1891,
It was with a heavy heart that Christine was leaving Paris for a few days. Sad news reached her yesterday morning that Madame Giry, whom she considered to be a mother figure to Christine when she was a child, had passed away. The funeral wake was the following day, now resulting in the long train voyage followed by this afternoon's carriage ride to Marseille.
"Look over there mother!" The small girl in the carriage squealed in delight, pointing at a sailboat gliding away from the pier they passed.
"Angelique! Sit down, really you'll hurt yourself dear." Raoul scolded patiently
"Your father's right, you can still watch the boats sitting down." Christine smiled at the child's awe and wonder.
Angelique Charlotte was one of the most wonderful things to happen to Christine. It was unexpected to learn that she was pregnant, the suddenness of being thrown into motherhood frightened her at first. But the day she first held her tiny daughter in her arms, Christine's heart swelled with happiness.
It all seemed on the surface like the perfect image and life. Married to her childhood sweetheart and now a mother as well. But while Christine would never dare say such a thing, Angelique's existence seemed to be both a blessing and a curse. But it wasn't the child's fault.
The carriage finally stopped at the gate of Saint-Pierre cemetery. The weather was not bad per se, but cloud cover concealed the sun that morning. Raoul opened the carriage door, allowing the ladies to exit first.
Entering the gate with a creak, Christine saw a small gathering in the cemetery. As the family approached, a woman with blonde hair adorned in a grey dress turned.
"Christine!" A teary eyed Meg called. The brunette walk toward her friend, embracing in what had been ten years passed. The two women sobbed in each others arms.
"Oh Meg," Christine cried, "I am so sorry"
Pulling away Meg smiled sadly, wiping her tears away.
"It just means so much that you came." The blonde said, "Mother always loved you."
Meg finally took in the difference ten years made of her long distance friend.
"Life's been kind to you Christine, you look so radiant." Turning to Raoul she nodded, "And Monsieur le Vicomte so nice to see you as well."
"As am I Mademoiselle Giry, I only wish it were on happier circumstances," Raoul said, placing a kiss on the back of her hand.
"And who is this?" Meg's eyes beamed curiously seeing a small girl hiding behind Christine
"Darling it's alright, Meg's an old friend of mine."
The child poked her head out from behind her mother.
"My name is Angelique De Chagny," She said.
"Aw! It's so nice to meet you Angelique," Meg's heart melted at the shy child who went back into hiding behind her mother's gown.
Meg could see Christine in Angelique. Though it was striking that while she had the same facial features, her hair-while like Christine was long and a mass of curls-was dark as night, a feature that neither of her parents had. Her eyes were where she strangely stood out. Curiously they were mismatched in colour, Angelique's left was brown, the other a crystal colour blue.
"Christine, it really does mean so much to me that you're here," Meg turned to her sadly. "May I ask you something?"
"Anything Meg," The brunette nodded.
"I understand if you can't, since you haven't done it for some time. But would you be willing to sing for the wake? Just once more for mother?" She asked hopefully.
"Oh I would be honoured Meg." Christine nodded, letting the blonde lead on toward where mournful visitors were gathered.
Unbeknown to the trio, they were being watched from afar.
Madame Giry's passing had hit an internal nerve with Erik. She was his watchful boxkeeper during the days at the Opera Populaire, and one of his few trustful confidants for years. He may have gone so far as to call her a friend. And without her, Erik wouldn't have established his own venue opera house here in Marseille.
Despite being the owner of his own opera house, Erik tried to physically stay out of the public eye. While the port city was a wide journey's distance from Paris, he did not want any old stories of the Phantom of the Opera resurfacing. And for years no one had come to suspect the elusive Mister Y of being the now long forgotten Opera Ghost. And Erik preferred to keep it this way. Since migrating, he had become accustom to wearing a full black mask whenever he left the opera house walls. His explanation for the mask if questioned being that he received a serious burn injury to his face in a factory accident. But inside the safe confides of the Sandolphon opera house, Erik had no issue or received inquiry wearing his more traditional porcelain half mask.
Erik was hidden behind one of the nearby mausoleums as a minister recited a prayer. It seemed only right to attend the service. He noticed Meg coming back, guiding another woman through the small crowd.
And as she turned, Erik's heart skipped a beat. Could it be? No, no his eyes must be playing a cruel trick on him.
"Christine?" He whispered.
-While Love Never Dies takes place in 1905, the musical Phantom of the Opera canonically is suppose to take place in 1881. As this is ten years later like LND the timeline has been changed to 1891 and not 1905.
-As you read there is no Gustave in this. Or rather Angelique has replaced Gustave's role in the story. Also her middle name Charlotte being a pun on 'Little Lotte'.
-Marseille is an actual place in France. To keep things similar to Love Never Dies, while this is set in France and not America, Marseille like Coney Island is a port city.
-Sandalphon is in mythology an archangel known to rule over music in Heaven and help people use music to communicate with God from Earth. The opera house is fictional and does not exist in r/l.