Two days early for you! Only because I have a heck of week coming up and know writing time will be sparse... So here is the next chapter for you lovely people. Thank you for the reviews guys, and to E.M.K.81, we can only wait and see! I really appreciate your thoughts. Please continue to leave them, it means a lot.

**Please be warned, there is some strong language in this chapter**. As usual, all rights go to Gaston Leroux etc and I do not own some of the characters, only a mere handful are mine.

And so, without further ado, the third chapter.

~oOo~

Gustave Day was a judicious man. He did things by the book, followed the rules but not necessarily when it came to making friends. This was clear when he regularly left his twelve-year-old daughter in the care of his oldest friend, his brother in arms. A man notorious for his crimes in the underworld, for the blood on his hands. Yes, he knew the sort of crimes Howard had committed, had worked alongside him once upon a time, but then Christine came along. She only complicated things, made his work impossible and so he left, trying his best to stay out of Howard's business. Not that he didn't trust him, it was just the people that Howard had upset that he didn't trust. But when it got to a point that Gustave had no other choice to turn to Howard Rooker for help, he'd leave his daughter in his company and that was quickly becoming a regular thing. Not that Howard minded, he quite enjoyed their company. Especially when he got to see his little Christine, a girl he had known since she was born and a girl he'd risk his life for.

Howard Rooker greeted his old friends in the lobby, the only other person present was Carol Schmidt sitting timidly behind her desk, tapping away discreetly on her keyboard. She was a shy, forty-three-year-old woman with a blunt bob hair cut the colour of muddy water. She saw all and said nothing. That's what Howard Rooker liked about her.

"Thank you for looking after my guests, Carol." He smiled warmly. She didn't get a chance to reply as Howard ushered the awaiting pair out onto the streets.

"It's been a while, Gus. You're not hiding from me, are you?" Gustave merely shrugged.

"Life takes over." He said quietly, watching as Howard scooped the little girl into his arms.

"And how is my precious little Christine?" He asked, pulling back to study her serious, reserved face. She looked just like her mother, with those hauntingly beautiful eyes that pulled you in and chewed you up, eyes that saw everything. They matched the stormy blue of her coat, with flecks of indigo that caught the light and made her eyes appear deeper than any ocean. He could tell she was reading him now.

"Fine, thanks." She murmured, pulling back a smile. She was not happy that her father had broken yet another promise today and was not ready to show warmth to anyone.

"So serious." He smirked, chucking her under the chin. Christine bit her tongue in annoyance but said nothing. She remained unsmiling, pulled her chin away and started to walk down the street, kicking the leaves out her way. "What have you done now, Gus?" Asked Howard as he buried his hands into his pockets. The two men set off after her in a slow, steady pace.

"I promised we'd spend the day together but… Work has a way of interfering with things." He grimaced, offering a soft shrug as he did so. "She'll get over her sulk eventually." Howard laughed.

"Not the easy teenager you were hoping for, hey?"

"Not a teenager yet." Gustave reminded him sternly.

"You'll have to let go of her one day, Gus." Howie murmured back, softly. Gustave didn't reply as they crossed the street, watching his daughter with unprecedented love. He never wanted to let go of her, but demons had a way of haunting him. He feared that one day, they'd catch up and he'd lose his girl forever.

It wasn't long until the trio reached the edge of Central Park after battling through the throng of people on their daily routine and Gustave parted ways with his daughter.

"Be a good girl for Uncle Howie." Was all he said, brushing the hair out of eyes before kissing her forehead.

"I'm always good." She replied, albeit a little sulkily as she waved her father off. Soon, Gustave was out of view and Howard led her through the park to Conservatory Water.

Central Park in November was a glorious sight, especially with a cloudless sky and the sun shining through the scattered leaves of the trees. A dappled pathway awaited them and Howie took Christine by the hand, beseeching her to look up instead of down and they enjoyed the autumnal colours that danced overhead. Slabs of grey rock erupted out of the ground, smoothing down to the edge of the grass and instead of the continuous roar of traffic, the sound of bird song surrounded them. It was a wonderful hub of nature, a patch of manufactured land in a jungle of concrete and glass. When they passed by Central Park Zoo, Howard could feel Christine tugging on his sleeve to try and steer him into its entrance but he carried on walking.

