So! This one has some fluff and a bit of mystery... and a bit of Erik angst. Which is normal... Thank you to the new followers and the subscribers AND thank you to the old ones; to the ones who have stuck with this story for 14 chapters. I really appreciate the support!

Phanty belongs to Leroux and Lloyd Weber.


"Come upstairs..." She said softly. His breath caught in his throat. Her dark curls, cascading over her shoulders were a brilliant contrast to the perfection of her porcelain, white skin. His shirt fit loosely over her body but with the morning sun streaming in he could see every outline of her shape...

Did she mean? Could she possibly mean...?

"I don't like to sleep alone..." She added. Thank god; at least she wasn't implying that...

"You cannot be serious, Christine? I could not possibly. Not with you dressed like that... not at all."

"But you told me to wear this..?"

"Yes. I wanted you to be comfortable. I can't come upstairs. Not like this. I cannot do it..."

"Do what? I'm simply asking you to lie down with me..."

"Surely you know that it is not that simple?" She stared at him, her eyes questioning him innocently.

"I don't know what you mean? Do you not wish to lie with me?"

"Oh Christine, you precious, naive child, don't you understand? It isn't that I don't wish to lie with you... it's that I do!"

She stared at him blankly. He sighed in frustration.

"To put it plainly I simply do not trust myself." Finally he looked up; His eyes staring at her intently to see whether or not she had understood his meaning.

"Oh." She said; her face reddening as the realization struck her. "I'm sorry, I did not realize."

"Never apologize for innocence, Christine." His face softened and he smiled at her.

"Also I am... sorry for earlier." He added, fiddling with a piece of thread he had pulled from one of the tattered cushions next to him... "I have a nasty temper and I have the tendency to overreact."

Yes, you do.

"It's alright." She said, taking a tentative step towards him.

"It isn't alright." He said, standing up and looking away again, as if to keep the distance between them. "You should not be made to stand trial for all who have wronged me over the years. You, one of the few who have shown me kindness..."

"Don't stress about it, Erik. Really..." She began to walk towards him once more.

He stepped back slightly, then, with his gaze focused on anything except the woman in front of him, he spoke. "Stay here a moment." He rushed past her and up the stairs and after a moment, returned with a robe of sorts.

"This is mine also. It will be very long no doubt, but I think that you should wear it." Before she could acquiesce he had already draped the robe over her small shoulders. "There. Much better." He said, actually looking at her. "Now... shall we find something to eat after all?"

"I would like that." She smiled.


They ate in silence; mostly due to exhaustion.

"I'm famished." She finally said with a mouth full of food. Erik looked at her, an amused grin on his face. "Sorry..." She said after realizing what he was smirking at. "That isn't proper, is it?" His actions had always been the epitome of propriety, save for a few small occasions and she didn't want him to think her un-ladylike.

"You can do as you wish around me, Christine. I won't judge you on how you eat your food or how you speak... or... how you choose to marry the two." He teased.

She stifled a laugh. "This is quite good though."

"It is only bread and accoutrement." He laughed.

"Well it's good! Not that you would know... you haven't eaten much at all."

He glanced at the piece of bread he had been turning over in his hands for some time "I have a lot on my mind." He said, leaning back in his chair, the laughter leaving his voice.

You always do.

He carelessly threw the piece of bread on the table and rested his hands in his lap.

"Yes well, rest will certainly help with that..."

Will it?

He had so many concerns. He knew that at some point she would expect more from him and he wasn't sure when he would be ready to give her what she wanted. She wanted him to open up to her, to divulge his deepest, darkest secrets and repressed memories. Was there anything wrong with wanting that from a partner? If that was what he was to her? No, there wasn't. She deserved so much more than him... so much more than this distorted shell of a man. Perhaps the world had taken everything he had left to give; perhaps after all this, he would have nothing left to give to the one person who deserved everything. He also knew that at some point she would want other things... how could he possibly begin to tell her why he could not provide those? There was so much that she did not understand and there was so much that he did not know... how could they possibly make this work?

Most of all he had told her that she would be safe where they were... at least for a little while, but what if something should happen? He could not bear to fail her again. Worse still was the fact that she blindly believed him, trusted him...

I gave my mind blindly.

"I for one have had my fill and am done here." She pushed her chair back and stood up, truly oblivious to all of his concerns...

Erik looked up at her.

"Please come and lie with me?"

He thought for a moment. He did yearn for the sublime rest that only a soft mattress could provide... but he yearned for her also... he yearned for her so much that it frightened him and she did not seem to understand the difficulties he would be facing in submitting to her request. "... Alright." He finally said.


