Author�s Note: The idea for Christine stealing Erik�s fedora and wearing it and such was by junion8pie, formally known as Shadow�s Chaos. With her permission we have used it. Thanks, junion8pie! :D
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Christine sat back on the large blanket she and Erik had spread out over the soft grass for their picnic. It was a lovely day, the breeze making her whip around slightly as they talked and ate. It was peaceful not having to clean or cook for a day, not hearing the children fight with each other about numerous things. She sighed and watched Erik closely, naughty thoughts coming to her mind. Her eyes flicked to his fedora, and she grinned. Not her normal usual naughty thoughts, but still mischievous.
Erik stared out across the landscape with a small smile on his lips, loving the feel of the wind rushing over his body and touching the uncovered half of his face. Leaning back on his hands, Erik closed his eyes for a moment in peace.
The peace was not meant to last. Christine crawled over his body, sitting in his lap for a moment, and leant her head down to sensually ran her lips along his jaw as her hands reached for something to his side...
Erik's eyes slid closed, ignoring her reaching hand, and he purred, loving the feel of her lips against his skin. "Yes...."
Christine grinned and spoke against his lips, "Yes..." She reached what she wanted and slid off his lap, standing up. Inspecting his black fedora for a moment, she grinned down at him before placing it atop her head, and taking off in the other direction, one hand holding up her skirts slightly so that she could run, and one hand on top of the fedora so that it wouldn't fall off.
Erik growled, standing and rushing after his wife. "Christine! Bring that back here!" He exclaimed, his legs pumping powerfully as he ran with ease. "Bring me back my hat!"
"Never!" She cried, grinning like an idiot. She ran as fast as she could, her waist length hair flowing out behind her, and when she came to a large tree she felt she could climb, she grinned mischievously and started to climb it.
Erik gave a cry of impatience, reaching the tree and beginning to climb as well. Reaching out, he grasped Christine's ankle in his hand and gave a tiny tug. "Come down here and give that back!"
Christine squeaked and shook her head fiercely, grabbing a mighty branch and pulling up on it, getting her ankle away from him. She climbed up to the smooth center place of the tree, and then grinned down at him. "Do you surrender?!"
Sighing heavily, Erik pouted. "I just want my hat..." He whined, sitting down on a thick branch and putting his back against the trunk. "Is that so much to ask..?"
"Oh come on, Erik," Christine began playfully. "You said you wanted to try a tree..." She grinned and placed her hands on her hips, and reached up to push the fedora tighter onto her head as the wind came through the trees.
Grinning slyly, Erik nodded and climbed up to where Christine was. Pinning her against the trunk, he tugged the fedora off of her head and hung it on a branch near his head. Leaning forward, he kissed Christine then, holding tightly to the branch overhead.
Christine grinned and leaned up to place her arms around him, only to find her hair caught in a branch by her head. She broke their kiss and turned to lay on her stomach, and tugged her hair from the branch. Just as she turned back, her dress snagged on another branch by her thigh and she growled. "Erik... this is terribly uncomfortable..."
Erik chuckled, stroking his fingers through Christine's hair. "Perhaps you would like to go back to the blanket?" He asked playfully.
Christine nodded and smiled slyly before grabbing his fedora, tugging it over her curls, and starting to climb down the large tree. When she reached the bottom in record time, she grinned, and started up the chase once more.
Erik groaned, slipping down from the tree swiftly and running after Christine as fast as he could. It seemed that his age had taken its toll, however, and he couldn't seem to catch up to his wife. "Christine, you minx!"
Christine grinned and lay down on the blanket, pushing the large food basket out of the way and spreading her arms and legs wide. She grinned and laughed softly, before taking deep breaths, trying to calm her heart.
Reaching the blanket, Erik gave a cry of victory and pounced atop Christine, gasping for breath as he tugged the fedora off of her head and placed it atop his own. "HA!" He exclaimed with rapture, before bending down and kissing Christine passionately. The fedora fell from his head, forgotten.
Christine grinned against his lips and rolled them over so that she was on top, and she whispered against his lips, "Let's have a wrestling match..." She kissed him deeply once more, moving her tongue to caress his lips as she slid her thighs on either side of his waist to ensure that she might be the victor.
