I stood outside of our home, my hand shaking on the handle as I turned it to enter. I felt terrible for everything that had taken place, for I had been the one to wave Erik onto that stage. Our home was in darkness, and I slowly entered, finding Erik standing beside the window that faced the ocean. His attire body was covered in stains from the food that had been thrown at him, and I could see that he was nervously shaking.

"Erik…"I placed my hands onto his shoulders, causing him to gasp in fright and move from my touch.

"Erik, it's all right."

"Is it?" he cried, tossing me the ad from tonight's performance.

"Erik, I had no idea. I would have never agreed to that if I had known."

"Even my music cannot save me, Christine. I…I am nothing but a monster to everyone, even you."

"No!" I cried. "And I feel terrible for waving you onto that stage. You didn't deserve that."

I turned Erik to face me, finding that his cheek was covered in particles of food that had been thrown at his poor face.

"Let's get you cleaned up."

This should have been a happy night, one that was filled with laughter and joy from our first successful show, and instead, I was currently undressing Erik out of his soiled clothes so he could bathe instead of doing so to make love.I discarded his jacket, his vest, and was currently working on unbuttoning his stained white shirt. Erik just stood there completely lifeless and shaking like a wounded animal. It was only when I reached out to unbutton his trousers that his shaking hand covered my own to stop me.

"Christine…" a muffled sob caught my attention, and I decided to turn away and start the water for his bath. I gave him his privacy to change out of my own attire, coming back into our bedroom a short time later to find him curled up in our bed, still shaking uncontrollably from the events that had taken place this evening. Without saying another word, I crawled into bed beside him and took him into my arms. Erik rested his head into my chest and I pulled him closer as he silently cried. Not another word was said that night, and I eventually fell asleep with him in my arms, wishing it was from a blissful night of making love instead of one filled with sorrow.

When I woke the next morning, the first thing I noticed was the empty spot in our bed. Erik was no longer lying beside me, and I sat up to see where he was. I reached out for my robe that I always hung on the bedpost and wrapped it around me as I walked out towards the kitchen. To my relief, I spotted Erik sitting outside on the balcony, scribbling away at his paperwork. I half smiled and walked out to join him. He was sitting there dressed in his black robe, his nightclothes still being visible from beneath it. He wasn't wearing his wig, but his mask was still intact, for I knew he wouldn't be caught dead sitting outside without it.

"Good morning." I softly stated, as not to startle him.

Erik didn't look up and just pointed towards the kitchen.

"There is tea on the stove." He said. "I made extra for you."

Without another word, I entered the kitchen and prepared myself a cup of tea before walking back outside to join Erik on the balcony. We sat in silence for a few moments more, my eyes watching as he continued to write with one hand, while the other sat on the table, still trembling just as much as it had been the night before.

"Maestro, about last night."

His hand immediately rose to silence me.

"Christine, do not speak about it."

"But…"

"I was not asking you." His firm voice commanded.

"I just wanted to say that I was sorry."

Erik slammed his pen down on the table and looked up, rubbing his temple as he did so.

"Why can I not find peace, Christine! I cannot find it at the theatre, nor can I find it in our bed. Can you please, for once, just let me find it out here?"

"And what is peace to you?" I cried. "Apparently you are saying that you only find peace without me."

"Christine, that is not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean, Erik? Because you don't treat me as a wife, nor do I ever feel as though we are romantically involved. I have tried everything to be your wife, and you always shut me out as if I would laugh at you or be ashamed to be with you."

"Christine, please."

"Please what?" I had tears in my eyes. "I am the only one who has desperately wanted to consummate our marriage. You haven't even tried once to do so."

"Last night…"

"Was horrible," I continued. "There are no words to describe it. I feel terrible, Erik. I had no idea that Mr. Tillyou was going to do that to you, and I am so very sorry. I tried to reason with him, but he wants that added as part of the show, and if we refuse, he considers it as breaking our contract."

Erik shot to his feet and turned away from me as he did so.

"That was his plan all along." Erik said. "He used you to get to me. It's not about your voice, he just wants me as one of his side show freaks."

I approached Erik, and caressed his masked face with my hand.

"You are not a freak, Erik. You are my husband and I love you more than anything."

He didn't say another word, not even on our way back to the theatre that evening for the next performance. It was as if he knew what was coming, for as soon as the audience began to cheer after my performance, Erik was motioned to appear on stage. Though, tonight, he was reluctant. He stood there in the wing, his hand shaking uncontrollably as Mr. Tillyou motioned him over and over again to appear. He was causing a scene and embarrassing Mr. Tillyou, to the point when Erik finally appeared, he cracked his whip against his back while the audience laughed and carried on.I was living a horrible nightmare.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I undressed for the evening in my dressing room and headed towards the hall to leave the theatre. Though, just as I was coming around the corner, I spotted Mr. Tillyou reprimanding Erik for what he had done during the performance.

"That is your job!" Mr. Tillyou cried. "You made a fool out of me tonight, freak! Do so again, and I will not be as kind to you next time around. Are we clear?"

