Chapter 17: Memory lane

Erik jerked Christine by her arm off stage a little more forcefully than they had rehearsed. Though she tried to keep up with him, she ended up stumbling behind. She snapped at him in bewilderment when they went down the stairs of the basement, but he wasn't listening.

"Ouch, dammit! Erik, you're hurting me! What in the hell are you doing?! Let me go!"

"Down once more…" he mumbled to himself. "If I belong in hell, you will be there with me."

He pulled her along further, not having processed that this was indeed not his opera house, there were no cellar stairs to climb down, and no lake to cross. Christine frowned at his statement and nearly tripped and fell from the skirt her frilly Amnita costume.

"Erik! Stop, please!" she cried out again, yanking her arm from his hold and gripping his hand instead. "What's the matter with you?!"

"He will not take you away from me… You're mine!" he suddenly hissed in her face.

A dawning realization peeked in her mind, but everything had gone so fast that it hadn't registered yet in her brain what exactly was happening. She placed her feet firmly on the ground and tensed up so her body refused to move along with him. This angered Erik to a near breaking point. All his mind told him to do was run, keep going lower and lower until they cannot find either of them.

"What are you doing, you damned fool!" He growled and tried to keep pulling her along. "You'll get us both killed! Would you rather choose death over me?!"

Racks of old costumes and aged props were in their way, but his vision was fogged with red and black, and old memories that made his head hurt but urged him onward. He saw her as she used to be, though there really weren't too many differences, other than the fact now she wasn't afraid of him, but angered at his brash actions.

"NO!" Christine snapped stubbornly and slapped his hand away with a force he didn't know she had. "We have to finish the show! What's wrong with you?!"

"Do not test me, child! They want to arrest me! Don't pretend like I don't know that's what you want! And it is my show, it was my trap to get you back!" He stated as if it were obvious.

He released her hand so he could figure out where they were exactly. Nothing looked right, nor did it make sense as his vision cleared. Where were the passageways he knew so well? Where in God's name was the terrible smell of the lake water? This caused him turned and glared at her, but she glared right back at him.

"What did you do?!" He roared in her face, certain that this was a trick of hers, probably assisted by the Vicomte.

At first, she was bewildered and furious, but this expression fell and the glare she held turned to narrowed eyes. She looked serious, her voice very low when she spoke again:

"Wh-what… Erik, what year is it?"

"Do not change the subject!" Erik objected madly. "If you will not help me, I shall find the way down myself! God those buffoon managers let this place fall to shambles!"

"Well shit," she said softly, shakily.

However, she then started laughing to Erik's dismay and held his hand once more, gently.

"Of course you're here now! The show… That must've made your mind go back… And all this after I've let go of the thought of you… After I've said goodbye, but I suppose you're here nonetheless," she sighed.

"Y-You are speaking nonsense!" Erik tried to argue back, but it was hard to do so when she spoke so sweetly and his voice broke ever so slightly due to her tender touch on his hand.

Her hands were so soft… Her fingernails shined in the fluorescent lighting of the basement, which only confused Erik further. It was quite hard for him to focus, with the strange surroundings and horrid ache in his head, but even more so difficult to hold on to his anger due to Christine and her loving touch. It was a feeling that Erik, to his recollection, had never felt before.

Only Christine could melt his anger away like that, but it had never happened before in his mind. His irrational anger was completely depleted when she pulled his hand up to her lips and placed them on his knuckles. He had no time to ask her why or sob at the sight of such tender, kind actions when they heard people calling their names. This made her squeeze his hand and it was her turn to lead him down further into the basement.

"Quickly, Erik, go," she instructed him in a rush. "They can't find you. They can't see you like this."

Her eager and protective actions surprised Erik, possibly almost as much as the kiss had. Only in his wildest dreams and imaginations had he ever thought her to come with him and be his bride so willingly.

When they reached some forgotten corner of the basement where no one would find them due to the surrounding props that hid them away like a childhood fort, Christine could finally relax ever so briefly and bask in this moment. Though, she wasn't quite sure what to do. True, she had dreamed of this moment almost daily, now that it was here, she was at a loss for words. So instead of speaking, she went up to him and wrapped her arms around his stiff body. She hid her face against his cloak, which caused Erik to tense up more. He unsure of how to react to her affections.

This is it, she thought. This is my second chance to make things right.

