Hey guys, this is my first Phantom Phic, so be kind. It's only a One-Shot but be kind and give me any pointers. I will listen. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own POTO, wish I did. sigh Erik.
The Rescue
There was her Angel. He sat before her, barefaced and crying in such despair and sorrow. She walked dumbly towards him, her mind was screaming at her to say something, anything. It screamed for her to tell him she loved him, to beg for his forgiveness and to take her far, far away.
He looked up and a very small, sad smile appeared on his face. "Christine, I love you." His magnificent voice sang out to her, finally telling her his feelings. Her Angel's eyes pleaded with her to stay but her body just would not listen.
No matter what her mind was screaming at her, Christine just wordlessly handed back the ring he had so lovingly given to her. But it wasn't just the ring that she gave back to him; it was his trust, any chance of happiness, his love, soul, and above all his music. Christine had taken all there was to take from him and then threw it haphazardly back in to his face.
Giving him the ring, Christine turned around, not allowing herself to look back at him yet. Soon Raoul's voice was called for her. He yelled saying the mob was still coming, they needed to get out of there. So with her mind screeching and pleading with her body, she walked over to Raoul and away from her one true love. She climbed into the gondola with Raoul and they pushed off.
Steadying himself, Raoul pushed off from the shore and slowly, very ungracefully steered them both back towards the Opera House. Christine just stood next to Raoul, his arm around her, and she stared back at her Angel of Music and his soon to be destroyed house.
He watched her leave. He saw how she got into his boat with that boy. And even though his heart was ripping in half at the loss of his Christine, he knew it was right. She had finally rid herself of the dark hell and the Angel that occupied it.
Erik stalked through his house, trying to remember every little detail about it, and every memory of Christine that happened in a certain place. He walked in front of all those hated mirrors and smashed them all into tiny shards. Soon his last mirror was in pieces and a long tunnel revealed itself to him. He would make his escape and live out the rest of his life in loneliness and sorrow.
Christine watched his retreating back. 'Yes, my love, escape. Do not ever let them find you.' Her teacher and muse disappeared down the tunnel. But when he was out of sight Christine began to panic. Her soul vanished when her Angel had. And her pure, innocent heart pounded violently against her chest desperately trying to leap out and go back to her love. From then she knew with all certainty that she could not live without him.
Erik was almost to safety, almost away from the house under the Opera. But he was stopped cold in his tracks when a faint splash was heard. "No, it is not her. She is safe and away from you." Erik told himself this but could not help but turn around and try in vain to see her in safety.
But his worst fears were realized when just seconds later he heard that boy scream out. "Christine, no! Come back, please!" The cries echoed throughout all the chambers and tunnels to finally reach Erik's delicate ears.
He knew he had to do back. Erik had to turn around, no matter what she had done or who was closing in on his home and him to destroy his life.
Erik ran through the tunnels and back into the house he had sworn to forget. The mob had not yet come. The splashing, though, was getting more and more frantic and louder.
The water was like ice. From the second Christine had jumped in, her fingers and toes were burning, but they soon became numb to the cold. "Christine, what are you doing? You will surely catch your death in that water. Please come back to the boat!" Raoul was screaming at her but she just turned a deft ear to him and swarm furiously on.
Soon Erik reached the lake and spotted Christine's awkward movements in the water and quickly jumped right in and swam after her. He did not feel the cold. Years of living down here had made sure of that but Erik knew that Christine would feel it. He knew that she was going to die if he didn't reach her soon.
But as he was about halfway to reaching her, the splashing stopped and the water once again became calm.
It was so cold but Christine had to keep moving. She needed to reach her Angel before he was out of her life and lost forever. Her eyes lids, though were growing very heavy and her spastic movements were getting slower. 'Hey, it is not so cold any more.' Christine's mind slowly said. 'I am so tired, so I will just rest here for a moment, regain myself.' Slowly she began to sink under the black surface and her eyes closed. One last word escaped her lips before she completely went under. "Angel."
"Christine, where are you?" Raoul yelled out to her as the ripples in the water slowly stopped. "Oh, God, CHRISTINE!" He cried out for her. The boat soon tipped over when he jumped out to find his lover in the pitch black water.
