Hey guys! As always and forever, thank you for the support. Your comments make my day. I think that most of you will enjoy this chapter, as many people are eager for a little romance. The next couple of chapters will be a little calmer, slightly more to the romantic side and less angsty. Am I winding the story down or just giving you a false sense of security? You'll have to see that for yourselves :) That being said, this story is going to be nearly forty chapters long, and I'm not one to write 12 chapters of pure romance. ;)

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

Read and Review!

A very short article in the entertainment section of the newspaper had placed Nadir in his current position. As he was browsing through various shows around the city, searching for something to occupy his time while he waited for Erik to appear, the Iranian had come across Ms. Daae's name. She was on a short list of performers for a banquet that evening at a well-known hotel. By the time he noticed her name in the jumble of black newspaper print, the dinner was already half over.

Nadir had thrown on his winter coat and raced across town, nearly getting into a car accident on the icy streets. His head spun as he attempted to weave his way through the traffic jams and careless drivers. Luckily, the hotel wasn't too far from his current residence, and he finally swerved into the crowded parking lot with a loud screech. With dismay, Nadir glanced at the clock and realized that the banquet had likely ended. The entrance was swarming with people, and he blankly searched the masses for any sign of Christine Daae.

Although he never found the young woman, Nadir's eyes did fall on a familiar face. Christine's friend was standing on the curb of the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets. The Iranian doubted it was a coincidence that they both happened to be there that night. Jumping out of his car, he had rushed up to the young man and discovered that Christine had just departed. From the confused look on the boy's face, Nadir was sure that Christine had not given her friend much information. Perhaps that was a good thing, though. Erik would have no qualms with wiping the young man off the face of the earth if it ever came to that.

Ignoring the boy's questions, he had raced back to his car and sped onto the busy streets, praying there were no police officers nearby. Swerving in and out of traffic, Nadir began to think it was going to be another fruitless search. Hundreds of cars surrounded him, and Erik was likely long gone into the shadows.

Pure luck had been on his side when he suddenly noticed the strange black car, weaving its way through the crowds with amazing ease. The vehicle almost seemed to hover over the streets without touching the road. From what he could tell, the black car had come from the exact same direction and had been stopped at a light for several minutes. With caution, Nadir began to follow several cars behind the phantom vehicle, attempting to keep out of sight of its rearview mirrors. Although the windows were tinted, he could barely make out the faint shapes of two people in the back, one much taller than the other.

As the car began to pick up speed and head along hidden side streets, Nadir was surer than ever that he had found whom he was looking for. Still attempting to keep a low profile, he trailed behind, dimming his headlights. When the car suddenly began to weave in strange patterns, Nadir realized that he had been seen. His heart jumped as the black car finally swerved to the side of the road. All was still for several moments, and Nadir gripped onto the steering wheel in anticipation. He wondered if he was insane coming there with no weapon of any kind.

Finally, the left back door of the car opened, and a figure slowly stepped out onto the streets. Even before Nadir saw the golden dots, he recognized the quick, flowing stride of his masked friend. Taking a deep breath, the Iranian climbed out of his car and waited. Erik was in front of him in an instant, standing mere feet away. Nadir inadvertently shrunk back, watching as the yellow eyes flashed dangerously.

"My friend," whispered Erik, taking another quick step forward. "What did you ever hope to accomplish tonight by following me home?"

Nadir stood firmly. "You know why I'm here, Erik. I want to see the girl. You promised me that she was with you of her own free will. Now let me see it for myself."

"Do you really think this is the best place to be making demands of me?" Erik enquired, gesturing to the dark, barren streets. "Are you even armed, my friend? Did you think any of this plan through?" He chuckled. "You are getting careless in your old age."

"If you wanted to kill me, you could have done so many times. I've risked my life since I've been here. Now is no different."

"You really do tempt me. I should kill you tonight." Erik loomed over him at full height, hands clenched into fists. "It would make so many of my problems go away. And perhaps I could then live in peace with my love...without your interference."

Nadir's heart raced with unexpected fear. He had seen that look in Erik's eyes, and it was not something to be mistaken. "Erik. I simply want to see that the girl is well. Please. That is all I ask. You made me the promise that I would see her."

Erik drew back and paused in thought. Nadir held his breath. "Fine. I will show her to you this one time. But only because I wish you to see our divine love for yourself. And then you will leave, Nadir. If you value your life at all, you will leave. But yes! I will show my love to you." A strange joy gleamed from his previously murderous eyes.

Nadir slowly nodded. "Thank you. After I've seen for myself, I'll leave you alone."

