A/N: Oh my I can't believe that this is the final chapter! We've gone on a long journey haven't we my faithful readers? This is especially long, because there is a great deal to tell, and loose ends to tie up. I feel tears coming so enough of my rambling. I hope you enjoy, and I'll see you all at the end of the chapter.
Dedication: I dedicate this to my most faithful reviewers Guitarprincess, Samantha, I am the Angel of Music, and of course Asia 1st. This is also for all of my reviewers that have reviewed at any point during the story, thanks so much!
Quote:" A dream is a wish your heart makes.." Disney's Cinderella
Quote 2: "Bittersweet and strange, finding you can change, learning you were wrong.." Disney's Beauty and the Beast
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Twilight in the countryside of France is an astounding sight to see. It is so different from the lights and sounds of bustling Paris. The stars shine so much clearer as they twinkle above, as though they are God's eyes, winking down at you. Marie Claire Page' smiled as she looked up at that sky. It was August and the warm summer evening breeze blew gentley over she, her family, and friends as they walked down Lucien's street, giving the now two month old twins a ride in their carriage. A new opera had just had it's grand opening, and Marie, Arthur, Christine, Meg, and Lizzie had all starred in it. It had broken record ticket sales, and had been one of the most succsessful operas in quite some time. This had sent Andre and Firmin into ecstasy, and Raoul had been swarmed by other aristocracy who wanted to support the Opera Populaire financially. And the music had been so lovely, so angelic, so perfect. Its amazing the things that peace can bring about.
Marie's soft pink dress fluttered in the breeze as she looked down at her small son and daughter, who were giggling and playing with their new rattles. She was instantly overcome with such a feeling of unconditional love for her children, and it was the best feeling that she had ever experienced. Arthur too, looked down at his children, a broad grin on his face and a fatherly sparkle in his intense brown eyes.
"Its amazing isn't it my love, how fantastic everything has become?" he whispered, as he slipped his arm around her waist.
"I can hardly believe it," said Marie softly. "But it is everything that I ever dreamed."
"Its a happily ever after." said Arthur in a heartfelt tone as he kissed cheek.
Marie's heart swelled with love as she looked up at her beloved. He was absolutely right. She leaned closer to him as she pushed the pram along, surveying her family and friends with shining blue eyes. Raoul and Christine were directly beside them, walking hand in hand with both their faces and eyes lit up in ecstasy. Lucien was beside them, attempting to tickle Felix, as the boy ran for cover under his father's arm. Lucien's new fiance Antionette watched this with a laugh. Lizzie was sitting atop her husband William's shoulders, her laugh resounding through the neighborhood and her mint green eyes wide with joy. She had just recieved the news that she was with child and she was overjoyed. This news had also brought happy tears to Meg and her husband Jacque's eyes, for now they too would be grandparents as Raoul and Christine had so recently become. Arthur's parents too were there, walking beside and chatting animatedly with Meg, Jacque, and Madame Giry. Marie Claire looked up at the velvet sky above her and she silently thanked God.
She could hardly believe that only a few months ago their world had been falling down around them, and now it was pure bliss. She looked around at her family and friends, all of whom were talking and laughing, and she knew that even though they had all been through a lot together; pain, terror, happiness, joy, and a whole collection of experiences, these things had only brought them closer together. Hope and compassion had won out, and lessons had been learned. Love had grown stronger, and had been taken to a new level.
The sun had finally set behind the treetops when Marie Claire felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Lizzie. Marie turned to smile at her faithful friend.
"A few of us are going inside to get ready for dinner. Don't stay out here too long alright Marie? Because well, I know that everything seems to be resolved with the Phantom, but you never know. Please, be careful." said Lizzie seriously.
"I will, I promise." said Marie sincerely as she gave her friend a quick hug. "Don't worry about me."
Lizzie smiled, but she gave her friend a look that said ' I know you're stubborn, so be careful.'
