You alone can make my song take flight

It's over now

The Music of the Night

Years after what had happened at the Opera Populaire, the Phantom found himself wander closer and closer to the opera house. He had to be near it one last time. He just needed to check on things and see how everything was. He had heard Christine had become the leading soprano over Carlata. This made the Phantom rather happy, he detested that woman.

Like the crafty man he was, the Phantom snuck into the opera house and made it into the shadows where he could watch the preformance. It was Hannibal again, which wasn't really sruprising. It had been years and this was simple a classic. Like he had heard, Christine was the lead and she sounded like an angel. He just watched, didn't say anything for fear of getting caught.

"Think of me, think of me fondly, when we've said good-bye," Christine sang. The Phantom felt his heart tighten. Even though years had passed since he'd heard her first sing that, he still felt what he did then. He loved Christine with all his heart, but she loved the Vicomte. Even though his heart ached to know the woman he loved and adored with his entire being loved someone else, he had to let her go. He felt a tear fall down his cheek. He quickly whipped it away so he could concentrate on the opera he was watching.

"Think of me, think of me waking, silent and resigned. Imagine me trying to hard to put you from my mind. Recall those days, look back on all those times, think of the things we'll never do. There will never be a day when I wont think of you!"

The audience clapped for her, and a small smile played on her lips. She looked around and finally her gaze rested on a single place. He knew she had spotted her. She held his gaze for a moment before looking away.

"Flowers fade, the fruits of summer fade. They have their seasons, so do we. But please promise me that sometimes you will think, oooOOooooOo~~~~~f me!" She finished and bowed to the wildly applauding crowd. She looked up to where the Phantom had been standing, but he was gone. Had she imagined him? Probably.

Christine entered her dressing room to change out of her costume and into something more comfortable. She looked at the mirror, remembering the first night she had sang the song and the Phantom had appeared instead of her reflection. She expected him to appear again, but she was only met with her relfection. She turned to her desk to see a small piece of paper on her desk. It wasn't sealed, just laying open with a few simple words.

"Meet me on the roof,"

After getting dressed, Christine made her way to the roof like she had read in the note. There was no one there and it was rather cold. She expected Raoul to be here waiting for her, as they often went up here to just be with one another. Almost ready to gie up and go inside, Christine heard the sound of a cloak cut through the air. She turned slowly and saw the masked man she had assumed to be dead.

"Hello...Christine," he greated, not advancing towards her. She just looked at him, her expression unreadable. Feeling akward, the Phantom cleared his throat and took a step away.

"I...I just had to come back once and when I heard you sing I had to speak with you one last time," he explained. "I know you're happy with Raoul and I'm not going to do anything to take him away from you or vise-versa. I just wanted to make sure you were well and happy as well. I'm sorry for bothering you." He turned to leave but her heard a tiny whimpering sound making him turn again. Christine was crying. Instinctively, he quickly approached her to try and comfort her. He never liked it when she cried and now she was right here in front of him with no one else around. He could comfort her. She wrapped him in her arms and sobbed a few times before slightly pulling away.

"I thought you were dead," she said.

"I know, I'm sorry," the Phantom apologised. "I'll leave now if you like."

"No, I don't want you to leave," Christine sobbed. "Please, don't leave again." The Phantom didn't know what to say. She wanted him here? Was he hearing her right?

"Christine, I can't. Raoul-"

"I don't care about Raoul," Christine snapped. "I mean, I do, but I care about you too. Please Phantom, don't leave me again." The Phantom looked at her tear stained face and cupped it gently. He whiped the tears away with his gloved hand and looked into those deep brown pools of affection. He remembered that faithful night when she had kissed him. The same look was in her eyes then.

"Christine, I love you..." He sang, same as he had the night he left.

"And I you," with that, Christine closed the space between them and kissed him with all the passion she could. She never kissed Raoul like this, but she never had as much passion for one person. This man was her teacher, her father figure, her light in the darkness of being alone. He was so many things to her while Raoul was simply a lover and a friend. She pulled away finally to see the same hurt expression in the Phantom's eyes. She wanted to fix his hurt, to prove she loved him.

The Phantom suddenly pushed her away and covered his face, a single sob emerging from his lips. Christine tried to approach him but he stopped her.

"You must be with Rauol," he instructed. "He can give you more than I can."

"Please don't leave me," Christine begged. "I need my Angel of Music. I need your praise and guidence. I need your presence and for you to watch me. Please, don't go." Christine was crying again. The Phantom looked at her and reached out to hold her again. She accepted his arms and held him as well. She craned her neck up and kissed him again, and again, and again. He kissed back, holding her tightly. He pulled away and looked at her beautiful eyes.

"I'll stay," he said. "But please, do not look for me. I'll try to remain hidden."

"I'll try," Christine promised. The Phantom excorted her to her room where she knew Rauol was waiting for her. They left and the Phantom went to what was left of his lair. It was in terrible shape, but there was still a bed for him to sleep in. He couldn't sleep yet though. He had a note to write.

When Christine entered her dressing room the next day, she saw a note on her desk sealed with the Phantom's wax seal. She opened it and read it carefully, her eyes welling up with tears as she read.

Christine,

I love and adore you with every piece of my being and want nothing more than for you to be happy. I will stay in the opera, but you must not look for me. I will watch you, but that's all. I won't destroy what you and Raoul have, not again. I will admire from afar as before and love you more and more as each day passes.

At the bottom, there was a scratchy signiture. Christine collapsed to her desk, her eyes welling with tears. She saw there was more written on the bottom of the note. Christine whipped her eyes to read it, but only burst into tears again.

I want you to be mine forever, but I love you enough to let you go.