A/N: Yay, she's running back! But, Erik's not exactly in his right mind at the moment...


Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Erik had found new energy, and rushed back home, panting. Using the second key, he unlocked his room and opened the mahogany chest before his bed.

Don't make it painless. Erik did not move for the revolver, but instead for the black velvet bag. The memories it threatened to awaken had kept him from its use, but now he felt an almost poetic justice would come from it. Inside the bag rested a single, strong piano wire. Innocent enough, but for what he'd used it for long ago. And will use again, he reminded himself.

He was not so far gone in his rage that he did not realize Christine would be lost to him when the night was over. But she'll remain with me in my misery. Like Satan bent on bringing humanity down to hell, Erik prepared himself for the attack. Still wearing his trench coat, he placed the bag into a pocket and locked his room behind him.


Please be asleep, she prayed as she walked and drew near the apartment. If he were awake, she would have no idea what to say to him. Would he scream? Would he hurt her? Oh, God, I'm frightened...

She knew she was afraid when, as she stepped closer to the large front door and pulled out the keys, her hands shook so much that she nearly dropped the keys. It was not that she was cold or wet again from the rain- she was terrified. Just before she unlocked the door, Christine rested her hand on it for support. What am I doing? With every desire to turn back, she nearly did. Then she saw him in her mind, holding his hand out to her as he had only nights before.

'Touch me, trust me...'

She opened the door.


"Oh!" Mrs. Giry cried out as she heard the crash in the living room. Hurriedly she ran in, only to see the family tabby looking very contented with its work. It had managed to topple the vase of flowers in its search for a place to curl up. With no touch of tenderness she took it up by the scruff of the neck and dropped it fimly outside. Why did Nadir ever want that little troublemaker? Madeleine will be enough to handle when she gets older...

She went back to the living room to pick up the spoiled arrangement. With a sigh she picked up the long, red rose. It had been snapped in half, and the petals loosely fell when she touched it. She was reminded of when Erik had actually bought one of the roses in her arrangement.

"Just one?" Mrs. Giry asked as he pulled it out.

"Yes." He fidgeted nervously with it, and almost put it back in the vase. "I'll pay you for it."

"Erik-"

"I insist, Mrs. Giry." He'd taken a decisive tone, and she sighed.

"Fine. Play your violin for Madeleine next time you're over." She laughed at his change in expression. "She loves the sound, you know, but I can only play a little."

"All right. Next time," he nodded in agreement.

Now she put the destroyed flowers away, and she wondered about the recipient of his rose. She had an inkling on who it was, but could not be sure yet...


"Christine..." He stared at her as if in shock as she stood immobilized by his presence. She didn't know what to say to him. Should she apologize? Why, when she should have every right to go outside? When she saw his right hand suddenly ball up into an angry fist, Christine realized that she'd stopped him from something. He looks like he's leaving...and he's upset...

"Erik." She whispered dumbly, as if she couldn't quite grasp that he was really there. He sneered at her, but didn't leave. She took a step forward. Looking into his hurt eyes, a small, guilty smile was all that she could muster. "Erik-"

"Did you realize you couldn't escape me?" He said hoarsely. She came back to me. She can't be trusted...you won't forgive her.

"No, I-"

"Were you afraid I'd find you out there? Do something terrible?"

She shook her head furiously. Yes, she'd been afraid, but not about being punished out there. She pulled the wire from her pocket. "I knew you couldn't hurt anyone...because I have your-"

"You really believe that I need anything- even the wire you're carrying- to kill?" He let out an awful laugh, ridiculing her. She shivered at the distortion in his voice, dropping the device.

"How did you know?" She felt her blood turn to ice in her veins in fear and realization. "You were awake. And you didn't come after me."

"No," he corrected her, "I knew you'd go running to your lover. Everything you've done until now, I have allowed."

My lover? Does he mean- The panic in her face gave him adrenaline. "Raoul? Erik-" She took a deep breath, not wanting to ask this question. "Erik, what were you planning on doing? Where were you going?"

"You've disobeyed me, and that will always carry dire consequences." The gleam in his eye, the anger that radiated from him-it all gave him away to Christine. There was only one thing on his mind. Murder.

"Oh, don't!" She rushed up to him, eyes begging him. "Don't make this mistake. I came back! I came back!"

Erik slammed his fist into the wall, cracking the plaster and splitting his glove with the force. "Mistake? Dear Christine, it's self-defense. He's acted against me." She placed a hand over her mouth. "He's touched my song-bird."

"No..."

