Guess who's sick again? It's meeeeee! Fever and all. Mixed with allergies thanks to these blooming pear trees (that landscapers decided needed to be eeeeverywhere... that sounds like it should be an old-fashioned curse. Blooming pear trees!... I'm on so much Dayquil right now...)

Anyway! Let's see what Erik's up to, shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallll we?

Onward!

xxx

The walk to the Shah's bedroom was not one he was overly familiar with, but he knew of its location simply for the sake of avoiding it.

There was no light shining beneath the door, and Erik opened it ever so gently to ensure he could maintain some measure of surprise. He rolled his eyes when he heard the snores. It surprised him somewhat that the man had not locked his own door, but evidently he was so secure with his own importance, the knowledge that he supposedly had commanded enough loyalty from his men that such precautions were not deemed necessary. Erik drifted to the thick draperies, grabbing the tie-back. Not the typical length for his favored weapon, but it would prove adequate enough. He quickly knotted it, the tassel proving a garish addition that he did not particularly care for, but it would function well enough.

He moved closer to the bed, to the sleeping figure resting within it, and surveyed the immediate area for signs of any weaponry. It was possible a knife or even a gun was situated beneath the numerous pillows, but there was nothing immediately evident.

Erik threw his voice to the corner of the room, the man beside him jumping even in his sleep at the thunderous sound. "Sleeping well, Shah?"

The man bolted upright, his hand scrambling both with the bedside lamp and the nightstand drawer. He managed to hit the switch, the room suddenly filled with light.

Erik worked quickly. He flung his makeshift lasso and pulled it tight, his other hand easing open the drawer and removing a gun. He tucked it into his waistband, his other hand keeping the choking figure immobile. "Surprise," he murmured, finding some amount of satisfaction at the sudden turn in their fortunes. "Did you think I would simply allow you to do as you pleased without consequence?"

The Shah glared at him, doing an admirable job of squelching any signs of fear. Erik did not release his hold enough for him to speak. There was no purpose in it. "I am still debating about killing you," he mused thoughtfully. "I see the merit in doing so, would you not agree? You have proven incapable of moving beyond the past, which could make you a potential threat to the quiet future I desire." He tightened the noose, still pondering, relishing the gurgled sound of discomfort that the Shah released. He loosened it just slightly. "But the authorities are coming, and there is a certain justice in the knowledge that you will while away the rest of your days in a prison cell. Caged. Watched. Humiliated. Does that sound at all familiar?"

The man wheezed in enough breath to comment. "I should have left you to rot in that camp," he spat out hatefully. "You've caused me nothing but grief."

Erik smiled. "Good. I should hate to think I have proved a benefit to you."

Killing him would be easy. A tighter hold, muscles straining as he constricted the rope until this man merely ceased to exist. And yet...

He hesitated.

A flash of gold catching his eye. The bastard was wearing Christine's necklace about his own neck. As if he had that right. He pulled the chain hard, breaking the clasp as he did so, his disgust evident. Erik slipped the ring onto his own finger for safekeeping.

"Just kill me and be done," the Shah bit out angrily. "You've already ruined everything else in my life. Why not simply take it altogether?"

Why did he not? So easy, just a twist of his wrist and it would be over. He did not even have to strangle him. Breaking his neck would be simple enough.

"My wife asked if I was sorry for what I had done. I told her I was." Erik tightened the noose, effectively cutting off the Shah's remaining oxygen. The struggles renewed with vicious vigor. "And I think that I was right."

Sirens blared in the distance, and for once Erik was glad of them. The police were coming, would cart away these men and their ridiculous vendettas. He could take away his injured wife and tend to her properly, bring her tea and settle her on the couch with all of her favorite films, plying her with all the things she had shown him were good and comforting.

The police were obviously coming closer, and he wondered if Samuel had managed to find a way to escape the house. It did not matter to him if he had not, so long as he left Christine alone. Erik stilled at the thought, suddenly feeling it urgent that he return to her.

A hostage was always a useful tool, and he prayed that Samuel would not prove so cruel. If he did, there was no mistaking that Erik would see to his demise.

Erik released the noose when he heard the cars upon the gravel drive, heard doors slamming as officers arrived.

He stepped back, looking at the man before him with a strange apathy, before pulling the gun free. The safety was not engaged, and it took but a moment, a quick pull of the trigger to cause it to fire.

The Shah screamed and cursed, his glare intense as he clutched at his leg. "You son of a bitch. You shot me!"

Erik strode back toward the door, keeping the gun leveled should he have another weapon close at hand. "You will receive no argument from me on either charge. Enjoy prison. I cannot say that I envy you for it."

And with that, the Shah's voice screaming for his goon, for Samuel to hurry up and kill Erik for this insult, Erik hurried back down the stairs to check on his Christine.

Some vice about his heart released when he saw her on that shoddy pallet, her eyes wide and fearful as they heard the bang of the front door being bashed in, the screech of the alarm as it announced their intruders.

Erik hurried forward, tucking the gun away before scooping her into his arms, holding her close and reassuring himself that she was safe. "Erik? What's going on?"

His heart was pounding, his blood loud in his own ears even as relief coursed through him. He would not truly relax again, not until he was away from the police and was certain that nothing would part him from his Christine, but even so...

His throat was tight at the realization that someone had actually come when he had called. Perhaps not solely for his benefit. Perhaps the man had only conjured his compatriots simply to release Christine from her captivity, but still it was enough.

He had needed help, and it was offered.

"The Daroga has brought his cavalry," he assured her, nestling her all the closer. "And I brought you something."

It took some maneuvering, but he managed to retrieve her father's ring and he immediately saw her gratitude, her joy at its return as she held the ring tightly between her palms. "How did you..." She shook her head. "Never mind. Just... thank you."

