A/N: Hey, ya'll! I updated a long chapter because it's SAT month and I'll be extremely busy. I'm going to write when I can but I can't guaranty consistent updates. I'll try, though. Anyway, Enjoy! And if you review, then I may just have the inspiration to write more ;-) !

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Chapter Nine

Ding Dong…

It had been three days since Christine's trip to Elements and she was still on a high from the feeling she got when Erik smiled at her. She didn't know why, but he seemed to like her jokes.

Now it was nine, and she had just returned from another blissful lesson with the object of her affection. Tonight, she actually got three inches from his full lips as he tried to fix her posture. She saw that Erik noticed too, because he closed his eyes, swallowed down his nerves, and slowly backed away. It became too much.

Ding Dong…

Christine finally got up off of the couch and stretched before heading toward the door. But she wasn't expecting the person on the other side as she opened it.

"Ralf, what are you doing here?" She knew she sounded rude, but honestly, she didn't care.

"Christine, you have every right to be treating me the way you are. What I did a few days ago was completely irresponsible, rude, and caddy." Ralf inwardly smile at the look of shock on her face. "I just came by to apologize for my unacceptable behavior and beg your forgiveness."

"Wow, Ralf, I don't know what to say." She paused for a second collecting her thoughts and continued, "Well it makes me happy to know you're really apologizing and I know that takes a lot of maturity." She waited a few more seconds before saying, "I accept your apology but it doesn't mean I trust you."

"Oh, Christine! Thank you so much! I feel just horrible for what I did, cornering you like that." She couldn't help but hear the sincerity in his voice and see the honesty in his eyes. But Christine hadn't been one to read teenage boys well.

"Maybe you'll let me make it up to you. How 'bout dinner? I hear a new burger joint just opened…"

"Ralf…" Christine interrupted.

"Right, right. Too soon for dinner. Maybe some other time then."

"Maybe," was her uncertain reply.

"Well I better get going; football practice starts in the morning. Thanks again, Christine. You really are awesome!"

"Thanks, Ralf. See you," she countered back.

When she saw him finally leave the driveway in his guzzling Hummer, she turned back into her house to think about what a weird conversation with Ralf she just had. What Christine had failed to see in that whole occurrence was the pair of glowing gold eyes hiding in the bushes…

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Erik didn't mean to eavesdrop, he really didn't. He had just come over to return her sweater. You mean the same sweater you hid from her for this very purpose? Yes, the same

He was halfway across his lawn when he saw that bloody, yellow Hummer zooming toward Christine's house. Before Ralf's headlights could catch him, Erik had dived into her bushes and watched the whole confrontation. However, unlike Christine, Erik had known the workings of a teenage boy like Ralf. He was trying to get on her good side; trying to attack his prey from another angle. Touché, fop.

What shocked him the most was Christine's forgiveness. You are too nice for your own good, love. Obviously, Ralf was a good actor and Erik was going to have to work twice as hard to keep Christine to himself.

Well, as long as he was there, Erik figured he could just go on and return the damned sweater already.

Ding dong…

Who is that now? Christine thought. If it's another salesman, I swear I'll scream!

She was pleasantly surprised, however, when she opened the door.

"Erik," she breathed with a look of aw on her face, "what brings you here?"

"You forgot your sweater," he replied thrusting the object out to her.

"Oh, thanks, Erik. I knew I forgot something." When she took it, silence engulfed them. But before she could pick up a conversation, someone else's voice broke the moment.

"ERIK! How are you, man?" They both jumped to look seeing Mr. Darly appear at the doorway.

"Oh, hello, George. I'm fine, thanks. And you?"

"I'm not going to lie to you, Erik, I'm a little nervous lately." Of course George looked anything but nervous as he told his witty joke.

"Why's that, sir?"

"Well as you may know, my baby girl turns eighteen next week!" For some reason, the mention of Christine's age made Erik's heart flutter. "I don't know what I'll do with myself! It seems like yesterday when she was potty training."
"Thanks for the picture, dad," Christine groaned dreadfully. Erik couldn't help but laugh at the mental image of her as a toddler running around the house in triumph.

"I'm holding a dinner for my baby the day of the big event. Just some friends and family. I would be honored if you'd join us, Erik." At the invitation, both Erik and Christine's heads shot up to look at George.

"I'd love to," Erik squeaked. This was the second time he'd been invited to a party with the Darlys and he already felt apart of something he couldn't put his finger on.

To say Christine was shocked would be an understatement. First off, she was having a party? Of course, it wouldn't be the kind for her age, but her family over? And secondly, Erik was invited! Her father only invited those close to them. What did that mean? Did her dad like Erik that much? Would he approve of her feelings for Erik? Next week, she'd be legal, but that didn't mean Erik would ask her out either.

