Author's Note: What will happen now? Will Erik be saved from death by broken heart? Please read and review.

Inspiration: I Still Lost by Dommin


I Still Lost

Erik rode Cesar towards the Daroga's flat hoping to be there soon so he could drop off the Daroga and head back to be with his betrothed. He felt giddy, yet nervous to return to Christine. Giddy in now she was to be his wife yet nervous because he had never been in a relationship with anyone and wasn't sure what to expect. He knew he wanted to take her out and show her off and enjoy playing music with her singing his compositions. They would also play cards on Sundays, and any other activities she wanted to partake in.

Looking down at the Daroga's limp form draped over Cesar's back he spoke even though he knows he wouldn't be heard. "You see Daroga I told you that she would choose to be with me of her own free will. Now we will be married and we will be happy together. I hope now you know her decision was of her own free will you will leave us be."

Finally he arrived at the flat; he dismounted Cesar then pulled the Daroga down placing him in front of his door propping him up before ringing the doorbell. Before Darius could come to the door he remounted Cesar and rode back to the opera house at a gallop to get back to Christine as quickly as he could.


Christine was waiting for Erik when he returned. He couldn't believe how beautiful she looked standing in his lair waiting for him to arrive. In his wildest dreams growing up he never imagined that he would have a beautiful woman awaiting him when he returned home. His heart felt as though it would burst it, he was so fortunate.

His palms started to get sweaty and his heart was beating fast as he took a step towards his angel. With each step his nerves got worse and he became timid like a small boy. He expected that she would run away but as he got closer she stood her ground. If his eyes were correct she put out her forehead just a little bit but it was enough for him to show she was willing to be the proper wife and allow him to show her affection, which he did. Slowly he brought his lips to her forehead kissing it gently. His eyes opened and he was surprised to see that she remained alive his kiss didn't turn her into a corpse or change her in anyway nor did she run away in disgust.

Instantly he was a child again in his mother's house. He slowly walked up to his mother and asked her for a kiss, only to have her scream at him as she backed away from him after she threw his mask at him. She called him a demon spawn and threatened to throw him out if he ever asked him for a kiss ever again. Even when he was taken by the gypsies and lived as a king in Persia no woman would ever let him kiss her not even on the hand and certainly not the forehead, yet this angel…this beautiful angel allowed him that and agreed to marry him.

His happiness was so great his legs grew weak and he began crying, sliding to the floor holding Christine's legs as he sobbed like a little boy as he kissed her feet. Gradually he began to feel small trickles on his face and realized that his sweet angel was crying too. Her tears were soft and sweet as they washed over him mingling with his own tears as some slipped under his mask. He tore off his own mask as to not lose any of her tears, despite the fear that his face would make her run away. However she didn't run but stayed in place and continued to cry with him.

'I wonder if this is what happiness taste like.'

"Poor, unhappy Erik!" Christine reached down and took Erik's hand in hers.

Erik could hear the pity in her voice and knew in that moment that Jennifer had been right Christine may pity him and could even tolerate him but she would never come to love him. She loved Raoul which is why she sacrificed herself by turning the scorpion and allowing him to kiss her forehead. However her tears and tone of voice proved that pity was what caused her to stay not true love or affection. As much as he wanted her to stay with him, he wanted to be loved not only pitied. Despite the pity Christine had given him what no other one had by allowing him to kiss her and crying for him because of his plight. He could feel her compassion and kindness that motivated her to stay and felt those same emotions bloom in his heart. This newfound compassion caused him to reach into his breast pocket and pull out the plain gold ring he had given her before. It had been a sign that she belonged to him so it made sense to give it to her as a sign that he was releasing her. He slipped the ring into her free hand.

"There...Take it!...Take it for you...and him!...It shall be my wedding-present a present from your poor, unhappy Erik…I know you love the boy...don't cry anymore!"

"What do you mean?" Her voice was soft and hopeful.

"I am nothing more than a poor dog…ready to die for you. You deserve to marry your young man when you please. You have cried with me…and mingled your tears with mine, which is what no one else has ever done for me. So go…go and marry your young man and be happy. I lied to you I didn't take him up like I had said instead I hid him away…but I will bring him to you now."

