Chapter 2- Justifiably Happy

I feel so relaxed now, Christine Daae realized as she drove to her apartment. It'd been a long time since she'd truly felt at peace.

I can actually get my life back on track. I don't have to fake it anymore.

Going back to the mansion had felt so scary, and the whole place looked really terrifying now, but it turned out to be a great idea. Christine now knew it was best to approach her fear, up close and personal, to be able to move on.

She laughed while pulling into a parking spot at her and Meg's apartment complex.

If she'd only known going back to the mansion would be all it took to make her feel some happiness again, she would have done it months ago. But... It wasn't just seeing the mansion that made everything better. It was seeing Erik.

To actually see his changes, not just read about them in a letter, was exactly what she needed. She believed him. She didn't have to be scared of the 'what if's anymore because he had put her mind at ease. She felt real closure now.

"Meg?" Christine called when she entered their third-floor apartment. She hadn't yet gotten used to the three flights of stairs and was feeling out of breath.

"Hey Chris," Meg greeted from the kitchen. "How was home?"

"It was really good. My dad and I had fun catching up." She took her belongings to her room and met Meg in the den. "And now I feel rested and ready to start the week."

Meg blinked. "Well aren't you just a little ball of energy? Wow, you're in a good mood, aren't you? I can tell. I mean, you're beaming!"

Christine scratched the back of her head bashfully and laughed. "Yeah, I guess I am."

"Well that's perfect! Your energy is exactly what we'll need at the grocery store." Meg held up a loose sheet of paper. "Ready to go? I already made the list."

"Is coffee creamer on it?"

"Check!"

"Orange juice?"

"Check again!"

"Hmmm.. A1 Sauce?"

"Of course! I mean, who could forget that staple of life?"

They both laughed before closing and locking the apartment door and heading downstairs. "I'll drive," Meg offered. "It's my turn."

"Actually I think it's my turn.."

"Well, you've already driven some this weekend while I've pretty much just been lazy and watching TV. So I'll drive. What are friends for?" Meg gave her a side hug. They both got in Meg's white Toyota Highlander, which was parked right next to Christine's blue Hyundai Elantra, and drove to the grocery store.

Erik was driving through yet another apartment complex parking lot searching for one thing- Christine's blue Hyundai Elantra.

If there was a single good quality he possessed, it was his keen eyesight. While moping around the cabin for the past year, he'd convinced himself that he hated his own personal traits. But, well, perhaps he didn't.

If it hadn't been for his abnormally good vision, Erik wouldn't have noticed the parking sticker on the back window of Christine's car when he'd left her at the mansion. The words, "APARTMENT COMPLEX' stuck out more than the name of the complex itself, but that in and of itself gave him an advantage.

She was out on her own now and not living with her father. That meant she felt comfortable, independent, safe... Oh how wrong she was.

He was beginning to feel a strange, yet familiar, sense of empowerment. He would save her. He would protect her from Nadir Kahn, and any other criminal. I am the good guy.

Pulling into a seventh parking lot, Erik immediately noticed that the parking stickers on the back windows of each car looked exactly like the one he'd seen on Christine's. That was promising.

And then he saw it. A blue Hyundai Elantra. The color was a match. The sticker was a match. And the pearl necklace hanging from the car's rearview mirror -which he just so happened to see while at the mansion, as well- was a match.

He parked his Jaguar in the empty space next to it and inspected his surroundings for a good three minutes before finally opening his car door. This apartment complex was huge. He wanted to see if there were any clues as to which apartment number was hers. Perhaps there would be some identifying piece of evidence inside her car. Of course if he couldn't figure it out this way, there were always other ways.

He peered through the passenger's side window. Envelopes. There were a few pieces of mail on the seat. Christine Elizabeth Daae. 50 Ludgate Lane, Apt. 315.

Erik smirked. Bingo. Except, the fact that she was leaving her mail in clear sight for any stranger to see was not wise at all. They were going to have to have a long talk.

Now all that was left to do was watch the scene for a while, then choose a time and way to make an appearance.

He could picture their meeting now... He would have to explain himself, and quickly too, so as not to alarm her. But then, after hearing everything he had to say, she would be grateful. She would probably thank him! And they could pick up where they left off. Oh, how he couldn't wait to see that precious smile again...

Christine and Meg returned from the grocery store about two hours later. It took five trips up and down the stairs to get all the bags.

"I'm getting some major calf muscles," Meg announced after they'd finished putting all the groceries away.

Christine collapsed on the couch in a dramatic way. "I feel like I've just run a marathon!"

"Ha! We won't even need to use the gym this semester. We've got our own right here!"

"You've got that right." Christine sat up and looked at the time on her cell phone. "Have you studied any this weekend?"

"Seriously, think about what you just asked and who you're talking to..."

"I take that as a 'no'."

"A definite 'no'."

Christine laughed and shook her head. "I have some reading to do before class tomorrow, so I'll be back in a bit and we can make dinner."

"Cool. You know where I'll be."

Grinning, Christine asked what she already knew the answer to. "Sitting here on the couch watching TV?"

Meg chuckled and grabbed the remote control to the television. "You know me so well, Miss Daae."

Standing still for a moment, Christine softly said, "I like it here. I like this freedom."

Meg was so glad to see her best friend happy. She deserved this. "Me too, girl. Me too."

Erik spotted his dark-haired beauty the moment she stepped out of the white vehicle. He was crouched behind some bushes in a wooded area across the street from the apartment complex.

This way of watching her felt so familiar...

It was exhilarating.

She had her hair in a ponytail and was wearing a pink blouse and jean shorts. She looked positively radiant. He watched as she smiled and gathered groceries from the backseat. She was with a friend, most likely her roommate. He gazed at his angel as she laughed, her head tilting back slightly. How could I have been away from this for so long?

It didn't matter. The past did not matter anymore. What mattered now was the present and future. It was time to devise his plan.

I hope this story is proving to be enjoyable so far.

Thank you for reading!

-Lauren