I'm so horrible for leaving you guys like that! Ugh... Hate me. I never knew the beginning of the school year could be so unbearingly distracting. I was just about to sit down and write this until i was hit with a buttload of work and things to do and take care of. It's no longer the peaceful summer, I can tell you that. I apologize after I promised you the update after I wrote that note, and then never did so. I hope to be writing again very soon because I just fallen back in love with this story and then writing this epilogue in Erik's point of view just got my head into gear a little. It's probably bad, and I think I'll have to practice it a little more until I can rewrite this entire story (plus more) in his point of view. It'll be exciting.
Well, tell me your thoughts like you people always do and that's why I love you! I hope you're not too disappointed after all this time, but it's the only thing that made sense to write after all this time...

Thank you all very much for staying with me this entire time, and you have no idea how much joy this story gave to me in writing. I hope to come back soon if school doesn't override me too much.

With kind regards,

The one and only,

~The Phantom's Flutist~

Epilogue:

Anything For You

1 year later

Erik's Point of View

I loved her. I loved her so much I was ready to die for her at her feet... I was ready to do anything for her love, and she so gracefully gifted it to me like the angel she is. I broke her into a thousand splinters, and when her light burned out, I knew it was time for me to give up as much as she has...

I let her go again.

Yet, I love her still! The way she looked back to me--oh! Her eyes--her eyes held so much that was yet to be said, so many words that she left unspoken to me, and all the more it made me ache inside, down to the core, but if I were to hear those final words, I don't think I'd be able to make it past the moment she turned her back and left.

It feels as though I have no remaining soul the moment I heard her speak no more, and go off with her boy. She looked back, her mouth agape, her hands shaking as they held that boy's. It only took a year to discover she really... didn't need me. It was my decision, please note, all mine... Because through that year we actually were a couple. Yes, a couple! We went all sorts of places together, I took her to every place she wanted to be and more, and she performed on stage just as she told me she wanted. I did everything and more for her, just as I said, but was it only so much as taking an orphan under my wing?
She missed the boy... she missed him that I could see she was dying inside. She became very ill during the holiday season, the second season spent with me, her chocolate brown hair missed the shine, and she no longer could hold herself up during rehearsal on stage. She was dying... because of me... The doctor forbade her to sing because of her illness, she no longer could perform again. It was as if God was the one to vote against this the entire time.

It was like caging a little bird, telling it to sing, and once it finished, it would have been squeezed by the crushing force of a hand. A larger hand that holds a moving force over the small bird, for it is the physics and reasoning of the world, is it not? She was so weak, but while she was weak she still gifted me with kisses like the sweet girl she was. Sometimes on her own accord, others because I had to simply ask for it like the greedy creature I am.

I finally saw the reasoning she was pleading for all those months ago when she begged for me to not kill her lovely little boy, to not take her back to me. All I've done is pity the affection out of her... out of what little was left and used it against her.

It would take a lot for her to come back... she wouldn't come back. I know she won't. Christine is like that, you see, when she feels something uncomfortable she tends to go away from it and never look back to it, yet she somehow holds onto the memory or person with a cautious tension. Just like her father whom she always referred to for anything during those past two years. It's like he's still alive to her almost, yet she was there watching him die. She thinks on it... perhaps she'll think of me sometimes. I could hope that what she felt was actual love, or I could hope she never comes back so I could die in peace.

For the past few weeks, I've been attached to my music room, writing the final composition until I remove my hands from this piano for good. Just sitting here creates the aura of her presence behind me, her eyes watching my every move, enthralled by a single movement on the piano. My eyes shut, and I leaned back, pretending that she was there to look into my eyes one last time, those big, brown eyes of hers that looked like she was always interested in something, sometimes judgmental or skeptical.

It was a moan that stirred up Ayesha, the last lady in my life right now, from her sleep, coming to sprawl out her limbs and lay next to the bench.

