Disclaimer: I do not own POTO or The Princess Bride

Thanks for the reviews- I feel so loved!

Lee

Actuality

Christine

She inhaled the fragrance of coffee, enjoying the peace. Dimly, she could hear Erik playing. Christine felt utterly lax, in love with the world. Coffee, combined with listening to the piano through the night as she looked through photo albums of her father and her, eased her. She was ready to live, today at least, as he would have wanted her to.

The doorbell rang, making her jump. Who on earth? She wondered. She wandered to the door, coffee in hand, aware that she was still in her pajamas, and not caring at all.

She turned the knob, swung the door inward.

The boy outside started. Christine raised an eyebrow.

"Who are you?" he questioned. His hazel eyes were faintly surprised.

"Nadir Khan's goddaughter. Christine Daae." she was caffienated enough not to be annoyed by his artless query. It was cute, even. "And you are?"

"Raoul DeChagny. I work for Mr. Khan." He pushed a light strand of hair back from his face, shifted. "There are a couple of documents Nadir left here that the office wants to look over. So," he shrugged, smiled charmingly. "I get to play errand boy." His eyes lingered on her face. "I should do it more often."

She smiled faintly, well used to flirtation. Past it, even. It no longer had any great effect on her. The tall, slender boy on the doorstep was harmless, though, she decided. "Come on in, errand boy." She stepped aside to let him in.

Raoul

He blinked in surprise when the door opened. He had expected Erik to wave him in with his customary expressionlessness. Instead...

The door opened, revealing a girl about his own age looking at him inquiringly. Her tanktop clung snugly to her body, stray auburn hairs falling from her up-do to frame her face. Her eyes were soft, amber-brown, a smile on her face.

She was attractive, and he was not above a little flirting. Even when he found out she was the boss's goddaughter. It wasn't every day a pretty girl welcomed him into an apartment.

She stepped aside as he walked in, he glanced at her sidelong. "Do you want coffee?" she asked. He smiled. What the heck. The office can wait. "Sure." He made his way to Nadir's home office, spotted the folder on the corner of the desk.

Raoul loved having an organized boss.

Catching up the documents, he made his way to the kitchen, where he could smell the coffee brewing.

The girl- Christine- handed him a cup of coffee. It was sweetened and steaming. He offered her a smile. "The interns at the office don't make coffee half as well."

She half-smiled and sipped hers. She looked catlike, eyes closed as steam curled around her face. "It's a gift."

Encouraged, he continued. "How long have you been here, Christine? I don't recall meeting you before."

She looked up at him. "I arrived here yesterday."

"Really? So you haven't been able to get out and see the city? We should fix that." She looked at him appraisingly as he continued smoothly. "I'm having a few friends over tonight for a movie. Want to come?"

Christine

She hesitated. Then- her father's voice echoed in her ear. Don't forget to live, after I'm gone, Christine.

He was looking at her expectantly, one eyebrow quirked, a sunny smile turned on her.

"Sure." A smile melted across his face, warming his eyes.

"That's great. I'll pick you up later." He set down his cup, giving her a glance under his lashes.

"I'll see you then." As she escorted him to the door, Erik materialized. He looked faintly startled, but unsurprised. Apparently the boy was around here quite often.

"Mr. DeChagny? I didn't hear the bell."

"Hey, Erik. Chris answered it. Why wasn't I told Nadir had a goddaughter?" His eyes flicked back to her, she caught the fleeting wink. "Catch you later, Chris."

Erik looked slightly irritated as the boy floated out the door. "Chris?" he inquired. Christine shrugged. "Don't ask me."

"If you're going to be going out later, try to avoid downtown." She followed him into the kitchen, watched his body relax as he helped himself to coffee.

"Don't worry. I'm sure his neighborhood is safe and there will be plenty of people." She smiled. "It should be fun." Her brows drew together as he leaned back against the counter, looking ruffled. "Do you and he not get along?"

Erik shrugged noncommittally. "He and I are very different. He finds me cold and standoffish. I find him flippant and shallow."

Her eyebrows raised. Whatever else you could say about him, Erik was honest. "So what do you do for fun around here? Since you don't seem to join in on the movie-going?"

His lips twitched and he looked amused for some reason. "Have you never seen Nadir's movie collection?"

Her features suffused with humor. "I've only heard the legend."

"Believe me, the reality outweighs the story." he said dryly.

