Ange`'s
Christine Daae` ran through the freezing streets of Paris, her clothes shredded and blood dripping from several cuts on her. The creme colored gown was stained with several things and could pass as a chemise in its ruined state. A tear slowly slipped from one of her bright blue eyes and she quickly wiped it away.
'What have I done?' She thought as she ran into the Paris Opera. 'How could I betray him, the one who gave me my voice? The one I truly love?' She flung open her mirror and ran down the path, blinded but knowing the way. She soon reached the lake and seeing that the boat wasn't there she jumped into the icy water.
An unladylike word slipped from her mouth as she hit it, her body instantly responding to the cold, goose bumps rising all over her. She swam frantically across, biting back more words as she neared the shore. She ran from the now shallow waters to his home and she nearly screamed at the angry mob, tearing through his things. She knew they would see her as a traitor if she did, so she just carefully stepped through a hole made in the portcullis by them.
Meg saw her and cried out, running to hug her. "Christine we were so worried are you ok?"
Christine was shaking in pure horror. "Meg, have they got him?"
Meg shook her head. "He escaped."
"Oh merci dieu!" She gasped. She then quickly looked at Meg, expecting a shocked look, she found a smug one instead.
"Oh don't look so shocked Christine! The moment you spoke of this angel of music I knew it was him. You heard him all over, please! You fell in love with him, didn't you?"
Christine bit her lip, her eyes getting acquainted with the floor. Meg shook her head. "And you've come back to him now? Even after all he's done."
"Oh but Meg he's done it all for me and..."
"And it's terribly romantic!" Meg grinned. "Too bad there aren't more men like him."
"Meg?..."
"C'mon Christine, we have to find him." Meg said, taking her best friends hand and then leading her silently away from the reckless mob.
They wandered for a bit, and when they were sure the mob couldn't hear, Christine began to call his name. "Erik, Erik where are you?" She softly asked.
"Christine..." his voice trailed from above. Both women's heads shot up to see him, in a small cavern carved into the stone.
"Christine is that?..."
Christine nodded. "Yes Meg. Now be careful, don't offend or frighten him any more than he is."
"I won't." Meg said gingerly, and the two made their way up. Erik helped them climb into the small space.
"Christine you... you came back?"
"Yes Erik, I came back." She reached up, touching his unmasked face. "And I'm never leaving you again."
Erik immediately looked to Meg, fear apparent on his face. "You're Madame Giry's daughter." he pointed out bluntly.
Meg nodded and slyly said. "You're the man my best friend loves." He seemed to calm.
Christine looked to her. "Meg?..."
"Yes, I'll go keep watch." She said, carefully slipping from the crevice.
Christine's gaze fell upon Erik's. His mis-matched eyes were watching her, deeply intoxicated by her appearance, even with her tattered clothes and cut up body, she was exquisitely beautiful to him. She blushed under his eyes but did not look away. "Erik, I'm sorry I ran off, can you ever forgive me?"
He reached up, cupping her cheek and he gazed into her eyes, searching for sincerity. He found not only that, but love and hope as well, he was sure of it. "There is nothing to forgive, Christine. I forgave you when it happened. And now you are with me and all is well." He watched a tear of joy slip down her cheek.
"Oh Erik, I love you so!" She cried, pulling him to her and pressing her mouth full against his. He sat paralyzed for a moment but then his arms enveloped her and he kissed back with a bruising force. She groaned at his restraint when he brought himself away and shook his head. "No further, mon ange`, it is too risky."
Her eyes saddened and he chuckled. "I promise you, this will happen, but if we let it happen now we would be given away."
She understood now. "You promise?" She whispered.
"Yes, Christine, I promise." He stroked her cheek. "What happened to you?"
She grinned. "It was no easy task getting out of Raoul's coach." Her eyes sparkled with mischief.
He laughed heartily, kissing her gently when Meg's voice brought them back to reality.
"Christine, Monsieur Erik, now would be ideal to come down and start to run."
With a sigh Erik gathered up Christine in his arms and swooped down from the crevice almost bird like. He then set her down and Christine turned to her friend. "Please stall them as best as you can, Meg."
Meg smiled. "Oh that'll be easy! Keep in touch."
Christine nodded. "I will."
With that the two sped off in the direction of the Rue Scribe. Erik looked at her as they ran. "Have you any ideas as to where we will go?"
She thought blankly. "No, you?"
He grinned. "Yes, but I will not tell you until we get there."
He opened the door for her and smiled as he heard Meg's cover. "Yes, I saw him! He just ran up from here into the Opera."
Christine waved down a hansom and then Erik ordered for it to go somewhere, she could not hear where. She sighed when he sat down next to her and leaned her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes, searching for sleep.
He began to sing, soft and nearly patronizingly. The melody was that of The point of No Return, but the lyrics were much different.
"Go to sleep love, for the morning will bring a long day, for the morning will begin our new life. Always together, forever. We will go home, and wait for the news to be dead, for the murder to no longer flame the act of pure anger to be washed away, so c lose your eyes and sleep, peaceful dreams of love, give in to slumber, slumber."
Christine sighed and sleep came. Her body went limp against him and he grinned. He then took her hand, kissed it and held it in his own for the rest of the journey.
Christine awoke in the hansom just hours later, feeling somewhat refreshed. She turned and saw that Erik was staring out the window, eyes wide open, the sun had obviously just finished rising and the driver must be dreadfully tired.
"Erik," She started he looked at her quickly.
"Christine why are you awake? You should be resting!"
She snorted and glared at him. "I have rested, you have yet to do so." She reached out, tracing the heavy sacs beneath his eyes.
He sighed. "I've gone without rest before..."
"And if we're to be together it will never happen again!" She smiled affectionately.
He smiled, cupping her cheek. "I will when we get there, I promise, but I must assist the poor driver and provide him with money when we do reach there."
"I could pay." She said simply.
"No no no no NO." He chuckled. "You will never have to pay for a cab ride again, darling. You are under my wing, now."
She sighed. "Suit yourself." She sat back. "I'm staying up, I'm not too tired now."
He sighed and nodded, obviously through with talking. T was a while before the tired driver asked, "Is this it, Monsieur?"
Erik looked. "Oui, Monsieur, thank you for your troubles." He leaned forward and dropped a heavy purse into the drivers hands.
"It was no problem at all, monsieur." Christine was surprised by the enormous respect.
"My lady," Erik said cheerily holding out his hand for her. She grinned, taking it and he helped her from the cab.
Christine looked around at her surroundings. They were in the country. A small cottage sat in the middle of a great amount of land. It included a stable and tool shed, not to mention a chicken coop.
"Just as I left it," Erik whispered. "This, was my childhood home."
She cocked her head. "But how can we...?"
"My mother left it to me when she died, she wasn't totally heartless I suppose, she just feared my face, and the danger that came with it."
She nodded in understanding. "I suppose it will do."
That is the real end to chapter one, tell me if it should be abandoned.