A/N: It came to my mind that some people don't like Raoul and think him a
fop. Well I actually looked up the word and here's the definition I got:
fop: a man who is excessively concerned with his clothes and appearance.
ORIGIN originally in the sense 'fool'. Hahaha! Poor Raoul *dodges tomatoes
and voodoo Raoul dolls* I love Erik waaaaaaay more believe me! But I felt
it was necessary to show Raoul as a loving grandfather and husband for this
tale. By the way I shall be seeing "Erik" via Broadway very soon! It shall
be music of the night up close and personal!!!!! *swoons*
Erik listened to the sound of footsteps echoing off the damp stones. Christina had come to him at last. Their last interaction had been five days earlier, and he had missed her sorely. She appeared in the darkness. Today she was dressed in a deep scarlet color; a black shawl graced her shoulders. Her hair was braided and twisted up into a bun. Renegade curls escaped the braid and framed her face.
"Erik," She said softly.
"I am here," He said. He noticed she leaned heavily on her cane as if something was weighing her down.
"I missed you," She smiled softly. He said nothing. He had missed her also. Would they be able to pick back off where they left behind? He didn't want to take the chance that he might lose her if he kissed her. She turned towards him, reaching out a hand so that she could find him. Being blind did not make her helpless. He made no move to help her find him. Her hand finally rested on his arm, he did not back away. Erik tried not to flinch. Her warm touch was too intoxicating for him to bear. "I must say Erik how I was wrong to be angered," She said quickly. He started to speak, but she cut him off. "I was wrong," She said again. That silenced him. He silently looked at her.
"I'm sorry," She whispered. He turned her gently towards him.
"There is nothing to be sorry about, all is forgiven," He said. He saw her breathe a sigh of relief. So that had been what was bothering her. He smiled down at her. "Did you truly miss me?" He asked her.
"Yes," She whispered. The scent of her rose up and met him. She smelled like roses. He closed his eyes. He listened to the sound of her soft breathing. They embraced for a moment and then backed away, not knowing what to do with themselves. She left him a few moments later almost collapsing in the carriage with relief. What irony she loved him yet she could not bear his presence. Like her grandmamma had said...
"He is shadow. It is what he has always been," Christine sat on the blanket underneath a willow tree by her granddaughter. She had been telling her for the tenth time the story of Erik, the Phantom, and Christine the opera singer. But to Christina the ending had seemed wanting. It lacked a happily ever after for the main character.
"But Grandmamma, what about Erik?"
"What about him my darling?" Christine asked. Her eyes took on a far-off gleam to them.
"He was alone,"
"Yes, he was alone," She said softly. "He is still alone," She murmured.
"Do you wish you would have stayed with him?" Christina asked her childlike echoing with wonder.
"Oh honey that's a very...hard question to answer," Christine faltered. The leaves of the willow tree swayed in the light summer breeze. She gazed out over the blue waters of the lake. "I'll have to tell you when you get older,"
"I am older,"
"That's right, you're nine," Christine smiled back at her petite granddaughter. She looked so much like Rose. She blinked back tears. Even after all these years she still wanted to weep. To lose so many lives in one blow, it had been devastating. Raoul and Christina had been her only comforts through the years. Raoul. How he had loved her. She loved him. The thought of Erik haunted her still, the image of him swam in her mind. She had glanced back at him when they were leaving in the boat across the dark lake in the depths of the Opera House. He had been standing there watching them depart, his black cape majestically thrown to the floor by his feet. His face had been what had haunted her. His eyes were dulled with pain, and his mouth was twisted into...a frown? No it hadn't been a frown. His mouth had been set in a hard resolved line. As if he had known all along what she was going to do, and who she was going to choose. She longed to jump in the water and swim back to him and cling to him. Her heart knew her place, though. She knew she must go. Go with Raoul. Go to the light! Her heart had longed for Erik many times, but she knew she had made the correct decision. If only life was one path, and you knew what the right choice was, because there was only one choice to make. Instead there was this bizarre crooked path with boulders and holes in it. You always were making choices that forever changed your life.
