Chapter Eleven – Finale

The Destler Mansion – Early July 2005

Christine's footsteps echo harmoniously as she walks down the stairs into the Destlers' basement. She finds her way to Erik's room by the sound of his piano, pounding out a tune she recognizes as Castle on a Cloud from Les Miserables. "Erik?"

He jumps upon hearing her voice. "Christine! You're early!"

"Only by five minutes," she jokes, throwing her things down and walking over to meet him at the piano. "And I have to talk to you."

"About?" He turns to face her, his elbow on his leg, his head resting in his palm. Christine realizes just how handsome he looks when he is simply thinking, being himself.

"I think it's happened." Erik looks at her skeptically. "The Phantom. He's returned." For a moment, Erik looks very confused, wondering what on earth she could mean, though he knows right well.

"The Phantom? The Phantom of the Opera has returned?" She nods solemnly. "Dear Lord," he says quietly, running his fingers through his messy hair. "Are you absolutely sure about this, Christine?"

"Yes! He took me to his lair and everything!"

"You? He chose you, of all people?" Christine stares at him angrily, her jaw beginning to drop.

"Erik Destler, even I know that the Phantom picks on rising stars, preferably female. If I know it you certainly should!" She turns and walks a little ways away, her back to him.

Christine hears Erik stand up and put his hands on her shoulders. "Christine, I'm sorry. Forgive me for being so rude?" She doesn't speak. "Christine, I beg of you. I'm…not myself today." Christine turns around abruptly, anger in her eyes.

"So you take it out on me? Thank you so very much, dear Erik." She throws him off and runs over to his bed, sitting on the edge and crying into her hands.

"Christine," he whines mournfully. She feels the mattress shift as he sits beside her and pulls her close to him. "Tell me everything, Christine." Christine's sniffles subside and she buries her face in his shirt, his embrace. "What happened?"

"A few evenings ago, just after rehearsal, I was in my dressing room, and I was getting ready to go out with some, uh, friends for dinner," she starts, knowing not to say Richard's name, "when I heard this voice calling my name. I ignored it, but then, when my friends came to get me, we realized the door was locked. So I stayed in the room and I heard the voice again, coming from my mirror! My mirror, Erik, of all things! And…and…he appeared, Erik! Out of nowhere! And he took me down to this underground lair and he made me sing and then I must've fainted because I woke up the next morning and I was still there.

"When I got back to my room, Madame Garnier, Missy, André, Carla, and Richard all came and found me and said that they'd found a note along with the key to my room that said that I must perform under any circumstance. Oh, Erik, I'm so scared!" She cries into him even more, and feels his arms holding her tightly. "Erik, you must think I'm an awful weakling for crying like this," Christine says, pulling away from him and wiping her eyes on a tissue.

"No," Erik says, as though it's obvious, pulling her back to him. They sit silently for a few minutes, until Erik begins to speak again. "You know what you have to do, don't you?" Christine shakes her head, a little nervous for what he may tell her. "You have to do everything he asks. Appease him." She sits bolt upright, staring into Erik's face.

"Are you crazy? Then he'll only want more!"

"But you'd be putting others in harm's way if you didn't, Christine! Think of the consequences!"

"Consequences? Erik, look what happened last time! He decided that he had to have his little angel and so he nearly killed someone for her! He did kill people, Erik!" Christine stands up, feeling powerful over Erik since she is standing and he is sitting, though his head nearly reaches her own even with the difference in position.

"Christine, please. Do you want those people to die? Maybe we can save some lives if you just listen to him!" Christine turns away, exceedingly angry and put off by Erik's insistence that she must be passive. She whirls back around to say something in retaliation when she finds herself caught by her coach's arms.

In an instant, Christine is pulled down into Erik's lap, struggling and fighting. "Let me go!"

"Stop, Christine! Listen to me, damn it!" She stops trying to wriggle free of his grasp and he looks her straight in the eyes. "Christine, trust me. He won't hurt you. He's not that stupid as to attempt murder."

They go on with the lesson as they normally would have, practicing for the confusing final number, Down Once More. Christine is disappointed when it ends, for she knows that this is her last time alone with Erik. He walks her to the door of the mansion and she steps outside, while he stays on the threshold step. "Thank you so much, Erik. For all you've done."

He turns to go back inside without a word, but she catches him by the arm. "What is it now, Christine?" Christine steps back up to stand right by him and pushes herself closer to him, sensing his heart beating rapidly.

"You weren't going to let me leave without saying au revoir, were you?" She wishes she were not as timid as she is. That was the best opportunity for her just to see what it would be like to kiss him, but she was too scared, too frightened.

Erik sighs tremendously. "Au revoir, Christine." His lips are right near her forehead; she can feel him breathe. Slightly disappointed that he hasn't taken the chance to kiss her, she steps down and begins towards the walkway. "Christine?"

"Yes?" she replies hopefully, turning to face him again, and she finds that Erik had descended to the walkway with her. He takes her chin in his large hand, making her quiver.

"Thank you for all of the hard work." He starts to leave.

"Y-y-you're welcome!" Christine shouts, trying to stop herself from crying freely. Why do I feel this way? I love Richard, don't I? Don't I love him?

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