In my mind, I knew that Raoul was right. So long as the Phantom lived, I would never be free from him and the dangerous hold that I wished he didn't have on me. But in my heart, I also knew there was no way I could go through with it. Phantom though he was, he was still my Angel. But most of all, he was a man.

At first, he had been nothing more than a disembodied voice. A heavenly voice which brought me great comfort and companionship in my darkest and loneliest hours. Then I learned he was also the mysterious spirit which wreaked so much havoc at the Opera. If he had been nothing more than that – if he had remained a voice without a face and a force without a body – I might have been able to let him go and move on from him. But he was a man of flesh and blood with a heart that beat so fiercely and a soul that felt things deeply. He was human – just like me. And, like any human, he was not without flaws.

And nor was I.

I agreed to go through with Raoul's plan, albeit reluctantly, if only to finally be at peace. For once, I allowed myself to put my own wellbeing before anyone else's.

I played my part well. I do not believe anyone suspected the great terror I felt inside. The truth was, I feared for my life. But I kept reassuring myself that the plan would work. There were guards at every door, ready to take action and intervene should He show himself.

The performance carried on just as we rehearsed. That is, up until the point where, whom I at the time thought was Piangi, began to take some liberties with his wandering hands. Piangi always made me feel so safe. Sure, he was Carlotta's most loyal friend and would therefore disagree with my taking her place, but unlike Carlotta, he was never cruel. He was always kind to me and to everyone for that matter. To act the way he did as we sang together on that stage was so out of character for him. I should have known right then and there who was really hiding underneath the black cloak.

For a split second, I dropped the act as I rushed to my feet to get away from that disturbing yet eerily familiar lover's caress. However, I remembered I had a job to do and quickly reclaimed the façade which separated me from my character, thinking no more of what had just occurred between me and my stage partner. It wasn't until I came cheek to cheek with Him that I felt His mask underneath that silky fabric. At this point, I'm sure the audience sensed that there was something wrong, for terror struck me again and this time I tried to run from the stage, but He grabbed hold of my arm, dragging me back to Him.

We kept on singing and now I could hear His voice. He had done a good job at imitating the voice of Piangi, but nonetheless I blamed myself for being deceived in such a way. The voice of my Angel was so unique – so ethereal and hauntingly beautiful – that I should have been able to discern it right away, having heard it so many times before. But once again, I – and everyone else present – had fallen for yet another one of His tricks.

Somehow I managed to break free from His grip, putting a distance between us, but He slowly advanced on me to close that distance. Now was my chance. Just a few steps closer and I could reveal the imposter to the entire audience.

The look on His face when I removed the hood was one of utter shock and betrayal. He had not expected me to do it – had trusted that I wouldn't. Shaking His head, He took a few staggering steps back. He turned to flee and I started to take off in the opposite direction, but neither of us made it very far. Armed guards surrounded the entire stage and I came face to face with the managers who urged me to stay right where I was. I felt like an indefensible prey waiting to be slaughtered; like there was no way I was going to make it out alive.

An eerie silence filled with an unbearable suspense fell over the auditorium. A few of the audience members gasped and began to whisper amongst one another. They had no idea what was going on – whether this was part of the act or not. It was, after all, the premiere of an entirely new and original production. Then I heard His voice again and the silence was broken.

Against my better judgement, I turned around to face Him once more and almost regretted having revealed His true identity. For now I could see the face behind the voice and the human soul which was undeniably entwined with my own. I saw those pleading eyes, asking me to stay with Him.

In that moment, I knew I couldn't go through with the plan. Despite everything He had done – and despite what people may have believed – I did not want Him dead. I simply couldn't watch my Angel get killed. It would have been the death of me. Somehow I had to save Him.

Perhaps I was rash, but desperate times called for desperate measures. I tore the mask – and to my surprise, His wig! – off His face. If I live to be a hundred, I shall never forget the piercing, heart-wrenching sound of His scream. It pained me to hurt Him this way, but I knew it was the only thing that would urge Him to flee – the only thing that could save His life.

And it did.

The sudden outcry of heartbreak, shock and terror from my Angel and audience members alike was enough to distract the guards. Now was the chance to escape.

He took me by the hand, dragging me with Him off the stage. A guard aimed to shoot, but thankfully Raoul was there to stop him. Whatever thoughts were running through my head were drowned out by the chaos that erupted all around us like a volcano. Somewhere I heard Raoul calling my name, followed by a terrible scream that I recognized as Meg's, but I was incapable of processing any of it. It wasn't until later that I learned that Piangi had been murdered, just like Joseph Boquet, at the hands of my fallen Angel.

He led me through a secret passage and down once more we went, plunging into the darkness that was His domain – His realm of forbidden, unearthly music that I had once found so entrancing and enthralling. Now, I only dreaded going back to that place, for fear of never returning to the world above. Never would I see the precious light of day again. This dark and gloomy hole would be the only thing I knew for the rest of my life. Here I would die and here I would be buried, like I had never existed at all. A twisted part of my mind imagined myself floating lifeless in the lake underneath the Opera House like the corpse of Ophelia floated in the river. It was this image that finally made me realize what my future would hold if I did not fight for my freedom.

