Rating: PG
Genre: General
Summary: Song-Phic. Inspired by the music video and song of Kelly Clarkson's "Since You Been Gone". There is one thing that's bothering Christine from finally being happy with Erik and she goes to take care of it. (One-Shot, based off of Leroux and musical)
Disclaimer: I do not own the lyrics to Since You Been Gone and POTO.
A/N: Christine does come off a bit of an OC, but if the one you thought you loved dumped you then you would be as pissed as she is.
Closure
By: Erik'sTrueAngel
Here's the thingWe started out friends
It was cool, it was all pretend
Yeah, yeah, since you been gone.
So many things rushed through young Christine Daae's mind that she couldn't believe for once she acted on impulse. A few months passed since she left Raoul and now here she was, back again, except for another purpose.
The servant was nice enough to leave her in his study so she could recollect what she would say. But there was nothing she could tell her old flame that wouldn't start some kind of fight.
She walked over to the fireplace to stare up at the portrait of the Vicomte and a surge of hate welled up. The brunette closed her blue-green eyes as memories came to her.
Yes, they were friends from long ago and could have been called "sweethearts". Those were wonderful times, laying out on the sands of the beach outside the little house on the sea, just listening to the rhythm of the waves. And then heading inside to hear Charles Daae tell his dark stories from the North and ending off with the Angel of Music and Little Lotte. Such innocent times, too bad that all came to an end.
Christine thought she could never feel for another person like she did with Raoul, but then came along Erik, her Angel of Music. She loved him more than what a student should feel for her teacher, but those feelings were put aside when that same little boy from her dreams came back out of the blue. At that moment, she thought she was in love with her friend, what a lie.
You dedicated, you took the timeWasn't long, till I called you mine
Yeah, yeah, since you been gone
She stepped away from the hearth and wandered over to his desk, all tidied and organized, a farce compared to what he was. Lightly, she ran a finger across the edge and her dark eyelids flickered as she spotted a picture of her that was taken before the incident at the Masquerade.
Clenching her hand, she abruptly moved to get away from the false cheeriness expressed on her petite porcelain face.
Taking a deep breath, she ran her fingers through her long chestnut curls and tried to keep her anger in check. Christine could catch the faint scent of him, the musky aroma of cigar and brandy mix with a sweet tinge of cinnamon. It was apparent he hadn't been in this room of his large manor for some time. Perhaps if was because it was the room that he proclaimed his undying love for her and proposed.
And all you'd ever hear me sayIs how I'd picture me with you
That's all you'd ever hear me say
What a child she was, Christine mused, so naïve and immature. She believed everything that was told to her, but not anymore.
After the ill fateful night of Don Juan, she had left with Raoul what she thought it would be for good. At the time she was still battling over her emotions about Erik and she knew she still loved him, but was it the sort of love her Angel deserved?
It took a back stabbing accident that occurred a month after that easily made her mind up. She could still remember that night.
Raoul was gone once again on some "important" trip leaving Christine all by herself in his estate. She was exploring this room and it was at that cherry-red desk when she discovered the letter.
It was love note but not written from Christine or him to her, instead by another woman. Ever since that night Raoul took up a mistress. When she confronted him, he admitted to the affair but claimed that it was over. She was all that matter to him.
If I mattered so much to him then why would he pick up some whore? She thought. Christine didn't care how many times he apologized it was over. Between them.
Christine didn't want to spend the rest of her life with a man who might consider cheating again. If he was unfaithful before they were married then what are the odds that he would continue?
No. She couldn't let that happen. It would break her heart.
But since you been goneI can breathe for the first time
I'm so moving on, yeah yeah
Thanks to you
Now I get, what I want
Since you been gone
Christine left his mansion and returned to the underground depths of the Paris Opera house and she was fortunate enough to find Erik. He was unconscious and for a week she nursed him. When she left, the Phantom hid from the mob but when he emerged after they left, he couldn't find the strength to leave all of this behind.
Erik starved himself and afflicted cuts all over his body, wanting his life to end after losing Christine. But she returned to him and he was soon revived to the man she once knew and admired.
