Me: Heya! It's me... I wanted to do a Phantom Phic and this one is of course based on the lovely and dark musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber... It takes place after the play, many years later...

Tom: Do I get to be in it?

Me: No... -_-;;

Erik: *is just there and doesn't know why because I haven't done a Phantom phic before so he doesn't know me*

Me: *...But I know him!!!* *hugs Erik*

Erik: *is freaked out* GACK!

Tom: Get used to it. She probably won't let you go for some time...

Erik: O.o *is afraid*

Me: Anyway, I hope you like this fic... Refreshments will be served in the lobby!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own POTO... But if I did... Christine probably still wouldn't have chosen Erik... I WOULD HAVE!!! *hugs*

Erik: You're going to break my lungs and then I'll never be able to sing again!

Me: Break your lungs? *even though that didn't sound very convincing, she lets him go*

Tom: Clever

Erik: *shrugs*

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

She lay awake, the arm of her only true lover snaked around her waist as the night grew silent and the rain began. Wait... Maybe not her only true lover... God, no. She was thinking that way again. It must be the rain. Every time it rained, it seemed that she was put back into the opera house, back down into the labyrinth below, back in his arms...

She pulled away from the man lying next to her. His body was so warm against hers, and most would consider this inviting. But it smothered her, that warmth. She could not stand the way that his skin was always so hot against hers because it reminded her of why she hated it. She missed the touch of the other... his hands had been so cold. Hardly would this ever seem sensual, but she could close her eyes and feel the time his fingertips had brushed across her collarbone, lingering too long to be an accident, and she had to thrust her face into the pillow to keep from moaning. Why did this always come to mind in the hours of darkness, the moments of rain? By day, she was happy. At night, she could be honest in the blackness: She missed him. God, how she missed him.

"Take the boat, leave me here... Go now, don't wait..." He had pleaded with them to leave and finally she'd obeyed, but not before giving him back the ring. He had raised his eyes to hers, and the sheer horror of his hideous face had melted away to where she only saw the depths of his emerald green irises. She had never noticed before how spectacular, how heated his eyes were...

"Christine... I love you..."

She had opened her lips to say something to him, but no words seemed to escape. And so she turned and went back to the boat. She remembered a feeling of complete release as her head fell to rest upon Raoul's strong shoulder. He was the one she had always and would always love. Never had she doubted that. They were married before the year was out.

Now, she lay, the arms of her faithful husband of many years around her, and she wanted to cry. What had happened to the man she'd called Angel? Where had he gone? Had he found someone else? The hardest, of course... Had he died? She had received a letter from Meg about the night she'd left. The mob had reached the Angel's lair but only to find the mask. Had he decided to finally stop hiding and to step into the light? All because of that one kiss...

The kiss... Christine's spine arched as her mind wrapped around the memory. His lips had been warm and needing and as she'd trailed her fingers over the back of his neck, she swore she had felt him trembling. It had lasted for what seemed like forever, and the heat of it could have burned the opera house to the ground. For a moment after they reluctantly broke away, she was going to let her lips part and whisper...

"Say you'll share with me... One love... One lifetime..."

...but she heard him walk away. He lifted a candle and burned through the rope that bound Raoul. She had reclaimed her senses, and held tight to the man she loved.

But on this night, she vaguely thought that the only time she'd really been in her right mind was during that kiss. Could it possibly be true? Had her life been a lie?

She carefully untangled herself from Raoul's arms and walked to the small bathroom. Again and again, Christine threw icy water on her face until her cheeks flushed and she gasped for air. Her mind clearer now, she truly felt the thought that stabbed her serenity: Had she loved the Angel and not the man she'd married?

It could not matter now. So much time had passed and she was not the stunning ingénue of her prime. Her hair was graying at the roots, though Raoul never said anything. It had been longer then she could remember since she'd sung a single note.

She turned softly to look in the mirror and mused at how much it reminded her of the one in her old dressing room... and what had come out of that mirror... God, she could not bear it! Looking at her reflection, a wave of sadness enveloped her and brought her to her knees on the bathroom floor. She had wasted her life! Of course, she would always love Raoul, kind, faithful, and strong, but her heart belonged to the dark seducer whom she had called "the Angel of Music".

She sank to the floor and sobbed, occasionally muttering her lament,

"Mon Dieu, j'ai l'ai aimé tout le long de... Pour sentir son contact encore ou l'entendre seulement chanter... Mais je peux jamais avoir cela... Jamais encore..." ("My God, I have loved him all along... To feel his touch again or only to hear him sing... But I can never have that... Never again...")

Through her tears, a memory never forgotten played across her mind

"Flattering child, you shall know me... See why in shadow I hide... Look at your face in the mirror-- I am there inside!"

With lack-luster hope, she lifted her head and studied the mirror. Her soft blue eyes widened and her lips parted in awe as she watched the figure of her only true lover take shape in her mirror.

"Christine... I love you..."

"Angel?"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Me: *laughs* God, was that ever fluffy as hell! It makes me want to hug something... *looks at Erik*

Erik: *sighs* Fine

Me: *HUGGLE!* Yay! ^^

Tom: Anyway, please review this... erm... last-minute fic... We all know it sucks so please review and let her know

Me: Yeah, please review! I don't care if you flame me, if you must... I know it's kind of choppy ^_~ Thanks for reading!