Disclaimer: I don't own the Phantom of the Opera; if I did then I wouldn't be a starving Masters student with two deadlines in a week and an on coming aneurism.

Author's Note: I'm so sorry I left you all on a cliff hanger, life interfered with my writing and to be honest my heart wasn't in it, I didn't want to write something substandard. My muse has returned again as I am meant to be writing two essays right now, as it tends to do hehehe I hope you enjoy!

Nightmares:

The Final Chapter

"…Raoul?"

Christine held Aziel close to her chest, slightly to one side, so if she needed to turn to protect him swiftly she would have a faster momentum. The Raoul before her was unchanged from that she knew in life, the same flaxen hair, same pale skin, strong jaw and rakish smile. She didn't know whether to be overjoyed or horrified at the mirage before her. She had seen too many impossible things lately, most of them negative, for her to trust in this miracle.

"I know you weren't expecting to see me, being dead and all, but before you say anything more, I'd like to say how much I appreciated your trying to help me, and that where I am I'm with some pretty swell people."

He winked roguishly at her, Christine felt the sudden need to sit down, she slumped onto the bed and held her baby close to her chest, breathing in his dusky smell, surprisingly like his father's. Aziel payed no attention, grabbing a piece of her hair and sticking it into his mouth, his infantile mind finding the curly texture fascinating but the taste not what he imagined.

Christine felt a burning sensation in her throat and a pressure behind her eyes, the beginnings of a fit of tears. She sniffed, trying to maintain her composure and looked intently at the...at Raoul.

"I know it doesn't seem like I've been there for you like I should have been, I'm sorry I had to leave, but I can't really get into all that now as I've been sent to give you a message."

This caught Christine's direct attention.

"A...a message" Christine sniffed and cleared her throat, not liking the weak raspy quality of her voice.

She tried again:

"What message, from whom?"

Raoul gave her a sympathetic look, and made a move as if to come and take her in his arms, but seemed to think better of it halfway through the motion.

"Oh well I know you've been through a lot, but it's not over yet, the big man...well it's not really a man or a woman, they got that wrong, ...well anyway. They said if you want to see your Erik again, you need to go to the Church I lead you to, and wait on the steps outside, you cannot go in until he comes to get you, do you understand?"

"Not...really, but I hardly understand anything anymore, lead the way."

...

Erik came to consciousness slowly, first becoming aware that he was cold, on something hard, and from the sound of breathing beside him, he was not alone.

Erik bolted upright springing like a cat onto his feet and took a defensive stance, the figure in the corner of his eye did exactly the same, they turned to face each other, and he was surprised and horrified to see it was...himself. But not himself as he was now, his face was in its former glory, but it was horrifying in its completion, the eyes in it hollow and cold. How could he ever have been this man?

"What is this?" Erik demanded, a thick fog surrounded them, obscuring where they were.

"Don't you know?" replied his stranger-self, lip curling into a cold smirk.

"Of course I know who you are, what I want to know is how I came to move from the confessional booth to here, without anything happening in between!" hissed Erik.

"God works in mysterious ways, I suppose he thinks it wasn't him you really needed to see, you need to make a decision on your own, he's just enabling, as always."

Azazeal gave a look of contempt towards the ceiling. Erik and he circled one another, like Sharks, only there was no prey to find but each other.

Azazeal tilted him head and smirked once again, had he really ever been this annoying?

"It was always going to come down to this, you and I, I mean. You've been trying to ignore me, playing the faithful husband and Daddy dearest, but you know I'm there, waiting, lurking. I'm in your every thought, whispering in your ear, you can't forget who you were, who you are!

Erik glared back at him.

"I did make a choice, I chose not to be you, it's you who can't accept you're obsolete, I don't need you anymore, and you're just a leech, a parasite!"

Azazeal eyes flashed dangerously then.

"So let us end it then, you and I, we shall stand at the edge of oblivion, but only one of us will leave this place."

Erik nodded, taking a fighting stance.

"To the end, then."

They leapt towards each other.

...

Christine followed Raoul through the eerily empty streets of London, Aziel in his sling in front of her, sleeping, completely untroubled by anything. A fog had descended over the city, obscuring the buildings until they became hulking shapes, indistinguishable from one another, just blobs of grey in an endless sea of mist.

Raoul didn't speak much as he led her, intent on his mission; he'd never been this good at finding things when...when he was alive.

Aziel shifted slightly in his sleep, scrunching up his nose and flexing his fingers, making a tiny "O" with his mouth. He was adorable when he slept, before she became a mother she could never have imagined how fascinating everything someone else did could become. She only hoped his father was alright.

Christine became aware of a clearing in the mist; a large gothic church loomed in front of them, somehow immune to the fog.

Raoul took her hand and led them to the steps of the church, sitting down on one of them, Christine took his cue and did the same, careful not to jostle the baby.

Christine looked over at Raoul, he had his eyes closed, forehead wrinkled, as if he was listening to something.