Erik slowly stepped backward and then whirled around, blending in with the shadows as he returned to the vehicle. He opened the car door on the right side and quietly spoke to someone for several seconds. A moment later, Nadir watched with relief as a young woman stepped out and began walking forward. She wore a silky white dress that nearly blended with her pale skin. Her blue eyes darted around with uncertainty, before finally settling on him with surprised recognition. Erik walked mere inches behind her, almost daring anyone to come near to them.

As they approached, the Iranian made a slight move forward to get a closer look. Erik flinched forward as well with a menacing gaze, causing Nadir to quickly draw back.

"Here is Ms. Daae, Nadir, as you requested," stated Erik. "Alive and well. Are you satisfied? For your sake, my friend, I certainly hope so."

Nadir slowly nodded, keeping his gaze focused on the young girl. Christine looked up at him curiously, before glancing back toward Erik. His masked friend looked down upon her with nothing less than pure adoration. The Iranian had never seen such affection and desire in those cold yellow eyes. It was both strangely beautiful and frightening. Cautiously, he spoke to her. "Hello, Ms. Daae. How are you this evening?"

She briefly glanced at Erik before speaking, her voice quiet and kind. "I'm fine, thank you."

"Christine did marvelously tonight," interrupted Erik. "All at the banquet were amazed by her voice."

"Congratulations," said Nadir, studying her closely. He looked for terror or sickness in her face, any sign of discomfort. Perhaps her eyes would tell him something.

Christine smiled. In the dim lighting, he even though he saw the hints of an embarrassed blush. "Thank you. I really enjoyed being there."

An awkward silence passed before Nadir spoke again. "And...Erik has been teaching you?"

She nodded. "Yes. He's taught me almost everything. I never thought I could sing like I do now. It's been amazing."

The Iranian shifted, wishing he could get a moment alone with her. Of course she wouldn't say anything with Erik standing over her shoulder. She wasn't stupid. Nadir hesitated and looked up. The yellow eyes were daring him to make a foolish move. "You are enjoying the city? Having fun here?"

Christine tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and nodded again. "Yeah. Well, I haven't seen too much, but I…or we might later. It seems really nice, though."

Erik sharply cut in. "Yes. I plan to give her a tour. Rehearsing has taken up much of our time."

Nadir continued to stare at them with uncertainty. Although Christine was shivering, it appeared to be only because she was cold in her thin dress. She looked a little unsure and tired, but he could detect no real fear on her face. Had he known nothing of the situation, the Iranian would have assumed everything to be fine. Still, though... "Could I talk to you alone for a second, Ms. Daae?"

Erik stepped in front of her in an instant, separating Christine from Nadir's view. "That was never part of our arrangement," he coldly stated, a dangerous glint returning to his eyes. "You have seen her as you requested, and I believe this visit is now over." He turned to look at Christine. "Go to the car, my dear," he gently commanded. "It is much too cold for you out here. I will return in a moment."

Christine momentarily paused and glanced between the two men. Something was not still quite right about the situation. Erik was obviously holding a certain amount of power over the young woman.

She finally turned around and quickly walked back to the car, looking over her shoulder several times before she climbed in. Erik watched her leave, never once taking his eyes off of her form. "Isn't she perfectly wonderful, Nadir? My Christine."

"Yes, Erik. She's a very nice girl." He sighed, too uncertain to say anything else.

"Nice?" He chuckled. "No, Nadir. She is a piece of heaven...if such a place existed."

"Why will you not let me speak with her? If she truly wishes to stay with you, then she will say nothing to the contrary. Correct? What do you have to fear?"

Erik whirled around and faced him. "You will not speak to her because you will turn her against me! You will dig up the past, Nadir! Tell her lies of all sorts!" He approached him. Nadir took a step back, gripping onto the hood of his car. "If it were not for her, I would have done away with you this night. And let me make myself perfectly clear. If I see you again, I will kill you. When you awaken, I expect you to leave this city."

"You are walking a dangerous line, my friend. And what do you mean when I awaken?"

Erik's eyes glowed. "I certainly cannot have you following me back to my humble home, can I? No. That would not do at all." He removed something from the folds of his suit. Before Nadir could step away, Erik lunged at him, pressing a white cloth to his mouth and nose. "Just be content that you will eventually wake up this time, my friend. Next time you will not be that fortunate."

The Iranian groaned in protest as a heavy feeling of exhaustion swept over his body. Darkness quickly enveloped him, and he felt his legs fall out from beneath his torso. A brief wave of pain shook his body as he slammed onto the cold concrete.

"Have a good evening," he heard Erik say from above, before finally blacking out completely.

