Note: Hey thanks for all the reviews guys!I really appreciate them. Xxx Oh, just for some readers, I have read the book ;) I just like to use 'my' own character perceptions to tie in with 'my' story line :) That's why it's a fan fiction.

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Erik felt his lips burning. The touch of her skin was a lot softer than what he was expecting, and he could still feel it playing on his mind. In fact, it occupied him all the way up to his room, where something broke him cruelly out of his thoughts…

The angry face of Elizabeth Kingston.

Oh damn. It was well past 11 o clock, and Elizabeth would have probably been there half an hour earlier anyway, so she was not in the best of moods when he arrived.

She gave him a filthy look as he past her wordlessly to open the doors.

"And where have you been? 11 o clock, you said, Erik! Not quarter to 12! How dare you think you can keep me waiting this long?"

Erik was in no mood for her self indulging whining, so he made his feelings apparent in his voice.

"You didn't have to wait. You can go if you like."

She gasped dramatically, much to his annoyance. "Leave a singing lesson? I would never!"

All of a sudden, she changed her angry glare and whiny tone into a smooth voice and soft features, enhancing her beauty in one swift go. She sighed and smiled, looking at Erik with a funny expression. He did not look long enough to find out what that look was.

He walked into his room, lighting it up into a soft glow, what he preferred. His piano, which he had specifically requested to be in his room, was not to his standards, but it would have to do. It had not been tuned to his liking, yet he liked its appearance, large and of ebony colour. He ran his fingers across the keys like a man caress his lover.

"Alright Elizabeth, come." He beckoned for her to stand next to the piano with him. She walked over slowly, and placed a hand on top of the lid, always watching him. She shifted in her jade green evening dress, which was littered with beads and jewels, matching the diamonds dripping from her neck and ears. She looked like a princess.

"Stand as I have taught you, stomach in, chest out, feet slightly apart. Now, we shall begin with 'Après le Revire'.

Elizabeth sang as Erik started with his intro, his eyes closing, falling into his music. He could hear his music dancing out as graceful as a bird on the wind. But what he couldn't hear…was Elizabeth trying to sing properly.

He stopped abruptly. "Elizabeth, remember to breathe properly, or else I won't carry on with this lesson. I know you know how to do this." He snapped.

Usually, Elizabeth would have taken on her wounded approach, fluttering her eyelashes madly, and looking dramatically hurt by his criticism. He knew she didn't care. She knew she would probably be on stage anyway, seeing as though she could just buy her way on. It made his blood boil.

But this time, she did not. She looked down at him curiously, and then moved closer to him, and finally sitting down next to him on the stool. He watched her, totally abashed. His fingers were still resting on the piano, and she placed a pale, slender hand over them, pawing them carefully, trailing her fingers down every one of his.

She watched herself do this for a minute, before talking to the stunned man sitting next to her.

"Monsieur…I have something I wish…I would like to discuss with you."

Erik didn't answer her. He did what he was most good at, keeping his face completely expressionless. He just stared at her. She sighed.

"This is hard for me. I know it must be had for you too…to admit…to admit we share a mutual attraction."

She let her hand slide further up his hand, and to his wrist, then bringing them down his fingers again.

"I have wanted to tell you for a long time. Me and you, Erik…we are perfect for each other! We have everything we could want, money, status, pride! We fit…you and I."

Her voice dropped into a sultry, heavy voice, pouting her lips slightly, and shifting closer to him, which she knew by experience, that all men could not resist.

"Erik…"

Her hand found his unconcealed cheek, trailing a finger under his jaw line. She caressed his cheek while staring deep into his eyes.

"Let me see you properly."

Her hand moved a little too quickly towards Erik mask. He stood up in an instant, knocking her hand away forcefully. She yelped in pain, grabbing her wrist and looking at him horrified.

"Erik! Let me just…"

She jump up and tried to grab him. He tried to hold her at arms length, but she squirmed until she had dodged around his free arm, the other keeping tight hold of his mask to his face.

She tried to prise his hand away, but Erik was beginning to feel that feeling he sometimes had. It was pure rage. The fury built up inside him, tearing at him from the inside and setting his sight to a blood tinge.

He finally grabbed her, and with some of his might, pushed her roughly away. If he had used all of his strength, the girl would probably have been sent through the wall. Instead, she was flung onto the cushioned chair behind them.

"You bastard! How can you do this to me!" She screamed in a murderous rage. But Erik's anger was much, much more forceful.

"You…" He looked at her like dirt. "Are the last person on earth I would even consider to feel 'anything' for."

Through the gasps and sobs she choked out some words.

"But Erik…I…I love you!"

He laughed heartily, spitefully and cruelly. "You don't know how to love, you fool of a girl. Don't you dare come here and insult me again. Do you hear me? I don't want you in my sight."

She made to get up, but took a step near him, the tears spilling over onto her red cheeks. But he backed away, still clutching the mask to his face, and almost cowering against the wall, in fear that she would touch him again.

"Get out…Elizabeth." She took another step nearer, her arm outstretched.

"I SAID GET OUT!"

Elizabeth Kingston flew to the door in tears, full of fear and rage. Her beautiful golden hair was dishevelled, her dress was bedraggled, and her once perfect face was tear-streaked and puffy. With all her effort, she slammed his door as hard and as could, sending the vibrations rattling through Erik's body.

