A/N:Hello! Yup it's me...I am very sorry for the long delay but life is going to be a bit crazy for me over the next few months and so unfortunately the speed of my updates may suffer a little, but as I've said the story will be told, so don't worry.

Hope you guys will bear with me. (",)

Thank you very very much for all your reviews! You all rock as much as Muse! (And that's a whole lot!)

Anyway, this chapter starts in Christine's POV and ends in Erik's.

It may seem a tad short but hopefully that doesn't detract from it, as it is necessary to move us along.

Enjoy and don't forget to review! (",)

Chapter 13

Where Do We Go From Here?

Love filled that little house in the woods and, despite our lingering insecurities, I believe we were happy there.

But sadly I had always known we couldn't stay…Paris made Erik nervous.

Perhaps he was still a little afraid that it would somehow lure me back…

- Extract from Christine's Diary

Over the next two weeks or so (time was so hard to keep track of in our timeless world) our life seemed to settle into some odd little semblance of peace.

We were both almost overflowing with joy and love, but we were cautious all the same. Neither of us quite knew yet how to express our devotion without overstepping some sort of boundary. Neither of us was sure if there was a boundary! I was afraid of overwhelming Erik and I think he was even more afraid of doing the same to me.

He had always been an intense man but I think I was beginning to find that I could almost match that intensity. Perhaps that shocked Erik most.

We were like children learning how to walk…frightened to run lest we fall.

I had never thought that love could be like this, so uncertain in its tender brilliance.

Yet in all of the madness I always felt loved…I had never felt so very loved!

We were learning the truth about one another and the innocence of it was so very beautiful. I was finally where I wished to be, making my own choices for once in my life.

I don't think I ever wanted to leave this little house that the world had forgotten.

Erik and I spent almost every waking moment together.

We spent our time reading or talking of anything that came into our heads - well, usually my head, I just couldn't help my curiosity. He was finally beginning to open up to me but sometimes just sitting together was like a sacred experience.

We had never known such contentment together.

We told each other the silliest things, our favourite things and even sometimes our fears; all the things that people as close as we were should know.

We seemed to be in a strange hurry to make up for all that lost time that we'd spent apart or in silence. Perhaps I thought I could further prove to Erik my love by keeping nothing from him. Well, nothing but little thoughts that I knew would only hurt him needlessly…

Curiously Erik refused to sing with me still. He would play me almost anything I wished but we were not to sing. "Not quite yet, my love, please." He would implore softly, and because I loved him so I always relented.

I knew he had his reasons, mystery as they were to me. He was battling some unknown force within himself and I would give him the time he needed.

But music had been with us at our very best and our very worst and I so wished to glory in the ecstasy it brought us. I wanted to sing of the love we now openly shared.

What I was afraid to say with words I wished to sing!

Yet for the moment I would remain silent.

Though his music, his voice played over and over in my dreams.

We were like our own little family. We needed no one but each other. I kept the house tidy and he prepared all the meals that we ate together…though I always seemed to be the only one properly eating. Thank Heavens I was not so vain that this would have bothered me. How Erik managed to keep our pantry stocked I had no idea, but in this matter I preferred to let it remain a secret.

I didn't like the idea of Erik sneaking off at night - for I knew he slept as little as he ate - to gather supplies for us. It was dangerous. It would make much more sense if he allowed me to shop for us during the day. But we were still too new together for me to broach this subject.

Erik still worried if he couldn't see me.

He tried not to show it but I was not so blind anymore that I could not see it. I always endeavoured to stay close to him when he seemed in one of those humours.

Today seemed to be one of those days.

Erik seemed almost anxious. He couldn't sit still for very long and was constantly glancing up to see where I was though I had yet to move from my place by his side.

Something was bothering him. But what? What had changed that I was unaware of?

I knew that Erik's moods could be changeable at best, but this was…different, I could tell.

Reaching across to him, I gently grasped his hand and smiled. He looked up at me and regarded me with an intensity that others, perhaps, would have found unnerving but not I…not anymore.

"Erik?" I implored softly, squeezing his elegant hand.

He knew I was asking him to confide in me his worries. We had developed the ability to say much more to each other than we actually dared.

He knew that he was not hiding his restlessness as well as he would have liked.

There was some unnamed emotion in his eyes…something that I had not seen before.

I tried to decipher what it could mean but suddenly he leaned forward and kissed me - something that he still didn't do quite as much as I would've liked - slyly stealing my abilities to reason and think.

But still I could feel his inner turmoil. Even his kiss - blissful as it was - was worried.

Pulling back from me, and allowing me to breathe, he looked at me carefully again before nuzzling at my neck. My breath caught in an embarrassingly loud gasp.

"You like it here, don't you, Christine? You are happy, my love?" He breathed into my ear. Was this the source of his unease? Was he doubting himself again? We certainly hadn't overcome all our doubts but he had no need to worry if this was the cause!

Quickly I rushed to reassure him.

"Oh, yes Erik, I am happy! So very happy! I love it here, here with you. It's our own little home. I love it so very much, my love."

I whispered as I kissed him softly. My love. Oh, how I loved to say those words, loved to hear him say them to me with that heavenly voice!

And I truly meant every word. I was happy. I was in love.

Yet, my words only seemed to sadden Erik somehow.

"That is what I was afraid of," he murmured almost inaudibly, as he gently broke from my embrace and stood.

With one last sad, almost weary glance, he strode from the room.

And I knew then.

I knew our perfect, untainted time here in this house, our own little piece of Heaven, was over.

But why?

