Disclaimer: Buffy the Vampire Slayer belongs to Joss Wheldon, The Mummy belongs to Steven Sommers and The Phantom Of The Opera belongs to Joel Schmacher, Gaston Leroux and Andrew Lloyd Webber. The songs in this story belong to the songwriters who wrote these amazing songs. Please don't sue me, I'm completely and utterly broke and it's for entertainment purposes only.
Timeline: Post-season seven, Buffy, post-The Mummy Returns and during the movie The Phantom Of The Opera.
Pairing(s): Erik/Christine (a little bit), Buffy/Erik, Dawn/Erik (friendship), Raoul/Christine (sorry for those of you who hate Raoul), Willow/Christine/Raoul
Author's Note: Damn! I got flamed pretty good for killing Buffy off. Anyway, don't worry all you Buffy/Erik fans! Our favourite Slayer isn't going to stay dead for long. Anyway, sorry for the delay. Real life got in the way as well as a mild case of writer's block. Enough of that, I have an announcement to make in terms of the Christine pairings poll. After much careful thought, I've decided to extend the time of the voting period from the end of this story till chapter 7 of The Other Side Of Courage (which I haven't written yet but I will once I start posing the story). Also, here are the results (so far) of the pairings poll.
BtVS/Angel
Xander – 1
Angel – 2
Spike – 2
Gunn – 0
Connor – 2
Other Character (Lindsey – 1)
Harry Potter
Harry – 3
Oliver – 2
Fred – 0
George – 0
Other Character (Snape – 1)
So, those are the results. Remember you can vote one in each category. Also, tell me why you think that character should be paired up with Christine. Anyway, just one more chapter left of this story before I start posting The Other Side Of Courage. Enjoy and please review. Remember, no flames. I will ignore them and I don't have the patience for them.
Summary: Raoul apologized to both Willow and Christine for what happened between them but he also told them that the managers of the Opera Populaire are setting a trap for Erik. After being alerted of the trap, Buffy decided to use the trap to her advantage by using it to trap the demon while at the same time spring the trap for Erik. Unfortunately, her plan goes horribly awry when the demon sent the chandelier crashing down toward patrons during the Don Juan Triumphant performance. Once down in the Phantom's lair, Buffy has a final confrontation with the demon. The demon made an attempt on Erik's life that resulted in the Slayer's death but not before she killed it.
Once they had escaped the underground lair with the body of the Slayer in tow, Raoul called a carriage to take him, Christine, Dawn, Willow and a grieving and devastated Erik to a small cottage outside of Paris where Christine said that Madame Giry owned and sometimes stayed when she and Meg needed to get away. The ride to the cottage was quiet and sombre. Willow and Christine sat next to each other while Dawn sat next to Erik. Buffy's body was wrapped in a white cloth and her head was on Erik's lap. Dawn saw that he was still crying and that his grief was terrible perhaps worse than her own despite the Slayer's heroic act that saved his life.
Erik didn't say a word to anyone throughout the whole ride but when the carriage arrived at its destination, he burst into tears and sobbed as he carried Buffy's corpse out of the carriage. Raoul got to the door first and knocked softly. After a few moments, Madame Giry answered and looked surprised to see him.
"Viscount." Madame Giry said surprised.
"Madame Giry." Raoul replied with a hint of grief in his voice. At that, the surprised look on Madame Giry's face vanished and was replaced with a concerned look.
"What is it?" She asked. "Is Erik all right?"
"Erik is fine. He's not hurt." Raoul answered. "It's Elizabeth." The Viscount stepped aside to reveal Erik crying and carrying Buffy's lifeless body in his arms. Madame Giry's face paled in shock.
"Oh, good Lord." She breathed. "Bring her inside."
Erik went inside the cottage and followed Madame Giry to a large room at the other side of the house. Once inside the room, he gently laid down Buffy's body on a bed. Then he took a chair, sat down and once again sobbed uncontrollably giving in to his grief. The Slayer's final words rang in his mind like a bell and the love in her eyes as she was dying in his arms burned in his memory.
Erik, I love you.
"She saved me." Erik sobbed. "The foul creature meant to kill me but she stepped into the way and she saved my life. I …" Erik sobbed even harder and his body shook uncontrollably.
