Disclaimer: i don't own the characters nor do i own the lyrics. They belong to A.L.Webber and to G.Leroux

"Masquerade

Paper faces on parade . . .

Masquerade

Hide your face so the world will never find you . . ."

the softly sung words dissapeared into silence. he turned his head and looked straigth into Christine's eyes. he looked those magical eyes for breif moment. reminding the first time he had seen her, the first time he heard her sing, the time when he needed her for his music.

"Christine i love you"

He sang those words in soft whisper. Gently letting the darkness swollow the words, The sound of his voice. and he saw her, he looked at her, saw her so clearly. she was like an angel, HIS angel. The candlelight behind her send the sparkles and the glory overhelm her. he loved her, always had loved and always will.. And now she was there, right before him. Even thought he knew, knew who she had chosen. knew that she will turn around and leave him. yet, he kept his eyes on her, enjoying the sight of her. enjoying and admireing her beauty.

When he saw her move, his heart started beating faster, tears wanted to escape from his eyes once again. When he saw her coming closer, he thought he was dreaming, yet he saw her moving slowly closer to him, closer to the Angel of Hell. The silence was between them, around them, inside of them. None of them spoke, none of them broke the eye contact what they shared. In this breif moment, when they looked each others eyes the time seemed to stop. Raoul, who was waiting Christine was forgotten.

All that mattered was that moment, was Christine and the Angel of her. Christine slowly made her way towards her angel, towards the Phantom of the Opera. She kept her eyes on his, even when she took his hand and placed her ring in his palm. "I belong to you" she whispered, placing her finger on his soft lips to silent him she started to sing softly, gently with voice what was full on passion, desire and love:

"Say you'll love me every waking moment

Turn my head with talk of summer time

Say you need me with you now and always

Promise me that all you say is true

Angel, That's all I ask of you"

He looked at Christine with suprise. he had never excpected to wait those words escape from her lips. He looked down, waiting for her to leave after her cruel joke. He knew she loved Raoul, not him. Yet he did not understand why she was still there, right before him. Why she had sang for him those magnificent words. why, he did not understand, but he felt. He felt her warm hand touching his chin, lifting his head to look into his eyes once again. what he saw in those eyes of her, was something what he thought he had just imagined. there was love and syphathy, love and compassion.

They were still in silence, hearing people coming down, making a lot noise. Before Eric could say or do anything, he saw Christing kneeling down before him, placing soft kiss on his lips. He felt soft touch of her lips again.. When she broke up, he thought she will now turn and leave, leave him alone in his solitude, leave him once again.. But she did not. she rose, took his hand and sang softly:

"angel,

my soul was weak

forgive me.."

Eric could not believe, he thought he was dreaming, yet he felt her hand in his, saw the tears trailed down her pink cheeks. "I set you free, why you're still here?" he asked then. "Why didn't you leave?" he asked and his slightly shivering hand touched her and caressed her cheeks and wiped the remaining tears. "I can never leave my Angel. I was fool and hurt you. I hurt my angel, Hurt the man i love" Christine said and looked at his eyes. "How can you love me? Look at my face, i am a monster. No one can love a monster like me" He said and his voice was full of pain. He loved Christine, but couldn't believe what she had said. He heard the way Christine talked about him in the roof, and no matter how much he tried to hate her, he couldn't. "I learnt to see, to find a man behind the monster. Your face don't scare me, nor does your soul. i learnt to love you, you gave me back my music, you made my life worth living" she said then and put her hand on his face, caressing his haunted face, his scars.

The voices of the others were coming closer. "Come my Angel, we must go. They'll find you and take you away from me" pleaded Christine and tried her best to quide him away, but he remained still. He did not move. When Christine looked at him, she saw tears falling from his cheeks. "I.. I have to face the the concequinces of my actions" he said a bit sternly and turned away from Christine. He bowed down and took the portselan mask and put it on his face, hide his face from the others.

Christine wanted to change his mind, but it was too late for that. police was already there. "Welcome Messieurs?" He said with his normal voice. "what brings you here?" he asked as if not knowing the reason of they're precence. Before anyone else could do or say anything Raoul run in front of Christine and Erik, who held hands. "I'll take back my words, my application of capturing him" he said loudly. "He's an innocent man, i was just jalous and wanted you to capture him" He said to Christines big suprise. "Why, but the chalandier?" asked the police man. "It was old and the only way to escape" said a female voice behind Rauol. Raoul turned and looked at christine with pain in his eyes but still gave her couraging smile. "the opera House will be rebuilt by me" said not Erik. The policeman was helpless. he had nothing to do. "Case dismissed" he said finally and felt dissapointed.

soon people left. only Raoul, Christine and Erik remaind there. "Thank you Raoul" Christine said finally after being in silent. Raoul just nodded, he was too defeated, too hurt to spoke. He hugged Christine for goodbye and turned to leave.

Christine watched Raoul leaving, leaning her head on her Angel's shoulder. They stayed in each other embrace for a long time and Christines soft and slow breathing was a sign that she had fallen asleep. he picked her up and carried her to the bed, with satin sheets on it.

He looked at her sleeping peacefully for a long time, stroking the hair away from her face. he sighed and couldn't imagine to be happier than he was right now, couldn't believe his luck-She was with him, beacause she wanted that way...