Saying Goodbye

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any rights to the 'Phantom' characters and I'm not making money from it.

Christine was making her way quietly through one of the many corridors in the Paris Opera when she heard approaching footsteps. She froze, then pulled her dark cloak closer to her slender frame and ducked into a nearby alcove. She did not want witnesses with questions and prying eyes for what she was going to do.

Christine tried to ignore the feeling that her finely crafted diamond engagement ring was burning in accusation on her hand and held her breath until whoever it was (why, it was the rat catcher after all!) passed by. When the corridor was quiet once more Christine slipped out of the alcove and continued on her way up to the rooftop of the opera house where the statue of Apollo gazed impassively over Paris.

Her heart was heavy with the knowledge of what she was going to do now, to tell the one who loved her that she could not marry him. In all fairness she thought she had loved him and had tried to be part of his world, but her heart in the end belonged to another. A cowardly part of her had urged her to cast off the ring, avoid confrontation altogether and flee. She had refused to listen. She would return the ring honourably now even though she felt a bit uneasy - she had seen an occasional glimpse of madness under his urbane exterior. How badly would he react?

She was on the last flight of stairs now and would soon be on the roof top where she had asked him to meet her - as far as he was concerned this was to be an ordinary encounter between them, perhaps a romantic one here under the stars of Paris. At last she reached the rooftop and halted, panting for breath. So many stairs in the Opera! How she hated them at times she had sighed to her true love. He had smiled down at her and briskly said that the exercise would do her good, after all she didn't want to end up like that fat harridan Carlotta now, did she?

Once she had caught her breath she drew back the hood of her cloak and gazed cautiously about. The night sky was an unfathomable black and its countless stars glittered around a gleaming full moon. A light breeze gently ruffled her long black hair. It seemed she was alone up here and she sighed and grasping the engagement ring pulled it over her finger. However, for some reason her finger had swelled slightly (or had the ring shrunk? her mind gibbered) and the ring refused to come over the knuckle. However, she gritted her teeth and after a few determined tugs the ring came off. She held it up and smiled in relief as a feeling of freedom came over her.

"Christine!" a voice called out from the dark. She turned towards the voice, still holding up the ring like a shield to protect her. A shadow detached itself smoothly from behind the statue of Apollo and became her fiancé who approached her. He had arrived here before her after all and looked elegant as always in evening clothes. He paused at the sight of the engagement ring she was holding yet his voice remained calm, friendly even yet with an undertone that made Christine tremble slightly.

"Rings look better on fingers, don't you think? Especially engagement rings."

Christine managed to keep her voice steady. "I am sorry - I cannot marry you after all."

His voice was still calm, as if he was addressing a misbehaving child.

"Come now, you did not mean to meet me here and say that. I have promised you the world after all."

"I do not want your world - I cannot live there!" Christine burst out.

"Nonsense!" he scolded. Then his tone darkened. "It's him - isn't it? You are leaving me because of him!"

Christine was silent for a moment then quietly said "Yes."

To her shock he swore viciously and she started in alarm.

"You faithless whore!" he hissed and lunged towards her with his hands reaching for her neck. Christine opened her mouth to scream when suddenly a lasso whipped at his neck from out of the dark and a second later he fell at her feet, his neck at an angle that indicated death...Raoul was dead. The next thing Christine knew familiar arms were holding her gently against a broad chest.

"It is just as well I followed you as I sensed you were in danger - are you all right my dear?" Erik's beautiful, resonant voice murmured in concern against her hair.

"I...think so" she whispered though the shock of what had happened still reverberated through her. "I thought he might take the news badly but I never dreamed he would try and...kill me."

There was a cold edge to Erik's voice. "He was going to kill you - I could tell. If he had laid a hand upon you my dear then his death would not have been so quick."

Unable to help herself Christine turned her head to look down at Raoul's body and recoiled at the malice on his dead face, the expression he had worn when had lunged at her. She knew how to defend herself from unwanted approaches by men but in this instance she was glad Erik had been nearby. She turned back to Erik for reassurance and he gladly held her more tightly to him for he treasured every touch from her more greatly than gold. He would take care of Raoul...

In the end the official story that Christine told was that Raoul had angrily vowed to leave Paris after she broke off her engagement with him and she had never seen him again. A few people had nodded their heads wisely and said she had done the right thing, for there were said to be rumours of insanity in his family. Besides, she had done well for herself by becoming engaged to a talented playwright, and wasn't it fortunate the new surgeon in Paris had successfully treated his...what was it again? Oh yes, his facial war injury. Why, you could hardly tell him apart from anyone else in the crowd.

In later years Raoul's body was found buried in the depths of the Paris Opera, but as by this time it was an unidentifiable skeleton it was declared in relief that this was probably the remains of the infamous Phantom of Opera.

The End