Christine lay down on the bed. Erik kicked off his boots and lay next to her.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Not to worry, Christine. I will get through it." He smiled.

"Your side looked... quite bruised when I saw it. I hope it isn't serious."

"A fractured rib, most likely. Nothing to do for that though, I'm afraid."

Without speaking she moved closer to him and gently draped her arm across his chest.

"What... are you doing?" He questioned, jerking away slightly. "I told you, Christine..."

"Just relax." She soothed. Slowly he eased back down into his position and put his arm around her. Maybe it would be alright... Christine smiled to herself.

"This... this is nice." He said.

"Yes. It is. This is how we should have spent our first night together... Not that it is night..."

"Yes." He mused, quite contented. He was elated just to be where he was.

I would go through all of it again... twice if I had to.

She looked up at him and their eyes met. Lifting herself up slightly she leant in, closed her eyes and kissed him softly on the lips.

Erik immediately closed his eyes too and for the moment allowed himself to become entirely lost in the soft complexity of her kiss. It was everything he had ever hoped it to be; what he had experienced after Don Juan and more because he knew that this kiss was for him... it was truly his... just as she was. He felt himself losing all control of his emotions and tears started to form in his tightly shut eyes. Their lips did not move; they were simply locked together in a moment of pure passion and long repressed emotion. Neither of them dared take a breath until Christine finally pulled away and they found themselves steeply inhaling the breath of one another. Erik reached up to hold Christine's face in his hands and he gently pulled her forehead to meet his. They gazed into each other's eyes and Erik did nothing to mask the broad smile which was slowly spreading across his face.

"Christine..." He breathed. "You... quite take my breath away..."

She smiled and stroked his face affectionately before placing another small kiss on the corner of his mouth. Finally the barrier had been broken; she had wanted to kiss him since their first kiss... that kiss...

"But... I do not think that I possess the strength to... resist you anymore." He ran a hand through her hair.

"Then don't..." She said.

Those words were all he needed. He rolled her over so that he was leaning over her and hungrily captured her mouth with his. The first try was a fumble and he was convinced that he may have slightly hurt her but soon he was in control. This was all just another skill to master and he did so with alacrity. Each kiss was deeper than the last and what little Christine showed him he quickly learned and expanded upon. For fear of crushing her he propped himself up on one elbow and allowed his free hand to explore her body... He left her mouth and began to place small kisses up the side of her neck, from the base of her collarbone to the soft skin behind her ear. To this her body responded enthusiastically and arched towards him. He moved back up to her mouth and allowed his free hand to glide down to the curve of her hip and back up again.

Christine took her chance to explore his body as well. Her hands went from the sides of his face to the back of his neck where they gripped tightly.

"Oh... Christine..." He growled into her neck.

She knew he had never kissed before, never done anything like this before, but he was picking it up so fast and she was beginning to feel things that she had never conceived possible with Raoul.

Her wandering hands moved across his strong shoulders and down his arms; she took a moment to grasp the muscle there which rippled and tensed as he moved his arms to touch her. She moved her hands back up his arms and down his back, neglecting to mind his injuries. He flinched and pulled away slightly.

"I'm sorry!" She apologized hastily.

"It's fine." He purred and leant back into her, recapturing her mouth, this time kissing her more gently; savouring each and every second their mouths were locked together. She smiled and put her hands back on him. She gently ran them down his sides and brought them back up underneath his shirt; allowing herself the sensation of bare skin beneath her hands. She had always wondered what this would feel like... She gripped his shoulders underneath his shirt as his kiss deepened. Slowly, relishing the moments her hands were met with bare skin amongst the bandages she moved her hands back down to his waist. Hungrily she pulled his head towards her, deepening the kiss further while in an attempt to explore more of his body she let her free hand run up his front. Her fingers trailed upward from the start of his trousers to the bandage where he caught her hand in his and jerked away slightly. He smiled into her mouth.

"What is it? I thought you were hurt on the other side? Did I hurt you?"

"No. It's not that."He responded, still smiling.

"What is it?" She was genuinely puzzled.

"Ticklish, I'm afraid."

"Really?" She smiled.

"Unfortunately."

"Well... don't worry; I won't tickle you until you have healed... It wouldn't be fair of me to do it when it pains you to laugh... and I fear that I may not enjoy it quite as much if you don't... so I shall wait." She teased.

"Oh, how generous of you..." He smirked, placing another kiss on her neck.

"Well... If you're going to be like that, I should just do it now." Before he could catch her hand she had reached back down and squeezed his side. He let out a small laugh and swiftly caught it again.

