"Love Comes To Those Who Wait"
By Nabira
PROLOGUE
"GO NOW AND leave me!"
The words rung in Christine Daae's ears as she and Raoul rushed through the darkness. Her feet hurt as the cobblestones dug into them. She wore no shoes – they weren't a part of her costume as the gypsy, Aminta, and she had not bothered to don a pair when she had changed into the wedding dress she now wore. But she could not stop running, no matter the pain. Her angel had said that they were not allowed to be found and she couldn't disobey him again.
Christine was getting tired. Her hand was still in Raoul's grip and as she began to lag behind, Raoul's tugging on her arm made her stumble.
Raoul whipped around quickly, thinking that Christine had been pulled by someone from behind. Looking at the girl, though, he realised she was a frightful mess. Her long, dark curls were scraggly around her face and the bottom of her dress was torn. And as she gasped in air, Raoul began to feel slightly guilty. It was not fair of him to make her run so far in a tight corset. Raoul hugged Christine quickly and lifted her into his arms.
Raoul knew there was not far to go. He had to get to his brother's stables – once there, he would be able to get a horse and carriage, let Philippe know what he had done and disappear with Christine for a while. It was the only way they wouldn't get caught.
Fifteen minutes later, Raoul crept into the stables, still holding Christine in his arms. He knew exactly which horses to take – the two geldings were his, after all, he wouldn't get in trouble for taking him. He scribbled a quick note to Philippe, hitched up the horse and opened the door of the carriage for Christine.
Raoul scrambled into the driver's seat and picked up the reins. With a quick flick, he set the coach into motion, leaving behind both of their pasts.
-♥-
IT FELT GOOD to be home. No matter how much Christine loved Paris and the Opera House; Sweden would always be her home.
In the small village not far out of Uppsala, Christine and Raoul married one cold April morning. The marriage brought closure for Christine, but also a great deal of grief. Suddenly, a part of her life that she had loved and cherished was gone. There was no more Angel of Music to guide her – she was now Madame de Chagny, the Vicomtess.
Christine could not help wondering, on the day that was supposed to be the happiest day of her life, what the masked man beneath the Opera was up to.
-♥-
"JUST ONE MORE push, Madame de Chagny!" came the midwife's boisterous commands.
Christine did so, her body beginning to tire with the strain of childbirth. It was three years since her marriage to Raoul – three years of trying to start a family and failed pregnancies – and she was finally giving birth to a child carried to full term.
The babe's shrill cry filled the room and Christine breathed a sigh of relief. She had been afraid – she didn't want another dead child in her arms.
"It's a boy, Madame!" the midwife cried joyously and Christine reached out for her son.
She and Raoul had spent much time deciding on names and they had both decided that they wanted a name that could not remind them of the past. So, on that day, Adrien Patrice de Chagny was born; a strong, healthy baby.
Christine and Raoul came to delight in their young son. Christine felt that there was never a more perfect baby. His straight, chocolate brown hair and bright blue eyes made him a striking child and Christine knew that when he was older, he was going to break some hearts.
Raoul tried to be careful about any more children, given Christine's track record. They had their son; at least they were now a family. But when Christine fell pregnant once again when Adrien was two years old, Raoul could not be happier.
Elise Colette de Chagny was born in the midnight hours some nine months later. As Christine held the sleeping girl in her arms and her three year old son stood by her bed, she could not help thinking – what sort of family would she have if she had stayed with her angel?
-♥-
CHRISTINE'S ANGEL OF Music was a bitter man in the winter of 1886 when Elise was born. He could still not believe that he had let Christine go, yet six years had passed. He no longer lived beneath the Opera House – it was not safe anymore. He now lived in a small cottage on the outskirts of Paris. No one bothered him and he liked it that way. He was surrounded by music and art and could not be happier – unless he was with Christine, of course. He kept the engagement ring that she had returned to him in a small box and a day was not complete unless he had looked at the gold band with its diamonds on top.
Erik did not realise that a knock at the door could change his life forever.
Erik was having trouble forgiving this person for the impertinence of knocking on his door and it was all he could do to keep himself from Punjabing them on the spot. But he managed to calm his temper and opened the door to find a girl with long, chocolate brown curls staring back at him.
