Stranger Than You Dreamt It...

Sorry for the short update! But I shall try to upload again either today or tomorrow with a longer chappie, the Italics are the dream...I could possibly do it in real life :D

Monica groaned holding her head as she sat up slowly looking around. She was alone on the stage of the Opera House, but already she could tell something wasn't right. She distinctly remembered fainting into Logan's arms, but she was alone now. She looked around panicking if only for a second or two.

"Phantom?" she called out hoping the Opera Ghost was near, the last thing she wanted was for him to be gone as well. She didn't even know what was going on; she needed someone to comfort her. To at least explain what happened and where everyone was. He didn't disappoint her either.

"Why are you up here?" his voice replied echoing throughout the stage sending chills down her back. Her breathing suddenly became louder; the silence seemed to mock her as the statues stared down at her gleaming in the darkness. It was starting to smother her; she stood up slowly and looked around.

"Where are you?" she called out again in a shaky voice as she looked everywhere to no avail. Again silence seemed to surround her.

"Exactly where you left me," he shot back his voice suddenly took a darker tone with her as she shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself.

"I don't understand…" she murmured before a cackle tore through the silence and caused her to jump slightly. It was Jack.

But what was he doing here?

What the hell was going on?

"You failed your monster," his voice echoed laced with steel as she looked around for him as well only to find that she was still alone. Where were their voices coming from? She walked back away from the edge of the stage as darkness closed in around her, the shadows being swallowed by it and the seats being consumed as well. She could barely see in front of her.

"I didn't do anything!" she shouted back at the darkness as his laugh danced all around her disturbing her once more.

"Precisely…you did nothing," Jack replied stepping out of the shadows holding the Phantom next to him by the neck. Monica turned to look at them and gasped, this couldn't possibly be happening to her. The air was filled with the unique smell of blood, the metallic odor filling her senses as she watched horrified by seeing the Opera Ghost in such a position.

His head was bowed, eyes fixed on the floor beneath him. His arms hung uselessly by his sides, shoulders hunched as he refused to fight the hold Jack had on him.

"Phantom…?" Monica asked trying to approach him before Jack tightened his grip on the Opera Ghost's neck earing himself a groan of pain from the other man. Monica shook her head and halted not wanting to cause him further pain, she couldn't understand, the Phantom was stronger than Jack…that much she was sure of. So what the hell was he doing?

"You killed him," Jack accused her as he shook the older man violently causing him to lose his balance and stumble forward falling on his knees. His once beautiful blue eyes looked up at Monica pleadingly; she in turn found it difficult to even breathe upon witnessing him in such a state.

"I didn't kill him," she whispered to herself as Jack moved forward once more and with a harsh shove of his boot pushed the Phantom down onto the stage. The Opera Ghost going down without a fight whatsoever as he lay pinned down on the ground staring up at Monica, his expression blank.

"Murderer!" he thundered at her as he pulled out the Phantom's sword. The blade gleamed eerily, the silver tip taunting her as Jack smiled triumphantly at her and then sneered at the Opera Ghost beneath him.

"N-no!" Monica choked pleading with Jack as he looked up at her once more. His piercing glare faltering slightly seeing her tear streaked expression but composing itself almost instantly as he glanced at the blade and then at her.

He then brought it down brutally down on the Phantom's chest. The blade disappearing tearing straight through his chest as he gasped in pain and held it trying to pull it out. Monica ran over and brushed past Jack who stood watching the pair with a sadistic smile before disappearing once more into the darkness.

Monica collapsed in front of the Opera Ghost who coughed up blood as tears streaked down her cheeks. She held his hand in one of her own while the other caressed his exposed cheek.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," she cried glaring at the blade that had taken her reason for living from her. He in turn started up at her, pain etched into his expression as blood pooled around the pair.

"You are responsible, this happened because you disobeyed me…" Jack told her, his voice now far away in the distance. She glanced at the blade protruding out of the Phantom's chest with determination.

She knew she couldn't save him; it was a direct blow to his heart. Jacks laugh echoed in the distance as she pulled up the sleeves from her shirt to her elbow and looked at the Phantom with determination once more. He saw what she was planning and reached out a blood stained hand to stop her.

"Do not be foolish c-child," he murmured to her as she shook his hold off and stared at the blade before running her wrists over it, a searing white pain tearing through her as she severed her veins. Blood pouring out and mixing with his own.

"You idiot," the Phantom whispered to her before he let out his last breath. Monica collapsing on his chest from blood loss as she too closed her eyes still holding on to the Phantom with the last bit of strength she had left. She couldn't picture a better way to die.

Jack's laugh echoed in the distance, she struggled to keep conscious as he continued to taunt her before she exhaled her last breath. Darkness surrounded her and took her into its cold embrace as she completely succumbed to it.

"Monica! Monica wake up!" Logan called to her, her eyes fluttered open in shock. It had all been a dream…but it had felt so real. She looked around and noticed she was surrounded by the renovators, she wasn't alone anymore.

"I need to see if he's ok," she whispered looking around in panic. Logan let her go as she rushed out of his arms and broke through the crowd of renovators.

"See if who is ok?" Logan called after her as she paused and looked back at him.

"Just don't tell Jack you found me here ok? I need to go!" she called back as she rushed past renovators and headed down to the lair. She rushed down through the catacombs and finally arrived at the lair. She looked around to find him sitting at his organ; brow raised questioning her early arrival.

Her eyes pooled with tears upon seeing him…alive. She rushed over to him and flung herself around him crushing the air out of the startled Opera Ghost whose elbows were propped up against the organ emitting low notes that resonated throughout the lair.

"You're ok!" she cried hugging him tighter as he tilted his head, why wouldn't he be? Nevertheless he found his arms acting on their own accord wrapping around her small frame and caressing her hair.

"Why would you think otherwise child?" he asked her as she gripped his v-neck shirt and refused to let go, not that he had any objections to it. He welcomed the warmth that she brought with her.

"You left me…" she whimpered, "I was…scared," she admitted, something about him just made her spill out everything without him even asking.

"I would never leave you," he replied without thinking as she pulled away and looked up at him. She adored him, it was impossible for him not to tell with how she looked at him in that brief moment.

She smiled trying to stop the tears from escaping her eyes as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. He tilted his head upwards allowing her more freedom. They remained that way for what seemed an eternity, neither of them wishing to break away.

Reality seemed stranger than dreams sometimes…

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