"Anything for you, Christine. Anything at all."

There was a commotion upstairs and Erik held Christine a little tighter, drawing her to the corner of the room beneath the stairs so they would not be readily visible by any who descended. Erik would take no chances.

The sound of footsteps above them and the odd scuff of the door being pushed off its hinges made Christine burrow even closer. "It'll be okay, won't it?" she whispered, her voice thick with tears and fear and possibly just a little bit of hope.

To Erik's surprised, it sounded as if the door was being repositioned to give the impression of being closed, and he tensed as a figure descended slowly, a gun drawn.

"Erik?"

He relaxed somewhat, even as his tone remained terse. "You may put away your weapon, unless you intend to shoot either of us. Though if that is the case, I suggest leaving before I end you here and now."

Christine looked up at him with wide eyes, and he brushed a kiss across her temple. "Just watch," he murmured softly, and they saw the Daroga lower his gun, holstering it completely when he made it fully into the room and evidently was satisfied that there were no other occupants.

Nadir nodded toward Christine. "Are you all right? An ambulance is on its way."

Erik forced away a wince. He would surrender her to a medical examination if she felt that she required one, though every part of him rebelled. He wanted to whisk her away, to shelter her somewhere private so he could tend to her in peace, with no prying eyes, no conflicting opinions.

But her needs came first.

"Erik took care of me," she answered, shimmying somewhat in an apparent desire to be put down. Erik hesitated but ultimately relented. She was not his captive.

She glanced between the two men, and Erik wondered what she saw. So much must still be confusing to her. She had not been privy to the Shah's reasons for their abduction, nor his jaunt to the study to contact the Daroga. Yet she did not pester for answers, only looked so unbearably tired and his desire to remove her from this place became even more imperative. "What will happen to us now?" she questioned the detective, swaying slightly on her feet. Erik looped his arm about her waist, supporting her. Too many drugs and an abundance of adrenaline were obviously proving too much for her.

"What would you like to happen?" The Daroga asked carefully, his eyes straying toward Erik. He stiffened, his eyes narrowing, his fingers itching to reach for the gun and force him to leave the room. But he could not. Not now. Not with Christine present.

Erik expected him to press Christine for details of her time with him. To demand she explain their relationship and whether or not she was truly with him willingly. But instead Nadir stood patiently, waiting for her to speak with a look that bordered on compassion.

Perhaps the man could learn after all.

Christine shivered, her arms coming to tuck about her torso, mindful of her wounds. "I just want to go home." She glanced up at Erik, her eyes nearly pleading with him. "We can go home now, can't we? It's all over?"

He would have liked to have rubbed her arm to create some warmth, but her bandages precluded such an action. "Whatever you desire, Christine."

He only wished he knew what home he had to offer her.

The Daroga stepped a little nearer, watching the two of them with calculating eyes, still saying nothing. Until he turned his head, evidently speaking into a radio to the people beyond. "The basement is clear. No one present. Did you secure the rest of the house?"

Erik could not hear the answer, but Nadir nodded to himself, looking pleased. He turned his attention back to Erik. "The Shah is in custody. Got a hole in his leg. Know anything about that?"

Erik gave a little shrug. "I cannot say that I do."

To his surprise, the Daroga smirked back at him. "I'll make sure they're occupied out front so you can take Christine out the back." Erik merely blinked at him, and Nadir sighed. "I believe you, all right? I believe that you haven't been murdering people all this time, I believe that you care about that girl next to you. And from the way she's leaning into you, I'd say the feeling is pretty mutual. Just... do me a favor and stay out of trouble, got it? Find a nice place somewhere and just... go be happy with her. Make her happy."

Words failed him, too overwhelmed was he by this strange turn of events. He had expected that he would need to disarm the Daroga and make his escape, dodging the rest of the police as he took Christine to safety.

But to know that he was genuinely being helped... that his innocence was believed.

He was strangely pleased.

"How many men did you arrest?"

"Two. The Shah and one of his men. Poor bastard never saw it coming, had the TV on too loud." The Daroga frowned. "Too few, isn't it? Should have had more guards and security."

Erik nodded. "There was a third, who evidently was meant to have... taken my place. He likely committed the crimes you so kindly sought to charge me with."

Nadir sighed again. "We'll look into it. Though if he is anything like you, the chances of finding him probably aren't good." His eyes narrowed as he regarded the both of them. "You'll need transportation." He dug a set of keys from his pocket and tossed them to Erik. "It's the black sedan out front. Leave it somewhere I can find it, okay?"

Erik stared down at them, still struggling to understand all that was occurring, until suddenly Christine was tugging on his sleeve, drawing his attention. "Can we please leave now? I know it's important to talk about everything that... happened, but maybe later? I don't... I really don't want to be here anymore."

Erik looked to the Daroga who nodded, turning from them both and making his way back up the stairs. He turned back only briefly, his expression difficult to fully decipher. "Take care of each other," he stated simply, before making his way through the door beyond.

"Home, Erik," Christine insisted.

"I know, Christine," Erik assured her. "But where precisely is that?"

And when she faltered, there was no denying his need to hold her, to carry her from this place. To take her past the lingering officers, into the world beyond.

"Home is wherever you are," she murmured quietly against his shoulder. "So wherever you think is best."

And in that moment, he needed the familiar. Needed to take her someplace safe and quiet where they could both begin to heal.

So he took her to the only home they had both known.

He took her to the theatre.

Sooo... What do you think? Did Erik do the right thing? A rare thing for him (and me!) to let him live... Thoughts?

And I think Erik and Christine could use some alone time right about now... do you like that Nadir came through for them? Also a bit shocking coming from me...