Part 2. The churchyard

Christine ran down the streets in the direction to the churchyard. What have I done? She thought crying. When she reached the churchyard she walked towards her fathers grave, passing monumental statues of angels, passing gravestones with small birds on. Reaching her fathers grave she looked up at the engraved DAAE. Idiotic engrave, it says DAAÉ, not DAAE… she thought, sank down on the ground and stroke the stair stage in frustration, anger and sadness. Then she remembered when she met the phantom there, when they sang together, when she thought that Erik was her father and Raoul came to save her. Save her… Save her from what exactly? "Angel or father, friend or Phantom, who is it there staring?" she sang for herself. Suddenly she heard the voice of a man singing, rose from the ground and gazed around.

"Let me be your shelter, let me be your guide. You're safe, no one will find you, your fears are far behind you." And she saw Raoul coming towards her.

"All I want is freedom, a world with no more night. And you, always beside me, to hold me and to hide me." She continued, looking into Raoul's eyes. She ran towards him, crying, and threw herself into his arms.

"I'm so sorry." She cried.

"Shh... It's okay, as long as you're all right I'm fine…" he said and softly kissed her hair.

Christine raised her head and looked at Raoul, crying and kissed his lips.

"Please forgive me." She said.

"As long as you won't do it again." he answered.

"Mm…" Christine said insecurely.

"Mm? Is that all you can give me?" Raoul said.

Christine nodded. "I'm sorry, but yes, I can't promise you…"

"Christine baby, how do you think we can get married if I can't trust you? If I'm afraid that you'll visit that murderer again?" he said softly.

Christine shook her head a little. "I don't know, but that's all I can give you, so sorry." She said and looked into his tear-filled eyes. "I'm so sorry, so sorry for everything, I didn't mean it to be like this..." she whispered and buried her face in Raoul's coat.

They just stood like that for a while, until Christine raised her head, looked at Raoul and said:

"I'm lucky to have you, you know that?"

Raoul smiled. "And I'm lucky to have you." He said and took Christine's hands in his. "Come, let's go home."

They started to walk out from the churchyard, out on the streets and through the park.

"It's beautiful here when it's summer. All the colours, all flowers and green trees." Christine said and stopped.

Raoul nodded and looked around. "Why exactly did you stop?" he said.

Christine looked unsympathetic at Raoul. "To feel the summer…isn't that okay?" she said

"Yes of course it's okay, I just had a strange feeling that you where going to tell me something, is that right, Little Lottie?" he asked.

Christine sank her head a little. "Well…"

Raoul softly grabbed her chin and raised her face again. "I won't be angry, I promise… Just look at me and say it."

"I… When… Or… But…" she started.

Raoul laughed a little. "Speak English please." Christine smiled.

"Of course… Well… When I were… Were with… But… When I where with… Erik…" she started, and tears showed up in her eyes. "With Eric… I… I said that I… That I love him…"

"Love? As in, now? Not that you loved him?" Raoul asked with a little frighten in is voice.

Christine nodded slowly. "Yes... as in now…" she started to cry. "And the worse is… That I meant it… and I still do… I do still mean it."

Raoul pushed her away from him a little. "You… Seriously? You're serious, right?"

With tears running down her cheeks she nodded. "I'm… Serious…"

"What exact more did you say to him?" Raoul said, trying not to show his frustration over what she'd just say.

"I said… That I… Made the wrong decision… When I left with you… And that I want to be his… his wife…" she said crying.

"And, do you still mean that? Do you still want to be his wife, not mine?"

"I… I don't know, anymore… I don't know anything… I don't even know what I want anymore!" Christine cried.

Raoul was silent fore a while, all that could be heard was the wind and Christine's sobbing. "I'm so sorry baby, but I… I can't let you do like this to me… You… I'm sorry, but either you'll return to him now, or either you'll follow me and will never see him again…" he said. "Stay here and think, I'll go home… If you're not home tomorrow I take that as our engagement is broken." And with those words he ran away. Christine sank down on a bench and buried her face in her hands. She just sat there, crying and trying to think without success.

"Christine Daaé, triumphant on opéra populaire as Marguerite. The angel of music, the Phantom's lover and a terrific ballet dancer." A girl said.

Christine raised her head and looked at the girl in front of her. First she could not se more then a blonde face because of all tears in her eyes, but when she dried them and could se…

"Meg!" she raised from the bench and hugged her friend. "Meg Giry…"

Meg nodded and hugged back. "Yep, that's me." She said and laughed. "Are you OK?" she asked and looked at Christine's face. "Okay, bad question. What have happened sounds better, so. What have happened?"

"I… I don't know what I want any more… I'd visit him and now Raoul don't want me and I have to pick one and not return and…"

"Shh… slow down honey" Meg said.

"O-okay." Christine said and whipped her tears. "I'm engaged with Raoul." She started, smiled and showed her ring. "But… Erik… I missed him so badly… I had to know if he was alive!" she said and the smile disappeared from her face. "So I… I visited him… And then Raoul found out… No, I told him… And then I told him what I said to Erik…"

Meg looked worried at Christine. "And what have you said to the Phantom?" she asked.

"That… That I love him… And that I want to be his wife… That I made the wrong decision when I left with Raoul…" it was silent fro a few seconds. "Meg, I don't know what I want any more! I don't know who I love, all I know is that I'm in trouble…"

"Well… Then it's time for you to think… Remind your self of who you love…" Meg said.

Christine nodded. "I know I love Raoul, he's so protecting and loving and… He where willing to get killed for me, so I could continue my life… And when we sang on the rooftop, I where charmed by him… We got engaged…" Christine said. "And Erik… He killed to get me, it's a little… Flattering… But also... Killed! But I got so… obsessed of him… passionate obsessed. His voice, like an angel. But yet… Raoul…" she said and sank down on the bench again.

Meg looked worried at Christine. "I don't know honey… It's you decision… All I can say is… Look over there." Meg said and pointed at a bush.

Christine turned her head to the bush and saw a shadow… It was Erik. "Meg, did you brought him here?"

Meg shook her head. "No, no I didn't brought him here. I just saw him…"

Christine raised and walked towards the Phantom but stopped at half the way. No, not before I've made my choice. She thought.

Erik looked straight into her eyes, he where sad, maybe he'd just cried?

"Christine?" he asked and stepped out from the shadows. "Are you OK?" Christine shook her head.

"No, I'm not okay." She said. "I can't meet you until I've made my choice." She turned around and looked at Meg and when she looked towards the Phantom again there was empty, only a red rose with a black silk string around where there. Christine walked forward and picked it up. "I'll never fix this." She said, gently caressing the rose and started to cry once more.