"Christine?"
Christine looked up from the book she was desperately trying to read and saw her brother standing in the doorway. This was the first time he had been to see her since her outbreak and Christine could not find it in her to say anything to him. He came in when she did not tell him to go away and he sat down on the bed beside her, looking down at his hands. The night before he had spent in Sienna's arms, sobbing for everything that had been done to the ones he loved. He did not know if he could say anything to her, the way he had yelled and ranted at her. To his complete and utter surprise she took his hand in her own.
"Thank you," she whispered. His eyes found hers. She smiled. For as long as he lived Anthony knew he would never meet anyone like Christine Daae. She was everything a woman should be: kind, compassionate, feisty, strong, loving...and she always forgave someone for their ill wills no matter how much they had hurt her personally. He remembered when she had forgiven Erik for striking her and he had never thought that she would be able to do that. Anthony, personally had hated Erik for so much as raising a finger to his sister but it was not his decision for Christine to go back with him. It had only been recently that he had seen the love that the love the two of them shared. He had seen that love when Christine had been held against Leroy's body, he had seen it when Erik had torn his mask off and Christine crawled to him, telling him again and again that she loved him. And he had seen it when Erik had been shot and Christine had pleaded with him to stop the bleeding.
"If it were not for you I would most likely have killed my baby," she said softly, not liking to think about her brief moment of insanity. Anthony sighed in utter relief and pulled her close to him. Christine did not want to think about what would have happened if Anthony had not yelled some sense into her. The baby was going to be alright and Christine thanked the heavens every day. She had almost lost the only part of Erik she had left. She knew Erik would have never been able to forgive her if she had killed their baby. She would never have been able to forgive herself.
"I am sorry, Christine...none of this should have happened," he whispered. Christine pulled away from him so she could look him in the eyes, not liking the tone of his voice...he sounded guilty. She knew he had nothing to be guilty about and she did not like the look in his eyes.
"What do you mean?" she whispered.
"I should never have dragged Erik into helping me go and get Sienna. She was my responsibility and I should not have had Erik help me fight my battle," he explained.
"Erik went there to kill the men responsible for his past, Anthony, he knew the danger of going," Christine explained. Anthony said nothing because he knew that he would always blame himself for the masked mans death.
"I know that you are blaming yourself, Anthony, but Erik would not want that, just like he would not want me harming our baby...please do not put the blame on your shoulders...please," she whispered. Anthony only nodded.
"What about you and Sienna?" Christine asked, needing to change the subject. A small smile spread across Anthony's features at the thought of his Italian love. It had meant more to him than he could have ever explained when she had held him in her arms the night before. He had needed someone to be there for him and she had been. She was the first woman he had ever fallen in love with and the only one he wished he could marry.
"I love her," he whispered. Christine smiled, having already known this.
"Does Sienna know that?" she wondered. He shook his head. He did not know how to tell her and he told Christine that. Christine smiled and took his hand, telling him all the possible ways to show his love for Sienna.
1 week later...
Erik shifted in pain and slowly opened his eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling meeting his gaze. His body feltas if it were on fire and he was dreadfully thirsty. He heard rustling and managed to turn his head to see Nadir Khan moving about the room. What in the world was he doing in a room with Nadir? Then it hit him...he was not in heaven. He was supposed to be dead and he knew this was not heaven or hell, the latter where he had been sure he would be going. He remembered being shot, holding Christine in his arms...her screaming to make the blood stop and that he was going to be alright. Then he vaguely remembered her screaming his name and telling someone to let her go as they pulled her away from him. Now where the hell was he and where was Christine?
"Erik! You're awake!" Nadir said in surprise.
"What the hell does it look like?" he demanded, shifting his body and wincing. Nadir snapped at him not to move around to much and went to get some water to bath his wound and forehead.
"Where is Christine?" Erik demanded. Nadir stiffened visibly and said nothing. Erik repeated the question and was given the same response.
"I asked you a question, Khan," Erik hissed. That scowl along with Erik's unmasked face did not make a very welcoming sight and Nadir sighed.
"She is at the Chagny manor," he said softly. Erik stiffened. What the devil was she doing there? Why was she not with him? He asked Nadir this question.
"She thinks you are dead, Erik..." he whispered. Erik felt a tear slid down his ruined face at the thought of Christine. Why did she think he was dead?