Erik sat in the library, where he had been since the disaster. Why did she have to be so damn curious? Could she not simply accept the fact that she loved him even a little while he loved her more than life itself? He had not meant to be so cruel with her, but he meant what he said about no one else having her.

Erik's fingers slammed on the keys as he realized that his mask was missing. It laid in his beloved's hands. The cruel face of fate sneering at him. He stood up, throwing Christine to the floor.

"DAMN YOU. HAVE I NOT GIVEN YOU EVERYTHING? AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME! WHAT I WOULD DO IF YOU WOULD LOVE GIVE ME YOUR LOVE. BUT NO! YOU HAD SEE THE MONSTER THAT LURKED BEHIND THE MASK. DAMN YOU."

Christine turned her head not wanting to see his angry eyes. She had not yet made a peep and doubted that Erik would let her get word in his fit of rage. Erik grabbed Christine's wrists and began shaking her. "DON'T LOOK AWAY FROM ERIK, CHRISTINE. YOU WANTED TO SEE SO BADLY. HAD TO SATISFY YOUR DAMN CURIOSITY."

Christine was too terrified to argue with Erik, but at the same time she was too angry with him to comply with his wishes. How dare he assume anything about her?! It was his own fault that he had let her get caught up in his music. She was pretty sure that he had done it on purpose another one of his traps to make his reasons for controlling her seem logical.

"DAMMIT, CHRISTINE. I SAID LOOK AT ME." Erik grabbed Christine's chin and forced her look at him. Her eyes never closing a moment. "ARE YOU SATISFIED NOW? IS THIS WHAT YOU WERE WAITING ON TO KNOW YOUR ANSWER? WELL, YOU HAVE GIVEN IT TO ME NOW. YOU WILL BE MINE, AND NO ONE ELSE'S. YOU HAVE SEALED YOUR FATE TO ME NOW AND FOREVER." He threw her back on the floor. He marched over to his liquor cabinet and poured himself several glasses of brandy. He tried to keep his voice from becoming shaky as the tears trickled down his face. "Go back to your room, Christine."

He was working on his fifth glass. The room was starting to tilt, and the thoughts that he

had managed to avoid whenever he thought of Christine were slowly seeping back into his brain. No, Christine would not leave him. He would make sure of it. Even if it meant getting rid of old acquaintances, he would make sure she stayed with him. If she ever left him again, blood would fill the streets until she was safely returned to him. No one would stand in the way of their happiness.

CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

Christine sat in her room, puzzling over what to do about Erik. She had not seen him nor been let out of her room for three days. She had basically done nothing but sleep. When she awoke, her meals were already laid out for her. She was unsure how long Erik was going to let this punishment go for or if he ever intended to speak with her again. She wished he would at least unlock the door.

The roses that filled the room had to have carried some sort of meaning. Christine could just not figure out what. When she was greeted by this sight of them this morning, she thought surely it was Erik's way of saying he was sorry. Then, she saw the black ribbon on each one of them. She feared that was Erik telling her she was in for a worse fate than being locked in her room.

Sarah came in carrying lunch. She sat it down on the table and took a seat upon Christine's bed. As much as Christine wanted company, she ignored Sarah. Sarah only came up to Christine's room when it was to plead for Christine to do something that would please the master and get him to leave the staff alone.

"Christine, Master Erik is terribly sorry for losing his temper the other night. He understands if you are still upset over it. Please, go eat dinner with him and tell him you forgive him."

"Erik's not sorry." Christine refused to look up from the book she was reading. She was quite sick of Sarah coming to apologize for Erik whenever he lost his temper.

"But he is, mistress. He hasn't slept or ate since then. He is so afraid you hate him now. Please go forgive him." Sarah began wringing her hands. The master had only left the library to go on his nightly visit to Christine while she slept, but Sarah knew it would only be a matter of time before his dark mood descended upon the rest of the household. Sarah had enough experience with Erik to know he would only come out of it when he knew Christine did not hate him.

"When Erik is truly sorry, he'll come tell me himself. He'll quit acting like a little kid sending his mother bail him out. Sarah, Erik doesn't listen to me or anyone else for that matter. When he's ready to come talk to me, then I'll know he's sorry. Not before."

ECECECECECEECECECECECECECECECECECECECECECECECECECECECECECECEE

Erik sat down on Christine's bed and watched her sleep. He hadn't been able to bring himself to be with her any other time than when she was sleeping lately. He was so afraid of her rejecting him for the way that he had treated her. She couldn't reject what she didn't know was there. But if what Sarah said was true, it was time for the two of them to talk.

Christine shifted and a curl fell down in her face. Erik's hand moved it back behind her ear. "Christine. Wake up, Christine." Erik almost hoped that she wouldn't wake up. That she wouldn't scream at him to leave her room. What angel would want to be in the presence of a monster? Especially, once said angel had seen the monster's true face. To Erik's disappointment and joy, he noticed Christine waking up.

"You're cheating."

"How so mademoiselle?"

"You purposely waited to come talk until I was asleep."

"I am sorry. We shall talk at breakfast then. Goodnight." Erik kissed her forehead and disappeared out of the room.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

A/N: Sorry for the disappointment that this chapter has turned out to be. Any ideas on what to do with Meg and Nadir?