So this is a really short chapter. I know it's been like a year or so since I've updated this. Been hectic, serious writer's block, etc. etc.. The intent of this chapter is to let people know I haven't forgotten this story, and I intend to finish it. Also I'm sick so this chapter may be bad, but like I said I just want to let people know I'm still here, and this story will have an end.

Erik

My eyes fluttered open to a dark room. All the candles were out, and the curtains were drawn. The first thing that I noticed was the cold. When Christine was with me, I was never cold. I felt her side of the bed. It was empty. Fear shot through my body. Where could she be? Surely if she were in the room there would be a candle lit.

"Christine?" I whispered to the silent, dark room. As expected, there was no reply. I shot out of the bed, and slipped my pants on. Thankfully, my eyes have always been well suited for the darkness. I easily put on all my clothes without lighting a single candle. When I finally did light a candle, I searched the room for any notes to say where she had gone. There were none. Could someone have taken her? No, they wouldn't take her and leave me untouched. She must have gone somewhere. Why wouldn't she tell me though?

Cautiously, I cracked open the door to the hallway. There was nothing of interest; only a few people staying at the hotel. I closed the door and sank back onto the bed. I wanted to go and look for her, but I knew I could only take that risk if I knew her to be in true danger. Christine and I had been practically inseparable for the past week. Even though I'd lived my life in loneliness, the feeling felt so foreign. How can someone's whole outlook on life change in such a short time?

The sound of the door opening caught my attention. Christine, her head almost covered in a scarf, came through the door, struggling with several bags. I quickly ran to her side and took the bags from her. They were filled with food and other supplies.

"Sorry," she said. "I had hoped you would still be asleep."

I sat the bags on the floor. "You scared the hell out of me."

She removed her scarf, letting her dark curls fall over her shoulders. "We needed supplies. We can't live off of small loaves of bread," she explained. "I know I should have told you I was going out, but you looked so peaceful when I left. I didn't have the heart to wake you. Plus I knew you'd try and stop me." She looked at me with big eyes, begging my forgiveness.

I grabbed her and brought her into a hug. "Christine, going out was very stupid." I let her out of the hug. "But you're right. It had to be done."

Weakly, she smiled. "I got us enough supplies to last for a few days hopefully." She tried to sift through the bags, but I stopped her and kissed her.

"I love you," I whispered, burying my face in her curls.

"I love you too," she replied.

"Next time, leave a note."

Mr. Barrett

I held up the drawing of the young Christine Daae to the shop keeper. She was an old woman with graying hair and wild eyes that were covered with a pair of spectacles. She examined the drawing intensely with those strange eyes.

"Yep, that's her," she said in a deep, raspy voice.

"You're sure?" I took the drawing from her, and tucked it neatly in my coat pocket.

The old woman nodded. "I've seen her before. She's been in here a few times with those ballet twats."

"Do you know which way she went?" I inquired.

The woman shrugged. "No, she just bought some food…bread, fruit, vegetables…and was gone without hardly saying a word. It was busy when she came. I could hardly see the door when she was leaving."

"Was she alone?" I continued as I grabbed the drawing from her old, skinny fingers. I folded it neatly and placed it in my suit pocket.

"I'm pretty sure she was," the woman answered.

I nodded to the woman and handed her a couple of francs. "For your time," I told her. Then I left the small shop. Christine Daae was in the area still. Could she have escaped the Phantom? Surely he would not let his prisoner wonder so freely around. If she was free then why would she have not contacted those who care about her? Of course all rumors of the Phantom portray him to be a rather crafty man. Either he's found some way to keep her on a loose chain, or there is more to this story than Mr. De Chagny knows.

Erik

"Do you think you were followed?" I slipped a grape into my mouth as I spoke to Christine. We were eating fresh fruit in bed. The whole scene felt rather serene considering our dire circumstances. Christine was nestled with her head on my shoulder, wrapped in my arms. Normally we were quiet with each other. It was strange how our love could be felt without words. We didn't need to talk to enjoy each other's company.