'Please, no. Please let her be alright. I would die if she was hurt because of me.' His mind raced trying to find her. But the smallest whisper of "Angel" floated over the lake and he knew just where to find her.
The murky surface was broken as he dove under to save the one he had given up. Swimming straight down, Erik's hand soon hand in contact with the fabric of Christine's 'wedding dress' thathe had made her wear. With more fury he pulled the little body of the young woman up into the air. Not stopping or even thinking about telling the boy he had her, Erik swam to the shore as fast as he could.
Feeling the slippery earth at his feet he gripped Christine to her chest. "Christine, mon ange, wake up. I know you are in there. Please, come back to me, my love." Erik getting no response did all he could to try and warm up her ice cold body. He rubbed her hands in her, placed her next the dying fire, and covered her with any blankets that he could find. He knew that he had to get her out of the wet dress to warm her up faster but he could not find the strength to do it.
The next moment, another body was next to Erik, trying as well to warm up the girl. "Christine, please." Raoul spoke to her softly. He took her hand in his and wiped drips of water from her brow.
After about an eternity the lithe body of Christine heaved and coughed out the water she had swallowed and filled her lungs. Erik felt a small tear roll down his cheek. "Christine, speak to me. Can you hear me? Are you alright?"
Raoul seeing her cough up the water instantly jumped to hold his love. "Oh, I thought you had died. I had thought I had lost you forever." Christine gripped onto the boy for dear life as she took in long, deep breaths.
Erik knowing where he was not needed nor wanted stood up and began to make his way back towards the tunnel. He moved as quietly as possible, wanting the last thing he did for his angel was to save her.
Christine hearing those words smiled and spoke softly. "I did too. I do not know what I would have done if I had lost you."
His heart broke even more terribly at his until he heard her sing. "Angel of Music, I love you." The notes were so soft and so perfect that they fell upon Erik's eyes like a saving grace.
"No, Christine. It is Raoul; you are safe with me now." Raoul whimpered out as he felt the love of Christine slip out his grasp and into that of the monster he had fought so hard to save her from.
Christine's forehead scrunched. "Angel, where did you go? Why did you leave me?" She whispered out after pulling away from Raoul's arms tiredly.
Erik knew that he could not have imagined her called to him twice. So he focused on the coming mob and judged the time they had to safely remain there. Hearing they were still quite a distance off, rushed back to his love. "I am right here, Christine. I did not leave you. Speak to me again."
Christine's face brightened at hearing his deep and caressing voice. "Oh Angel, I could not lose you. I love you more then anything in this world. Never let me go again." Christine opened her eyes for the first time and laid them on her love. Tears glistened unshed in her eyes are she looked upon her angel's face and smiled.
Erik saw her radiant smile from behind her former lover and could not help but laugh quietly as the tears wet her cheeks even more then they had been before. "I have waited so long for those beautiful words to grave your lips, you have no idea."
Christine's smile grew even larger and her face looked as if it threatened to split in two. A look of concentration filled her eyes as she wobbly stood up using Raoul for a little support. "I know, my love, for I have waiting just as long to say them." Christine shakily walked over to the still in shock Erik. But at her first misstep, he was instantly by her side to catch her before she hit the hard ground.
The heat between the two was coming off of them in waves. All Erik could do was stare into her eyes and feel his breath catch in his throat. Christine's own breath, seeing his desire, came out in short pants.
"Angel, may I ask you a question?" Her love just nodded with the euphoria of still being able to hold her and touch her.
Christine smiled at his, dare she even call it, 'innocence' when it came to her and love. "What is you real name? I do not think it would be at all proper if I were called Mrs. Angel of Music or Mrs. Opera Ghost."
Erik looked down at Christine. "My real name, my angel? My real name is Erik."
Christine licked her lips. "Erik. I like that. Erik." She tested the name out on her lips and loving the sound it made and the way it rolled so easily off of her tongue. "Erik, I love you."
If life had ended right then, Erik would have been the happiest man on Earth. But he knew he could not die now, Christine had declared herself to him and he had so much left to experience with her. He could not wait to see her naked form bathed in moonlight as he would kiss she shoulders and bare chest. Her eyes would look at him only with love, no fear or disgust because of his face. And the two of them would be able to live together till the end of their days in happiness, pure happiness.
