Promise Me You'll Try (Christine)|FINISHED

[christine]

Raoul had gone to visit his Parents to see if they were alright. Christine was left alone in New York for a few weeks and she would have liked to have Erik visit her. Though she wasn't sure if she should bring him to her place or not. Christine looked up at him and was unsure of what to say at this point. Looking upon him, Christine smiled softly. "You have a place here in New York? Really?" she said softly. "Of course Erik. I would love to see it sometime" she said a moment later.

Her arms were wrapped around his waist still. Christine's head was pressed against his chest. Staying silent she said nothing for a while. All she could do was listen to his voice. "Erik...I have been hearing your voice in my head at night...singing me to sleep" she said softly. It was nice to feel him again. Then suddenly she pulled away. Or at least tried to. All of a sudden she felt him kiss her. Feeling him tight his arms around her she struggled a little bit. Then relaxed. Christine tried to pull away from him but it didn't work. He had gotten more stronger and she was somewhat powerless against him. "Erik!" she said softly as she managed to pull herself away from him. Stumbling a bit and then she was trying to catch her breath from when he kissed her. "...forgive me. I.. I'm alright its just that you just kissed me and I...wasn't ready for that" she said placing her hand upon her mouth. Nervous now, and kinda frightened from what just happened. Sighing softly she said "Please....forgive me. Could you show me your place now?" She asked softly trying to fix her hair and then catch her breath. Placing her hand upon her chest.

[phantom]

Looking at Christine from under hooded eyelids, Erik tried to decide what she meant by saying she wanted to see his apartment sometime. Was this a promise of a future relationship with him, or was that just wishful thinking? And when was "sometime"? Today? Tonight? Tomorrow? Or some other time which was not nearly soon enough? He was sure she did not want to see it just to see it - it was quite a humble place, dark and sequestered as Erik preferred, but decorated with none of the old theatre baubles which he had filched from the Paris opera house and could not take on a plane to decorate his new home. Certainly it was nothing to her own house, so what was there to admire about it? ...Unless she did not wish to admire it. Again, though, that could be only wishful thinking. Perhaps this was all no more than a dream. He considered this, and listened to what she said next. She had heard him singing to her at night? He had sung to her, every night, from across the ocean - and she had heard. She had not forgotten him! Either this was a dream to her as well, or it was all very real, and if it was a dream, he did not wish to wake from it - especially when he kissed her.

Erik was half-expecting Christine to push him off, but if she did, the attempt was too feeble for him to even notice. When she did push him off, it was when he was oxygen-starved after kissing her for a long moment. He stumbled back as she pulled away, dazed by the sensations the kiss had given him. "No, forgive me," he amended, though he didn't have a lot of regret about what he'd just done. "I-I probably should not have done that. You're... You're married now, I suppose. You've decided." He pursed his lips into a scowl and turned away, unsure of the cause of his anger - he didn't regret the kiss but he did regret many other things, such as the fact that he had just let Christine marry Raoul. It may have been what seemed best for her, but it certainly wasn't best for Erik, and he couldn't imagine that it was really what was best for her to marry Raoul if she didn't love him. At least there was some comfort in that Christine had let Erik kiss her; she had relaxed in his arms as if she were enjoying it. Perhaps she hadn't been expecting it but that shouldn't have kept her from enjoying it, and it seemed like she had.

It was obvious that she was fidgety, for whatever reason - had he made her nervous, or was she just as agitated as he was by what had transpired between them? - because her hand was on her sensuous lips, on her heaving breast, and his eyes tracked its movement hungrily. When she spoke again his eyes snapped back to her face. "There is nothing to forgive, Christine," he said finally, his voice soft. For a moment he closed his eyes, composing himself. Then, in a more commanding tone, he responded to her request: "Yes. Come." He took her hand quickly and turned on his heel, marching her away in the direction of his small apartment. It was quite conveniently located, with easy access to other areas through dark secluded alleyways which offered comforting isolation from the rest of the noisy city of New York. He could get her there from here without anyone seeing them. Perhaps this could be a regular thing for them - he only hoped. It would not always be so easy to steal her away from Raoul, he supposed, and secrecy would be all the more necessary when he returned. But for now, whatever their relationship was, it was safe.

((ooc: sorry, I know you're probably quite tired of these ooc notes! But do you want me to start a new thread for in his house elsewhere, or just continue? I didn't think about where, exactly, his house would be located, so perhaps we could just continue from here in this thread and say he spent a lot of money on a small apartment here in Greenwich Village?))

