A/N: Alright here I am with that second half of the previous chapter, to give you all a little closure, I hope. ;-)

It starts in Christine's POV, switches to Erik's, then concludes in Christine's, (hope that's not too much POV switching in one chapter for ya, it just seemed to suit this chapter).

Thank you to you guys who took the time to review. As always I'm really grateful!

You guys are a great influence on this story I hope you know, so don't be afraid to let me know what you think.

So, I won't keep you waiting any longer...Back into the woods we go...

Chapter 8

A Love Worth The Wait

The enormity of my task loomed before me.

I was committed to saving a man who did not want to be saved. In many ways he had given up.

What more could I really do for him but let him know I was there and wait for him to come to me. Sometimes all we can do for the ones we love is wait for them…

- Extract from Christine's Diary

All day I waited. I watched as the brilliant sun retreated back to the horizon, as the shadows lengthened and the darkness was born.

I did not move, sometimes I almost forgot to breathe.

I was like a lonely princess from some forgotten fairytale. Waiting, always waiting for her love to return to free her from her frozen state. Alas, it seemed my tower was higher than other princess' towers, for my love was taking an awfully long time.

Perhaps the thorns around this castle were too sharp…

Perhaps the thorns within his mind were too strong…

Thorns I had helped to grow…

This place frightened me a little now that I was alone in it. It was still too new to really feel like home…still too full of only pain and uncertainty.

Only Erik could change that. Only he could make this place feel like home again, just as he had done at the Opera when I was younger.

I suppose I had forever relied upon him, so perhaps I should not have felt so terrible that he had not yet thought to rely on me. My new found strength was as new to him as it was to me. Sadly I had not been strong enough to prevent this disaster.

I was still only human…so much less than Erik deserved. But I was trying!

It was getter dark and the wind was howling like a ravenous beast outside. I had been afraid to leave my post and so my only source of light was the candle on the windowsill.

I had thought that perhaps it might act as a beacon to guide Erik home to me.

Such foolish thoughts filled my head that day!

As the darkness intensified along with the merciless wind I began to feel the beginning tremors of fear. I will not lie and say that I did not think, for a time, of leaving. My fears that I had been truly abandoned increased.

I think in all my life that has been the one thing I have feared most of all; abandonment. For a time it had seemed inevitable to me that the people I loved would abandon me. My parents, Raoul, my Angel...

They would die or leave and I would be alone again forever.

Had Erik felt this way during his lonely life? Surely if he had he would not then leave me so...leave us both so alone...

There was no possible way I could survive here on my own! I had no idea where I was nor did I have any money on my person.

All in all, I was rather helpless, sitting alone in my house in the woods.

Just for a moment I entertained the thought of returning to Paris. My sparkling City of Lights! I could find my way there somehow, surely. I would return to the Opera House and act as though I had never left. Madame Giry would be there, and Meg…and Raoul.

Raoul would forgive me for leaving. If I so wished it, he would ask no questions of me. He would care for me. He would never leave me.

And then I suppose he would wish to marry me still and I…and I would never see Erik again…Oh God, NO!

No, no, no! Instantly I recoiled from those wicked, disloyal thoughts. How could I even think such things? Never see Erik again? Leave him forever to live out my days with Raoul? Without music! Without my love!

Oh God, there was only agony in those thoughts! Only agony waited for me back in Paris, in a life without Erik! We completed each other. Without him, I would never be whole.

And without me, neither would he…Oh, where had my fallen Angel gone? To what dark place had I driven him? Could he not hear me calling him? He had told me that he was always with me, so why wasn't he with me now?

I had to stay here and wait for him. Here, where I could feel close to him.

Here, where I could recall every memory that we shared…Every time we were as one when we sang together, every tender moment, our first kiss…and all the times I got it wrong and he did also, all the times we ruined things and hurt one another...

But love is not without its share of pain. And certainly this was the worst pain I had ever endured. It had to be! No one could ever be expected to bear more pain than this!

