A/N: It's been a while since I've done any Phantom fics, but I am coming back to fanfiction roots! The first couple of chapters are basically intros and songfics. From then on we'll have normal, regular, lovely chapters with a bit of songs thrown in here and there. I'm also writing a Heroes fic at the moments, so I might put off one or the other occasionally. I hope to have regular updates, but that's never happened before so who knows.
Disclaimer: Does it look like I own millions of dollars due to owning She Ran Away by Barlowgirl and the wonders of POTO owned by Leroux, Kay, and ALW? I thought not.
Setting: Modern day New York, baby! Which, coincidently, is the home of Broadway. And we all know what POTO is.
Pairings: I am always, now and forever, an E/C shipper. It's classic, it's what should've been, it's fantastic, and if you don't like it, if you're an R/C or E/R (meep) shipper, than you can leave.
Songs: Cut version of She Ran Away, Barlowgirl, to fit the story.
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It was raining.

For many of the New Yorkers bustling about, trying to hug the grimy walls of grimy buildings, this is a bad thing. It makes them sopping wet for whatever they have to get to in the next fifteen minutes while whatever they have to get to is thirty minutes away. It's the circle of Manhattan life. And it certainly does move us all, just not through despair and hope or faith and love.

More often than not it moved the many people through the motions, a dreary life with no meaning. But it was okay, they would say, they were doing good and life was…kind to them. But occasionally those people would wish for more, and none wished for more than on a rainy day in one of the worse off streets of New York that one had to cross to get to ones job.

But rain was good for Christine Maggum, despite the constant urge in her head telling her she had to get home. The rain pelted at her head and back as she set down her briefcase, making her blink to rid her eyes of water. She peered upwards, squinting between the raindrops, and slowly let her arms extend.

So many New Yorkers had learned to put up a mask, a painted mask to show a mood, expectation, or simply help them through their daily 'going through the motions'. The masks hides, but Christine could see how it hurts as well.

She couldn't take one more day
Home was more her prison now
Independence called out
She had to get it

Christine heaved a sigh, the rain was a refreshing reminder that one could change. It easily washed away the paint, revealed the creased lines of worry and pain, the bruises and scars that left one so battered they could hardly move. It showed the imperfections of life, and no one could tell if she had let out a tear or two in the rain.

Her eyes fluttered closed as the rain darkened golden curls, slowly turning about in the rain. If you had asked anyone on the streets who walked around her easily, they probably would have stated they hadn't noticed she was there or thought her crazy. No one really believed in starting over, not in New York. You came there to start over, but you couldn't start over if you were actually in New York. It was bad for tourist attraction.

She shivered, biting her lips. When had the rain begun to sting?

A fight was all she needed
To give her reason
She slammed the door with no goodbye
And knew that it was time

She paused, finally grasping the fact that she probably looked ridiculous, was soaked to the skin, and had been twirling in the rain for quite a while. Another sigh escaped her lips and she brought her head back down and gazed down the road. Home waited for her in that direction. Yet something during that dance in the rain made her want to turn away.

It wasn't that home was bad. Her husband was caring; she had a comfortable life, a good job… Life was good, if not boring. But she didn't want to go. She had begun to loathe the idea of going through the motions in a matter of seconds.

But she didn't have the courage…did she?

Now she's driving too fast
She didn't care to glance behind
And through her tears she laughed
It's time to kiss the past goodbye

The feel of someone bumping into her, making her stumble and press her back into the wall of a building, startled her from her thoughts. Her breath was coming in sharp pants as she slid to the wet ground, thoroughly ruining her charcoal grey business suit.

She had a chance. Right now. All she had to do was turn around, run down to the bus stop, get a hotel somewhere. She had enough money on her to last a while, what with her getting her recent paycheck. She blinked a few times, a shaky smile filling her face. It seemed so easy…just running away and never coming back. Didn't matter where she went, she would be free!

…Freedom…it sounded good. People fought for freedom everyday…why shouldn't she take advantage of it? Didn't matter what she would do, where she would go…if she didn't do it now she probably never would.

Her husband would worry, she was sure, but that didn't matter right now. She'd deal with that later. Now? She had to go. Her limbs trembled as she stood.

I'm finally on my own
Don't try to tell me no
There's so much more for me
Just watch what I will be

She picked up her briefcase, thankful for her sense to always pack a fresh blouse and skirt, and turned away from the sidewalk, crossing the street. The bus stop was a couple blocks away, beckoning to her, and a large smile had split itself upon her face.

Nothing was holding her back now. There was nothing that called to her and spoke of work and family and general life or, if there was, she had done well to squash the noise and continue on her way. She couldn't say what compelled her to move, just that it did.

Freedom was calling, and she simply knew she had to follow it, wherever that may lead. Gone were the days of going through the motions. She would finally learn how to live. How to truly live.

She walked away
Couldn't say why she was leaving
She walked away
She left all she had believed in
She walked away

It was now or never, she realized. The bus stop was a few feet away, and she had one more chance to ignore the calling. She furrowed her brow and tilted her head, gazing at the world around her.

The world…it called her Mrs. Maggum, all the time with no exceptions.

In her mind and in her soul, she was simply Christine.

She blinked as the bus pulled up, biting her lip once more.

The choice is yours alone now
Tell me how this story ends