A/N: Hey you all! This is the last and final chapter of my story. I'm kinda sad. I enjoyed writing the story, in a way. LOL! Although I didn't get the ammount of reveiws I want but you all still really rock! I mean every single one of you who reviewed! Including the annoynomous ones! I will be having exam on Monday so let me just say that, I will post up a letter for all of you to read after this chapter, just before Monday. Say maybe on Sunday, like tomorrow? Not sure, but definitely before my exam. You guys say your opinions in the reviews. Then, I'll see after my exam which will be on Friday. Will miss writing eventhough it's only gunna be for a week. Enjoy this last chapter!
Disclaimer: I will never own the POTO because I love it just the way it is. Apart from Christine going with Raoul, I think POTO is the best broadway musical I have seen since...err...Mama Mia! Haha!
Erik-Meister: Thanks so much for helping review my story! It's great to see you always reading my stry! I hope you wll enjoy this last chapter: )
Twinkle22: Hey, you know what. You have reviewed my stry from the very first chapter so I would really consider you a loyal reader and reviewer! But I think every sinlge reviewer rocks! They make every stry in Fanfic extra great! I hope your questions you asked before will be answered here in this chapter.
BroadwayGirl257: It's amazing how I get inspired from your stry a bit. A tiny bit, because your my fav author! LOL! So glad about you making the 100 reviews. I can't stop saying that! But it's so cool you did get 100 reveiws. Ooh, well your questions about who goes with who? I hope you will enjoy this chap. I really love writing the last part of this chapter. I hope to see you updating your stry soon : )
intoxicated by eriks music: I hope you did like the teeny tiny bit of E/M fluff. I dunno, I guess I did like to see E/M together but I did explain a little otherwise. I hope you all won't be too confused about it. Don't worry, I won't be mad, I tink. LOL! I just hope you update soon too. : )
meghankatherine: Hey, thanks alot. I'm planing to check out one of your stories after my exams. They look promising! ; ) I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Ayame Ito: Hey new reviewer. Although you read my stry nearly to the finish, thanks for reviewing it all the same. : )
True Love never Dies
So Erik did accept to work to rebuild back the Opera House.
Erik did not talk much to the other fellow workers who were always curious about why Erik wore a mask.
Actually, he did not talk to them at all so they always thought Erik was a weirdo.
But there was one worker called Joe who seemed interested in Erik, so one day, he bravely went up to him.
"Good day, stranger. What's your name?" Joe asked sitting beside him one evening after work.
Erik stared at him.
He wanted to return to his lair as soon as possible after work like he always did, but this man would probably suspect something if he saw Erik heading towards the Opera House.
All workers were banned from entering it unless under certain circumstances.
"Why would you want to know, Monsieur...?" Erik said through gritted teeth.
Joe shrugged, "You seemed to be such an outcast, my friend. Certainly you wouldn't want someone to talk to?"
Erik looked taken back by his answer.
He looked hard at Joe who stared seriously back.
He thought he had just come to taunt him or ask irritating questions of why he wore a mask.
"You…you did not come to ask about…?" Erik slowly gestured towards his face.
Joe looked at Erik for a while.
Then, he shook his head sincerely, "Well, of course it is only human to be curious of such things. But none the less, I shall question that no further. I have come to you with sincerity…"
Joe held out his hand.
It took a while before Erik sighed, and accepted his hand.
"Erik, just Erik…" Erik nodded.
"Joe, just Joe," Joe laughed.
After that evening, Erik got used to Joe coming over now and then to bother him. Occasionally, Erik would snap off Joe but Joe only took it kindly.
One day, Joe asked, "Erik, you seem sad most of the time. Is there something bothering you?"
Erik merely shook his head.
"Ah, your face says no but no one can deny what your eyes say, my friend…" Joe said.
Erik didn't want to remember Christine. He would always end up shedding a few tears.
"Joe…Please, I don't' – "
"Come on Erik, you know you can trust me…" Joe assured.
Without looking at Joe in the eye, Erik told the whole story of what happened in the lair that night.
"I let her go…I was a broken man for awhile but my dearest friend came to me and offered me to work as a worker here in the mean time before I can start earning back my rightful money again," Erik explained.
"Oh, I see…" Joe said and he lingered in the silence for awhile.
Then, he slowly sighed, "I understand Erik. Although I have never endured the pain of love you have been through, I can understand how you feel. Truly I do, Erik. I just hope you will get over it soon, because all things must sometimes, be forgotten. Sometimes, when it's over, it's just over…"
Erik had thought about what Joe said.
He knew he was right and he had to get over Christine but that would not stop him from loving her.
During those few weeks of long and hard work all day in rebuilding the Opera House, being bothered by Joe and quality time with the Girys, Erik could have forgotten his longing for Christine altogether…
Christine stared out of the window and sighed.
It has only been a few weeks but she missed her Angel terribly. She couldn't sleep at night nor did she have appetite to eat much.
Raoul was getting worried. Christine had gone terribly thin and her beautiful face had dark rings under her dazzling eyes.
"Angel…I miss you so much…" Christine whispered.
She had restless nights thinking of her Angel and wondering if he was even still alive. She had gotten news a few days back that there were mobs that went to search Erik's lair.
Raoul was watching Christine from behind.
