Finally- inevitably! We come to the end of the journey. I am sad to see the end of "All Through the Night", but happy that I could bring it to a satisfactory close. As to whether or not it has a happy ending or my lovers remain star-crossed, you will have to read on to see. Thanks so much to all those who reviewed and set this story as a favorite. My Erik in this is mostly Webber's stage Phantom, with a couple of traits from the 1925 and 2004 films. And now, the finale:

K.S.

Parting Will Not Last Forever

Erik:

And so I fled, like a wounded animal, back to my den, my lair upon the underground lake. She was crying, pleading with me to let her go, but I was so angry! So hurt and angry and uncomprehending… but I could not harm her.

I couldn't tear my gaze from her as she came from the bedroom wearing the wedding dress. She is so beautiful! But her eyes were cold and there was no smile on her sweet face, only fear.

"Are you going to rape me?" The words were blunt and she looked me straight in the eye.

"No! No… I would never… I've never… Christine, I love you! I wouldn't hurt you- I can't... I'm not a monster… I'm not!" I reached a hand out to touch her hair- and she flinched away… I love her more than anything and she cannot bear to have me near her. My heart can't take much more. I turned from her to look at the mannequin- That Christine always smiled at me- she never turned away in horror. I took the veil from the artificial curls, and touched it to my face a moment before I set it down on the crown of her head, running a hand over her illusion-clad hair. She drew away and I could have cried at the disgust that was written plainly on her face.

"Perhaps you would have preferred it if I'd let them shoot me! What would you have done, Christine, if those gendarmes your Vicomte had stationed all about the theatre had taken aim and fired? As my blood spread over the stage, would you have run? Of course you would have. It would be too much to hope that I could die in your arms. No one has ever… touched me without intending to cause me hurt. And you're no different. You'll never love me, will you? All I ever wanted was to be loved for myself… and I love you so! But it's not enough. It's never enough."

The words were torn out of me- great chunks of my heart bloodied by every flinch and expression of disgust. Everything has gone wrong! And here I am, devoid of every trapping of humanity- the monster she fears, the monster everyone wants dead. Even I want me dead, if she cannot love me. I know she cannot… I tried so hard, to be good, to be worthy of loving her. But she played her part- she betrayed my trust as much; if not more so, than I had betrayed hers'. They planned to kill me, and she had participated- she took to the stage, setting me up to be trapped!

I couldn't hide the blank misery in my voice when I said, "I always knew that I was not worthy of your love, Christine. What never crossed my mind was that you might be unworthy of mine."

Her expression changed- she looked as if I had slapped her. She reached out, as if to take my hand, but dropped it suddenly as we heard the shout from the other side of the gate. It was her candy-faced Vicomte.

"Oh dear, oh dear. Your hero has come to rescue you. Whatever shall I do? Dare you walk into my parlor, Monsieur?" I snapped my fingers and the portcullis began to rise.

"Raoul," she breathed the name as if it was a prayer, and she rushed into his arms. I hunched over a moment, breathless with the pain that tender embrace caused. I should have let him kill me... Isn't this the culmination of my nightmare: Christine dressed as a bride, leaning into his embrace? His face in her hair, his arms about her waist.

"Monsieur, welcome to my little party. I'm afraid you are not dressed appropriately, however. This is, after all, a formal occasion, which requires you to at least wear a necktie!" So saying, I looped the Punjab lasso over the boy's head, and with a flick of my wrist, suspended it high above his head.

"No! No, please, let him go- oh God, you are a monster!" She ripped the veil from her head, and stamped on it; as furious as she was terrified.

"Monster? Monster? Monster I may be, Christine, but I am no fool. I am human, like other men. Why must I be denied all happiness simply because... because of this?" I gestured to my face. "Why can't I have a sweetheart- a wife- a lover? Why must I live out my life abandoned, alone, unwanted? My nightmares have always been real, Christine... until you. And now I'm living my worst nightmare of all." I took the veil that she had flung to the floor and held it a moment, cradled it in my arms as if it were a living thing. That was what she thought of me- everything that I had given her, thrown back at me, crumpled and damaged. "But I will give you a choice, Christine. Our fate- all of ours, is in your hands…"

"What do you mean?" She was trying desperately not to cry, her eyes were glossy with tears that hadn't quite spilled over; fallen to her knees, the white gown spread about her like some exotic flower.