Erik stood there trembling, and wasn't even making eye contact with Mr. Tillyou. Angered, he pulled on the collar of Erik's shirt.

"I said, are we clear!"

"Y…Yes."

Seeing Erik like this broke my heart. Back in Paris I knew that no one would ever dare to speak to him in such a way unless they had a death wish. I knew Erik was only putting up with Mr. Tillyou's abuse because he cared for me.

"Good, get out of my theatre, freak."

When Mr. Tillyou walked away, I appeared. I tried to fake a smile, but Erik was in no mood. Our walk home was silent, and it continued, even after we entered our home. It was as if I didn't even exist, for once we were inside, Erik approached the wardrobe and began to change as I stood there waiting desperately for him to say something. Erik changed his shirt in front of me, but when he got to his trousers, he paused and let out an angry groan.

"Are you going to stand there all night? Or is a little privacy too much to ask?"

"Erik…"

Erik raised his hand to silence me.

"Christine, please, I am begging you to just leave me in peace."

I didn't say another word and left him be. That night, he didn't even join me in bed, for he stayed seated at his piano, playing endless soft tunes. For a while, I watched him, until my eyes became too heavy to do so and I fell asleep. I was awoken by a terrible cry and it frightened me so much, that I immediately jumped out of bed to find where it was coming from. It didn't take me more than a few seconds to find Erik asleep on our chaise. He was screaming out in his sleep and thrashing so bad, that I thought he was going to hurt himself.

"Erik!" I shook him to wake, only when he did so, he gasped for breath and immediately stood to his feet.

Even now that he was awake, his nightmare was still attacking him, for he rushed to the door that led out to our balcony and hurried outside. I grabbed my robe and worked myself into it as I followed behind him. He gripped the railing and held onto it for dear life as he concentrated on breathing. Worried, I slowly approached him from behind and placed my hand gently upon his shoulder.

"Erik…"

Before I could say another word, his hands found my throat, and he had slammed me against the wall. I gasped, for he had never touched me like this before. Never had he ever physically harmed me in all my life, but as soon as he realized it was me, he released his hands immediately.

"Christine…"

I placed my hand over my throat and watched as he fled from my sight. For a while, I stood there completely stunned, for he had never harmed me before tonight. Erik had left our home completely, and I did not dare to chase after him.

The following morning, I woke to find myself alone once more. Hoping to find Erik at the music hall, I dressed, and headed out to search for him. Though, once I reached the gates of the park, I was met with the sight of police officers and a huge crowd.

"What's going on?" I asked, as I stood beside the people in the crowd.

"Didn't you hear?" a man said to me. "They found a body; supposedly the owner of the park. A Tilman, I believe."

"Tillyou?" I gasped.

"Yea, that's the one. They found his body this morning in the tunnel of love, floating at the bottom of its water."

My mind immediately went to Erik! There was only one person who could have been responsible for his death, and that person was Erik. I ran as quickly as I could down the boardwalk, racing to find the one person who I knew was responsible for Tillyou's demise. Only, he was nowhere to be found. I couldn't get into the park because the authorities had it blocked, and after a while of frantically searching the boardwalk, I realized I wasn't going to find him.

And so, I waited. I returned home and sat there in the family room, facing the door, so that whenever he entered, I would be there waiting for him. Hours passed, and the daylight turned to night. I must have closed my eyes and drifted off at some point, only to hear the door opening once more a little while later. I immediately jolted awake, and spotted Erik stumbling into our home. He was a disheveled mess, and he was holding onto his side, as if he were in a great deal of pain.

"Erik…" I stuttered his name, and his blue orbs met with my own.

"Christine…"

As soon as he said my name, he collapsed to the floor, and I ran to his side. As soon as I was able to pry his hand away from his right side, I spotted a puddle of blood forming on the floor. Wanting to know where it was coming from, I peeled away his jacket, and gasped when I saw that his white shirt was soaked blood.

"Erik, what happened!" I cried.

It was apparent that Erik had been bleeding for a great while, for he wasn't even responding to me. I was in a panic, for I didn't know what to do. Quickly, I helped him off the floor, and over to our bed, where I laid him down to gain better access to his wound.

"Christine…"

I reached out to peel away what was left of his shirt, when Erik stopped me.

"Erik, you need help."

"Please, Christine," he begged, laying his head back against his pillow in agony. "Don't."

"You need help, Erik." I replied. "I have to stop the bleeding."

Without another word, I hurried into the kitchen and grabbed everything I needed to tend to Erik's wound. The first thing I did, was press a towel firmly against his injury, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Christine, please…" he begged.

"I have to stop the bleeding, Erik."

"Christine…"

I fought against him, only stopping when his hand grabbed my own.

"I…I've been shot."

My heart stopped in my chest. "What?"

"I've been shot, Christine."

I faked a smile and continued to tend to him.

"It will be just like last time. I'll dig the bullets out and you'll be fine."

But I knew by the unconfident look upon Erik's face that it wasn't going to be.

