Evermore

by Child of Dreams

As all fairytales do, this story begins with the simplest of words: "Once upon a time..." But that is where our story, a different type of fairytale, takes a turn. For this is not another tale of fair maidens and foppish princes... No, this is the story of two people drawn together under the most interesting of circumstances, a tale both as old as time and as fresh as a rose...

48. Awakening

Chapter Forty-Eight: Awakening

Christine's eyes snapped open as she jolted painfully back into the land of the living, the memories flooding rapidly through her mind.
Raoul! The roof! Erik!
Where was Erik?

Biting back a cry at the searing pain in her side, the redhead forced herself up into a sitting position and swung her legs over the side of the bed.
Almost immediately upon standing, a crushing wave of dizziness assaulted her and forced her back to the bed with a weak groan.
The door opened and a tall, dark-haired man entered, holding a steaming cup of tea.
Christine shrank back against the bedframe, fearful of the unexpected intruder, when he suddenly turned to face her and she gasped in disbelief as a pair of striking emerald-green irises met her own sky-blue ones.

Upon seeing Christine awake, the cup fell from Erik's nerveless hand and shattered on the floor, his eyes widening in shock.
He took one hesitant step forward, then another.
Before he knew it, he was at her side, touching her cheek tentatively with wide eyes.
"Christine?" he rasped disbelievingly.

The redhead frowned thoughtfully, eyes narrowing slightly.
That voice... those eyes...
No, it couldn't be... could it?

"Who are you?" she asked, wanting confirmation of her theory.
The man looked pained.
"Mon Coeur, don't you recognize me?" he begged desperately.

Christine's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What did you just call me?" she whispered faintly.
Only one person had ever called her by that name.
And even if it had only happened just the once, she was NOT likely to ever forget that particular moment!
Could it be?

"Erik?" she choked out, hardly daring to hope.
Instantly, the man in front of her seemed to crumble, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her tightly to his chest with a strangled sob.
"Oh, God!" Erik - for Christine was now convinced that it was him - moaned weakly, clutching the redhead desperately to his chest as his tears dripped into her shoulder.
"Christine... my Christine..."
The 21 year old wrapped her own arms around him as tightly as she could, her own tears falling down her cheeks.
And so they remained for the next few hours, neither willing to be parted from the other.

A/N: Please review to unlock Chapter Forty-Nine...