Hello again readers! Sorry it took me so long to post this chapter, writer's block is not fun at all. I promise you will enjoy this chapter almost as much as I had writing it. As a reminder I do not own any of the Leroux/ Webber characters (In this chapter they are just Erik and Christine) I only own my OC. In case you do not recognize the 'lullaby' that is referred to, listen to One Upon a December from the movie Anastasia, the animated one that is. It's beautiful and I think fits well here. As always, feel free to leave any comments/ reviews/ ideas of where you would like the story to end, I am getting close and would some feedback from everyone. I remain your obedient servant
~The Southern Rose~

"Erik? Erik where are you?" A soft voice calls out in the darkness. The sound of heels begins to slowly click through the darkness. "Erik I know you can hear me."
"Why are you here?" the clicking stops.
"Why else would I be here. I came here for you; please play for me." Silence comes between the two voice, neither one wanting to interrupt the other. All that can be heard is the soft rippling of the water and quiet splashes of tiny pebbles rolling into the lake under the opera house. Soon the clicking begins again, light soon flooding and overpowering the darkness. "Erik please, play for me. I want to hear your beautiful music…" the voice pleads. A head of dark hair comes into view and glides to the piano, taking a seat on its magnificent bench. "I don't remember you having this?"
"It was a gift, someone made it for me. I would appreciate it if you removed your rear from it or I shall do it for you." Gentle, contagious laughter graced the air between the two bodies.
"Gift? Who gives the Opera Ghost a gift? I was the one who saw you when no one else would." A hand spread over the ivory and midnight keys as its partner places a silver candelabra on the top of the piano. "I wish I had learned to play…" the soft sound of random notes picks at the silence in the air. Note by note each piano key is match with an angelic voice. A deep baritone voice growls and sighs, marching to the angel voice.
"If it will shut you up, I shall play…" He moves the girl from his bench, only to have her sit back on the bench. He turns his head to the girl, her warm smile worming its way into his cold heart. One could almost hear the breaking and melting of ice from his cold heart, almost that is… The man's large hands begin to work the keys of the piano, soft and slow, a lullaby from his days abroad in Persia. Though it was a Russian lullaby, it still managed to please the Shah when he could not sleep. "Dancing bears…painted wings…things I almost remember…" it was the story of a girl who was separated from her royal family as a child, and is exploring the castle of her youth while trying to remember what they looked like. The girl on the bench began to sway with the music, humming along as the baritone sang. Soon her voice overtakes his, echoing and filling every empty space with her soul.
"Someone holds me safe and warm…horses prance through a silver storm…figures dancing gracefully across my memory…!" The piano maestro urges the soprano onward, the darkness in his soul slowly beginning to melt as the curly haired beauty filled the room with her song. Enchantment rang through the once lifeless halls, blowing away the years of suffering and torment. Softly the song came to a close. "And a song, someone sings…!" her voice drawing out the last word "Once upon a December!" The man can hardly bring himself to lift his hands from the keys, his eyes wide with music. Soft lips press gently to his cheek, causing him to look up from the piano.
"This… this isn't" his lips are shut by the kiss of the girl. Silence once again overtakes the air as a blissful kiss is shared.
"Erik…?" another maiden's broken voice shatters the silence. The man's head turns to the maiden, tears in her eyes as her hand covers her lips. The girl looks at the maiden, her face writhing with disgust.
"Erik, who is this girl?" He looks back to the woman on his piano bench. She rises from the bench and marches to the maiden, her heels clicking madly. "How did you get down here? And how do you know his name!"
"He told me… he is my friend…" The woman's laugh loudly echoes.
"Friend?! I am the only friend he ever had! He is my angel of music!"
"Christine enough of this. Leave now…" Erik commands.
"NO! I am your angel! How could you deny me!" She throws herself into his arms. Pleading with him. "I love you!" the maiden's eyes begin to spill over with tears. In one hand he holds his once love and adoration, in the other he now holds a velvet box.
"Is that… a ring…?" the maiden chokes out. All heads turn to the man's hand and the box.
