Christine's POV

Leaving Erik was the biggest mistake of my life. I had waken in his embrace, ready to surrender my love to him. But from outside, I heard people talking, strange voices of men. Curious, I rose while Erik slept, walking to the window to have a look. There were guards searching the city, Raoul's guards! I knew for Erik's own safety, I had to leave him. So, that's exactly what I did. I dressed as quickly as possible and fled out the door before he could wake. I surrendered myself to Raoul's guards, going quietly in hopes that all search for Erik would be called off.

I returned to Raoul, hoping our relationship would mend itself. Though, it didn't and everyday, Raoul battered me into explaining everything to him. I didn't and went on living with him as if nothing had happened between Erik and I. But, when I began getting morning sickness, I knew in my mind that what Erik and I shared had created a life! I was pregnant with his child…It was 100 percent his offspring, for I had yet to lay with Raoul. I came clean, explaining everything to Raoul in hopes of having him accept me, only he didn't. He beat me and threatened to abort my monstrous seed and so I left him. Having this child meant more to me than anything and by sticking around Raoul, I knew this wouldn't become a reality. After weeks at sea, I expected to dock and search for Erik, to beg him for forgiveness. Only when I arrived, Meg told me that Erik was dead.

I didn't want to believe it, but what other choice did I have? But now, here I was, with him at last again. He had come so far with caring for himself. Not only was he living on his own, but he was taking care of simple household chores, cooking and even dressing himself. And tonight, he and I were going to dinner. It was the least I could do for him after the offer he had just laid out for me. Live with him… that's what he wanted. I would have said yes, but I needed to explain everything to Madame Giry first. She had taken me in when I arrived a few months prior, helped me through the remainder of my pregnancy and through Gustave's birth. To just tell her flat out that I was leaving would not only be rude, but also make it seem as if I was using her for shelter and nothing more.

Erik and I walked arm in arm to the nearest Coney Island restaurant to enjoy a meal. I noticed that since it was dark out that Erik was having a hard time walking, but I never left his side, escorting him into the small diner. There were plenty of restaurants on Coney Island that I could have taken him to, but I wanted our first night together to be quiet and private from crowds. The waitress escorted us to a back booth where there were gas lamps burning bright on the wall. Erik immediately shielded his eyes and groaned making it obvious that the lights were too bright for him.

"Could I please have the lights dimmed?" I asked the waitress as I helped Erik sit. "Brightness bothers my friend's eyes."

"Of course." she replied before reaching over to dim the lamps. After placing a few menus on the table, she left us alone.

"Are you all right, Erik?"

Erik rubbed his eyes and nodded.

"Yes, thank you for dimming the lights."

"Well, I wouldn't have sat here with you in pain."

"It was wrong of me to agree to come out." he said, his blue orbs still as unfocused as the day I left him. "I'm being a burden to you."

"Erik, please don't say such a thing."

I placed my hand over his own, lightly squeezing it as I lifted my menu.

"I wanted to bring you to dinner." I opened my menu, and began to look at the choices. "I'll read the selections to you, Erik, if you'd like?"

"No, I'd rather not sit here and be treated like a blind man."

"Erik-"

I paused when I noticed he had tears in his eyes. I knew being blind was a struggle for him everyday, but he was alive and that's what mattered. To make him feel better, I rose from my seat and sat beside him, placing my hand on his thigh.

"Wh…What are you doing?"

I took his hand and clasped it around the end of the menu so it looked like he was holding it. I then leaned my head against his shoulder and began to softly read the choices to him.

"Why do you want to be in my company, Christine? The company of a stupid blind man."

"Erik, you're not stupid." I caressed his cheek. "You've come so far. Most people would have just given up, but you didn't, you taught yourself how to do everything you normally do. You're a smart man, Erik, a genius no doubt."

When the waitress returned, she placed two glasses of water down on the table. Though, she had no idea that Erik was blind and placed his right beside his arm. Moments later, the sound of my voice telling the waitress what I wanted grabbed his attention, causing his arm to shift and knock over the glass. The water spilled into his lap and across the table, causing us all to gasp.

"Monsieur," the waitress began in a teasing tone. "You knocked over that glass as if you didn't see it sitting there… like a blind man."

I knew the waitress meant no harm, but Erik thought otherwise. She was sopping up the spilled water with a towel in front of Erik, when his hand shot out and grabbed her by the wrist.

"You think my affliction is something to joke about, Madame?"

"Erik!" I quickly reached across the table and freed the waitress's wrist. "She didn't know."

The waitress took a few steps back in shock over what Erik had done. Instead of letting her continue to wipe up, I grabbed the towel and finished.

"I'll do it." I said. "Just bring us our orders when they're ready."

She nervously nodded, before hurrying away from our table like a frightened child.

"Erik, she didn't know." I said upon wiping up the remaining liquid.

When I dared to look up at him, there were tears streaming down his cheeks, his bottom lip quivering as if he were trying to hold back.

"Erik?"

