"Together is where we belong,

With passion so much brighter,

Than any sparkling light,

We've waited for so long,

And prayed for this very night

So let us kiss and seal our love

The love you and I know is right."- Excerption straight from the diary of Christine Daae

Christine's POV

The following morning, I awoke extra early to prepare myself for my outing into town with Erik. I had pushed our beds together the previous evening in order to help him sleep easier without nightmares. I never knew much about his past, but when Erik told me what his master had done to him…well, it just devastated me. I promised to keep to my own side of the bed, and I did throughout the night. While I dressed, I couldn't help but glance over at Erik who was still fast asleep. I wanted to let him sleep as long as possible before having to go out. His anger scared me, but his temper was far worse. If we were to get around Coney Island this morning, it wasn't going to be by foot due to the condition of Erik's legs.

After throwing on my cloak, I grabbed a set of keys Erik had in his top desk drawer. Afterwards, I quietly left the flat, and headed towards the Phantasma stables. If Erik was going to be getting out today, he was going to need to ride atop of his horse, Cesar. I unlocked the door with the key, and walked down the isles of animals, searching for Cesar's gate. Once I reached him, the beautiful stallion neighed as I patted him on the muzzle.

"Come on, boy." I cooed. "Let's get some fresh air."

I attached some reigns to Cesar, and led him out of his gate. The horse trotted happily down the isles of the stable and out the front door. The rain had stopped, leaving Phantasma full of hardened, icy snow. Once I was in front of the flat, I tied Cesar to a nearby pole, and headed back upstairs to fetch Erik. I was quite surprised, when I opened the door, and found him dressing himself. Had he decided to go see the doctor after all? He was sitting up in bed, struggling with his shirt, and fumbling over the buttons.

"Here, let me help you."

I hurried to his side, but Erik wouldn't have any of it. He refused my help, and I obeyed his request. He was so stubborn sometimes. Why wouldn't he just let me help him? While he was wrestling with his shirt, I fetched his jacket from the hanger and helped him place it on.

"It's cold outside." I warned him. "Better button it up."

"I know that, woman."

Erik tried to grab his wig, but I handed him his hat instead.

"Best not to place that on your head until the doc has a look at your injury."

He didn't argue, only grabbed the hat from my hands and placed it on.

"And might I ask how we're getting around today? Surely you're not thinking about dragging me all over town."

I helped Erik to his feet, and pulled him towards the door.

"Of course not. I have transportation."

Once we were outside the door, Erik locked it, and held onto my as I helped him down the stairs. After stepping down each one, I stopped to let him catch his breath before helping him down another.

"I can't do this." he cringed after stepping down to the tenth stair. "I think I'm going to be sick."

"All more the reason you need a doctor."

When we were finally on the last stair, Erik stood there while I brought Cesar to him. He looked at his horse, and then to me in confusion.

"You can't be serious."

"But I am."

I knew Erik didn't like the idea, but he needed a doctor, and wasn't going to get very far by me dragging him along.

"Damn you, woman." was all he mumbled before grabbing onto the reins and letting me swing his body over the side of Cesar's back.

"Comfortable?" I asked, looking up at him.

"As I'll ever be."

With that, I took the reins, and began walking towards Coney Island. The wind was gusting, causing my cloak to want to blow right off my body. When I looked up to check on Erik, he too was having a hard time staying situated. On the other side of Coney Island, there was a small doctor's office that was decorated in Christmas lights and garland. Figuring that I'd try this one out, I tied Cesar to a tree, and helped Erik down off his back.

"You ok?" I asked.

"Yes, I just loath doctors is all."

It took a few moments to get Erik inside, but once we were, I sat him down in a nearby chair and signed him in. As I was, the receptionist behind the desk stopped me.

"If this is for you, Madame, we don't treat regulars here; oddities only."

"It's not for me, it's for my friend." I moved aside so the receptionist could see Erik.

"Mister E?" she questioned.

"Yes." God! Everyone in Coney Island knew Erik.

