A/N:Well, I'm not getting as many reviews as I'd prefer, but I am truly grateful to those who are reviewing, you guys are the greatest. However, all of you readers and non-reviewers out there (I am truly vein in saying this, because I do not know how many people are actually reading), you are lucky that I am an obsessive writer, and that I do not threaten to hold off updates until I get more reviews, unlike some other annoying authors I know of. If you start a story... you should finish it! Any way, Please review, even the smallest review would greatly please me :)

Disclaimer: La dee Dah dee Dah, I don't own Phantom, or Phantom characters. (Unfortunately)

When her lips left his, she felt his hand come to her face, and she could hear the disbelief in his breath, but there was no remorse, and no regret. She was greatly relieved that she had gotten away with that, because it honestly took her a great deal of time before she actually obtained that sort of courage. She wanted to kiss him, she wanted to hold him and make all his nightmares go away, but what if he did not want that from her? But, Kristen was never one to throw away opportunity, and since surviving both fires and blindness, she had learned to live every moment as if it were her last

"Kristen, what..." almost whispering, he wanted to ask her, what on earth she was possibly thinking. It must have all been a dream, it must have been. His breath was heavy,that kiss, itwas so unexpected.

Her hand placed itself over his as he touched her, and she just wished she could see him. She longed to lay eyes upon this man.

"Your fears are... well... they're terrible." Kristen said in a trembling voice, wiping away her tears only to allow fresh ones to flow. It occurred to her then that she wasn't only sad for him... she was afraid for him. She was scared to death of his predictions, as if he predicted them for her. There must have been a deeper connection than she though between his fears and her locked away feelings.

"You didn't have to do that" he told her, gently outlining the tiny scars on her brow with his thumb. She allowed this affection, she couldn't reject his touch, even if she had wanted to.

"No, I didn't" she replied quietly. "I... wanted to" he withdrew his hand from her beautiful face. "I don't have to leave... Erik. I don't have to leave. I can stay... I can... be here. I don't have anywhere else to..."

"You don't realize what you are doing to your future by saying these things." he voiced. "You're destroying every chance you have of being a part of this world... I cannot allow that to happen to you, Kristen, I can't make you my companion shadow."

Kristen's eyes grew wide, "Where will I go? You cannot just cast me aside! If you say you care about me so?" She said worriedly, "Where will I go? back up into the opera house? Does it make a difference whether I am here or five stories above? Does it?" she asked, her voice grew with a hint of anger. Erik watched her as she became enraged, he admired her so for that. "You cannot continue to torture yourself Erik! You tell me you are frightened to death of me leaving, but you allow it anyway! What is wrong with you?" She turned from him, "You're impossible... You're completely... Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don't want to leave?" She then faced him again, though the fact that she was angered created a bit of a problem where facing him directly was concerned. For all she knew she could have been gaping at a wall.

"I have no where to go. I don't want to go back to that place in the country if I cannot look upon everything I once knew. I do not want to return to the dormitories so that Meg can nag me with her little stories about all the other girls... and about their personal business! I've never had such piece, as I have here. I'm blind and I'm in darkness, I can't be apart of this world any more! Don't you understand?"

She moved towards him, taking a severe chance in this. She didn't really know where he was standing, but she did in fact feel his presence. She could hear his breath. When she got close enough, she pushed him a bit, "You're evil!" she said. "You want me to stay, but you don't? I want to stay Erik... let me stay, please?"

He watched her. How childish had that been? She pushed him, somehowit was the funniest thing he had everwitnessed come out of her. She was certainly not like the dull women he had seen in his life... there was a fire within her, few women possessed that.

He just stood and looked down to her as she was, her eyes wide pools of sadness, rage, and worry. He could never in a million years stand to see her this way, so distressed. He knew that he could not turn her away, he rememberedthepain he felt whenChristine had turned him away, he could not be so cruel to this poor girl.

"Then,I hope you will be happy here." he said, "With me."

