A/N:Thank you for the one review I received, I wanted to keep Erik a villain for a little while because in the original novel, he is a villain and has no idea what love is all about. Keep reading and please, please, please, REVIEW! Thanks!

Chapter 2- Beginning of a New Life

Erik woke in the early hours of the morning and quietly went to Christine's room. He listened at the door and heard nothing. He pulled out his keys, unlocked the door and saw Christine sleeping peacefully on her bed.

"Christine." He whispered walking over to her sleeping form. He gently touched her and she stirred.

"Christine, wake up. It's time to leave." Christine opened her eyes to see Erik hovering over top of her. When he saw her eyes open, he looked over at the nightstand and lit the oil lamp sitting on it. Christine groaned and sat up in bed.

"Wake up, you have exactly a half an hour to be ready to leave." Erik said going over to the dresser and winding up her clock. He then left the room and locked the door behind him. Christine jumped up and ran to the door slamming her fists on it.

"I hate you, I hate you, I HATE YOU!" Erik heard this outburst and wanted to cry for making his angel so angry at him. He wished he could be like the Vicomte and have her swooning over him. He quickly pushed his thoughts aside and went to the Rue Scribe entrance where he hailed a cab. He put his suitcases in it and finally that half hour was over and Erik let Christine come out of her room. He took her suitcase and extinguished all the lights.

"Take one look around my dear, for this is the last time you will be seeing Erik's little house." Erik said putting on his hat and cloak. He grabbed Christine's wrist while she looked around at the dark house and pulled her towards the boat. Erik threw her suitcase into the boat and helped her get in it. He took the pole and began making his way across the lake to the cavern leading up to the Rue Scribe. They made their way through the cavern and through the gate leading to outside. It was still dark and the rain was pouring down. Christine pulled up the hood of her cloak as she waited for Erik and the driver to get the last suitcase in. The driver helped her and Erik in and they were quickly off on their journey of a new together. As the carriage moved through the quiet streets of Paris, Christine looked out the window while Erik sat next to her. She didn't want to look at him or speak to him. She began to think of Raoul and how if she was with him right now, she would be asleep at his estate and knew that she would wake up happy forever. Thoughts of Raoul made her begin to cry. She silently let the tears fall and began to wipe them away.

Erik looked over at her and noted that she was crying, again! He didn't understand why she couldn't get over the fact that Christine was never going to see that boy again. He put his hand on her hair and began twisting it in his fingers.

"I'm sorry I have to do this to you Christine, but this is the only way." Erik said quietly.

"The only way for what?" She asked.

"The only way for you to learn to love me." Erik responded.

"I don't want to love you and I never will! When will you understand that? You are a monster in my eyes! You have taken me away from my one true love for your own selfish purposes."

"What do you want from me Christine? What do I have to do for you? I'm sorry I am not as good looking as your precious Vicomte."

"Oh Erik, you always try to blame everything on the way you look, well with me it's not what you look like, but the monster that you are!" Christine's words stung him, but he remained collected. The sat silently staring at one another for a minute before Christine broke the silence.

"Erik, I just want a husband who will treat me with love and respect and not keep me as a prisoner."

"I don't want you to leave me like you wanted to. I don't want to be lonely anymore, you are the only one I love and soon you will see that I am the only one that you love." Erik said close to tears. He quickly turned his head so she couldn't see the tears that were forming under his mask. Christine felt a bit of sympathy for him and decided to be nice to him. She put a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face her. He looked at her and then put his head down looking at his feet.

"Erik, I won't leave you now that we are leaving Paris. I will stay with you and marry you." Christine said quietly wishing that she had said that to Raoul. Erik showed a faint happiness on his face and pulled her close to him hugging her. Christine hugged him back and quickly pushed him away. She leaned back into the seat with a sigh and looked out at the rain on the window. This is my life forever now. She thought to herself.

An hour later the carriage pulled up to the train station. The driver helped the couple get out and helped Erik carry the suitcases over to the building. Erik paid and tipped the driver and walked with Christine toward a bench. Erik put the suitcases down and ordered Christine,

"Stay here while I get tickets for us." Christine sat down and watched Erik make his way up to the ticket booth. She watched as he pulled his hat down and the collar of his cloak up to conceal his face as much as possible. She watched as he moved his body and pulled out the large wad of bills and handed some to the man behind the counter. He did look somewhat handsome when he wasn't acting like a monster. He had a graceful way about him yet he is strong enough to protect me. Christine thought to herself. Maybe she could learn to love him after all, if he continued to treat her as a human and not a prisoner.