After Lizzie and the rest left, only Marie, Arthur, the twins, Raoul, Christine, and Felix were left walking. They reached a small park where they sat down on the finely carved and ornate wooden benches under the trees, bathed in the moonlight. Arthur sat net to Marie, his arm wrapped loosely around her shoulders. Raoul and Christine sat next to them in the same fashion. Felix meanwhile, stood by the carriage, playing with the twins and tickling them as they giggled and gurgled. It was a perfect moment, and one of the most peaceful that the family had shared together as of late. After a few minutes of chatting, the happy family noticed that there were two people walking down the street, in their direction. At first they seemed like any ordinary couple out for an evening stroll, but as they came nearer, Marie felt a twinge of uncertainty; there was no mistaking the glint that the starlight was making upon that white mask.
The others too, seemed to recognize the man who had once been called 'Phantom', and the air seemed to tense a bit, but not nearly so much as it once would have, for Erik did not seem to emanate quite as much anger as before, and there was not a grimace on his face. In fact, he seemed to look slightly content. He stopped when he reached the spot where they sat. All of their eyes met, and for a moment there was silence. But then, Christine spoke up.
"Good evening Erik." she said, her tone a bit stiff, but there was small smile on her face.
"Good evening Christine, Marie Claire, Vicomte, Arthur, Felix," said Erik politely. "Congratulations on the succsess of the new opera."
Marie smiled at this remark, but she was a bit surprised. A great change seemed to have occurred in Erik.
"Thankyou," said Marie carefully, "How are you Erik?"
Erik raised his eyebrows at her, as though perplexed at her asking this. "I'm doing fine."
There was an uncomfortable silence for a minute, but then the conversation continued.
"Who is this with you Erik?" asked Christine, as she gestured and smiled at Gabrielle.
"This is my old friend Gabrielle from my younger days. We were just recently reunited." said Erik as he beckoned the shy Gabrielle forward.
The raven haired woman stepped forward, looking nervous. "Bonjour everyone."
"Bonjour Gabrielle," said Marie, trying to make her feel comfortable. "I am Marie Claire Page', this is my husband Arthur, and our children Elissa and Jean." she said as she looked with happy eyes down at the carriage. "These are my parents, Raoul and Christine, the Vicomte and Vicomtess de Chagny, and my little brother Felix."
"I am pleased to meet you all." said Gabrielle with a slight smile. She surveyed them, and Marie knew that Erik had told her at least part of the story. Then she began to walk towards a grove of flowers, as though she wanted to give Erik a bit of time alone with the group.
"Its been a while since we last met," said Erik with a small smirk. "Congratulations to you all on the birth of the twins. Madame Giry told me of their birth. She has been a good friend to me over these months." He darted a quick glance over at the carriage where Elissa and Jean were falling asleep.
"She is a good woman all around. She has been there for all of us." said Arthur, speaking up for the first time.
"Sometimes it seems that she knows us all better than we know ourselves." said Raoul, also taking initiative and stepping into the conversation.
"And now," said Erik. "I realize that I should have never tried to make her choose between us. I merely came to wish you well." he said, sounding quite sincere.
"And we wish you well too Erik," said Christine, a smile overtaking her feautures. "And thankyou."
"Thankyou so very much," piped up Marie. "For understanding.
And it was at that moment, as a true smile was spreading across Erik's face, that something remarkable happened. Raoul and Arthur stood up at the same time, and approached Erik. Raoul put out his hand, a question in his blue eyes.
"Truce?" he asked simply.
Erik looked at his rival for a moment, then shook his hand. It looked for a moment as though they might try to break each other's fingers, but then they let go. "Truce."
Arthur then approached him, and he too stuck out his hand.
"Thankyou, for all you taught me," he said as he shook Erik's hand, even if it was in a stiff manner, that seemed rather like they too, might have tried to make the other loose the feeling in their fingers.
"You are welcome." replied Erik.
Christine, Marie, and Felix stared in awe at this spectacle, hardly daring to believe that it was actually happening.