"This is true point of no return, Christine. You must finally make a choice. If you choose to stay and marry me; I will return him to the surface, unharmed. If you wish to leave, I will take you home, then return and put both your sweetheart and myself out of our misery. I can't-" I couldn't finish… I had no idea what she would do.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked, inching towards me, still kneeling. I spun away from her. I don't want gentleness, I don't want pity! If I can't have her love, I'll content myself with her hate… but I cannot abide those blue eyes looking at me as if I were lost dog, starving for attention.

"You must choose!" I snapped it out, trying desperately not to cry myself. What is the point? This will end badly, no matter what happens!

"What happened to you?" Christine had picked herself up off the floor, and was taking tiny, hesitant steps toward me. "What did you endure to make you think this was the only way?"

"The only way? Christine, all I had to do was look into a mirror. Or into your eyes."

"You haven't looked into my eyes, not really. If you had…" She broke off on a sob.

"Christine- don't do it! My life isn't worth such a sacrifice!" The boy cried out, gagging at the end.

I closed my eyes. Then I heard her voice. She was humming as she stepped closer to me. The tune finally brought the tears out. As she touched my face, she sang, so quietly that surely I was the only one who could hear.
"Love to thee my thoughts are turning

All through the night

All for thee, my heart is… yearning"

She spoke the last word on a whisper as she touched her lips to mine. I froze, completely and utterly shocked. Of all the outcomes I had envisioned, this hadn't even floated in the back of my mind. Her hands were on my face, touching everything; I could feel her tears dripping from her cheeks on my skin. And still she kissed me! And when she pulled back, she sucked in a gaspy breath and set her head on my shoulder. I was trembling like a frightened child; I didn't know what to do… And then she guided my lips back to hers, deeper this time, sweeter, fuller. I…I didn't know where to put my hands; they raced across her back, tangled in her hair, and finally, too weak and dizzy to hold on anymore, they fell to my side.

When she stepped back, the tears were drying on her face, and she smiled at me. She smiled. I touched just the tips of my fingers to my lips… I could hardly believe what she had done. And I couldn't kill her sweetheart; not now. The veil of madness had lifted. This had to have a properly operatic ending, after all. I cut the boy loose. And then I heard them, distant, echoing, but there nonetheless. They were coming… coming for me. And they would cut down anyone they saw as a threat. I couldn't let that happen. Not to her. It didn't matter what happened to me, not now.

"You'll have to take the boat if you hope to avoid them. They're out for blood, this time… Go! Get out of here! Keep her safe, or damn you, I will…" My voice broke. They fled. She didn't even look back. That kiss was her goodbye.

I stumbled over to the music box… let it play as I mouthed the words… "Hide your face so the world will never find you…" My life, my whole life summed up in a jingling little refrain. And then I felt it. They were here. They had come for me… the most I could do was face death with dignity. I would die like a man, not a freak or a monster.

I turned, and there she was. She held the ring out. The ring I gave her, she had worn it while she kissed me, for the first and last time. She still held it out. I nodded and our hands touched, the ring slipping into my palm as I grasped her wrist, suddenly, desperately.

"Christine- I… I love you." She looked into my eyes as I told her; and with a terrible sob, she pulled free of my hand and hurried away. I slipped her ring onto my little finger- I couldn't lose it, not now. My stumbling feet found the veil that she had thrown down in her temper… I fell to my knees and began crying, great gasping sobs of "I love you!" Over and over again, like a broken toy- doomed to repeat one phrase for the rest of my life. She was gone, and was never ever coming back. I had gambled all and lost… but I couldn't hate her for it. Christine Daaé had given me the one bright moment in my life: the moment when I was loved, and she was mine.

I didn't even know someone was there till I felt the hand on my shoulder...