"I need two uppers on the next train going to Nice." Erik said quietly. The man looked at him funny because he had his face concealed. The man looked down at his book and replied,

"I'm sorry Monsieur, I only have one upper for a couple."

"There is nothing else left?" Erik asked. The man looked again flipping the pages and shook his head.

"That's all I have." Erik took decided this would have to do. He took his tickets, thanked the man and made his way over to Christine who was waiting for him patiently.

Erik sat down beside her.

"We have one hour until our train comes." Christine nodded and continued to look ahead and not at him. She wanted to know where they were going, but was afraid to ask him anything.

"If you want to know where we are going, I am not going to tell you until later." Erik said with a smirk. Christine always wondered how he read her mind and asked,

"How did you know that was what I was thinking?" She asked with an amazed smile.

"I know everything."

"That's impossible! No one knows everything." She smiled again at him.

"I do. You'll be quite surprised at how much the man you will marry knows." Erik said smiling faintly back at her. Christine's smile faded and she continued to stare at him.

"When are we to be married, Erik?" She asked quietly.

"I have decided to leave that decision up to you. I want to give you more freedom than I have been able to give you. That is why we are moving so that you can have all the freedom you want and we can live out the rest of our days in peace and happiness."

"I will decide when we move in a new house." Christine replied quietly. Erik seemed content with that, even though he really would have loved to be married to her as soon as possible.

"I must tell you, there was only one upper left on the train. It is a double compartment, but I have decided that you can sleep in there and I can sleep in our seats." Erik told her. Christine nodded her head and said nothing about it.

An hour passed and the train arrived loading the passengers. Erik helped Christine into the train and they made their way to their compartment. Erik lifted their suitcases onto the bed and closed the curtain. Erik and Christine spent the day dining together and reading. Christine mostly stared out the window wishing she were somewhere else. Finally it was evening and Christine made her way to the compartment.

"Goodnight Christine." Erik said as she got up from her seat. She felt guilty about taking a double all to herself.

"Are you sure you don't want to sleep in it?" She asked for the hundredth time that day.

"I told you before; I will be fine out here." He replied.

"Go to sleep." He told her and she left. Erik reclined the best that he could in his seat and closed his eyes.

Christine climbed into the bed and closed the curtains. She laid down and pulled the covers over top of her. She tried to go to sleep but kept thinking of how uncomfortable Erik must be in that seat. She looked around at the bed and saw that there were 4 pillows on it. She had an idea and quickly put on a robe and slippers and jumped out of the bed. She made her way to the maid's office and knocked on the door.

"Yes?" An older woman answered the door.

"Excuse me, could I have two more pillows please? There were only two on our bed and my husband needs two more." Christine lied. The woman rolled her eyes and grabbed two more pillows handing them to Christine.

"Thank you." Christine replied and went back to her compartment. She threw the pillows in and went to where Erik was sleeping. Erik had his eyes closed but was not asleep.

"Erik?" Christine whispered so not to wake any other passengers.

"Yes?" He asked opening his eyes.

"I have an idea where you can sleep in the compartment with me."

"No Christine, really I'll be fine out here."

"Nonsense! Now get up and come with me." Erik sat for a moment and finally obeyed thinking that Christine didn't like him anyway so her idea wouldn't be that immoral. They arrived at the compartment where Christine told him to get in the bed. Erik climbed in and laid against the wall. Christine arranged the two extra pillows on his side and then climbed in next to the pillows that separated her and Erik. Christine felt a lot less guilty and easily fell asleep listening to the train on the tracks. Erik had a little more trouble sleeping. He lay awake thinking of the beautiful woman sleeping next to him. Maybe she will start to love me, for she has allowed me to sleep in her bed. Erik finally fell asleep.

The next morning, Erik and Christine were eating in the dining car when the announcement was made that they would be arriving in one hour. They quickly finished their breakfast idly chatting in civil conversation that two friends would share. Erik enjoyed this because Christine no longer acted as if she hated him.

The train finally stopped in Nice and the couple got out. Erik led her to a carriage and helped her get in. He put the suitcases in the back and told the driver the address to his new house. He had picked this house out three months ago and decided whether Christine was with him or not, this would be his new home.

They rode in the carriage for an hour until they were out of the city and along the ocean. The carriage finally pulled up to a large house on the ocean. Christine's eyes grew wide and Erik said,

"I know that it's not the same house or the same city, but I thought that you would enjoy a house on the sea to remind you of the wonderful times you had with your beloved father. Christine smiled through her happy tears. This was somewhat a dream come true.