Picking up where we left off. Thank you for the support and encouragement. I'm so glad you liked the previous chapter :)


Erik returned holding a stark white, ceramic tea cup. She had sat in one of the chairs while waiting for him and she took it from him gratefully. In truth, after everything she'd been through that day, the comforting warmth of a hot cup of tea sounded like heaven.

"Thank you," she smiled up at him. He merely nodded, hovering over her, his eyes unblinking as she took her first sip. Her cheeks grew warm. "Your chairs are lovely," she said, settling the cup on her knee with care.

Erik glanced at the other one and hesitantly sat down in it, his eyes unreadable as he faced her. "They were imported from India."

She glanced away briefly, trying to keep her voice steady. "So, there's a kitchen here too?" She asked, attempting to remedy the awkward tension in the room.

"Yes, and a bedroom. Sometimes I stay here and lose track of time."

"How nice. It's like a home away from home."

"Precisely." His eyes lowered and his hands clenched at his thighs.

"Is this where you were for those weeks you were gone?" She asked him and his eyes shot up in alarm.

"Karim told you." It was spoken as a statement instead of a question, but the annoyance was evident in his tone.

Christine faltered. "I thought something had happened to you and I didn't know where else to go. I was hoping you'd be at the theater, but I obviously was unable to find you. Karim helped me and explained some things…"

Erik shifted uneasily in his chair and ran his unbandaged hand through his hair. Strands fell loosely upon the forehead of the mask. "Yes. As you can see, I am fine."

"I'm really glad and I'm sorry about what happened. I… I should have told you I was going with Ra — him," she quickly amended, not thinking it wise to say his name after everything. She didn't want to cause him more grief.

"No, you had no reason to tell me such things. I'm… the one in the wrong, and for that I apologize."

"Either way, I'm glad I'm here now," she told him with a smile and he glanced up at her, eyes shifting.

"You are, aren't you?" He whispered, sounding to be in slight disbelief.

She considered him for a long moment before finally asking what she'd been wondering since she had seen him in the doorway. "What happened to your mask?"

His hand flew across his face, as if checking that it was still in place. Once satisfied, his shoulders hunched, unable to look at her as he spoke. "It was destroyed."

Christine stared down at her tea uncomfortably, wishing she could go back in time and stop him from his own self destruction. She had many things she wanted to talk about but she was just so exhausted. They were silent for a long time after that, both lost in their own troubled thoughts, and she began to feel the involuntary pull of fatigue.

An unfortunate yawn escaped her no matter how hard she'd been suppressing it and Erik snapped his gaze up to her. "You're tired. You've had a long day. I sleep very little and I must confess I forgot that you are unaccustomed to staying up so late. I should bring you home."

Christine didn't want to leave him. Not even a little bit, but she knew that she must. She sighed sadly and handed the cup over to him when he stood, reaching for it. Erik sat it upon the wooden coffee table and then proceeded to a door, which turned out to be a closet. He pulled out a black jacket from within.

She got to her feet when he approached, holding it out to her. "It's likely chilled outside at this time of night," he explained and she smiled faintly, taking it from him and settling it over her shoulders.

It probably fit him quite normally, however it reached her knees and probably looked comical on her. He said nothing of it and instead began leading her to the door. She was silent as she followed him into the darkened corridor, feeling warm and smelling his scent of rosin and sandalwood upon the material. She clutched it to her in the dark.

They did not take the same route as she had with Karim and it somehow seemed to become even darker the farther they walked. She could barely see in front of her and she blindly felt for the wall beside her, hoping to find a semblance of where she was.

Instead, she grabbed onto what she assumed was Erik's shirt. Or the back of it, maybe. She felt him stiffen and stop walking.

"Are you all right?" He asked her in a strange voice and she jumped at the two glowing yellow eyes in the dark, gazing down at her from over a shoulder. She hadn't expected them to glow so brightly. They illuminated the top of his mask slightly.

"I can't see anything," she admitted

breathlessly, her hand still clutched to the material of his shirt, the only semblance of safety in the dark.

"I apologize. I've never brought anyone through this part of the tunnels before. I forget that most cannot see in the dark as I can." He paused and she felt him slowly turn to face her, making her release his shirt. Her heart hammered wildly in panic. She stared helplessly at his eyes, unwilling to look away in fear that she'd be lost in the corridor forever.

