Author's note: Here's part two of the climax. Enjoy!
"Let's go!" said Nadir, and opened the closet door a crack. He looked out, than nodded to Christine and Erik, and they followed him out. They crept down the hallway for maybe thirty meters, when Nadir stopped them, and pointed to the floor. They looked down, and saw a grid that led below the house, ostensibly a sort of sewer system for the house. It was a big enough house that this didn't surprise Christine.
Nadir nodded and whispered, "I got the plans of the house from Khalid—he thinks I was in on the plan of capturing you." With that, he pulled out a key from his overcoat, bent down to the grid, unlocked it, lifting the grid off silently, and hopped down. She heard him drop into a little bit of water, and glanced at Erik, who was watching her. She suddenly forgot the direness of the situation and took a step towards him just as he walked towards her. They shared a piercing glance, and suddenly he took her in his arms and hugged her. It was the first time they had touched since that last kiss in his lair in the Paris Opera.
"Hurry up!" they heard Nadir hiss, and they broke apart. Erik gave Christine a small smile, and helped her down the hole. She fell down, finding herself in a long tunnel that had a small stream of water flowing over the ground and occasional drops of water falling from the stone ceiling. She moved aside, and Erik dropped lightly beside her.
"Hurry, we're still not safe!" whispered Nadir, and as soon as he looked at a piece of paper that looked like the plans of the house, they headed off. As they were walking, Nadir naturally ended up leading the way, with Erik and Christine walking side by side, giving each other side glances from time to time. Finally, she took his hand. He gave her hand a tight squeeze, and they walked hand in hand through the cellar. At one point, they were forced to walk through a deeper pool of water. But before Christine ventured into it, Erik swept her up and carried her over the water, gently putting her down when they got to the other side.
She smiled at him, and put a hand to the deformed side of his face. He flinched for a moment, than nodded at her. 'I love you' he mouthed. They wrapped their arms around each other, and their faces were inches apart, until Nadir whispered a command to hurry. They let each other go and continued walking hand in hand.
Soon they reached a fork in the tunnel. In fact, there were four paths they could take. Nadir stopped, obviously confused.
"What's the problem?" Erik asked.
"I don't actually have a map of the sewers. Give me a second," Nadir said.
"Why does a house have an elaborate sewer system like this?" asked Christine.
"It actually used to be several houses, part of an estate. It was somehow combined into one house maybe fifty years ago. This sewer is a remnant of what used to be a way for servants to scurry around without bothering their masters," he said. (A/N It makes sense to me…) He looked at the tunnels, than finally whispered, "I believe we should go on the right-most tunnel. Let's go."
They headed down the tunnel, and shortly Nadir hissed, "This is the right way—we're heading up!" As soon as he said that, the three of them simultaneously felt the next step they took sink into the ground. They all looked down. The ground had turned to mud.
"It probably won't be too deep!" Christine whispered brightly.
They all took several steps deeper, and it was clear that it was steadily getting deeper. Soon they were all up to their waist, and the end of the muddy area was perhaps thirty meters away. Erik and Christine exchanged a glance, and Erik lifted Christine up and waded deeper into the mud.
"You don't have to…" she began, but Erik interrupted her.
"I won't let you be in any more danger than I already exposed you to. I was forced to stand by as you were being punched," he said. He gently touched a bruise that was swelling on the side of Christine's forehead. "This is the least I can do to make amends."
"It wasn't your fault, though!"
"I still wish to do this." He fell silent and carried her through the mud. Ahead of them, Nadir had almost gotten up to his neck in mud, and was half walking, half swimming. Erik, just a little behind him, had mud just to below his shoulders. He had his arms held up in front of him, holding Christine buoyed up on the surface of the mud. But then suddenly the ground appeared to disappear, for Erik's head went under the mud for a moment.
"ERIK!" Christine screamed, forgetting the need for silence for a moment.
His head poked out a second later, spitting mud out of his mouth. "I'm fine," he said, but Nadir glared at the both of them, though he was barely staying above the mud himself. Erik was forced to hold Christine with one hand, so they both swam slowly towards the end.
"I found the ground again!" whispered Nadir, and they both muddled towards him. Soon they both reached the ground, and forced their way to solid ground once more. They made their way slowly out of the mud. Once they were completely free from the pit, all three of them lay down on the ground, panting.
"Are you all right?" Erik asked Christine.
"Yes," she panted.
"I am as well," whispered Nadir, obviously feeling a bit left out.
"Oh yes, apologies, Khan, I am glad you are well. Shall we go on?" asked Erik.
"Yes." Nadir stood up, as did Erik and Christine. They continued walking. Nadir was right—the floor was steadily sloping up, and soon the arrived at another grate sloped just a little higher. They saw sunlight streaming from the grate.
"Nadir, you're wonderful!" Christine cried, and Nadir smiled. He reached through the bars and unlocked the grate, than pushed it out. He scrambled out, followed by Christine, then Erik. Christine rolled over and stood up, only to hear a pistol cocked at her head. She looked to the sound of the noise, and saw Enorme, giving her a wide grin. She looked to Nadir and Erik. Two other men were holding guns to their heads as well.
Mathieu also walked up. "Well, well, well, I waited at the right entrance," he laughed. "Enorme! Shoot her. No more games."
Christine winced in anticipation. She heard a gun shot, but for some reason didn't feel any pain. At least that's a relief, she thought, and opened her eyes to see the afterlife. Instead of heaven or hell, all she saw was Enorme, lying at her feet, a bullet in the back of his head and Raoul, holding a still-smoking gun and looking rather shocked at what he had just done.
Erik wasted not a moment, but grabbed the gun from the man who had held said gun at him and calmly shot Mathieu, who gasped and staggered back a few steps.
"You…shot…me!" he wheezed, and fell over. Erik ran over to him.
"He's dead," he said blandly, and turned to the one remaining man, who was lowering his gun in fear and slowly backing away.
"Hey, I didn't see nothing," the man said. He dropped his gun, and ran away. The others ignored him.
"How did you find us?" asked Christine to Raoul.
He sighed. "I actually got some hints from that Khalid man and some others around Rouen. I just got here, and had brought a gun just in case. I suppose it's lucky I did so. I…also wanted to tell you, Christine…" he trailed off, and glanced at Erik, who was clearly trying to contain himself from giving Raoul a murderous glare.
Erik turned away.
"Christine, my dear childhood friend, I wanted to tell you that I truly do release you from all engagements. I withdraw my suit, and I shall not bother you again. I swear, I can see when my affections are not desired. I give you to…Erik, or whoever you wish."
She felt her eyes begin to tear up. "Thank you, Raoul," she whispered.
"I will go now, seeing that you are safe," he said.
"May I join you?" asked Nadir.
"Of course. My carriage is outside the gate. I let myself in—there was no one else there."
Nadir smiled at Erik and Christine, and headed off with Raoul. Once they were gone, the two of them looked at each other.
"Christine, I don't know what to say," Erik said.
"Then make no sound," she replied, and they drew together and kissed each other. At first it was a tentative, unsure kiss, but soon it deepened, and it is clear that someone could have fired a gun next to them and neither of them would have noticed. They were finally together, this time with nothing to hinder them.
Yay! Finally they kiss! Soon I'll post an epilogue with a bit of tying up of loose ends and happiness. I hope you don't feel cheated with my sudden killing off of Mathieu. I just wanted him dead, and I wanted Erik to do it. I hope all of you liked it!