"No zoo today?" She said sweetly, trying to beguile him with her pretty eyes.

"Not today, Christine."

It wasn't long until they reached their destination and Howard was pleased to see that Erik was already there, watching the boats as they drifted across the surface of the water.

"Christine, I have a confession to make." He said quietly, stopping their walk before they got any nearer. The young girl stared up at him confusion until realisation set in.

"Not you as well." She muttered, pulling her hand from his grip.

"My darling little girl, I don't have a choice. I received a call a few moments before you and your father arrived. I am afraid it is a business meeting that I cannot miss. I did not want to stress your father, so I had something arranged."

"You're just like him." Was all Christine replied, biting the inside of her bottom lip. She was fed up of being passed over from one person to another. Howard sighed and withdrew his wallet from his inside pocket, taking out his credit card.

"Listen, I'll make a deal with you." He waved the card in front of her face, "You're very aware that I make business propositions, right?" Christine nodded sullenly. "Well let's make a deal. I leave you for three hours max with this… Friend, and I'll leave you my credit card. I've written the pin down, see? Now I want you to memorise that and destroy it, okay? Christine, you can use this to your hearts delight. Go shopping. Buy what you want." Her eyes sparkled with delight and she reached for the card, only to have Howard snatch it back.

"Ah ah ah… Young lady, you need to hear my end of this deal. I give you this credit card, you don't tell your father that I left you alone for three hours. Is that a deal?" Christine bit her lip in thought, going through all the possible benefits of having his card and remembered the beautiful red scarf she had seen in a shop window display. She had also seen the price and wept but if she had his card…

"Deal." She said, sticking out her hand. Howard laughed and took it, shaking it vigorously.

"I'll make a business woman out of you yet, Christine. You know when to agree to a good deal." He led them down to the water where Erik still stood almost transfixed by the model boats.

"Erik!" He called, waving his hand. Erik looked up, his hands remaining in his pockets as stared at Howard, then at the little girl at his side. Christine felt her heart quicken and tightened her grip on Howard's hand.

"Oh my God, Uncle." She said, staring at the masked man that looked at them in suspicion. "You've gone mad."

~oOo~

Without the heavy sheet of cloud obscuring the sun, a bitter chill had set in and Erik felt it seep through his flimsy coat. Lucky for him, he was hot from his fast paced walk and his heat warded off the cold but he made a mental note to buy a new, warmer coat when he had the proper funds. His mask was uncomfortable and slick to his face with sweat, his hand throbbed painfully and the cold had a way of making his joints bite together. He was irritated at how this day had played out already but he took a long, controlled breath and waited by the edge of the water. Erik was certain that he had never walked so fast in his life and he could certainly feel the strain in his long, sinewy limbs.

He didn't know why he bothered rushing. Howard was nowhere to be seen. With a laboured sigh, he waited by the edge of the water, taking the chance to catch his breath and compose his temper before Howard arrived. The model boats that drifted past on the water engaged his attention and there he stayed, watching them with feigned interest as he ignored the rattle of anger that had stirred in his brain. Then, suddenly;

"Erik!" A familiar voice called. He looked up towards the voice and saw Howard bustling towards him and yet, could he be sure it was him? For he did not know the little girl that held on to his hand, the girl that was looking at him in horror as she sunk further into Howard's side. Was he seeing an apparition, or was the girl actually there? He studied them in suspicion.

"Erik, I'm sorry we are late." Howard said heartily, letting go of her hand so he could take off his hat and slick back his hair before he placed it back on jauntily. Erik fixed him with a confused glance, before he looked back down at the wary girl. Yes, she was real. What the hell was she doing with Howard? He was certain that he didn't have any children.

"We…?" He started, before another jolt of pain erupted through his fist. With a grimace, he slid his bandaged hand out of sight and into his pocket, all too aware that the little girl was watching his every movement. He was not surprised when she suddenly piped up.

"What happened to your hand?" She asked, peering at his pocket as if she could see right through it. Howard looked at it in suspicion.