Christine stood in the Louis-Philippe room in shock. She couldn't believe that Erik was agreeing to let her go. She hoped it wasn't a trick but she knew from seeing Erik's tears that he meant every word. Within twenty minutes Erik came back with Raoul in tow. They immediately ran to each other embracing and kissing.

Erik did his best to keep the jealousy and hurt bottled up. "Christine, I ask that you swear to me you will come back one day when I have died and bury me with the ring. I will put an ad in the Époque before I am to die…you may come through the Rue Scribe side and you will find me in the main room in my coffin. Place the ring on my finger…close the lid to the coffin…and press the switch next to the door…it will seal the door and my body within as my own mausoleum. I know I don't deserve it…but I ask that you please do it for me."

Christine nodded her assent before kissing him on the forehead. "Thank you Erik for giving us our happiness. I will do as you ask. I vow to you I will return and bury you."

The act shocked him since it was the first time anyone kissed him of their own volition. He continued to cry softly while a grateful Raoul and a tearful Christine made their plans.

"My darling Christine will you marry me?"

"Yes my darling Raoul I will. Let us find a priest as soon as we leave here then we will leave for a time."

"Anything you want dear I shall do. We will start from the northern railway station of the world and find a quiet little spot."

Erik spoke up. "I shall lead you both upstairs all I ask is that you speak to no one about me and keep my lair a secret."

"You can count on us we will respect your privacy. Thank you for giving me Christine back and I know you will find someone someday."

Erik thought Raoul was only being nice because he knew he would never find anyone to love him; however he just nodded and shook Raoul's hand. Christine and Raoul were led up by Erik all the while smiling and gazing into each other's eyes.


"Constable over here I found something. Your not going to like this." The constable walked over not knowing what to expect. "What is it? Dear God in heaven!" He was looking down at the pale wet cold and very dead Count Philippe. "You don't think his brother could've?" The constable shook his head. "No we saw that boy he couldn't hurt a fly. No someone else did this. Maybe they were right there is someone else down here probably the same person that took the Prima Donna from the stage. Robert head back up we'll need reinforcements down here if this man is as dangerous as they say."

Robert was about to leave when he was stopped by the constable. "And tell Pierre to set up officers around the perimeter everyone that leaves gets questioned and any man gets detained unless they're the managers. Go quickly."

"But sir Commissary Mifroid has already deemed the case solved."

"He is but an old fool used to simpler times when duels between brothers was commonplace. My gut tells me there's more to this."

"Very well sir."


Jennifer was glad she had decided to take the key to the Rue Scribe entrance, despite the fact it took forever to find it the first time. However it was still better than the other entrances. Christine's dressing room entrance was much like a maze, and she didn't fancy going through the torture room again. She quietly walked down the passageway not wanting to alert the phantom that someone was there lest he set off any booby traps.

A rat bounded across the passageway in front of her. "Don't even think about jumping on me or coming near me. I swear I will kick you down this fucking hallway." She wasn't in the mood to have anything deter her, even the rodents.

She knew from the story he had died three weeks later of a 'broken heart' but was that really the reason for his death or was it self-inflicted. The Persian had described him as being weak and pale. At first she wondered if it was because he had stopped eating however he was used to that it wouldn't have made him that weak, so it much be something else. It had been niggling the back of her mind and when she was last in his lair after speaking to Raoul she wanted, no, needed to check his desk to make sure her concern was unfounded, however it was. As soon as she had seen the vial she knew deep down what it was. She popped off the cork and smelled it to make sure, hoping she was wrong but the smell of rancid bitter almonds was like the nail in the coffin. It made her upset to think of him throwing his life away because the Prima Donna couldn't love him. How could he throw his life away? He had so much to offer the world such beauty in his music such strength of character and such passion.

The coffin had been moved from his bedroom into the main area. He was going to put it to use just as he wanted to. His relics and papers were already packed up into a wrapped parcel marked with the Persian's address. After walking ten feet she found a dark lump on the floor sobbing. She put her purse and bag down and walked up to him putting her hand on his shoulder. She watched as he jumped and eyes flashed with anger and hand instinctively went for the Punjab lasso. Soon recognition lit up his eyes.

"Oh it's just you. Come to see the devil's son once more. Come to see his hideous face."

She let the disappointment roll off her at his unenthusiastic remark and self loathing.

