again," she said politely, pulling away from him.

Raoul ignored this and called to his servants to bring the carriage around.

Helping her in, he took in the beauty that was Christine.

How she had grown since her days as Little Lotte by the shore! She was taller than most of the ballet girls, but not as tall as the men of the Opera house. Her slender figure was accentuated by the clinging black gown she wore now, with a black cloak hung over her shoulders for warmth. Her skin was milky white and looked to be softer than silk. Raoul smiled at the thought.

Christine glanced at him nervously, wondering why he couldn't just get in the carriage without having to scan her entire body. It made her quite uncomfortable.

"What are you waiting for?" she asked dryly.

Raoul brushed his thoughts away and climbed in, taking a seat across from her.

"Nothing, my dear. Now, I know of this great café…" his voice trailed off as Christine turned to look out the window.

The Opera house was quite magnificent. Ever since she had come here as a child, she had been thankful to call it home. The grandeur was simply breathtaking and Christine smiled at the thought of her progressing career allowing her to stay there.

"Christine? Christine, did you hear me?"

Christine blinked, turning to Raoul. "What? I'm sorry, I was just thinking about…"

"Christine, I asked if you remembered that day you lost your scarf in the sea, and how I went out and retrieved it for you." He looked at her questioningly.

"Oh! Yes, of course I remember! How could I forget? You were quite the hero that day, Raoul." Christine hoped her answer had been satisfactory. She glanced up to look at his face.

It had.

Raoul proceeded to launch into the past, bringing up memories of how they had first met, and how her father would play his violin for them.

Christine sighed, taking it all in. She missed her father so much…

Christine awoke the next morning with a smile upon her face. Dinner with Raoul had turned out to be better than she had expected. He was so nice to her, and she was glad she had spent time with him.

Rising out of bed, she made her way over to her armoire to get dressed for the day.

There were no rehearsals today, and for this Christine was thankful. Going from chorus girl to Prima Donna was taking its toll on her body. Luckily she had had a long night's rest and was feeling quite refreshed when she noticed something on her desk.

Walking towards it, she saw that it was a blood red rose wrapped in a black silk ribbon. Once again, it was being used as a weight for the letter underneath it.

Christine sighed as she bent to read the latest note from her estranged tutor.

Christine,

I am deeply sorry for the pain and sorrow my accusations may have caused you. I would never wish to cause you harm in any way, and I regret my actions of that night. Please find it in your heart to forgive me.

There is another performance next week, and while your voice is good, it has not yet reached its full potential. I therefore propose, with your consent, to continue our lessons in hopes of meeting this goal. I will be here at 2 o'clock this afternoon; please be ready with your music.

Once again, my deepest apologies. I can only hope you shall forgive me. I am looking forward to seeing you this afternoon.

Erik

Christine sighed. Did he really mean what he had written in the letter? Erik could be so wonderful to her sometimes, and yet his actions of the other night made her wonder...

She didn't know what to think anymore.

Turning from his hiding place, Erik's head was running rampant with thoughts of what he had just seen. Did she forgive him? Would she come today? Why had she sighed like that? He climbed into the gondola and was soon at the entrance of his home.

The past few days had been miserable for him. He had spent them down in his lair, being tortured by his regret and anguish. It only made it worse to know that he had done it to himself.

He sighed as he pictured that night for the thousandth time.

She had been so sweet to him and yet, he could feel her next betrayal on the horizon. Once again she would rip his heart in two by going out with that damn boy.

How he longed to hold her, to have her smile at him as she had last night coming home from dinner. Her eyes had sparkled when she looked at Raoul, and her smile radiated warmth from her body.

Erik had done everything he could think of to make his pain go away. Broken mirrors lined the walls of his lair as silent evidence to his anguish.

Making his way around his lair, he took care to cover them with the magnificent tapestries. He didn't want to have to answer her questions should she decide to come down there with him again.

Oh how he tormented himself! As if she would ever again step foot inside his home, the home of a murderer, the home of the monster who had cursed at her in such a way as to try to make her feel the pain he felt. Oh, Christine…

Erik turned and made his way to his organ. Softly pounding away at the keys, he began to compose a new, darker piece, one that matched his mood and mannerisms.

Yes, he thought, this would win her over to him. This opera would allow him to seduce her and gain what he had desired for so long.

Christine.

At exactly fifteen minutes to 2 o'clock that afternoon, Christine began to make her way to her dressing room.

Her emotions were still mixed, her mind and heart still confused. She had come to the conclusion that if he apologized to her in person, perhaps her world would be righted once again.

She could only hope.

Shutting the door behind her, she looked around the room. He wasn't there yet, and she sighed in relief. She still needed a few moments to compose herself.

Sitting on her bed, her thoughts turned to Raoul.

He was handsome, in that shallow sort of way. The way his blonde hair fell into his eyes made Christine's heart leap. And he treated her so well. They had known each other for so long, and it was easy to feel safe and comfortable in his presence. He was so predictable.

Which was quite different from Erik. She had known Erik ever since she had come to the Opera house, although she had foolishly thought him to be an angel for most of their time together. His magnificent tenor had the ability to consume her, drawing her near him. She could not help but be attracted to him, especially after discovering he was indeed a man. There was a sensual pull between his darkness and her light that she could not resist. But that face… that horrible face…

She closed her eyes, trying to push the thought from her mind.

Suddenly the mirror slipped open, revealing Erik in all his dark glory. He had managed to clean himself up, not wanting her to see the wreck he had made of himself in her absence.

She turned, smiling discreetly at him. "Hello, Erik".

Erik was by her side in two strides. Taking her hand in his, bent down and stared into her eyes, his twin oceans of blue and green taking in her angelic face.

"Christine, I want to apologize in person for my actions the other night. It was quite wrong of me to bring about such accusations, and I know they were not true. My temper seems to get the better of me sometimes. I can only hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me." he moved his gaze away from her.

"Erik, I must be honest. When you said what you did to me, I didn't think it was possible I could forgive you or even see you ever again. Your harsh words hurt me very much. I couldn't stand the thought of you thinking such things about me. And after all we've been through…" Christine smiled and taking her hand, brought it to rest on his perfect cheek.

"I only hope that we can make it through this and that things will return to the way they once were. Now then, how about a lesson?"

Erik gave her a small smile, his mask gleaming in the soft candlelight. She had forgiven him after the horrors of the other night. And she was once again touching him. Although he was unused to it, he didn't mind the physical contact of his angel at all.

Christine couldn't help but be happy. Things were once again right between her and her tutor. Gazing up at him, she saw what appeared to be desire swirling in his eyes.

She blinked trying to get a better look. His stare was normal. She pushed any thoughts from her mind and quickly pulled him into a chaste embrace, burying her face into his chest.

Bending his head down to her soft hair, Erik drew in the wonderful scent of lavender in her curls. He wrapped an arm around her waist, savoring this sweet moment with his Christine.

Looking down, he placed a finger under her chin and lifted so that she looked up into his eyes. They stayed that way for a few minutes, smiles upon both their faces.

Pushing Christine away from him, Erik turned and picked up her music. Gently taking her arm, he led her through the mirror and down the dark passageway.

A/N: Ah, couldn't resist some relatively minor fluff for you! Next chapter should be up soon…don't forget to review this time!