Erik's POV

Leaving her there with that broken look on her face made me feel like such a wretched creature. Once more I felt that I was destroying the fragile peace she had found in her life. She was happy here, so very happy. Her eyes glowed with warmth and love in this house…and I was going to take that away from her. Why couldn't the world just leave us alone? Didn't we deserve a little peace?

Here with Christine I was as close to peace as I had ever been. I had never thought to experience such exquisite joy. Not even in death had I imagined I would find such Heaven.

Christine. My Christine. How I loved her!

It was a strange feeling really; loving her. It was so intense I felt I might die every time I looked at her, knowing she loved me too. I would destroy the world to keep her with me; I knew that for certain now. But I was not sure whether these were things that she would wish to hear and so I was still a little guarded in her presence. Only a little, for her sake…

For I wasn't sure…Did everyone feel this way when they truly loved someone? I had never been in love before I had nothing else to base my feelings on…Such all-consuming feelings! It was quite the task to keep them in check.

That was why I had not yet sung with my beloved. I could tell that my refusal troubled her somewhat but I was only thinking of her.

I do not think I would be able to hide the intensity of my feelings if I were to entwine my voice with her's. Music is in our blood, in our very souls. To combine the force of our music with the ecstasy of our love…no, I believe it would be too much too soon. Though I sing to her while she sleeps almost every night in the hopes that on some level she will understand. Oh, but I do miss the sound of her divine voice…but no, I cannot endure it just yet…Not just yet…

I am still not quite certain that Christine knows how much I am affected by all that has transpired between us. I still feel that irrational need to have her within my sights at all times lest she turn out to be nothing but a beautiful dream.

I am learning so much more everyday about my beloved and even about myself, and though I know that she loves me I am still determined to move slowly for now…I am beginning to realise that this may be more for my sake than her's, perhaps.

She is the most incredible woman. Such grace, such love and compassion!

I only hope she will forgive me for taking her away from this place.

Ah, but she called it home, oh why did she have to feel like that?! I knew how important home was to Christine…for she had never had one, not really. Moving around so often with her dear father had robbed her of that. I do believe that the Opera House was the nearest thing she had had to a home almost all her life!

I had already taken her from that home of her's and now I was planning to take her from another. Damn it, why had I lingered so long here?! I had never meant to! We were to have moved on almost immediately, but happiness had made me into somewhat of a fool for we had remained too long. And now we were being hunted. Now I was forced to take my love far from all that she had come to know and love, for I refused to stay in Paris; that glittering city of torment!

I would not miss it but I knew that she would.

I don't think it had quite occurred yet to my darling Angel how much I was making her leave behind…And I was loathe to remind her.

I had always thought that if I could just get her far from Paris we would be free…I would be free, but now I was starting to fear that she would not wish to leave behind the city she had started to feel at home in…Especially as I didn't intend to divulge all the reasons for our sudden departure.

I had always known that we would not go unmissed, well that Christine would not go unmissed. And yet when I went on my nightly excursion and received the news from my snivelling informer, I had been genuinely shocked. It was like I had almost forgotten, forgotten everything and everyone but her. This was worrying indeed for I needed to be vigilant for now.

What with three pursuers on our trail, we were popular prey indeed! The boy I had expected…but the formidable Madame Giry and my unfortunate conscience, Nadir were a little surprising. They were not in league with that insolent boy, or so I was told, so why were they so desperate to find me? They could have helped the young whelp, Raoul and washed their hands of me.

Their presence in this little game troubled me. What did they want?

Perhaps, I would never know for I certainly didn't intend to wait around long enough to find out for myself. They would all find this place eventually and I couldn't have that. Perhaps I would leave a dramatic message for them all, leave only an empty clearing for them to find. I would make the house disappear perhaps…

But what would my Christine think? What would she say if she knew?

I was afraid to find out. Why was I still so damn afraid?

I knew I would have to tell her…but I still had not decided when that time would be. I was beginning to get all too comfortable with the idea of telling her after I had spirited her away. But, no, I should tell her before that and I would…wouldn't I?

These were thoughts for another night. I am not sure that I would survive them long tonight, with the image of Christine's worried face still burning in my mind.

I was going to disappoint her again. I hope that it will be for the last time…

Perhaps I can make it up to her by taking us away to build a home somewhere that she would love…somewhere that no one will find us…

But where? It seems that I had been excessively lax in my duties and now had some intense planning to do. I was confident that I could do it…but it was the cost that haunted me…and I was not referring to monetary expense…

Christine and I were just learning to trust one another; we were just now learning to truly know one another. What would she think of me when she realised that I was making us run away without allowing her the opportunity to say goodbye?

Hmm, perhaps I should rethink my plans…I would never let the boy near her, but surely I could allow Madame Giry to say goodbye, once I knew that she was no threat to us…perhaps…and then again perhaps not…

Yes, it would seem that I had a lot to do, a lot to think about…well there's no rest for the wicked, I suppose.

Oh, my dear Christine!

Perhaps it was time that I sang to her and showed her just how very much I loved her!

I did not do any of this to hurt her! I was just…afraid…yes, afraid of losing her and the only love I'd ever known…

So, help me the infamous Phantom was deathly afraid for the first time in a very long time…For now he had something to lose.

But Erik will not lose Christine…he would never lose her!

Erik will make her happy in their new home…

Erik will…He will…I will…

And so, the question had become, where would we go from here?

To where would I run with this man whom I loved too much to say and yet was only beginning to know? And what exactly were we running from? What wasn't he telling me?

Didn't he trust in me? In our love?

Oh, Erik…

- Extract From Christine's Diary

So, there it is. Hope you all liked it and that it eased the need for E/C interaction just a little bit. (",)

Don't forget to let me know what ya think!

x Restless And Tempted x