Christine…
Erik blinked and realised that the girl staring at him was not Christine Daae, but rather, a girl that looked very much like her. She was slightly taller, with blue eyes and a complexion that was slightly more golden. She looked very dishevelled, however.
"What can I do for you, Mademoiselle?" Erik asked, summoning his best manners.
"Forgive me for, intruding," the girl replied, worry showing on her face. "I am being accused of doing something I didn't do and the Gendarmerie are chasing me. I was wondering if it would be possible to hide here. No one ever comes up this way."
Erik looked at the girl, understanding her plight. "Come in," he said, holding the door open for her.
-♥-
IT WAS HARD to believe, but Erik grew to enjoy Nadine Cuvier's company. And she also enjoyed his. She fell hopelessly in love with her masked saviour and Erik, who could not face loneliness anymore, married her a few years later, taking her name as his.
A year later, their son, William Fabien Cuvier was born. Erik's relief was immense that he had not passed his dreadful deformity onto his son. He delighted in the boy, teaching him all he could about music. To his great pleasure, William loved singing and composing as much as he did and Nadine watched as her two favourite people played for her.
While Erik was happy and he delighted in Nadine's company, he could not help yearning for the other brunette girl he had known. Christine was still his heart's desire.
-♥-
CHRISTINE DE CHAGNY held the eight year old's hand as she looked up at the mighty Opera House. It had been a big decision for her and Raoul to bring their family back to Paris, but fourteen years had passed and they knew that it would be hard for them to be linked to the Phantom of the Opera now.
Adrien was now eleven years old and starting to show the unmistakeable musical talent that Christine had many years before. He amazed his mother with his skills on the violin and Christine could tell that he would one day take after her in voice as well. Elise, on the other hand, was not musically inclined in the slightest. The girl was more interested in reading and business – she took after Raoul in many ways. Christine knew that she was going to be beautiful. Her hair, while curly like Christine's, was very blonde and made her look like an angel. She, like Adrien, had Raoul's bright blue eyes, but other than that she looked very much like Christine.
Christine fully intended on visiting the Opera soon, something that Raoul was not very happy about. There was no magnificent Opera House in Uppsala – the closest she had come to singing when she was there were hymns at church. And she knew that Adrien would enjoy it. But Christine knew that Raoul worried about her bumping into a certain masked man.
Christine sighed. But she knew where Raoul was coming from. Who could say she wouldn't enjoy such a meeting?
-♥-
ERIK WAS SLIGHTLY nervous about the coming trip into Paris. He had not been there since he had left the Opera House fourteen years beforehand. Indeed, he had hardly left the cottage that he lived in with Nadine and William since he had moved there. But Nadine had to go to the city and she could not bear to part with her family for the week that she would be there. So Erik, very grudgingly, had agreed to accompany her.
There was one thing that Erik was rather looking forward to, however, and that was a visit to the Opera House that had once been his home. He had told his five year old son many stories about the Opera House and the people that had lived there, leaving out his own exciting part in the tales. Oh, William did know of the legendary Phantom of the Opera, but only the stories that had been told by the ballet girls. Those stories had always had a great deal of imagination in them and it pleased Erik that his son delighted in the world of make-believe.
One thing that Nadine was quite looking forward to was the masquerade ball that heralded the start of the new opera season. Erik was not so sure. He could still remember the last masquerade ball that he went to, where he had unleashed his masterpiece, Don Juan Triumphant onto the Opera community. But he knew that this masquerade would certainly not be as eventful. Nadine would be there with him and everyone would be masked. There was certainly no way he would bump into anyone he would know and if he did, they would not recognise him.
-♥-
CHRISTINE LAUGHED AT the various complaints sent her way by her children, most of all Adrien. She and Raoul were going to the masquerade ball and neither of the children would accept that they were too young to attend. It made her remember when she was their age. The Opera House had always put on great parties and balls and as a young child training to become a ballerina, she was not allowed to attend either. But she was a woman of thirty-two now, fully grown, and she was allowed to do as she pleased. And besides, both children would be attending the opening night of the next season the following night. Falstaff by Giuseppe Verdi was a brand new opera and the Garnier was thrilled to be performing it as a part of the new season.
Christine was very excited about the new Verdi opera and she knew that Adrien was too. She had performed his opera Aida while she had been singing at the Opera House and had enjoyed it immensely.
