A/N: Last chapter before school starts, I'll try to write tomorow, when I'm not sitting in the doom that is the average class room. Please Read and Review, I love all of your comments! You make my days all the more joyfull when you leave reviews!

Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera, or any of it's characters.

Kristen awoke after a series of peaceful visions. She could remember something along the lines of a wedding day, of course, Erik was there throughout all of them. It was one thing she hated, never being able to remember what she dreamed when she woke up with her mind so full of thought.

His arms, which were still around her, and his closeness, had completely dispelled the memory of her dreams. He held her with her back to him, both of them completely shrouded by the covers. The cold air of the dungeon seemed to be non-existent as she savoured the warmth they created together. She soon realized, however, that he was not awake. She turned over very slowly to face him, quite relieved that she had managed not to wake him in the process.

She smiled. She was glad he didn't pull something incredibly stubborn in the middle of the night like leave the bed to retrieve his mask or something of the like. The first time she had kissed him, she could feel it clashing with her skin, and now, looking at him, she realized she sort of hated that mask. But never could she imagine telling him not to wear it. She knew he was uncomfortable exposing his rather... colourful features. She was just happy he could expose them to her.

She watched him as he slept. Surprisingly, some of the candles he had lit, were still burning. Perhaps it wasn't so bad that he left her to replace them last night, or she may have awaken to complete darkness. She couldn't imagine the sort of panic she would feel upon waking to complete darkness... she could picture herself questioning whether it was just lack of light, or if she had actually gone blind again.

She exhaled slowly, purely sated. Nothing made her feel this good inside, than being with him. She snuggled close to him and closed her eyes, though as she had done this she could feel him beginning to stir. Foolish girl, she thought to herself. Unless he decided to stay with her that morning, she would be kicking herself for allowing him to get up and leave the comfortable confines of their silky resting place.

"Kristen..." She heard him whisper, in a very groggy and quiet voice. Immediately she smiled, she couldn't help it.

"If I thought it was morning, I would wish you good morning... but it is a rather difficult pursuit, trying to guess the time when there are no windows." She said with a hint of cheerfulness. He moved to rest on his back, and she was nearly on top of him in the following seconds. He couldn't disagree. He used to keep close watch on the time, as he took personal joy in watching the rehearsals of the Populaire, but since the fire, everything seemed to have gone to hell up there, and time just wasn't an issue any more.

"Did you dream?" She asked him, as she rested her head on his chest. Both his arms folded around her as he held her lovingly. Nothing, he thought, was better than waking next to her. He pondered her question a while,

"If I did, I honestly can't remember." He told her in truth. "Why, did you?" He asked. And she froze. Almost instantly she could feel a nervous lump in her throat. Damn you! she thought towards herself as she searched her mind for the right words.

"You didn't have nightmares, did you?" he asked, when she was finding difficulty in her answer.

"No," she told him, "If my dreams had been nightmares, than I shall want more of them." He slightly sat up, obviously gaining interest in her nightly illusions. She slightly laughed with a nervous hint, this was going to be difficult. "I thought I... I thought I was hearing wedding bells, in my dreams."

"Wedding bells?" he asked, "Whose wedding?"

Kristen could feel the blood racing to her face in form of a serious blush. She cursed her body and it's annoying way of betraying her thoughts.

"Ours?" Erik asked. When the smile broke out onto her face, he knew he had guessed correctly.

"Oh, please don't laugh at me Erik," She begged as he began to chuckle at her. She grabbed a pillow and lightly tossed it at him, turning over to face her back to him only to be pulled closely to his form.

"People who try to bring me harm don't always get away you know," he said against her ear,

"What harm am I doing?" She asked, in the heat of this amusing moment.

"Throwing things at the Opera Ghost..."

Kristen shuddered with a strange pleasure at hearing him say that. Still, even after she had got to know him, the whole prospect of being with the infamous opera ghost greatly excited her, and it was then that she remembered one of their previous conversation regarding her future at the Populaire.

Though, before she could utter out another syllable, her stomach spoke for her, growling unpleasantly from beneath the covers.

"Are you hungry?" he asked her, looming over her from behind, and moving some strands of her hair back so as to get a clearer view of her face. She nodded in response, "Considerably" She told him, sitting up. "Do you even have food here? Or is it your usual daily routine to steal from the kitchens of the Populaire?" she asked.

He shook his head, "No, I have many ways of obtaining food." he told her, as he pulled the sheets back and climbed out of bed. Instantaneously she realized that he had slept with nearly all of his day clothes, excluding that heavy black coat, and cape, which he almost never wore any more anyway. That could have been her fault, after all, she had asked him to sleep beside her, she had to wonder if he always slept in his regular clothes.