"My skin… it's unkindly cold," he explained suddenly, "but you may h-hold it. I will lead you through."

Christine stuck her hand out quickly, in hope to find it. She didn't have to wait long. A hesitant brush of chilly fingers slid along the back of her hand before she quickly latched onto it. She tried not to react to just how icy his hand was, wondering if he could see her, but she was grateful all the same.

"Thank you," she murmured, unbelieving she was actually holding his bare hand. She let him tug her through the dark, watching as his eyes disappeared, letting her know he had turned forward again. "I'm not usually so fearful of the dark. I think I'm just tired."

"You'll be in bed soon," he promised, his melodic voice caressing her ears.

He kept a grip on her hand until they came to a stop and she was surprised to not be accosted by light when he undid a latch, making a door swing open. No one was around and all the lights were off, leaving the hallway dim. Everyone must have left for the night.

She immediately recognized where they were: near the back doorway that he had brought her through for the opera.

"Come along," he told her and she followed him out the door.

The drive home was silent and she huddled in his large coat, trying to keep her eyes open. She must have drifted at some point because the next thing she knew, Erik's hand was on her shoulder and she jumped, startled by the abrupt touch. She immediately regretted her reaction when he flinched and grabbed his hand back as if scolded.

"We're here."

She blinked, looking around to see they had indeed returned to the apartments. "Oh."

They got out of the car and he walked her to the stairwell. She glanced at his broken blinds and winced, now knowing why. He completely avoided looking at it and instead gazed at her when she paused on the first couple of stairs.

"Thank you for listening to me," she told him, grateful that the evening had turned for the better after the day they'd had.

His bare hand clenched at his side. "I apologize I pushed you away, I should have—"

She reached for his fist, stopping his self-hatred monologue before it began, and he froze, eyes following her movement as she lifted it up between them. His skin was so cold! Did he have a circulatory problem? The jacket had kept her pleasantly warm and she gently pulled his fingers apart, hoping her warmth could transfer over. The material at his neck bobbed up and down. "It's fine," she told him honestly, running her thumb over the thin skin of his knuckles. It was surprisingly soft. "I'm just glad you're still with me. I don't know what I'd do if you left again."

"I told you before, I will never leave you again," he said slowly, eyes finally lifting to hers. She wanted to say something about the reason for his previous disappearance but she didn't have the energy to. Besides, now that she knew, what difference did it make?

She smiled softly in return and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Good. Just, please, next time talk to me instead of going all Incredible Hulk on your furniture."

Erik stared silently at her so long that her cheeks warmed. "Hulk?" He finally questioned.

"You don't know who the Incredible Hulk is?"

"Should I?"

She laughed lightly and his eyes narrowed. "It doesn't matter." She lingered a moment longer and he watched her carefully. She desperately wanted to stay out there with him. She had half a mind to just stand out in the chilled air all night if it meant she didn't have to leave. The relief he was okay and that something was possibly beginning between them, regardless of how hesitant it was, made her so incredibly hopeful.

Inwardly she sighed, she knew she needed to go, otherwise she never would, and she was tired. "Oh here," she reluctantly released his hand and removed the jacket from her shoulders, feeling the coolness of the night seep through her thin dress she wore. She held it out for him and he took it with bony, abnormally long fingers that lightly brushed hers, that she was sure, done on purpose and sent her heart racing. Somehow she managed to speak. "Have a good night, Erik."

He hesitated, the jacket clutched in his hand, and then gave a stiff nod. "Sleep well, Christine."

She smiled at him one last time and turned to walk up the stairs, leaving him there to watch her depart.

She shut the door behind her and unexpectedly felt wildly out of place in the tiny, empty apartment after spending so much time with Erik in his warm office at the theater. She sighed heavily and kicked her shoes off, exhaustion taking over, before heading for her bedroom.

She paused when she saw the daisies on the kitchen counter, already wilting in the glass jam jar she had stuck them in. She frowned with distaste, wishing she'd had the courage to keep everything from happening just by saying something to Raoul all that time ago.

She had hurt two men today.

She grabbed the daisies and threw them in the trash, not wanting to look at them. Feeling somewhat satisfied that they were now gone, she pulled the pins from her hair and collapsed onto her bed, dress and all, falling into a deep sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

oO0Oo

"How long will you be gone?" Christine asked Meg a couple weeks after, as she watched her friend throw clothing into a suitcase. She was visiting the Giry's that afternoon, surprised by the news of Meg's sudden trip.

