As Erik and I entered the secret passage I threw one last back glance. Léon was concerned of my action but I can't help it. I want to ease Erik's rest however I can, after everything he has gone through and done for Léon and me. He led me securely past multiple passages through the darkness as I held tightly onto Erik's hand. "Don't worry." He assured. "You don't need to memorize the path, at my resting place there's a direct path leading up for you."

"Is your resting place in your lair?"

"Non, in a forgotten cemetery."

I don't how long we walked through the vast darkness but we finally came to a halt and Erik lit a torch on the wall. I noticed from the light that we were inside the catacomb. The wall where the torch stood was completely of stone but the opposite wall was ordered neatly with human bones. "This is my resting place." Erik turned to me and held both my hands in his while looking deeply into my eyes. "Walk straight onward, it will take a while until you reach the surface. Keep a hand to one of the walls, since you've noticed the utter darkness here." He took a deep breath. "Thank you, Eleanor."

Tears streamed from my eyes. "Thank you too for everything you've done for me." I whispered. Gently I removed his mask and placed a hand upon his cheek. For a brief moment he held his breath and closed his eyes to savour the touch. Slowly I went on tiptoes while bringing his face closer to mine.

"Non! I don't want to force you!" Erik took a step back while holding my hands and turning his face away from me. "I-I even mentioned that I've changed my mind."

"If you want to, I am willing to give you a kiss. I don't feel being forced into it. I-I even want to give you a farewell kiss. At least feel some compassion before you die." Tears rolled over my cheeks.

Erik grinned broadly and stepped up with a handkerchief at hand. "Kind and loving Eleanor, I'm been dead for more than a century. Now that my soul is at ease, my purpose here is done. It was to help you and hear you sing once more." He placed gently a hand upon my cheek. "Léon is lucky to have you, this love you have is as pure as your voice."

He was grinning content and I noticed how he is slowly turning transparent. "Please, don't leave!" I whispered; gripping onto his sleeve.

"I'm glad to have met you and to know that amongst the living there is still compassion. Be yourself, Eleanor. Follow your strong and loving heart. Remember, I will always be there for you." He gave me a kiss on the forehead before he vanished into thin air.

"Erik?" I whispered as further tears welled in my eyes. "Erik!" I dared to call a bit louder. My voice echoed along the walls. The emotions within me were mashed up into a great ball under my throat, filled with such heavy pain that I fell upon my knees and tears flowed, tears of sorrow, love and compassion for Erik. "I will never forget you, Erik." I whispered to myself and remember all the moments in the musical we sang and the music box that he handed to me. As my thoughts wandered on to Léon, Marie, Michael and Arthur I began to calm myself and it gave me strength to stand up again. Oddly, I had to remind myself that I should focus on the living not the dead. I took a deep breath and started to follow along the stone wall as Erik instructed. His words and soft voice repeated in my mind as I trusted his words and walking blindly through the utter darkness. While walking and feeling carefully ahead of me my mind wandered to all the theories and interpretations l had of Erik. Most of them were correct to my astounding, I wondered if Christine Daaé was his second love. That he escaped from an orphanage and lived for a while on the streets before meeting the gypsies was a part of my theory too. I blinked as I spotted light ahead of me few meters away. It came from above, through the holes of the manhole from a street lamp. Cautiously I climbed up the ladder and pushed with all my strength away the manhole, at least leave the gap big enough for me to pass. I climbed up minding my costume not to tear anything while any cars or busses driving up. Luckily it was late at night and a deserted street. Once out I kicked the lid back on and paced back to the opera house. The cool night air reminded me where I am instead of drifting away in thought. As I stepped into my room nobody was there and the mirror door remained wide open. I heard echoes of footsteps walking slowly. Quickly I unchanged into some warmer and proper clothes and stepped in with a torch at hand. "Léon!" I called. "Wait right where you are! I'm coming!"

"Eleanor! Where are you?"

"I'm coming!" I assured and paced silently as I could while trying to hear out the origin of Léon's echo. After a while I could not find him and decided to take a leap of faith by switching off my torch. He must have light with him to have come so far. After few turns I spotted light reflecting on the walls ahead of me, quickly I paced, switched on my torch. "Léon!" I cried relieved as I found him and ran into his arms.

"Eleanor." He whispered. "You were gone for a long time; I was worried something happened to you." Slowly we walked back into my room. As Léon was closing the mirror door I walked up to the music box and opened it to listen to its melody, the history that Erik told made me hear the song differently. Clear and sweet as Églantine's voice could have been and the warm light feeling of a gentle love between the two, filled above all with joy and forgetting all the cares in the world, loving each other exactly for who they are. Vividly I saw a clear picture how two children danced and sang to the melody. Although children in their teenage years I saw clearly it was true love. Slowly the beautiful melody faded away and everything went dark before my eyes. I blinked. Léon shushed assuring as he saw me and tucked the blanket closer to me. I was lying in bed. "Léon." I groaned tiredly.

"You fell asleep while listening to the melody." He removed few hairs that fell over my face.