Erik growled at the challenge, moving his hands down and caressing Christine's breasts, then down to her hips and rear, before rolling her over with ease and straddling her rear. "How about we just let me win, and in return I will ravish you..." He purred, rolling his hips against her bottom and sliding his hands down her arms sensually.
Christine gasped and closed her eyes, sensation spreading like wildfire across her body, and she moaned lightly. "Yes..." She tried to breathe properly as desire swept over her mercilessly.
Erik smiled through his passionate need, moving his hands down and lifting Christine's skirts. Casting a quick look around to be sure no one was near, he lifted Christine so she was on her knees and hands, then knelt behind her and pressed his hips against hers. A great moan slid from his lips, and he worked feverishly to get his pants down. Sighing in relief, he bent over and moved his mouth over Christine's womanhood playfully, letting his tongue slide out and taste her.
Christine inhaled sharply and whimpered, her arms shaking as she struggled to hold herself up. She moved a tad, trying to get more contact with his warm, wet tongue, her eyes shutting as she moaned in bliss. She breathed deeply as her head swum, and she whimpered once more. "Erik," she began, "Please..." She moaned, her thighs beginning to quake.
Erik gasped for breath, his exhalations washing over Christine's skin as he panted. "Yes, Christine? What is it that you need?" He asked, before moving his mouth harder against her flesh.
Christine gasped for breath and clawed furiously at the blanket. She screwed her eyes tightly shut, feeling her entire body tremble. "Erik, please, oh God... Please take me. I need you..." He was ruthless. She would be over the edge in no time if he continued with the actions he was doing at the moment. It was pleasurable torture that she loved, but right now she wanted to feel him inside her, she wanted to feel herself tighten around him.
Erik gasped in passion, moving his mouth away from her and smiling. Just the answer he was looking for. Positioning himself at her opening, he moved himself around teasingly, before thrusting deeply within his wife and throwing his head back in passion. "Christine!" He cried, starting up a frenzied pace right away and moaning low in his throat.
Christine groaned and bent over as far as she could to take him deeper, her dark curls covering her eyes and fanning out at her soft pants. Her eyes remained closed tightly as she moved backward against him, moaning each time she did so. Somewhere in the back of her mind she realized he had teased her, and she vowed she would repay him for that... But at the moment she was too close to the edge, and she practically mewed as he thrust.
Erik whimpered, feeling himself nearing the end of his restraint as he moved a bit faster within his wife, stroking deeply within her body and biting his lip in order to be a bit more quiet. The thought that anyone could walk by and see them only served to arouse Erik further, and he gave a sharp cry, nearly over the edge of his passion. "Christine..."
Christine gasped and her eyes widened as she felt herself nearly there. "Erik... we've... we've passed the point of no... return..." She screamed out her release, reached back and grabbing one of his hands, began to tremble mightily, moaning the entire time.
Erik's breath caught in his throat at Christine's words, memories of that sensual night flying back into the fore of his mind. Those memories, coupled with Christine's impassioned voice and the tightening of her flesh around his was enough to send him spiraling over the edge, and he cried out, pitching forward and pinning Christine beneath his body as he moaned and shook. "God yes... Christine..."
Christine breathed onto the blanket. She reached behind her and ran fingers through his hair as she breathed deeply, her chest heaving against the ground. Her signature sated smile came upon her face and she closed her eyes as she rested.
Erik panted softly, stroking his fingers up and down Christine's arms and tracing patterns over her flesh. "I love you..." He purred into her ear as he slowly withdrew from her body. Rolling to Christine's side, he tugged up his pants, pulled Christine's skirts back down, then wrapped his arms tightly around his wife's waist and rolled her to lay almost completely atop him. "This is wonderful..."
Christine rested her head on his chest as her arms wrapped around him. "It is wonderful." She rested her chin on his chest as she looked up at him. "So, my phantom..." She grinned, beginning to trace a pattern over his heart. "How was it when you passed?" She smiled slyly and met his eyes with hers.
