Speak for Me; Use My Voice

Let go of the hurt inside and figure out why you love me.

Christine sped through each intersection, her daughter wailing in the back seat. Charlotte had not been fed yet and evidently, she hadn't stopped crying either.

Somehow, the curly haired ballerina managed to tune out the cry child behind her, with each red light she continued to run.

Three rings, that's all it took for Christine to recognize that she probably made a horrible mistake.

He was probably pacing the foyer, his phone clutched in his hand against his ear so hard, his hand was turning red.

In his unbuttoned shirt, Christine could just imagine the anger that Erik was emanating. He probably stayed up all night calling every person he knew, just to get a location on her and his son.

Yet again... Who wouldn't?

With one hand still on the wheel, Christine reached over with her other shaky hand and slid the little green button sideways, anticipating her doom.

"H-Hello?"

"H-Hello?"

Erik sighed a big sigh, in total relief from the entire situation.

"Christine, you're alright."

Erik very well knew that remaining calm was the only way to resolve anything between Christine and him right now.

'I am. Charlotte finally fell asleep," Erik smiled on his side of the phone. "Been crying ever since I left the house."

The air that hit Erik's uncovered face was brisk, something he much enjoyed feeling in the heat of the night. Carefully, Erik's worn fingertips grazed the scarring, the stretched out skin on what used to be his cheek. He was perfectly content though, listening to Christine go on and on about her drive. She loved seeing the stars and the waning moon. Erik only wished for her happiness and him more than anyone else, recognizes that being alone and away from Erik may be the only way to achieve that blissful feeling - as sad as that sounds.

"Christine?" Erik's voice was quiet, his free hand shoved into his pocket.

"Yes?" Christine looked around the empty street, not knowing where to go or even why.

"I want you to know something." The unmasked man cleared his throat, his eyes shut tightly, as he took a very long and drawn-out breath. "I want you to know that no matter how many times you flee or imagine a scenario without me, I will always, always, love you. Perhaps, you do flee, and that time for good - I will still and always love you. Do you understand that, Christine?"

Erik paused, waiting for Christine to respond. There was nothing more he wanted from her.

As seven minutes went by and silence took over their conversation, Erik finally heard Christine make a small sound - breathing out to form her sentence. Christine could only think of two responses - neither of which Erik will take lightly.

"I understand, Erik," Christine began. "I want you to know something as well."

"Go ahead, Christine. I'm listening."

Christine sighed, rubbing her eye as she pulled over to a vacated curb. The car was still running, a sound Charlotte found overwhelmingly peaceful. Christine sat back in the driver's seat, her sweater keeping her warm. She never wanted it to end like this - even if this wasn't the end.

Christine slowly glanced into her rear view mirror, watching the small chest of her daughter rise and fall to the beat that the car engine was emitting. She couldn't believe that Charlotte was her daughter. Sometimes Christine didn't believe it and somewhere deep inside of her, somewhere people do not like talking about, she wished it wasn't true.

Erik didn't deserve the pain she caused him. From the day she submitted that lewd essay for his entertainment, she knew she caused him nothing, but grief and probably, more grief.

She continuously lied to him, not wanting him to know the gruesome truth about her past.

Day after day, she blamed him, then ran away to a place she could only make herself believe was the safest place.

She never meant to hurt anybody - especially not Erik.

He deserved someone who was much better to him - much kinder and not at all as scared of the commitment it took to be in a relationship with someone, 16 years old than them.

He deserved someone who was not Christine.

"I want you to know that we cannot be together anymore," Christine was forcing back tears, trying not to wake her sleeping daughter in the back seat. "But I want you to also know that I do love you and always will." Christine tried so hard to keep back the roaring river of tears that was approaching. "Do you understand me, Erik?"

Christine waited nineteen minutes for Erik to respond. All she constricted to listen to in those nineteen minutes was his heavy breathing, as he noticeably, set down his phone somewhere and walked off into the distance.

The elongated break was killing her, she was sure.

Impatient Christine grew, fidgety in the driver's seat and antsy for some sort of response.

Finally, the paramount moment had arrived and all Christine could do was shut her eyes and brace herself for the worst to come.

"Yes. I do understand that, Christine," Erik began, his voice more calm than Christine originally expected it to be. "Unfortunately though, my dear Christine... I do not accept this."

"What do you mean?" Christine, thoroughly confused, began to drive home, not knowing what else to do.

"What I meant was, yes - I understand you, but no - this is unacceptable."

"I still don't understand, Erik."

AS Christine ventured home, she took a deep breath and waited for Erik's response.

Again, as she braced herself for the worst to come, Erik only had one thing in mind.

"You will understand, Christine. Just wait and see... Just wait and see."

Click and he was gone - and Christine, she disappeared into the night without a trace.

If only she knew that nothing was going to be the same.

Nothing.

A/N: This chapter is sooooooo short, but I promise the next one is worth this quick skim!