Disclaimer: Alas, I do not own it. Hopefully you would have figured that out by now but just to be sure...yeah. ;)

Hey all! This fic is now a year old! That being said, I felt I had to update now...because I'm not sure when I'd get to it tomorrow.

Short chapter but for those of you who have been aching for some EC interaction, here you go; I've been agonizing over it, trying to set it right and not too much or too sappy or all that.

A thousand thank you's to everyone who's reviewed. I never expected this much response (though I confessed that I half wished it) but I'm positively thrilled. Thanks for putting up with me when I get caught in this fictional place called the "real world."

Please, enjoy!

Philippe waved goodbye (shaking his head and rolling his eyes) as he went for the door to the cellar, leaving Erik to see Christine comfortably back. With one strong leap, Erik soared up to her balcony and set Christine on her feet again though she stayed within his arms.

He glanced down at her. "Go and make sure you're not missed, then we need to talk."

She nodded and poked her head out the door to glance down the hallway. Raoul was at his post and stirred when she slowly closed the door.

"Christine?" he called uncertainly.

She grimaced lightly, sorry to have awakened him.

"Yes?" she questioned back in a sleepy voice.

"Is there anything wrong?"

"No, just a bad dream. I'm fine now," she replied certain to interrupt herself with a yawn for added effect.

"Are you sure? I tired to open the door and… Is there anything I can get you?"

She went to the door and met his worried face. "I'm fine, Raoul. Really. You should go get some sleep." He raised a hand to her cheek and followed the line of her cheekbone.

"If you say so," he agreed. "Goodnight Christine."

She watched him wander down the hallway, making certain not only that he didn't just curl up on the hallway rug but also that his door closed behind him.

When Christine turned around, Erik had an odd look on his face.

"Don't look at me like that, Erik. No, I haven't told him anything yet."

Erik's face darkened so subtly that Christine almost missed it.

"Please don't be like that. Raoul and I will have a nice long chat in the morning and work a few things out."

"I see," was all he said.

"I swear I will take care of it."

"Christine, I hate being in this state of uncertainty. Whatever you've decided, I doubt that bothersome little—"

"Erik…" Christine warned.

"—gentleman would appreciate it either, whatever your decision is."

"First off, I appreciate that you're taking Raoul's feelings into account."

Erik raised an eyebrow at the implication, "Perhaps I merely dislike duplicity."

She waved it off, "Even if that's not exactly for those reasons, I appreciate it anyway. And secondly, I have made my decision."

"And?"

She bit her lip and Erik closed his eyes briefly. "You've got to let me say this my way, please?" He nodded, not taking his gaze off of her, one mask of white next to a mask of emotionlessness. She took a deep breath. "I've spent a long time thinking about this and I realized that I've debating about this much longer than these past few days. It's not fair Raoul and it's not fair to you and it's driving me insane. Part of me has been considering leaving and starting over somewhere else, but I wouldn't want to lose two people that I really care about and I don't think you would ever let me up and disappear." She smiled lightly and Erik had to concede her point; even if he didn't seek her out, it would happen. "When I thought you'd died, perhaps it made things simpler for a time but it tore me up inside. But that night…that night back at the opera when I kissed you…" she stopped for a moment, flustered and searching for words while Erik continued to watch. "I've really known for a long time. It just took a while for the rest of me to figure that out. Please don't leave me again, Erik. You may be a vampire but the scary thing is, I don't care. As long as it's you. Just you." She threw her arms around his torso, "My angel," muffled by his clothes.

Erik grasped her shoulders with his hands and held her at arms length. "Christine, are you certain?"

She smiled warmly. "Yes, Erik. I love you."

He stood still for a moment then slid his hands up to cup her face, moving in with a smooth step to kiss her tenderly. She was surprised for a moment before she responded by melting into his embrace.

Suddenly Erik broke away and made for the door.

"What's the matter?" Christine asked, crestfallen.

"Nothing," he replied, walking back over. "I'm locking the door this time. I'm damn tired of being interrupted every time we're together."

Christine chuckled as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "So am I," she whispered against his lips.

"Will you leave with me?" he asked breathily. "Be mine forever and always?"

"Do I have to sing it for you?" she smirked.

She was so maddeningly close, screamed Erik's mind. "Perhaps so. Maybe later," Erik replied before ending the conversation with a full, deep kiss.

Her lips weren't enough; he wanted to taste more of her. He slid his arms down her back and trailed kisses down her jaw and her elegant neck.

Hours, minutes, seconds, neither kept track. Christine tugged at Erik's shirt and ran her hands across the smoothness of his chest and back, frowning in light confusion when she encountered scars but she knew enough of Erik's past to assume and was more than a little distracted as she shuddered against him. Finding his mouth again, Christine took his lower lip, teasingly. Erik sighed heavily and kissed her again, unable to slake his voracious hunger for the taste, the touch, the feel of Christine. He rested his forehead against hers for a moment, trying to regain his breath.

"I love you, Christine. No matter what happens, please remember that."

She smiled fully, reaching her eyes with a delightful glow. Just when it seemed he had regained it, Christine stole his breath away again with another kiss.

He rested his head against the crook of her neck while she ran one hand through his hair and the other roaming contentedly along his back as Erik let out a deep sigh. He jumped slightly as he felt a light pressure at the base of his neck. Grinning, Erik returned Christine's playful nip, just above the pounding pulse beneath her skin. She bit harder and Erik gasped in light surprise, too lost in his emotions to really comprehend; he retaliated. Christine broke skin, so did he.

Christine stumbled back a step, her eyes wide with realization. Erik gazed at her, struck again by how beautiful she was, even in her disheveled appearance…and a small smear of his own blood left on her lips. Swallowing compulsively, he realized he likely reflected the same. He was about to wipe his lips clear of any remnants when Christine came forward again, crashing down and removing any evidence her own way. Erik pulled her deeper, lost in the proverbial set of clouds that closed in whenever Christine was involved.

She drew back after a moment, a minute…something like that. "Erik…I…I feel faint."

Mildly confused, Erik eased her to the bed instructing her to lie back.

"No, it's not like that, Erik," she protested, sitting up again. "There's something else. I…I…" She trailed off, her eyes rolling back in her head. Christine slumped against Erik who instantly yet gently set her head on a pillow, propping her feet up with another folded pillow with hopes to increase circulation to her head. He fanned her, flecked drops of water from a nearby pitcher, called her name, but she didn't stir.

Then realization struck Erik. It was unlikely that she would wake until the morning. The third criteria…complete.

Authoress Rambling: Yep, there you have it. No backing out now, Christine. :) Don't know what else to say. Thanks again to everyone.

As always: love it or hate it, please let me know! (Reviewers will recieve not only an official Erik and Philippe fanclub commerative platefor this speical moment but a box of limited edition Erik and Philippe brand band-aids to cover up those vampire bites with style.)