"Are you...married to the Phantom?"

Tori paled, if that was even possible. How did he know? More importantly, what would he do if she answered him truthfully? Would he call in soldiers to hunt down Erik, convinced that he was threatening her safety? That she was being forced to create a relationship with the ghost? She swallowed, her heart in her throat now, and lied.

"No...what makes you ask?"

Raoul gazed her straight in the eye, reading the fear written on her face all too easily. "You lie, Tori."

"I-I...I'm not lying!" she protested weakly, hands clenching and unclenching at her sides.

He put a protective hand on her shoulder, patting it comfortingly. The gesture, however, made Tori jump a little, and she shyed from his touch. His brows were furrowed in genuine curiosity, wanting to know just what was making Tori so nervous all of a sudden. "Please, Tori. You're frightened. Tell me the truth."

"But I did!"

He glanced at her sideways, the kindness fading, replaced by a stern stare, like a teacher reprimanding an imcompetent student. Tori could find no easy way out of this conversation, as far as she could tell, and she had no choice. With one last glance up into the rafters, she bent low, face close to Raoul's, and told him the truth.

"Yes, I am," she hissed. "Does that please you?"

To her surprise, Raoul did not react violently. He straightened and closed his eyes, sighing. "I suspected as much. Tell me, though, are you truly happy with him?"

Now Tori sighed, throwing her hands up into the air. She didn't care who was watching now, only that she would be able to get out of this mess alive and intact. Sensing the growing tension, more and more actors and actresses had turned their heads their way. "Yes, of course! I wouldn't have married him if I wasn't truly happy!"

Raoul's blue eyes snapped open to stare at her again, this time his stare full of pity. "...you seemed hesitant to tell me before...are you lying again!"

Tori's blood was simmering now, and she shot a glare at him. She didn't mean to be hostile towards him, but he wasn't getting the general idea; she had to force it onto him. "I beg of you, sir, I'm telling the truth!"

He stared at her for a while longer before finally turning and walking towards the managers, who gazed on open-mouthed at Tori's sudden temper flare. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, eyes darting around as she took in the scene that was before her. Many ballet rats were smirking at her, guessing what her answer to Raoul had been, while some stared sympathetically at her.

Quietly Meg approached her and touched her arm. Tori stared over at her, as if to say, What is it now?

"Tori, are you feeling quite alright?"

Tori withdrew her arm and used the hand attached to it to cover her eyes. "Y-yes. I'm simply a little shaken, is all."

Meg nodded comfortingly and waved Madame Giry over. They led her off the stage, leaving the rest of the actors to gossip amongst themselves.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" Firmin called over the crowd. "Let's rehearse that scene one more time!"

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After a few weeks, it was as if Tori and Erik had never gotten married and moved away at all. They went about their usual business amongst the Opera, Erik starting to go back to his ways of extracting money from the managers and frightening the cast and crew. (Much to all their disappointment.) Tori moved back to the ballet dorms, sleeping over in Erik's home only occasionally. Operas and rehearsals and mealtimes and evenings, they all passed, the days melting into months, then years...

Eventually Tori and Erik did move back to their original home, only if to give their oncoming family a better home than a damp cellar under the very surface of the Earth. The children grew up fast, went to school, graduated, moved away, some creating children of their own. Time passed so quickly that the couple could barely blink, so not to miss what was happening before them.

They told their children and grandchildren time and time again of what had happened to make them meet, and time and time again they were all fascinated by it. Tori always laughs when she tells it, while Erik almost moves himself to tears over his luckiness.

End.

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Yes, I know. It's uber short because the idea got very stale, very quickly, and the plot wasn't going anywhere, so I ended the fic fast because it was just hanging on the edge of my mind all the time. Thanks to the people who did read this, and yes, this is the end of the story, period. Here's a potato for staying faithful.