[christine]

After pushing him away she looked upon him. Shocked at what just had happened between her and Erik. A light sigh escaped from her as she tried to catch her breath. Christine looked at him with wide eyes as she remained silent. Fixing her hair for a moment she looked around then back at him. "Its....I know you couldn't control yourself Erik...Its....alright" she said softly to him. Christine had finally caught her breath and she didn't know what else to say for a moment. Walking passed him she went over to where her purse was. The red rose was still in her purse, which she won't take out for a while.

Nodding softly as she walked towards him again, she was slightly afraid still. "Yes....I've decided" she repeated. Christine then went over to a wall an leaned upon it. Her eyes were relaxed and soft. Then she wanted to know how her friend was doing and how Madam Giry was doing. But she would ask those questions later. Knowing it would be hard for him to explain. If they were still alive or not. Or if they were consumed within the fire itself as it burned. Though she has been getting letters from Meg, but she wanted to hear it from him. Personally. Christine looked around then back at him. Waiting for his answer.

Christine had requested to see his home. Nonetheless she wanted to be with him. Christine also wanted to be with Raoul. Now she also had to decide on who to be with. Once he took her hand she followed him. Holding her purse in the other. Running down a narrow alleyway she looked back at the people passing by in the sunlight. Christine followed him and wondered how far it would be. All she could do was remain silent as she walked with him.


((Its quiet alright. We should continue the thread here. ))

[phantom]

Erik hung his head for a moment, ashamed of himself for surprising Christine that way, but when she said that it was all right, he looked up to meet her gaze unflinchingly. She understood. Of course she understood - she was the only person who could. Never in his life had he had to exercise restraint, so when a time came when he was supposed to, he didn't really know how. The only occasion when he had shown control was when he was with Christine, but that was also the time when he was least likely to have it. He remembered the first time he had taken her down to his lair beneath the opera house, when he had laid her out on his bed where she slept peacefully. He could have taken advantage of her, but he had not. It wasn't really a conscious to restrain himself - it had at that moment just been enough to watch her while she slept, to watch her breast rise and fall gently and rhythmically, to wonder what she was dreaming of and to do some dreaming of his own. Every moment he was in her presence he felt complete, and he was completely enamored with her.

If there had been a moment when he lost control of his desire for her, it seemed as though it only happened when she let it. Other than the kiss which he had just given her - which, in all honesty, seemed rather invited by the way she had wrapped herself around him and had not exactly pushed him away either - there had not been a time he could think of when he had really surprised her by doing something more than he should have. Her wants seemed to correlate so conveniently with his that he never did anything she did not want him to do. He would always do what was best for her, he knew, because he loved her, even when it pained him. She had some inexplicable measure of power over him. He was, in fact, quite certain that even if he did hold considerable power over her, she held infinitely more power over him. When she had kissed him before, she had initiated the kiss, and when she had come to his lair, it had been her choice to willingly accept his invitation. She had come to him at the cemetery, and sang to him in his opera, and had not run away from today. She had saved his life when Raoul had tried to kill him. He wouldn't be here if it weren't for her, and whenever they were together, she almost always initiated the connection.

So it seemed only fair that he return all of her many favors with this simple one of showing her his humble abode. It was the only thing she had asked of him, and he had no reason to refuse and all the reasons in the world to accept. She said that she had decided, and he suspected that meant that she had decided on Raoul instead of him. But he would do everything in his power to change her mind. He hurried her along the dark path, urged on not by his fear of being found as much as by his wish to be alone with Christine in the sanctuary of his home. His apartment was not quite as secret or familiar as his old place, but it was something. He fumbled with the lock on his door for a moment before shepherding Christine inside and taking care to re-lock the door behind him. "Well, here we are," he said. The room had none of the rich luster as his former domain, but he had done his best with the small mattress, dresser, and TV. There were no opulent furnishings, lavish tapestries or opera posters - the only atmosphere was created by the candles he had lit.

In the tiny bathroom in the corner of the room, the bathtub was filled with water on the surface of which floated a few rose petals. Roses were scattered throughout the room, across the floor and bed, because he loved the dark musk of their scent. He was slightly embarrassed now by their presence, because it might seem that he had set all of this up for Christine - even the little desk and chair were layered with linen and topped with a candle, and the roses had a message of their own - but he should have no shame. Perhaps subconsciously he had hoped Christine would see this. "Please, make yourself comfortable," he invited, gesturing to the bed and the chair as possible places to rest. He proceeded to pour two glasses from the wine bottle stored on top of the unused TV and handed one to her. "It has been far too long since we have talked, Christine." There were so many things he wanted to know: had she and Raoul really married? ...did they have children? (Oh, please, God, no!) What was this about wanting to go to university? "Tell me about... about the past two years." Things were not supposed to be this awkward between them - she was supposed to belong to him! Raoul had ruined everything!