Christine returned to the car and waited for several minutes, content to be out of the cold and nervously wondering what was going on outside. Dozens of questions raced through her mind as she lay back under the heaters. She had seen that man before. He had even frightened her on one occasion, but she never knew he had any connection to Erik. Who was he? She never quite knew what she was supposed to say, but her words had been somewhat true. The man...Nadir...had seemed unsure about the situation as well.

She glanced backward several times but could only make out the distant outline of the car and its dim headlights. A shadow suddenly passed by the window, and the door across from her flew open with a gust of cold air. Erik climbed into the car but remained sitting upright. "Drive!" he ordered, even before he had closed his door. The vehicle sped forward, roughly jolting Christine back into her seat. Looking behind her, she could see that the grey car had not moved from its spot. The other man had vanished. She swallowed in uncertainty, almost not wanting to know what had happened.

Erik turned and somehow noticed the fear in her eyes. "Christine," he began, reaching a hand out toward her. "What is the matter? Are you frightened?"

"No," she quickly replied, taking another glance behind them. "I'm fine."

He gently grabbed onto her wrist, causing her to look up at him in confusion. "Nadir is well, Christine. He will not follow us! Now that he has seen you, he will not bother us anymore."

Her heart raced. "All right," she choked out, wondering what had really occurred. Had Erik...? Was Nadir dead?

Likely seeing the remaining horror on her face, Erik quickly reached into his suit pocket and removed a white cloth. "He merely sleeps, Christine! It was necessary to ensure that he would not follow us. But he is still alive! I promise. You do believe me?" Erik gripped her wrist even tighter, staring at her with desperate intensity.

Christine gazed at the damp white cloth, almost feeling dizzy from the very faint fumes. "Yes," she whispered. "I believe you, Erik. I do."

He loosened his grip on her wrist, calmness entering his eyes. "Very good. Nadir will leave soon, and we will not have to concern ourselves with him any longer."

"Who is he?" she asked quietly. "I've seen him before. Back in Vermont."

Erik hesitated. "He is an acquaintance from many years ago. I did not expect to see him again, nor did I wish to. It is best that Mr. Khan is forgotten. He knows nothing of the present, only of the past."

"Oh."

"Let us forget him now. He is irrelevant to us."

As the car resumed its normal course, Christine merely nodded and lay back into the seat. She never knew what to think, but she felt a need to believe him that evening. Erik did seem almost desperately sincere, and the cloth had contained the same chemical that had only put her to sleep. She sighed and attempted to push the matter from her mind, allowing it to fade into the rest of her troubling memories of the evening.

The rest of the car ride was in silence. Christine remained fully awake, clutching the silk shawl with the two pieces of paper in her right hand. She did plan on telling Erik about Mr. Piane that night, but she wanted to get the napkin hidden first.

Within a few minutes, the car came to a quick halt, and Christine looked up to see that they had arrived. Very carefully, she gathered up the shawl and opened her car door. Erik made no move to come out. "I need a moment to speak with the driver," he stated as she climbed onto the sidewalk. "Keep near to the vehicle. I will be out in a moment."

She nodded and obediently closed the door, warily looking at her unpleasant surroundings. Glancing to the left, she saw two ragged men leer at her as they walked down the decrepit streets. Both were unshaven and staggered as though intoxicated. Christine gripped onto the door handle, wanting to jump back inside the car.

Erik finally stepped out, though, immediately noticing her distraught expression. "What is wrong, Christine?" He followed her gaze to the men, and his eyes flared slightly. "They would not dare get within ten feet of you when you are with me. There is nothing to be afraid of."

Sure enough, as soon as they looked at Erik's looming figure, both men backed away and practically ran in the opposite direction. Christine watched with slight awe until she felt Erik's hand gently ushering her forward. She quickly made her way down the concrete steps, eager to get out of the cold air and away from the unpleasant surroundings. Stepping inside, she found herself relieved to see the now familiar settings. Even the predator figurines didn't seem frightening-simply another part of the strange little home. Still clutching the shawl, Christine turned to face him. "I'll be right back," she said softly. "I forgot to tell you something earlier."

"Of course," he replied with sincere interest. "I would prepare you dinner, but you said you had eaten at the banquet?"

Feeling a sharp pang in her stomach, she realized that she had not eaten anything since that morning. "Um. Actually, I'm still hungry...if it's not any trouble. Something simple is fine."

He turned to go to the kitchen. "Of course it is no trouble. As I have said, all you must do is ask."

"Thank you." She turned and walked quickly to her room, shutting the door quietly behind her. Breathing a sigh of relief that she had made it through the night, she took out the napkin and placed it into the middle of a notebook. Christine then stuffed the notebook into the far back of a dresser drawer. If she ever needed it, it would be there.