But tonight, it was the masquerade that she would be attending. As Christine put on her white mask, she remembered the last masquerade ball she had attended, a long fourteen years before.
-♥-
ERIK WALKED THROUGH the doors of the Opera Populaire, Nadine holding onto his arm as though she was afraid he might run off. In all honesty, he really wanted to do just that. But as he walked into the ball room, a great feeling of relief swept over him. The Opera House would always be his home. He had lived there for most of his life and he had not realised how much he had missed it.
It was not long before Erik was asking Nadine to dance and as they danced he managed to avoid thinking about his past life and what he had lost. He knew he was being greedy, he had his lovely son and a wife that loved him, but he couldn't help it.
A laugh invaded his senses.
Erik would know that laugh until the day he died. The sweet tinkling of it was enough to send shivers down his spine. And the voice that accompanied it – he could never forget that voice.
At the end of the dance, Nadine left him, stating that she had seen someone that she needed to talk to. And this gave Erik a chance to speak to the girl he had obsessed over and loved when he had never loved before.
-♥-
CHRISTINE COULD FEEL the tingling up her neck that often comes when you get the feeling that someone is watching you. With a quick squeeze of Raoul's hand, she left him and his business partner, stating that she needed some fresh air.
As Christine skirted her way around the dance floor, she found that she was indeed being followed. A man in a black suit and tails was dogging her, but Christine did not feel scared. He seemed oddly familiar.
Christine moved outside into the Opera House courtyard. Sitting on the edge of the fountain she ran her hands through the water for old time's sake. As she relived her memories of the time that she had spent at the Opera House, she caught herself smiling. She was not as naïve as she had once been and she knew that there was no memory that she could count as horrendous.
"Christine."
Christine straightened with a start. There was no way he could still be here, no way at all. She knew there had been no sightings of the Opera Ghost since she had left. Thinking it must be her imagination, she went back to her musings
"Christine…"
Christine knew it was not her imagination this time. She jumped up and spun around, catching sight of the man that she had seen following her. He stood on the other side of the fountain, watching her with guarded interest. As soon as she saw him though, she knew who he was. There was something about the way he stood with all his pride and majesty that would always play on Christine's mind and even with the black Don Juan type mask, Christine would always recognise him.
Taking a step around the fountain, Christine whispered, "Angel, is that you?"
Erik could not believe that Christine still didn't know his name. "No, my dear," he said in reply. "I am no angel, my name is Erik."
If Christine still had a glimmer of doubt in her mind, it was gone the moment she heard him speak. With a small cry of joy, Christine ran around the fountain and hugged Erik, stepping back a moment later with happiness on her face.
"I can't believe how much I've missed you," Christine said, smiling.
A small feeling of hope gathered in Erik's stomach until, with crashing realism, he noticed the wedding band on Christine's finger and remembered that he, too, was married.
"What have you been up to, Christine?" Erik asked, genuinely interested in what the girl was doing with her life.
Christine smiled. "I travelled back to Sweden with Raoul after we left you and found ourselves living in a small village outside of Uppsala. We married in the village church and spent the next three years trying to start a family." A tear rolled down Christine's cheek as she remembered the three miscarriages and the stillborn daughter that she had delivered. "But finally we were blessed with our lovely Adrien." Christine smiled, remembering the joy of finally having a baby in her arms. Erik also smiled, sharing in her memory.
"How old is he now?" he asked Christine.
"Eleven," she replied happily. "I have a daughter, Elise, too. She's now eight years old. Not musical, unlike Adrien, but she's still perfect."
Erik smiled. He could tell Christine was a wonderful mother.
"We moved back to Paris two months ago," she continued. "Adrien is really looking forward to seeing the opera tomorrow evening. He's a brilliant violinist and he has a good, strong voice." Christine smiled a proud mother smile. "I must say, I'm really looking forward to hearing Verdi as well."
Erik grinned. "Yes, I've heard that Falstaff is nearly as good as Aida."
Christine smiled. "Nothing can beat Aida," she replied, smiling cheekily. Christine looked at Erik curiously. "What have you been up to?" she asked.
"I moved from the Opera House after you left," he said, reminiscing. "It was unsafe, what with the construction and the constant searches for the Opera Ghost. I moved to a small cottage outside of Paris and stayed there for six years, revelling in my solitude."