Christine smiled as she reflected on what happened then. It took awhile but Christine was able to prove herself to Erik that she truly loved him. She told him when she found that letter she was somewhat relieved because she knew she loved him and not Raoul. Now, she was engaged to her Phantom and she couldn't have been happier.
But there was one thing that kept nagging the singer. And so here she was now.
Christine, again, went back to the fireplace and this time her attention was focused on a ceramic vase that Raoul got as a gift from his brother, Philippe, when he visited the Orient. It was a beautiful design and Raoul was extremely proud of it. He placed it as the centerpiece on his mantle so he could always admire it.
The vase was white with swirls of navy blue in different intricate designs around the body. Quite lovely it was.
She lifted up a hand and swiftly knocked it down. Christine watched, with a pallid look, as it fell to the ground and shattered into millions of pieces. She didn't feel any regret at this. Instead, it felt good. And she needed to feel that release once more.
Turning on her heel, she went back to the desk and began ripping the drawers out, documents and other priceless materials flying all over.
How can I put it, you put me onI even fell for that stupid love song
Yeah, yeah, since you been gone
All those words he told her were lies! Lies! She thought their song meant something to the boy, but it didn't. She told him everything that was in her heart and he threw it back in her face. How dare him! How dare he use her heart? It was his entire fault.
He made her bring her only beloved pain and he expected her to stay with him? Never! She was proud of herself for leaving Raoul for good and this visit is meant for her and Erik. She knew she wouldn't be able to feel completely happy unless she did something to end this dreaded ache in her heart. Raoul drove a knife in her chest and it was about time he got something back for it.
The desk was all in shambles and she moved on to his collection of rare books from all over. With a defiant grin, she removed one and began ripping the contents from a large leather-bound book. Each tear gave her more of a thrill and she strived to show the Vicomte how much he damaged her.
How come I'd never hear you sayI just wanna be with you
Guess you never felt that way
But since you been gone
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so moving on, yeah yeah
Thanks to you
Now I get, what I want
Since you been gone
Book after book she divested thousand of years of knowledge to the ground and stomped all over them, causing more to rip and shred beneath her feet.
She couldn't stop now. The entire Parisian police could come in and they still wouldn't be able to bring her down. There was no way she was going to stop until every ounce of hurt was gone.
Christine went all around, pushing small statues and breaking the pots of his mini trees creating a mass of dirt and green across the expensive Persian rug.
She went back over to his desk and with luck she found a bottle of ink and headed over to the portrait and threw it at his charming, yet, hideous countenance and gleefully watched the black liquid ooze down.
You had your chance, you blew itOut of sight, out of mind
Shut your mouth, I just can't take it
Again and again, and again and again
No more memories and no more tears for him. Raoul was gone from her life and Christine knew he would never come back. He wasn't the same person she once loved; he was now a horrible cruel heartless man who was more spoiled than all of the French nobility combined.
There was one last thing left to do and before leaving Christine left something behind for her precious Raoul to see.
A heavy weight has now lifted from her chest and she left the manor with a tremendous feeling of accomplishment. It was over now.
Since you been gone,
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so moving on, yeah yeah
Thanks to you
Now I get, I get what I want
I can breathe for the first time
I'm so moving on, yeah yeah
Thanks to you
You should know that I get
I get what I want
Since you been gone…
Later that evening, the Vicomte de Chagny returned from a party thrown by his brother to congratulate his engagement to Miss Scarlet Rivera. Her family owned a respectable banking business over in America and to Philippe the perfect match for his younger brother.
She was indeed beautiful and perfect in his eyes. Raoul knew his engagement to Christine wasn't what his brother wanted, but that was over. He felt bad that she found about his lover, but she should know what kind of life she was getting into. It was common for someone in his society to pick up a mistress so it was no big deal for him. Yet he felt remorse for his actions that led her into leaving him and returning to that monster. It was her choice and he wasn't going to bother going after her anymore.
Raoul went into his study, figuring he would do some reading before retiring.
To his shock, he found the room all in disarrayed. Everything was smashed and flung all over the place. He was about to call out to one of his servants but stopped when he saw an all too familiar article in the middle of the mess. A red scarf.
He walked over and picked up the discarded cloth as tears of shame and guilt poured down his face. Oh Christine…
The End
