Hey!

Many thanks for all my readers, hope that you're enjoying what's going on here. I am certainly enjoying writing it! Please do review and let me know what you think! Apologies if my writing is a little sloppier than usual; its quite late over here and my eyes are 'Shrekd'

So, suspense! They finally escaped the Opera! Or did they?

Phanty belongs to Leroux and Lloyd Weber


Using the cover of darkness to his advantage, someone else was there; watching from another street.

The man pulled his jacket tighter and let out a frustrated sigh; his breath was visible due to the crisp night air. It was a cold night, even for January. The cobbled streets were glistening; wet from a recent fall of precipitation and it looked as though more snow was imminent. This was a pointless caper; even to assume that this man was still alive was a stretch. He had seen the number of Gendarmerie that had piled into that Opera house after the disaster... but they had told him of this man's unique skill set... perhaps he did possess the means of escape? It wouldn't be the first time...

It had been hours. Perhaps it was time to tell them that he had escaped. They wouldn't like that at all...

Then his eye caught something; someone emerging from the ground itself. Three people came out of a small sewer grate in the middle of the road; a woman and two men. He moved closer to the wall.

Could that be him? No... That was le Vicomte de Chagny... he had seen him around the Opera from time to time. The other man... it must be. He was taller than they had told him, perhaps was someone else...

Yes.

Then he turned around and the moonlight illuminated his face in all the necessary places.

It was him; a face like that could not possibly belong to anyone else. And he had the famous Christine Daae with him just like they had said he would. Yes... they would be pleased. They would indeed.


Christine turned around and looked up at Erik. He met her gaze.

Alone once more.

They stared at one another; nothing to distract them now but the darkness and the sound of a carriage somewhere far away. They had escaped. Seemingly, the hard part was over. Although they had both been thinking of this moment the entire night, neither of them had been properly prepared for it. There was a small part in each of them that truly believed they would not escape with their lives... but now they were here. Now the reality was setting in; questions, promises, doubts lingered in the air between them. Erik's eyes flickered between Christine and the empty road behind her. Christine knew that he wanted to speak to her, she could almost hear his thoughts; his mind racing a mile a minute; almost see the words on the tip of his tongue... Perhaps he wanted to make some gesture of affection towards her; to remind her that his feelings had not changed despite his ordeal. Perhaps he wanted to know of her feelings, wanted to check whether she had changed her mind or to give her one last chance to flee. Finally he took a deep breath and opened his mouth...

"Come... We must conceal ourselves." He held out one of his hands, the other still holding his side.

"...Yes..."Of course she could see that concealment was imperative at this point... or at any point with this man, but she was slightly let down by his anticlimactic response. She took his hand and followed him around a building and into a small alleyway.

"This way." He said. "I have used this before, there's a small alcove in the wall."

"Used...?" She eyed him.

"Yes. For hiding." He answered plainly.

"I see." She responded as if what she had just heard had been a regular answer...But Erik was not a regular man. Not at all. She had to keep reminding herself of who she was with. She had become fairly familiar with this Erik character and she had almost forgotten about the Phantom... save for a moment or two in the past few hours.

"Do you want to sit?" She asked after they had stepped inside the alcove.

"Well, I fear that if I should sit I may lack the motivation to get back up again." He smiled. He did want to sit... he had never wanted anything more in his life than to simply rest. Well... besides Christine. "You may have to lift me onto the horse or perhaps carry me the entire way."

"Erik. Was that a joke?" She smiled at him, wide eyed.

"I do make them... from time to time." He smirked and pulled the cape further around himself.

"Yes." She smiled.

He wanted to hold her like before but he was far too afraid. A lot could have changed between their confessions in the tunnels and now.

Do it, hold her.

He looked down at her once more and smiled through his discomfort. Then, as if reading his mind she pulled his arms open and gently embraced him.

He winced and exhaled shakily.

Thank you.

"I'm sorry. You must be in so much pain."

"No. Thank you... I mean yes but..." He chucked awkwardly "I'm freezing."

I love you.

"I know." She smiled.

If only you did.

He slowly wrapped his arms around her. To hell with propriety, it was below zero! He certainly was warmer in this alcove than he had been with the wind hitting his barely clad body but she wanted to hold him... who was he to complain?

"You feel warm to me." She said quietly, revelling in the heat exuding from him.

"Christine... you... how selfish of me. You must be freezing also!" He pulled away from her. "Here... please take this."

"Don't be silly! That isn't what I meant. I wasn't asking for the cape..."