She laughed. "I'll bet it does!" Dusk had fallen when she heard the expected knock at the door. Christine gave herself one last glance in the mirror. She had opted for semi-casual, dark jeans and a red, long-sleeved shirt. She corrected a smudge of eyeliner and made her way to the door.

Raoul stood on the doormat, flashing a charming smile. "Hey, Chris. Ready for some hard-core movie-watching?" He slung an arm around her shoulders as she stepped out into the brisk air-conditioning. She tensed, fought it. What's the harm?

He didn't appear to notice. He kept her laughing with anecdotes of college life while his car purred along the roads, Raoul enjoying the rush of speed. She leaned back into the warm leather and let herself relax. It was comforting to know she could still enjoy laughing about college escapades and upbeat music blasting from the radio.

Raoul brought the car to a smooth stop in the lot. "Luxury apartments. Live like a king on a college budget." he proclaimed, his voice over-dramatized in irony.

She felt a smile tug at her lips. His apartment was exactly what she would have expected of a college boy, although- thankfully!- somewhat cleaner. Small, comfortably cluttered. The newest game console had been left on, there was phone numbers for a variety of take-out restaurants on the refrigerator. A six-pack of unopened soda rested on the counter.

He freed one, popped the tab, held it out to her. "Soda?"

She accepted it. "Thanks." She glanced around in confusion. "Raoul, where are your friends? Are they running late?"

He smiled, eyes downcast in something like embarrassment. "Chris-"

Her fingers tightened on the can. Whatever he had to say, she had a feeling that she wouldn't much like it.

"I just asked you here. I thought maybe you wouldn't accept if you thought it was just us." He looked at her beseechingly, though she could still see the flicker of mischief in his eyes. "Don't be mad at me, Chris, please? I know it was stupid of me, can we just forget about it and relax?"

She felt disbelief and a ripple of cold go through her. He turned an imploring face toward her. She looked away. "I'm not angry." I feel manipulated, maybe, but... She stared dead into the hazel eyes. "But I'm not thrilled with you either"

"I know I shouldn't have done it, but-"

Christine sighed. She did not want to ruin whatever could be salvaged of this. She should give him the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps he really had been nervous. "Let's just enjoy the movie, Raoul."

He smiled and it was like sunlight through the clouds. "Thanks, Chris."

He seemed to realize the boundaries, for he did not attempt to touch her during the movie. She herself was simply trying to maintain a friendly distance. Fortunately enough, the movie was a comedy.

As the credits rolled, she leaned her head back against the couch. "So what did you think?"

"Of the movie? I like the director, personally. I've got a few of his works."

"You don't think there was any deeper meaning to the film?"

He raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know I'd brought home a philosopher."

She smiled half-mocking. "Surprise."

He threw back his head and laughed. "I never went for the whole 'deeper meaning' idea. Deep thoughts just aren't my forte. I'll leave that to Socrates and Aristotle."

Christine shook her head, exasperated and amused at his mercurial manner. "So what is your forte then, errand boy?"

"Being charming enough that gorgeous, gracious girls will forgive me for tricking them into seeing a movie with them." He paused at her raised eyebrows, eyes sparkling with humor. "I think it's a pretty redeeming feature"

She shook her head yet again. "You are something else." She yawned, glanced at the clock. "Is that the time?"

He grinned. "Not much of a night owl, are we?"

"Nope." she admitted. "I get tend to bite off heads if I don't get my beauty sleep."

He rose. "You don't need beauty sleep, Chris. I told you- you're gorgeous."

"I'm not so gorgeous on five hours of sleep." she warned. He sighed.

"To the car it is, then."

Traffic was all but nonexistent. He smiled at her as they pulled into the complex, and hiked up the stairs, pulled her into a one-armed hug that she returned after a moment's hesitation. "Thanks for putting up with me, Chris. Care to do it again sometime?" His eyes were hopeful on hers.

She smiled in spite of herself. "Maybe."

He sighed dramatically and gave her a woebegone look. "You break my heart."

He startled a peal of laughter from her. "You should go on stage." He gave her a wicked smile.

"So I've always thought. See you around, Chris."

Raoul

He watched her go inside, casting him a smile over her shoulder, chestnut eyes gleaming. Auburn curls had escaped their constraints to tumble around her face.

He felt the sudden urge to brush them away.

Christine

She had no sooner closed the door than she collapsed back against it. A sinking feeling swept through her and curled her fingers against the cold wood.

Raoul was sweet. Endearingly so. She got the impression that few people disliked him.