But he didn't say a word, only rose to his feet and began stumbling down the isle to make it to the door. I sighed and placed the soaked towel aside before getting up to follow him. I didn't have to go far, for he was standing right outside the dinner.

"Erik, you're going to catch your death out here." I approached him, only to notice that he was still crying.

When he didn't answer me, I stood in front of him to button up his jacket, but his hands clasped around my own.

"Don't! Just leave me be, Christine. I'm an embarrassment."

"So what, Erik? You spilled a glass of water. It happens."

The wind was gusting, only causing me to shiver as I stood there with Erik.

"That's not the point, Christine! I've screwed everything up so far. I can't be trusted with Gustave, nor can I come out with you and enjoy a meal without looking like a complete fool!"

"I don't care what others think, Erik. You're my angel of music and nothing will ever change that. Yes, you make mistakes, but who doesn't? I made plenty of mistakes when you were teaching me how to sing, but you always told me to try again. Well, I'm telling you to do that now, Erik."

There was a few moments of silence, before Erik finally turned to me and said the words I had been waiting for.

"It's cold out here, Christine, let's get back inside where it's warm."

I helped him sit back down, and to make him feel more comfortable, I sat beside him.

"If you'd like, Erik, I'll bring Gustave over tomorrow. We could have lunch together?"

"That sounds all right, Christine."

When our food arrived, Erik gently grasped the waitress's hand, causing her to gasp as if he were going to hurt her.

"Madame, I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier."

I smiled at Erik's apology. The only person he ever apologized to was me.

"It's all right, monsieur. I accept your apology."

When the waitress left, I placed my hand over his own.

"I'm proud of you, Erik."

"Thank you, Christine."

To help him, I placed Erik's fork into his hand and guided him to his plate.

"Here, Erik."

"Thank you, Christine."

For the first time in a long time, we enjoyed one another's company. He and I held a small conversation while we ate out meal. It hurt me deep inside to know that he worked in a freak show showing off his face to a paying crowd. What hurt even worse was the fact that he went around saying that it was all he was good for. My angel was so much better than that. Before he went blind, he built opera houses, created beautiful music even taught me how to sing. Without his lessons, I wouldn't be where I'm at today.

"How's your chicken?" I asked a while later.

"Can I let you in on a little secret?" he asked.

I giggled. "Of course."

He leaned in real close to my ear and whispered ever so softly into it.

"Yours is better."

I smiled, oh, how I smiled. Even after all these months, Erik still remembers my cooking.

"Really now?"

"Yes, Christine."

"Well, I shall have to make you that meal again very soon."

When I looked up at him, there was a small smile forming at the corner of his mouth. Once our meal was finished, I reached into my purse to pull out the money for our check, but Erik grabbed my hand.

"No, Christine."

No? What was he talking about? I had offered to take him to dinner, and here he was trying to pay for it.

"Erik, I'm the one who took you to dinner."

"And you need your money." he finished, reaching into his jacket for his wallet. "Gustave needs clothes and diapers."

"Erik-"

"Keep arguing with me and I just might have to keep taking you to dinner." he opened his wallet, feeling around for the check. "Now, how much is it?"

"Five dollars."

Erik took out a huge wad of money, counting what looked to be like a wad of singles. After counting out five dollars, he placed it with the check beneath an empty glass.

"Ready?"

"Singles, Erik?" I asked.

"It's the only way I can know the amount of money I have, Christine."

As we stood up, I turned to help him button up his jacket, only to notice that he had some sauce smeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Erik, you have something on your lips."

From the table, I took a napkin and wet it with my saliva before rubbing it at the corner of his mouth.

"Did you get it all?"

"Yes."

After placing the napkin down, I interlaced my arm with his own. Once outside, I stayed close to Erik's body as we walked back to the house. The snow was beginning to fall again, causing my jacket to become soaked.

"Is it snowing again?" he asked.

"Yes," I replied, looking towards the sky.

"Better stay close." Erik said, pulling me closer to him.

When we arrived back at the house, Erik felt around with his hand until he reached the doorknob, unlocking the door with a skeleton key.

"You will come in, won't you?" he asked. "You're soaking wet."

"Erik, it's getting late." I didn't want to continue this evening. We had just became friends again and I didn't want to move to fast. "Gustave is probably waiting for me."

"Christine, you'll catch your death if you go home as wet as you are."

He was right. I had a son to take care of. The last thing I needed was to become ill. I decided to go inside just long enough to dry.

"All right."

Once inside, I turned on the lights and took off my wet jacket. A few seconds later, Erik held out his arm to take my wet garment, and placed it over the heater with his own. Even though my jacket was off, I was still a little wet and very cold.

"I may not be able to see you shivering, Christine, but I can hear you."

Erik extended his arms out towards the couch, feeling around until he found the folded blanket laying on top of it.

"Here, Christine."

He unwrapped the blanket, and placed it over my shoulders.

"There you are."

"Thank you, Erik."

When I turned to face him, I couldn't help but notice that Erik was shivering as well.

"Erik," I ran my fingers up his shirt as I draped the blanket around us both. "I had a wonderful night."