"Erik," She said happily, and basically fell into his arms. He still could not believe that she wanted to stay. She really couldn't see the dark nature of the lair, if she could have, perhaps she would have been as frightened as Meg was, and as frightened at the sight of him as well

"You don't know how much this means to me" she said, holding to him closely. He stroked her hair gently, and closed his eyes. It was more powerful than any wish he'd ever made,ofcoursenone of his wishes came true, in fact most of them blew up in his face

"But you're still evil" She said, her chin on his shoulder. When she got no reply from this comment, she figured he probably took her seriously. "How did you manage to replace my bandages without waking me. You didn't give me morphine, did you?"

"Of course not." he said quietly. "You're just a heavy sleeper"

"Oh I am not and you know it"

"I'm really glad you're healing." he said.

"Me too," She replied, "I was afraid for a while that I wouldn't."

"So was I" he whispered to her, and just held her closely. Whatever that kiss had meant, he would forever remember it. Beautiful young Kristen, his one and only friend.

"MAMAN! oh Maman!" Meg knew she was not to tell anyone, but she couldn't just leave poor Kristen down there in that dungeon, with that Phantom... that murderer.

Madame Giry was standing in the manager's office with both M. Armande and M. Firmin, wearing that same black dress, her hair up in that familiar bun. The atmosphere was that of frustration.

"We must use these" Antoinette argued, as Armande looked furiously at the blueprints. "You know what will happen if we do not" She then turned to her daughter.

"Meg, what is wrong?" she asked, she knew the situation with these managers could only get worse, and she would not take out her anger on her daughter because these idiots were not agreeing to certain... demands.

"Maman, you must come with me, it is important."

"How important?" Giry asked,

"Very important" she replied, and beckoned her mother to leave the office. "And it is private! I must speak with you privately!" She added, when she saw Armande and Firmin begin to take interest in the ballerina's blabbering.

"Very well" She said, then turned to the managers, "You must obey, sirs, or there will be nothing left to build." She then turned her back to them, and walked out of the office, following young Meg.

"This better be urgent, otherwise you will have interrupted a very important matter."

"It's about Kristen, Maman!" Meg swallowed hard, "He has her, the phantom has her!"

Madame Giry grew pale, and unusually quiet. "How can you know this?" she asked, "How can you possibly know something like that?"

"I was there! I couldn't help it Maman, I just had to find her."

"So you went to his lair?" she interrogated

"I know I should not have... but he's got her down there. She told me she doesn't want to leave but she must be under one of his spells! She must be! The same kind that he had Christine under!"

Antoinette closed her eyes. Oh this was horrible. She had known something like this was going to happen the moment that young woman showed up at the Populaire. That stupid doctor should never have brought her there.

"Thank you Meg, run along... I will take care of it."

"What are you going to do?" Meg asked.

"Do not concern yourself with this any more. You have done all that you can do, and it will be taken care of. You may go now... Go practice." Meg nodded somewhat worriedly, and headed off into the direction of the unharmed dormitories.

Antoinette stood still for quite a few moments before she could get into her mind just what should be done. No one could know about this. The Opera Ghost was such a horrid man, but she could not allow them to hunt him down. She felt horrible that she had done to him what she did that night, but it was in Christine's best interest, not Erik's. And now this was Kristen's confinement, but it would not be a vicious search party who would storm into the darkness of his home, it would be her, and her alone.

"You're a genius, Erik." Kristen stated in pure awe, as she wiped tears from her eyes. She had begged him to play for her once more, as she had never heard any sound more beautiful than the music he created. The song had been written years ago, it was a piece he swore he would never let another living creature hear the likes of. Written back when the Opera house was animated with performances and rehearsals, back when his home was the deepest circle of hell.

