Epilogue

Family Ties

Meg awoke sometime during the night. The house was completely silent. She sat up and listened. The music box had stopped. She knew deep in her heart what that meant. Her mother, Maria Leroux, had finally passed away. She got up, pulling on her robe. She walked to her Mother's room, and the servants were already standing there. She felt sick and happy at the same time. Her mother was gone, but she was with Meg's father, Erik. She went into the room and found Gaston by the bed.

Gaston stood up at seeing his sister. His eyes were red from crying. He walked over to Meg.

"She died in her sleep," he said, trying to hide his emotions.

Meg nodded. She quickly sent the people out. She needed time to be alone with her brother and her thoughts.

The last of the guest finally left. Meg sat down heavily in one of her mother's favorite chairs. The past two days had been hard on her. She had buried her mother that day, and then she had been hostess to funeral guest. She looked up and noticed Gaston pacing by the window.

"Would you sit down?" she asked irritably.

Gaston turned to her. Death had never been easy for the young man. Erik had died when Meg was fourteen and Gaston nine. The young man had never really gotten over the loss. Now, ten years later, he had lost his mother.

"Well, I guess Father is happy," Gaston said heartlessly.

Meg looked up at him. "Why do you hate him so much?"

Gaston gave her a cold laugh. "You have to ask that?"

Meg stood up. Her defenses were already on high alert. She didn't want to fight, but her brother had given her no choice.

"Gaston, your birthmark was not Father's fault. I wish you would let it go. Rachael didn't leave you because of that."

"I don't care about that birthmark! He left me! Damn it, he left us! You at least go fourteen years with him, Meg. I barely got nine."

Meg felt as if she had been hit by a hard smack. She never knew that Gaston felt the way he did.

"I loved Father, Meg. I just didn't get enough time with him. I never knew him the way you did. And I didn't get his talent."

Gaston turned to the window. He hated bearing this cross and his feelings like he was now.

"He was sick for a long time, Gaston. We both wanted more time with him." Meg got up and walked over to him. "And you did get his talent. Where do you think you learned to write so well?"
Gaston turned around, hugging his sister. It had been years since they had actually gotten along. He pulled away with a smile.

"Is that why you wrote the book?" Meg asked suddenly. "To prove that you loved him?"

"No," Gaston said. "I wrote the book because it is a story that needs to be told."

Med smiled. She went to sit back down when there was a knock on the doorframe. They both turned, finding Philippe DeChangy standing there.

"I just heard about Maria," he said.

Gaston quickly left the room. Philippe walked in and handed Meg a bright, yellow rose.

"I would have been here sooner, but work detained me."

Meg took the rose and nodded. Philippe had been on her mind for a long time. She had even caught herself slipping his ring back on. She loved him deeply, but she could never get past who his father was. She glanced over at him.

"You know your mother gave my father a scar?" he asked.

Meg gave him a funny look. "What are you talking about?"

"He had a scar across his face that she gave him defending Erik."

Meg smiled. "I'm sorry."

Philippe turned to her. "Don't be. My father deserved it. He would never accept your father for a man, and I'm not like him. I should have told you that sooner."

"Would you have accepted my father?"
Philippe was caught off guard by the question. It was like she was asking something that he wanted to keep secret.

"Yes," he said firmly.

Meg turned around, surprised. She gently touched his face. He smiled at the simple caress. He slowly reached over and touched her birthmark.

"This is the last time I'm going to ask, will you marry me?"

Meg held up her hand. She had the ring on her finger. Philippe pulled her to him and kissed her. She kissed him back with all her soul.

"It's here," Gaston yelled as he ran in the house.

Meg and Philippe looked up from their tea and rushed into the parlor. Gaston was already there holding a small wrapped package. He looked up at them.

"Open it!" Philippe half yelled anxious to see the package's contents.

Gaston quickly pulled the brown paper away, revealing a small book. There was a woman on the cover with a shadowed figure standing behind her with a white mask.

"The Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux," Meg read out loud. "Mother and Father would be so proud of you."

Philippe patted his new brother-in-law on the back. He had contributed to most of the information in the book. He smiled as Meg thumbed through it. She stopped at the dedication page.

"To my Mother and Father, who are together in Heaven. I know that my Mother now has the untainted voice she always wanted, and my Father has a perfect face."

Meg looked up from reading. She had tears in her eyes. Gaston nodded.

"It's how I see them now," he said.

Meg hugged her brother. "It's how they always were when they were together."

Meg sat the book down and looked at it. The story of her mother and father rang in her head as she slept that night. In her dreams she could her parents dancing together in Heaven. No onestared at them because it was as Gaston said. The Strangest Angel in heaven was no longer strange.

A/N: Thank you to all my devoted fans. You have made this expierence so fun. I have really enjoyed getting all the reviews. I hated to end this story. It has become a huge part of my life, but at least this time the Phantom got the girl. Thanks once again. I hope that I can keep getting feedback on all the stories I post here.Lanthieriel