I did not want to put on that wedding dress. I did not want to be part of His twisted fantasy. But I also did not dare to refuse the command of my Angel. By now, He was more unhinged and more terrifying than I had ever seen Him before. Any hope I had of getting through to Him was nothing more than a drop in the ocean, but I knew it had to be done. Somehow, I had to make Him see that this was madness.

For one brief and hopeful moment, I thought I just might have succeeded in doing just that. And then that moment was undone by another hopeful, yet futile attempt at saving me from my impending fate. Raoul, bless his heart, he only wanted to help. Instead, he only triggered the monster that had taken the place of my Angel even further; so much that it almost killed him. Now I had to fight, not just for my freedom, but for his as well. I was the only one who could save us. All I had to do was make the right choice.

The choice I eventually made was easier than I initially thought it would be, because when I made it, I knew it was the right one. It was the one choice that my Angel had not expected me to make. To be honest, I even surprised myself by the courage I was able to summon to get up from the floor and place my lips on His. I took a deep breath and dived right in, leaving no time for second thoughts.

The kiss was not at all what I had expected. I thought I would be repulsed by it, but that was not the case. The fact that His lips were malformed did not bother me at all, as I had been afraid it would. I felt His whole body tense beneath my touch and I could have sworn He even stopped breathing. When I broke the kiss, I wrapped my arms around Him and held Him close to me, the way I knew He had never been held before. His entire life, all He had known was pain and loneliness. It was time someone showed Him what it was like to be loved and cared for.

At first, He remained paralyzed, but then I heard Him draw a ragged breath – like He just remembered how to breathe – and I felt His heart beat at an alarming pace inside His chest. Then, slowly but surely, He began to return the embrace and I found myself strangely content to feel His arms wrap themselves around me. A trembling hand gently stroked my hair and He leaned into me, inhaling all of me like I was the air he breathed in order to survive. I could picture the smile on His face as He sighed and the sound of it was happiness of the purest kind. To Him, this was a moment of perfect bliss and He seemed content to stay like this for all eternity. As for me – though I wouldn't have minded to linger in those arms a little while longer – there was this feeling that I simply couldn't ignore. Gone was the rage I had felt mere moments ago, replaced by this new, inexplicable feeling. Something was stirring within me – and I was determined to find out what it was.

I followed that feeling and let it take me where I needed to go. It led me back to where my lips had just touched His and the fire inside me was stoked by that touch – by that connection –; making me feel more alive than ever before.

The first kiss had completely incapacitated Him, but He welcomed the second like an old friend. He even had the courage to kiss me back this time and I received Him with an open heart, inviting Him to taste and to touch. It was a sweet and tender kiss – the kind that makes you feel like you're floating on air. I daresay He was as lost in the moment as I was. Raoul was as good as gone. It was only me and my Angel.

But all things must come to an end, no matter how much you wish they wouldn't. All of a sudden He drew back, leaving my lips cold and aching for more of that tender warmth. When He placed His hands on my shoulders to push Himself away from me, I couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. And confused. Wasn't this what He wanted? Was it not as He had expected it to be? No, it wasn't that. I could see it in His eyes. He looked… defeated. Had I succeeded? Had I vanquished the Beast?

He was unable to look me in the eye as He walked past me, as if ashamed. His mind must have been reeling with all kinds of incoherent thoughts – all of them drowned out by His churning emotions. At least that's how it was for me.

At once, we became aware of the fact that we weren't alone. We both looked to see Raoul standing there with the noose around his neck and I wondered what he must have been thinking. Whatever it was, it remained a secret, for he didn't utter a word. None of us did.

What happened next was something I don't think any of us could have foreseen. My heart skipped a beat and a surge of relief washed over me as my Angel cut the cord that was one step away from ending the life of my fiancé. Raoul fell to the floor and I rushed to his side. He was going to be all right.

The Angel then told Raoul to take me with him and leave before the mob that I knew was coming could arrive. The mob that would tear my Angel apart. Knowing this, how could I possibly leave Him to such a fate? He wouldn't even look at me as He once again told us to leave and forget about Him. How could He even ask such a thing? How could He expect me to forget about the extraordinary genius that He was? The man who, when all was said and done, had helped me find my song again.

Raoul was more than eager to get out of that place which, to him, reeked of death and decay like Hades itself. He grabbed a firm hold of my wrist and began tugging at me, but I stood my ground. There was so much I wanted to say. So many things I wanted to ask Him. But when I made no move to leave, He finally turned and looked at me again with a frown which conveyed His inner thoughts to me: Well, go on then. What are you waiting for?

I honestly didn't know what I was waiting for. What reason did I really have to stay? Any sensible person would have fled the first chance they got. My freedom was waiting for me. So why wasn't I running towards it? We both then realized that the only way I was going to run was if I was forced to.