He started to take off the cape but soon stopped and hissed in pain as he was hindered by his injured side.

"Stop. You're going to hurt yourself. Please, I'm fine. I just meant..."

"What..?" He asked, still grimacing at the pain he had caused himself.

"I just meant that it was nice... you holding me."

"Oh." He said. He thanked god that it was still dark for he was sure that he was blushing.

"Yes..." She replied awkwardly. "Are you terribly uncomfortable?"

"I have seen better mornings... but I have also seen worse. The company more than makes up for the discomfort." He replied, surprisingly confident.

"Yes. I daresay it does." She felt for his hand in the darkness and held it tightly.

"...Christine, I must speak with you about something... a matter which I am reluctant to discuss as it may put an end to this dream I have been permitted to live."

She looked at him. What could it possibly be? She had already seen him murder tonight...

"...Yes?" She asked hesitantly.

"Well... there is still time for you to leave... if you so wish."

I knew it.

"It's just that... you must see that... a life with me... may not be ideal. It may not be what you are looking for. I... I will give you everything that is in my power to give. I would give you my last breath should you ask for it...but..."

She touched his face with one hand and smiled. How could someone be so timid with physical contact and so brazen and forward with words?

"...But there are some things that I cannot give you. Perhaps you would want stability, perhaps you would want a place in society and choosing to be with me... I would surely be robbing you of that. Raoul will return shortly, perhaps you should wish to leave with him. This may be your last chance for a while... If you leave now your reputation would remain. You would have a chance at a decent life..."

"Erik... I..." she began to protest.

"Please... allow me to finish." He said softly. "It means enough that you would come back to me at all. Although troubled these past hours have been they have been some of the happiest I have ever tasted."

"But when will you understand, Erik?"

He put up his finger to silence her but she continued.

"No, listen to me. When will you understand? I do not wish to leave you."

"But surely you must see what your life would be with me? Tonight was but a taste... If only you knew of my past, Christine you might understand."

"Are you saying that you wish for me to leave?"

"No! God, no!" He took her face in his hands.

"How could you ever think such a thing?! I never wish to be parted from you. Never! I have tasted life without you in it Christine and it is not something that I would wish to experience again..."

"Well then why would you expect that of me?"

"Because I'm not sure that you know exactly what you have chosen; a life with me is a life almost in solitude. I have lived that Christine and I do not wish to bestow it on anyone, especially you. You... have so much light, so much life that would be wasted with me. I was so, so selfish to try to force that life on you... now that you choose it willingly I feel as though I need to discourage you. Of course, I wish with all that I am for you stay with me... but it is not what is best for you. Raoul is what is best for you. A life with me will surely mean drama... trouble follows me, Christine. Because of who I am... what I am..." He gestured to his face mirthlessly. "...I fear that you would never be at peace."

"Why do you doubt me still? Have I not told you of my feelings? I do not care what sort of life we lead as long as we lead one. Why, Erik, do you still doubt me? You wish to send me away...?" She questioned, her voice raised.

"I do not wish it."

"You have said that I should leave with Raoul as soon as he returns?"

That was your plan once before?

"I said that it would be in your best interest to..."

"To leave. Well, if after all we have been through together tonight, you still doubt me... I am not sure what I should do."

"Christine..." He was becoming frustrated with her argument. She was not listening and she was not letting him finish. Only Christine would be allowed to speak to him in such a way and he was losing his resolve... Perhaps she wanted this, to argue... perhaps she wanted a reason...

Perhaps she wants to leave?

"Why, Erik? Why would you think that I would leave?!"

He clenched his fists.

Because you already did once.

Don't say that. Don't say it. You will hate yourself.

"...B-Because..." Before he realised what he was doing he had begun to speak.

"Yes?! Why? Because why?"

"Because..."

"Why?!"

"Because you already left once!" The words were out before he could stop himself and immediately he regretted them. The last thing that he wanted was to have yelled at his Christine but he had always had very little self-restraint and his injuries and the cold were making him irritable. He had said something which he deeply regretted. He had already forgiven her for everything she claimed to have done to him... Hadn't he? Perhaps he was able to forgive her but was not able to forget so easily...

The silence following his words was excruciating and it made the weight of them feel heavier; more hurtful than he had intended for them to be.

She stared at him, mouth agape. She had not expected him to react in such a way, nor had she expected those words to fall from his lips. Perhaps he did hold a grudge against her for the pain that she had undoubtedly put him through. He was absolutely right... the fault was hers.