[christine]

Christine tried to keep up with Erik as he walked through the alleyway. Distant voices could be heard, as she went with him. Many people were speaking on the other sides of the walls. Finally they reached their destination. Christine looked around then looked at him for a moment. "Is this your home?" she asked curiously looking about the area they were in. Seeing the door, she wasn't sure what to do at this point. Christine watched him for a moment then said nothing for a while. Once he had gotten the door unlocked, she followed him inside.

Still somewhat nervous from what had happened earlier, Christine tried to be relaxed as she entered. Having loved Erik, almost all her life, Christine didn't know how to love him. He wasn't exactly her husband type but more of a father figure to her. Considering, her father did send him to watch over her. Christine looked around the room as she entered. "Its beautiful Erik" she said softly looking around. A small cat had emerged from the shadows and she smiled down upon it. It seemed it had jumped through the open window. Christine sat on the chair that was nearby and picked up the cat. "Hello there..." she said scratching his head softly. Then she started petting him. Christine remained seated and placed her purse upon the table nearby. The cat relaxed itself on Christine's lap, and she could feel it purring as she petted it softly.

Her eyes were fixed on him as he moved about the apartment. It was a very large apartment at that. Very roomy as well. Christine felt comfortable being in there. There was a window not too far away from where they were. Her eyes continued to follow him until he was came back with two glasses of wine. Accepting the glass, she took it from him and swirled it around a bit. Then she took a small sip from it and said nothing for a while. Clearing her throat a bit, she listened to him speak. He seemed he wanted to know about her since the last time they saw each other. "Everything..... has been going very well. There's nothing to be worried about Erik. I'm very well cared of. Raoul especially has been taking very good care of me. We have been friends for a long time, and after I left you, we got married. " She said softly. It was true, for she loved Raoul as well. He was very different from the start, but got much better and he got overly protective of Christine in the past few months. But she didn't mind it, she would tell him that she was okay every once in while. Then she continued "Im starting to think about going to College somewhere here in New York. Raoul's paying for it. Also, that's the reason why i asked you if you could be my tutor. Im thinking about going to Julliard school for the arts" she said softly.

Then she looked at her cup and took anther sip from it. Christine placed it back down upon the table then looked at him. "I missed you Erik, I really did." It was true, Christine had missed him and she wished that he was there singing those songs she heard in her head back at the opera, doing it again here in New York. "How about you?" she started.. "Everything alright back at home? Hows Meg and Madam?" she asked curiously. Even though she had gotten letters form Meg, she still wished to know if they were alright from Erik. Christine missed her home and wished she would go visit every now and then.

[phantom]

Erik had been moving quietly around and working on the key to unlock the door when Christine asked if the apartment was his. He paused and looked back over his shoulder at her, wondering why she had asked that, and then unlocked the door before answering. "Yes, it's mine," Erik said quietly, his voice filled with pride. He was not rich, but he had enough to pay for this apartment, at least for a few months. It was quite expensive, since it was rather large and in quite a fashionable area, but the money he had filched from the opera house managers, at an outrageous fee per month, was no small amount. He had earned this, though, fair and square, because they were stupid enough to give it to him and smart enough to be afraid of him. For their money, he had not interfered (well, for the most part) with their dabblings in his theatre. He had also earned money in a few other ways. He was an architect, designer, composer... He had done many odd jobs around the theatre, because he'd really had nothing else to do. He'd lived there from childhood.

Madame Giry had brought him there and had mostly left him to his own devices, but the help she had given him had been more than enough. She had defended him and insisted that he receive payment for everything he had done, including designing and constructing parts of the opera house itself, and writing Don Juan Triumphant - as disastrous as it had been in many ways. He had not entirely ruined the theatre with the fire, but he had ruined any chance of people returning there willingly, and he had certainly thought he had ruined his chances for a relationship with Christine. Don Juan Triumphant, indeed; he was no Don Juan, and he was not triumphant. But now he was going to try to be. There was no place for him in Paris anymore. Though his home under the opera house was still there, the rest of it was empty, abandoned. The entire place had been shut down because the old owners had left and no new ones would take on the job of rebuilding it. His home and his livelihood was gone, Madame Giry was gone, and since Christine was too, he simply could not stay there.