"Oh, Erik." Madame Giry said softly and she wrapped her arm around his shaking shoulders knowing that there was nothing she could do to ease Erik's pain and grief. As he was crying and sobbing, Erik started to cry out begging for God to have his beloved Buffy return to him.
"Please come back to me, Elizabeth!" He cried. "I need you, please come back. Please, I'm nothing without you. Come back to me."
Oh, the poor boy. Madame Giry thought as tears welled in her own eyes out of sympathy for the man she saved all those years ago who was now mourning the loss of the woman he loved with every inch of his being.
Meanwhile, the living room of the Giry summer cottage became another place of mourning as Raoul, Christine, Willow and Dawn sat together mourning over the loss of Buffy. Their grief was just as terrible as the Phantom's at that point.
"Elizabeth didn't have to do what she did." Raoul said very softly and with tears in his eyes. "She was a hero and twice the fighter than I would be. I remember when we first met. When she saved me from vampires."
Willow nodded with tears running down her cheeks. "That's Buffy. She always cared for people especially the ones she loved. Like her mother, Dawnie, me, Xander, Giles, Spike, Faith, you, Christine and Erik."
Poor Dawn was crying as she spoke. "Buffy sacrificed herself to save Erik and us." She sobbed. "When she died the second time, it was hard without her even though she made the ultimate sacrifice to save the world and me. It's going to be so hard now without her."
Tears streamed down Christine's cheeks as she went over to where Dawn was sitting and sat down. Then she took her in her arms and held her. As Dawn sobbed in her arms, Christine glanced up at Raoul and Willow. At that point, Willow lost all control and she broke down into sobs. Raoul took her in his arms and held her. As he was holding her, the tears that Raoul had been fighting back ran down his face knowing that there was nothing he could do to ease Willow's pain and grief.
Buffy found herself standing in front of a tree and she looked around bewildered and confused. The last thing she remembered was falling in Erik's arms and her telling him that she loved him …
"Oh, my God! Am I dead?"
"Yes, Slayer. I'm afraid you are this time."
Buffy turned around and saw Imhotep standing before her. He was still dressed in the same clothes that she saw him wearing in their last encounter. Shocked and a little nonplussed, Buffy stared at the former High Priest.
"What are you doing here, Imhotep?" Buffy asked. Then suddenly, it hit her. "The Powers sent you, didn't they?"
Imhotep smiled at her. "You never cease to amaze me, Slayer." He said. "Yes, they did send me with a message. Your time on Earth is not over yet, Slayer. You still have a destiny to fulfill as well as helping two others fulfill theirs."
Buffy was now confused. "Two others? Who?" she asked.
"One of them is your love. The man you saved." Imhotep replied with a serious expression on his face. "And Christine Daae."
"Christine?" Buffy said in a very confused voice. "But I don't understand, Imhotep. I thought you said that …"
"Christine Daae's destiny lies within your own timeline. Not in hers." Imhotep said. "She will have to leave her daughter behind to fulfill that destiny but it will be necessary. There will be a new threat coming to your world. Christine Daae will have a part to play for good in the fight against this threat."
"What kind of threat?" Buffy asked trying to keep her anger in check.
Imhotep glanced at her sadly. "I'm afraid I cannot tell you that but what I can tell you is that if he is not defeated, he will destroy all that you and your friends had worked so hard to build. But you will have allies in this fight." He said.
"And now, my task is complete." The former High Priest said. "I am now free of the curse that was placed upon me. I have been forgiven by the Gods and now the time has come, Slayer."
"For what?" Buffy asked.
"To return to the man you love and your destiny." Imhotep answered. "As a reward for helping you defeat the Alga demon, I have been given a second chance to live in the world as a mortal. As I have told you, Erik needs you. He needs you to be strong in times of crisis, to be able to help him through times of war and to be able to fight. Like Christine Daae, the Phantom will play a large part in the fight against this upcoming threat and he will need you if his destiny is to be fulfilled. You love him, do you not?"
Suddenly thinking of her fiancé, Buffy nodded with tears in her eyes. "I do, Imhotep. I love Erik very much. I don't want to leave him now."