"You bestow upon me too much credit," he responded. His music was his only way of really showing emotion, but never did he truly consider himself a genius. Kristen smiled lightly to herself. She felt safe again, here in the dungeons below the Populaire, with her Phantom to watch over her. She had never felt safer with anyone else, not even with her parents as a child. That frightening anger which he showed her before only reassured her that any dangerous intruder would end up six feet below the ground if (s)he ever posed a threat. Though she had been afraid of that anger, he had promised never to show it towards her again... even though she knew that anger could sometimes not be prevented, she still felt safe, a warm and comfortable feeling.

"You are wrong" Kristen said, rising from the same couch which she had sat in before. "Everything about you fascinates me" she said, "Your music, your trickery as well. I wish you could tell me where you happened toobtain your skill, your talent."

Erik looked up at her from the bench to see the softest expression revealed in her damaged eyes. "That is a story for another day, Kristen" he said.

She felt her heart begin to jump within her. Since when had the sound of her own name excited her? Oh but his voice was beautiful, she thought. Her mind was flooded with the memory of feeling her lips against his, would those thoughts be the only contents of her mind from now on? She had never kissed a man before him, and it was amazing to her. But something was unclear in her mind. She had kissed him, he did not turn away, in fact, she could have sworn she felt him return her affection, however tiny the gesture. Where did they stand in terms of where they were with each other? He was caring towards her, and she was the same, but there had been no more affection like that since.

He began to play another melody for her, and she just listened intently. Well, perhaps it looked that way. She could not get it off her mind how much she longed to feel his lips against hers again. She had craved his touch ever since he first touched her, It was as if she was addicted to him, to something she had not yet splurged on. It was so confusing, so difficult to understand.

The song traveled through it's roller coaster of emotions, each time filling these thoughts of hers with more and more power. They had an affect on her, the same way he had an affect on her, and she found herself standing from where she sat. Her injured ankle did little to stop her from walking towards the organ, he could see her from the corner of his unmasked eye. As she closed the gap between then, the song he played grew slower. It was not the intended speed of the piece, but it was her approach which slowed the music. As she gradually moved to him, the song gradually slowed, until finally only it's echo remained in their underground world.

He stood from the bench and went to her. She whispered his name as his hands came once again to her shoulders, she knew he stood before her. She sighed out, as if something she wanted was out of her grasp, full of longing, and hunger.

"Kristen," he said, then he saw her eyes close slowly. The sight of her this way was breathtaking. She stood there beneath his touch, as if she begged for more. She was beginning to eat away at his soul, with every moment they were together he could feel her taking over more and more, he had to wonder if someday he would belong to her completely... she had no idea of this either. Her strength and her individuality had captivated him since that night he loomed above her bedroom, and witnessed her complaints.

"Will you hold me Erik?" She projected almost soundlessly. Every time she made one of these advances she became plagued with a nervous worry. Her requests might not always begranted, as bitter memories would prove. But it seemed that he always put her worries to rest. His arms came around her, and she was plunged into another warm embrace.

"You are amazingly gentle for a man who is labeled an Opera Ghost" She said sighing, her eyes closed, her lips spreading into a softhearted smile as she rested her head upon his chest. She could feel his chest moving with every breath he took, his warmth quickly blanketing her.

Nothing had ever felt more wonderful than having her in his arms. Having her there to hold, and knowing she was there to stay. She had managed to fight through his stubborn and somewhat idiotic sense of reason. If she would truly spend the rest of her life in his company, he would never again feel that the world was a cold place.

Everything around her seemed to become non existent. Even the fact that she was blind was no longer a problem. She felt so sated with his strong arms around her, when had it gotten this deep? There was no way she felt this much the first time he embraced her, she could feel it getting stronger with every physical interaction they shared. She lifted her head from his chest to face him, she knew they would have to become something... she just had to know that he was not another Nicholas, ready to turn her down for another... or the memory of another, in their case.

"I have to ask you something Erik," She said, her voice in a tone that expressed relief upon find the courage to say it. He looked down at her, their faces were so close they could have easily brushed lips.

"What is it?" he asked gently.

She sighed once more. This was going to take a great measure of strength, but never had anything seemed so important to her, than this did right now. "It is undeniable that we are ...intimate." She said. Now he realized that she was speaking of things different from what he was expecting of her.