"My ring!" the woman cries out as the reaches for it. The man pulls it away, letting go of the woman and pushing her away.
"You had your chance, and you made your choice." He walks over to the crying maiden, kissing her hand softly. She jerks away, anger and hate flooding her eyes.
"How could you!" she growls; her words like venom to the man. "You lied to me all this time didn't you! You never loved me!"
"No, mon amour please listen to me…" his voice becomes as broken as the maiden's spirit. "I love you..." three words, eight letters that can heal the most fragile of souls, or break the hardest of hearts. One heart was broken while another soul was healed. The maiden fell into his arms while the woman screamed out.
"NO! He's MY angel of music!" the angel of music slid the ring onto the maiden's finger, kissing her softly. The woman screams out again as she forces herself between the couple. A violent 'pop!' rings through the troubled air, leaving one girl lying on the ground, the other standing before the angel of music.
"How could you…" a broken voice cracks out. The girl lay unmoving on the cold stone ground. Soon a soft groan comes from the floor. The man goes to his knees to help the girl, the click of a pistol freezing all movement.
"I will give you the same choice you gave me; stay with me or send your lover to her grave!" Erik slowly rises, Christine pointing a pistol at Belle. "All is fair in love and war, isn't it Erik." Belle slowly begins to sit up.
"My head…"
"Belle stay still my love…" Erik softly whispers.
"You try my patience… I said choose, or I will choose for you." Tears begin to roll down the man's face. How fitting that the once delusional man who forced a scared girl to make the same choice be forced to choose now. Oh how sweet the irony, the poetic justice. He gives a long sigh before looking up at his soon to be bride.
"At least let me say goodbye…" a twisted and demented smile crosses her lips as she pulls the pistol back to her.
"Make it quick." Erik squats to the maiden's side, taking her hand in his.
"Know that I always love you, and one day we will be together again." The maiden's eyes were full once again with tears of pain. She shook her head, clinging to his hand. He pulled her to him for one last, breathless kiss, one last kiss before the bang. The maiden screamed out in pain, her cry shattering all hope for tomorrow. Erik pulled away long enough to see the blood pouring from her stomach. A hellish and demonic laughter once again filled the air as he was forced to watch his lover die in his arms. He held her to him, taking in one last look at her beauty before she breathed her last. He kissed her again and again, imprinting the feel of her lips on his. He slowly pulled back, his eyes full of tears but his lover had vanished, her body gone. The hellish laughter continued as the demon held the pistol in her hand, her dress now white as show and the cave now a church.
"Ready to become mine…?" he spat in her face
"I would rather die…"
"As you wish" and a second bang rang through.

Erik sat up screaming bloody murder, his dreaming almost surreal. His body was covered in sweat and stuck to the hair on his chest. He continued to scream, waking Belle.
"Erik! Erik what's wrong!" She grabbed his arm, his instinct sending her back into the bed. Please let it be a dream! Please! The room was dark, not a candle lit, the only light softly glowing from under the door. No! NO! NO! His mind was raging like a violent storm that refused to yield. He flew out of bed, stumbling and kicking and tripping over everything. He tore through the nightstand, the dark making everything invisible; but soon his hand grazed over something velvety.
"Finally!" I cry out. I quickly open the box, but feel nothing inside. I send the box flying across the room, it bouncing off the door. "NO!" I throw open the door, the light flooding the room. I grab the small candle from its place just above the door.
"Erik…?" the nearly silent groan breaks me from my rage. I freeze in my place, shaking my head. It can't be… "Damn… you hit hard…" I hit her?! Oh god! I spin on my heel and flood the room with the candlelight. Her hand tries to block out the light. She slowly brings her hand down letting the light glisten in her auburn hair. Oh god Belle… in two steps I was across the room and by her side. I set the candle on the nightstand, letting myself just take in all of her. Her hair was a mess, her eyes were hollow and her skin pale, but she was alive; she was alive and well and in his bed. He brushed away a strand of hair, her cheek red like fire.