"I will not be able to bring you back here." Imhotep said. "But I will be able to resurrect you once I am on Earth without the Book of the Dead."
"Can you do that?" Buffy asked sounding doubtful.
Imhotep smiled at her gently. "I will be given the power to resurrect a person that I can only use once." He said. "And I believe I know whom I will use my power on. I shall see you soon, Slayer."
Even after Imhotep disappeared, Buffy couldn't do anything but wait. All she could think about was Erik and how she wanted one last chance to tell him how much she loved him and how grateful she was for every moment she was with him.
"Oh, Erik. I love you so much and I miss you so much already." Buffy whispered wishing that Erik could hear her. Suddenly an idea popped in her head like a light bulb and softly she began to sing praying to whoever was listening to let Erik hear her.
Later …
"Elizabeth, I love you. Please come back to me. I need you. Please come back."
Christine felt her heart break all over again as she heard Erik cry over and over again, begging to God to let his beloved Buffy come back to him. It had been three hours since the Slayer's death and the Phantom's grief was still fresh and raw. The young singer felt nothing but grief for Buffy and overwhelming pity for Erik knowing that he had lost the woman he loved more than anything in his life. After she spent a couple of hours comforting Dawn, she decided to check on Erik and offer some comfort.
"Erik." Christine said softly. "I'm so sorry, Angel. I know how you loved her so."
"She was my everything." Erik sobbed softly. "My angel of mercy, my sunshine and my muse. Now, I'm nothing without her. I can't live without her. I can't imagine my life without her. I just want her back with me."
At that point, Erik bowed his head and wept uncontrollably. With tears streaming down her cheeks, Christine wrapped her arm around his shaking shoulders. Then she turned to see Dawn standing in the doorway. Despite the fact that she was still grieving, Dawn pushed her own grief aside and walked over to Erik on his right side. Then she took his hand and held it letting her tears fall down her cheeks. Both teens were so engrossed with Erik that neither of them heard shouts of protests outside the room or the near silent footsteps of someone entering the room. Dawn was the first one to look up and she recoiled in shock when she recognized the person who entered the room.
How could this be possible? How could he be here?
"I-Imhotep?" Dawn squeaked. Christine and Erik both looked up and also recoiled in shock when they saw the sight before them.
The former High Priest smiled at Dawn gently. "Hello, my Princess. We meet again." Then he turned to Erik and Christine and kept the gentle smile on his face.
"Do not be alarmed. I am not here to harm you." Imhotep said softly and gently. "I am simply here to help."
Tears streamed down Erik's cheeks at the former High Priest's words. "You can't help her." He said with a sob. "She's gone." Erik was about to give in to his grief once again when suddenly he heard a voice in his mind. It was soft at first then it grew louder. He sobbed when he realized what it was. It was the sound of a voice singing to him. Buffy's voice.
"Elizabeth." Erik sobbed softly. As he cried softly, he blocked out all distractions and focused on the sound of his beloved's voice as she was singing her song softly. He recognized the song she was singing as a song she sang to him three months ago just days after she first confessed her love for him.
Even as he was hearing his beloved's voice singing to him in his mind, Erik saw the miracle that was about to unfold in front of him. Imhotep stood at the other side of the bed and placed one hand on Buffy's forehead and the other hand on her stomach. Then he closed his eyes and went very still. Suddenly, a bright light swirled around the Slayer's body. Erik closed his eyes as the light blinded him and he continued to cry softly as Buffy's voice started to grow soft.
After a moment, Erik opened his eyes to see that the bright light was starting to weaken but what he saw next brought more tears to his eyes. Buffy's skin, which turned deathly white after her death, returned to its natural color. Her ghastly blue lips returned to its full redness and her chest began to rise and fall in a steady rhythm once again. After a few moments, Buffy's beautiful green eyes flew open. Slowly, she turned to face Erik who was fighting back tears.
"Hey, stranger." She rasped. "Did you miss me?"
As a response to her words, Erik burst into tears and sobbed with fierce joy. Then he threw his arms around her sobbing and covering her face with kisses. Buffy held onto her fiancé tightly never wanting to let go. She then started to finish her song. As she started singing, Erik joined her despite his sobs.