He moved around to her side of the bed and gently helped her out, taking in the very sight of her. That gorgeous gown she wore only accented her beauty. She truly did look like a goddess. "There is a kitchen, you know." he told her. At this she found herself frowning in wonder,

"Here?" she asked.

He brought her out into the rest of the lair and pulled back a curtain for her. How could she have missed it? As it seemed those red drapes didn't only conceal a stone wall and a mirror passage!

"How in the world could this have been here without me realizing it?" She asked, as she was led into the very room which he called the kitchen. It was a very dark place, and not very big. The table was of the most elegant fashion, very dark wood with twisting designs in it's legs and outer corners. The chairs seemed to be something out of a fantasy themselves. There were cabinets, though their windows were severely dusted. Despite it's small size, everything was of the most exquisite, and expensive nature. In the far corner there was a wood stove, also decorated in it's glory, and the set of pots and pans which sat within the dusted windows of the cherry wood cabinets could have been fit for a king or queen.

"You were blind" he told her. "I'm sure if you had had your eyes since you came here, you would have found it on your own." His tone was rather accusing, as if to call her, in a very non serious way, some sort of snoop.

"You think I would have searched your home?" She asked. He shrugged,

"Well, you were a bit angry with me when you first came." he said.

"Well you kept leaving! and you wouldn't help me out of bed!."

"I did... didn't I?" He asked.

"Yes, after much prying." She concluded. He sighed in defeat, he could never win with this woman. "Which brings me to that one question I've been meaning to ask since regaining the use of my sight. What is behind that wooden door to the very far corner of this realm?" she asked.

There was a strange moment of silence there, and it bothered her that she could not figure out what he was thinking.

Could he really tell her? Would he ever be able to show her? In his own bedroom, everything that could describe his heart, soul, and not to mention horrid past, was stored there, no... he would never be able to show her. What would her reaction be upon discovering such evils? Loathing or disgust?

"It is only my bedroom, you wouldn't want to see it, it is nothing more than that... just a bedroom." He told her, "Now come with me, there is no food in this kitchen and I'm sure you would be very interested to start learning your way around the hidden passages of this theatre."

"After I dress, of course." She told him, and moved past him to allow herself entry to the centre domain.

She moved through the lair on her way back to her bedchamber, during the time her back was to him she was eyeing that wooden door. Obviously he didn't want her in there, what could he possibly be hiding? Erik rapidly followed her,

"There are other dresses, if you would like." he told her. It suddenly dawned on her that it was very strange that this man had so many items of a woman's attire.

"Where did they all come from?" She asked suddenly curious, but as she saw him turn his face from her, she realized the answer before he could even reply. "Oh.. I'm sorry," She said. She couldn't be angry at him for this, obviously he had spent a great many months planning for young Christine to be his bride. What greatly surprised her was that the dresses seemed to fit her.

"Don't be," he told her, "You had nothing to do with that."

"How do they fit me?" She asked, "If they were meant for... her?"

He walked into her bedroom and opened up a cabinet to the brilliant wooden wardrobe. "It wasn't hard to fix them, I managed to obtain your measurements the first night, when I rescued you... I couldn't have very well left you in that shredded fabric, could I?" Her mouth opened wide... so hehad done more than just change her bandages. She saw that smirk appear across his face, she thought about throwing another pillow at his head, but decided against it.

"You are a very attractive woman, Kristen" he added with humour, knowing it would bother her on some level.

She scoffed then, though incapable of withholding that tiny smile, "Some gentleman you are..." She declared, as he tossed her a dark gown of red silk.

"Don't be long" he told her. As he passed her on the way out he gave her the most devilish grin she had ever seen out of him, she nearly jumped him in fury right there for taking so much enjoyment at the thought of seeing her without clothes on, but she didn't. She had been nearly laughing herself, and decided it best to let this thing slide. Though, the whole time it took her to dress into that extraordinary array, the thought of that wooden door, and whatever could possibly be on the other side of it, would not stray from her mind no matter how hard she attempted to forget it.

"You look... amazing" Erik told her as she stepped out from her bedroom and into the dismal light of the candles. She walked towards him and gave him a kiss that was perhaps unsuitable for the mood and moment. Deep was the affection which he felt from her, and which he returned. She had completely changed the atmosphere of the room with that one kiss, did she have more power over him than he was letting himself believe?

"Now take me with you." She told him, taking his hand and allowing him to lead her from the underground terrain. She held in a sigh of discontent when she saw him return the mask to his face. Did he never go anywhere without it? She wouldn't ask, she had to accept it, no matter how greatly she wished to see him discard it.