"Kristen, if you are..."

"No, just listen." She softly interrupted. "I told you before that I am not leaving,"

Inlistening to her words, he was forced to jump to extreme conclusions. Was she taking back her decision to stay? He had to will that thought away, he could not bare any more pain, his heart was still too full of that ghastly sentiment.

"There is more to that than I was perhaps saying."

"And what are you trying to say?" He asked her quietly, in that deep seductive voice.

"I said that I don't want to leave... Erik, but what I am trying to say is that I never want to leave. I want to stay here with you, forever."

He frowned. Still he couldn't know the true origins of her speech. From her heart or from her mind, it was a painful puzzle to try and solve, when mind reading was not one of his talents. How could she mean those words? How could she possibly want to stay with him forever?

"You are here" he said, "You're here, I am allowing you to stay" he told her, continuing his pursuit in trying to figure her out.

"Am I here?" She asked, reaching for his hand and placing it to his own heart. "Am I here, in your heart? Would you have me?" Upon these words her voice began to shake. She truly feared his answer.

And now he finally understood, and was completely thunderstruck. She asked of his love, his heart. Storms of memories from the lonely years he'd spent seemed to surge back into his mind, forever haunting him with their pain. But here was a new pathway, a door he never knew would open. His eyes grew to an unreadable expression, she was asking him to love her?

"Say something," she whispered, gazing into her darkness. Her voice revealed that of true worry, she had to know, this could not wait, and the panic of anticipating a negative answer was quickly growing within her.

"Oh Kristen," He drew her to him and held her like never before, "I would have you... If that is what you are asking, I will, have you, if that is what you want..." She felt almost crushed but was completely accepting of this rough embrace.

"Let go of her!" another voice thundered from the walls of their lair. It was Madame Giry, and she was none too happy of what she was seeing. What she saw of their embrace, was that he was overpowering her, using her... making her his through the power he somehow wielded over young women.

"Madame Giry?" Kristen asked, letting go of the Phantom, and facing in the direction of the other woman's voice.

"Erik, you have kidnapped for the last time. When I get her out of here I am going to the police. You will have no more domination over this theater!"

Erik scowled instantly at the sight of this betraying woman. First she had led an entire party of stage hands withfatal intentions into his dwellings, also leading Raoul into the under grounds resulting in the loss of his angel of music, and now she was trying to steal away the one woman who willingly wanted to love him?

"What are you doing here?" Kristen asked, obviously confused at why this woman seemedso cross with Erik.

"She is here because of you, Antoinette" Erik hissed at Madame Giry, "You abandoned her so that you could deceive me, you have done more than enough harm on our parts, you may leave now!" he said, with a threatening verbalization.

"What you did to Christine was disgusting" Antoinette snapped. "And what you are doing to Kristen is no better."

"Madame Giry, I don't think you understand" Kristen stated firmly, "I was not kidnapped, I am here at my own free will."

"You are here because he has power over you, Kristen, the same power he had over Christine" Madame Giry stormed over to the two and grabbed Kristen by the wrist, "Come with me now before you do something you will seriously regret later, trust me, you will soon learn that this is all one big mistake!"

"Let go of me" Kristen hollered, and Erik said the same words in unison with her, "Let go of her."

But Madame Giry did not obey their wishes. She began to drag Kristen across the room, and towards the mirror passage that lead to the Rue Scribe.

"No Madame Giry, I don't want to leave!" Kristen dug her feet into the floor so as to prevent her from being pulled any further, but Madame Giry possessed a strength that was peculiar for her size. "Let go!" she cried, and then, just when it seemed that the situation could not possibly get any worse, the unthinkable happened. Somehow, between Madame Giry and Kristen's fight for control, Kristen's injured ankle managed to slam against an uneven ridge in the cold stone ground, and she slipped, falling to the floor, her head landing against yet anotherunfriendly stone. To Erik's horror, she did not get up.