Constantly, she would imagine being back in the lair with Erik again, not so young, not so shallow or naive. She would talk with him and do things the right way. She would make amends and kiss his fingers to soothe his rage. She day dreamed about how he would react when she hugged him for the first time and the first kiss for him in his dated memories… It made her shudder at the thought of what his reactions would be when there wasn't a fiancé's life on the line. Would he push her away again? Or would he accept the kiss and it lead to more lover's actions? This was their only moment like this, a moment to be alone before they both had to face reality once more and Christine wasn't going to waste it.

Ever so softly she whispered against him, "Everything that you think you know about me, is wrong."

Erik's eyes widened a bit, he had barely registered what she said. "I-I beg your pardon?"

"Oh Erik…" she breathed out, making him shudder again. "If only you knew how I truly felt back then. I was afraid, I was so young… Now things can change for the better. For the both of us."

Her kind words shook Erik to his very core and he fell to his knees before her. He kissed the hem of her costume skirt and wept softly.

"Oh, my angel… I'm so sorry that I frightened you," he sobbed. "I only ever wanted you to love me, to be my living bride! I would be so good to you. I would be gentle and benevolent. Please… I don't want you to fear me…"

He had never felt so naked in his life without his mask on and hid, what he believed to be his true face, into Christine's skirt.

"You don't have to be afraid anymore, Erik," Christine stated strongly as she knelt down before him as well, taking his face into her hands. "For I am not afraid. Not anymore."

She wiped his tears away and smiled at him. She gently stroked his jaw and it only caused him to weep harder. Christine took him into her arms and held him tightly, rocking him gently like a child.

"Erik… Forget your pain and suffering of the past, just for a moment. Think only of me, because I'm not going anywhere. I'm here," she cooed in his ear. "And I love you."

"You… You love me," he echoed.

Erik wasn't convinced if he could believe her. Though Christine's actions, tender as they were and quick to be done to calm him, were too overwhelming for someone who'd only just gotten their memories back and it made his head swim.

"I'm sorry it took so long… I didn't know that I needed you, that my life would be so different and wonderful with you in it," she whispered into his ear.

She tilted her head and started to kiss across his jaw, slowly dragging her lips up to his mouth, and pausing a moment just before she planted her kiss. She stared into his widened eyes and let him see the love and desire in her own before shutting her eyes from delight. This kiss didn't last for very long and, just as he had done so in the past, Erik didn't kiss her back. He didn't know how.

"I want to be with you, my angel of music, and I want… I want you," Christine stated very bluntly after she'd pulled back, for she knew there was no getting to Erik unless she was straight-forward.

Not to mention too, she was loving his reaction. She wished she'd done this a hundred years earlier to see those sad eyes light up with shock and awe.

"You want me," Erik repeated her words to himself in a whisper once again.

She chuckled softly at his trembling hands and his watery eyes that seemed like they wouldn't ever blind from astonishment. She smiled up at him and cupped his cheeks. She brought his face to hers and kissed him once more. Erik still didn't quite kiss her back, but Christine didn't mind. She closed her eyes happily and brought him much closer. Eventually though, to her utmost delight, Erik finally closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her loosely.

"Oh Erik," she breathed out, "I missed you."

"M-missed me?" Erik asked breathlessly.

He didn't really know what to do in this moment, even his wildest imaginations hadn't gotten him this far. In such a strange place that wasn't his home, down on his knees kissing the woman he loved so dearly.

"So much," she confirmed and hugged him again.

This time, Erik could feel her trembling, or was that his own body's tremors? He couldn't tell, all he knew was that this was either a horribly cruel dream from a too high dose of morphine, or perhaps he had gotten shot on stage after all and death was being kind. It was all too good to be true.

"I hope we have more time…" Christine found herself muttering. "They'll come for us soon."

Her words struck fear in him and he growled, grabbing her tighter, protectively.

"I think not," he hissed and gripped tightly at the fabric of her dress. "They won't take you from me."

His words caused her to shudder in delight and kiss him again. The force of her action made Erik melt against her. However, Christine was right, they were coming for them, but not in the way Erik thought. The stage managers were looking everywhere for them, the understudies were worried, but got ready just in case the two leading roles never came back, and the crew had the curtain on hold much to the audience's dismay. The show had to go on eventually.

