Chapter 17: Love Transcends all Barriers, and Heals all Wounds

A/n I don't own POTO or anything retaining to it…except for my own story-duh…ok Yay I know u guys were happy when I brought Christine back to life. Actually I had been planning it all along. I'm an e/c addict as you should already know. I don't have the will power to kill her off-not in my own phic. And now Microsoft is saying "phic" isn't a word and that makes me very angry so im adding it to my dictionary does clicky things on computer until word "phic" is added to personal dictionary ok so here's chapter 16:

It has been said often the love transcends all barriers and heals all wounds, but never had Christine or Erik truly taken it into thought. Now it seemed to be their one true belief. After Erik had slipped that beautiful ring on to Christine's shaking finger, she had started to heal immediately. Within two weeks she was in walking condition, and couldn't have been happier.

Often she would leave her new home to visit Meg or Madame Giry, and occasionally she would join them for tea at their favorite café. But her favorite times were spent with Erik. Often he would give her a singing lesson, but most of the time they simply enjoyed their time together as an engaged couple.

Christine often found herself wondering if she and Erik would ever marry. It might never be possible, as her fiancé was a wanted man. How would they ever find a priest willing to give them his blessing?

God never turned down any man, but was this the same as a priest? Surely they would be able to find one with such accepting morals. With that behind her, she crept up behind Erik, who was composing at the organ.

He saw her, but he decided to give her the joy of the idea that she had truly fooled him. He continued playing, but watched her from the corner of his eye as she drew closer. She came so close that he could feel her breath on him. Just before she could open her mouth to compliment his work, he turned around.

"Boo!" She screamed and fell into his arms.

"God, Erik, you scared me." She said, laughing. She should have known better than to think she could trick him. He placed a kiss on her forehead in silent apology.

"He told me to go back, you know." She said in an airy voice.

"Hmm?"

"My father. When I was still with Raoul all I ever did was think of you and how different it could have been." Christine was now comfortable enough with Erik to say Raoul's name around him. Erik smiled at the thought that she too had thought of what it might have been like if she had stayed.

"Continue, please my dear."

She sat down besides him on the settee and rested her head on his shoulder. "Ah, well, Raoul knew I was thinking about you and he confronted me about it. I wanted to love him and not you. It seemed like the most…convenient thing at the time. Besides, I had already made my choice. I told him I loved him and only him, but I knew that was a lie. There I was trying to persuade myself to stop loving you, when I heard a voice. At first I thought it was you, or maybe Raoul. But that voice belonged to my father." She took a breath as tears welled in her eyes at the thought of her father. "The voice told me to stay with whomever my heart truly belonged; and I knew that was you. That's when I went back to the opera."

Erik's smile faded. He had been so mean to her that following day, when she had truly believed he was the one for her.

"What's wrong Angel?"

"It's just…I was so cruel to you that day. I hollered at you until you left the room in tears. I really am a monster…"

"No, you are an angel; a godsend. I don't know what I'd do without you. We both did wrongs to each other. I betrayed you multiple times, but after all of that, you still love me."

"That's different."

"No. It's not. What we have done to each other is in the past" She removed his mask and kissed him. "Please don't ever wear this again; at least when I'm the only one with you."

"Christine…" he groaned in argument.

"I won't ever kiss you when you have the mask on." He raised his eyebrow, questioning her statement.

"Oh, fine. But I shall wear it when we have guests."

"Fine." She placed a kiss on his cheek and walked away contently to find the book she had been reading.

As Erik went back to composing, his thoughts shifted to the wedding. Quite a few things had been troubling him about it. How would they ever find a priest? And what would Christine's last name be? He was sure he had a last name, but he had never been told it. All his life he had known himself simply as Erik, and even that name had not been granted to him by his parents, but on accident. Would Christine keep her maiden name? Or rid herself of any last name at all? What if he became Erik Daae? No, that would not work. He thought long and hard about this before giving up and returning his thoughts to his music.