All the while he led her through the blackness of the tunnels, he could not stop thinking of the kiss she had just given him. Warm and passionate, as if it really WAS the kiss to conceal a marriage. Did she wish to marry him? He couldn't help but wonder. It was normally the man's job to propose to the woman of his heart... hadn't that ended harshly the first time? he pondered.

"Where exactly are we going?" she whispered to him. She didn't know why she was keeping her voice down, she just had this strange feeling that these tunnels were not to be spoken in. She could feel his hand tighten around hers, and she smiled.

"We're going to get you some food first" He told her, in the same silent whisper. She nodded. "And you?"

"If I can find enough for the both of us, then I will eat... but I will not let my companion go hungry."

She almost giggled. And she never giggled! his companion? She wanted to pull him to her and...

"I'm not sure how much they have around here, as I said before, they are rather low in supplies."

"I'm sure that whatever you can get for me will be enough" she murmured, as he led her up one very steep set of stairs, and a few moments later, there were voices to be heard.

"That Jerk! THAT IDIOT!"

Erik frowned, "One of the cooks" he whispered very quietly to her, as they listened. There was a small crack in the wall from which they could peer out into the kitchen.

"DINNER FOR FIVE! WE HAVE BARELY ENOUGH TO SUFFICE OUR OWN STAFF, LET ALONE VISITORS!"

Erik's frown only deepened. He had never seen the cook, M. Jacque, so distraught about anything before. This man was one of the funniest, most cheerful men who ran the kitchens, why on earth would he be so red in the face this day?

"Calm down sir, I'm sure it can be managed!" Said a young boy of no more than sixteen or seventeen, obviously a servant or waiter.

"Do you realize that some of our staff will go hungry tonight because Monsieur's Armande and Firmin want to treat a few guests?"

"Yes, yes, I know... all of that is quite selfish. If it will help the situation, I will forfeit my own dinner tonight."

M. Jacque breathed out a sigh of great distress, "Those men don't care about the theatre Christopher... they think they own the people who work for them. Never, ever let yourself become like them, or you will be hated by all."

Christopher, who seemed the optimistic kind, only nodded, and began to pull out some ingredients, "We will do what we can, and if they don't like it, they'll just have to find some other sorry chap to execute their wishes."

Kristen sighed quietly, "We can't steal from them" She whispered. Even Erik had a hard time understanding her words, she was being so quiet.

"Why?"

"Look at them, look at him, and that poor boy, they're giving up their own daily ration so they can dote upon strangers..."

"What will you eat?"

"I will manage" Kristen whispered, "If I start to feel weak, then you can worry."

"But..."

"No, Erik. Take me somewhere else, I will think of something else we can do besides steal from these poor people."

He whispered out a sigh, "Fine." he said. When had he become hooked up with such a kind hearted woman? Oh yeah, wasn't that Madame Giry's fault? He thought, slightly annoyed at her generosity, but those were only surface thoughts. He knew he would be damned without this woman, he'd known that since... when had he started feeling these things?

He took her arm in his and led her down the hallway. All the while she couldn't stop thinking about how scary, and simply lovely this labyrinth of tunnels was. She had always had a soft spot in her heart for things that brought chills to the spine. It all started when she was about three years old and her mother let her keep that pet spider... Of course it died when she accidentally squished it on the floor, and oh how she cried afterwards.

"How many more steps?" She asked, after climbing so many stairs, she was growing considerably exhausted.

"Not many" he told her under his breath. Finally, they entered a small room, with a spectacular view of a very destroyed theatrical auditorium.

"Box five?" she asked. He nodded,

"Yes. I used to come here every night to watch the performances."

"And they never tried to stop you?"

"Oh yes, they tried many times."

"Why didn't they succeed?" she asked. She could see the muscle's in his neck begin to tighten. He was about to give gratitude to that pesky woman which Kristen was fighting him to give forgiveness to.

"Madame Giry... was of some assistance."

Kristen grinned, "See, you really should forgi..." she was cut off, when his lips seemed to plunge down over top of hers. Well, it could have been worse, she thought. He could have just said it... Shut up love.

The sound of footsteps echoed off the walls of the auditorium, and the sound of sobs seemed to thunder throughout the open space. Kristen lightly shoved Erik off of her to peer out. He, in turn, did the same. Both of them watched from the shadows of box 5. as young Meg girl fell into one of the undamaged seats in the audience, crying her pretty blue eyes out. Kristen grew worried, as it seemed. What was she crying about? The girl looked to be muffling her sobs, as if she wanted no one to hear. Finding this part of the theatre empty, she figured it was a safe haven to reflect on some of her more dreaded inner emotions, but apparently not.

"What must be wrong with her?" Kristen wondered, as she looked to Erik with concern.

"I don't know," he whispered into her ear, "Why don't you go find out?"

"G... Go?" She asked,

"Why not, I'm not holding you."