Hearing his name on her lips had been the sweetest sound he had heard. Erik could not wait to spend the rest of his life with his gorgeous angel. "I love you too, Christine. My Christine."
He leaned in to kiss her once again but stopped just before their lips were to touch. Erik looked at Christine's hooded eyes staring at him and the desire filled smile that was only reserved for him. Finally his lips captured hers in a demanding, possessive kiss, one that Christine had never experiences before. But their perfect moment was soon broken though by a timid voice called out to her.
"Christine? What is going on?" Raoul stood where Christine had left him. "Why are doing this? We can leave now, he had let you go." Raoul's had distorted into anger but it was mostly filled with sadness and longing for the woman that would never love him back.
Looking over desolately to Raoul, Christine left the warm comforting arms of her newly found Erik. "No, Raoul. I can not leave now. I will not leave ever." She placed a now dry hand on Raoul's cheek.
In this moment a swell of pity filled her heart. All this man had ever done was to love her and just want a fraction of it in return. But her heart had been taken by her Angel, her Erik, the first time he had sung to her. Her heart had jumped with love when it heard his perfect and dark voice.
"I am so sorry that you were dragged into all of this Raoul, but I can not leave with you. I love my Angel. I love Erik and not you." The hand softly fell from his cheek as Christine turned and slipped back over to a watching Erik and back into his arms.
Raoul's eyes filled to bursting with sadness and his shoulders slumped over in a definite defeat. "Christine, is this truly what you want? Are you so certain that he will never hurt you? That he will love you forever and in the way you deserve?" Raoul walked towards Christine almost placing a hand on her arm but pulled away at the last second as he saw the fierce glare the monster gave to him.
Christine leaned back into Erik and smiled gently at Raoul. "He will never hurt me. And he shall always love me. Erik would do anything for me."
Erik's glare glossed over into a loving smile which was immediately directed at the girl in his arms.
"Please, leave now Raoul. It is time for you to leave." The whisper came out and was obeyed slowly.
Raoul so dejectedly turned away and walked back to the gondola. Looking over the river, he called back in alarm. "Christine the mob is almost to you. You need to hurry away."
With one last fleeting glance back at the first woman he had ever loved in the arms of a monster, Raoul once again got in the boat and pushed off to find the other shore. Only this time he was by himself and would never be returning.
Erik's finely tuned ears caught the very loud sounds and splashes of the upcoming mob. "Christine we need to leave now. The mob is very close, it is unsafe it stay here much longer. I will give you one last change to stay here and be in the light."
A very firm shake of Christine's head answered his question. "I would give up all that I once knew to be with you. I love you Erik, do not let yourself ever believe other wise." A searing kiss followed.
Reality though pounced back on the pair as angry shouts could be heard just beyond the gates. "Just let me get one thing before we leave." Running from Erik, Christine swiftly found and grabbed the small music box staring intently at the Arabian monkey on top, ready at any moment to play its haunting song. Opening it to make sure it had her ring from Erik Safely tucked away inside before she dashed back to the mirrors.
"You must hurry Christine. They are here." With those final words still ringing in the air echoing in the house, Christine and her Angel fled to the safety of the dark Paris alleyways and stole into the night. They were never to be seen at the Paris Opera House again. It had finally rid itself of the Phantom of the Opera.
A small crying could be heard from the next room as the fire crackled warmly.
"I am coming, ma cher." A very pregnant Christine called out to her baby as she silently walked over to him.
Picking up their son, Christine felt the presence of her husband behind her.
"He is alright, yes?" Erik, careful of Christine stomach, pulled her into his chest as she held the growing baby.
Christine just smiled and kissed the top of her little boy's head. "Yes, my Erik. He is just fine. I guess that he just missed his father."
Gently as he could, Erik took their son from Christine's arms and held him close. He was no longer afraid of what his children may think of the horrid face. He knew they would love with unconditionally just like Christine did. The mask had been forever taken off his face the moment Christine had announced her pregnancy and was placed in a locked chest under their bed. Until one day to come out and the tale would be told of the Paris Opera Ghost and of Christine, how she had come to be rescued by her Angel of Music.
Je suis finis!
A/N: I hope you guys liked this. If you did or didn't review and let me know what I need to work on because I don't intend to make this my last POTO fanfic. Thanks a lot! BYE!