He had earned enough to live off of for a while. As for now, he was going to have to get another job sometime soon, if he was going to stay in New York for more than a few months. He wondered if he would be able to convince Christine to come away with him, back to France, back to her home and to his. It wouldn't be home unless she was there. Perhaps her husband gave her enough purse money to be able to refund the rebuilding of the opera house without him noticing. And if she sang there again, the crowds would all return! Things could return to what they once were.... But no. They had gone past the point of no return. Erik had ruined everything, but he had been at the point of "do or die" where if that one scheme to get Christine didn't work, there would be nothing else for him. It had not worked, but he had survived. The past two years had been one long hard battle against the depression that forever had loomed over him, because it got even worse. But he had finally taken action, he had finally done something to resolve his feelings, and now here he was with Christine.

Yes, here he was. He blinked and shook himself from his thoughts, looking over to see what Christine was doing - petting a cat. "That's Ayesha," he noted, looking at the cat she was currently petting. "She's mine as well." His relationship with Ayesha was one of the few affectionate ones he had ever had, for he could stroke her silky fur freely without having her recoil in fright. She loved him, in her own way. She was familiar to him. And it was good to have something to take care of. He was glad to hear that Christine was taken care of also, even if he'd rather be doing it instead of Raoul. But he frowned when asked about Madame Giry and Meg. "I have to confess to you, Christine," he murmured, bowing his head apologetically. "Meg did not write those letters to you - I did. I wanted to find you, I needed to find you." His voice trembled with emotion as he said this, for it was true; that was the only way he could track her address without arousing suspicion from Raoul. "Please forgive me for my deceit. I did not want you to worry about Meg, either."

But perhaps she was worth worrying about. "The opera house has been abandoned," he blurted out miserably. "Meg... Madame... I have not seen them since I last saw you. Please, Christine, you must come back, and offer us your patronage. We can rebuild the opera house, you can sing once more." He had kneeled in front of her and had taken her hands, now pleading with her. "I beg of you. I need this from you. We all do - even you, Christine." He lifted a hand to his lips and kissed it amorously. "I will train you again. If you like you can go to Julliard, but consider my proposal."

((ooc: Sorry for the wait. My internet was not working properly yesterday.))

[christine]

The place was rather small yet beautiful all at once. Christine said nothing for a while as she placed her purse upon the table next to her. Sitting down she looked down at a cat who had rubbed against her legs. It was a beautiful black cat with hazel eyes. Bending down she picked her up and she started petting her. Christine loved animals and children. "You have a beautiful home Erik" she said softly looking up at him. Her fingers were upon the soft fur the animal had. Having not known Erik had her, she must have been hiding when she first entered the bottom of the Opera. Christine scanned the area with her eyes. Once he had brought a glass of wine to her she took a little sip of it.

Christine looked up at Erik for a moment as he wondered around the home. "Is something troubling you Erik?" she asked in a soft voice. Christine was no longer afraid of him. However, she was still in a bit of shock, of what happen that morning when she was in the theatre with her. Luckily she was alone with him or Raoul would have flipped. Giggling softly she looked down at the cat who was licking her fingers. Once she found out the name for the cat she said "Ayesha..." she said softly. The cat looked up at her and she continued to talk to it. Christine always loved cats and she always wanted own one. Brushing a few strains of hair out of her face she said "She's beautiful Erik..." she said softly looking up at him smiling softly.

Then her attention went back to cat. It was a gorgeous black cat. Her eyes darted from the cat to Erik. "What....what do you mean?" she asked a moment as he said that meg did not write those letters to her. "Oh, god. What happened to them!" she asked a moment later. Meg and Christine where best friends, if anything happened to Meg she wouldn't know what to do with herself. She was like a sister to Christine and they were fairly close to each other. "Im sorry...you are forgiven, but please tell me what happened to Meg and Madam Giry" she asked pleadingly. He did not want her to worry about Meg? Why? What happened. Christine looked worriedly at Erik, and hoped everything was alright.

"Two years the Opera had been abandoned since the fire that consumed it all?" she asked a moment later. The cat had fallen asleep upon her lap. Christine had no idea what to think anymore. The Opera, Madam Giry & Meg were her home and her siblings and mother. Christine was so in shock she couldn't say anything for a moment. Then she felt him take her hand and she tried to relax but she had no idea what to say a moment later. Christine didn't understand what to think for now.Two years she had been married to Raoul and she had been living in New York. Christine sighed and made her decision.