Erik smiled at Christine lovingly, before kissing her forehead with a smirk. "It was amazing." He stated simply, before capturing her lips with his own and winking. "I think we should leave the children with Meg more often, in fact."
X
Maddy rolled her eyes as Bella crawled onto Meg's lap and clapped her hands eagerly. She was so bored here. It wasn't like her parents hadn't ever given the special hug when they were around! She didn't exactly like the strict ways of Madame Giry and she couldn't cause any real mischief here... or could she? She grinned and reached over, grabbing Charles's collar, pulling him in close to whisper, "Hey... I got an idea."
Charles frowned, looking at Maddy with curiosity. "An idea..? Tell me!"
Maddy let go of him and began to work on her drawing of Edwin once more as she spoke, "You know Papa's old house by the lake Mamma told us about in the story?"
Charles nodded, looking down with an arched eyebrow at his sister. "Yes...?"
"Well," she continued, her blue eyes sparkling, "We should sweet talk Mamma and Papa into taking us to see it!"
Charles grinned, nodding vigorously. "Yes! Oh Maddy that would be so much fun!!" He exclaimed, before clamping a hand over his mouth and looking nervously around.
"I know!" She punched him in the shoulder and then commanded, "You try to convince Mamma. You're better with her. And I'll get Papa, 'cause he's wrapped around my little finger here!" She grinned and nodded. "It'll work. They can't resist us." Their plan set, she finished her drawing and held it up to show Meg. "Look, Aunt Meg! This is the man I'm going to special hug with!"
X
Erik led his family through the labyrinthine passages slowly, torch raised high. They had come in through the Rue Scribe to avoid the lake, and Erik was nervous about how safe his home still was. Soon the door came into view and Erik fished around in his pocket for a moment, before withdrawing the strange key.
Charles clung to Christine's skirts as he walked along behind her, and he smiled when he saw a large rat. "Maman, can I catch him and keep him?"
Christine squealed and moved away from Charles, and practically jumped on Erik's back, clinging to his suit jacket and shivering. "Charles don't you dare touch that vile thing! It could have some kind of disease!" She shivered again and closed her eyes.
Maddy examined things with wide eyes as she held Bella in her arms, and held Phillip's hand, guiding him along. "Papa, this is where you lived? It's so dark!"
Erik chuckled at Christine, turning and pecking her on the lips. "Charles, leave it be. If you want a rat so badly I'll find you one that's clean and tame, okay?" He looked to Maddy and nodded. "Yes... when I lived here I liked the darkness."
Reaching the door, he frowned when it was ajar. "I know I locked this behind us the last time we left..."
Christine raised an eyebrow and looked around the door warily. She reached out to take Phillip's other hand, and grabbed Charles's shoulder, huddling them around her. A bad feeling came over her and she looked up at Erik with fear in her eyes. "Perhaps we shouldn't be here, Erik..."
Shaking his head, Erik shrugged. "The children want to see, and I miss the home..." He said, before pulling the door open and stepping inside. Lighting a few lamps he gave a cry of pain and rage when he saw the remains of his home. "Christine!!"
Maddy jumped and reached out to grab a hold of Christine's skirts, her hands shaking and her eyes wide. As Christine moved forward slowly, she gasped, and reached out to touch Erik's arm. The place was ruined. It was as if it was an ancient landmark that had faded over time. She looked apologetically at Erik. She'd spent so many days down here with him, and there were so many memories...
Tears filled Erik's eyes as he looked around his home. The expensive furniture was slashed and tipped over, every one of his strange items acquired through his world travels had been smashed, shards and pieces laying scattered across the floors. It appeared that rats had nested in the stuffing of the furniture and they squeaked at Erik when he moved too close. Paintings and drawings that he had done were ruined, broken and hanging loosely on the walls or lying on the floor. A layer of dust covered everything. Erik rubbed his face for a moment, before moving cautiously toward his bedroom. Looking inside he moaned in pain. His beautiful organ was smashed to pieces. The coffin had been left completely intact, however, and he sighed. They had probably been afraid to touch it.
Maddy moved toward the bedroom where her father was, her wide blue eyes taking in everything around her. Bella gurgled as they moved into the room, and Maddy looked around the room. She opened her mouth and asked timidly, "Why is there a coffin, Papa?"
