A/N: I am editing this chapter because I noticed a big 'boo-boo'...lol. Fate links thee to me forever and a day...not fate links me to thee forever and a day. I just realized that mistake now :-O
I wanted to add something that has to do with the Hidden Plot, just for the hell of it.
Requests
December 3rd 1917
Christine was lying in her bed with a picture book next to her. She flipped through the pages and saw a picture she had drawn so many years ago. A tear slid down her face as she watched her anxious husband pace around the house. When she left, which she knew was soon, he would not be able to handle it. He needed something to help him through it.
She glanced back at the drawing.
"Masquerade!
Paper
faces on parade…
Masquerade…
Hide your face so the world
will never find you."
Raoul and Meg walked into the room hand in hand. They sat down by the senile Christine.
"Hi." Meg said with her much older but still very sweet voice.
"Monkey." Christine replied.
"What monkey, hun?" Meg asked.
"She keeps mentioning a monkey every time I visit." Raoul replied.
"Erik…" Christine said. They turned around to see if Erik was behind them but Erik wasn't around.
"No…for Erik." Christine said.
The two of them shrugged their shoulders. "We don't know what you mean." Meg said.
"What about Erik?" Raoul asked.
"Monkey." Christine said.
"Ok hun." Meg said comforting Christine.
"I'm dying." Christine whispered.
"No…don't say that Christine." Raoul said. Erik ran into the room like a nervous wreck when he heard her. Erik ran to her side. Madame Giry walked in soon after.
Christine smiled and looked at Meg. "Meg…I love you. You're one of my best friend's and my sister. I love you."
Meg held Christine's hand and cried. Christine then focused on Raoul.
"Raoul, you were my best friend when I was young. You were even my childhood sweetheart. My first love. You were there for me when I was scared of Erik. But when I realized my true feelings for him…you were still there for me. You were my shelter and my rock for so long. You're on my best friend's and you're like my brother. I love you."
Raoul too cried. Meg held on to him as they cried together. They both said they loved Christine.
"Madame Giry, you're the only mother I've ever known. And just like Meg is my sister…you are my mother. You've taught me so much about life and you've protected me for so long. I love you, Maman."
"I love you too Mon chéri." Madame Giry kissed her on the head.
Christine returned her attention to Erik who was a hysterical mess. "Erik…the love of my life. My teacher, my guardian, my friend, and my love…you have been there for me since my father died and I will always love you for that. The fact that you made me who I am is incredible. You found a star in a lost little girl. You raised me up to the heavens and excelled me to success. You changed for me because you love me. And I love you. With all my heart and all my soul…I love you."
She paused. "I'll be watching over all of you. I love you all."
Christine sighed and stared off in the distance. She smiled and looked at them, "Nadir says hi."
Madame Giry sobbed and Erik whispered, "Please don't leave me."
"Fate links thee to me…" Christine said.
"Forever and a day." Erik finished.
Christine continued to look off into the distance. She cried, "Papa…"
"Say hi to Gustave for me." Erik said.
Christine shook her head and then whispered, "I love you."
Erik replied, "I love you too."
Christine breathed out her last breath and then died. Erik fell to the ground and cried uncontrollably.
"Erik…" Madame Giry called to him. Erik didn't listen.
Erik ran out the door and out of the house.
Three days later was the funeral for The Comtesse Christine De Chagny. Many attended and so did Erik. No one in the family had seen him since that day.
He walked over to her open coffin and cried. He placed a red rose by her heart. He felt so alone and scared, he needed something to comfort him. Something that reminded him of her. He saw the engagement ring on her finger. The first token of her love for him that she gave so many years ago. He slipped the ring off her finger and put it in his left chest pocket by his heart. "I love you, Christine." He said and kissed her on the head. She felt so cold but looked so beautiful and peaceful. Erik cried some more and then ran out of the church.
He would run away…never to be found again by his family. Erik thought of where to go…anywhere away from France. Maybe Spain? He always liked Spain. Then he remembered a place he always wanted to go to…Seville, Spain. That's where La Feria is held.
Erik Destler moved out of France and headed for Spain. He only returned on the anniversary of their marriage. In 1918 Raoul and Meg had visited Christine's grave when they saw the red rose. It had to have been from him. They waited for his return but he never came home.
Madame Giry noticed the drawing by her bed, it was the monkey music box.
"Raoul, did you know Christine had this?" The older woman asked.
He thought about Christine mentioning a monkey. It dawned on him that she must have been talking about the music box. But for what? Why did she want the music box?
'For Erik.' She had said. Maybe she knew Erik wouldn't be consolable without it. Maybe she knew he would run away. The only way to get him back was with the music box. He would have to wait a year for Erik to return to the grave site. There he could leave it for him, and for Christine.