I was dying. Every moment he was away another part of me withered. I couldn't help recalling the tale of the nightingale and the rose. I was the trembling rose and my nightingale had flown away. I could not bloom without him. My petals were falling to the ground like tear drops. His absence was killing me…

Would this have been my life had I left with Raoul? If I had been weak and submitted to my dear friend's will? Would I have become no more than a wilting rose?

I can no longer see how I would have been happy…I would have been leaving Erik in that lonely place to die as I was dying now.

I would have never seen him ever again…I would've killed him…Oh, I would've gone mad with grief!

Erik can't you see you are killing me now! If I die here without you I shall never forgive you for it! Why I'll come back to haunt you, I swear I will!

Still I remained like a statue by the darkening window. I could barely see out of it now but I couldn't bring myself to move.

Sitting here in his music room, I could almost pretend that he was beside me. He was playing a new song for me, one he had written about our love. It was agonisingly beautiful…I could hear it in my mind.

Silently, I began to weep.

I was growing weary now and feeling decidedly weak. I vaguely recalled that I had yet to eat but that was unimportant.

I tried desperately to keep my eyes open. I could feel…something…

There was a sensation in my heart that made me believe that something had changed…But what?

I couldn't figure it out. There was a feeling in the air but I couldn't decipher it. I was so tired.

Ever so slowly, my eyelids begin to close. I fought but it was a useless battle as darkness came to claim me.

Finally, I surrendered. At least in the darkness there was relief.

Erik's POV

I did not get far. I had wanted so badly to leave…and yet I couldn't.

I had stormed out of that house in a terrible rage. She had broken me again. A thousand different thoughts had barrelled through my mind.

I would leave and never return! Let her find her way out of her own mess! That would show her! She would never survive without me and she knew it. I had read the lie in her eyes. She couldn't survive without me…could she?

Her words had cut me to the bone. She had not stabbed me in the back, no, this time she looked me in the eye when she delivered her fatal blow.

She would not survive without me but that's not what I wanted. I wanted her to be unable to live without me. There was a difference.

I wanted her to need me with her. I wanted her to love me. I wanted to make her happy.

That's really why I had left, so that she could be happy. I had told the truth when I said that I would not be caged again. I would not remain her slave while she pined away for another life…for another man.

There were easier ways to die.

So I had stormed out with all these grand plans ranging from revenge to sheer survival, and yet I couldn't rid my mind of her face. She had said something to me as I told her I was leaving but I had not been listening.

I stopped within a clearing and thought back. It was hard to see past the rage and pain that clouded my memory. I had always had trouble with controlling my emotions; as soon as they were loose I was but a puppet to them. It was so…human of me.

Ah, there it was, her face as she delivered her brutal words. So angry, so hurt. And then as I told her I would go…it seemed to crumble. She looked…terrified, agonised…But why? Because I had said I was leaving?

Christine had never been a very good liar. She had been lying to me but what did that mean? And did it matter? She had lied to me but she had done so to deliberately hurt me. Did she hate me so much now? What had I done to deserve such a thing?

You did not trust her. You manipulated her.

A little voice inside my mind seemed to whisper to me. Why, I do believe it could have been my conscience!? It had sounded disturbingly like Nadir.

I had manipulated her, hadn't I? I had refused to see any reason whatsoever and had jumped to my own conclusions. Why, since we'd been here, I had refused to really listen to anything important that she had to say to me. Anything that came too close to my wounded heart.

I loved her so very much and I wanted her to love me. I couldn't bear for her words to shatter any pathetic hope I had, and so I hadn't listened.

And look where that got me! I was cowering in the woods while she did God knows what.

Had she believed me gone for good? How happy had that made her? I was never truly clear where I stood with Christine. Sometimes I believed that all she wanted was to be rid of me but other times…

Well, we had both ruined it now, hadn't we? I was supposed to be trying to better for her and yet the first chance I got I was off running. Perhaps I had used this incident as an excuse to give up. I was not used to dealing with people…I was not used to dealing with love. I did not like feeling so lost and helpless.

I had wanted to sit down with Christine and discuss things but instead I had overreacted. I was not taking all the blame here though, she had been excessively cruel also.