A thousand thoughts were racing through her head as Erik and her dad made small talk.

"So, Christine, what would you like for your birthday?" Erik asked casually.

You, she thought.

"Oh, you don't need to get me anything," Christine said aloud.

"No, seriously, I want to get you something for such a significant birthday," he retorted.

"Anything you would get me would be more than I could ask for." She immediately blushed at her reply.

"That was a… polite way of putting it, sweetheart." George looked strangely at his daughter. He knew she was polite but this was weird to him.

After a moment of awkward silence, Erik decided to depart from this irregular evening.

"Well, I must be heading off. A new project, you see. Supposedly a celebrity is looking to build a mansion in the neighborhood." Erik smiled at the reaction he got out of the movie-crazed teen.

"WHO?! Please tell me!"

"I'm afraid I'd have to kill you, no one wants that. Especially right before your entrance into adulthood." His heart did that fluttering again at the mention of Christine's birthday.

"That could be your present! Telling me who the celebrity is!" As her eyes filled with hope and excitement, Erik smiled to himself.

"No, your present will be much better than that." Erik then turned to start walking off the porch. "Well, like I said, I best be going, but good to see you guys!"

"You won't get away that easy, Erik Desmond! I know where you live!" Strangely, Erik enjoyed the threat.

"Good luck with the pursuit," he said to Christine. "Goodbye, George!" With a wave to both of them, he was off to his house.

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She'd been awake in her bed for eternity. Christine looked over at her clock and saw that it read 3:00 am. Dear Lord, she seriously wanted to know who the celebrity was! Curiosity tore at her insides making it impossible to find any peace whatsoever. Stupid Erik with his stupid secrets.

"That's it!" Christine shouted to herself as she threw the covers back and pulled a black sweatshirt over her tank top. Then, she ran down to her kitchen to find a flashlight.

Christine was going to break and enter.

The neighborhood was a nice, quiet place where people didn't have to lock their doors or use alarm systems, so she knew she could break into Erik's house unnoticed. That is, if he was asleep…

She quietly snuck out the back door, jumped her fence, and treaded to Erik's back door. Holding her breath, she turned his knob, thankful that it was open. Then, she walked in and found herself standing in the kitchen.

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"Would you bloody quit it?!" Erik finally found peaceful sleep after watching Christine get ready for bed. He still got the feeling like she knew he was watching, but he really didn't care anymore.

Getting back to the present, Caesar had rudely woken him up with hard nudges in the side and slobbery kisses all over his face.

"Fine, I'm up. What do you want?" He then looked at the creature expectantly. Caesar made sure he had eye contact with his master and then looked toward the hallway as to say 'get up, you silly man, and follow me.' Erik threw his feet over the bed and stood as a sign of acceptance. He neither bothered with a shirt or his mask as he followed the trotting dog out of the bedroom.

Caesar led Erik to the open door of his music room, and then that's when he understood. Someone was in his house. But why didn't Caesar just attack the intruder himself? Maybe it wasn't a threat.

Even so, Erik grabbed an umbrella and slid into the vast room. He saw the intruder rummaging quietly around his desk trying to get his briefcase open.

"Damn!" cried the intruder when they realized the object had a combination.

Erik's stomach tightened at the sound of the voice; it was impossible not to recognize. Christine's voice was so precious to him, even a curse on her lips sounded like a message from Heaven.

Instead of revealing himself to her, Erik decided to have some fun.

As stealthily as he could, he crept up next to Christine out of her peripheral vision. Surprisingly enough, he got within a foot of her without her noticing. He then made his move.

"AHHHHH!!!!" Christine screamed after she was grabbed roughly into a hard body. Her mouth was covered by her attacker's hand and he held onto her tighter. She felt the familiar body against her and calmed down knowing it was only Erik.

"What are you doing in my office at 3 in the morning, Christine?" he whispered huskily into her ear while shivers traveled down her spine.

Finding it impossible to talk with his strong hand over her mouth, she lick his hand for freedom like she used to do with her friends, but Erik only growled at the feeling. Dear Lord, in Heaven! Do it again! Then, she tried kissing the rough palm, causing him to shake with delight. SHE KISSED MY HAND! God, I need her!

Quickly, he spun her to face him with both hands on her shoulders, no longer on her sweet, tempting mouth. But she wasn't looking at him the way he expected. She looked wide-eyed, shocked, and curious all at once.

"Erik," she whispered in agony. Her hand slowly crept from his chest, passed his neck, to his mangle face.

Oh, please don't let this happen again!