"It's started already" he said, looking over at her.

"What has st.." She was interrupted by a large crash from within the church, Aziel was startled by the noise and started crying. She rocked him in a hurried way, worrying her lip with her teeth, looking at the Church door. She longed to look inside but Raoul, as if reading her mind, shook his head.

"Wait" he said, "He'll come to you, if it goes well."

...

Erik lay on the floor on his side, blood oozing from an open wound on his head, dazed from the blow. Azazeal kicked him in the stomach while he was down, and seeing Erik made no move to get up, crouched down to his level, and whispered in his ear.

"Don't you see there's no use in fighting me...I am you!"

Erik lay still, breathing hard, his will to fight trickling away by the second, what was there to fight for? Why should he war with himself?

As if to answer his prayer, a noise came from outside, for he now knew they were in the Church, the noise was a child's cry, his child's cry.

That cry resonated in his head, and seemed to bring warmth back into his frozen limbs, and fire back into his heart. Azazeal had turned his back and was swaggering towards the church doors, towards Aziel...and Christine.

An idea began to form in his brain, something that he has not wanted to accept, but that was necessary, if this was to end.

Erik stood shakily, taking a deep breath and said three words.

"I am sorry"

Azazeal stopped dead, turning slowly to gaze at Erik in a quizzical and sardonic manner.

"What did you say?"

Erik stood up straighter, looked Azazeal straight in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, I never said it before, I never admitted I was wrong, but looking at you now, I know I was. I threw away my life, and ruined millions of others, for what? Pride? Pleasure? These are hollow things, shallow and meaningless, what is outside that door, that is who I am now, those are the people I want to be better for, that make me better, they are what stops me being you. You're right, we are the same, you are a part of me, I've admitted I was wrong, and I know that I've been forgiven, but to accept forgiveness is harder."

Azazeal got a furious gleam, no not furious, it was almost...scared?

"I've wallowed in self pity for so long, thinking he was punishing me, thinking he hated me, but really, he was waiting for me to find myself again, waiting for me to come home, the prodigal son indeed."

Erik smiled freely for what felt like a millennium. He walked towards Azazeal, who stood frozen as if in shock, Erik reached him, and pulled him into an embrace, whispering in Azazeal's ear.

"I'm sorry, I forgive you...and I forgive myself, I'm going home."

Azazeal stood stunned as Erik released him, walked around him, and walked towards the door, he regained his composure, a snarl coming over his face, and ran towards Erik as if to tackle him, but fell right through him.

"What have you DONE!" screamed Azazeal.

Erik reached the door, holding onto the handles, and spoke without looking back.

"I've set myself free, I've let my hate go, I've let you go, you're not needed, you'll simply fade away."

"It's time to live my life."

He opened the door to reveal the bright sunlight, as he exited, the light illuminated the church, there was nothing and no one behind him.

...

"Erik!" exclaimed Christine, upon seeing him exit the church, walking slowly down the steps.

"Of course my love, who else would it be?" Erik smiled down at her.

"Erik...your face!" Christine exclaimed walking up the steps to meet him, coming to a stop before him and hesitantly tracing her hand over his face, his whole, perfect face.

"Erik! How...when...how did this happen!" She whispered in reverence.

"I was forgiven, and I forgave; now we are truly free to live our lives." He said smiling, tracing an area behind her neck, the mark was gone.

Christine was suddenly startled and turned around "Raoul?"

But he was gone, leaving no trace behind him.

Christine looked to the step he had sat on, he had stayed with her the whole time, held her hand, and he had disappeared before she could thank him.

"Christine!" came a shout, from around a corner appeared Raoul and Nadir Khan, Raoul looking in complete wonder and Nadir very cautious.

Raoul's cheeks were rosy, his step sprightly and his lungs breathing...he was alive!

"Raoul you're...You're alive!" Christine blurted.

"Yep, it seems I earned a temporary reprieve, I'll be taking the slow lane just like you and Erik here, Nadir here has offered me a place at the agency, rounding up the other Nephralim, it seems there are quite a few vacancies." Raoul looked pointedly at Erik.

Erik looked slightly abashed but put his arm around Christine and said:

"I apologise for any wrong done to you and yours, now I have a family, I understand the grief I have caused, I am glad that my father had decided to allow me a second chance."

Raoul and Nadir looked at each other, but nodded, today was a day for new beginnings, the fog had cleared and the city was bustling again, completely unaware of what had just happened.

Christine looked up at Erik after Raoul and Nadir had said their farewells, and hugs and handshakes were exchanged.

"What happens now?" Christine asked, as Erik stroked the head of their sleeping son.

Erik smiled down at her, and kissed her forehead.

"I don't know" he said, taking her hand and leading her down the steps, "I suppose that's part of being human"

"You just have to live to find out."

The End.

Author's Note: I hope you all liked it, it was a long time coming, it was really the only way I could see to end it.