The next morning, Cameron woke up, feeling rather heavy - hearted. He felt bad about hurting Christine the night before, and he knew for a fact that he had hurt her.

After letting out a remorseful sigh, he stood up and started fishing through his dresser, looking for a new set of clothes to wear that Christine had bought for him. As he got dressed and looked around, he felt even more guilty about hurting her, because he could tell by looking at his surroundings how hard she had worked to prepare for his arrival on that first night that they'd met. Now he'd called her a 'stupid monster'.

When he was dressed, he walked out of his bedroom and looked around the lair, which appeared empty and was deathly silent.

"Christine?"

He heard footsteps coming from somewhere in the lair, and then, suddenly, Christine came into view. She was fully dressed in black, and her eyes were so bloodshot that he could see that she'd been crying, even though she wasn't all that close to him.

A feeling of intense remorse went through him. "Christine -"

She put up a hand to silence him as she stepped up to him. "Come on," she said, sounding rather stern, as she had when he'd only known her as the Angel of Music. "We're leaving." She started to walk to where her cloak was hung up.

"But I haven't eaten -"

"I don't care!" she snapped, turning on her heel and facing him. She glared at him contemptuously for a moment, her arms crossed. "Unless you wish to irritate me, you'd better come on - now."

Without another word, he followed her as she walked over to where her cloak was hung up. Then she put on her cloak and stepped onto the gondola. When he stepped on, she grabbed the rowing rod and rowed away.

They rowed in silence for about five minutes, and then he tried talking to her, thinking that perhaps she was in a slightly better mood. "Listen, Christine -"

"What in God's name could you possibly want now?" she shouted. "Don't you understand that I don't want to talk to you right now? My God, what more could you possibly take from me? You've taken my heart and my mind; what else could you take from me?"

"I - I'm sorry," he stammered, bowing his head. Then he subsided into silence.

Letting out a huffy sigh, she continued rowing until they reached the passageway. Then she stepped off of the gondola and started to walk off, not even waiting for him to get out. He quickly got out and started walking beside her.

When they reached the mirror, she opened it and stood there, her arms crossed, waiting for him to step out into the dressing room. He didn't move.

"Well, go!" she said crossly. "I don't want you coming here ever again, understand? I never want to see you again, Cameron Luc... never! So go... go off with your fiancce and have your stupid little wedding if you so desire. My God, you can even leave the Opera! You're free of the 'stupid monster' now. Now you can get married and raise little blonde - haired children with your stupid floozy!"

His eyes widened. "Christine -"

"Don't talk to me!" she screamed, pointing out into the dressing room. "Get out!"

He gazed at her sadly for a moment, then finally sighed resignedly and walked out of the mirror. Then he looked at her for a moment. She stared at him so stonily when she didn't say anything else that he shrunk and then started to walk out of the dressing room, closing the door behind him.

She stood there, totally devoid of emotion, for about ten minutes, trying to ensure that he was gone. Then she stepped into the dressing room, closed the mirror, and walked over to the door. She opened it and walked out of the dressing room, determined to go in search of Francois.

She made her way up to the flies, risking discovery with complete indifference. All she cared about was finding Francois and trying to make up with him.

Just as she'd expected, there Francois was, standing in the flies, observing rehearsal on stage and ever so often moving sceneries up and down. When he heard a noise come from the stage, he looked down at the stage and saw Cameron there. He laughed a little and shook his head.

She gazed at him silently for a moment, practically overjoyed to see him. "Francois..."

He glanced in her direction as he pulled up a scenery and tied it up. "Well, well, well," he said, sounding rather scornful. "If it isn't mademoiselle le fantome. How kind of you to grace us with your presence."

"Francois," she sighed, "please... just listen to me. There are some things that I need to say."

"Oh, really? Then be done with it!"

She looked down at the floor for a moment, trying to find the right words. Then she glanced up at him, where he stood, watching her intently. "I was wrong, Francois," she began. "I was wrong; you were right... you were right about Cameron. He doesn't love me. He told me last night that -" She stopped short, tears filling her eyes at the memory of the night before.

He gazed at her intently. "Go on," he said gently, sounding as though they were talking like the week before, before they'd gotten into the fight.

She took a deep breath, trying to gather up the strength to finish. Then she looked up at him tearily. "He told me last night that he hates me," she whispered. "He said that he hates me, Francois. He hates me."

"Oh, my dear," he said gently, taking her into his arms after another moment. "Oh, no... I'm so sorry."

She buried her face in his vest and started to cry. "He shouted at me," she sobbed. "He called me 'not attractive in the least bit'... he said that he hates the sight and sound of me... he called me a 'stupid monster'."

"He what?" he gasped, pulling her away from him for a moment. "I don't think I heard you correctly... you said that he called you a 'stupid monster'?"

"Yes," she whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. "He called me a 'stupid monster'." Then she started to cry again.

"Oh, no," he murmured, pulling her back into his embrace and kissing the top of her head. "Oh, my poor dear... Christine... nobody should ever say that to you... he has no right to say such terrible, wicked things." He smiled in spite of himself. "I suppose that now wouldn't be a very good time to say 'I told you that this would happen'."

"Oh, please don't, Francois... not now." She pulled away from him and wiped her eyes, smiling up at him. "I'm so lucky to have a friend like you, Francois... I knew that I would be able to come back to you. I'm sorry about how horrid I've been about this whole Cameron mess. Do you forgive me?"

He nodded and kissed her forehead. "Yes, my dear. I forgive you. Would you like me to come to supper tonight?"

"Oh, please do. I'd like that very much." She pulled out her pocketwatch. "Now I've got to go... I shall see you tonight. Oh, by the way, could you please tell everyone that I do not wish for them to continue Genius's Mistake?"

"Certainly. I'll see you tonight."

She nodded, smiled, and walked back down to her lair.

Cameron is gone; Francois is back.

And you know what? I''ve never felt happier.