Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera or any of the recognizable characters. I only own the idea and some of the minor characters. The rest belongs to their respective owners.

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A/N: I want to thank all my wonderful readers for following and favoring this story! You guys are great and this story would never have gotten this far without you! All of your reviews have made me so happy and inspired and I can't believe this story is coming to an end! *cries* Well here is the Epilogue and I hope you enjoy and leave your last review to this story!

Favorite or follow me if you want to get updates on when my next stories get uploaded. Check out my list of upcoming stories in my profile and again thank you for everything!

Another side note: I went back to check something for this chapter and realized the opera manager's name I called Adam Levine. The opera manager is not the lead singer of Maroon 5, it was just a mistake that I just realized now. I can't change it now so just pretend that Adam and Levine are popular names lol. Ok on with the story!

Infinite Love

Chapter 36: Epilogue

xXx

5 Years Later

Erik watched the second hand on his watch reach the twelve again before moving on to the next minute. He had been watching the time constantly the last two minutes as he nervously shuffled his feet. He fidgeted with his appearance while standing by the doors of the Metropolitan Opera House, making people that walked by him very nervous. He was waiting for Christine's parents to arrive so he could show them to the box he reserved for the performance, knowing that his in-laws never liked him. Waiting for them without Christine by his side made the duty even harder to go through with.

He stood in the corner of the lobby in sight of the doors so he could meet them when they arrived. People all around him were standing together in groups chatting and smiling, completely oblivious to the nervous wreck in the corner. Excitement and anticipation flowed through the room making everyone talk spiritedly. This opening play was all they were talking about, it was the newest and most stimulating piece of entertainment they had the pleasure of witnessing for the first time in a long while.

As Erik watched the door, the people and his watch simultaneously his fellow manager and good friend walked over to him with two flutes of champagne in his hands.

"Here Erik, thought you could use something to calm your nerves." Adam said, handing him one of the glasses.

"Thanks." Erik said taking the champagne and taking a large gulp of the sweet, bubbly liquid.

"Still waiting for the in-laws?" he asked taking a smaller sip of the champagne.

"Yeah. I can't believe Christine is making me face them alone. She knows how much they hate me." He said, pulling on his bowtie as if he were choking while looking at the door again.

"Well she has a good reason. She is getting ready for the performance." He said scanning the crowd of people that had paid good money to see the opening act.

Erik knew she was important at the moment and needed to be getting prepared backstage, but he also knew that he would rather put on the corseted dress and sing on stage instead of escorting her parents. Christine had the easy job. The first night he met Mr. and Mrs. Dawson was a nightmare.

Christine wanted Erik to meet her parents before they even officially picked out a ring. She wanted her parents to be in attendance at the wedding, which means they had to know who the groom was. He had been calm and confident about the whole idea, but the second he walked in the door to her childhood home his anxiety hit the roof. Christine had led him in to the kitchen where her parents had been cooking dinner and when their eyes connected with his mask he knew he was doomed.

Dinner had been the hardest and most awkward moment in his two lifetimes on this Earth. Christine and he sat next to each other across from her parents, both of which were still staring at the mask instead of his eyes and judging his appearance. Christine had continued to try and convince them that he was a good man and that she loved everything about him whole heartedly. Nothing swayed their first impression of him and he knew what they were thinking. When Erik said he needed to go to the restroom his thoughts were confirmed by the immediate conversation that followed the second he was out of view. Her parents started going in on her, asking her what she was thinking and why he was wearing a Phantom mask. They started telling her she was being ridiculous for wanting to become the new Christine Daaé in more than just her looks and voice.

When he returned to the table having heard the whole talk he felt Christine grab a hold of his hand under the table and squeeze reassuringly. She turned to face her parents again and told them their plans of getting married and told them that if they didn't like the idea than they wouldn't be invited to the wedding even though she desperately wanted them there. Her parents started yelling in her face, demanding an explanation and threatening to kick Erik out of their house and making sure he never saw Christine again. Erik just took her hand and walked out of the house without a backward glance.