"I am sorry." He said at last, his voice deep with emotion. "That was uncalled for. I had no right..."

"You had every right... you must hate me." She looked down.

"No..." He shook his head. "No, of course I don't."

"Will you ever forgive me, then?"

"I told you, I have already forgiven you...It is just that... the pain of you and Raoul... it's still very fresh. I forgave you the very moment I looked at you tonight; when I saw you at the gate to my home... Forgetting will be difficult. But it is my burden, It was wrong of me to use what happened against you. And i must apologize for my temper... it can get the better of me..."

"Don't apologize, please. And I know that I hurt you but... I won't leave, Erik. Believe me."

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair irritably. "How... how can I know that? I cannot live that again... that agony. You seemed so sure last time... so decided..." His voice softened again. "You seemed to have your heart set on leaving me..."

"Is that what you think I did...?"

What?

"Well..." He was stunned.

"Well you did... you... you gave back the ring and...I..."

"But when I kissed you..." Bittersweet memories flooded his mind. He had never felt so much happiness and so much pain all in one night... that had only been the beginning.

"You... kissed me..." he repeated, slightly embarrassed... this had been the first they had spoken of it.

"Yes... and at first, it was to save Raoul but... then I wasn't sure... I felt something, something other than what I had expected to feel. So I kissed you again and... I still wasn't quite sure but I knew that I did want to stay, if only to get to know you... Then when you told me to leave like that... it scared me and I had second thoughts. I thought that you might have been sending me away."

Erik nodded. This was all news to him. He had concocted an entirely different story in his mind; a narrative patched together from madness and overwhelming grief. He was feeling lighter with every word she spoke.

"Then, I came to return the ring you had given me. I felt that I owed you that much closure... an explanation. But I was so confused, in the end I left because Raoul was sure about his feelings for me and I suppose that I let him make the choice for me because it was easier."

"But I just couldn't bring myself to leave you and as soon as I saw you again, something just clicked inside of me. As the night wore on... my feelings grew..."

"Yes." Was all he said, he could not meet her gaze. Perhaps he was overcome with emotion or perhaps it was another unique tendency of his, the cause of which she was yet to learn.

Ever so slowly he shakily pulled her into an embrace. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of his skin on her face; his warmth around her. His breathing calmed her and if it were not for the fact of them standing up she might have fallen asleep.

"You needn't worry. Should you ever wish to hold me... do not hesitate. I would not reject you and I apologise for making you believe that I would. I have made my choice, Erik. Please, do not doubt me."

Erik did not speak, he simply held her tighter and she knew that he had heard her.

He took a deep breath and exhaled. He found in her embrace a profound tranquillity which he had not experienced anywhere but within his music. Of course, Christine was his music.

"It was all... such a mess..." She spoke against his chest; a feeling so utterly rapturous that he lacked the concentration required for an intelligent answer.

"...Yes." He replied, breathing heavily into her curls.

She pulled away from him slightly.

"Where is that ring?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring he had hastily deposited there hours ago. He had been so distraught that he had almost forgotten... He grinned and showed it to her.

"Keep it... You may have need of it again soon..." She smiled.

What did she...?

"I wish you would smile more." She added. It was so uncharacteristic to see but it suited him so perfectly.

"Up until tonight, my dear I hadn't a reason to."

She wanted to kiss him... really kiss him. Not like earlier when they were both hindered by time, confusion and clouded feelings.

"I want to kiss you." She said quietly before covering her mouth, appalled at herself.

He laughed nervously at the fact that she had said it aloud.

"I apologise... I didn't realise..."

"That you had said it aloud?"

She nodded, smiling. "I... owe you a proper one..."

"...A kiss?"

"Yes."She was relieved at the fact that she didn't have to repeat the word.

"Perhaps under... better... that is to say, more romantic circumstances." He replied. Truthfully, he wanted to kiss her; he wanted to kiss her all the time, now more than ever, but there was so much that he hoped to tell her through their first real kiss and at the moment he could hardly stand...

Erik opened his mouth to speak again when he heard noises approaching; the sound of a horse on the cobblestones. He moved his finger to his lips; a gesture to keep Christine from making a sound. They both stood as still as they possibly could.

It was probably Raoul... wasn't it? Who else could know where they were?

If it were anyone else... they would not be alone... Would they?

The sound of someone dismounting their horse reached Erik's ears. Despite his pain he held Christine tighter than ever and hoped that it would not be the last time...