After a lot of thought that had happened between her and Raoul, it had been a tough journey for her. Now here was the chance to sing in the Opera again, hopefully after a few years of Julliard, she will go back a soft sigh escaped from her and her eyes closed a shaky statement escaped from her. She would have to leave New York, Raoul and all her friends she had made there. "I accept your proposal" she said softly... it would be hard on leaving Raoul. Then she said "Under one condition Erik....if I can come back here and visit Raoul. Or at least bring him back home with me" she asked a moment later.

((its alright no worries))

[phantom]

"Thank you," Erik responded, not knowing what else to say. Well, there was something he could have said, but did not: he found his home infinitely more beautiful when she was in it. Her beauty could make anything else beautiful - but then, it could make things seem ugly in comparison to her as well. For example, she made his home look beautiful, but especially next to Christine's beauty and purity, Erik was reminded of how ugly he really was. He watched Christine pet Ayesha, who had been his companion for some years now, even back in the opera house. She had been the one thing who had ever truly belonged to him, and they were both misfits together - they took care of each other, united by their loneliness. Christine, of course, would not understand this bond between them. She had not seen the cat before, because Ayesha sometimes wandered out in the daylight for a while, and even if she had been there when Christine was, Christine likely would not have noticed her amidst the excitement of other events. He'd brought her to New York, not knowing what would come next.

He hadn't been certain that he would see Christine again. That had been his hope, of course, his entire reason for leaving Paris - but it was quite hard to find one person in a city of millions. That was the one good thing about Christine being married: she was married to someone famous, and thus could not have hidden herself from the public eye even if she had tried, so it made things a lot easier for Erik when he had wanted to track her down. Of course things had still not been exactly easy, just easier. Now, though, things were getting more and more complicated. He had sung to Christine, kissed her, and now brought her back to his house. Thankfully, Christine was just as innocent and naïve as he remembered, or else surely she would not have agreed to come back here with him - would not have asked him to take her there. She probably would have gotten the wrong impression from him, and not wrong as in incorrect, but improper. Fortunately he had been able to keep himself under control thus far; their conversation was calming and far less sensual than what they had done previously.

Christine asked what was troubling him and he shook his head, as if in dismissal. She could not really ease his burdens. Well, she could, if she had wanted to, but he knew that she would not. The only way she could ease his trouble was if she would leave Raoul and come with him back to Paris, never to see her precious fop of a husband again. But that was impossible; she would not do it. She had already made her choice, and she had chosen Raoul over Erik. If only Erik could bring himself to accept that. He looked at her sharply when she let out a frightened cry. "I told you, I do not know what happened to them," he repeated, frustrated by his ignorance and his inability to reassure her. "The last time I saw them was before the beginning of the opera." He bowed his head, reminded once more of the events of that awful evening. "I am certain they must be all right - they are very clever women, and if anyone could pick themselves up out of such a mess, it would be them." He stroked her hand in an attempt to reassure her. "Yes, they must be all right... Do not worry about them, Christine."

It was a rather pitiful attempt to draw her back into the here and now, with him, but he hated to see her so worried, especially since it was his fault that she was worried. This was why he had written to her pretending to be Meg - not just so he could get her address but also so that he could keep her from stressing herself and worrying about her best friends and adoptive family. He sighed heavily. "Yes, Christine. Everything is in ruins. And I fear it will remain that way unless you do something to salvage the situation." He looked up at her hopefully, surprised by her agreement to his plan. Could it really be that easy? His face fell slightly at her addendum, contorting into a scowl as he said bitterly, "I did not presume to tell you what you could and could not do, Madame. God knows I cannot control you." He looked away. "What you do with your husband is no concern of mine." His countenance had grown cold, but he could not be angry at Christine, even after everything that she had done to him. He withdrew his hand from hers with a sigh. "I am sorry for any pain I have caused you. I would like to make amends. I supposed that going back to where we began might help that."

[christine]

Nodding her head lightly to him, she went back to Ayesha. The little black cat meowed and tried to scratch her. A light sound of laughter escaped from Christine. "No..." she said in a soft gentle voice. Then she took another sip of her wine that was next to her. Without warning, the cat must have heard something and jumped out of her lap and into the shadows of the home. Christine's eyes continued to look around her surroundings. Getting up from the chair she walked to the window and looked over at the view it held.