"You and I, my beautiful girl," I muttered, letting my arm hang down to pet the fragile thing. She was quite possibly pleased that Christine was gone... for some odd reason she always found my other woman very annoying, and I had no idea why. Christine, evidently, didn't like cats anyway.

My heart swelled just thinking about the next memory that flooded my mind...

I thought to myself... at least I got to touch her... touch such an angel as that! I kissed her... I wrapped my arms around her, and shared the very thought that I could very well be with her as long as I lived. She did the same for me... oh, she did... kiss me plenty of times of her own free will, because she's a wonderful girl... she's a very wonderful girl despite whatever she thinks of herself.

Oh, Christine... what happened?

"Erik," The voice was rather evident... too evident... I shook my head, scolding myself for thinking of such things. I tried another note on the piano, but then my own hand couldn't hold itself up without shaking violently. I couldn't do this one last thing without distracting myself... how terrible...

"Erik," My name was more urgently said in her voice. I shook again... more like trembled, I suppose, for it was very close, and very real. Yes, there are some times when I wished I wasn't so mentally unstable. Moments like now when I can't depict reality between my own fantasies or fanatical beliefs. Christine seemed to be haunting me.

I jumped when a hand reached my shoulder when I didn't respond to the voices of which I thought were in my head, where they belonged, but... no... this was definitely real. I had to restrain myself from leaping up weakly from the bench and turning around and serenading her for returning, but when I saw her face again, her brown eyes, and a teary smile, my foot was grounded back into reality when I thought of my place in her life rather than vice versa.

"I-I..." she began, looking at her left hand, the golden ring that has never left that finger, and I hoped it never would again, ever since I found it falling toward the bottom of the sea, and I had to fetch it out of sheer desperation for her to not have done this on purpose and return it to her later, as a loyal dog would give the owner back the disgusting-looking ball that the owner actually didn't want back. Same ordeal here, I believe.

She played with the gold thing on her finger, and toyed about it with a shaky hand. I could only stay there and watch her debate with herself. Finally, she took the golden ring off of her finger, and shook her head.

"Take it," She whispered brokenly.

"Christine, no..." It came out weaker than I intended on it being... in fact I don't believe I even properly placed together the words to sound somewhat understandable.

"Yes," She said, extending her arm out, and looked away as to not see me gathering more tears.

At least she came back, part of me reminded myself, but she's not coming back again, the other said. It tugged and pulled again at my heart, and I began to wonder why she came back at all. To be so cruel and wave it in my face that I wasn't going to see her again. I was giving her freedom, I reminded myself.

"Take it," She whimpered, forcing it further toward me.

"Keep it," I contradicted, "It's my consent to go with your boy... keep it..."

"I don't want him," She brought on further, coming down to tears in front of me, she knelt, bending her head low as if ashamed. I was terribly confused. What was she trying to say here? Was this some sort of act of defiance toward me? That she could go with hurting both of the men who wanted her and be fine with it? This is far worse than cutting open her hand to save me from a blow with a knife.

"Christine--"

"I can't take this," She breathed in quickly, as if suffering from a terrible attack. I think I could have forgotten everything that suppressed my darker thoughts for this entire month when I flung myself to her side as she was being crushed by an unseen force before my very eyes.

"I can't-" She whispered brokenly, coughing back her sobs, and both of her arms were nestled around her chest as if to keep it from ruining her if not already.

"What is it...?" I beckoned into her ear, "Christine, my child--"

"No," She said violently, jerking out of my grasp to scoot away in order to stand up. It was then that I realized the Daroga was standing in the door, watching as if he was watching an interesting documentary. I swear that man has no feelings sometimes, watching the girl break down just as I have, yet making no motion to help her. The usual annoyance with him always being around fetched my usual instincts. He helped Christine here, I figured, but for what reason? He said nothing, he didn't move, so I didn't waste whatever energy I had left to go after him if he was the one to let me see my angel's face again.

I stared at the ring with abhorrence waiting for it to bite it's way back into the coat pocket where it usually found it's housing until something else would take its place at the appropriate time, but that never happened. I didn't bother to pick it up when Christine was staring at me with those big eyes of hers again, almost with the same expression she had when she saw my face, though not so extreme.