Christine looked at him, almost shocked. He sounded so happy though!
"A knock on the door changed my life," he said with a soft smile. "A young lady stood there, clearly in trouble. She was on the run – she had been falsely accused of the murder of her younger sister, which she was later acquitted of. But something about her invoked such strong feelings of empathy for her and I decided to help her."
Christine smiled. This girl sounded like she had undergone some hard times just like Erik had.
"Well, after she was acquitted, I was very worried. I had grown to enjoy her company and I didn't want to be lonely again. I think she enjoyed my company too. So we married and I took her name. We have a son, William, who is five now."
Christine smiled. She knew that something good had to happen to a man like Erik. "It sounds like you love her, Erik."
Erik smiled. "I don't know if love is the correct word," he said, speaking the truth. "I love her, yes, but more like you love a very dear friend. But, she gave me my son, my perfect son who already sings like an angel and I know that I could never survive without her companionship."
Christine smiled. "It was so nice seeing you again, Erik," she said, embracing him tightly.
Erik smiled. "Yes, it was nice seeing you too, Christine," he replied. "Now, I must go and find Nadine. She will be wondering where I've gotten to."
Christine smiled. "Yes, Raoul will be wondering the same."
And with one final look, they parted, not realising that they would never see each other again.
-♥-
CHRISTINE LAY IN her bed, the anxious faces of her family all around her. Everything hurt – it even hurt to breathe – and she knew she would not be in the world of the living for very much longer.
A strange thought surfaced in her head. Wherever she was going – would Erik be there? It had been over twenty years since she had last seen him. Somehow, the faint burnings of longing were still with her.
Once again, Christine looked at the faces of her family. Her two children were grown up and they had their own children – Pierre, Genevieve and Henri. All five of them and their respective spouses, Claudette and Étienne, were gathered around her bed now. And Raoul – his tired face radiated none of the youth that he had once shown. It had been a tough life for him but he had never once complained, always giving Christine his unconditional love, even as she lay dying of the cancer that wracked her body. Christine knew she did not deserve him.
Christine struggled to take a breath and she knew her time was up. With a soft smile to Raoul, she closed her eyes, never to open them again.
-♥-
THE DEATH NOTICE in the paper came as a shock. Vicomtess Christine de Chagny died peacefully after a long battle with cancer, surrounded by her family.
It was hard for Erik to believe that his beloved angel was gone. Even harder for him to believe was that he had missed her funeral. She had died some months ago and Erik had come across the notice after catching up on what had happened in Paris.
It was ironic, really. The saddest thing that he could imagine had happened at one of the happiest moments of his life.
Erik had been in Vienna for the past three months, attending the wedding of his only son William to the very lovely Cecilia. And he and Nadine had decided to stay for a while. But now, he had to visit her grave and pay his last respects.
It was hard to find a rose in the winter, but find one he did. He tied it with a black ribbon for old times sake and attached the one thing he felt should be returned to Christine.
The portrait on Christine's grave stone showed how much she had changed. She was obviously in her prime there, but she was older than the girl Erik had once known.
Erik's grief hit him suddenly and he placed the rose on the grave. It did not do to dwell on the past and he did not turn back as he left the cemetery.
As Erik left, the sun began to shine, catching the diamond ring on the stem of the rose in its light.
Author's Note:
Any complaints about length of chapters… you'd have to be sadistic!
This chapter, or prologue, rather, is already 3574 words long and I promise with all of my heart that the rest of the chapters are long too. I think this one is the longest, but we shall see!
I once again apologise about leaving Behind the Façade and Song of My Heart unattended for so long. This story has entrenched itself in my head and won't leave, so I've had to write it. Plus, I'm slightly stuck on ideas, especially for Behind the Façade. If you have any ideas on where it could go, please, please feel free to e-mail me. My e-mail is in my profile.
I have a very soft spot for this story. The idea is older than the idea for Man of the Future, but I hadn't decided to write it until now. There are ideas running around my head at the moment.
Oh, I was going to wait until I had some more chapters written, but bad luck comes in threes. Today, I have already had to have a brush cut out of my hair and a saxophone case smash into my kneecap, so I don't think I could bear losing this as well!
Anyway, until next time.
Caitlin.