Hey everyone, just another chapter….enjoy!! I haven't said it in a while but I don't own any of ALW's Characters just my own! I say this only because I didn't add this into one of my music videos for Charlie's Angels on you tube and Fergi got really angry just because I didn't add in that I don't own her song and took it off of the website and demanded that I change the song in the video. Rich people suck! Anyway enjoy!

Pain, so much pain was all the Erik could feel when he awoke. He was blinded in his one eye and when he looked down at his right leg all he could see was his knee and ankle wrapped tightly in bandages. He was sure his ankle was broken, just from the snap he heard the night before when his foot landed in that pot hole. Blind, why was he blind in his one eye? He couldn't see anything from his left eye, giving him a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. Then his daughter came to mind. Where was she and how badly hurt? He was lying in his attic bed striped down to hardly any clothes all except for a pair of loose night trousers. Just then Christine and Nadir walked into the room, Nadir carrying a basin with a cloth lying in it. Christine stayed back as Nadir approached the bed and wrung out the cloth.

"I'm blind Nadir."

"Yes, I know. Your left eye has a lot of debris in it from being pushed down in the dirt. You'll regain your sight in it eventually, but you must flush it out everyday. I want you to place your face in the basin and open your left eye to clean it out."

Erik did as he was told and placed his face in the basin and flushed his eye out. It pained him greatly but it was what he had to do. Afterwards, Nadir dried his face easily and covered him up.

"What happened to my knee and ankle?"

"Your knee is dislocated and your ankle is fractured. I wouldn't expect you to be up and walking around for at least three weeks and when you can walk you'll need a walking staff to help keep you balanced. Christine has offered to care for you when I'm not around so until I say so, no walking."

When Nadir left, Erik lied back in pain on his pillow and looked over at Christine. She didn't move, and just stood there angered at him.

"I don't expect you to say much Christine, I understand that you're mad at me."

Christine approached the side of his bed, and applied pressure to his hurt ankle, causing him to yell in agony.

"Mad? Mad Erik? Mad isn't the word! You are a horrible father! She could have been killed!"

"I know what I did was wrong Christine!"

"Wrong? Once again Erik your temper has gotten you into trouble. Do you know that she's told me that she wants to run away and join a gypsy camp? Do you know that she never wants to see you again?"

"And I don't blame her Christine, if someone shouted such absurd things to me, especially the things I've said I wouldn't want to ever see that person again either. I was so angry with myself for causing you so much pain that I took it out on an innocent child."

Christine sat down beside him, and took something out of her pocket and placed it in the palm of his hand. When Erik looked down, he noticed that it was the ring, her ring, the one that he had given back to her for Christmas with the note attached to it.

"I could never let another man give this to me. It's your ring, the ring that you kept in your possession, hoping that one day I would wear it for you. I can't give it to another man and I can't wear it, especially for a man who's only love is for himself and his music."

Erik couldn't hold back the tears that were falling from his eyes. He had always loved Christine, but knew that he didn't show it at all and he especially didn't show his daughter any love.

"You're leaving me aren't you? I don't blame you for losing my love. All's I can say is that I don't know what I have until it's long gone. All my life I've been treated so cruel and could only treat others the way I've been treated. I've tried to control my temper and my only outcome was loosing you. Yes I may have a terrible temper but never have I ever raised a hand to you. That is how I show my love Christine, I could never lie a hand on you or Clorinda. I would kill myself before ever touching any part of you in a harmful way. You haven't had it easy as well Christine, you've been abused by Raoul, raped by Philippe and almost killed by Colum. Not once in any of those situations have I turned you away from my comfort. Any other man would have let you suffer at the hands of Raoul's abuse, but not me, I took care of him so he could never do that to you or any other woman again. Any other man would have never had you after finding out that you were raped by Philippe, any man but me. I took you in and comforted you through the after shock of realizing what he did to you. I made love to you numerous times, never once denying you fornication. So when you say that I only love myself and my music you need to realize that you're really the one who only loves themselves."