A month after the disastrous dinner her parents had finally calmed down and called to say they would be at the wedding. They still tried to get Christine to postpone it just to think about if she was absolutely sure about Erik. Postponing was never the plan and Christine refused to wait. She made the date over the phone and they were married six months later with her parents, extended family and friends as guests.

Now every time Erik came face to face with her parents he could see the disappointment in their faces from the fact that their only daughter had chosen to marry someone they hadn't expected for her. He was never going to be able to convince them to like him, he knew, Christine tried many times. He decided to give up a long time ago. He still became a nervous wreck whenever he saw them and today was twice as bad since there was more than just them to be nervous about.

"Do you see this crowd? Your work and your wife are making this place more exhilarating than I have seen it in a long time." Adam said with a wide grin on his face. Erik could practically see the dollar signs glowing in his eyes.

Erik felt very proud to have his wife, the woman he gets to go home with, being up on that stage and singing the notes and lyrics to music he had composed and put together in the last three years. It had taken longer for him to finish than he originally wanted, from all the times he almost gave up from the stress of trying to get all the emotions down on paper. Christine had always been there to help him get through it. She had given him inspiration every time he gave up and made sure that he kept going. She made him rest when he needed to and she made him eat when he forgot to. Now nine months after suggesting it to Adam it was becoming life. It was actually going to be brought to life and the vision he had in his mind would be directed on that stage.

Erik had envisioned Christine for the main role from the beginning and he demanded that she play the lead or else he wouldn't let it be put out. Christine knew the characters like the back of her hand and she had already sung the songs before it was brought to Adam's attention. She was a necessity to the telling of this story, a story of love, sacrifice, despair and lust. Adam had agreed without hesitation for he had heard her voice before and found her to have a voice fit for angels. He believed everyone in the audience would be captivated by her voice as he had been the first time he heard it.

Just then Christine's parents walked through the large open doors wearing appropriate opening night worthy attire. Erik handed his empty champagne glass to Adam before heading over to them. As he walked he straightened and tightened his bowtie and flattened his suit jacket. He nervously ran his fingers through his hair making sure it was smooth and presentable. When he reached them they turned to look at him and tried to avoid looking at his mask.

"Good to see you again." Erik said in his most convincing, charming voice.

"Yes, pleasure." Mrs. Dawson said before giving him a polite kiss on the cheek and the fakest smile he had ever seen. Mr. Dawson just gave him a polite handshake and didn't bother to smile.

With the greetings out of the way Erik guided them over to Adam to introduce them to his business partner. Before he could usher them towards the auditorium one of the backstage people that Erik recognized as Christine's assistant, Helen, bustled over fretfully.

"Mr. Damson, Christine is asking for you. It's urgent." she said, red faced.

xXx

Christine sat in front of the mirror applying the last of her make-up when the door slammed open and Erik came rushing in. He was pale and breathing heavily. When he saw her sitting in front of the mirror completely calm he rushed over and kneeled next to the chair she was sitting in.

"Are you alright? I was told you needed me urgently." He said scanning her body as if he had x-ray vision and could see if she had broken bones or scratches under her dress.

"Don't worry, I'm fine." She said putting her blush brush down and turning to face him fully. "My parents must be here."

Erik stayed on his knees on the floor, but his face changed from distressed to confused in a second. "Yeah, why?"

"I couldn't leave you to deal with them on your own." She said, cupping his unmasked cheek with her hand and placing a quick, soft kiss on his lips.

At his still stunned face she continued to explain, "I had Helen keep an eye on you. I told her that when my parents come you would meet them at the door and introduce them to Adam. I had her make up an excuse for you to come here and leave my parents to Adam. I didn't think she would make you worry."

"So… you're okay?" he said, surprised that he had been tricked.

"I am perfectly fine." She said giving him another soft kiss so she didn't smudge the lipstick she just applied.

He exhaled a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. Christine laughed at his concern and stood from her seat so she could get her costume on. She was only wearing the chemise and corset with a silk robe covering it.

She took the dress from where it was hanging over the dressing screen and removed the robe she was wearing. She placed the dress on the floor in a circle so she could easily get into it, but before she could step into the dress she felt Erik's lips on her bare shoulder.