"Well I had best be going," said Erik. " Gabrielle and I will be traveling to England, for me to start work on a new opera. Perhaps I shall see you again someday." He moved a bit nearer to them, and gave Felix a slight smile, before planting a kiss on Marie's hand.
"Goodbye young Madame," He said quietly, his voice a whisper on the wind.
"Goodbye Erik, and good luck." said Marie, her blue eyes smiling at this man who had finally come to his senses. Maybe.
Erik then moved to Christine, and planted a kiss on her hand. "Goodbye, angel of music." he said, in the smallest whisper, his eyes lingering on her face before backing away.
"Goodbye Erik. We shall look for your opera." she said smiling at her fomer teacher in a way that let him know that all was forgiven.
Erik turned to go, but then turned back around for just one more moment. "You all have always known where you belong, and that is together. And now I have found where I belong. Each of us has learned something from this, even if we do not realize it yet. I hope that I will see you in the future." He stopped, that ever familiar smirkish smile overtaking his face. He turned and beckoned to Gabrielle, and she came to him.
The two began to walk down the street, but Erik looked back just once more, his hazel- grey eyes lingering on the family for a moment. It was incredibly difficult for him to keep walking and avert his gaze, but he did, and somehow he knew that this would not be the last time that they ever encountered each other. Gabrielle walked beside him, and just then, he took her hand in his, letting her know that he was beginning to feel what she did. He would never forget Christine, or her daughter, or this experience, it would live on forever in his memory. But as he looked into Gabrielle's eyes, he saw love there, that existed solely for him. And he knew that now he could move on from this, for Gabrielle, Madame Giry, and the incident just now had taught him that. It was nice to know that all was right between he and Christine and Marie, and that he no longer brought such terror to their eyes. It had indeed been hard to admit his mistakes, especially when he had shaken hands with Raoul and Arthur, but in a strange way he was glad he had. They had shown him compassion, and so he had shown it in return. And now, as he intertwined his fingers with Gabrielle's, he knew that he loved her. He was starting anew, and he was happy, but he would never forget the music of the night, and he would always hold a place in his heart for his angels of music.
Marie watched the man who had once brought fear with his presence as he dissapeared into the evening darkness. She could hardly believe the change in him, but even though he had changed he was still Erik, and she knew he had a long way to go.
"Well," she said, the happiness and contentment clear in her voice. "I suppose that now, all of our dreams have some true. Everything is simply... perfect."
"Yes," said Christine. "It is." She too, seemed surprised that Erik had actually come over and spoken to them. She smiled down the street, then smiled over her daughter and son in law. She had never felt so relieved. Now, she knew that Erik had truly accepted her love for Raoul, and Marie's love for Arthur. And he had found someone as well. She felt so light on her feet, like a huge weight had been lifted.
Raoul too, seemed to feel the same, for at that moment, he picked Christine up and swung her around in the air, just as he had done on the night that they had declared their love. Christine laughed merrily, and they shared a kiss that was so filled with love that both felt as though they would melt. They were together forever, with never another threat to be torn apart again, and it was wonderful. And at that moment, the childhood sweethearts knew that Gustav Daae was smiling down on them.
Arthur too, seemed affected by the giddiness in the air, and pulled Marie too him, and they became wrapped up in a kiss. When they pulled back, a shooting star flew over the sky. Then the group began to walk back towards Lucien's house. Felix ran down the street, with Raoul, Christine, and Marie all chasing him, while Arthur pushed the carriage with the sleeping twins, barely able to contain his laughter at their antics. Once they reached the house, they entered to find that the table was being set. Lucien, who was by the door, accosted them as they entered.
"What in the blazes took you so long? We've been home for at least thirty minutes." Asked Lucien, as he shook his auburn hair out of his face.
"We ran into.. someone we knew." said Christine vaguely. They would explain later.
"Well I can see that we're just in time for dinner. Excellent." said Raoul as he took off his jacket and moved towards the table.