At last, in one final and desperate attempt to make us leave, the Angel managed to drive us out with a cry of rage and despair. Raoul did not waste a moment and this time I followed him without question. We ran for the boat which would take us across the river Styx and back to the world above. But just as I was about to step onto our small vessel of escape, I froze. Something was holding me back.

Raoul looked at me and wondered what the matter was. I wasn't sure what to tell him. I didn't know if it was possible to put into words all that I was thinking and feeling in that moment. I looked down and realized I was still wearing the ring He had given me. So I told Raoul I had to give it back to Him. I could tell he wasn't fond of the idea, but I wasn't asking for permission. I promised I wouldn't be long and Raoul was forced to anxiously wait for my return.

I found Him kneeling on the floor by that curious music box of His. He was singing along to the melody it played and I could hear the tears in His now fragile voice. It occurred to me then that He was unaware of my presence and that the person I saw before me was the real man behind the mask. The ruse of the Angel and the Ghost was gone. All that remained was this broken, lonely man who – in this moment – more resembled a child asking nothing more than to be loved and accepted.

At first I lingered in the shadows, trying to keep myself from weeping, before gradually making my way towards him. Sensing He wasn't alone, He shot up from the ground and spun around to face me. For the briefest of moments, I saw a spark of hope in those beautiful eyes and the hint of a smile on that tear-stained face. The fact that half of it was deformed all but escaped my notice. That superficial detail did not matter to me anymore. Not when I could see the person He was underneath.

However, His hopes were instantly crushed when I presented Him with the ring which He'd earlier bestowed to me. It was then that I realized my great mistake. By choosing to come back, I was giving Him false hope, and that hurt us both infinitely worse than if I'd just left and never looked back. As soon as He understood I was only there to return the ring, I watched the perfectly polished marble of His dreams crumble into dust. The dreams He must have worked so hard to build over so many years were at last demolished by this one single gesture.

I held out the ring, begging Him to take it so that I could leave once and for all and ignore the pain He inflicted upon me with those sad, sad eyes. His hand closed around mine and I thought He would take that small yet heavy burden from me when He said those words that I couldn't bear to hear: Christine, I love you.

Had I been heartless – had I not cared for Him – those words wouldn't have affected me the way they did. But the truth was that I did care for Him and that was why it was so hard to leave. I wished it didn't have to end this way; that somehow we could be together. But the world would not allow it. He belonged in the darkness and I belonged in the light – and therefore it was not meant to be.

A whole river of tears had been building up behind my eyes and now there was nothing I could do to stop them from pouring down my face. I could no longer be responsible for my own emotions; they were far beyond the power of my control. Still I fought to complete my task and I urged Him to take the ring, placing it in the palm of His hand and closing His fingers around it. He made no protest, but seemed to accept it, although His sigh of resignation did not escape my notice. I held His hands and raised them to my lips as a final token of gratitude. He may not have believed it, but I was thankful that He existed. I don't know what would have become of me if it wasn't for Him.

I looked up into His face and the instant our eyes locked, I knew that the ring had only been an excuse for me to go back and do what I truly wanted. Closing my eyes, I leaned in to share one last kiss. It was brief, but sweet, and I made sure to let Him know it wasn't out of pity.

I tasted the salt of our tears long after our lips had separated.

When I turned to leave for what would be the last time, He made no attempt to stop me. Before it was too late, I looked back over my shoulder to get one final glance at Him. Neither of us spoke, but He gave me the slightest nod, telling me that it was all right. In return I gave Him a regretful smile, knowing that once I crossed that threshold… I would never sing again.

Author's note: Hello fellow readers! It's been a while since I posted a story here. (Life has been keeping me busy.) I assure you I am still writing whenever I have the time (the problem is that I'm working on several fics - as well as an original novel - simultaneously, which really isn't the best way to get something finished). But I suddenly found inspiration to write this one-shot which I think could also work as the beginning to a Phantom sequel that I would really love to write! So therefore I'm posting this as a seperate fic for you guys to enjoy until I actually decide to write that sequel. This is my take on Christine's thoughts and feelings during the last moments of the musical and I drew inspiration from a few different performances for this. It's a mix of Sierra Boggess and Ramin Karimloo, Kelly Mathieson and Josh Piterman, Elena Bahtiyarova and Andrey Schkoldychenko as well as Maike Switzer and Thomas Schulze (when Christine returns the ring, Switzer decides to give her Phantom one final kiss on the mouth before she leaves, which I thought was very sweet). My personal interpretation is that when Christine leaves the Phantom, she loses her passion for life and singing like she did when she lost her father. She leaves a part of her with the Phantom and therefore she can never give all of herself to Raoul, so I do not believe their marriage would be as happy as they both might have thought. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this and hopefully it won't be too long until I return with a new story :)

Sincerely,

- QuinnOfConeyIsland