Christine:

He stumbled off. Surely, the Phantom of the Opera ought not stumble! He stalked, as sure-footed and graceful as the ghost everyone thought him to be. Even without the mask, he moved like one of those big cats at the zoological gardens. Till now.

It clicked. I realized that he stumbled. All that power, even his natural grace and angelic voice, had deserted him. And as I watched, he sobbed into the torn wedding veil that I had cast away. Much like him. It was not the cruelty which undid him, but my one act of kindness- which was perhaps the worst cruelty I could have shown him.

He should not stumble! He should not weep so. My wrist ached where he had caught it, uttering that last pathetic plea. His eyes as he had told me that he loved me, so full of pain and desperate hope that I could not bear it. I had pulled away and left him to kneel on the cold stone of the floor, shuddering at that final rejection. I still heard echoing cries of "I love you!"- Like the screams of angels reproaching me for my cruelty.

"Turn the boat around." The words were out of my mouth before I realized that I had said them.

"Christine?" Raoul asked, puzzled.

"I'm sorry, Raoul, so sorry. I convinced myself that I could go with you, and live happily ever after. But I can't. He needs me, just as I needed him for so long. I can't abandon him now, after he made this last sacrifice- letting me go. I can't do that to him." And in my voice there was steel that had never been there before! Raoul could not argue with that tone. He turned the boat and when we reached the raised portcullis, I sprang out of the gondola and waded towards the shore.

On the steps, I paused, trying to find words. "You'd best go, Raoul. Please. I-I really am very sorry." That cool, even tone, so at odds with only a few hours before, sent him on his way. I watched him go with guilt, but no regret. Then, gathering what little courage I had, I went in search of the Phantom.

He was where I had left him, still weeping. He held the wedding veil in his hands, holding it up to his one unblemished cheek. So wrapped up was he in his grief, he did not hear me approach. He jumped when I lay a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me, his eyes widening in disbelief. Oh, those green eyes! I could feel the tears gathering in my own blue ones. I knelt down before him, taking his cold, shaking hands in my own. And I sang it for him. That last verse… the one that touched my heart all those years ago.

"Love to thee my thoughts are turning,

All through the night.

All for thee my heart is yearning

All through the night!

Though sad fate our lives may sever,

Parting will not last forever!

There's a hope that leaves me never,

All through the night."

It had been there, all along; the courage I had always thought myself lacking. It just needed the right words to set it free. We fell into each other's arms then, his face frantically kissing my disordered hair, his hands clutching at me as if afraid to let me go. My head was nestled against where his neck met his shoulder, and I breathed in his scent; my arms around him, hands splayed across his back.

"You were right. I never was worthy of your love. But let me try. Please, my Angel- let me try." I was crying into the lapel of his jacket.

He pulled away at that, smiling sadly, "There is no Angel… there is no Phantom- there is only Erik." He toyed with a lock of my hair. I framed his poor abused face with both my hands.

"Erik," I said the name softly, letting it roll in my mouth. He kissed my forehead, and left me a moment. Suddenly, the portcullis descended, and then a terrible grinding sound followed. And then the light from the torches of the mob were gone, and there was only the candle-light of his home.

"It won't hold them for long, but for long enough." He said, smoothing a wig back over his head, and fixing the mask back in place. "We don't have much time." He went into the room with the swan-shaped bed; returned with his cloak, hat and a cloak for me. "Come, there are other ways out of the Opera. Will you go with me?" He held his hand out.
"Where-ever you lead, I will follow." I answered. He swept himself up close to me, then, tilting my head at the angle he wanted.

"I have dreamed all my life of this." The Phantom- Erik- murmured. And for the first time, he kissed me.

C'est fini. That's it, folks… I've finally finished it! I hope that it was all that those of you who have reviewed and favorited this story hoped for… because this last chapter has drained me emotionally… and I've had to watch various incarnations of the Phantom over and over and over again to get it right. There may be an epilogue; just a quick denouement, I haven't decided yet.

But since this tangled tale has ended, please, please, please review! And read my newest story, "On a North Bound Train" (and review it too! It doesn't have any yet, poor baby!).

Warmest regards lots of love, and thanks for all the support from my fellow writers and phans!

K.S.