"What's wrong with him?"

I finished filling out the clipboard, and placed the pen down.

"He was beaten by some people a few nights ago. They bashed in his legs, and ever since then, he's had a fever and trouble walking around. I just want the doctor to take a look at him."

She smiled, and took the form I had filled out.

"Right away."

I took my seat beside Erik in the deserted waiting room, and rubbed his leg.

"How do you feel?" I softly asked.

"My legs are bothering me worse than my head."

"I'm sure the doctor will help you."

When I heard a door open, I looked up to see a tall, old man in a white jacket walking towards us.

"Mister E?"

I smiled.

"That's us."

The man smiled, and extended his hand to me.

"I'm Dr. McGrath."

"I'm Christine, and this…"

"Is Mister E, Phantasma's wonderful creator. Yes, I am a fan but never imagined I'd have the pleasure of treating you."

Erik turned from the man, and wrapped his arms around his chest.

"Can we please just get this over with."

"Sure, come this way."

I helped Erik to his feet, and gently walked him to the next room where a examination table was placed.

"Ok, Mister E, I'm going to need you to take off your pants and lay down on the table."

Erik looked at me upon hearing this, but I knew it was only so the doctor could examine his legs. I had Erik lean on my shoulder as I unbuttoned his trousers, and pulled them down to his knees. Afterwards, I helped him lay down on the table where I completely pulled them off.

The doctor ran his fingers over Erik's wounds, and gasped.

"That's horrible."

"They destroyed his leg braces too." I added

"I can give him a pair of new ones. There doesn't seem to be any broken bones, but he should stay off his feet as much as possible."

The doctor wrote this down on Erik's form.

"He has a wound on his head too." I said.

I was then asked to leave the room so Erik could be examined fully, and I stepped out to wait. Erik didn't seem to want me to leave, but I knew it wasn't proper to see him completely naked…. Though lately, the thought of it has interested me. A few moments later, Erik came stumbling out with two new braces on his legs, and a vile filled with pills.

"So anything good?" I asked.

Erik looked down at the vile of pills, and rolled his eyes.

"Well, I'm anemic and apparently underweight. Though vomiting every second of every day doesn't help that matter now does it?"

I could hint the anger in his voice, so I switched the subject.

"What's in the vile?"

"Something to lower my fever and take away some of the pain."

"What about your head?"

"He cleaned it out."

Erik checked his pocket watch, as we walked out.

"Would you like to accompany me into town?"

Erik put away his watch, and climbed atop of Cesar, cringing as he swung his legs over his back.

"Could we possibly go to my workshop?"

Why? Why did Erik feel the need to go there?

"You're sick, Erik. It's best to buy some vegetables and go home."

"Right, but I'd feel much better if you allowed us to go to my workshop for a while."

I wasn't budging, Erik was sick and going home was the best for him.

"No, Erik, we're not going to your workshop."

I took the reigns in my hand, and began to walk Cesar back towards town, but Erik, being the stubborn man that he was, pulled the reins from my hand and stormed past me. I chased after him, almost falling on the ice several times.

"Erik! Stop!" I called after him, hoping he would stop, but he didn't. I chased him all the way to the Phantasma library, where he finally stopped and hopped off Cesar's back. I was completely out of breath by the time I caught up with him.

"So I see you caught up after all." Erik sneered.

Anger was something that didn't come easily to me, but when Erik made me chase after him, I couldn't hold back my anger any longer. I was burning inside to a point where my actions acted faster than my thoughts, and I slapped him hard across the face.

The slap had hurt him so much, that he placed his hand over his cheek.

"Don't ever do that again!" I yelled. "I could have slipped and fallen on the ice, Erik. If you want to kill yourself that's one thing, but don't go risking my life too."

Erik angrily tied Cesar's reins to a pole, and turned to me, his breath showing within the cold atmosphere.

"You're right." he lowered his head. "I shouldn't have done that. I…I don't know what I was thinking. I can be completely selfish sometimes, I'm sorry."

