Wow, it has been a while hasn't it! By special request I am going to try my hardest to continue this fic. If anyone has any questions on what any French phrases that I use mean, don't hesitate to ask. I hope that you will enjoy! This is quite different from my other story on here, "Pure".

Slowly, but with her usual air of confidence, Christine walked slowly to Erik's side. Looking deeply into his saddened, cold eyes Christine put her hands around the back of his neck and pressed her lips to his. For a moment it was as if the world stopped. For that one moment, Erik knew happiness and Christine felt relief. Pulling away she looked back into his eyes only to find them shining. A faint smile graced his lips and Christine knew that her sacrifice would be worth it. Seeing the longing in his eyes, Christine leaned in and kissed him again this time parting her lips slightly.

"Christine…why," Raoul whispered in agony. As much as he wanted to live, he would have given anything to see Christine set free. Now she'd be stuck with this monster, this phantom, for the rest of her life. What upset him most was the fact that there was nothing he could do about it.

Still clinging to Christine, Erik's eyes began to fill with tears at the sound of Raoul's voice. Raoul, the man he would always wish to be. From his muscular body to his handsome face Erik envied every fiber of him. All that he could ever be was a corpse, death's head. Christine would never love him, and Raoul could love her better than he could ever wish to.

"Go," he whispered, breaking the kiss. "Go now and never come back." He sobbed and trudged, defeated, back to his home. "Now I know what it is to be loved. Leave me Christine!"

She was shocked. She wondered, had he really just spoken those words. Her mouth hanging slightly open and her lips trembling Christine stepped toward him slowly.

"Erik?" she questioned.

He screamed at her, "Go!"

Turning away quickly, she ran to Raoul's side and pulled the rope from his neck. He threw his arms around her and she leaned into him only a moment before urging him up. Glancing back to Erik, Christine saw that he had disappeared but she could still hear his wailing.

A small gondola sat on the shore of Erik's lake and Raoul motioned for Christine to go to it but instead she went over to Nadir's side.

"Daroga," she whispered, "wake up, please." It was only a moment before his pale blue eyes fluttered open and he realized what had happened.

"Christine," he said, looking around, "where is he?" He feared for his tormented friend.

In her ignorance of Erik's whereabouts she simply sighed and whispered, "we must go." Helping the Persian to his feet she pointed towards Raoul and they began walking, with Nadir leaning on her for support.

They walked slowly and with each passing second it occurred to Christine that she might never see her beloved angel again. She tried to decide whether that delighted or depressed her and she came to no definite conclusion. He'd kidnapped her, threatened her fiancé, but above all he'd loved her unconditionally. How could she resent him for that?

When the two reached Raoul, the Vicomte extended his hand and helped Nadir into the gondola before Christine. When she grabbed his hand a sense of misery surged through her body as she realized his might be the last hand she'd ever hold. However she rested her head on his shoulder as he began to push the boat through the water. Silence overcame the underground labyrinth and no one but Christine could hear the faint sound of singing. On impulse she turned her head to look behind and saw Erik standing on the shore with his head buried in his hands.

"Raoul," she whispered, "Raoul go back."

"What," he said, confused.

"Raoul, look, he's there. I must say my good-bye to him, I simply must!" She pleaded with him and tugged on his arm.

The young Vicomte craned his neck towards the shore, and saw no one. "Christine, what are you saying? There is no one there."

"Raoul yes, yes there is. Erik is standing there he is calling to me. Can you not hear? Can you not see?"

He was now becoming slightly irritated. "Christine you know that my senses are in tact. Of whom do you refer? There is no one standing on the shore."

"Please Raoul, I can see him. Please do this for me. Take me back."

Looking into her deep, brown, longing eyes he couldn't deny any wish she could make. Shaking his head, he turned the vessel around and rowed steadily back to the shore.

When they were within feet, Christine raised her skirts and jumped into the murky water. Nadir held his breath as he watched the beautiful young woman splash through the lake. Silently he said a prayer for her.

"Erik?" Christine called out. She searched for Erik with her eyes and her ears but she could no longer hear his voice nor see his masked face. "Mon ange!" she cried

"Christine," Raoul called to her. "Forget this, let us go. We can finally escape him now." The ensuing silence was interrupted suddenly and violently by the most beautifully hateful organ music any of the three had ever heard.

She felt as if the tempo of his music was aligned with the beating of her struggling heart. She turned to face her lover and searched for the caring in his eyes that she was so used to finding in the eyes of her angel. Not seeing it, she slowly rose to her feet and turned to face Erik's reticent home.

Step-by-step she envisioned the face behind the mask; the hate behind the fingers playing the music that overpowered all other sounds in this world beneath the opera. She imagined what she could say to him as she approached the door that had been shut sometime during the preceding chaos. Her frail hand reached for the brass doorknob and at the same moment she grasped the handle the music stopped.

If you read my story, even just this once, please have the courtesy of reviewing, whether you liked it or not. Constructive criticism is always encouraged, however do NOT leave a review telling me how much you hate my story and what an awful author I am. If you don't like it that's fine. Tell me what I can do to make it more enjoyable for you. Thanks for reading! Caitlyn