Christine could care less at that moment though and she pulled herself onto Erik's lap, never breaking their kiss. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her thin costume skirt rode up her legs as she did so. Erik, on the other hand, had absolutely no idea what was going on. He just did his best to keep up with Christine's fevered kisses and had utterly no clue what to do with the rest of himself.

A surge of desire went through Erik when she moaned quietly against his mouth and it caused him to wrap his arms tightly around her. Christine trailed her mouth from his lips and down to his neck where she continued her heated kisses. His pants were becoming uncomfortably tight and he found himself fumbling with the back ties of her costume.

"Christine…" he moaned out. "I-I…"

"Mm," was her response, an eager smile on her swollen lips.

She trailed her hand down the front of his chest and he watched it with hooded eyes as it disappeared underneath his cloak. Christine knew his body like the back of her hand and knew how to pleasure him quickly since they were short on time. Erik grabbed her arm with a bruising force when she reached inside his trousers and held his hardened length in her hand.

"Christine… Th-this isn't proper… It isn't right," Erik choked out breathlessly.

However, his actions betrayed his words as he arched his hips into her hand. It made Christine smirk and move her hand faster, making Erik squirm in pleasure. He moaned and bucked his hips to the rhythm she kept. He tried to keep his eyes open to watch her but found them screwed shut before long as he let out a long, drawn out moan.

Erik felt like his bones were glass and every piece of him was shattering into oblivion. He couldn't catch his breath and ended up laying back on the cold, damp floor as Christine wiped off her hand on an old, moth eaten costume.

"I forgot that he wouldn't know the experiences of the flesh," she murmured to herself.

It only made Christine all the more smug to think about just how he'll react when he's with her for the first time, again. But it would have to wait, Christine knew that she would be in trouble when she went back upstairs and knew very well that there was no way Erik could come with her.

She glanced back over at him and smiled at the look on his face. He was still a heaping, panting mess on the floor as he tried to compose himself. It pained her that she knew she had to leave him, more than he could know, but he had to understand that it was for his safety.

Erik caught her staring and felt his cheeks grow hot under her gaze. He sat up quickly and fixed the cloak and his trousers, his hands fumbling all the while and made Christine giggle. When he gave her a little smile as he looked up again, however, her expression was nearly sad.

"What is it?" He asked fearfully, hoping that he hadn't done something wrong already.

"I have to return… To stop them from looking for you. I have to finish the show," she sighed. "Meaningless things when it comes to you, but nevertheless I must do it."

"I'm not letting you go up there," Erik said urgently and grabbed her hands. "Not now… Not after I've just gotten you to be...Mine."

He brought her hands up to his lips and trembled as she let him kiss the soft skin atop her knuckles.

"Please don't go," he whispered brokenly.

"I'll send Nadir and Meg to come get you, to bring you home… To get you out of here," she whispered as she moved her hands to cup his cheeks. "Things are going to be frightening in the world above. You'll see things you won't understand, but just keep it in your mind that I'm not far behind you. I'll see you soon and I will show you everything."

Erik felt tears sting his eyes once more. He wanted to be angry and hateful once more, but how could he? After the kind words she'd spoken and the way, she'd done… Whatever it was that she did before to pleasure him. He felt like a whipped pup as he nodded in defeat.

Christine kissed him hard and it made Erik hold her as tight as he could. He felt the curves of her body, the coarseness of her curls that were rigid from hairspray, and the warmth of her that made him feel whole.

She gave him one final kiss and whisper, "Remember, I'm right behind you. We'll be together before you know it. I swear it, you have to trust me. Please, stay here."

With his last nod of consent, Christine reluctantly rose up and released his hand. She couldn't take her eyes off of him as she walked back until she knew she had to go quickly. For all Erik knew, she was leaving him forever and sending the mob down here to kill him, but he did what he could to rely on her trust and it didn't give him much comfort. All he could do was lay back on the old costumes and bask in the aftermath of the pleasure he'd received.

It didn't take Christine long to find Nadir and Meg, who were a part of the search party for the two missing leads. All she had to do was mutter the word "basement" to the both of them and they bolted down there as quickly as they could. Finding Erik was an easy task, but getting him out of the theater unseen was definitely more difficult.

Christine, on the other hand, was rushed into her wedding dress costume after she told the stage managers some hasty lie about Erik getting sick offstage. What did it matter? He wasn't there and she was. So the understudy for Erik played his role and Christine finished hers, and finishing the musical took time, but made a perfect distraction for Meg and Nadir to find Erik and get him home.