Had she been younger- had she not seen so much of life and death... His naiveté evoked a longing in her for the past. She wanted to say she was attracted to him, wanted to feel the sweet rush of adrenaline that young lovers did. Wanted to bury herself in the joy of simply being attracted to another human being.

She couldn't. He was, in so many ways, younger than her. Innocent. Naive. He was something that she could have had- once. Something she could brush only faintly in her memories. He was the past, the easiness of her childhood.

She couldn't love the incarnation of yesterday.

Erik

He heard voices murmur, the door snick shut. A sigh.

Christine was home. Erik looked down at the scores before him and echoed her sigh. Nothing was coming to him. There was no music in the silence tonight.

She walked into the kitchen, dropped her keys on the counter and collapsed into a chair, resting her head on her arms. "Hey." her voice was subdued. "What've you been up to?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Staring at a blank paper for the past hour. Was the movie really that trite?"

She looked up at him, he was startled at the weariness in her eyes. "No. No, it's not that."

He felt an apprehension and an anger creep through his veins, dragging roughly against his nerves. "Did Mr. DeChagny-"

She negated the question before he finished it with a wave of her hand. "No. It's just..." She seemed to pull herself together, sitting up and raking a hand through her hair. "I just need a pick-me-up. I'll go look through Nadir's collection. Do you want popcorn?"

He fought a rise of incredulity. "Do I have this correct? You are going to watch another movie after the last one put you in such a lovely mood?"

She gave him a wry smile. "No. We're going to watch a movie. It's what girls do to make themselves feel better after a long day if there's not a spa handy." She gestured around the apartment. "And since there are no other girls here and tradition dictates that you have someone with you to help cheer you up, well..."

He felt a smile tug at his mouth at her casual whimsy. "If you like." She smiled, he saw her shoulders drop as she relaxed.

"I'll go pick a movie then, shall I?"

She was sprawled on the floor when he entered, head pillowed on her arms. She glanced up at him as he settled on the couch, clicked the remote.

He raised an eyebrow at her selection. "The Princess Bride?"

She smiled. "It's a classic."

He couldn't argue with her there. Even if it was a bit light for his taste, he could appreciate the artistry of it. He lay back and let the sound wash over him.

"So."

He watched the credits roll, feeling pleasantly weary. "At the risk of sounding adolescent, so what?"

She turned and looked at him. She was utterly relaxed, the tension drained from her entirely. "What do you think of it?"

"As what? An adaptation of the book or a film in its own right?"

"No." she paused, countenance contemplative. "For instance, the characters. Who they are, what they represent. What motivates them. Like Westley."

Erik dropped his head to the back of the couch. A teenager wanting to discuss philosophy? She surprised him.

Than again, she was Nadir's goddaughter. He supposed this was one of the lesser surprises she had in store.

She was looking at him expectantly. "Love." She looked distinctly dissatisfied, so he elaborated. "The desire to be Buttercup's ideal. He outwits every enemy he comes up against, even manages to win some of them over to his side. He survives torture and death. In short, becomes the ideal man."

"As opposed to the competition. The Prince who creates a war for his own amusement and plans to murder his trophy wife and throw his land into turmoil so he can distract himself from boredom. A self-absorbed coward."

"And the woman in question?"

"Lives only for love too. She doesn't care about what happens to her after he dies, but she promises she won't ever love another man. And then she gives herself up for Westley's sake after they escape the Fire Swamp. After her 'wedding', she tries to commit suicide because she can't be married to the man who killed her lover."

"Whose reason's do you agree with?" He was beginning to enjoy this debate, quiet and reflective as it was.

"None of them, really. I think Buttercup's attempted suicide was melodramatic.

" He blinked. Not so much a hopeless romantic. "Why do you say that? She was faced with the alternative of living out her days with the man who had killed her lover." Not that he entirely agreed with the heroine's attempt at action. He was only interested in seeing how Christine defend herself.

She shrugged. "That's either-or reasoning. She could have taken revenge on him, she was in a position to harm him. She could have run."

"I don't think she had it in her to do either. That simply wasn't the way she was. It wouldn't have occurred to her."

She looked at him thoughtfully. "I think I have to concede on that point."

Erik smiled. "Then I think I'll leave on that note."

"While you're winning the debate?" she asked, a teasing smile tugging at her mouth. She replaced the movie, turned off the TV.

He returned the smile faintly. "Exactly so, Christine." The desire to compose began to stir and he made his way to his music room.

Her laughter trailed behind him.

Another long chapter. What do you think?

cookies n' hugs

Lee