"You are a devious little vixen, aren't you?" he said as he trailed kisses from her shoulder to just behind her ear.

"I learned from the best." She said with a light giggle erupting from her throat. She was becoming tense from the way Erik was controlling the situation and if he got what he wanted it could become dangerous. "Erik you need to stop… or else… or else…" she said in between sharp, short inhalations.

"What? What will happen if I don't stop?" he said, continuing his kisses to the back of her neck while his hands started to slowly lift the sheer skirt covering her legs.

"Someone could walk in. Someone could hear us." She said, out of breath and trying to be convincing, but she wanted it just as much as he did and he knew it.

Christine turned when she felt Erik's hands leave her hips and his lips leave her shoulder. She watched as he practically ran over to the door of the dressing room and locking it so no one could walk in unannounced. He turned back to face her and she could tell that her cheeks were bright red from the flaming sensations Erik brought her to.

"Now no one can walk in and I can always cover your screams with my mouth." He said gliding across the room with the skills of a cat.

Christine wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close to plant a kiss on his lips. She could never resist his allure, no matter where they were. Anytime he initiated it she had no choice, her body would take over and her mind would forget about everything else. This was a kiss full of need, want, passion, desire, love, and even a little danger. Neither of them held back as all their emotions rushed forward and left the consequences behind.

Erik quickly pulled the slip up her legs and out of the way so it wouldn't get ruined as Christine wrapped her legs around his hips. Erik loved the feeling of her legs around him and he quickly held onto the back of her thighs to keep her from falling and found the nearest wall to push her up against.

When they reached a wall Christine started to unbuckle his belt and unbutton his pants to get them out of the way. When his pants were finally pushed out of the way Erik thrust into her roughly. Before Christine could gasp loudly from the intense feeling of becoming one with him, Erik covered her mouth with his.

Erik made sure to keep her moans, gasps and exclamations silent with his mouth to make sure no one heard them. With each thrust Erik let out a quiet grunt against her lips. Their lips and tongues brushed against each other the same way their hips did, with urgency. When Erik released her lips to take a breath she brought her face down to his shoulder and muffled her screams in the padding of his coat.

They continued to move against each other with an intensity that overtook them both. The pictures and paintings on the wall shook and almost fell from their hooks while they jerked against the wall. Christine continued to push the heel of her feet into his lower back to keep him closer and to go deeper while he tightened his hold on her thighs and angled her legs higher for a deeper connection.

"Erik." She sighed.

"Christine… you… are so… intoxicating." He said in between each thrust.

With one final thrust Christine reached her completion and let her cries out on his shoulder, biting into the fabric. When Christine squeezed him he came right behind her, spilling inside her and pushed her against the wall even harder making one of the small framed pictures land on the carpeted floor at their feet. His grunts were let out in the sweetness of her hair.

Erik didn't want to let her go and didn't want to move from their positions. He was content in staying where they were until they absolutely had to break apart. The warmth of her skin and the smell of her hair kept him in a euphoric state and he completely forgot about what the night was about and who was waiting for him in Box 5. The moment ended sooner than he wanted when a few minutes later there was a knock at the door.

"Mrs. Damson, curtain goes up in five." One of the backstage members said from the other side of the door.

Christine looked into Erik's eyes with surprise and panic at how fast time flew while they were together. He reluctantly let her legs drop so she could stand and she took a step back to make sure her undergarments weren't soiled from their passions. Erik immediately felt the coldness of not being joined with her or even touching her, but he couldn't do anything about it now. She still had to dress and do her hair and she only had five minutes to do it in.

Christine grabbed her dress that she had left on the floor and put her legs through the hole she made. When she got the dress up and had her arms through the sleeves she felt Erik's hands slowly buttoning the back. Christine pulled her hair up out of the way for him to get the higher ones done. When he got all the buttons fastened she turned to face him and kissed him sweetly on the lips before going back over to the mirror and fixing her lipstick.