He had brought her to a small house in Paris where he rented for the time being before his brother; Comte de Philippe received and replied about the news of their marriage.
He had been so busy looking out for Christine that he never found time to ask the question.
Christine never spoke often and she would often sit by herself.
Suddenly, he heard Christine say, "Angel…"
Then, her angelic voice floated into the air and flooded back memories of so many months ago:
Think of me,
Think of me fondly
When we've said goodbye
Remember me once in awhile.
Please promise me you'll try.
When you find that once again you long to take your heart back and be free
If you ever find a moment
Spare a thought for me!
We never said our love was ever green
Or as unchanging as the sea
But if you can still remember stop and think of me!
Think of all the things we've shared and seen
Don't think about the way things might have been
Think of me
Think of me waking silent and resigned.
Imagine me trying so hard to put you from my mind.
Recall those days the path on all those times.
Think of the things we'll never do.
There'll never be a day when I won't think of you
Christine's puffy eyes let tears fall from her face once more before she boldly sang into the mysterious dark night sky:
Flowers fade
The fruits of summer fade
They have their season
So do we.
But please promise me that sometimes
You will think...of me!
Raoul could stand it no longer seeing Christine suffer without a care or love in her heart.
Her Angel may not be here with her but he was!
Now was the time to ask her and now was a good as any. He would not wait any longer.
"Christine…" Raoul whispered behind her and he embraced her gently.
Christine did not respond at all.
Raoul sighed and he let her go. He had been getting used to Christine not responding at all.
He studied her tired, sad and thin face.
She only stared back at him expressionless.
"Christine…Please, I can't bear to see you like this any longer. You intended to lead your Angel from his solitude and now, I intend to for you…" and Raoul went down on one knee.
Christine's expression changed into shock.
"Christine Daae…My childhood dearest, will you marry me? I will give you all the love you deserve and never again will I treat you badly like I did before. This I promise you…" Raoul's eyes danced with sincerity.
Christine flinched.
Then, she whispered, "Oh Raoul, I…I can't. I love my Angel so much that I would rather choose to live in solitude rather than to love someone else besides him. I know he would want me to move on but that's for me to choose. I don't want to live a lie loving you when there is someone special for you out there. I'm just not that person. I know he's out there somewhere and sometimes when you love someone so much, you know things and you don't know why. I'm so sorry, Raoul...but I will love my Angel till the end of my days…"
"Erik, I've got your dinner! Next time, you need some cooking lessons…" Madame Giry sighed.
Erik laughed, "Sorry, Madame! I intend to enjoy all the good food I can before I have no choice but to indulge into a little home cooking…"
Meg giggled.
She had a great deal of getting to know Erik better this time and to her surprise, Erik trusted her enough to tell her his name which he had only told Madame Giry about.
Erik was sitting by his organ. He didn't want to compose songs today, that's for sure. He felt he needed to do something else.
"Meg, could you hand me my small knife? It should be in the bedroom…" Erik asked.
Meg returned with the small red pocket knife a few seconds later.
Erik held out his hand but Meg mischievously shook her head and said, "No, you must close your eyes and say please first, Erik!"
Erik frowned, "Meg, I'm not really in a mood…"
Meg gave him her best puppy-eye look and she quivered her pouting lips.
Erik sighed heavily, "Fine, but after this, you better give that to me…"
Meg nodded.
Erik closed his tired eyes and softly and seductively said, "Please…Meg?"
Meg had watched Erik for a long time since she first heard of him during the night of the production of Il Muto.
She knew Christine loved him and he loved her, but sometimes, a person can't hold back.
Meg closed her eyes and she kissed Erik gently on his lips.
Erik was so shock he didn't realize what was happening till Meg leaned back.
"Meg…" Erik whispered.
"Erik…Please don't misunderstand. I know you love Christine and I know she does love you too. I respect that, really I do! It's just that, I wanted to do that for a long time. Since I found you in the cave…I just had a feeling that I cannot explain. But I'm so glad I let it out now, so I can just forget all about it…" Meg explained.
Erik couldn't help grinning. Clearly this wasn't the young and childish Meg Giry anymore he had seen growing up together with Christine.
Erik held out his hand once more and smiled, "Can I have it now?"
Meg blushed and she handed over the knife.
Erik squatted beside his organ and his hand brushed over a dry bare patch of wood at the side of the instrument.
Then, Erik began to engrave something on it.
He slowly carved it so carefully that Meg couldn't help wishing she had someone who would love her back as much as Erik did to Christine.
When Erik stood up, Mg asked, "What will happen now, Erik? Clearly you don't want to do nothing after this. Even after the Opera House has been rebuilt and you go back in earning the 20, 000 francs, what will you do then?"
Erik considered this.
"Meg…I love Christine. I know she is out there in Paris somewhere. Maybe she married that Vicomte already but that won't stop me from finding her once more. Neither will that stop me from loving her to eternity. I will find her Meg, someday…"
Madame Giry then called the two to come for dinner.
Before turning around, Meg grinned at the wooden carving on the organ once more:
Erik and Christine
Forever
A/N: That's all for now! Reviews! All you can! Just review! The stry is finished so...just review! Haha! Till next time, which is the letter I am currently writing to you all! Ooh, and about that new chracter called Joe, I dunno but I jsut feel I needed to add him in. Natural feeling!