Folding her arms lightly she looked out the window. Then she looked around the apartment. A piano must have been somewhere in this home, for she knew he composed music. Christine sighed a moment later. "Two years....it had been two years since the last time I was home" she said softly. "Hopefully I can meet up with Meg or something when I get there" she said a moment later. Not really wanting to go back home, However her education haven't even started yet. And, she wanted to start her new life here. Away from Paris all the memories that consumed her mind. Christine sighed softly then sat back down on the chair she was once sitting down again.

Her face had a worried look on her face. Christine was very worried about her adoptive mother and teacher, and her best friend Meg. Christine listened to him and she said nothing for a while. Just getting a bit anxious to get back to her own apartment. Then she sighed a moment later after words. Trying not to stress Erik out. Then she looked up at him again and said "Have you been composing anything lately? New arias, or plays?" she asked suddenly. Unsure what he had been up to these last two years they've been separated. Christine found a brush in her bag and then brushed her hair a bit. To keep it nice and perfect as always. Then she placed it back in her bag and stared up at him.

"Oh, good god" she said softly after hearing him speak about the Opera. Then she placed her hand to her eyes for a moment. "What could I do to help Erik?" she asked rising a moment later, and placing her hands upon him. Very unsure what there was that needed to be done. Christine had no idea what there was to do at this point. Then she backed up a moment later. Hearing a scowl coming from him. "Erik....Im sorry. I ..." she said softly. Then silence came afterwards. Not wanting to get him more angered than he already was. Christine just stood at him and turned away from him. Almost wanting to kneel down and cry but she couldn't bring her self to do so. Everything had happened so fast for Christine and now, she just didn't know what to do. Christine kept her back to him for a moment and said "It...Its alright Erik...." she said softly. "You've caused me no pain at all. " she said even though she was somewhat lying, and she didn't want to anger him any longer. Christine whipped a tear from her face and turned softly looking at him. A sigh escaped from her and she wrapped her arms around him once more. "I would love to help rebuild the opera. I don't think i could stand to see it in ruins Erik" she said softly almost on the verge of silently crying again.

[phantom]

((ooc: School has started up again for me, so this probably won't be as fast as it was before... Like, 1 post a day instead of 2 or 3. Sorry :/))

Erik watched Christine interact with Ayesha, frowning when the swatted at her. "I apologize," he said quickly. "She isn't used to strangers - not that you are one to me. Perhaps she is jealous of the attention I am giving you." He smiled, not quite wholeheartedly, still uncertain of what his relationship with Christine was. He extended a hand to his pet, but the cat leapt away. Erik tensed and moved to the window to glance outside; there must have been something out there to disturb his receptive cat. He valued the privacy of his apartment and would hate for it to be interrupted, especially since he would be forced to punish the intruder in front of Christine. When he had spent a moment assessing the scene and found nothing worth his attention, he assured himself that nothing was there and turned once again to bestow his attentions upon a more pleasant subject. When he turned, however, he found that Christine was right beside him, and was surprised by her sudden closeness. He drew in his breath sharply and took a step away.

He could hardly stand having her so close to him. It had been one thing two years ago, when she was naïve and impressionable, when he owned her mind and soul and could do with her whatever he wished, whatever he desired. And that might still be the case, for the Phantom of the Opera could hardly be hindered by a moral boundary such as marriage, especially if his lover truly loved him, and had chosen him over her husband. Marriage provided security, wealth which Erik could not. He understood that. But still, it seemed wrong, somehow. After all, he was not really the Phantom of the Opera anymore, not without an opera. He was just Erik, a ghost of his former self. And when asked about his music, he only shook his head sadly. No, he had not been composing, for she had been his music, his muse, and it had left him when she had.

Still, in spite of all that she had put him through, he still loved her, and he hated to see her in pain, especially since he had caused it. She deserved to know what had happened to her friends at the opera house and the opera house itself, but he disliked being thebearer of bad news, and the look of distress on her face. He knew she was lying to him when she said that he had caused her no pain. She was crying now; he could see the tears glisten in her eyes when she moved closer to him. She wrapped her arms around him and he relaxed into her gentle embrace, resting his head in the crook of her neck and inhaling softly her sweet scent. She was so good to him, when he knew he didn't deserve it. "I will take you there," he promised her in a whisper, his breath warm on her neck. "We will go together. With your patronage and my architectural skills, we can make it into everything it once was." He looked up at her then, his eyes pleading with her. "I will tutor you, Christine - I will do anything to be with you. Once the opera house is restored, things can go back to the way they once were." His voice was faster, begging, illogical. "You don't need to go to college. You don't need Raoul. Come away with me, Christine. I can give you the only thing you need: my love, my song."