Christine thought about what Erik had said and realized that he was right. Never once has he ever denied her comfort or compassion. He might say things that shouldn't be said, but he was treated cruel his whole life and only gives back the same treatment that society gives him. Erik squeezed the ring in the palm of his hand and looked up at her.

"I once gave you the chance to end your days with me or to send your lover to his death. You chose your lover over me for the longest time until you realized how much of a monster he was. Once he was dead I asked you once more to end your days with me and you denied me. Instead you found Philippe and played around with him until he raped your brains out and once more you came to me for comfort. Then after he was dead I asked you again to end your days with me and once again you denied me. Then Colum came along and once he was dead I asked you again to end your days with me and you denied me. How many more men have to die before you accept my proposal? If you never want to marry me I'd rather you tell me the truth rather than just leave me with false hopes."

"What do you want me to do Erik? Marry you and be miserable for the remainder of my days? You and I are only happy three days out of the week, our differences out number the love that we have for each other. I won't marry you, and I won't marry any other man either."

"Then marry me! I love you Christine, love you with all my heart and I can't play this game anymore. I want you to marry me and be my living wife! Please, I love you!"

"You don't love me Erik, you love my voice."

"No, I love your beauty Christine. Never have I ever lied with another woman but you. You took away my virginity, you and only you. I kept myself pure for you even though I could have gone out and done it with a prostitute. You think that I love you just because you're a woman who would accept my love. You're wrong, because if sex was all I was after I could have done it with a prostitute, but no I waited for you and only you. "

"Clorinda hates you, so I'll tell you what. If Clorinda can find it in her heart to forgive you I'll marry you. I will only marry you when we can all love each other again."

With that, Christine stormed out of the room slamming the door behind her. Erik glanced down at the ring and knew that getting Clorinda to forgive him was going to be the hardest thing he has ever done. He couldn't even forgive himself for saying those things, so how was he supposed to get her to forgive him? That and he couldn't even walk so how was he supposed to get her to come to him? Once night fell, Erik tossed and turned in agony as Christine lied fast asleep beside him.

"Jesus Christ I'm in so much pain." moaned Erik as he rolled over once more. At that moment, he heard Christine stir in her sleep, and sit up.

"What is it Erik?

"I'm in a lot of pain is what the matter is."

"I know Erik, but you have to try to sleep. Just roll over and close your eyes."

"You know Christine once in a while you could show me some compassion."

"Well you know what Erik, maybe I'm disappointed in you right now."

Erik couldn't blame Christine for being mad. He had done a very mean thing and for it he was suffering. What worried him more was the fact that if Clorinda wouldn't forgive him he would never have Christine as his wife.

"Maybe you can lie here in peace, but I can't."

Erik then swung his legs over the side of the bed despite the agony he was in and stood up straight using the night table for support. He then picked up the metal walking staff that Nadir had dropped off hours ago and began to limp to the door.

"Erik! What in the devil are you doing?" asked Christine as she shifted her body up against the headboard of the bed.

"What do you care."

"You'll hurt yourself even more by walking."

"Then so be it."

Erik then opened the door, and began to walk down the long dark hallway. He was in so much agony, but the thought of never being able to marry Christine had poisoned his mind so badly. It was very late but he had to talk to his daughter so badly and find out tonight if she was to forgive him or not. Once he made it to Petri's bunk bed, Erik removed the covers of the top bunk to see an empty bed. Clorinda was not there, which worried him. He then saw a small candle light coming from the next room so limped his way into the darkened doorway. A huge feeling of relief occurred when he spotted Clorinda sitting on the windowsill with a candle burning beside her. She was wearing her night gown with her knees pushed close to her chin. He didn't know what to say or what to do. He had to do this right or Christine would never be his ever again. As he approached her, he stopped when only a few feet away and purposely cleared his throat a bit to let her know that he was there. She looked over at him, and then turned back to the window as if she hadn't seen him. Erik knew that this wasn't going to go so well at all but wasn't about to give up. Instead, he approached the windowsill and tried to sit down beside her when Clorinda stretched out her feet leaving no space for him to sit.

"Fine, I'll stand but I am in a state of agony where sitting down would make me feel a bit better." he replied ever so softly hoping that his daughter would move her legs from the length of the windowsill. Once she didn't, Erik stood up straight and leaned against the wall.