But…I had started it…I was very good at destroying people and against my will I had set out to destroy her…For it was not easy for me to lay my soul bare. For a long time I had doubted that I even possessed one. So I had rushed straight into attacking her, and she had fought back. She had never done that before...

A part of me knew that her words were spoken out of a place of anger and pain. I had provoked her with my harsh treatment and indifference.

Oh, this really had become more nightmare than dream…

Perhaps she was better off without me.

But should I not have let her make that decision? I had decided not so long ago not to stifle her and yet, here I was deciding for her again. Perhaps, if there was one thing I could give her that the boy never could it would be this; the opportunity to choose for herself. Even if this was the last thing I would ever give her, I could die happy knowing that there were now two things I had given her that he never would…Music and the power to choose.

This meant, of course, that I would have to listen to what she had to say…even if I didn't like it. But if I kept a clear head I would finally get the truth from her. I could usually tell when she was lying. But would I notice if the lies were what I wanted to hear?

I didn't want a selfless martyr to live out my days with.

I wanted a willing companion who I could make happy…perhaps even, if the idea wasn't too repulsive, a lover…a wife...

But if I was not what she wanted then I would let her go. I could do that for her. I would! For, despite our cruelty to one another, she had been such a good girl to come with me this far. I would return her to her life if that's what she wished and then I would go far away. I would go far away and I would lay down to die, knowing that I had made my girl as happy as I ever could.

But if she wanted me…Oh, if she wanted me, I would stay with her forever. No one would ever be more loved than my Christine. I would do anything for her. I would make her happy.

And to do this I would try to believe in her more, I would try to forgive her. For as much as I loved her, Erik could not help but remember how much she had hurt him. Forgiveness was hard for Erik. Erik did not forgive. But for Christine Erik could do anything!

It seemed that the fresh air was doing wonders for me. I had not thought so clear in a very long time. Madness tends to make things hazy, you know.

I was not so bad you see, not really, not with Christine.

My mind was just beginning to relax when a terrifying thought struck me.

What if Christine had already left? We weren't as far from Paris as she might have thought, what if she had left for Paris already!

If she had left then Erik would know the truth but he would never get to say goodbye…never get to give her his final gift of choice!

I looked up to the sky and gasped. Where had the day gone? I had been gone for so very long. What must my dear girl be thinking?

I had to go back. I had to see if she was still there.

When I reached the house it was very dark indeed. There were no lights lit and I began to panic. Only one thing caught my attention. A faint flickering in one of the front windows. A dying candle…

Quietly, I crept inside. I did not want Christine to see me just yet. If she was even still here…

But she was! Oh God, she was! I found her where I had left her; in the music room.

She was so unbearably beautiful. I ached watching her.

She was sitting in a chair by the window gazing out. She had not moved. Why didn't she move? Why did she just sit there? Was she waiting?

Again I found myself wishing I could read her mind. It would've saved us both a lot of trouble if I could.

Amazed, I watched as she began to cry silently.

I wanted to go to her then. I wanted to enfold her in my arms and weep with her. I wanted to tell her how much I loved her. I wanted to keep her forever.

I wanted to tell her I forgave her everything but I didn't want to lie to her. Not even in this glorious moment. We had had enough of lies.

It still hurt to think of those words she had said to me. But I had said some terrible things too. This day had changed us both, I think.

I watched as she battled her evident fatigue. Only when she was finally asleep did I emerge. I needed to play the coward at least one more night.

Gazing at her, I saw that I should not have left as I did. It had affected her terribly, more than I ever dreamed it would. Was it wrong of me to be somewhat pleased by her stricken state?

I had feared that she had only wanted my voice. So I had withheld it. Hell, I had left her, which would've meant she would never hear it again!

She had every chance of escape and yet she stayed.

I had been gone long enough for her to leave and yet she had not moved from this room.

She waited for me, and she cried.

Surely this was a sign. Certainly a sign of my stupidity! Some genius I had turned out to be!