"Where will you go?" I questioned blankly.

"I don't know." She answered with about as much dead emotion as a white wall.

"Why are you here?" I demanded coldly.

"I wanted-" She started, shook her head, the brown curls waving amongst her pale, tired-looking face. "Wanted... to see you again..."

She was lying, I thought to myself instantly. If she wanted to see me again, why didn't she during this entire month? Was it just on a whim that she woke up and wanted to torture Erik one last time before he gives? Christine surely couldn't be that cruel. She could have gone to the opposite edge of the world, saw professional help, and eventually marry her suitor... anything to go against Erik. She could have smiled again. Unless it was I who made the mistake again. I rarely make the same mistake twice. That's just one of the many traits about myself that I have, an incredible memory would go along with it.

"Just to see if you changed your mind... If... If you wanted me back again... if-if not... I don't want Raoul, so... I'll be going away, Erik."

I stood in dumbstruck disbelief, looking at her, staring down at myself who was bent down before her, in the assumed position of so many other times after I tried to aid her... now she's asking if I still wanted her? After all this time? Just because I haven't gone after her as I did last time, she thought that I didn't want her!

Ah, well... My answer, you ask?

I didn't know what to say.

"Does he not please you?" I asked through the credulousness of it all. It was like asking a child whether their pet was worth the entertainment or not. I didn't blame him for loving her, of course, and vice versa. It was hard to see them lying on a bed together, kissing and whatnot. He had a perfect, pretty face, and a sculpted everything, and she was just remarkable beyond belief. How could anyone not want Christine? And how could a girl like Christine not want someone like him? It was just the way of life. It is I who is the intruder here... but just as every poor kid begs for a Christmas present, I wanted her more than anything in the world. I still want her... but she doesn't want him, which is completely twisted in its own right.

If that boy hurt her... I will kill him many times over. If he possibly turned his back on her than it would be I who saw her own revenge. I don't know what it will take to convince that damned boy that nobody hurts my Christine and lives to tell the tale. Not even one who pledged his love to her about the same time that I had.

"No," She replied slowly, as if asking a question to herself and then answering in the same word. "No," She repeated.

"If he harmed you..." I went on wickedly.

"He meant no harm!" She warned with the same low voice.

"Why do you ask me pointless questions!?" I boomed a little more violently than I originally intended. She stood back like a beaten dog.

"Look, Erik-" She began, sighing a long, broken moan. "Whatever you thought of... about me and Raoul is gone..." She whimpered those last words, and then looked to me full on, "The point is that... I can't leave you. I don't care if you want me or not. I need you. When will you learn this?"

"This can't be true. You missed him so much..."

"I did... but now I know I don't want him. Help me, Erik..." She sobbed, throwing herself against me, her arms wrapping around my neck, her head digging into my chest. I shut my eyes, savoring this moment.

"I don't... I don't believe..." I stuttered, finding the words.

My answer was her sobbing into my chest, her arms wrapped around me now. With a shaking hand, I twined my fingers through her hair and brushed it down, patting her head as I went, and it seemed to calm her for her grip around me loosened. She smelled... so good... She felt so very good against my chest. It seemed like eternity since I've been able to have her in my arms.

It was my fault for ruining her. For not asking her again... shouldn't I have known better? She was the one who wanted to leave after a year... I thought I was the greedy one by at first, not letting her go, until she broke... Until she broke...

"I'm leaving," She stated, standing at the top of the stairs, looking down to me, her bags were stuffed from what I could see. I stared back at her with disbelief flooding my chest.

"What?" I asked under my breath,

"I said, I'm leaving, Erik. You told me I was free to go whenever I chose to, so if nothing legal binds me to you... then I'm leaving." she said confidently, working her way clumsily down the stairs with the heavy bag on her shoulder. Words were stuck in my throat, and it ached to even think of her meaning what she was doing.

"You don't mean it," I clarified for her.