"Shall I tell you? Would it thrill you to hear?" His eyes were feral, not seeing her at all. "Do you want to know who my first was? The first who ever tried to harm me? Kill me?"

"Don't say it, please..." She shook her head. "I came back..."

"It was my father." He told her in a cold, angry voice. She looked up with the sudden shock of his words to study his remorseless face with wide eyes. "I'd do it again. I've no regrets."

"Oh, God..."

He moved to walk past her. It was fine to let her know now- she'd condemned herself to a lifetime with him...and soon Raoul would be dead.

"Congratulations. You've ripped off my mask, and now you know the face of the monster." He had no doubt she'd never love him now. Who, after all, could love a mangled human?

"Don't look at my child..." Erik could hear her voice in his head now, and he knew Christine would be the same. Unable to see anything else. But she wouldn't be able to leave. For Christine, there could be no such easy escape.

"And don't hope for him- Raoul will die tonight." With that, he walked past her. He would have left her, but she cried out.

"DON'T!" Her voice rang out, and she shook with pure emotion. The man who'd taught her, who'd felt for her, was not this terrible thing before her. He couldn't be.

"Are you hoping to save your love?" His voice was biting, cruel, but if Christine was right, it wasn't hatred he was feeling.

"Forget about Raoul! He's not--" She yelled, frustrated. "Please... don't make yourself a murderer in my eyes," she whispered.

For a moment, he was silent and observing. She wasn't asking to spare her Raoul- she didn't want Erik to kill. But you have killed. And you'll continue to. It's kill or be killed, Erik. But she was just so unhappy, watching him like this, that he began to calm down instinctively. "It's not a choice, Christine," he said in a softer tone. "I've never had a choice."

She shook her head, sending her wet curls bouncing. "There's always a choice."

"Why did you choose to come back?" Such honest words surprised even him, but as he watched her trying to 'save' him, he hadn't been able to hold them back.

"I- I'm not sure." Her chin jutted only slightly, "But I came backto you. Don't make me regret that."

"You can't change the course of my life." As much as I wish it, you don't have such a power...

"No more killing, Erik." She looked up, her doe eyes shining with unshed tears. "Please."

"Christine," he shook his head, "you won't ever understand. Death follows me. I can't be free of it, any more than you can be free of me." He looked at her, his arrogance returning. "You can't order me to go against my nature."

Christine sighed, willing the tears not to fall. She picked up the thin wire and came to Erik. She placed it at her own neck, holding out the ends to him. "If you ever feel the need to kill someone again, Erik, you're going to have to kill me first." She had tried to hold back the tears, but they were falling now. The wire bit lightly into her skin as she tightened it before him. "Kill me, Erik. Can you?"

She didn't want to die. But she wanted to trust Erik. Returning to him had been her choice, and now she had to know what he was- man or monster. It was all in his hands now. Please, Erik. She tugged the wire, allowing it to cut into the skin at her throat. How awful it must be, to die this way...

His hands flew to the wire, but instead of choking her, he released her. The wire relaxed and slid from her throat. She trembled and faltered, and he supported her as she slumped to the floor. He threw the wire to the other side of the room and pressed a fevered hand to her cool throat, fearing his touch might harm her further, checking the red mark that was growing. "Don't ever do that again, Christine," he whispered into her skin. "I'll never kill you."

He realized how true his words were. He'd never be able to raise his hand to her. Though she'd betrayed him, though she'd been in the arms of another this night, he had never intended to physically harm her. No, he realized, those thoughts had long since been replaced with the feel of her cold body.

She raked a tired hand over his, still shivering from what she'd just done. "If you ever want to kill again, kill me first. Please," she moved her head to his shoulder, "I'd rather be dead than know you killed another person." Especially not for my sake..

What she asked of him frustrated him. Long ago he'd been taught a harsh lesson, and he doubted Christine could change that, even with all of her pretty words. "Christine," He explained, feeling her curls against his lips as he spoke, "I don't know how to do that. I can't live normally, I've never been able to." It was impossible to promise her, but painful to deny her just the same. She'd left, but she'd come back! He could not give her any lies to hold on to, even kind ones. Suddenly, the curls at his face moved, and he felt her lips at his ear. He instinctively closed his eyes to listen to her trembling voice.

"You can. You can if I'm with you." She looked up to meet his confused stare. "I'll stay with you, Erik." She put her head over his heart and closed her eyes. "I won't leave you ever again. I promise."

He said nothing as he snaked his arms around her and held her close, but Christine didn't need him to. His heartbeat, which was now racing, said it all. They both knew it was enough.


A/N: Yay! Christine's come back! EC or no, which do you think this'll turn out to be?