A/N: This is my first ever fanfic and hope you all enjoy. R&R. Flames welcome.
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Warm, Unspoken Secrets Revealed
After their plunge through the trap door, he took Christine to the depths of the Paris Opera House. It was down to the dungeons of the phantom's black despair…once more.
She resisted him, trying to pull away from his tight grasp; she did not want to be led back to his darkness that's deep as hell, or so she thought…
Christine couldn't believe what was happening; she was in a state of shock. He had forced her to go with him, and for this she was angry. She did not like that he was forcing a choice upon her, one that was not hers and one that she had not yet decided.
After they had arrived at his lair, the phantom confessed his love for her. She gave him a bewildered look. She doubted what he had told her, but then, she turned her head away and slowly began to realize the truth. It was not jealousy that caused him to do the evil things he had done but love and fear. He loved her with all his heart. She was his angel and first love. She was the one who could hear his fears, his torment and his tears; she shared in his emptiness and saw his loneliness; she was the only one who heard him and was able to fill the void in his life. For that, he deathly feared to lose her.
The sound of someone treading in water caught her angel's ear. His guest had arrived. He had hoped this boy would show up, and now, his wish came true. He would use this opportunity to make her choose between the two of them; whom did she truly love? With this decision, their fates would be decided.
He walked over to the lever and pulled it down, opening the door to his lair. "Monsieur, I bid you welcome," he remarked, walking over to Raoul as he entered.
He grabbed the young fool, tied him up and put a lasso around his neck while taunting him, "Order your fine horses now! Raise up your hand to the level of your eyes…"
He turned to Christine and exclaimed: "Start a new life with me! Buy his freedom with your love. Refuse me and you send your lover to his death! This is the choice! This is the point of no return!"
With that said, Christine's anger turned to hatred. "The tears I might have shed for your dark fate grow cold and turn to tears of hate!" She said this with anger in her voice. She despised him for what he was doing.
"Say you love him and my life is over!" Raoul shouted.
"Do you end your days with me or do you send him to his grave?" As the phantom finished saying this, he pulled on the rope, choking Raoul and causing him to gag.
"Angel of music, who deserves this?" Christine asked with a look of sorrow and sympathy in her eyes. Her eyes were welling up and tears started to trickle down her cheeks.
"Christine, say 'No!' Don't throw your life away for my sake!" shouted Raoul.
"Angel, you deceived me. I gave you my mind blindly." Tears were now streaming down her face. She couldn't allow him to kill Raoul; she loved him. At that moment, Christine chose to save Raoul and mouthed the words 'I love you' to him. She then walked over to the phantom and did what she knew would keep Raoul from death: she kissed him.
Her state of shock started to subside as she was kissing him. Her mind was telling her to pull away but her heart…her heart was keeping her from fighting what she felt with all her might. In reality, she ached for him. She wanted to be with him in any way possible. She wanted him to completely consume her. He was more than just an angel to her. She understood what she meant to him and began to understand how he truly meant to her as well.
They pulled away from their kiss. Her angel's eyes were full of surprise and bewilderment. Tears began to flow from his eyes. He couldn't comprehend what was happening but he allowed her to gaze into his eyes; to gaze deep into his soul and see and feel what he felt. She saw his hurt but felt his love exude through it. All her feelings of love and desire began to surface. She wanted to give him peace so there would be no more of the pain that took part in controlling his life and to have passion, happiness and love be what remained. All that she feared of him was the darkness he lived in, the pain he carried inside, and what it may cause him to do without anyone to lead him from his solitude or to show compassion.
She couldn't resist his lips any longer. She dove in for a long, passionate kiss that was more than the first. This was real. He could feel her love for him transcend throughout his entire body and he willingly showed her that love back through the passionate kiss they were sharing.
That girlish boy, he watched on and was fully aware of what was happening. He might have been her childhood sweetheart but he had only noticed her when she became popular. He didn't truly love her, he just loved the idea of her and he knew Christine had realized that.