"Well, if you insist on killing yourself, we might as well go inside. We're already here."

"We'll only stay a few minutes."

"And then you'll go shopping with me?"

He nodded. "And then home, I promise."

I followed Erik inside the building that was in darkness, only to gaze at two levels of book shelves. I spun around, amazed at how many books there were.

"This is amazing. I've never seen so many books."

"Well, I needed someplace to keep them all."

"You read all of these?" my jaw dropped. There had to be more than a million books stored here.

"I've had a lot of time on my hands the past ten years. Reading took my mind off of being alone….come along."

I continued following Erik to a bookshelf, where he lifted the spine of a red leather book, causing the whole shelf to open.

I was scared, but followed Erik inside the opening. When it closed behind me, a light came on, and a beautiful workshop appeared. There were models of skeletons lined against the wall, an organ, a couch, and a large work desk placed all around. Along with these objects, there was also a platform set out with a whole scale model of Phantasma. I approached it, and looked at the beautiful hand carved model. There were also carved people set on the rides, and all around the park.

"Erik, it's beautiful."

Within moments, Erik was standing beside me.

"Oh….You…you shouldn't be looking at that."

"Erik, why don't you want me looking at it? Did you do all this?"

"I…I carved everything by hand."

I looked down at the carved people, and ran my fingers over one of them. The carving was of a man with painted slacks, and a flannel shirt.

"Who's this?"

"Nathan….from Nathan's hotdogs."

I smiled; it really did look like him.

"You did a great job."

Erik turned his back to me, and started walking away. I looked back down at the model, and saw something I never seen in Phantasma. It was a model of a small white church with rose bushes surrounding it. I smiled, and bent down to look inside only to gasp in surprise. There at the alter was a hand carved and painted model of Erik standing beside a woman in a wedding dress. I reached inside and took the model of the woman out to get a better look at her. It was me! The woman was me! She had brown curls just like me!

"You even made me?"

Erik was standing close to his desk, but when he seen me holding the model, he came rushing over and grabbed it out of my hand.

"I told you not to look at it."

When he tried to cover the model with a white sheet, I stopped him.

"Erik, it's ok."

His fingers moved over my model, before slowly placing her back into the church beside the model of himself.

"You must understand, Christine, that placing myself around this model of Phantasma is the only thing that keeps me happy."

"But why?"

Erik had tears in his eyes, but never let them fall.

"Because I can control my life the way I want to control it. I can make things happen in this model that I can never make happen in real life."

"Why is the church in this model, but not in Phantasma?"

"Because this church was something I wanted to build for you. I know how much you loved praying to your father, and always thought you were coming back to me. I didn't want to believe you were with Raoul, and for years I waited for you. And when you returned, I was going to have this church built as a surprise….and….and marry you in it…"

Erik threw the sheet on the model, and sadly stumbled back to his desk.

"Stupid dream, right?"

I pulled the sheet off the model, and looked back inside the church. In Erik's mind, his thoughts were beautiful, and yet, I had shattered that beauty. He waited….Erik had waited for me to return to him…He was going to build a church just for me to pray for my father in….Damn me! Damn me for ever leaving him. I reached inside the church, and took out the model of Erik. It looked so much like him, even the painted mask on his face resembled the one he wore. I don't know what came over me, but I placed my lips down on its face, and kissed him.

"It's not a stupid dream." I whispered.

Erik was sitting over at his desk, working on a some sort of rubble that was scattered all over it.

When Erik wasn't looking, I placed the model of the two of us into the pocket of my cloak and turned away. As Erik continued working, I looked under the platform to see a box filled to the brim with some sort of garland. Curious, I pulled out the box and looked inside it.

"Erik, what is this?"

Erik looked up from his work, and sighed.

"Christmas decorations. The first year Phantasma was open I had this crazy idea to open the park for Christmas. I bought the newest decorations no body even had yet and decorated every inch of the park. Only there was a horrible blizzard the night before I was supposed to open, and it didn't end until Christmas was long over. So I took the decorations down, and they've been in that box ever since."