"I don't think so. I took several wrong turns to try and throw off any one that might try and follow me," she explained. My smart angel. I smiled and kissed her dark curls.

"You continue to amaze me Christine."

"We can't stay here long, you know? "

I nodded in agreement. Every moment spent here was risky. It was difficult to know how to get out of the city, however. Without actually being able to go and investigate myself, I honestly had no idea for the best course of action to take. Getting word to Nadir would be the best thing to do. He would be able to get out of the city and then the hopefully the country. After all, he had helped me do it before. My only hope was that he would be willing to stick his neck out for me again.

"I'm going to send word to my friend, Nadir Khan," I told Christine.

"The man who helped you escape from Persia?" Christine asked.

"The very same. Last I heard he was living in Paris," I replied. I pulled out a pocket watch from my bag and looked at the time. It wasn't even noon yet. I couldn't go out until nightfall. I knew how to hide myself in the darkness. "We'll go as soon as it's night time," I told her. It felt good to have a plan of action, a step to do next. My entire life I had always known the next step. Christine actually choosing me had been a surprise, a good one, but nonetheless it threw me off course. Then the damn Viscount had to shoot me. That had also been a surprise. Had Christine not chosen me, I likely would have given myself to the mob. When I told her to leave with Raoul I had expected to die. I wanted to die. Her rejection would have been the final blow to make me give up on this life. But she chose me, and although it had changed things, I would not give up until my final breath.

"We have a long time until nightfall," Christine stated, trying to act nonchalant. She leaned back on the bed stretching her arms up and exposing more of the tops of her breasts. It did not take a genius to get the hint.

As I lay down beside her I placed a kiss on her collar bone and wrapped my arm around her tiny waist. With her beautiful amber eyes glued to mine, she turned to her side to face me. I remember only months ago when those stunning eyes had looked at me so innocently for guidance. Now there was nothing innocent in her stare. She had the gaze of an experienced woman ready to seize what she wanted and protect what she loved.

I combed a finger through her thick locks of chocolate curls. Her hair was so soft and it always seemed to smell of roses. As my fingers graced her chin she caught my hand in hers and placed a delicate kiss upon it. The sweet action shot fire through my body.

"I still can't believe you're here," I whispered as I buried my face into her hair. "I can't believe you chose to be mine."

She moved closer to me, wrapping her arms and her legs around my body. "Are you sure you don't believe it?" she asked with a devilish grin.

She didn't know how unbelievable this was for me. "I'm not accustomed to happiness Christine. It's a foreign feeling. I might even venture to say it frightens me. Now that I've finally gotten it, I fear that it might be torn from me at any moment."

A small frown came upon her rose red lips. "Don't talk like that," she glowered, her eyes filled with sadness.

"It's the truth Christine. We would be naive to doubt it." I sat up in the bed with my arms wrapped around my knees. She sat up with me. "It is unlikely the world will forget what I've done. They'll never stop hunting me. We'll likely have to leave Europe forever. That's if we even make it that far. For all I know we could be caught, and I could be at the gallows by the week's end."

Her soft hand came upon my back and traced its way down my spine. "You won't get caught. I saw what you did to those men with Madame Giry. The police are out of their league with you, Erik. We'll get out of the city…alive."

"But what if we don't? What if you have to watch me die?" I looked into her eyes. "Could you handle that?" I thought of the dream I had…the pain she felt. She had not chosen the easy life when she chose me.

"Stop talking of such things, Erik." She got out of the bed and began to pace the room. I got up behind her and wrapped her in my arms. She buried her head in my shoulder.

"I just want you to be prepared, my love. I've never known the world to be kind, and I can't imagine things will change easily," I whispered.

There were tears in her eyes when she lifted her head to look at me. "If that's true…then this may be the last moments we have together." She placed a kiss upon my lips. "We better make the most of them."