Christine did love Raoul, but her love for him was not the same as when she was a child. Raoul could not make her happy like her angel could; she would only end up being miserable if she were to choose him.
In that moment, Raoul had lost. He saw her give in to what she knew felt right within and seized the opportunity to make the choice she's been longing to make. Christine let her soul take her where she longed to be.
With that kiss, she decided.
Their kiss had ended and the phantom realized what he had done to his angel. He realized he had hurt her by giving her the ultimatum. The last thing he would want to do was to hurt the one he loved. He couldn't force her to love him back. He thought to himself, 'How could I ever make her happy, this angel of light?'
He refused to make her live in his hell and reluctantly let her go. "Take him, forget me…Go now, don't let them find you." As he said this he pushed Christine from him and started to make his way to his room.
"No!" Christine cried out immediately after the phantom spoke. "I choose you!"
Upon hearing this, the phantom turned to face Christine. 'How could she play with me this way?' he thought to himself.
Raoul was not all that surprised by this but to actually hear it be said was what caught him off guard. He looked as if he were to die because his ego was shot to hell.
"Don't toy with me!" the phantom shouted back. "Go now and leave me!"
He continued to walk away but Christine wouldn't let him go. She ran to him and gently grabbed his hand. He looked down at her hand touching his. Oh how he longed for her soft touch. She used her other hand to direct his chin so his eyes would meet hers.
Christine tenderly spoke to him saying, "You told me to choose," and lovingly smiled at him. "You are my choice."
His tears began to flow more freely. He took deep, irregular breaths as if anxiety was overcoming him and his bottom lip quivered some. She could feel his pulse start to race more rapidly. She put her hand on his cheek to try to soothe him and brushed some hair out of the way of his face. He gave her a caring look and smiled lightly.
He breathed in deep and managed to ask "How?"
"My heart chose you. I want to share each day with you, each night, and each morning. Anywhere you go, let me go too." Her eyes had the look of pleading in them. He could see she truly wanted and needed to be with him. It was as if she would not survive without him. He saw that her heart belonged to him.
He smiled and breathed a happy sigh, "Christine, I love you."
Christine leaned up and pulled the phantom's head closer to hers but stopped short of their lips touching and whispered to him, "I love you, too, Angel," then she kissed him passionately once again.
Raoul stared on with disgust in his eyes. Christine hadn't looked at him since she mouthed the words, 'I love you,' to him. When their kissed had finished, she realized Raoul was still there and tied up. Christine turned to see him and had an apologetic aura around her.
She walked slowly towards him and upon reaching him, she removed his bindings. Christine placed a hand on his shoulder and in a sorrowful tone said, "Raoul, I'm so sorry."
Raoul just stood there staring at her then glanced at the phantom who walked over to the lever that opened the gated door and pulled it down. Raoul's hands were placed on his hips. His upper body was slouching forward and his head hung low. He looked at his nearby surroundings and once the door was lifted, he looked up and took one last glance at Christine, then turned to walk away. Christine extended her arm towards him and took a step forward but realized it was best to let him be and slowly lowered her arm down to her side.
It was just the two of them left but the sounds of the mob were nearing.
The phantom walked to where Christine was. Standing close behind her, he placed one hand around her waist and took her hand in his.
"We must go now," he said softly to her.
Christine just stood there staring into the distance but slowly came back to reality. With her hand still in his, she turned to look at him.
She gave him a radiant smile, kissed his hand gently and said, "Let's go."
He smiled back at her and led her to where a mirror was. He took up a large candleholder and removed the blanket that masked the mirror. He broke open the passageway that was hidden behind the mirror.
He paused for a moment then looked back at Christine. She had a look of readiness on her face which answered what he was thinking. With that confirmation he led her down the dark tunnel and through the unknown. Her blood was racing but she was not scared for she knew her angel was there with her.
Their wait was short for they were now one, sharing one love and one lifetime…