"Then again standing won't be a problem either."

Silence had filled the room as Erik waited for Clorinda to say something, but she never did.

"I guess I'll have to start this conversation. Let me start off by saying that I don't expect you to say anything to me and I won't be mad if you don't. If I were in your position I wouldn't say anything to me neither but like a fool I'll continue. You're not me so you don't understand how it feels to be me. I'm the laugh of the city no matter where I stay and it hurts me deep inside to know that I get no respect from anybody but your mother, that's one reason why I love her. I hate that she loves me and think that she deserves better which is why sometimes my temper gets the best of me."

Clorinda kept her face towards the window and didn't bother turning to face Erik even when she spoke to him.

"I know how if feels. I get made fun of too and yet I don't have a temper."

Erik couldn't believe what he heard her say. She? She of all people got made fun of? This made Erik hate himself even more. He had conceived a child with his beautiful Christine and yet no matter the beauty they both produced she was still getting made fun of.

"Why Clorinda? Why would any one want to make fun of a beautiful little girl such as yourself?"

"Why do you think I only like to hang around with Petri? He's the only one who likes me for who I am. Every time I meet someone new they laugh at me, at my scar. They say I look like a monster. Petri is the only one who says I look like an angel, it hurts my feelings when the other's laugh at me."

"if anyone is the monster its me. You are just as beautiful as your mother Clorinda and curse the first person to say otherwise. I am the one that gets made fun of Clorinda and your mother was the only one to call me handsome."

"Just go away Monsieur Kire, please leave me be. I hate you and the world, especially you for saying those mean things to me."

Erik sighed, and grabbed his staff to walk away when he turned to look at Clorinda one last time.

"I'm not going to say I'm sorry, but I will say that your father isn't ashamed of having you as his daughter. You're the best thing that has ever come into his life and he loves you very much."

As Erik began to walk away, Clorinda wiped her eyes and called for him to come back.

"Wait! Monsieur Kire."

Erik turned to his daughter, and watched her move her legs away from the windowsill to let him sit. Erik accepted her invite and sat down beside her.

"Please tell me about my father. No more lies, I want to hear the truth, please."

"It's not going to change your hatred for me."

"No, but I need to know. All my life I've lived with just a mother that I need to know who he is once and for all. I know that you know and I want you to tell me."

Erik looked down to the floor and then looked back at his daughter.

"He's here in the city and I can arrange for you to finally meet him if that's what you want."

Erik watched as Clorinda's eyes widened in excitement as she nodded.

"Yes Monsieur, more than anything. I want to know who my father is! Please."

"Yes of course, but you must do something for me."

"What?"

"I want you to forgive me."

Clorinda looked at Erik, and then turned away once more.

"No, you're a wicked man Monsieur Kire and what you said to me can never be taken back. But if you're telling the truth as you say you are then once my father is shown to me I will forgive you."

"Tomorrow night, meet me in here and you shall see your father, but you must keep it between you and I."

"Yes, I will."

With that, Erik turned and left. He knew that he had promised himself to never let her know about him being her father, but he had to. She would find out anyway and what better time than the present. Besides once he reveled himself to her it would be a father/daughter secret and Christine would never know. This would be the only way that she would forgive him. All night long as Erik lied in bed, he began to have second thoughts about telling Clorinda that he was her father. If he told her that he was the father everything would be ruined between them and he would no longer be known as Monsieur Kire, but as Father. No he couldn't tell her and he wasn't going to! Early the next morning while Christine was out getting something to eat Erik took out the music box that Christine has given him for Christmas as took out Clorinda's birth certificate. Under Clorinda's name was Christine listed as the mother and Raoul De Changy was listed as the father. He had told Christine to list him as her father so no one would know. The only living proof that existed about him being her father was her scar and the picture of him holding her as an infant. Raoul was dead and gone so what did it matter if he lied about it or not? All the De Changy's were dead and the only one's left were his parents that resided some where in Italy.