"I hope Erik's found someone," Christina said suddenly interrupting Christine's thoughts.
"I do, too," Christina whispered.
Erik listened to the sound of footsteps echoing off the damp stones. Christina had come to him at last. Their last interaction had been five days earlier, and he had missed her sorely. She appeared in the darkness. Today she was dressed in a deep scarlet color; a black shawl graced her shoulders. Her hair was braided and twisted up into a bun. Renegade curls escaped the braid and framed her face.
"Erik," She said softly.
"I am here," He said. He noticed she leaned heavily on her cane as if something was weighing her down.
"I missed you," She smiled softly. He said nothing. He had missed her also. Would they be able to pick back off where they left behind? He didn't want to take the chance that he might lose her if he kissed her. She turned towards him, reaching out a hand so that she could find him. Being blind did not make her helpless. He made no move to help her find him. Her hand finally rested on his arm, he did not back away. Erik tried not to flinch. Her warm touch was too intoxicating for him to bear. "I must say Erik how I was wrong to be angered," She said quickly. He started to speak, but she cut him off. "I was wrong," She said again. That silenced him. He silently looked at her.
"I'm sorry," She whispered. He turned her gently towards him.
"There is nothing to be sorry about, all is forgiven," He said. He saw her breathe a sigh of relief. So that had been what was bothering her. He smiled down at her. "Did you truly miss me?" He asked her.
"Yes," She whispered. The scent of her rose up and met him. She smelled like roses. He closed his eyes. He listened to the sound of her soft breathing. They embraced for a moment and then backed away, not knowing what to do with themselves. She left him a few moments later almost collapsing in the carriage with relief. What irony she loved him yet she could not bear his presence. Like her grandmamma had said...
"He is shadow. It is what he has always been," Christine sat on the blanket underneath a willow tree by her granddaughter. She had been telling her for the tenth time the story of Erik, the Phantom, and Christine the opera singer. But to Christina the ending had seemed wanting. It lacked a happily ever after for the main character.
"But Grandmamma, what about Erik?"
"What about him my darling?" Christine asked. Her eyes took on a far-off gleam to them.
"He was alone,"
"Yes, he was alone," She said softly. "He is still alone," She murmured.
"Do you wish you would have stayed with him?" Christina asked her childlike echoing with wonder.
"Oh honey that's a very...hard question to answer," Christine faltered. The leaves of the willow tree swayed in the light summer breeze. She gazed out over the blue waters of the lake. "I'll have to tell you when you get older,"
"I am older,"
"That's right, you're nine," Christine smiled back at her petite granddaughter. She looked so much like Rose. She blinked back tears. Even after all these years she still wanted to weep. To lose so many lives in one blow, it had been devastating. Raoul and Christina had been her only comforts through the years. Raoul. How he had loved her. She loved him. The thought of Erik haunted her still, the image of him swam in her mind. She had glanced back at him when they were leaving in the boat across the dark lake in the depths of the Opera House. He had been standing there watching them depart, his black cape majestically thrown to the floor by his feet. His face had been what had haunted her. His eyes were dulled with pain, and his mouth was twisted into...a frown? No it hadn't been a frown. His mouth had been set in a hard resolved line. As if he had known all along what she was going to do, and who she was going to choose. She longed to jump in the water and swim back to him and cling to him. Her heart knew her place, though. She knew she must go. Go with Raoul. Go to the light! Her heart had longed for Erik many times, but she knew she had made the correct decision. If only life was one path, and you knew what the right choice was, because there was only one choice to make. Instead there was this bizarre crooked path with boulders and holes in it. You always were making choices that forever changed your life.
"I hope Erik's found someone," Christina said suddenly interrupting Christine's thoughts.
"I do, too," Christina whispered.