When she felt her make-up was presentable she combed through her hair roughly with her brush and just let it hang down her back. The first act was just her standing in the horse's stalls after going for a ride. Her hair looked wind-blown enough to make the scene work so she took Erik's hand and he guided her out of the dressing room. They walked down the narrow hall filled with props, fabrics and other actors to reach the stage. When they got to the side of the stage where she enters Erik released her and gave her a peck on the cheek before turning to go towards the doors heading to the stairs.

"Wait." She said grabbing his hand before he was out of reach.

He turned to see her standing there with fear and anxiety written on her face. The reality of being on stage in front of thousands of people hit her in this moment. She had been fine during rehearsals when there were only workers, musicians and actors watching her, but now there were people that paid to see her. She had been confident when she was in her dressing room preparing, but now the reality of it hit her like a ton of bricks.

"You will be perfect." He said looking her straight in the eyes and holding her shaking, sweaty fingers.

"What if I mess up? What if I get one of the notes or words wrong? What if I fall?" she said her eyes widening at the thought of making a fool of herself.

"In all the years I have known you I have never seen you fall and how can you get a note or word wrong? You helped me write it, you have been practicing since the beginning. You will never mess up." He said giving her a reassuring smile.

"I have never had so many people looking at me and expecting me to do my best. What if…" Her mind was reeling with all the possibilities of what could happen to her on that stage.

Before Christine could start another outburst Erik hugged her tightly. "If you are still afraid of seeing all those people out there, than ignore them. Pretend they aren't there. That's what I did whenever I sang with you in front of people. Like at the Halloween party in your freshman year. At the karaoke bar on New Year's Eve. It helped me concentrate on you." He said with his instructing voice, only this time it had love underneath instead of just demanding. He pulled away to look in her eyes and saw she had started to calm down somewhat.

"Okay. I'll try that." She said before looking back at the stage.

"Christine, curtain is going up in less than a minute." The director said, looking pale and anxious. He handed her the horse brush and pushed her to the stage before she could give Erik one last look.

Once Christine stood on the stage next to the large white horse she would be working with in the first act she took a few deep breaths and closed her eyes to calm her nerves. When she heard the chattering of people and movement of instruments in the orchestra pit she knew that she was going to have to fight the urge to throw up. This was her first performance on the stage where she was the lead and everyone would be looking at her now. She always only played a minor character up until Erik introduced this opera to everyone. Without him she would probably still be a minor character in the chorus that no one paid close attention to. When the curtains started to open she turned to face the horse and continued brushing its back.

The music started to play and when it reached the moment where she had to sing she turned to look out at the audience and saw empty seats. The whole auditorium was empty except for Erik. He was sitting in Box 5 looking at her proudly with a subtle nod of confidence.

She knew it was a trick of the mind and every one of the seats were actually occupied, but she was grateful that her mind hid all the other people. She didn't have an issue singing for Erik only, the auditorium with over a thousand seats looked empty and it helped her concentrate on the lyrics and her performance. She didn't have the nervous butterflies in her stomach or the urge to let her dinner come up her throat.

She continued to brush the short hair of the horses back as she sang the high notes with a beautiful clarity. When the lead actor came out to sing his part of the song it felt like second nature to just act with him. The rest of the song went by in a breeze and sooner than she could have imagined the play reached its intermission.

The rest of the play went by quickly after the break and before long the whole cast stood on stage to bow.

Christine watched as the whole auditorium stood and clapped enthusiastically. She stood next to her two leading men and the rest of the actors as they all bowed with their hands linked. Her smile reached her eyes as if she had a hanger in her mouth. She was ecstatic that everyone had loved her voice, but she couldn't let all the attention be brought on her.

She stepped forward from the rest of the cast and kissed her hand before pointing it to the love of her life sitting in Box 5. He kissed his hand and gestured back to her. Before long the curtain went down a final time and Erik's loving face still covered Christine's vision as she left the stage heading straight to her dressing room.