She frowned momentarily, realizing that Raoul was likely very confused by now. If only she could have a normal conversation with him...see him without having to hide. He had truly been wonderful these last few weeks, and she would have liked to have stayed friends. Maybe, in time, she could convince Erik that she truly had no intention to leave.

For now, though, she would keep things as they were. Her future career lay ahead of her, and, in some odd way, she was beginning to enjoy Erik's company. She was certainly grateful for all that he had done for her...although his devotion was still occasionally frightening. At the same time, though, she found their hours together pleasant and tranquil. Some of their conversations had been truly fascinating, and she often looked forward to their rehearsals.

Clasping Mr. Piane's business card in her right hand, Christine returned to the living area, quickly planning what she would say inside of her head. Erik glanced up expectantly as she walked into the kitchen.

"Erik," she began, clearing her throat. "After the banquet, a...a man complimented me and asked me to audition for one of his shows. He gave me his card. I don't know much about it...but...maybe you would."

He stared back with slight surprise. "I did not realize you had spoken with anyone. It is strange how quickly you seemed to disappear from my view this evening. I suppose I was occupied, though."

Christine shifted nervously as Erik accepted the card. "We only talked for a short time," she said softly, hiding all deceit in her voice. "Mr. Piane and I."

"He is fairly well known," replied Erik, after glancing it over. "I am not always fond of his productions, but some are decent. And he will get you noticed by the public. As always, the choice is yours. You are capable of anything."

She smiled, feeling encouraged. "Maybe I could go to the audition, then. He seemed nice and really interested. I could try it."

"I will arrange the audition shortly, then. In the meantime, we will see what other opportunities become available." He gestured for her to come into the kitchen. "Your dinner is ready."

She sat down at the table and scooped a warm chicken and vegetable cuisine onto her plate, feeling unusually hungry. All was quiet, save for the clinking of the spoon on the plate and faint hum of the heater. As Erik moved to exit the room, Christine glanced up. She hesitated a second before speaking. "Erik. Aren't you hungry, too?"

He froze in his steps and stared down at her. The yellow eyes blinked twice. "No. Not at the moment."

"Oh." Her throat was suddenly dry. "You could eat with me if you wanted to. There's a lot here." Christine stared down at her plate, not really sure what she was doing. Maybe she wanted some company.

Erik was speechless for several moments. "I will eat later," he replied in a raspy voice. "But I will remain here if you do not wish to eat alone. I imagine you are used to dining with others."

She looked up and nodded. "I am," she earnestly replied. "I don't really like eating alone." Her breath stopped for a moment, as she saw he was once again gazing at her in that strange way. Erik slowly started to sit down at the table. A look of excitement entered his eyes, though, and he quickly stood back up.

"Wait," he said with sudden eagerness, turning to leave the room. "We can make use of this time." Confused, Christine slowly began to eat again, finding comfort in the warm, flavorful food. As she took a drink of ice water, Erik returned to the kitchen and quickly took a seat. Slightly startled by his sudden actions, she glanced up and saw that he held several papers in his hand.

"You wished to see the city?" he enquired, holding up what appeared to be brochures. "Choose what you want to see, and I will ensure you have the opportunity. Wherever you wish, Christine."

"Thank you," she replied, as she slowly took the papers into her hands. As she ate the rest of her dinner, Christine flipped through the little books with delight, staring at all the city had to offer. She made small comments here and there as she gazed over the colorful photographs of the different sights. "Wow," she murmured. "There's so much. Anywhere would be nice. Maybe a play. Or a museum." Her eyes danced over the pictures and descriptions. "A concert might be fun. Anywhere..."

Erik remained at the table, answering her occasional questions with his eyes always upon her. She felt oddly relaxed in the small kitchen, only becoming sleepy as the hour grew later. Finally, she sat her fork down with a clink and looked up from the brochures with a tired smile. "I'll have to think about it. Everything looks fun."

"Wherever you wish," he softly repeated. "Simply tell me."

"Thank you. I'll look some more tomorrow." A small yawn of exhaustion emerged from her lips, and she blinked her heavy eyelids sleepily. "I think I'd better go to bed now." Erik merely nodded, continuing to sit there almost motionlessly. She wasn't able to tell what he was thinking, as his eyes were calm and distant. He looked... almost vulnerable with his dark suit hanging over his thin frame, and his bony hands folded atop the table.

Christine slowly got up from the chair, feeling a strange sense of affection run through her soul. As she turned to leave the room, she slowly stuck out a trembling hand and softly laid it upon his shoulder, feeling him tense beneath her fingers.

"Good night, Erik."