[christine]

"Its quite alright Erik. Im sure she isn't used to me yet" she said smiling down upon the cat. Christine loved animals. And hoped to own one someday. Now that she was going to go back to Paris, perhaps Ayesha would be her own animal as well. Christine listened to Erik speak. It was nice to be with him again. Having hearing his singing in her head, she had missed seeing him. Christine loved him as well but not as much as she hoped. Her eyes continued to focus on the cat as she stroked its fur with her fingers. Christine sighed lightly as the cat ran out of her arms and outside.

Christine looked at Erik for a moment then she said "Its been a while since I've seen you hasn't it." she said with a light smile upon her face. "Two years to be exact." she said a moment later. Then she looked around his apartment and smiled lightly and didn't know if she was ready to move to Paris again. Considering she'd be leaving Raoul behind or perhaps to take him with her so they could still be married. Christine sighed and looked at him. Saying nothing for a while. Nothing about him changed. Christine liked the way he looked considering she was no longer scared of him.

Her arms were around him now. Her head upon his chest crying softly as she spoke about the Opera. It was her last home she knew very well of. Once she lived in Sweden with her mother and father then she moved to Paris once her mother died. Now here to New York when the opera was consumed in the fire. "But..." she began softly when the crying stopped. Christine never cried that much when she found out about the opera. "....But...I don't want to leave so soon. I would still like to stay here for a few more months to get into Julliard Erik" she said softly looking up at him. Her eyes were now red and puffy. Christine sighed softly as he spoke "I hope your right about that Erik. I hope we can get Madam and Meg back as well" she said softly leaning her head back on his shoulder. Christine's arm was around his for a moment and her eyes darted to the wedding ring upon her finger that Raoul gave her. "I would consider my self on taking Raoul back to Paris with me. We could buy a home somewhere close to the Opera" she said softly. Trying to think of a way to take Raoul with her to Paris. Then she looked at him and said "I do need College Erik after all i never was educated... I need to be taught by someone" she said softly to him. "I know you will be my teacher, but still.." she said a moment later softly.

[phantom]

A soft chortle escaped Erik’s lips when Christine spoke. After two years, Erik wasn’t even sure if he was used to Christine yet, and he had known her for so long. He was so confused, and so fascinated by her. She was still the same woman he had once known, and yet something about her was different. She didn’t seem quite as impressionable and innocent as she had once been, though there was still definitely an element of that about her. He, however, could not escape so easily from his problems; he could not run away from them as easily as Ayesha could. Perhaps he was cat-like, so nimble and graceful, but he was not actually a cat. He had been accused of being an animal, or a monster, but he was fully human, and felt human thoughts and emotions, and with that being said, was just as susceptible to confusion as everyone else was. And right now he was confused about his own feelings as well as Christine’s.

He nodded his head mutely in response to Christine’s statement that it had been a while since they had seen each other. “Too long,” he murmured in agreement. So, things were already awkward between them. He didn’t know why, but this caused a flare of anger in him. Was he angry at himself or angry at the rest of the world? His anger was sudden and unexplainable, so it was difficult to say what caused it. He couldn’t properly assimilate into society, when for years he had lived trying to avoid it. He couldn’t live with Christine the way she wanted to live, and that was what made him angry. But he could do absolutely nothing about it. He hated it! There was nothing to appease his anger, which was surprisingly contained, but he felt it begin to dissipate when Christine was crying against him. She was taking comfort in him. That was something, wasn’t it? Raoul, her precious golden boy, wasn’t here to be her shoulder to cry on when she needed him. Erik was doing it instead.

He was taking his husband’s job from him, and Raoul wasn’t here to stop him from doing it. Erik couldn’t have been more smug about it, except he was a bit more occupied by trying to soothe the sobbing Christine. However, she stopped crying after a moment, and began to talk to him about wanting to stay in New York. Wanting to stay with Raoul. Confusion and anger began to rise in him once again. “What does New York have for you?” he demanded angrily. “What has your precious Raoul ever done for you? I taught you! I love you! I made you!” he roared. “I came all the way here for you, and this is how you repay me?” Angry tears pricked at the back of his eyes. “So I am not good enough for you, then! I gave my soul for you, Christine! And you have betrayed me!” He turned away from her and stormed off, slamming his fist into the door of his apartment. “Damn you!” he shouted. “Why did I even come? I should have known you would only betray me again.”

[christine]

Christine didn't say anything for a while. Then she listened to him speak. He then began yelling at her. Christine quickly got up and backed away from him. Worried he was going to hit her or something. Christine didn't say anything. Then she nodded and spoke softly and said "Yes..You did make me" she said softly to him Responding to his statements.