When she got in her room her seamstress was already there ready to help her out of the corset. When her dress and undergarments were removed she found her modern dress hanging over the dressing screen and put it on quickly. She went over to the mirror and started removing the heavy make-up that was applied for the final wedding scene. When she got her hair out of the many pins and removed the fancy crown she let her hair hang loosely down her bared back. She applied grey eye shadow to let the blue out in her eyes and to match the color of her dress. She put glossy lipstick on before walking out of her dressing room.

When she got to the lobby she expected to see Erik and her parents standing there waiting for her, but instead she was bombarded with admirers and reporters. Cameras were flashing in her face and people were asking her questions while holding recorders in her face. Others were just admirers holding out single roses and bouquets of flowers for her to take. It had become overwhelming and she didn't know what to do. Before she could answer a question or accept a rose, Erik's face came through the crowd and he stood before her, enveloping her in a hug.

"You were amazing. I am so proud of you." He said in her ear.

She still had the hanger in her mouth and his words just made her smile even bigger, if that were possible. In that moment she forgot about everyone else and focused on his arms around her and the feel of his warmth against her.

"Darling, you were perfect." Christine heard her mother's voice through the fog of Erik's sensations.

She opened her eyes to see her mother and father standing behind Erik waiting to show their congratulations. Erik half-heartedly let her go so she could hug them. She hadn't seen them in over seven months, last Thanksgiving, so she wanted to catch up with them.

When they were finally able to get out of the opera house and head down the street Erik watched as Christine and her parents chatted about everything that had been going on the last few months. Christine told them about her different roles and places in the opera that she had done before being made the lead role. She even tried to explain to them that without Erik she wouldn't have become lead so quickly. Her parents had turned to Erik and thanked him. It was the first time Erik had seen them smile sincerely in his direction.

When they reached Erik and Christine's apartment, her parents looked around in awe. It was the first time they had seen their home and they hadn't expected the charming, classic, family home. They were given a quick tour and were given the chance to put their bags in the guest room that used to be Erik's study. They had admired the grand piano in the living room and scanned the classic novels that sat on Erik's bookcase. They found the atmosphere to be very pleasing and homey. While they were changing into casual clothes in the guest room Erik and Christine went into the kitchen and opened the bottle of champagne that he had bought for this occasion.

"You pleased me greatly tonight." Erik said unraveling the paper from the cork.

"It was your composition. I am just lucky I got to play that lead role in your work." She said giddy.

"No one else would have been allowed to play that role. You were my muse throughout the whole thing." He said with a deep love in his eyes.

At that moment her parents came into the kitchen and participated in the celebration. The popping of the cork and the spray of foam was only momentary, but the drinking and talking continued for a good portion of the night.

When the grandfather clock by the fireplace chimed once indicating it was one in the morning, Christine's parents excused themselves to get some sleep before they left in the morning. Erik and Christine walked them down to the guest room before heading into their own. They both went into the large closet and stripped before putting on comfortable pajamas.

"To bad your parents are here. I was looking forward to making you scream." Erik said with a playful smile.

"How about we just cuddle tonight? Then tomorrow when they're gone you can conquer my body anyway you want." She said brushing her hands all over his chest in a tempting pattern.

"You are going to have to stop doing that or else I won't be able to hold myself back." He said watching her fingers gracefully run over his bare chest.

"Come on." She said, taking his hand and guiding him to bed.

When they climbed under the sheets and held each other everything was content. Christine pulled his mask off his face and placed it on the nightstand before kissing each curve, bump and malformation covering the right side of his face. Erik felt tears fall from his eyes and two trails run down his cheeks. After being with her for five years he still became stunned by the fact that he had found someone that could love him enough to look at his deformity and caress it. He thanked Sophia for making him what he was. If he hadn't met her he would never have come to New York City and waited over one hundred years for Christine, the love of his life. He thought losing Christine Daaé was the end of his existence, but it was only the beginning. A life without Christine Dawson was not worth living and he wouldn't have done anything differently.

They were living the perfect life. They wouldn't change anything about their lives together. Ever.

xXx

And there it is! I loved writing this story and I am sad that it is over. Thank you again to all my amazing readers and reviewers! You are all so wonderful! Time to get back to Music Within and Unsinkable!

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