"Did I…?" she slowly nodded her head.
"I guess you have to be strong if you are to be a murder…" all I could do was smile. "You were screaming like you were being murdered. I tried to calm you down and that's when I got sucker punched."
"I had the worst nightmare…" all the voices and sounds begin to flood my mind; the click of her heels, the click of the pistol. Choose or I will choose for you… Belle's pitiful cries and then her ear shattering scream of pain.
"Erik…?" I open my eyes, her face beginning to show signs of bruising. Her right hand goes to my face. "Don't you worry my love; I am right here…" I give a long and draw out sigh.
"And I never want you to leave my side again…" I bring her left hand up into the light, giving it a long kiss. Her eyes widen as the beautiful ring comes into view and glitters in the candlelight.
"Erik… oh my sweet…" tears filled her eyes and her smile broadens.
"Belle I am madly in love with you. Everything little thing about you makes my heart beat a little more and my soul soar like a bird on a sunny day. Your hard working spirit, self-sacrifice for your family… everything… Please make me the happiest man alive and become Madame Erik Destler… you will lack for nothing ever I swear by it…" I can see she is already crying.
"Yes…a thousand times yes…" I can't help but throw my arms around her, pulling her into my chest and burying my head in her neck.
"Oh my sweet darling…my sweet angel. I will forever protect you…"
"I love you so much Erik…" Her words are like sweet wine, and her lips are like honey to my soul when they meet mine. Oh how I could kiss those soft lips forever. I feel her tongue lightly flick against mine, her hands sliding around my torso. I lay her back on the bed, letting my hands wader where they like and belle happily obliging me, but suddenly pulls away. "You should know something before this goes any further…" her eyes now hollow.
"Anything you have to say will not make me love you any less mon amroueax."
"Erik the days I was kidnapped… and those days when we first were on the streets…" her eyes close in fear. A soft kiss brings them back to me.
"I understand mon ange. Don't you worry…"
"But you don't! I got pregnant from one of the men I slept with for money, then he hit my stomach until the baby was dead… Erik I can't have children… ever…" I pull back at her statement. No children, ever…? Never shall she bear my children…? Never will I be a father…? I pull away from her as my mind runs ramped with questions. I turn my attention back to her. She's pulled herself away from me and curled up by the head of the bed.
"This doesn't mean I will stop loving you… I love all of you, not just part…" her words echoing in my mind. She slowly turns her head back to me as she wipes her tears away with the back of her hand. I open my arms and let her crawl back to me. It's all I can do not to cry; I love her after all, I love all of her not just part as she loves all of me. I bury my face in the hollow of her neck and hold her tightly to me. "Don't you fret mon amour…I love you for all times…" I softly kiss her cheek as I pull her with me to lay together, now as an officially betrothed couple.
"Erik?"
"Yes mon amour?" her cheeks flush red
"Now that I am your bethrothed… I was wondering…" she paused and sighed. "I would like to start wearing your shirt to bed instead of my nightgown…" if my grin could get any wider it would break.
"Of course you can mon amoureaux… why don't you go get one from my dresser…" she softly kisses me and stroles to my dresser, taking the candle with her. After several mintues and even more shirts, she settles on one I haven't worn in years; my red death shirt from the masquerade party. Like death I slide out of bed and come behind her, my lips softly pressing to her neck. She jumps and melts into me all at once.
"What have I said about startling me!" I grin as we stand in my mirror.
"But mon ange you know how much I love to skulk and scare…" my hands sliding over the silk of her nightgown. "Let's slip into something more comfortable shall we…?" her desperate sigh my queue. I slowly pull her back to the bed, letting love guide our actions. We make love all night, leaving us both breathless and exhausted. Soon her head comes to rest on my glistening chest, her breathing shallow and hair a tangled mess. I pull her closer to me, letting her role on her side and her left hand in mine. The ring never glistened brighter as she lay on my chest, now fast asleep. I place a kiss to her forehead and whisper a goodnight, letting sleep blissfully take me away.