"An accident." He replied, curtly. The little girl shrank back again. "Sorry, Howie, but who is this…?" As if a cloud of thought had been waved away suddenly, Howard smiled warmly.

"Ah, of course! This is Christine, my eldest friend's daughter. Christine, this is Erik, the friend I was talking about." Friend? What on earth was Howie on about? It seemed as if Christine thought the same thing. How could her Howard be friends with this masked, gangly man?

"I see."

"You have questions, I can tell. Christine, why don't you go and play on the Alice in Wonderland statue? Uncle Howie needs to have a chat." Christine couldn't be quicker to get away as she raced off, glad to be out of their company. Both men watched after her, though Erik was still thoroughly thrown.

"Erik, what do you think I built my..." He paused for the right word, holding out his hand in thought, "Company on?" Erik shrugged.

"Underhand deals and blackmail?" He quipped, not in the mood to dance around. Howard only grinned.

"Yes… You're right but there is also the matter of trust. You know what I realised this morning as I was getting ready for the day? I realised that I hadn't put you through a trust programme yet." Erik stared at him, baffled. Sam had never mentioned anything about a bloody trust programme.

"Erik, don't get me wrong, you are naturally talented and good at what you do but… I don't trust you fully yet. Is that sure head of yours, you see? So full of arrogance. Self-assurance." Erik snorted at his words.

"What are we getting at here?" Howard gesticulated with his palms facing the sky and smiled.

"That's what I like about you, you like getting to the point. You see, I have a business meeting in half an hour. It will be dragging on for a while and I can't bring the poor girl with me, it's unsuitable and she'll be bored out of her brain. Here's where you come in." He didn't know why, but panic suddenly flustered in Erik's chest and he stared blankly at Howard.

"I want you to look after her for a few hours, until my meeting is over." The words did not sink in. Erik looked at him with a vacant gaze, then turned his attention on the little girl that was currently scrambling up the bronze mushrooms of the statue.

"Excuse me?" He bit out, the words finally having their full impact.

"Erik, I don't have family. Well… Family that are close. This little girl and her father's friendship mean everything to me, but Christine is my little gem." Howard paused for effect but Erik was too perplexed to even notice. Had he gone mad?

"So here's my trust programme for you. I want you to look after this girl and prove to me that you'd protect her with your life, as I do. If I know you can protect her and look after her, then I will trust you irrevocably." Confusion, panic and anger curled around Erik's heart like an iron grip and refused to let go, his tongue quick to lash out anything he thought. In the end, it was his anger that got the better of him and he jerked away from Howard, pissed off that he was being used for such a pointless task such as child minding. He was an intelligent, dangerous human with a dark, calculating mind. He did not look after children.

"I am not a fucking babysitter." He spat out and immediately cursed his quick tongue. An internal switch in Howard was triggered and he stared at him in utter malice, leaning in closer so that only Erik could hear him.

"Guess what, Erik. You'll be whatever I tell you to be. If I say jump, you jump. If I say kill, you kill. You need a reality check, my boy because let me tell you, you ain't shit. You're just some jumped up little punk who thinks he can play around with the big boys." He hissed, reaching into Erik's pocket as he did so. Before Erik could even react, Howard had a tight grip on Erik's injured hand and he winced in pain at the contact.

"If you want to succeed in this city, you have to make the right choices. So, Erik, I'm going to give you a one off fucking choice, okay? Choice one: If you decide that ignoring my commands is a wise thing to do then that is fine. You can walk away from here and forget that your life here exists. Because once you leave, you leave New York completely and if you ever even think of stepping foot back here, you will die." His hand constricted even more around the bandages making Erik pant in agony, sweat once again prickling his brow.

"Choice number fucking two. You accept my command and you go through with the trust programme. There is just one thing you need to know, you know, terms and conditions. If you agree to look after her and go through with the trust programme, then I need you to know something. Should anything happen to her, I will make your life a fucking hell. I will make sure that you are crushed so deeply into the ground that you will never be able to fucking escape it, do you understand me?" Howard seethed, veins pressing against his shiny forehead from sheer exhalation.

