A/N This was just something, my muse picked up on after watching LND. This would just be my version of the Finale -- it's the same, nothing much changed. Just without most of the singing and probably a more...realistic approach. Enjoy.
PS; The music was quite nice. Entr'acte was very well orchestrated. Ending, rather unsatisfying. I wished it wasn't. But it is. So, here it is.
Love Lives On
Meg. No. Please. I did not…I did not know.
Stop. Meg.
Please – stop now.
MEG NO!
"CHRISTINE!"
I catch her as she falls. Everything inside me shook. What had just happened? But I smell the air. I smell the ignited smoke. I smell the shot. I look at Christine. She's in shock. I shake her. She doesn't look at me. She looks upwards.
The boy.
"Gustave," She calls softly. The boy doesn't answer. He stands a few metres from us. His eyes are frozen. His body rigid. Christine shakes. I hear movement beside me.
Giry. "Get help!" I scream hysterically. Everything hurtles towards me. Everything. The numbness fades away. I feel pain.
Christine…is dying…Christine…
"Help! Help!" I rock Christine backwards and forwards. There is no-one beside me. I turn my head and I see Meg.
She is crying.
I rasp, "You…" But by then my eyes bear tears. I sob. I feel Christine's hand weakly caress my cheek. I look down at her.
"Hold on, my dear…Hold on," I watch blood trickle through her dress. I look away from it and sob again. My eyes travel towards the killer. Her. She dares not approach me. She crouches on the floor, beside the boy. Sobbing.
My body stiffens. And then I feel Christine move again, "Don't be angry…" She breathed, "Don't be…she didn't…" Her words wither. She caresses my cheek once more, her hand cold.
Tears fall now. I watch as she smiles softly. My body shakes again. I touch her cheek with my own hand. For once, I am warmer than her.
She looks at me, look loving. I just hold her. Someone's got help, I tell myself. She'll be fine. Yet I watch as her face slowly loses colour. I know.
I know. Life slowly slips from her fingertips. The stain on her dress deepens colour. I watch this and with one hand, I reach to shed a strand of my jacket to wound around her yet her hand stops me.
I look at her, eyes confused. The smile remains on her lips. Sad.
"Take care of…our son," She gasps. I look up at the boy who looks at me similarly.
"Mother…" Gustave calls out. I realize then he too was crying. "What do you mean Mother?" He extends out a hand yet he doesn't move.
"Just look with your heart," Christine replies, eyes closing, "Look with your heart, Gustave."
The boy shakes. And then I hear his soft sobs echo mine.
I desire so simply to take her. Yet her hand was with mine. Anchors mine. I cannot move. And I will not leave her. Behind her smile, I know it hurts. It pains her to hold on. It pains her to…belong to me.
I ease her closer to me. The feelings of her living touch indenting within my core. "I…I can take you…somewhere..." I choke hopelessly, "Anywhere…"
She shakes her head. I whimper.
Her beautiful, blue eyes shine. "I…I meant every word, you know…" She whispers, eyes half-closed, "I sang it…for you."
"And you sang it so wonderfully," I watch her smile appear once more – radiance on her greying face. I raise my head, hoping that somehow help would come yet there was nothing. Everything had darkened in my eyes. I see nothing but her.
"It hurts, Erik." She murmurs, "Hurts…"
Tears trickle down. I hold her tighter and hush her softly, lovingly, and I feel her hold my hand tightly. I open my mouth and I watch her force her eyes open once more.
Then, I begin. Shaking, I begin to sing, voice light and vibrant. Only for her ears.
'Love never dies once it is in you…
Life may be fleeting,
Love lives on...'
She smiles at me.
I press down a cry, "Life may be fleeting…" I sing, watching her eyes glimmer, "…Love lives on…"
And then, I kiss her. I press my lips to her harshly and then I embrace her. Hold her close to me.
Close.
And I sob. I sob as her hand drops from mine.
I sob as I feel no breath.
I hold her in my arms. Her eyes are closed.
"My, Christine…" I murmur, "My Christine…"
She doesn't respond. My heart wrenches with pain.
No please.
Please.
"Christine…" I gasp.
Everything is still. In realization, I lay her body down on the ground.
No more tears left to shed.
"Please…Christine," I urge on. Yet I knew.
It is too late.
It was always, too late.
Someone runs beside me. I raise my head. Meg stands. She doesn't look at me. She looks at Christine and she wails.
I desire to push her away. To never let her touch Christine.
"NO!" she screams, "Christine…Christine…Christine…" She holds Christine in her arms and begins to cry.
I couldn't.
Inside, I am empty. For there she was.
My Christine.
She was gone.
What was left of what I desire…was gone.
And I didn't know what to do now. I was too numb to be wrathful. Too pained to sing. I stand and I look hollowly at her once more before looking away.
It was there that I watch the boy walk forwards.
He crouches down besides Christine and kisses her forehead. He then stands up and walks towards me. I pretend to look away. But he steps in front of me and looks upwards. His eyes were identical to mine. We stand in front of each other for a moment before he steps forwards and touches my mask.
I flinch and push his hand away. He looks at me. Look of forgiveness, of love, of acceptance.
Carefully, I take off my mask for him. I wait for him to scream senselessly…for him to cry…for him to run away.
But he does not.
Instead he looks at my face and then he leans forward and embraces me.
My son.
Every inch of my insides shudder with emotion as I wrap my arms around him, carefully at first, careful to not hurt him and then tighten my grasp. I feel his small, fragile body shake and I hear him sobbing.
I sob too.
We sob together.
I then take a hand and touch his head. He looks up at me.
We say nothing. Instead, I embrace him again.
It was there that I saw something. I saw something I had not truly seen in a long time. I saw something that I knew we both needed. Something, Christine had given us.
Hope.