Ah yes, what to tell her.

Erik wasn't at all sure what his answer would be; to admit that he was spying on her was out of the question. He hadn't expected to see her tonight- he had merely wanted to be close by. His growing need to be with her had led him here tonight, and he didn't look too closely as to why he was sitting there- perhaps he meant to approach the girl after her shift was over. From the very start he'd been watching her; the first time he followed her to the Walmart store, he set out to use her for his own reasons, but how quickly that changed. He'd had no intention of getting involved with Christine, but seeing the man arguing with her that night, brought out an emotion he never knew existed within himself.

The urge to protect.

An odd circumstance for him, to be sure; he had never put anyone before his own needs in his entire life. He would give anything to erase his miserable past and present her with a life worthy of her love; a face boring in its normality, but those were pipe dreams already dreamt long ago. The greatest test for his newly formed love, would be to leave here when this business was concluded, and let her get on with her life.

But not yet.

Someone had tried to harm her tonight. It may very well have been a simple robbery attempt, but his instinct told him that was not the case. Something niggled at his mind; some thought that had briefly been there, then like a wisp of smoke, it dissipated leaving behind an unsettled feeling. When he had flown up the stairs in the wake of the intruder, his only thought was to get to Christine before he did. His struggle with the man had been brief. And then it occurred to him. The intruder used tactics that were tailored for the military; he had been given some instruction in hand to hand combat, but Erik was more than familiar with those tactics as well, and was able to overcome the man, throwing him into the wall.

He recovered quickly and fled down the stairs, but not without injury, he surmised- possibly a broken arm. He could have successfully apprehended him, but his fear for Christine was greater than a foot chase at the time. Something was not right. He needed to talk with the Persian and soon.

With that in mind, he answered her. "I wanted to see you, Christine," he said smoothly, and it was the truth. "Since you could not join me, I decided to wait for you; I thought perhaps you would like a cup of coffee after you finished here. I was sitting in my car when I saw the man breaking into the shop."

She put her hand over his and squeezed it lightly. "I'm just glad you were here. I'm going to call the police, then get hold of Lillian. If you don't want to wait for me, I'll understand."

"I will wait."

He stayed with her a few minutes after she placed her calls, then walked up the street to his car and drove the short distance to the lot, parking next to Christine's Malibu. He settled himself in the driver's seat and called Nadir. The Persian answered his phone almost immediately, and Erik quickly filled him in on the events of the evening, all the while watching the front and sides of Timeless Treasures. He could see Christine through the window, and as he stood guard, a squad car turned into the parking lot, followed ten minutes later by a white sedan. A woman exited the car and walked quickly into the store. The owner no doubt.

"Daroga, I wish for you to discover something for me, if you will; Philippe de Chagny's whereabouts after his service with the U.S. Navy Seals." He wearily raked a hand through his hair.

"Allah, Erik. And why would de Chagny want to harm the Daae woman? What purpose would it serve?"

"Merde, daroga! How do the Americans say it? Hunch. Yes, I have a hunch. Le geneur (the intruder) had fight training; he was not a petty thief."

"What does Ms. Daae have to do with your activities in Pennsylvania?"

He could almost sense Erik's displeasure at the question, so he hastened to say, "I will find out what I can, but tell me- how much does the young lady know about your reason to be in Gettysburg? You were going to use her for information about Chagny- did you?"

"There was no need for that." His mouth turned up in a humorless smile. "I was able to accomplish that on my own. Le petite jeune fille was not required. She thinks I am a real estate developer for French interests in the United States, and that is how it shall remain. I do not want her involved in any way. Is that clear?" he warned.

"Yes...yes, very clear. What about Moncharmin? Have you spoken with him?"

"I will be seeing him soon- tomorrow in fact. He should have the guest list for the ball by then."

The Persian hesitated, then plunged ahead with his question. "Forgive me for asking, my friend, but are you developing an interest in the young lady? A dangerous thing to do at this time, is it not?"

"Forgive me, my good friend, but that is none of your damned business!"

"Very well, Erik, but I think you just answered that particular question in your own inestimable way."

"Daroga, I would very much appreciate anything you can find out for me regarding Philippe de Chagny, n'est-ce pas?." Irritated, he ended the call and continued watching the store across the street.

He slouched down in his seat, his long legs already feeling cramped in the small space. Nadir Khan was his only friend and he trusted the man with his very life, but occasionally he could closely resemble a donkey's ass. Thirty-five minutes after his phone call, the police exited the store and drove away. A few minutes later Christine was out the door and Erik quickly left his car, sprinting to her side.

"Nothing was stolen. The cops think something scared him off before he could harm me or steal anything." She put her arm through his as they walked to her car.

The rain had finally stopped, but the clouds were still prevalent; the sickly moon riding in the sky was mostly hidden. A brisk breeze had sprung up, ruffling Christine's blonde hair.

"They said I'm a lucky girl." She squeezed his thin arm and said softly, "I think they're right."

He opened her door and she quickly got in the driver's seat, rolling down her window. "Lillian gave me the day off tomorrow with pay. She's still in there doing some inventory, but not for long."

Christine started her car and he leaned down to the open window. "I will follow you back to the house."

She nodded and pulled out of the lot, Erik close behind her. She was tired. It had been a long, eventful day with moments of pure fright, which left her exhausted, but upon leaving her car when they arrived back at the house, he suggested a cup of coffee. She accepted, and together they made their way upstairs to his apartment. She perched herself on a chair and watched him as he made the strong French roast he preferred. She admired the grace and economy of movement that was his unique style as he worked.