"How come you never tried doing it another year?"

Erik continued with his work as he explained why.

"The winters here have only been getting worse. I decided it was better not to waste my time."

I pulled out some of the garland, and lights that were wound up inside the box.

"Could we decorate the flat with this stuff?"

"If you want to. I have no use for it."

Back when I lived with Raoul, his estate was always draped in garland around Christmas, but the decorations that were in this box were like nothing I had ever seen before. There were things I didn't even know what to call…

Like Erik promised, he finished his work, and stood up.

"Ok, we can go now."

I carried the box as Erik locked up his workshop. Once we were back outside, I tied the box onto Cesar's back and tried to help Erik, but he refused.

"I'm fine."

Once Erik was situated, I began to lead Cesar into town, but had a hard time walking because of the icy patches. I almost fell numerous times, but caught myself before it could happen.

"Christine, why don't you come up here with me? It's better than breaking a leg."

Erik was right, and I found it extremely kind of him to offer.

"Ok."

I threw the reins up to Erik, and he extended his hand to me. I took hold of it, and he lifted me up in front of him.

"You lead the way."

As Cesar trotted into town, I felt Erik wrap his arms around me. It was a strange feeling, and I gasped, but it was a good gasp, not a bad one.

"I'm sorry." Erik said, removing his hands. "I shouldn't have done it."

"No…I like it."

"Really?"

I giggled, and felt Erik's hands wrap themselves back around my waist. I did my shopping quickly to get back home so Erik could rest. I bought a pound of pork, and a few carrots; something just to hold us over until Erik was feeling better. To make it easier on Erik, I dropped him off, and walked Cesar back to the stables. Before leaving him, I fed the faithful stallion, and brushed his mane.

When I made it back to the flat, it had started snowing again, and the wind was picking up. I had expected to find Erik in bed, but he was sitting in his arm chair, staring into the fire.

"I thought you would be in bed."

"I feel better sitting up for now."

While Erik was resting in his chair, I decide to decorate. I pulled some of the garland out of the box, and hung it over the fire place.

"Erik, could you help me decorate? I don't know half of what this stuff is."

I pulled a string of red lights, and placed them around the doorway to our bedroom. I even hung some tiny, silver bells from the wire. I wasn't even done decorating, and the flat already looked so….so romantic and Christmasy.

"Why do you need me?" questioned Erik. "You're doing a great job."

I wanted Erik to help me so badly, I wanted him to participate with me…I reached into the box, and pulled out a strange looking plant with white berries attached to it. I held it to my nose, and smelled it.

"Hey, don't do that."

Erik shot up from his chair, and pulled my hand away from my face.

"It's poisonous."

"Then why is it in the box?"

My back was against the wall, and I felt his body press against my own.

"Don't you know what this is?"

I shook my head. I was telling the truth…I had no idea what it was.

"It's mistletoe."

"Mistle what?"

Erik fingered the leaves, and hung it above the doorway of our bedroom.

"There is a tradition."

"Tell me about it."

I approached Erik, and stood there with him beneath the mistletoe.

"The god Loki in envy killed the handsome god Balder with a dart made from the mistletoe; all other plants having vowed not to harm Balder; the mistletoe, having been overlooked, was therefore used. According to this pagan tradition the mistletoe dart was plucked out of Balder's fatal wound and given to the goddess of love, Freya. From this, came the custom that a man may kiss a woman if he sees her under the mistletoe."

"How do you know this?"

"I read it in a book."

"And you remembered it?"

Erik walked back towards his chair, and took a seat.

"Yes, how could I forget something I've always dreamed of doing? Plus, I also remembered that if the plant is ingested it could kill you."

"Could we eat dinner out here tonight?"

Erik picked up one of his books from the side table and opened it.

"If you'd like."