As they finished singing, Buffy and Erik both looked up at Christine who was shocked and overjoyed over what had transpired. Then the couple shifted their focus on Imhotep who was smiling at them. Buffy returned his smile gratefully.
"Thank you." She said softly.
The High Priest smiled at her. "You are most welcome, Slayer." He said.
At that moment, Dawn entered the room and nearly fainted when she saw the sight before her. She had to lean against the wall for support and her eyes filled with tears.
"Buffy!" She screamed and ignoring the pain in her leg, she ran to her sister's side and threw her arms around her and Erik. Raoul and Willow ran inside the room upon hearing Dawn's scream and they recoiled in shock at the sight.
"Oh, my Goddess!" Willow exclaimed upon seeing her best friend alive and well.
"Impossible!" Raoul whispered in awe. Madame Giry appeared at the doorway behind the Viscount and nearly fainted at the sight before her. After a few moments, Buffy, Erik and Dawn pulled away from each other. The Slayer and the Phantom had eyes only for each other as they looked into each other's eyes with such love and longing.
"I thought that I had lost you." Erik said softly.
Buffy smiled at him. "For a moment there, you did." She replied. Then her lips met his in a passionate kiss. Erik ran his fingers through Buffy's hair as he kissed her back. After a moment, they pulled away and faced Imhotep, Christine and Dawn who were watching the entire exchange with smiles on their faces.
"What will you do now, Imhotep?" Buffy asked. "Now that you're mortal."
"I shall experience life and see the world anew." The former High Priest replied. "I have been given a second chance to live a life free of the curse and of the evilness of the sins I committed against the Gods and to keep a promise to an old friend and I intend on living it to the fullest."
"Why don't you come back with us to the twenty-first century?" Dawn piped up. "We could use someone like you to help us fight evil. I mean, it's because of you that Christine is alive and safe."
Imhotep turned to Dawn with a smile. "I know, my Princess. It is time now to stay with you and the ones you love. I shall accompany you, the Slayer, the Phantom and the Wicca back to the twenty-first century."
Then he turned to Christine. "Your time to join them is very near, Christine." he said. "You will know when I return to you."
As he spoke his next words, Imhotep placed his hand on Christine's stomach. "But for the time being, you need to prepare for the arrival of your daughter."
Christine was confused. "My daughter? But I …" Then she realized what the former High Priest was trying to tell her and she stared at him stunned and overjoyed. "I-I'm withchild."
"Christine is pregnant?" Raoul asked with a mixture of shock and disbelief in his voice and on his face.
Imhotep nodded smiling. "She has been for three months now." He replied.
At that point, Christine rushed over to Raoul and they threw their arms around each other and they held onto each other happy that Christine was going to have a baby but at the same time, they were anxious knowing that their daughter's fate was already written in stone. That didn't matter to the young couple now. All that mattered was that they were going to have a family. After a few moments, Raoul and Christine pulled back and glanced back at their friends who were smiling at them.
Imhotep broke the silence as he spoke. "The time has come for the Slayer, the Key, the Wicca and the Phantom to return to the twenty-first century. Raoul, do you still have the Alga demon's stone?"
Nodding, Raoul took out the stone out of his pants pocket and gave it to the former High Priest. Buffy stared at Raoul wide-eyed.
"I thought I lost it when I died." She exclaimed.
Raoul glanced at her. "I took it from you after you died after Dawn and Willow restrained Erik when he tried to stop me."
Buffy nodded and watched as Imhotep gave the stone to Willow. After a few moments, the Wicca chanted some words quietly in a language that no-one could understand. Then a portal opened a few feet away waiting for the Slayer and her companions to enter it to return them to the twenty-first century.
Willow smiled at her, Erik, Dawn and Imhotep. Then she walked toward Christine and Raoul who were now watching with tears in their eyes. Willow took Christine in her arms and hugged her.
"I will miss you so much, Willow." Christine whispered.
"I'll miss you too, Christine." Willow said with tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'll never forget you."
"I'll never forget you." Christine replied. "Please take care."