I had to change. I knew this now for certain. She deserved much better. She had certainly earned that today. My Christine was getting stronger, and instead of doing the same, I was allowing myself to get weaker. I was pushing her away.

The one thing I had ever truly loved in this life and I was pushing her away!

That had to change.

Gently, I lifted her up into my arms. That chair could not have been very comfortable.

She was like a feather in my arms. I could've held her forever.

Instead I carried her to her room and put her down on her bed.

She stirred slightly and looked at me with hazy eyes. She was not quite awake and so I did not panic when she saw me.

"Erik…" she whimpered, "I lo…"

I hushed her ever so gently. I did not want to hear those words from her until she was fully aware that she said them and she meant them.

"Yes, my dear, hush now. I believe I am starting to see that…"

She settled down again and went back asleep.

I pulled up a chair to her bedside and sat down. I couldn't help but watch her as she tossed and turned in her sleep. Her dreams seemed to plague her tonight. She was not restful.

Soothingly I caressed her face. I was brave enough to do so knowing that she was unaware. This was another thing I would have to work on, if she so wished it of course. I would gladly spend my life simply looking at her. I did not care how pathetic that made me sound.

I was about to sing for her to calm her when I noticed that she had already calmed. My touch alone had soothed her. My touch…

We were not yet there, I knew, not yet safe. If we were to be together there was much we needed to understand about one another, and much we needed to work on. It would not happen overnight. It would not even happen when we next spoke. Not completely.

But I wanted it to happen, wanted it with all my heart. And that was a step forward.

Before I had wanted the dream, the lies. I had wanted to live in my fantasy of us together, and I had wanted nothing to do with anything that would spoil that. But now I saw that I had to face reality, that, if I really tried, I could.

I was starting to see that perhaps reality could be better.

For if she really wanted to be with me, then it would all be real…every smile, every word…every kiss…it would all be real and it would be mine!

I had meant to go. It probably would not do for her to awaken to me here.

We would speak tomorrow not tonight. We would talk about what had happened for that is what people do. Erik would never forget but if it was best he would pretend to forget. He would pretend until he had forgiven. See, I was trying!

I had meant to go, but I was uncommonly exhausted.

Listening to her breathing was very soothing. I would never say that my Christine snored, for ladies do not snore. But her breathing was certainly deep and I found it lulling me to sleep.

I drifted off by her side with my arm draped gently over her. It was as close to Heaven as I had ever been.

Christine's POV

I awoke to find myself in my bed. It was very dark so I was sure it was still night-time. A memory of being put in my bed flashed through my mind but it was hazy.

Suddenly, I realised that I was being pressed to the bed by something. I felt a little tremor of fear. Looking down I saw that it was an arm that held me there. My panic instantly vanished.

I would know that elegant hand anywhere.

Turning my head I felt my heart burst with love. Erik. He had come back to me. I pinched myself, so afraid I was dreaming.

But this was no dream! My Erik had come back. He was sleeping by my side, his every breath making my skin tingle. My joy was too powerful to express.

I could never doubt how I felt about him, not after today! And I would make sure he never had reason to doubt either!

This was a good sign, it had to be! I knew it was!

Unable to help myself, I leaned over and kissed him softly. I had never seen him asleep before. There was something beautiful about it…or perhaps only I thought so. I was just so happy to see him there.

Settling down again, I curled myself up closer to him and allowed myself to fall back asleep.

There was a long road ahead of us, I knew. But it had to be worth it in the end.

For sometimes there comes a love worth the wait.

And there could be no love more worthy than that of the rose and her nightingale.

We were not perfect. We made other mistakes, despite our best intentions. There were other times when we ran, but we were only human after all…

Finally, I was only human.

Besides, we always seemed to come back.

We couldn't stay away, no matter how badly we hurt one another at times.

Love is a funny thing, is it not?

- Extract from Erik's Journal

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed it! No declarations of undying love made to one another just yet, but we are getting there.

So please, please review! Reviews get me all excited! That puts me in a better mood for writing, you know...(",)

x Restless And Tempted x