"Just a week. I'm taking a tour and there's early orientation. Nothing major but they want me to get acclimated before I make the move up there. New York! Can you imagine?"

Christine huffed, already feeling the dread of Meg leaving her come Autumn. "What am I going to do without you?"

Meg let out a breath and looked at her sadly. "I know, I'm sorry. I wish I could take you along. Hey! You should apply for a scholarship for your singing and join me!"

Christine smiled half heartedly. "That sounds too good to be true. Besides, I have my audition for the theater this fall. If everything goes to plan, I could be working there by winter."

Meg scowled, disappearing into her bathroom then reappearing with an armful of toiletries. "It figures that as soon as I'm about to leave, you get a job at the theater. Fate doesn't want us working together."

Christine had to agree. "It would be nice to keep you, but you're going to do so great in school Meg. This is your dream."

Meg sighed and nodded. "I know. Still sucks though. I'm not going to know literally anyone. Sam's trying to get a job up there but it's looking fruitless at the moment."

"You'll find a new best friend and forget all about me," Christine said glumly.

Meg laughed. "Absolutely not. There's no way I could forget you. I may get busy but I'll always take time for you. Besides, I'll be back for breaks and stuff."

Christine nodded and then sighed, laying back on Meg's bed. "I'll still have your mom though."

"And Erik," Meg reminded her with a snicker.

Christine's cheeks warmed at the mention of him. It had been two weeks since that awful day and since then, he had somehow fixed and cleaned up his apartment, his blinds back to concealing everything within. His hand was healing but he still had to keep it bandaged. Karim had apparently given him stitches for a couple of the deeper cuts from the glass. Christine had seen the remnants of the coffee table in the dumpster when she took her trash out the day after.

As for her lessons, he had been unwilling to completely stop them, insisting she needed to continue to prepare for her audition and had moved them from Marlers to his little hideaway at the theater since she was aware of it.

When he wasn't attempting to play with one hand for scales and warm ups, he used his own voice to show her multiple selections they could choose from. She had to admit, she wasn't complaining in the slightest, as she absolutely loved to hear his voice, but she did miss his beautiful playing.

Christine was happy each time she saw him without his gloves, relieved that he was slowly becoming comfortable with her to keep them off. However, he had yet to dodge the full face mask and she was desperately yearning for his other one, where she could see his lips move and gauge more of his expressions. Although she was beginning to get used to the new one, she still was pretty disturbed by it.

She hadn't heard from Raoul since that day either. She was wary to contact him and ask if they were still friends. Yet, a part of her didn't want to know. They were very different people now and she wondered if perhaps they should keep their good memories as they were.

At her continued silence, Meg threw a pillow at her face and Christine spluttered, sitting up quickly to throw a glare in her direction. "What was that for?"

Meg put a hand to her hip. "You were daydreaming."

"Was not," she protested. "I was just thinking is all. Erik's been working hard to get me ready for the audition but I'm really nervous. I still haven't even picked a piece yet."

"No need to be nervous, Chris. We all know you'll do fine," Meg told her with a wave of her hand. "By the way, you never told me; why were you in such a hurry to get to him the other day? Lance told me and Sam that you were practically crying."

Christine flushed at the reminder and sat up on the bed, gazing down at her hands. "We had a misunderstanding. Erik saw me go with Raoul, you know to his parents house? Well, he thought that… it was just a misunderstanding."

Meg sat down slowly on the bed next to her, suddenly intensely curious. "Christine… has something happened between you two?"

Christine fidgeted with the yellow comforter under her, her fingers finding a stray thread and avoiding Meg's eyes. "Actually yes."

Meg gasped and grabbed her hand. Christine looked up, finding her friend's eyes sparkling. "Oh Chris! I'm so happy for you. Please! You have to tell me everything!"

Slowly, and a little hesitant at first, Christine did. She spoke of her conflicted feelings, her night with Erik at the theater, the dinner and the kiss, the day with Raoul and the loss of her friend, and then what happened afterward. By the end, she felt tons lighter, getting everything off of her chest and relaying it all to her best friend. She hadn't realized how desperately she'd needed to talk to someone about it.

Meg clutched at her hand, her eyes unwavering as she took everything in.