"Yes, me too."

"I promise to think about your offer, Erik."

And then, I brushed my fingers gently under his eyes. The redness has cleared up leaving his blue orbs flawlessly beautiful again. Oh, how I loved his eyes. He stood there, caressing my hand against his cheek like old times, as if nothing had ever come between us. I could have stayed just like this all night, but the grandfather clock in the hall began to strike the hour, Erik counting each chime with the softest tone of voice. It was obvious that the reason he had the clock was so that he could know the time without having to actually see it. The final chime ended at eleven, an hour way too late to be out with a child at home. I knew any minute now, he would be up crying for a bottle.

"I'd love to stay longer, Erik, but I must be getting home."

Erik recoiled his hand and nodded, making his way back to the heater to fetch my jacket.

"You're right." he began, feeling around the top of the heater for my garment. "It was foolish to have asked you in, what with Gustave waiting for you at home."

"Erik, it was very kind of you."

"Well, your jacket is dry."

I outstretched my arms, and he placed it over my shoulders.

"I'll be back tomorrow afternoon."

"You're sure you'll be all right walking home?"

"Yes, I'm quite sure."

"Let me walk you to the door."

Erik once again interlaced his arm with my own, assisting me to the front door.

"Thanks again, Erik."

And then I embraced him. He gasped at first, before wrapping his arms around me as well.

"You're welcome, Christine." Erik opened the door to let me out. "Goodnight."

After leaving, I hurried home to get out of the snow. The air had grown crisp and the high winds weren't helping the situation one bit. By the time I made it back to Madame Giry's, my hair was full of snowflakes and my jacket soaked again. To my surprise, Madame Giry was still up, sitting in the kitchen dressed in her black robe.

"I was wondering when you were going to be back?" she taunted, sipping from a steaming cup that was placed beside her.

"Yes, well Erik invited me in after we arrived back from dinner."

"Dinner?" she laughed this time, and not because she found it funny…No, she was teasing him. "Did he stumble his way into town?"

From the tea kettle that was on the stove, I poured some steaming water into a cup, trying to keep myself occupied and far away from where ever Madame Giry was attempting to take this conversation.

"Is Gustave asleep?"

"Yes, he's been asleep for a few hours now. Though, I find it still highly amusing that he was born completely flawless. Are you sure he's Erik's child?"

"Yes, I'm one hundred percent sure."

I slammed my cup down on the counter and turned to face the old woman.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, Christine." she waved her finger at me like a child who had done something wrong. "Sleeping with the likes of him."

"Madame, please…"

"What could he possibly offer you? Tell me that! You could have been married to Raoul and spending the rest of your-"

"Maybe Raoul isn't what I want anymore!" I snapped. "Perhaps he was never what I wanted!"

"Don't play dumb with me, Christine. It's quite obvious that you pity that poor animal of yours."

"Don't talk about him that way! He's the father of my child. You're the one who brought him to the opera house in the first place."

"Right, and it is he who has taken up most of my time, using me as his messenger day in and day out. Always taking me away from more important things. When my husband, Jules was on his death bed, your angel of music was keeping me occupied and away from my ailing husband. What makes me angrier is the fact that I saved him, and he chose you to teach instead of Meg!"

Jealousy. That's all Madame Giry felt towards Erik. That's why she was treating him like this, that's why she wanted nothing to do with him.

"You're wrong about Erik, Madame. He has a job, a home, and he's doing so well on his own. He wants to be in Gustave's life…he wants to be there for us."

"He's using you, Christine! He doesn't love, nor does he know how to. He's using you for help with getting around and nothing more! If he had his eye sight he'd blow you off within a fast second. If he could see, he'd be building opera houses and running an amusement park! He wouldn't need your pity!"

Madame Giry was wrong. Erik loved me, and well, I knew I had feelings for him too.

"Hell, if it wasn't for me taking you in, you'd be on the streets with your little bastard wrapped in newspaper."

That was the final straw! I wouldn't stand to be around someone who dared to talk about my child that way, especially because it was Erik's!

"I don't need your help any longer!" I yelled, throwing my cup into the sink and marching towards the stairs. "Erik has offered for me to come live with him, and that's exactly what I'm going to do!"

"Do you really think that's smart? He wants a maid to clean up after him! Do you think he cared about you?"

"Yes, Madame."

"And how do you know this?" the woman grabbed my arm, pulling me off the first step.

"Because when I look in his eyes, I can see the truth, and the truth is that he does care for me."

"What? Those unfocussed eyes? They don't focus on anything, Christine and they sure as hell aren't focusing on you!"

I yanked my arm out of Madame Giry's grasp.

"I'll be gone in a few day's time, Madame. I'll prove you wrong."

And as I stomped up the stairs, I heard Madame Giry's final argument.

"And I'll prove you wrong! You'll be back and begging me for forgiveness!"

Dun Dun Dun! Please review! Sorry I haven't been updating this one too often. Juggling between two stories is harder than I first thought. Thanks again everyone!