A/N: I've had a couple of requests to continue this… but it was meant as a one-shot. Ah well… What is demanded is demanded, after all!

It was six o'clock that the clock chimed. Be it six in the morning or the evening, I could not have told you, merely six. I wondered for a moment why I was so stiff… Ah. I had fallen asleep on the floor. The afternoon lessons with Christine had sent me off into a rage and the rage had brought on one of the attacks that I was sure was caused by far too much morphine use over the years.

I looked down to see Christine still asleep, her head resting on my shoulder even now. "My dear," I called to her quietly, my voice sounding raspy in my own ears.

She stirred and her beautiful eyes fluttered open. She looked around, confused by her surroundings, and then turned to look up at me. "Oh! Erik!" she gasped, eyes wide with what I suppose was memories coming back. "Are you feeling better?"

I nodded slowly. "A bit."

Christine smiled up at me, and then suddenly a blush rushed to her cheeks. I gave her a questioning look. "Did I fall asleep on your shoulder?" she whispered.

I cleared my throat, feeling my own face turning red and hoped the dim lights in the room would not show it. "Yes…" Here it was. The scream I had been waiting for.

But it didn't come. "I'm so sorry… you must think me horrible," she rambled.

"Horrible?" I found myself gasping.

"Improper and unladylike."

I stared at her a moment in pure awe. She wasn't angry! She was only embarrassed. No, of course I couldn't think poorly of her! She was the ladies among ladies! How could I ever think such a thing? "Of course not," I managed. "No harm done."

She smiled brightly and stood. I found myself being led to the couch and sat down upon it. "Stay here. I'll make you some of that Russian tea that helps."

I could not find the words to speak as she left the room. I lay back and sighed. Whether she be a student, a nurse, or merely a friend in her, she was there. And she was not afraid of me as she was the first time she attempted to play nurse.

I must have drifted to sleep because the next thing I heard was the sound of the tea tray being set down and Christine shuffling closer. I heard her lean down and felt her cool lips against my forehead. My eyes flew open and my mind screamed at me it must have been a dream.

She pulled back, cheeks tented pink. "You were running a fever after you collapsed…" she murmured, trying to explain herself. "When I was little… Papa always checked my fever by… I'm sorry, it was foolish!"

I found myself smiling up at her and took hold of one of her flailing hands silencing both her movementsand her voice.Her blush deepened, as I rarely touched her. "Thank you," I said simply and she smiled.

A/N: That's it! End of the oneshot times two. :)

Anya: Thanks so much! Lovely of you to say!

sbkar: Yes, takes her long enough, doesn't it? I love to see them interact before they really understand their feelings.

Jo: I hadn't meant for there to be more, but it appears there is, for the few that asked. So here it is, or... perhaps there it was. Anway, hopeyou liked it.

LostSchizophrenic: Thank you Thank you.

Eleanor J.: And here is more, even if I never thought there would be...

RoseQueen: Yes, I'd love to be Christine too. Who cares what he looks like, ne? (not that the actor in the movie was too bad! lol! And Michael Crawford was always a cutie himself in his younger days)

Thanks to all

TS