A/N: This is just a weird, story that I came up with one day that I thought was funny, and is not to be taken seriously. Please don't get offended and flame me. I really do appreciate constructive criticisms though :)

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story.

So, the last time I watched Phantom, I came up with this explanation for the reason Erik let Christine and Raoul go at the end of the story. I know you probably think that it was true love etc. etc. but no. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what really happened that night at the opera house. It is quite an unusual and awkward story, so there, I warned you XD

Raoul sighed as he pulled the dress and wig over his head. He couldn't believe it had come to this, but for Christine, he was more than willing to make sacrifices, no matter how much they threatened his dignity.

He recalled the last conversation he had with Christine. He told her about the plan to capture the Opera Ghost once and for all. She had said that she was terrified of the thought of going on stage with the phantom, and Raoul couldn't bear to put her in danger unless there was no other way. But there was another way, and as he struggled with the corset, Raoul almost wished that they had never thought of it.

The dreaded plan was preposterous, and a little ironic, considering the performance involved, Raoul and Christine were to switch places for the night, Christine posing as the Vicomte, and Raoul dressed in her costume (and a lot of corsets and padding) on stage. Good thing he had been taking those singing lessons.

...

Finally, the performance had gone as planned, with no complications, the guard was standing in the crowd, prepared and waiting, and the finale (The Point of no Return), was about to start. Raoul braced himself, and stepped onto the stage. Shortly after, the phantom appeared as well, and as the song began, Raoul nervously began to wonder what the guards he posted were doing, and why he thought Christine would remember to command them.

As the song went on, Raoul began to feel pretty uncomfortable, mostly because of the looks phantom was giving him, not to mention the lyrics of the song. He just hoped that the Phantom wouldn't notice that he wasn't Christine, or try anything drastic.

He looked up at Christine, to try to signal her to alert the guards, but she was too upset, and had tears of confusion in her eyes. This embarrassed Raoul, who figured he had quite a good reputation and could hardly bear to think that one of his friends in the crowd would look up and see him crying.

Suddenly, he found himself in the phantom's arms, he cringed as the phantom stroked his neck. Then, after the song was over, the phantom started improvising, and began singing a different song to him. If that wasn't bad enough, Raoul felt a wave of anger when he realized that the song he was singing was the very song that he himself liked to sing to Christine. And to make matters worse, Raoul had no idea how to wear woman's clothing, so his sleeves kept slipping down, threatening to reveal his padding.

"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime..."

Raoul gagged

"Anywhere you go let me go too..."

Oh God! This was awkward, Raoul put on his best fake smile.

"Christine, that's all I ask of..."

It was then that Raoul lost his temper completely. He reached up and grabbed the despised mask off of that phantom's hated face.

To his surprise and horror, the phantom did something unexpected. He grabbed Raoul around the waist and somehow opened a trapdoor underneath them.

The next thing he knew, Raoul was being dragged through an underground chamber. He felt very intimidated to discover that the phantom was so much stronger than he, and that he had absolutely no control. He, the Vicomte d Chagne was being dragged.

He was also more than a little afraid when the phantom started to sing again;

"Down once more to the dungeon of my black despair

Down we plunge to he prison of my mind

Down that path into darkness deep as HELL!"

Then he began venting his problems to Raoul, making him wonder whether this was what it was like being a woman, and wishing he had just left town with Christine when she first suggested it.

"Hounded down by everyone

met with hatred everywhere

no kind words from anyone

no compassion anywhere, Christine!"

Raoul considered reveling himself to the phantom right then and there, but for fear of his life, he decided to answer in a high voice and hope that the phantom was so worked up he wouldn't notice.

Luckily for him, this is exactly what happened. The conversation went on for a while untill, to everyone's surprise, Christine who was still dressed as Raoul, came running in...