"I will. I'll see you soon." Willow then walked over to Raoul. "Take care of her, Raoul." She said. "She'll need you now."
Raoul nodded. "I will. Thank you, Willow." He said.
Willow walked over to Madame Giry next and smiled at her. "Thank you for everything, Madame Giry." She said. "I will miss you."
"I will miss you too, my dear." The ballet instructor replied. "Please take care of yourself."
"I will. Goodbye." The Wicca replied. Madame Giry opened her arms for a hug. Gladly, Willow went into them. After a few moments, she pulled away from her. Then Willow walked over to the portal and turned to face her friends with a smile.
"See you guys at the other side." She then stepped into the portal and disappeared. Dawn was next but before she entered the portal, she ran to give Christine a hug to which the young singer returned.
"Please don't forget about us." Dawn said. "Remember our friendship?"
"Of course, Dawn." Christine said. "How can I forget our friendship? Take care of him." She gestured to Erik. "He will need you and Elizabeth now."
"Erik will be well taken care of." Dawn reassured her. "You have my word."
At that, Dawn hugged Christine one last time. "Goodbye, Christine. See you soon." She whispered.
"Goodbye, dear Dawn." Christine said quietly. As she walked to Raoul, Dawn hugged him and then kissed him on the cheek.
"What was that for?" Raoul asked with a small smile.
"For helping us." Dawn replied with a small cheeky grin. "And for your friendship also despite what you did to Christine and Willow and my sisterly love for Erik."
Raoul's smile grew. "I will miss you, Dawn. Please take care of yourself." He said.
Dawn nodded her head and she went to Madame Giry and smiled at her.
"Thank you for saving my life and for taking care of me." She said. "I'll never forget it or you."
"And I will never forget you, Dawn." Madame Giry said softly. "You and your sister are truly a gift from God for Erik. May He bless you and take care of Erik."
"I will." Dawn said. Then she went back to the center of the room and went to Erik and hugged him. He returned it with tears running down his cheeks.
"See you at home, Erik." Dawn whispered and then she entered the portal and disappeared. Buffy stepped in front of Erik and glanced at him seriously.
"Erik, are you sure this is what you want to do?" She asked. "Once you do this, there's no turning back."
Erik nodded his head. "This is what I want, Elizabeth." He said. "I want to be with you forever. I love you. The thought of not seeing you again is too much for me to bear. Where you are is where I want to be."
Buffy could only nod as she acknowledged his decision. Then she went to Christine and Raoul and with a smile on her face, she hugged the young singer tightly.
"I'm going to miss you so much, Christine." She said.
"I will miss you too, Elizabeth." Christine said softly. "You are a good person and a rarity in this world."
Buffy shook her head. "There are others out there like me, Dawn and Willow. You may not see them but they're there. There are also others like Erik out there too. As someone I knew once said, there is more to people than meets the eye. People who may seem mad to you but are actually trapped in the past just like Erik was."
"You will take care of Erik, will you?" Christine asked. Her concern for her former tutor apparent.
Buffy nodded. "I promise, Christine. Erik will be loved where we are going." She said.
Christine hugged the Slayer tightly before pulling back. "Goodbye, dear Elizabeth." She said softly. "Take care of him."
"I will, Christine and thank you. I'll see you soon." Buffy said. Then she went to Raoul and in a serious voice, she spoke.
"Raoul, of everything you've done for us, I ask you for one more thing. Love Christine like Erik once did and don't lose sight of what you love. You have the makings of an excellent Watcher. If you want to join your brother in England and study to become a Watcher then go for it. Don't let duty to your parents get in the way of what you want to do with the rest of your life. Make your own destiny and let Christine make hers. That's all I ask of you."
"I will." Raoul said. "You have my word."
"Thank you and good luck." Buffy said. Then she and Erik walked to where Madame Giry was standing. As she glanced at the couple, she opened her arms for a hug. With tears in his eyes, Erik went into the ballet instructor's open arms and wrapped his arms around her.
"I am going to miss you so much, Erik." Madame Giry whispered.
At that, Erik began to cry softly. "I will miss you too, Marie." He sobbed softly. "You were my only friend and the only one who has shown me compassion and love before Elizabeth, Dawn and Willow came into my life. How will I ..?"
