Author's Notes: This piece of "phan phiction" came to me while I was watching the 2004 version of The Phantom of the Opera. I seriously hope it turns out better than my first attempt because I truly disliked my first attempt even though everyone else liked it.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this story. I am not making money off of them. Everything is the property of Andrew Lloyd Webber and nobody else.

When Fate Intervenes

A Phantom phic by Sarah

8/22/08

Chapter One: Emotional Overload and Confessions of Love

"You will curse the day you did not do…all that the Phantom asked of you!"

As Erik sang these words, tears fell from his gold eyes and dampened his cheeks and the collar of his white dress shirt. Was Christine so blind that she could not see who truly loved her…and who did not? Erik continued to silently sob as he disentangled himself from the statue behind which he had been hiding. As he walked back to the tunnel which led to his lair, the tears began to fall faster until he could not contain his sobbing any longer. It was really a good thing that he was in the tunnel leading to his lair now, for if someone heard him crying, he would be dead.

When Erik returned to his lair, the first thing he did was removing his cape and fedora and hang them on the two pegs near the swan bed. Then he sat on the swan bed and tried to clear his mind of all the things that had happened. However, that proved to be easier said than done, because Erik was madly, deeply, even obsessively in love with Christine. He knew he needed her in his life, and would do anything to have her, even if it meant somehow getting rid of that…that…fop.

At the thought of that nickname, Erik felt slightly better. He was about to go sit down at his organ, when a sudden noise startled him. Erik looked up to see where the noise had come from, and was surprised when one of his mirrors slid back to reveal Christine. He looked away from her, for he did not want her to see his tearstained face.

Christine walked towards the swan bed and gently laid a hand on Erik's shoulder. When he would not meet her gaze, she reached out and carefully turned his face so that he was looking her in the eye. Noiselessly, she gradually sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around him. Erik tensed as she nuzzled her face against his good cheek. Why was she here and not with that fop? Moreover, how did she know that he felt so depressed and morbid? Erik was the first to break the silence between them.



"This is all well and good, but…but, why are you here and not with that f—I mean, Raoul?"

"I realized he is not the one for me as soon as we kissed on the rooftop. Angel, he kisses like some pathetic lapdog," she said. "I dumped him, and then followed you here."

"You followed me?" Erik asked. "Why?"

"Because I could sense you were upset about something…and I was right," she answered.

Erik was silent for a moment. "Oh. You really can read me well, mon ange. That is something select few are able to do."

"Angel?" Christine asked.

"Erik," he corrected her. "My name is Erik."

"Erik," she said softly, trying out the name. "Erik."

He nodded. "I never tell anyone my name."

"Oh," said Christine. "I figured that."

Erik wanted more than anything to kiss Christine, but he did not know how she would react. Ever so slowly, he brought his lips to hers and kissed her slowly, questioningly. She did not respond at first; rather, she pulled away slightly, but allowed Erik to kiss her. When he pulled away a few minutes later, there was a fire in his eyes that had not been there before, and Christine touched two fingers to her lips.

Erik thought Christine was disgusted by his actions due to the way she had originally pulled away from him, and also by the way she had touched her lips. Soon, though, she was kissing him back with such a passion that Erik nearly fell over. When he moaned, it encouraged her onward, and she moved her tongue so that it pressed upon his lips, seeking admittance. Erik gladly gave her what she craved, and before long, both their tongues were engaged in a battle of love and desire. All too soon, it was over, and they both pulled away feeling rather giddy.

Christine looked into the deep gold irises which made up Erik's eyes. If it was possible, the fire she had seen there had only grown. However, Christine knew that feeding the flames too soon could lead to a disastrous relationship between her and Erik. He seemed to be feeling the same way, as he began to tense up when Christine tried to entwine their fingers.

"Erik…I think we need to talk about this," Christine said. "Is this what you truly desire?"

The fire in Erik's eyes seemed to die out for a few seconds, but then it returned full force.

"Yes, mon ange," Erik admitted. "You are all I could ever hope for and I would never feel complete unless you were at my side."



"Nor would I," Christine stated. "You are the only one who can truly make me happy. Raoul was my childhood sweetheart, yes, but he was too demanding and much too overprotective of me."

"Christine, how can you love me so when I wear this mask to hide my true face?" Erik asked, tears springing to his eyes. "I am nothing but a hideously deformed monster!"

"Oh, Erik…do not speak of such things!" Christine sobbed, tears coming to her eyes as well. "I love you…mask or not, and you are just going to have to accept that!"

Erik sighed…he had known all along that she would win this argument. However, could she not see that his deformity made him feel rather self-conscious? Erik's hand had subconsciously moved to his white porcelain half-mask, and his index and middle fingers were now tracing the edge of the mask. Christine caught Erik's hand as it strayed up the edge of the mask for what seemed to be the thousandth time. She entwined their fingers and began to trace idle circles on his hand.

They stayed like that for a good while, until Christine realized how late it was getting. Disentangling their fingers, Christine and Erik made their way towards the mirror which Christine had used to get to Erik's lair.

"I shall see you before too long," Erik whispered in Christine's ear, handing her a red rose tied with black ribbon. "I will be thinking of you."

"I will be thinking of you, as well," Christine responded, taking the rose. "Good-bye, Erik."

With those words, Christine stepped into the passage that would take her back to the main part of the Opera Populaire. As soon as she was out of sight, Erik sighed. "Good-bye, Christine."