Disclaimer: I do not own the Erik, Christine, or any other characters mentioned. All I own is the plot. Songs owned by ALW.

A/N: Thank you to the three people who have this on their alert lists! Hands out red roses tied with black ribbons.

Enjoy!

Chapter 3

Antoinette gingerly made her way into a part of the Opera House she hadn't been in for awhile. The little dinghy was where he had said it was. She made it across to his home with no trouble from his infamous siren. He was trying to compose one last opera at his organ, but Madame Giry knew that it was only to keep his thoughts busy.

"Erik? You asked for me." Antoinette Giry said softly so as to avoid any nasty surprises from him.

"Of course, Antoinette, I've been waiting for you. How are things above?"

"All right"

"And Christine? How is the plan going? No glitches I hope."

"No, just as you thought, the Vicomte was very receptive but Christine wasn't quite as receptive. She misses her Angel of Music, Erik. She won't be made to forget you that easily."

"She has to move on! Have you suggested moving to London to the Vicomte yet? I can't bear to think of her living with the scandal that I caused. I never deserved her. She is an Angel while I am a demon, she is beauty while I'm a corpse—"

"Erik! I told you that you've got to stop calling yourself those things. How are you going to be able to do anything more than this; if you think of yourself so negatively?"

"Antoinette, I will never do anything outside of here. Society never will give me that chance. The one person I love loves someone else. I will make sure that she is happy, then I shall die here, sitting at my organ. Ah, the irony the place a lie was born is the same place he'll die."

"Don't talk like that, do me a favor. Go to their wedding, just allow Christine to feel your presence one last time before she becomes the Vicomtess DeChagny. Please."

"I'll think about it. I make no promises, though, now go and take the box with you. It's for Christine." The Phantom replied.

"What is it? Or should I even ask?"

"It's a certain wedding dress I know she'll be wanting. I could tell she loved it; she was always very readable to me."

"Erik—"

"Just give it to her. If she doesn't wear it; it won't faze me. I've already seen her in it."

For the first time, Madame Giry saw a dreamy expression cross his face.

"Erik, go," Madame Giry shoved the box with the wedding dress in it, "deliver the dress to her yourself. If anything it will give both of you some closure at last so the two of you can move on for you both seem to be frozen in time."

"Antoinette, I can't!"

"I don't believe it! The infamous Phantom of the Opera who has done much more difficult things and has gotten away with it can't do something as simple as delivering a wedding dress to a former student of his. Talk about irony."

When Antoinette saw the I'm-about-to-prove-you-very-wrong look in his eye, she knew she had hit her mark. She left him in silence on the Rue Scribe side.

Erik watched her go and once he could no longer hear her footsteps, he swooped toward the swan bed and pulled out an engraved box made of ebony, with a silver locking mechanism. He jiggled it for a second or two, and then he opened it. He blew off the excess dust. Gently, he removed his white porcelain and replaced it with the new one. He hadn't lied to Christine when he said he could make himself a normal man's face and she was about to see that for herself. Maybe, just maybe he still had a chance. If he could start over without the Angel of Music charade maybe he could woo her. After all, he fashioned his life with possibilities, why couldn't he reap them now?

A/N: Hopefully now I'll get a review or two or three with constructive criticisms or impatient readers wanting me to update.

TNC,

Writer Muse