Realizing his face was bare, Erik violently turned from her and retreated a few feet away. The room was dark, but the moon lit the room so that Christine could she his cowering figure.

"Erik, please look at me," she begged. "Erik, I want to see you." She walked forward and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind him.

"Get away from me! I'm hideous!" He pulled away from her protective embrace.

"Erik…"

"No! Leave me, now! Get out of my house, you insolent girl!"

"I'm not Victoria, Erik!

He froze.

"Yeah, you heard that didn't you?" Now she was angry. "Erik, you don't scare me. I'm not going to run like so many others did. You're beautiful to me."

Did she just call me beautiful?

Her confession shocked both of them as they both stood silently, his back still turned toward her.

"You can believe me or not, but it's how I feel. I don't care what your face looks like, you're still you."

She walked to stand in front of Erik while his head bent down.

"Just know that I'm not shallow, and I know a beautiful person when I see them." Christine then raised herself on her toes, grabbed is mass of hair, and kissed his marred cheek. Nothing compared to the freefalling experience of her touch. It was torture as much as pleasure to feel her lips on his skin.

"I'm not everyone else," she whispered in his ear before she turned to go. Erik felt the world's weight on his shoulders, drugged by her words. He wept at the force.

Through his tears, Erik watched her pat Caesar's head before she left his music room. Her departure, though, didn't kill him.

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The next morning, Erik woke up to the rising sun shining through his windows. He turned his head and looked toward Christine's bedroom. The bed was made and her room was spotless. He searched the whole house with his eyes and caught no sign of her. His conclusion was that she had left without him. No carpool today.

After he flew through his morning routine, he finally reached his car and forced himself in. Before he could start the car, though, he saw a note on his windshield. Once he got it from the outside, he carefully read the note.

(A/N: Italics is Christine and Bold Italics is Erik's thoughts)

Dear Erik,

I'm sorry about leaving without you, but I felt you needed time to think things over. I'm also sorry for breaking into your house. Curiosity got the best of me and I really wanted to know who the celebrity was. Again, I'm sorry, it was foolish of me.

So that's what you were doing…

But I really want you to think about what I said, because I'm not afraid and I'm not disgusted. You really are beautiful to me and I pray that you see it.

The only time I'll ever believe it is if your around.

Anyway, I guess the next time I'll see you is at my 'party'. I hope you're not bored with everyone there. I'll make sure you're sitting next to me. Okay, knowing you, you're probably late for work, so put my letter down and GO, MAN, GO!

You know me too well.

Love,

Christine and no one else

For the rest of the day, all he thought of was her letter.

"For God's sake, Erik, pay attention!" He was quickly woken from his daydream by the sharp whisper and nudge of Edna.

While Erik was slaving over birthday ideas for Christine, he completely forgot that he was currently in the middle of a meeting.

"What do you think, Erik?" asked Vicky.

"Hmmm?" he replied.

"What do you think about the mansion?" she asked again.

"Well, I could care less. If they want a mansion give them a mansion. Just let me meet with the builders next week and I'll see what I can do." Erik leaned forward and rubbed his eyes from the lack of sleep the night before.

"Are you sure you're capable? Because if you're not comfortable meeting people, then I'm more than willing to take on the project."

With that discriminating comment, every tiny pinch of self-confidence Christine had given him was smashed to pieces like a broken glass; it was going to hurt someone.

"Miss Edgerton," he began with a sneer, "if you so much as insult my capability, I will make you wish you had never gone into the architecture business."

"Is that a threat, Mr. Desmond?" challenged Vicky.

"Yes, and you best take head to it before you get yourself into trouble." His retort made her blood turn cold with raw, sharp fear.

"Ummm, I believe we've accomplished something here today," began Rick.

"Yes, let's call it quits. I think we've all had a long day," aided Megan.

"But I want to see the cat fight," whispered Jon to Edna. He was then slapped on the wrist.

"Fine, I'll see you all tomorrow," Erik announced. Turning to leave, he tried to get out of the conference room as quickly as possible.

"Erik! Wait up!" He caught sight of Rick running behind him as he enter his safe office.

"Yes, what is it," he said while trying to pack up.

"You looked distracted today. Anything wrong?" Rick made himself comfortable in one of Erik's chairs.

"It's none of your business," he snapped back.

"Of course it is, I'm your friend."

"It's Christine's birthday tomorrow and I don't know what to get her." Confessing actually eased the pressure.

"Well, get her something personal and homemade. Girls love that crap."

Has the whole world gone mad?

"You're helping me?" Erik looked astonished.

"What?"

"You're helping me please a girl you don't approve of and I'm baffled as to why."