Erik gulped, sighing. "That is where I slept for a very long time." He said, stroking her hair. Suddenly his eyes widened and he moved to the corner of the room. Beneath a layer of dust, half buried with debris from the organ, was the most significant item he had ever acquired. Brushing it off, he walked to Christine, looking into her eyes and winding the box. The monkey on top began to play his cymbals while the music from so long ago started. Very shakily Erik sang with it. "Masquerade, paper faces on parade.."
Christine watched with tears in her eyes and she cautiously stepped toward him, and took him in her arms, holding his head to her shoulder and rubbing a comforting hand up and down his back. That horrid night... She didn't want to think about it. Calling for Maddy, she took a step away from Erik and looked around. Her eyes widened suddenly and she murmured softly, "My room..."
Erik bit his lip and nodded, carefully setting the music box down and walking toward the door. Gently he opened up the panel, and stepped inside. A sigh of relief slid from his lips. Besides being incredibly dusty and musty smelling, the room had been untouched. "Christine..." He called.
Christine came forth slowly, and she sighed with a slight smile as she saw her old room. Stepping in, she took Erik's hand, and pulled him forward, toward her closet. Opening it, she coughed slightly and turned to smile at him. "Remember when we said goodbye to it?"
Chuckling, Erik nodded and kissed Christine's forehead softly. "I guess the past is really gone, now..." He murmured, shaking his head slightly.
Suddenly a squeal of pain sounded from the sitting room, and Charles cried out. "Maman!!!"
Christine was about to reply to Erik when she heard her son, and her eyes went wide as she hurried toward the sitting room. "Charles! Charles, what happened?!"
Charles sat on the floor beside the ruined settee, clutching his hand and whimpering softly. "Maman... the rat bit me!"
Christine cursed softly and crouched down to his level, taking his hand and inspecting it carefully. "Apparently the rat has been chewing on fuzz too long and his teeth with dull, because he didn't break the skin." She looked down sternly at him. "Thank God! Charles, I told you not to mess with it!" She sighed and inspected it again, murmuring, "My kids are geniuses and yet they never have common sense..."
Whimpering softly, Charles crawled onto Christine's lap and cuddled close to her. "It's really cold in here, maman.."
Erik sighed as he watched from the doorway, and he knelt beside Christine, ruffling Charles's hair and kissing his wife's cheek. "Yes, I suppose it is quite cold here.."
A goofy smile suddenly broke out onto Christine's face and she grabbed Erik's forearm excitedly. "Can we go to the roof, Erik? Please?" Her eyes twinkled with curiosity and excitement.
Erik appeared thoughtful for a moment, before nodding. "I suppose so... as long as the children are careful..." Standing, he moved to the door and looked back. "Come along now, don't get lost."
Maddy bit her lip and handed Bella to her mother, before following eagerly. She grabbed her father's hand and grinned up at him, squeezing his hand in hers. Christine took Phillip's hand, and asked Charles to help guide him along as she held Bella in her arms.
Soon they reached the stairs to the roof, and Erik began to move up slowly, until finally he emerged on the rooftop. Taking in several deep breaths of fresh air he sighed in relief, then turned to help his wife and children reach the top. "Now be sure to stay back here, don't go toward the edge." He warned.
Christine smiled and handed Bella to Charles, and joined Maddy and Phillip's hands. She walked dangerously close on the edge, giving Erik a teasing smile, and then leapt toward him, wrapping her arms around his waist and staring up at him lovingly.
Erik grinned, clinging tightly to Christine and looking down lovingly into her eyes. "It is just like it was before... only this time you are in my arms instead..." He murmured, looking out at the setting sun and sighing blissfully, before kissing Christine.
Christine smiled and pressed soft kisses to his jaw. "Is it so sad, to know that the past is really behind us? It feels liberating to me, Erik." She looked up at him, her head tilted slightly to the side. "Aren't our lives better now? Aren't you happier in the light with me and the children?"
Erik grinned broadly, nodding and kissing his wife again. "Much happier, my dear... so much happier..."
Chapter Thirty