That night, Erik snuck out of the room without Christine knowing, and walked to the room where Clorinda would surly be waiting. He hoped that maybe she was still mad at him and decided not to show up but as he entered the room to his surprise she was waiting. He approached her and she gave him a confused look.

"Monsieur Kire, where's my father? You said you were going to bring him."

Erik fingered the birth certificate in his sweaty hands, deciding weather to tell her the truth or to tell her a lie. The truth was not an option, he had to lie and it was now or never.

"The truth…..the truth is that your father is dead. He died a long time ago and this paper proves that he was your father."

Erik handed the birth certificate to Clorinda and she looked down at it.

"What does it say?"

"It says that Christine is your mother and Raoul De Changy is your father."

"De Changy? Like Philippe or Colum?"

"That was their brother. I just wanted you to know the truth and now you know it. Just don't tell your mother that you know."

"I promise, I won't."

"I guess….I guess that you still hate me."

"Yes but I forgive you Monsieur, forgive you for telling me the truth."

Erik squeezed his fists is anger. He hated lying to Clorinda, but it was the best, the best in order for him to take Christine's hand in marriage.

"I need to ask you one last thing Clorinda."

"what?"

"I want to ask for your mother's hand in marriage, would that be alright?"

Clorinda paused for a few moments, and then shook her head.

"No Monsieur Kire, I said that I forgave you for showing me who my father really was. I didn't say that I wanted you in my family and I sure don't want you to be. No, never will I give my consent for you to marry my mother. I still hate you for what you said to me and only forgive you in that sense."

Erik didn't have another word to say and got to his feet. He had heard the words that he was forgiven and he was going to marry Christine with or without her consent. He conceived her and he was going to make sure that Christine was his living wife by the next week and he had the perfect plan on how to do it. The next morning, Christine awoke and noticed that Erik was sitting over at the piano working on his music. She approached him and placed her hands on his shoulder.

"You should be in bed, what on earth are you doing up?"

Erik placed down his quill and looked up at her with a smile.

"Working on our wedding song. She has forgiven me Christine! Clorinda has forgiven me and now a promise is a promise."

Christine looked at him confused.

"She has forgiven you? That quickly? How?"

"I spoke with her for what seemed like hours and told her why I did what I did. She has forgiven me and now we shall wed."

"She has said that she wants you to be in this family?"

"Yes, go ask her yourself if you don't believe me. You do believe me don't you Christine?"

Christine looked at Erik and smiled.

"But of course my love, and yes a promise is a promise I shall be your wife."

Erik immediately kissed her passionately and didn't want to stop the kiss. She was going to be married to him and there was no turning back, a promise was a promise, no matter the lie that he was telling. Christine ran her hand up against his cheek, and smiled at her soon to be husband.

"When should we get married?"

"Tomorrow night, if that's alright with you?"

"No, that will be perfect. I'm going to go let everyone know."

After fluttering out of the room, Erik rose from the piano and through on his cloak.

"And now to take care of the child."

Once out of the room, Erik went looking for Clorinda and found her sitting on the staircase of one of the stairwells looking down at her mother who was telling everyone in the dining room about her soon to be wedding. Erik approached her from behind and took as seat beside her.

"What are they all happy about Monsieur Kire?"

"There is going to be a show tomorrow night."

"Show? We're not in the opera house any longer."

"Oh but tomorrow night on the stage your mother and I are going to be performing the Opera Hannibal's love. I need a favor from you Clorinda."

"What?"

"You must play along no matter what."

"And what do I have to do?"

"Nothing, get dressed up and watch the performance."

"What part is mother going to play?"

"A bride who marries a disfigured man of course. She'll be great but you must play along no matter what."

The last thing Erik saw Clorinda do was look up at him with such confusion.

"But Monsieur Kire if we're not in Paris anymore why are we doing shows?"

"For practice, that's why my dear."

He then heard Clorinda sigh and watched her shrug her shoulders.

"Ok I promise."

Erik smiled in satisfaction and walked away from his daughter knowing that by tomorrow night his final dream would come true. For by night he Erik Kire would finally have Christine with him through sickness and health and till death do they part, even if Clorinda thought it was going to be all for show.

Evil! But hey Much more to come! Please R&R….thanks