Life with Erik had changed since I first came here. He used to be filled with nothing but anger, but is seemed more and more that I had been getting through to him day by day. Yes, his anger was still there, but so was his kindness. That evening, we sat there by the fire eating our dinner that I had made, while holding a small conversation. Erik's fever had calmed down a bit, and he was no longer sweating.

"Are you feeling any better?" I asked.

"My fever has come down, but my legs are killing me. I can't get used to my new braces."

I placed down my plate, and lifted Erik's pant legs to remove the contraptions.

"Better?"

"Yes, thanks."

"I'm going to clean up. Why don't you get ready for bed?"

"Will you join me?"

This caught me by surprise. He wanted me to join him? The night before, Erik hated when I moved our beds together, and now he was asking me to join him?

"Um…Yes, in a few minutes."

"Ok. "

"Do you need help getting into bed?"

Erik stood up, and reached for his walking stick.

"I think I'll be ok….If you come in and find me laying on the floor, you know why."

God! And he even cracked a joke…Well, it wasn't too funny, but it's what he meant to do. He even smiled…

I giggled, and walked out into the kitchen to clean up as fast as I could. When the dishes were dried, I turned out the lights, leaving the red Christmas ones around our doorway lit. Erik was sitting up in bed, wearing nothing but his nightshirt, massaging his legs.

After slipping on my nightgown, I crawled playfully up to his legs, and began massaging them. And it was then for the first time, I heard Erik moan orgasmically.

"Oh, Christine!"

When this happened, he pulled away, and apologized over and over again.

"I'm sorry, Christine. I don't know what came over me."

"It's perfectly fine."

I didn't want to admit it, but for some odd reason, I found the way Erik groaned incredibly sexy. When he sang, he hypnotized me, and when he groaned, it paralyzed me.

I continued to massage his legs, while he laid there relaxing himself.

"Oh, Christine, I've never had someone do this to me before."

"And how does it feel?" I teased.

"Wonderful."

"I'm glad."

"But what of the scars? Do they not bother you? Do my twisted legs not disgust your angelic eyes?"

"No, you can't help what happened to you."

"Lay with me."

Never had Erik asked me to do such a thing. I laid down beside him, and nuzzled my face into his neck. I laid there in silence, taking in the wonderful feeling of laying up against a man. It had been so many years since the last time I had done this. The only time Raoul ever let me lay against him was after we made love, which had been years ago. Most nights I would lay alone in bed without a body to lean against. Erik wasn't even my husband, and yet, he was letting me lay like this. I closed my eyes, and inhaled the wonderful smell of his cologne, but just smelling him wasn't enough…I had to taste him. My lips brushed up against his neck, and soon indulged into his flesh.

"Oh…."

Erik was speechless, completely speechless. I don't know how it happened, but soon my lips were feverishly nipping at his neck as Erik pleaded my name over and over again.

"Christine, Christine…no, no, please….god…yes…yes…no.."

But what was I doing? I had finally gotten Erik's trust, and what do I do? This! When I pulled away, Erik and I both stared at each other, heaving and out of breath.

I waited for Erik's anger to come out, but he only looked at me, his eyes wide in astonishment.

"G…Goodnight, Christine." he said this in the calmest voice I had ever heard, right before turning over.

"Have I upset you?" I asked. "I'm sorry, really…."

"Y…You've done nothing wrong." I heard him say.

Why? Why had I done that? I laid there, looking up at the ceiling. And it was then I heard the most beautiful words.

"Goodnight, mon ange…"

My heart stopped within my chest. Mon Ange? He hadn't called me that in years. He used to call me by that name back in Paris when he was happy. Was Erik happy? Had me sucking on his neck melt his icy heart? Was Erik happy again? Only time would tell…..And I hoped to god, he was, because I wanted to taste him again….If there was one thing I knew, it was that I would never be able to fulfill the hunger my body felt for the man laying beside me….I was starving for him. Perhaps I couldn't bear to look at his face without fear, but the body and heart attached to it was my true love…

Ok everyone, more to come soon! Please, Please, Please review!