"Well, you helped me with my proposal to Megan so it's the least I could do. Plus, you seem really happy with this girl. As long as you're happy, I'm happy." Erik still eyed him expecting his nose to grow a foot long, but nothing happened.

"Alright." He said. "Thanks, Rick."

"No problem, Erik! Now, what shall we get this lovely young lady?"

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"No, no, no. You simply can't put silk and velvet together! It looks disastrous in that color!"

Out of all the art classes she took that summer, fashion design was Christine's least favorite. She had absolutely no talent with the art. Sure she was a girl and she loved clothes, but actually designing and sewing her own was a huge mistake. Apparently her style repulsed the rest of the class. She was just going to stick to painting and photography.

While she stood in front of the tortured mannequin, Christine thought about the letter she had left Erik. What was I thinking? Didn't she know the letter was something that only seemed romantic when, in reality, it was a desperate attempt for affection? He must think I'm some kind of exuberant flirt!

"OUCH!" yelled her model as she accidentally poked a pin in her side.

"Sorry," Christine replied in a monotone voice; she was still lost in thought.

How would he react when he saw her? Honestly, the letter was just an excuse not to see him. For all she knew, her speech the night before could have been taken as a melodramatic fantasy. Did he think she was some sort of delusional, obsessed teen? And she snuck into his house! Maybe he was at the police station right now reporting her crime. I'm dead.

But then again, he could return her feelings and be slaving over them at this very moment. Of course he isn't

Little did she know…

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Erik was about to burst. For the past two hours, Rick and Megan had been over at his house trying to help him find the perfect gift for Christine. They had come up with a few good ideas, but this wasn't the reason Erik was in physical pain with anticipation. He had to tell someone. For once, a human being had looked upon his face with adoration and he had held it in all day long.

Finally, he just couldn't hold it in for another second.

"She saw me!"

"Come again?" Megan asked.

"Christine saw me." Erik buried his face in his hands and laid his elbows on the kitchen counter.

"Well, it's kind of inevitable. I mean ya'll are neighbors," Rick stated in a sarcastic tone.

"No, you git, I mean she saw all of me," he said while bringing his face up.

"Erik! You should really close your blinds when you change!" Megan chuckled.

"Are you both bloody insane?! For the last time, Christine saw my face… without the mask."

Silence.

"What happened, Sweetie?" asked Megan in a motherly tone taking his hand.

While Erik told his story, he realized how comical the whole situation was; Christine actually broke into his house to see who his celebrity client was. Rick laughed and shook his head when Erik explained that Caesar actually woke him up and led him to Christine.

But then Erik told them his mistake of leaving his mask on his bedside table and the look on her face that reminded him. He remembered her looking at him in surprise, but never fear. She was too brave for that.

The fact that she never screamed shocked them all. Rick remembered when he first saw Erik…

"Come on, it can't be that bad," whined Rick.

"Don't push me," growled Erik.

"It's like a battle wound, you should be showing it off. Girls like that tough guy stuff."

"Trust me, women are repulsed by me."

"Well, I'll never believe you unless you show me."

"Fine, you want to see me? Here you go!" With his final outburst, Erik threw off his mask and pointed his face toward Rick's.

Rick could only look for a second before running to the trashcan and spilling out his stomach.

"Don't make me do this again!" Erik yelled before putting his second skin back into place.

"I'm really sorry, Erik. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"You're forgiven, just don't ask me to do that again," he sighed. "Now you know."

Rick shivered at the memory.

"How didn't she scream?" he asked.

"I don't know but I'm thankful she didn't," Erik replied.

"Maybe she's the one," Megan peeped.

"The what?" Erik asked.

"You know, the one. Your soul mate; the woman you're destined to be with." She couldn't help but smile at the thought.

"God wouldn't give me someone like her let alone anyone at all." Erik's head sagged in depression.

"You don't know His plan, Erik, none of us do. Maybe He's paying you back for all the torment you had to go through," she argued.

"Yeah, if anyone deserves someone like Christine, it's you Bud." Rick reached forward to pat Erik on the back.

He finally felt free of the burden of his secret, but now he felt himself struggling with Christine's present.

Changing the subject, Erik said, "Well anyway, thanks you guys, but I still need help with the perfect present."

"Alright let's get to it," cheered Megan.

This was going to be one strange party.

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A/N: Hope ya'll like it! My inspiration is in your reviews, and I take criticism and suggestions.

Christine: Oh! What are you getting me?!

Erik: Patient, Love, you'll find out soon.

Christine: But I want to know now!

Erik: Wow, if I knew you would be this winy, I wouldn't have fallen in love with you. Anyone else want to be my lover? If you love me, please review!