"No...No... That's quite alright." He smiled.

She laughed. "Hmm... now I know what to do when I want something from you."

"Firstly, that isn't in the slightest bit fair..." He smiled. "And secondly... I shall give you what you want no matter what you do to me, you know that."

She smiled and kissed him again. He leaned back over her it and deepened it once more as his hands roamed the curves of her hips and legs. She pulled him in closer to her, again arching her body in pleasure to meet his. Soon it would be difficult to stop... soon it would be impossible to stop.

"Wait... Christine we..." Erik managed in between kisses. "We... should stop." He breathed pulling back slightly. "I... can't. This isn't right..."

"Isn't right?" She questioned, out of breath. What did he mean?

"What I mean to say is that... it isn't right now..." He gently moved to the side and sat up with his hands resting on his knees. "We aren't married, Christine. It isn't proper. If we go any further I... shan't be able to control myself. I warned you of this..."

"I know... to hell with propriety though, Erik..."

"You don't mean that Christine. If we do... that...that will be it. There is only one first time... And if you give yourself to me... to me... To me of all people." Upon uttering the last words and now he seemed only to be speaking to himself. He looked down and chuckled cynically.

"But... I want you... " She sat in front of him and touched his arm reassuringly. He looked up at her. "I want you." He smiled and gently brushed a strand of hair from her face. He could make something so simple seem so intimate.

"I want you, Erik." Erik smiled at the woman in front of him. Would she ever know how long he had waited to hear those words or how much they meant to him? He leaned in until their foreheads touched. "I want you too... More than you know." He clenched his jaw, his eyes closed. "I..." He wanted to say the words once more, to tell her that he loved her... because he did. He had never stopped loving her and now was the right time to say it. She wanted him. She wanted him; Erik, but as soon as he opened his mouth to speak the words he had always known to be true he was reminded of the last time he had done so.

His home.

His lair.

His prison... Her prison...

And of course... the rejection. The choice she had made. What if, once more she did not return his feelings... did it matter? He had known how she felt the last time he had declared his love... Yes; it did matter. This time it mattered. Erik gathered every scrap of courage he had within himself and spoke the words...

"I... I... Love you, Christine." He stammered.

Christine inhaled sharply. "I... Erik, I..."

Is she going to say it?

She won't. She won't say it.

Please say it.

Please love me...

She stared at him with a desperate look in her eyes that lay somewhere between affection and pity... Erik sighed. Not again... "It is alright if you don't love me, Christine. It is enough that you are here... I don't know what I expected... it was... silly of me. No matter."

I have enough love for both of us...

"It's not like that, Erik. It's not that I don't love you... But I'm still confused about everything...

"About him." He replied calmly.

"No... I just mean that so much has happened. I need more time. I want to be with you... does that not count for something? I wouldn't want to be anywhere else!"

She did love him, truly she did... But why couldn't she say it? Was it because she still loved Raoul as well... in some way or form? It was possible to love two people... wasn't it? How could she explain to him something she did not fully understand herself? Now she had hurt him... again.

"It's alright, Christine. If you say that it isn't him, then I believe you. Having you here is more than I could have hoped for. Let us rest." He smiled. "You'll have to forgive me though." He turned away from her and lay down. "I can only face this way due to my injuries."

"Yes... that's... fine." She said to the back of him. "I really do want to be with you, Erik. You know that I wouldn't say that unless I meant it..."

"Yes. Goodnight Christine." He responded curtly. "Good morning, I mean." Erik stared at the closed drapes on the far wall, filled with emotion; filled with pain.

"Good night..." Christine responded forlornly.

She did not love him... She did not. An unseen tear slid down his cheek and onto the soft pillow beneath.


The man had seen him... he was alive. He was. And the Daae girl was with him. They would be very pleased to hear this. Very pleased indeed.

"Stop here, driver." He said, tapping on the window in front of him. He began to walk down a small street and after tipping his weathered hat to a particularly bereft looking baker who seemed to be opening business for the day, he took a turn down a small alley and knocked on a door.

"Who is it?" A gruff voice called.

"It's me... "He lowered his voice. "It's Claude."

The door opened just enough for Claude to slip through and was hastily shut again.

"It is freezing outside." He said, removing his jacket and hat. "I had better be getting paid compensation for discomfort." He walked into the main room where a group of men were sitting round a table with drinks in hand and anxious looks on their faces.

A particularly large, bearded one stood up. "Well? What is it? Did you find him?"

Claude sat down and with a smug smile upon his face, he spoke.

"He is alive and I know where he is."

The large man smiled.


Suspense!

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