A/N: I'M SOOOOO SSSSOOOORRRRYYYY!

I know, I've taken a year and a half to update, but that's writer's block for you.

A BIG TREMENDOUS COLOSSAL THANK YOU to EaselyGirl for helping my with the storyline! The rest of the story would not have happened without you!

Enough talk, on with the chapter! : )

Erik's POV:

I had given up all hope of finding my Christine. My beautiful, wonderful, amazing Christine. She was far from my grasp, and I could not find her. I'd searched everywhere, asked the Giry's, looked up possible relatives in Paris, even checked the cemetery, if she'd decided to visit her father's grave. And all for nothing.

I retreated back to the opera, following the familiar path to my dungeon, despair in my every step. I'd let false hope lead me to believe that I could reclaim my lost love, let lies cloud the truth that she'd never return to a monster like me. Every effort to find her had been for nothing, all a waste.

When I reached the underground lake, surprise and false hope filled me, for the gondola wasn't there.

Antoinette probably came to check on you, and she's probably still there, I told myself. I couldn't get my hopes up again. I simply couldn't.

I skimmed the sides of the lake, walking on the edges, stopping suddenly and fearfully when I heard sobbing. Whimpering.

I walked faster, careful not to fall in the lake, like I had once, when I was a child. I could still hear the sobbing, which grew louder.

"Erik…" a girl's voice said, shaking from crying. "No… you can't be gone. You're just out shopping or something. You did that often… but you left the gate up. Maybe you've earned new habits. Oh, Erik, please don't be gone!"

The girl sobbed once more. Walking into my lair, I silently gasped.

Who did I find there, none other than Christine Daae.

Christine's POV:

"Erik…" I sobbed. "No… you can't be gone. You're just out shopping or something. You did that often… but you left the gate up. Maybe you've earned new habits. Oh, Erik, please don't be gone!"

I heard a gasp. My head snapped up from where I had been leaning at the organ.

Erik. Erik Erik Erik Erik Erik Erik Erik!

"Erik?" I asked. "Is that r-really y-you?"

"Hallucination," he muttered. "Now I'm hallucinating."

"Erik?" I asked. "Oh, Erik…"

I ran up to him, hugging him like crazy. Tears flowed down my cheeks.

"Oh, Erik, I missed you so much…"

"Christine?" he asked. I laughed.

"Who else?" I asked. "Oh, Erik…"

"I spent the last two months tracking you down," he told me. "Apparently I didn't need to."

I grinned. "I spent the last two months in agony. I missed you," I said.

"What about de Chagny?" he asked.

"I never loved him half as much as you," I swore. "I learned that at the last minute, don't you think?"

Erik laughed. "I suppose you did."

I smiled. "We have a lot to catch up on, don't you think?"

We spent the entire rest of the day talking, singing, listening to his music, and it couldn't have been a more perfect day.

"I'm hoping this isn't all just a dream," he said.

"If this is a dream," I told him, "I'm never waking up. I'm miserable without you, angel. Ask around; Raoul certainly knows."

Erik smiled. His smile faded when he saw a familiar figure at the gate.

"Raoul?" I asked, surprised.

"Look here, de Chagny," Erik said impatiently. "She came to me."

"I'm aware of that," Raoul said. "I just wanted to make sure she was safe. You hurt her in any way, and I swear, you will regret it. I'll call the police. They'd be pretty happy to finally be rid of the Opera Ghost. I'm sure the managers would."

"Raoul!" I exclaimed. "He gets the point!"

"Good," Raoul said. "I'll leave you in peace, believe me, I don't have the stomach for a fight right now."

I grinned. "Thank you," I said.

Raoul left with a wan smile, knowing I'd be happy now. I leaned my head on Erik's shoulder contentedly, finally, after months of suffering, at peace.