There I was, standing in the middle of a ghostly lake, my hand on his neck and the other on his deformed cheek. I pressed my lips one last time to his and it was like nothing I'd ever felt. Not when I kissed Raoul or anything else that was as satisfactory when my lips touched the phantom's. He was warm and fierce, yet so gentle with every movement of his hands and his lips. I took in his scent and ran my fingers through his coarse hair. This man was a murderer filled with bloodlust and hatred for the world around him, yet an artist and a magician and a composer. This man loved one and only person in the world, and he'd waited his whole life, tormented by the world's mocking and sneers, to meet the one person that would love him for who he was.

In the last brief seconds of our kiss, I pictured everything. I saw my life with Raoul, a Countess nonetheless, a few children and maybe grandchildren, all of which I wanted ever so deeply, but here was a man that would never have any of that. The only chance he ever had of receiving a life of happiness was if he had me. I then pictured what it would be like to stay and give my life of happiness up just to keep the Phantom, the one person who inspired me to sing, happy. I wanted it, I wanted him suddenly. The phantom's tall slender body and his deep caressing voice; he would sing me to sleep and would love me like no other man. Not even Raoul. If I gave myself to him now, maybe he would let me go, if I was unhappy. Then I realized I was thinking like I had the choice, but the phantom was going to take me against my will.

He pulled away from my face with a look of no description. Tears ran down his deformed face and he turned away from me. "Go!" he yelled, and started walking through the water, away from me and Raoul. "Forget me. Forget all you've seen. Take the boat and swear to me never to tell the secret you know of the Angel in hell." I didn't think, I just ran to Raoul and quickly untied him from the gate. I hugged him.

"Are you alright?" I muttered gasping for breaths. He kissed me, and hugged me back.

"Yes."

"Go now and leave me!" The phantom yelled. He was still crying and I wanted to go to him.

"Raoul," I whispered quickly under my breath. "I need you to do something for me."

He looked me straight in the eye with a concerned face. "Anything, but we need to go before he changes his mind."

I nodded. "Go get the boat and tell the police and everybody looking, that the phantom captured me and escaped. I'm going to…stay with him. Not permanently, my dear, but he needs me. Go on with your life and I promise I will meet up with you soon. I cannot leave this man like this."

Raoul's eyes were terrified and were glistening with tears. "What?" he asked, choking on his voice? "You're staying…with him?"

I hugged his neck again and kissed him fervently. "Go!" I said urgently and pushed him towards the boat. "Please, Raoul!"

He shook his head, but moved anyways. The last few looks he gave me before leaving in the boat were scared and anguished looks. I smiled weakly and waved back. I waited until Raoul was no longer in sight and then sloshed through the lake up on the ground of the phantom's cave. I searched and found him in front of the monkey music box. "Masquerade," he sang to the tune, "paper faces on parade." He looked up at me and his eyes widened. "Christine, I love you."

I nodded, tears spilling down my cheeks. I walked over to him; my engagement ring clasped tight in my hand and placed it in his smooth palm. "Raoul is gone. I'm not leaving you," my words were almost inaudible. "I love you, too."

The phantom's eyes widened ever more, his body completely motionless. I reached up and pressed my palm to the deformed side of his face. I brought my lips up and kissed below his eye and down to his chin. His arms slid down my back and he pressed himself closer to me. I felt silent tears on my neck and his soft lips caressing the side of my face as well. I hugged him and buried my face into his chest.

"Don't do this. Don't do this for me," he muttered.

I pulled away quickly, "I'm not doing this for you. I…love you and want to stay with you."

His brows were furrowed. His eyes glistened with more tears. "Why? I've…killed people. I was going to steal you, like a monster..."

I placed my head on his chest again. His big, strong hand stroked my hair. "You are the only one that's ever believed in me. And, when I'm with you, I get a feeling I don't get when I'm with anyone else. You make me feel whole."

"Christine," he whispered in my ear. Not as a question, but more of a sigh of confusion mixed with utter happiness.

I didn't realize how much I truly loved him until this moment. He was beautiful. A talented being that deserved what everyone else got. The world shouldn't shun somebody just because of an irregularity. It was heartless and cruel. No wonder the phantom acted out the way he did. He lusted towards me because I was the only one that gave him a shred of recognition.

"Thank you," he whispered again. Suddenly tears came into my eyes. I felt them soaking through his shirt. I pulled away and stared into his soul.

"What has the world done to you?" I said in a gentle voice. I reached up and kissed his lips. It was a feeling I'd never experienced. Kissing him brought joyful tears to my eyes and sent tingles down my spine. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled myself closer. He slid his arms under my legs and picked me up. I pulled away, "We have to get out of here," I said, serious. He smiled. "What?" I asked.

"I have never used the word we. I like the sound of 'we'. It makes me so ecstatic." He sighed in happiness. "But, you're right. They'll come looking down here for us at any moment." He swiftly let me down on the ground.

"How do we escape?" I looked around and there was only one way in and out; the lake. He didn't answer me. Instead, he looked around on the ground for something. He picked up candle holder.

"Stand back."

I took a few steps away from the row of mirrors I was in front of. He bashed the first mirror, revealing just cracked glass. He continued this process till the 4th mirror. This one bashed all the way through. I looked through the space behind the bashed mirror. It looked like a tunnel.

"Come with me," he said and held out his hand. Even though I'd already committed to staying with him, this was the moment. The moment where we left together to that dark, demanding world outside. I reached out for his hand, hesitated, and then grabbed it.