The moment she left, Erik set about smashing things on his shelves, pounding his fists on the piano keys and frustratingly sliding down the wall, his hands curled in his hair, with his head resting on his knees.

With no justification for how he felt, the only thing that would comfort him, strangely, was the thought that tomorrow would bring a different visitor to him.

-- ---

Christine had not slept well that night. Firstly, she had lied to her father about where she had been. Well, she had not entirely lied, but she had not mentioned to him the encounter with Monsieur Garnier, as much as it was killing her to tell him. She knew that he would never allow her to go and visit him the next day.

Secondly, she had been worried about it herself. Even as she woke up that morning, she almost decided not to go. What if it had been a joke, or a nasty trick? Why would he want to just listen to her? Surely he had other students he could teach?

But still, still, there was that nagging feeling that if she didn't go, she would live her life regretting it forever. It was in her nature to follow her curious side. That's why that morning, she found herself clambering over the rails of the 3rd deck to get up to the top, where the 1st class passenger rooms where.

That morning, she had picked out the best clothes she owned, a dark pleated skirt that almost covered her scruffy boots, a tatty dark blue jumper pulled over a white-ish shirt. She had even attempted to neaten her hair, and wash her face the best she could. Even her father found it suspicious.

"Where do you think your going?" He eyed her, watching her pull out her auburn curls. She almost jumped at his question, never really being a good liar to her father, who almost always sussed her out.

"I'm…I'm going to explore. Ill come back, dad, I just want to see how far I can get on this boat." She smiled innocently.

"Not in those clothes your not. Go and get changed."

Her face fell. What would Erik think of her if she turned up in her scruffy exploring clothes, handed down by her father?

"But Dad! How can I try and get onto the second class decks if I am looking so scruffy? I need to look at least presentable."

Gustave watched her carefully, waiting for a flicker of the eye, or a falter in the tone of her voice, just as she had done to Erik the night before. But there was nothing, apart from a slight drop in her smile. But he trusted her not to do anything stupid.

"Alright then, you scallywag. Hop it."

He watched her run off happily, in fact, a little too happily for his liking…

Christine clutched the card which Erik had given to her in her hand tightly. Her nerves where getting the better of her now, squirming and dancing inside her, making her want to throw up over the side of the boat. The day had started off very fair and dry, so a lot of people were on deck around breakfast time. It was going to be hard for Christine to get over the boarders without being noticed.

And as if on cue, a shout came as soon as she had swung herself over the first set of railings. Lucky, it was not a yell she had to panic about.

"Oi, Chris! Were you off ter?" It was Jerry, Meg's husband, who was sitting with a bunch of his friends. She waved back and mimed someone looking through binoculars. He laughed and shouted, "Mind yourself, okay? I've heard those 1st class passengers aren't very keen on us lot!"

She lifted a thumb up to him, and scampered off to the next railings to get up to the first deck.

When she had jumped over, a bunch of ladies had gasped at her and began to chat furiously behind their hands. Christine pretended not to notice, and carried on strolling as if she had done nothing.

Despite the funny looks she was getting with her scruffy old clothes, she didn't draw too much attention to herself on deck. It wasn't until she found a door way into the inside, did she find any trouble.

A member of the staff spotted her as she walked down the corridors, checking every door for a number on the front. He grabbed her roughly, and looked sternly at her as if she were nothing but a common thief.

"Hey, your not supposed to be up here! Ill report you!"

Christine shook her head furiously, and shoved the card under his nose.

"No! Erik Garnier sent for me, he gave me his room number and told me to come and find him."

The man laughed at her, and tightened his grip on her arms, as if meaning to lead her away.

"Yeah, and I'm the Capitan."

But Christine squirmed in his grip, and stood defiantly in her place.

"If you don't believe me, go and check his room. He told me to send anyone who said otherwise was to come with me and speak to him."

He looked highly amused. "You know what, as a matter of fact, I will, and then you will be in even bigger trouble than you are now."

He frog marched her down the corridors, attracting more attention than she did on her own. It took quite a while to reach his room, she hardly remembered the way back through all those doors, rooms and corridors. Down a very large and highly decorated corridor, the crew man rapt on a door they came to with his knuckles harshly. The number read the same as what was on her card.

"Let see what he has to say to all this nonsense. I assure you, he wont appreciate being disturbed like this…in fact, he's probably at break…"

The door pulled open, and their as promised, Erik Garnier stood, looking very agitated and tired. He looked to the man, who had now seemed to have lost his confident, cocky attitude. He bowed low. Erik then looked to Christine, who when he recognised, lighting his expression up considerably.

"What seems to be the problem?" He glared at the man. His voice faltered slightly as he tried to explain his disobedient disturbance of a prestigious guest aboard the Titanic.

"Monsieur, this girl claim to hold an invite to your quarters. I beg you forgive our intrusion, she obviously has no idea who you…"

"Christine, please, come in." He held open the door for her, much to the shock of the crew member, who gawked at her as she twisted from his strong grip on her arm, and smirked at him from behind Erik's back. Erik shut the door over as he walked out into the corridor, facing the man with a grim and sinister look on his face, backing the poor man against the wall.

"And the next time you man handle my students like that again, I will personally see to it that you are thrown over board."

The crew man almost fell to his knees in apology, clasping his hands together and bowing so low his nose scraped the floor. By the time he had risen, Erik had already shut the door in his face.