"Yes." Erik ground out, refusing to mutter a groan of agony as Howard delivered one more tight squeeze before withdrawing his hand from Erik's pocket. As if nothing had happened, Howard nodded and scratched his chin, waving Christine over.

"What's your decision, Erik?" Howard enquired before Christine had reached them. Erik, still broiling from the humiliation, gritted his teeth and forced a smile.

"I went through my choices and found the second to be a more preferable option." He replied dryly, refusing to acknowledge the smugness smeared across his bosses face. It was clear that Howie still had it in him to be the conceited, malicious old bastard he was known to be. The little girl bounded up, completely unaware of the tension that prickled between the two men and grasped her Uncle's hand.

"Ah, my little one. Erik is so looking forward to caring for you today, isn't that right Erik?" He said so jovially that Erik blinked at him owlishly. Did that last few minutes really just happen?

"Thrilled." He replied wryly, secretly pleased to see the flash of anger pass across Howie's face. Christine only stared at him warily, visibly wilting as Howard detached his hand from hers to roll back the sleeve of his coat and check his wristwatch. It was a Breguet with a brown, crocodile strap and yellow gold casing, a china white face glaring like a blind eye at Erik through its glass protectant. Erik's throat clenched just thinking of the price of that thing. It was a reminder of the amount of power Howard really had and Erik didn't like it.

"Alas, I am needed now. I won't be too long, hopefully. Remember our deal, Christine." He looked at Erik. Ah, but the humour had worn off long ago, Erik could see, as his eyes glinted cold with fury. "I'll give you a ring when I'm available." He told him curtly and just like that, he was walking off, leaving the unlikely pair standing awkwardly next to the water.

"What deal?" Erik asked eventually, staring down at the kid with ruddy cheeks from running. Christine withdrew the credit card from her pocket and waved it at Erik.

"Uncle Howie said I can buy whatever I want so long as I don't tell daddy he left me with a strange man."

"Right." She was staring at him in again, most likely at the mask that covered most of his features and he sighed. "Let me guess, you're wondering why I'm wearing this?" He gestured to the mask.

"I was curious, yes."

"Because it is a necessity I cannot live without. Here is your first rule, do not ask, touch or even dare take my mask off, are we understood?" Erik said sternly, flinching inwardly at the girl's fear that shone plain on her face.

"Listen kid, we've both been put in a situation here. I don't like it as much as you do. So if this is going to work, you need to listen to me. The second rule is that you never leave my side or go out of my sight, or run off because you've seen something pretty in a shop window. Is that understood?"

"Crystal." The little tremble in her voice was enough to make Erik curse the lord in heaven before he knelt down to her level.

"I am not going to hurt you, Christine. I am here to look after you. I know I'm just a stranger but…" He held out his undamaged hand for her to take. "Let's make a proper introduction. My name is Erik Laurent. I am twenty-two and I like…" The thoughts rallied through his head:

Think, Erik, you can't tell her that you like killing people for a living. Oh hello, Christine, your uncle left you in the hands of maniac assassin with severe anxiety. That's just obscene! What else, what else?

He finally thought of something, "I like playing piano. What about you?" She took his hand warily, so tiny in his, so warm and buzzing with life. Did she feel the scars that ruptured the base of his thumb?

"My name is Christine Day. I am twelve, thirteen in two months, and I like singing."

"Well there we go. We've now been properly introduced and if anyone asks, we are brother and sister, right?" Christine gave him a small smile and nodded, the fear dissipating slightly but Erik knew he had a long way to go to gain her trust. She made him think of another little girl he used to be so close to so many years ago. He could see her wide eyes now, that toothy smile… Erik shook his head and rubbed his eyes, now was not the time to be thinking of her. Blinking, Erik stood up and looked around, before scuffing the ground with his shoe.

"So… What do you want to do first?" She looked at him bemused, before tapping her finger against her lip as if in deep thought, a look which Erik hated to admit slightly amused him.

"I want to go shopping."

Erik pressed his lips together in a grimace, wishing now that Howard had given him a dirty job despite his already stressful morning. At least he knew how to do that with ease and enjoyed it.

"Well, then. Shopping it is."