Alright everyone! Here it is! The much awaited next installment of my POTO fanfiction! Once again I must apologize for the length of time in between uploads, the past few weeks have been crazy what with moving back into college and couple weeks of classes and everything! Before that I simply could not bring myself to write another chapter because I knew it would come out terribly! As it is, I know this chapter is significantly shorter than the others, but I didn't plan for this story to be quite as long as it turned out and this will be the final chapter. Thank you once again to everyone who reviewed, you really got my butt in gear this time because I just couldn't bring myself to abandon you all! So please enjoy the tentative last chapter of A New Life! I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE SONGS I USE IN THESE CHAPTERS, NOR DO I OWN PHANTOM OF THE OPERA OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS! THIS IS SIMPLY SOMETHING I HAVE WRITTEN FOR FUN!

A New Life

Chapter 5: A Question Revisited

Sitting there with Erik, Christine could not have imagined a happier moment in her life. She had everything she ever could have wanted, she had her Angel of Music by her side once more and she knew that they would always be together no matter what. Christine suddenly became aware of something in her hand and looked down to see that she was still holding the rose from earlier. Erik's eyes followed her gaze down to her hand and he was surprised to see her holding the rose he had intended to gift her with after she chose him, he winced slightly at the memory of watching her go. His reaction was not missed by Christine and she moved her hand with the rose between them.

"These roses have always been my most treasured possessions, and it saddens me to think that I have not kept track of them better." Christine said, letting her gaze fall slightly.

Erik placed one hand over hers on the rose and the other he used to lift Christine's chin gently to look him in the eye, "It has never been about the roses, Christine, it has always been, and always will be about you."

Suddenly Erik took the rose out of her hand and kneeled at Christine's feet, beside the bed. Out of his pocket, he pulled the engagement ring that she had returned to him earlier. Christine's eyes grew wide and glassy as he sang, once more, their song.

Say you'll share with me one love one lifetime, lead me save me from my solitude. Say you need me with you now and always...Christine.. that's all I ask of you.

There were tears in her eyes once again as Christine took the engagement ring from him and slid it onto her left ring finger. Erik stood from the floor, triumph in his expression and pulled her up with him. Together they completed their duet.

Anywhere you go let me go too! Love me, that's all I ask of you!

The two kissed with more fire than either had ever experienced, and soon they were forced to pull away to catch their breath. Christine placed her hand on Erik's chest and looked into his beautiful blue-green eyes and began to sing to him a song she had learned long ago, although she could not say from where.

Some say love, it is a river, that drowns the tender reed. Some say love, it is a razor, that leaves your soul to bleed. When the night has been too lonely, and the road has been too long, and you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong. Just remember, in the winter, far beneath the bitter snows, lies the seed that with the sun's love in the spring becomes the rose.

"I know we have been through much, Erik" Christine said after finishing her song, "and that the pain I have caused you will not simply go away over night," she winced slightly as she admitted this last part, "but I promise that, from now on, truly there will never be a day that I won't think of you!" She sang to him the song that he had discovered he loved her during, and he took her face in his hands.

"I know Christine," Erik said, stroking her cheek softly with his thumb, "and I promise never to give you a reason not to."

They kissed again and both knew that somehow, they had gotten their 'happily ever after' after all.

~The End~