Disclaimer : I don't own anything except the story line…this will be a collection of one shots….the ratings will change and be noted at the top. Enjoy 33
Rating : R
Romance/ Tragedy
"The Thorn Among the Roses"
Silence filled the underground lair as two people stared at a third. One with fear and determination in his eyes and the other anger and fury. The third person held many emotions in her eyes. They were all awaiting a decision that would change all their lives. Christine knew where her heart and loyalties lied. She knew what her choice was. She walked to the Phantom to tell him of her decision, but she thought 'why say something, when I can show him.' And with that she held his face and kissed him. The first kiss was chaste, but the second was more intense. He must have mistook her kiss of love and promise for a kiss of pity, and told her to untie Raoul, leave, and never return.
Christine went and untied Raoul, not wanting him to stay, and intended to remain with the Phantom. Raoul, however, grabbed her wrist as soon as he was free and dragged her towards the boat. Christine was so in shock that she didn't even utter a sound. She stared behind her at her beloved Phantom who was turned from her weeping. Raoul pushed her into the boat and started to maneuver it down the river. Christine did not look at Raoul, only her angel who seemed to get smaller and smaller and she still did not comprehend what was going on. The Phantom started wailing and as the boat turned the corner, she saw her love smash his hands into the glass mirrors that adorned his back wall and heard a wail of pain.
Erik could not believe that he was even letting them go. By all standards, that boy should be dead. But, Erik was not in anyway going to hurt Christine, even if it would be only emotional. He was not that cruel. His angel did not deserve such sorrow. She deserved much better. And the only what she would get that would be to marry Raoul, for Erik could not supply have of what she deserved. He could not bear to watch Christine leave with that flop so he turned his back and faced his mirrors. They looked so perfect, so beautiful, so the exact opposite of the object peering into them. He could not take looking into the mirror anymore, so he punched it with his fist, howling in pain as the glass cracked and shattered under the force.
He pulled his hands away and stared. They were covered in blood. The hand was now as disfigured as his face. The pain however, he welcomed. And he wanted more. He could not live without Christine in his life, so he wouldn't let himself. He didn't want to live knowing that Christine was in the arms of his enemy. So he went to the next mirror and repeated the previous act. The glass continued to shatter, yet he never made a sound. After breaking about four mirrors, the pain seemed to fade. He had shattered all the mirrors, but he was still alive and wanted more pain, and the only way to get out of live would be to die. Erik collapsed onto the floor, after not eating for days and was lacking sleep. And since there was glass on the floor, he fell right onto it. Glass into his hands and dug into his knees, but he welcomed the pain. Spying a piece of glass, quite large and sharp he started to crawl over to it, crawling right over the existing glass.
When Christine heard the cry of pain, she instantly snapped out of her trance and started to scream. "Raoul, what are you doing! Stop this boat! Turn it around! I need to go back!" she screamed at him. "Christine, why do you want to go back? The monster kidnapped you! And he almost killed me! He would have killed you too if you stayed!" he replied, slowing his rowing down a bit. "No Raoul, he would never hurt me. He would never touch me unless I allowed it. I want to go back!" she screamed again. "You don't know what you're saying. You love me and his hold on you soon will be broken." He said calmly. "No Raoul, I don't love you. I love him and if you don't stop this boat and turn it around I will jump and swim back." She said angrily. Raoul had no choice but to turn the boat around and paddle back. Christine only hoped that it wasn't too late.
It took longer than Erik thought, but he had lost some blood, but he finally reached the piece of glass. He picked it up and for a moment just stared at it. His deformed face staring back him. And he knew. He knew that this would be the last time that he ever saw his face again. Slowly he brought the blade down onto his wrists. The first cut was thin and very shallow, barely letting blood come. The second however, struck a vein. He knew it was a small vein, but a vein none the less, so he knew it wouldn't stop bleeding. He took the glass in his other hand and cut a vein there. He cut a few more veins and dropped the glass on the ground. A pool of blood had formed around his body, and Erik, having pride, wanted to die on his throne. So he dragged his body over to his throne, blood forming a trail behind him. He wobbled and tripped from the blood loss, but finally managed to make it to his throne and pick up his pistol as Christine rounded the corner.
It took much longer it seemed to row back to shore than it did rowing away. But when Raoul finally docked, Christine jumped out in search of her savoir. She looked around and all she saw was broken glass and blood. Oh god how there was so much blood. She knew this was not good. Leaving Raoul at the boat she followed the trail of blood which led to a little room. In the center of the room was the thing she was looking for. Her angel. Her angel sitting upon his throne. Her angel sitting upon his throne, his wrists bleeding holding a pistol. She cried seeing all the blood and his wrists. His wrists and hands were ravaged worse than his face. She raced forward and fell at his feet, crying.
"Angel, why! Why!" she cried fisting the hem of his cape, not caring that they too were soaked with blood. "I….thought that….you were….going…with that…pretty….boy" he gasped, taking short, rasping breaths in between words. Christine looked up at his face and rose to her knees. She picked up his hands and cried to stem the flow of the blood but it was no use, she knew he was dying and there was nothing she could do about it. "No, I love you. I don't want him. I want you, and now I can't have you." She cried while standing and cradling his head to her bosom. "Christine….I…love……you" he said, singing and panting for breathe. Christine bent her head and kissed him softy on the lips. She felt a slight pressure back them she felt the body go limp. "No…no….you can't die….I need you…" Christine whispered, tears streaming down her face. She looked down and saw that Erik still held the gun. She knew that she had nothing left in this world and was going to do the only thing that would keep her and her angel together. So picked up the gun and as she placed it to her temple Raoul ran in.
"Christine, wait! Don't do it!" he screamed. "No Raoul, I have to. I lost my guardian, my angel, my love and I can't go on without him. Don't try to stop me. When the mob comes, do not lie to them. Tell them the truth. Tell them we both died for love. Please do this for me." she asked, her eyes pleading. The last thing she wanted people to know was that her angel was a murderer. Raoul nodded and Christine brought the pistol back to her temple. She kissed Erik's dead lips one last time before pulling the trigger. Her body went lip and slid down the throne to the bottom, dead. To Raoul, it looked as though Christine was worshiping a mighty king. And to her she was. To her Erik was everything, and Raoul did not want people to be mad at both her and Erik.
The mob approached the lair and saw the scene before them. Raoul told them the story and for them to not be touched until they had graves next to her fathers, prepared. They were buried in extravagant mausoleums. The epitaph on Christine's grave said: Beloved singer, friend, angel and wife. And on Erik's: Angel of music, friend and Husband. For to even Raoul, they were married in God's eyes.