As he cried softly on her shoulder, Madame Giry rubbed his back and stroked his hair. She glanced at Buffy who also had tears in her eyes knowing that the Phantom was giving up everything in his life in the nineteenth century just to be with the Slayer in the twenty-first century even the only person in his life who had shown him an ounce of compassion after she saved him from the gypsies all those years ago. Then after a few moments, she spoke to Erik softly.
"Erik, let me tell you something that my mother told me." The ballet instructor said. "At night when you look up at the sky, look up at the stars. Angels from Heaven look down on us from those stars."
That's the truth! Buffy thought remembering the few times in her life where she looked up at the night sky and looked at the stars. There were times when she felt that her mother and the friends she lost during her years as the Slayer were looking down on her smiling.
"Really?" Erik asked in what Buffy heard in his voice a mixture of disbelief and acceptance.
"Yes." Madame Giry replied. "So whenever you feel alone, just remember that those angels will always be there to guide you. And so will I."
After a few moments, Erik and Madame Giry pulled away from each other and they glanced at each other. Then the ballet instructor did something that she had never done to Erik before. She went on her toes and kissed him on the forehead. Tears streamed down Erik's cheeks as she did.
Sobbing softly, Erik whispered. "Goodbye, Marie. You are always in my heart."
"And you in mine." Madame Giry said softly. "Farewell, Erik."
Crying, Erik turned from Madame Giry to Buffy and she took him into her arms. Once he composed himself enough, he pulled away from Buffy and went over to Christine.
"It is not goodbye for the both of us, Angel." Christine said softly.
Erik nodded. "I know, Christine." He said. "But I will miss you neitherless. I did love you and I still do in a way."
"I loved you too, Erik." Christine replied. "A part of me will always love you. But I know that your heart belongs to someone else. As is mine. Please take care of yourself. I will see you soon."
"You also, my darling Christine." Erik said softly. Shaking slightly, Erik leaned forward and kissed Christine on the forehead. After a moment, he pulled away and glanced at Raoul.
"Take care of her." Erik said to him. "When the time comes, let her go. Do not force her not to go."
"I will." Raoul said. "Good luck, Erik. And thank you."
Erik was shocked and confused. "For what?"
"For proving to me that I was wrong about you." The Viscount replied.
At his reply, Erik smiled at him then he joined his beloved at the center of the room where the portal was. She went to her place in front of Erik, took his hand and together, they walked inside the portal and the last thing Buffy remembered before everything went black was the loving smile on Erik's face and hearing the gentleness in Imhotep's voice as he closed the portal.
Paris, France
June 23, 2003
Buffy regained consciousness almost immediately but she groaned as pain shot up her back. She looked up to see the familiar underground passage but this time, there were no torches and the stone pillars looked very old which meant one thing.
We're home! We're back to our own time! Wait! Where are Dawn, Willow and Erik?
"Dawn? Will? Erik?"
"We're here, Buffy!" Dawn's voice rang out. Buffy turned around to see her sister, best friend and the man she loved standing just a few feet away from her. Buffy gave a cry of delight and ran to Erik throwing her arms around him. He returned the hug lovingly and he kissed her on her forehead savoring the moment.
Dawn joined in the hug by wrapping her arms around his waist. For the second time of his life, Erik felt the happiest that he had ever been. He had been blessed to have met such kind and compassionate people and call them family. He glanced up at Willow who was grinning from ear to ear. He made a gesture with his remaining arm to join in the hug which she did gladly. For the longest time, they held onto each other in a group hug savoring it. After ten minutes, they pulled apart with smiles on their faces. Imhotep, who had arrived a few short seconds before Buffy woke up, watched the entire scene with a smile across his handsome face.
"Let's go home." Willow said and at that the fivesome walked up the steps, through the secret passage and out into the world with the hopes of a brighter future.
That's it for now! The next update will be the final chapter of this story (which will have just one more surprise for both Buffy and Erik and a very happy ending for them as well). Anyway, I'll try and post the final chapter next week. Happy Canada Day to all of my fellow Canadians out there since July 1 is Canada Day and for all you Americans out there, Happy 4th of July!