"I didn't mean to make you angry Erik!" she said trying to have him calm down. He was yelling at her and she didn't know what to say for a moment. Christine sighed and looked at him. Tears beginning to form up in her eyes. "Please Don't leave !" she said trying to grab his arm. Christine looked at him and said "I beg of you don't leave me. After all you've gone through to search for me." she said. Christine was worried that he was going to leave her forever. Then she released her hand from him as he banged his fist against the door of his apartment. "Erik!" she called after him. Hoping he'd return. "I love you.." she said softly. Sinking to her knees. as he left her. Christine didn't know what to do. All she could do now was just sit there and waited for him to return.

[phantom]

He didn’t even hear her when she spoke to him; he was deafened by his anger, unaware of anything except the fiery fury which consumed him. He was reminded, with painful irony, of his opera, when they had sung together “The Point of No Return”. He had thought they were at that point, so many times, but they were just back here again, in the same place they had been so many times. So long he waited for her, so many times he had begged for her love; so many times, she had tortured him, letting him think that she loved him, that she would choose him – but she never did. No, and she probably never would. This thought made him all the more angry, and he had to wonder what the hell he was doing here. Hoping she would still love him, that was what he was doing; what he had done so many times before. It was futile, it would be fruitless. And yet… he couldn’t bring himself to leave.

For a long moment he stood at the door, thinking of leaving, but not doing so. His hand was laid flat on the door, steadying him as he stood there, trembling with righteous anger. She begged him not to leave and he hissed in anger, wrenching himself from her grasp cruelly. “Why shouldn’t I?” he screamed. “Why shouldn’t I leave you? All you've ever done is leave me!” He stood there, his chest heaving with the rapid breaths he was taking, and angry tears began to slide down his cheeks. “Why?” he demanded, panting, asking her a question she probably could not answer. “Why?” he repeated, more brokenly. He had not left her – he could not leave her. But she did not know that. She was sitting there, forlornly. Frustrated by the fact that he had caused her to cry, he growled, and stomped over to her, and grabbed her thin arms, dragging to her feet and holding her up so that her eyes were level with his. He gazed into her eyes with his own, which burned with anger and dangerous desire.

“How dare you feel bad for yourself! How dare you think yourself deserving of pity, after all you have done to me!” He shook her a little, forcing her to pay attention to him. “Look at me! Look at this hideous face! The one you caressed, the one you kissed - the one you claim you love! Look at its ugliness!” He was sure that his face was even more hideous than usual, contorted by his rage. “I am even uglier on the inside – it is just as you say. I am a monster! And it is because of you!” He shook his head violently, then stared at her again. “You – you! I have made you what you are, and you have made me the monster I am! My soul I gave for you, and for nothing!” Furious tears rolled down his scarred cheek. “You pretend to love me, but you are killing me, Christine! And still… still… I love you!” It was then that he crushed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss.

[christine]

Christine watched him go to the door. Knowing it would make here even more upset if he left her. After all he's gone through to leave Paris and come in search of her. Christine stared at him, having no more words left to say at this point. All she could do was whip her tears away from her eyes. And take a deep breath. Hoping everything would be fine again. Christine gave a light sigh and she looked at him for a moment. "Please don't leave me" she said softly watching him.

Then he turned and looked at her. Christine was so frightened of him at this point she could not bring herself to answer his demanding questions. Christine looked upon him she said "If you leave me, You will regret it. After all you've been through for two years in searching of me!" she said softly. Trying not to get upset again. "Also because, I need you Erik. For the longest time, I have been hearing your voice singing to me in my sleep." It was all very true. She had been hearing his soft singing in her mind as she slept. Feeling like, she was a child all over again.

Once he grabbed her, she felt him shake her a little bit. Like he did to her in the Lair. Christine looked down at the ground for a moment. Trying not to look at him. "No." she said when he told her, that he was a monster. "Your not a monster Erik. " she said softly. Her hand was upon his mask lightly. Touching it. Trying to sooth his anger. "You are the angel my father had sent to watch over me" she said in a gentle tone. "and I still love you as well Erik. But please remember, God had helped me get over my fear" she said softly. Then she felt him kiss her, This time she did not push away until it she was ready. Christine pulled away again, and then rested against his chest. Sighing softly. "Please Erik...Stay with me" she said softly. Hugging him lightly as well. "I'd do anything for you." she said a in a light tone. Almost a whisper.