White Roses
Disclaimer: Whoot! This is the last time I have to do this :happy dance: Although the contents are rather melancholy ... I don't own POTO. I had you all fooled, didn't I? (coughcoughSARCASMcoughcough)
Epilogue
Erik lurked behind the false wall in the opera's chapel. After so many years of solitude, he had resumed haunting the opera house, finding scornful amusement in frightening the ballet girls and sending threatening notes to Monsieur Lefèvre - the new manager of the Opera Populaire. Anything to fuel rumours supporting the existence of the Opera Ghost. Anything to remind Antoinette that he continued to live.
He still loved her - but only as a sister. Admittedly, he sometimes wondered if he ever truly had had romantic feelings for her; perhaps they were simply figments of his imagination - perhaps being deprived of kindness caused one to mistake it for affection? Perhaps ... Her husband had since passed on - an unfortunate victim of consumption - a fact that surprisingly had had little effect on Erik's emotions. Lucas Giry was a good man, he had grudgingly acknowledged, but Erik was not one to forgive and forget, and he still found it quite impossible to shift the grudge against him. It was painful to see him live on in their small daughter, Meg. Although the child outwardly resembled her mother, her nature was identical to that of her father. Erik had often watched young Meg Giry dance; like her mother, she was a talented ballerina.
He was about to return to his lair in the catacombs when he heard the sound of faint footsteps. Curious, he remained, waiting to see which of the ballet rats was sneaking around at night. An accidental sighting of the Opera Ghost should give them their week's worth of gossip. Eventually, the door to the chapel groaned as it was pushed open and Erik craned his neck to observe the newcomer. It was a new girl - probably about Meg's age. She nervously twisted a strand of curly sepia hair around her finger, her dark eyes wide. He watched with interest as the child walked hesitantly into the room and slowly lit one of the many candles.
"Papa," he heard her whisper, "Papa!"
So she, too, had been robbed of her father. Erik was about to leave; he had no interest in watching this girl mourn. However, as he turned to go, he heard her speak again.
"Little Lotte let her mind wander," she murmured, tears flowing down her pale cheeks. "Little Lotte thought: am I fonder of dolls or of goblins? Of shoes or of riddles or frocks? Or of chocolates? No, what I love best, Lotte said, is when I'm asleep in my bed ..."
Here she broke off, hiccoughing a little before singing the next part under her breath.
"... and the Angel of Music sings songs in my head ... the Angel of Music sings songs in my head ..."
Erik's eyes widened. The girl - young though she was - had promise. Even through her tears, her voice had moved him. It was so sweet, so innocent ... An Angel of Music? he thought. But before he could consider this any more, the girl went on.
"Little Lotte thought of everything and nothing ... Her father promised her he would send her the Angel of Music ... her father promised her ..."
Erik felt a strange sort of empathy for the child. He knew what it felt like when it seemed that all the ones you loved were cruelly snatched from you ... Wanting to comfort her, almost without thinking, he sang out, softly, echoing her.
"The Angel of Music sings songs in your head ..."
The girl's head snapped upwards, her eyes now shining with unspilled tears.
"Angel?"
x-x-x-x
As the years went by, the girl continued to return to the chapel religiously by night and rehearse with the ballet girls by day. Each night, Erik would wait for her and call out to her in song. He learned her name - Christine Daaé. Such a pretty name, he always thought. Gradually, Christine learned to trust him and responded to his calls. She called him her Angel.
More years went by and Christine began to mature. Although a talented dancer, Erik couldn't help but believe that she was born to be a prima donna and sing the great operas. He found himself yearning for her when he was alone - it was as if he needed her with him. The girl held a strange, hypnotic power over his heart ... and Erik could not help but to succumb to it. Finally, he admitted to himself what had happened - the Opera Ghost was in love.
But Erik was not one to make a mistake twice. He was not about to have another man steal away his love's heart and watch in agony as she blatantly turned from him. No - Erik would make sure that would not happen again. A rejection from Christine would be the one rejection he could not take.
Christine will love me, he told himself.
No matter what happens - I will not let her go ...
Interesting random piece of trivia: This was the very first chapter I wrote of this story. It was supposed to be a one-shot with suggested Erik/Madame Giry, but then my friend got hold of it and told me to develop it further. Kudos to her!
Author's note: And it ends. Really. And now ... the final lot of reviewer replies! You guys - you rock. Your support made writing this a real pleasure.:throws cookies to all reviewers:So ...
Greatest, you said it ;)
Erik's Music Of The Night, perhaps you and I should team up on a pretty-boy-killing spree? Or make a club? We could have badegs ;)
the forgotten fate, aw, thanks, hun! Glad you found that little bit funny ;)
Incapability, thank you! Well, I don't know about the ballet mistress bit, but like you said - she would have connections ;) And strange, I think you were actually the first person to point that out!
lil-rebel-chick, thank you so much!
meghankatherine, that's not good for my ego, you know ;) High praise:blushes: And, wow - another person whose mental health could have potentially rested with me ... scary.
Gracie, life is unfair, is it not? I can never understand why the women Erik likes always reject him, quite frankly ;)
Baby-Vixen, oh, don't worry - I'm still writing :pokes author's note below:
VM, you read my mind! I'm freaked out.
Author's note again: Am considering writing a sequel. No - am definitely writing a sequel. After the 'Christine incident'. Keep a look-out for it ;)