Arthur too, seemed to be quite hungry, for he too took off his jacket and dashed over to the table rubbing his hands together. "Ah, this looks quite appetizing."
Everyone gathered at the table, all so happy to be gathered together like this. The soft candlelight glowed on each and every one as they said the blessing. Then, once it was said, they all dug in, and ate with relish. Marie Claire suveyed them as they ate, these people who mattered most in the world to her. And her heart was filled with such an immense joy, that she hardly knew what to do. Everything was going to go on, and everything was wonderful. She knew now, that when she woke up in the morning, the sun would shine so much brighter. And there was one reason for that; Love. Love could change everything, for better or worse. But this time, it had been for the better. She gazed at her parents and brother, and her heart swelled with love, for she knew that they would always be there for her. She glanced at Lizzie, Meg, Madame Giry, and Lucien, and was so grateful to have found so many irreplaceable friends. Then she looked at Arthur and the twins, and knew that she could have no better life than the one that she shared with them. And then she thought of Erik, and was so glad to know that he too, appeared to have found someone to give him the love that he was looking for.
She sighed contentedly, and her face lit up with a smile. It was perfect. She gave a fleeting thought to when she had been sixteen, and had scored her first starring role in 'Hannibal.' It seemed so long ago, and she had changed so much. But inside she knew, that she was still the same girl that she had always been, always so full of life. Change was necessary she knew, but later that night as all gathered around Lucien's piano, and as the strains of piano, violin, and voice soared through the air, she realized that some things would never change. And she took comfort in that. And she knew as well, as she sang and gazed at her loved ones, as she thought of the indescribably poweful love that her parents shared, of the amazing love she herself shared with Arthur, of love of family and friends, of brother and sister(she smiled at Felix) and as she remembered the look in Erik's eyes as he looked at Gabrielle, that love was the best virtue of all.
And so ends part two of my tale of the Strange Affair of the Phantom of the opera, of the family de Chagny, the family Page', and all of their friends. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N: Oh my, well this has been a long journey! I can't believe that it got so far, I never expected to get so deep into this, but now Phantom is officially my favorite fandom to write in. And never fear, there will be more fics from me very soon. There is one that I am working on called "Let Daylight Dry your Tears' that will be posted in the books section of Phantom of the opera. These two fics have been my best works, and without a doubt, my favorite fics that I have ever written. I have fallen in love with the characters that I have created, so don't be surprised if you see them reused in other Phantom fics of the future. Thanks to all of my reviewers, it was your support that truly inspired me.
Samantha- Well, there you have it, the last chapter! I really hope that you like it. You have been one of my most loyal reviewers from the very beginning, and I thank you so much. Your reviews have always been uplifting and encouraging, and not to mention hilarious! I hope to see reviews from you on my other fics! Yay for the Suite life of Zack and Cody and for the Page' twins!
Guitarprincess- Hey there! I really hope that you like this, I put in the extra RC and Marie/Arthur fluff just for you. I want to thankyou so much for your amazing reviews, for when I read them, I always feel so happy with what I have written. You have been a loyal reviewer from the beginning, and I really hope to see reviews from you in the future. RC forever and always!
I am the Angel of Music- Hello there my friend! I hope that you like this last chapter. And also hope that you are happy with the way I ended Erik's part in the story, I did a lot of that just for you! I am so glad that even though we disagree on some points, that we can still enjoy each other's stories. Your reviews have always helped to improve my writing, so I thank you very much. I hope to see your reviews soon, and keep up the great writing you've been doing!
Asia1st- I sincerely hope that you liked this last chapter! Thanks so much for the awseome and honest reviews that you have left me. I always enjoy reading your uplifting reviews, it brings a smile to my face. Thankyou for sticking with me and my stories for so long. I hope to see reviews on my future fics, and I also hope that you will write something soon, you have great talent! RC rules!
And thankyou also to BlazeLoganLover and mrmisstoflees, you rock!