In-Joke: English being Erik's first language is a bit of artistic license on my part. Since Gerard Butler is from Scotland and, in the movie when the Phantom speaks, you can still hear a bit of the accent. I figure Erik's smart enough to learn French by ear or something.
Chapter Nine: Target Acquired
Bundled up against the cold, Lisa led her companion through the cemetery. It was 1919, early January, Paris, France. She wasn't one to use the Alnilam Time Gates for herself, as she had a time travel power of her own, but he'd wanted a chance to say goodbye.
Erik, formerly known as the Phantom of the Opera, was huddled against her, fighting the biting wind. In his hand he held a rose tied with ribbon and a ring. They were to be parting gifts to the woman he'd loved, Christine Daaé.
He'd been living with Lisa on Alnilam, where he'd found her years before after escaping the lynch mob that had penetrated his lair beneath the Opera House.
When he'd learned that Christine and passed away in 1917, he wanted to at least say goodbye to her. So, Lisa found a Time Gate that would take them to France, granted, in 1919. Finding the headstone wasn't hard. As Christine had become the Countess de Chagny, her obituary was in the newspapers.
Erik stood with his head bowed near the grave, Lisa beside him holding his hand and comforting him as he silently cried.
Gently, he kissed the petals of the rose and laid it down on the headstone.
"Adieu, Christine," he said softly. "I love you."
He was speaking French, but, as Lisa found out years before, English had been his first language. He had been born in Scotland and eventually ended up in the traveling fair Madame Giry had rescued him from when he was nine. At least they were linked now, otherwise Lisa wouldn't have been able to understand him when he spoke French.
After a long moment, Erik was finally ready to leave. Dried tear tracks stained his cheeks and he was taking shuddering breaths. While he did live Lisa and had since he first met her, his feelings for Christine had never waned. Lisa understood and she let him have his moment. After all, she couldn't be jealous of a dead person. Well, she could, but it would be pointless.
Lisa and Erik walked arm-in-arm through the cemetery to the exit in silence until he looked up and frowned, stopping in his tracks and causing her to run into him.
"What's up?" she asked and followed his eye line.
She gasped at what she saw, for it was impossible. That translucent cone-shaped distortion should not be here. It shouldn't even exist. That technology was gone and had been for centuries.
"No…" she breathed. "Erik, run!"
Her panic caused him to not ask questions and they took off down the road of the cemetery.
She looked behind her at the pursuing distortion. "No, no, no!" she wailed. There was no hope of outrunning it. She couldn't shape shift and run at the same time and she refused to leave Erik.
Before they knew it, it had overtaken them and scooped them inside. Lisa's last thoughts were of the Doctor.
End chapter nine.