In minutes he set a cup of coffee before her and added a healthy dollop of brandy to it. She started to protest the liquor, but he stopped her. "It will help you sleep tonight, ma petite." He sat down across from her and took a sip from his own mug.

"Erik, I can't tell you how thankful I am that you were there tonight." She put her cup down and reached for his hand, threading her fingers through his. "That's the second time you've been there for me. You're my guardian angel," she said softly.

He looked at their joined hands, then at her tired face. He cursed his inability to stay away from her, but was glad he couldn't; if he hadn't been there tonight, she quite possibly would have been physically harmed- or worse. She was with every heartbeat, burrowing deeper into his soul.

Reluctantly, he pulled his hand away. "Drink up Christine and get some sleep," he said quietly. He poured a little more brandy into his empty coffee cup and took a swallow of it.

She finished her coffee and rose from the table. She felt as though she was being dismissed, but it was getting late, so she picked up her mug and put it in the sink. Erik walked with her to the door.

"Bonne nuit, ma petite. Sleep well."

"After that wonderful nightcap, I intend to." She smiled sleepily at him and moved closer, putting her arms around his narrow waist and hugging him tight. "Thank you," she whispered into his shirt.

He was momentarily caught off guard, but soon he was closing his eyes and leaning into her warmth. His arms stole around her and pulled her close; he nearly groaned at the heavenly feel of her in his arms. Standing on her toes, she slid her hands up his chest and around his neck bringing his head down. Her mouth found his, and on a rising tide of sensations, they stayed locked together, tasting and teasing with their lips until the necessity to breathe forced them apart.

He sought her mouth again, then trailed cool kisses down her neck and back up to the sensitive area behind her ear, eliciting a low moan from her, all the while murmuring soft endearments. She shivered at the sound of his beautiful voice speaking to her in his native tongue- she knew some French, and was oddly pleased that he would call her his little love. He felt wholly alive and vital, more so than at any time in his life as he held her closer and felt his control beginning to slip away. He needed to take this slow. Erik had a feeling she was no more experienced than he was, but he must be nearly twice her age, and by that very fact should have a care as to how he proceeded. But when it came to affairs of the heart, he was no older than Christine.

Kissing was a new and wonderful feeling for him. He felt out of his depth, but not in a bad way. The fact that she had initiated this, left him confused; no one had ever wanted to be this close to him, but in no way did he want it to end. Far from it.

He would like- no, he needed much, much more. The tip of his tongue darted out and hesitantly touched the corner of her mouth, and her lips parted for him, her fingers tangling in the black hair at the nape of his neck. Feeling a little braver, he licked her bottom lip and she gave out a soft sigh. Emboldened, he slipped his tongue into her mouth, and with a bright bolt of pleasure, he felt hers shyly meet it.

He groaned at the feel of her moist little tongue against his and cupped her face with trembling hands, trailing his mouth down to her throat and placing kisses there. They held each other tightly, both taking pleasure from the other. Erik opened one eye and squinted at the bed. He wanted her on it- lying in his arms. Lying beneath him.

She clutched him tighter, and giving in to the sensations he was arousing in her, she reached for his hand and placed it on her breast. She smiled when he gasped and very slowly moved his fingers, feeling her softness. His mouth was latched on hers again, and she welcomed this assault on her senses as his lips moved across hers with more confidence than what he'd shown with their first kiss. Her hands began a journey down his thin flanks, stopping at his hips, and tugging him against her. He groaned in pleasure. She could feel his desire, and with a jolt realized they should end this now. They were both enjoying themselves far too much, and she knew it would go no further than this- not yet anyway, and for that reason alone she refused to tease him. Reluctantly, she kissed him one last time and pulled away.

He shuddered and raised his head, breathing hard. Christine's hands had been fisted in the fabric of his coat, and she had to stop herself from reaching for him again. She was sure the first time he kissed her, that he was inexperienced; she just knew from his reactions that he didn't often find himself this close to a woman. It left her wondering how a man of his age could be so hesitant around the opposite sex. Most younger men she was acquainted with were trying in their own clumsy way to get to first base with her on the first date. Their minds were centered on only one thing- getting in her pants.

Erik, however, was different. He was cautiously feeling his way forward like a novice, unsure of himself around the ladies. In her opinion, a man with experience would still be trying to get in her pants, only be much better at it. Her reasoning was sound- he was much older than her, and most men became fairly promiscuous at an earlier age than women. Surely he would have had other relationships. Sexual relationships- lovers. Who knows? Maybe he's even married. She snorted to herself. Yeah, right. You're not exactly a pro in that department yourself, so how would you know, Christine? He might be stringing you along just like a freakin' Don Juan.

But there had been an innocence present in his kiss that first time, which told her he was unschooled in the romance department. The mask? Had he been ostracized because of his face? The thought of his possible isolation from others filled her with sadness, and she reached for him again and placed one last kiss on his cheek. Her breathing was only now beginning to slow, and her mouth still felt the sweet pressure from his.

She had been kissed many times before this. By men who considered themselves well skilled, and although it had been pleasant, it never moved her to the point where she was ready to climb into bed with any of them. Erik, on the other hand, was supremely proficient and confident in everything it seemed except women and the pursuit of them. But after his performance tonight, she wasn't so sure. He was able to do what other men had failed at with her. She had become so wrapped up in what they were doing, she looked at the bed across the room and pictured them both on it. He's a fast learner, all right. Imagine what kissing him will be like when he gets really good at it. If you're not careful, you'll be on your back before you know it...

He reluctantly backed away from her, putting some much needed distance between them. He wanted Christine more than he'd ever wanted anything, but he would never harm her.

They stood there staring intensely at each other, both perhaps realizing at the same time, that a line had just been crossed.