"I do mean it. I said I will stay as long as I can take it... Erik, I can't take it anymore. I don't want to be stuck here forever with nothing."think so." She stated thoughtfully." Her voice cracked. "You said you wouldn't control me anymore, and yet you still do."that way, Erik." She didn't mean it, I told myself over and over again. She was... It was just... one of those phases again, a female thing. Next week she'll be over it and move on, forgetting the entire thing. But this wasn't completely made up. I've seen her turn pale and sickly looking before my very eyes when I didn't take her out places. When we weren't traveling she looked like she would crumble at any moment.so good about that, too... She could look at my face and kiss every inch, now it was like I was the monster to her again.so much when I witnessed their embrace, though only but a moment when I looked away. He kissed her cheek but she didn't seem so enthused about such, for she was looking at me when she did so, as I was slowly bending over, soon to reach the ground when she shut the door.

"That is a lie!" I accused angrily, stopping her in her tracks by simply intimidating her. I hated doing that ever since I got her back, ever since we were a true couple. Her tired eyes looked up to mine.

"I don't

"You're not going to leave me... Please!" I implored. She couldn't meet my gaze any longer and stared downcast to her hand that carried the bag, turning pink from the force. Her small little hand that held my ring. She kept it on, at least... Maybe she was just... jesting for this little while.

"I am! I'm sick of this! I don't want to be stuck here and not fulfill what I intend on doing! I don't want to be frozen in my life because I've fallen in love

"I didn't know... Christine should tell me these things-" I begged desperately. "I've never had a woman in my life... please... just give me one more chance."

She looked into my eyes which were glassed in tears, threatening to overflow. "Yeah," she began, and huffed a blocked sob, "And after the fifth chance I've given you, then what? Try again? It doesn't work

That was the time I didn't let her leave. She stomped back up to her room and I didn't see her for three days. She was turning into me, I swore it. I let her know that too, telling her that one of me is enough for the world, she only gave me a sour look and hid her disturbed face into a pillow. She couldn't even look at my face anymore... She was

She told me that she still loved me, three days later, but I found it hard to believe.

I sought out her boy who was just as lonely as he used to have been. He survived, though... And somehow I wished that I could just be like him when I let Christine go, but I couldn't endure the pain of love any longer. The poor girl lightened up

Christine is like the muse that never leaves. I can't die when she still wants me. I can't die when she kisses me. I couldn't linger on this earth with love, but now I can't live without it once I've tasted it.

I don't believe married couples go through with this... actually, I don't think any sort of couple goes through this. Christine and I... are different. I've discovered how to be putty in her hands and I've discovered how to mend myself to what she wants.

"Tell me you'll always be here." She whispered into my neck.

"I'll never leave you," I replied.

"I love you, Erik."

I shut my eyes, replaying that simple phrase over and over in my head. I needed her as the air I breathe, and once she decides that she doesn't need me, I will die. But... what if that is something I can control? The only thing I can control for I will be able to trust her? She is almost twenty now, after all.

"Christine Daae, marry me."

She was silent for the longest moment. It was hard to listen to nothing but her silent thoughts, her reaction.

"It's not a command," I said quickly, "I'm not forcing you, either. This is your choice."

Silence again. Damn those fickle creatures who plays with mens' hearts for a living who call themselves women! The silence was eating me alive!

"Yes, Erik... If you promise me one thing."

"What is that?" I was cautious of the answer for it could be many things...

"Can we move?"

"Why?" I tilted my head over. Was this the only request? The only restriction to having a living corpse as a husband?

"I need to get away from here." She pleaded, her eyes wide, and searching my mask, then finding the way to my eyes.

"That's acceptable. Where is it you want to go?"

"Anywhere... Everywhere... just... please?"

"Will you promise me one thing?"

"What?" She was on her toes as well, waiting for a request from one whose requests are never for the better.

"Don't even think about doing that again." I grimaced.

She laughed lightly, her entire face lighting up in a big uproar of joy, she tore off the mask, and kissed my lips.