"... and now, everything's back to normal. As normal as it could be. Erik's helping me the best he can with his injured hand, getting me ready for the audition. We practice in his work office," she explained, having skirted around exactly where his office was. She didn't think that he'd be too happy with anyone knowing where it was located.

"But he hasn't told you how he feels," Meg finally said, her eyes troubled. Christine took a deep breath.

"No, he hasn't, but I know how he feels. I can see it in his eyes. It's enough for me for now."

Meg released her hand and pressed her palms to her knees. "Is it really? Maybe you should tell him how you feel first. Perhaps he just needs a push. Unless he's just stringing you along for attention."

Christine was alarmed at the words. "What? No of course not," she protested, staring incredulously at Meg. "Erik has just had a difficult life and so he's scared to—"

Meg shook her head. "Christine, he is holding you at a safe distance, I don't want you to get hurt - and his temper. Goodness, what if next time he turns it on you? I'm going to be across the country, Chris. I won't be able to help you!"

Christine was stunned at what Meg was saying. She hadn't even thought of it that way but she knew, just knew, Erik wouldn't hurt her. Of course his anger could be quite alarming but he hadn't hurt her before. She was certain he wouldn't.

Even so, she understood how it looked to her friend. "Meg, you have to trust me when I say that he won't hurt me. I promise."

"You can't promise that, Chris." She ran a hand through her hair. "You don't know anything about him. You haven't even seen his face!"

Christine's face burned with shame at the words and she suddenly had an instinct to get up and leave right at that moment. Meg wasn't understanding and how could she? She didn't know Erik the way she did.

"I don't need to see his face to know what sort of person he is. I don't need to see his face to like him, Meg. He's helped me in so many ways since I met him and nothing could ever change that," she told her, even though a small part of her had doubts. She didn't know a lot about him and the fact that Karim had mentioned details of his past had been dangerous, kept her from fully believing her words.

It didn't matter. What was in his past was in his past. It had no effect on them now. It wouldn't change her opinion of him. It wouldn't change her feelings. Erik needed someone to show him that he was worth more than what he thought he was. He deserved it. Just as she did. Just as anyone did.

"You can't be sure of that, Christine," Meg shook her head. "You can't be sure because you don't know."

Chrisitne grew triggered and she suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe. She scrambled to her feet. "You're right!" She couldn't help but shout. "I don't know! But I don't need to know everything right now!"

Meg stood as well, pleading with her to see reason but it was unnecessary. "What if he's a criminal, Christine? Have you even thought of that? He wears a mask! No one in your life has even seen him! He's not normal! How are you expected to just be okay with all of this?"

Christine was seething, her hands clenched at her side, heart racing wildly in her chest. "This isn't your decision, it's mine! And besides, you're just speculating. You don't know!"

"Neither do you!"

The door to Meg's bedroom abruptly swung open, slamming against the wall and making both girls start. They spun to see Antionette standing in the doorway, hands on her hips, a stern and angry expression on her face.

"What in God's name could be the reason why you two feel the need to scream at the top of your lungs in my house?" She demanded.

They glanced at each other with regretful expressions, but Christine had no desire to be there any longer.

"It was just a disagreement, mom. It's fine," Meg said and Christine snatched her purse off the bed.

"Yeah, it's fine. I was just leaving anyway." Christine replied while throwing it onto her shoulder.

Meg fretted with alarm. "What? No, don't leave. I'm sorry, Chris. I shouldn't have said anything. It's none of my business."

"It's fine," Christine bit off and was relieved when Antionette moved aside for her to leave the bedroom.

"Wait, Chris—"

She wasn't going to wait around to hear the apologies. Not when she was still so enraged. Meg was right. It wasn't her business. Meg was her best friend and she considered her a sister. She knew that Meg had always been worried about her since her father had died, throwing her into a deep depression that she had been stuck in for a really long time. She knew that.

But Meg had always been meddling with her worry, as if Christine was too naive and stupid to know what she wanted. What she was doing.

Well that wasn't true! She knew exactly what she was doing. What was between her and Erik was something she wasn't going to give up just because she didn't have all the answers.

Erik deserved better than that. She deserved better than that. She had finally found someone who she was interested in and yeah, he may not be conventional and she may not know everything just yet, but she liked him. Wasn't that enough?

She shook away her suspicions. It would have to be enough.