"Please stay." I slowly sat up and held his hand. "I don't want to be alone." I sat against the wall while well covered in my blanket and Léon sat beside me with an arm over my shoulders. Soon my head became heavy and rested upon his chest, hearing his calm breath and pulse. I woke up realizing that I fell asleep in Léon's arms. I looked up. He was still asleep. His handsome face looked relaxed and content. As I gently stroked at his cheek, he swallowed, turned slightly towards me and breathed deeply. I grinned content at the sight. Slowly I began to look around my room and spotted the music box at the boudoir table, recalling the incidents from last night. It feels at this point like a vivid dream but I know perfectly clear it was real. Now knowing that the real Phantom is at rest is a sad and a comforting thought at the same time. I shall treasure the music box as long as I shall live and remember him with fond memories. Not to mention am very thankful that Léon tried to keep his jealousy at bay as I was concerning a lot for Erik. For that reason, I love Léon even more, a man with a musical talent who loves me for who I am besides my voice and is always understanding or tries to understand difficult situations. To that thought I cuddled a little closer to him, trying my best not to wake him up. Léon breathed deeply and slowly stretched his arms as he opened his eyes and groaned relaxed. Our eyes met and I began to smile. "Morning, my love." I whispered.

"Bonjour, mon amour." He smiled back and leaned his head closer to me. "Slept well?"

I nodded and gave him a kiss. "What about you?"

"I can't complain when awakened by a beautiful lady." He grinned and leaned his forehead against mine and passed me a kiss.

I smiled to his notation. "Come on, let's get up." I suggested and wanted to get off my bed.

Gently Léon held my arm and pulled me back. "Why getting out of bed when we can stay here? Your flight leaves in the evening and it's shortly before noon."

I gave him kiss. "I like that idea but I can't. I need to pack to avoid the stress and speaking of packing, if you're coming along, don't you need to pack too?"

Léon sighed. "Touché ma Cherie." He groaned as he got off the bed.

"We can catch it up in the plane or later in my home."

"Now coming to think of it, I wonder how your parents are?"

"Well… I think action will speak louder than words. Just be yourself and all will be ok." I answered and folded few clothes together into my suitcase that I pulled out from under the bed.

"Ok." Gave Léon slightly uneasy. "Umm Eleanor, how about we have brunch at the café at the Seine that Marie showed you the other night, after we've done packing?"

"Sounds great! Shall we meet outside the opera?"

"Tiptop." He mimicked with a British accent, smiled and walked out to pack his things.

It took me quite a while to pack my things and quickly took a shower to remove the rest make up from last night's performance. Along the way heading out I visited shortly the theater group and especially to Marie and Michael to bid them goodbye, we quickly exchanged email address and mobile number to keep in contact. Léon was already waiting outside looking at the busy streets of Paris in midday.

"Sorry for the long wait, I quickly wanted to bid goodbye to my friends."

"Not at all." He grinned.

We walked in our leisurely pace to the café as the sun shone above in the sky. We didn't say much until we arrived at the café but it was a comfortable silence, appreciating each other's presence. At the café I began to realize how ravenous I was and glad to have a drink as a start. Léon always grinned at me content and then looked away with a saddened expression. I gently placed a hand upon his. "Is there something on your mind?"

He sighed. "Don't worry about me. I know I'll be traveling with you but it still feels like you're leaving and will be gone for a long time. Eleanor, I want you to know that I love you with my heart and soul." He took my hand and kissed it.

"And I love you with all my heart and soul, Léon. Whatever may come in between, nothing shall keep us apart." I smiled.

He smiled overjoyed and scoffed. "I know you meant every word of it but I couldn't help stop thinking the way you said it, it sounded like a piece from Shakespeare."

I laughed and gave him a gentle push at the shoulder.

We laughed a lot from there on as we had our brunch and shared more of our past. Time flew by and before we knew it was already time to head back and collect our bags for the airport to check-in. I know all the procedure but with a friend or in this case with a boyfriend it is more comfortable and less stressing. While waiting for our gate to open Léon was curious of the Swiss culture and wanted to know everything there is to know. He even tried to speak Swiss-German but we ended laughing together. In the plane he asked about my parents and I decided to tell him all about them. Not to mention my parents know nothing of it so they will have the full surprise and I can already imagine what sort of jokes Mom or Dad will note but who knows. My parents can be quite unpredictable at times. During the flight I fell asleep for a few minutes until Léon woke me up to inform of the landing. After a gentle landing and waiting at the baggage pick-up he wondered if he could continue speaking French here in Basel or better in English. I explained to him that with luck he can get through Basel with French but would get better with English or German. "What about your parents? Do they speak French or English?" He wondered concerned.

I laughed. "No worries, my Mom can speak French and English and my Dad speaks English."

He sighed relieved. I gave him a hug. "My parents will accept you, don't worry."

"But they know nothing of my visit!"

"Are you thinking that my Dad will go against you with an axe if you said something wrong?"

"Something like that."

I laughed. "My parents will accept you! They are easy going and none of them will go against you with an axe because they won't and I am here." I gave him a kiss.

"Well, seeing it like that." He smiled and kissed me again. Suddenly our kiss was interrupted as Léon turned away and pulled out one of our luggage. "Pardon, had to take the chance."

I laughed. Come to think of it, we've faced the real phantom and yet he's more afraid of facing my parents. Well, looking at his father after everything Léon has gone through; it makes sense. Together we headed in our leisurely pace first to my place to drop off my suit case and shortly freshen up before heading to my parents.

The End

Deeply from my heart I would like to thank you for who have read this story complete and for those who left a comment! 3

If you enjoyed this story or basically anything with Phantom of the Opera then check out "Behind the Mask" it's a version of how Erik's life could have gone and told directly by him or my crazy crossover between Phantom and Dracula "Cloaks & Masks".

Mérci beaucoup mes amies! ^.^ This story is honored to you that motivated me even through tough times.