"No, Christine," he cringed. "The gun was not like the one Raoul used. It was larger, and the bullet…"

The room fell silent once more and I gazed down at the towel that was soaked in his blood; the area being right where his hip was located.

"I…I cannot go to a hospital, Christine. They will know it was me."

Once more, my heart dropped. "Then tell me what to do."

"Cauterize it."

"I…I can't do that to you…It will make things worse."

Erik nodded. "Then… I will do it."

I stood there shaking as I watched Erik work on himself. It was apparent that this was not the first time he had to cauterize his wounds, for he worked swiftly at sterilizing the knife, and holding it over the candle with shaking hands, heating the tip until it turned red. His blue orbs were petrified as they stared at the bright blade, and he took a deep breath before lowering it down to his wound. Smoke appeared the moment it met with his flesh, and he cried in his throat as he pressed the blade firmly against the bullet hole.

"Get the alcohol." He cringed.

I quickly nodded and waited until he pulled the blade away before dowsing his wound in the liquid. The what ifs started to run through my mind. What if the bullet penetrated any of Erik's organs? What if he lost too much blood? What if he dies? My mind was racing and it never stopped, not even once everything finally calmed down.

There he lay, resting his eyes and groaning with every move he made, while I stood there still not knowing what to say or do.

"Erik?" my voice finally squeaked.

"Ch…Christine, please," he begged. "Not now."

I approached our bed and gazed down at his broken body that now lay beneath the blankets, as he shivered uncontrollably, even while wearing his heavy dressing robe.

"Tell me what to do." I said.

"Nothing," he replied. "Just let me rest in silence."

I obeyed Erik's wishes and let him rest while I cooked dinner. Every few minutes I stopped to peek in on him, finding that he was in a tremendous amount of pain.

"Erik, I made you something." I said, bringing him a bowl of broth. "You need to build your strength up."

Wanting to get him to sit up, I reached over for some pillows and began to gently lift him into a sitting position.

"Mon Dieu…" he cringed. "I…I can't, Christine."

As soon as Erik was in a sitting position, he begged me to remove the pillows so he could lay back down.

"Erik…"

"No, Christine," he cried, placing my hand against his right hip. "I can't bear the pain… Not now, not tonight."

I nodded and allowed him to lay back down to rest. For the remainder of the night, I sat there watching as Erik cried in pain, his sleep being constantly disturbed due to him not being able to get comfortable. By morning, he was utterly exhausted and feverish, the skin around his wound being extremely red and hot to the touch.

"I can make you something to eat?" I suggested.

Erik shook his head and gazed out the window at the ocean. "I just wish to rest."

"Then I am going to go to the store and get you some medicine to help."

"Be careful, Christine."

I wasn't sure what had happened the day before, but when I returned, I was going to find out. This wasn't the first time I had ventured to the local store that sold medicinal goods. I had stopped in there once or twice before to stock up on some things that Erik needed when he had his previous accident. Back in Paris, I had been so used to going to outdoor markets, that when I arrived in New York, the abundance of indoor shops was something that took some getting used to.

The place that had medicine, was also a candy store, and they made sweet drinks that were popular with the children in the city. The store was always crowded and I had been standing in one of the aisles, looking at the assortment of salves and glass bottles of medicine, when I heard a few people talking at the counter. I didn't pay much mind to it, until I heard one of them mention Mr. Tillyou.

"And Tillyou is definitely dead?"

"They claimed it was a strangulation and drowning. Though, no one has been able to find the man who did it. Apparently, it was a double murder because they also found the tattooed freak dead as well."

"I heard rumors that the park is going to be going up for sale before the season is out."

I crept closer to the front of the aisle to hear more of the conversation.

"No one is going to want a park filled with freaks. Plus, with the newly opened Fantasy Island on the other end of the pier, Tillyou's park has been suffering greatly this season."

"Well, until the bid, the park is going to be closed."

I gasped, for not only were Mr. Tillyou and his goon dead because of Erik, but now the park was going to be closed until someone purchased it. Without the park being open, the theater was going to be closed as well.

Everyone was going to be out of work, including us. Things certainly couldn't get any worse. I was just turning around to go back to the shelf that had the medicine I needed, when I bumped into someone, causing me to drop the items I had been holding.

"I am so sorry, Monsieur…"I immediately froze, when I gazed up and found the Persian standing before me.

"Christine!"

"Monsieur Khan?"

Nadir smirked. "And here, I have only been in New York a few days and thought that trying to find you and Erik was going to take weeks."

"You were trying to find me?"

He nodded. "Of course. I haven't heard from Erik since you left Paris and became worried. Things have gotten bad back home, and so, I decided it was time for a change."

"Could we perhaps get some tea?" I questioned.

"Of course, Christine."

I paid for my items and Nadir and I walked across the street to the local café.

"Have you enjoyed living here?" He asked. "With Erik?"

Nadir believed he and I were going to have a normal conversation, when in reality, it couldn't have been any further from the truth.

"Monsieur, Erik is not well."

Here he comes to save the day! Nadir Khan is on the way! Thanks again, everyone for the likes and reviews. Happy Reading!