"Come on we need to go the police will start searching for you soon especially since they found Philippe's body."

She waited for him to get up but he just sat there dejected. "Come on, do you want them to find you? They will sentence you and then kill you."

He just sat there so silently thinking she thought he had fallen asleep before she heard him speak softly. "It's probably for the best. I deserve death for harming my angel. She's left me, with that boy, what should I care if they find me. Let them."

She huffed at him. "Now you wanna be all self sacrificing. Well I don't have time for this. You might want death now but you'll regret it later."

He pulled out a vial her eyes widening. "I won't regret it I've thought about it for a long time. I'm nothing but trouble, troubles follow me everywhere."

"Then let me take you where troubles don't go."

She hoped he would accept her offer but instead he reached for the cork. But before he could uncork it and bring it to his lips she smacked him across the face it smiling in satisfaction as some anger registered on his face before it gave way to sadness.

"Seems I was wrong you're still a selfish son of a bitch. Haven't you thought that maybe some people would miss you if you died?"

"Who would do that? Who would miss a murderer? I want to die."

She stared at him hands on her hips. "Really you want to die but yet you went for your Punjab lasso the moment I touched you. Why would you defend yourself if you want to die so badly? Hmm I think it's because you don't really want to die but you feel like you have. Dying won't ease your pain it'll just make things worse for your soul."

"I have no soul, God doesn't care what happens to me if he did he wouldn't have created me like this, a hideous beast he would have let me be happy with my angel."

Jen was getting tired of the self loathing and knew they didn't have much time. 'You'll thank me for this later.'

"Fine you wanna to die, you wanna to take the easy way out. You want to hurt everyone who's ever cared for you than drink it. Drink the poison but you will regret it. Why don't you just come with me instead?"

"You're wrong no one cares for me. I thought Christine did but I was hopelessly wrong."

"Christine does care for you she just doesn't love you, not the way you wanted her too. It's the reason she chose to sing for you one last time before she left with Raoul it's the reason she could never hate you. You know she would never wish for you to suffer."

"No your right my angel wouldn't want me to suffer so. But with this I shall not suffer, at least I'll not suffer more than what I deserve. It's the reason why I have already begun my suffering." He held up the vial staring into it.

"What are you talking about? What suffering have you already begun?"

"The poison as you call it, it's my suffering. I have already begun to drink it a small amount each day that my Christine was away from me."

"What?! Is that why the vial's half empty? Is it? ANSWER ME!"

He flinched as her loud voice echoed all around them. "Yes it's why it's half empty. I began my suffering so I could know how I made my angel suffer."

"What in God's name have you done?" Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Only prolonging my suffering as I deserved." His popped the cork out with his thumb and drank it quickly.

Her eyes were still widened and she was shaking when he called her over.

"Jennifer…Jen…my sweet Jen…I spoke on those days out of anger and malice. I didn't truly mean what I said. You are and always will be my only true friend…I am truly sorry for everything I did."

She kneeled down to be closer to him and casually threw the empty vial hearing it shatter as it hit against the stone floor and took Erik's gloved hand. She smiled a watery smile. "So am I. I'm sorry I couldn't help you get Christine and I'm sorry for hitting you that day. You will always be my friend as well."

"I did deserve the beating you gave me."

She chuckled softly. "You definitely did deserve it, but I'm sorry nonetheless I wasn't in control of myself that day. I should've been more supportive for you."

"Nonsense you've been nothing but kind to me more than anyone else. Even more than that damnable Daroga who did manage to save my life."

His eyes began to droop as if of their own accord. Finally his eyes closed and his body fell limp against the stone wall.

She heard familiar neighing and whining coming nearer. "Sweet, sweet Cesar looks like in his suffering he forgot to feed you. Stay here I'll get you some food. I will need you to help me deal with all of this."


She looked down at the body in the coffin before straightening the mask and ensuring the left hand was uncovered to make it easier for Christine to place the ring.

"I wish I could give you a proper burial however I know Christine will come and do that."

She retrieved her purse and satchel before walking over to Cesar. She hugged his neck tightly feeling some comfort from doing so. As if sensing she needed cheering up he began nibbling her hair. She could hear a noise off in the distance. She pulled away and led him back up top. She doubted the police would find the lair but she knew she had to leave just in case.


A/N: Where will Jennifer go now?