Hello readers!

Finally, this day has come: this fic is finally coming to an end. It's with a heavy heart I'm sending the very last chapter to this story. It has been with me for a very long time and now I must let it go for good. But finally, with this rewrite, this story is how I always wanted it to be.

Once this chapter is sent, I am going to take a break from writing fanfictions. I want to concentrate on my originals for a while and my studies at school. It doesn't mean I won't write fics ever again. You'll see me back soon enough. ;) In the mean time, you can always read my old work by going on my profile. :)

I truly hope you will like this last chapter!

Enjoy,

Kaya

Chapter 100: Epilogue

A few years later…

Catherine and Erik were coming back from Paris where they had spent a few months with Juliette and her family. She had given birth to their first grandchild. It was a little girl who Gustave and Juliette named Sylvie. Erik was ecstatic to be a grandfather, just as much as his wife was to be a grandmother. Yet, neither could believe they already were old enough to be grandparents. Time passed so quickly…

Sophie and Louis chose upon staying a while longer in France with their big sister and new niece, they were old enough. But their parents felt they had found a place where they wanted to make their lives. Louis was fascinated with the Parisian architecture and Sophie's heart had been robbed by the beauty of La Rose Bleue.

For the first time in more than twenty years, Erik and his beautiful wife were alone. Solitude felt strange to them though… Life had been good to them. Passed were the years of torment and grief. No more bad feelings between the Phantom and the Comte, not since their children had married. It was still a bit cold between them, but at least they were civilized in each other's presence. The duke of Reinhardt was dead and forgotten and the Lavoix School of Art was prosperous and now renown all over Europe.

Elizabeth Giry retired not long ago, though it had been years since she was able to work her classes on her own. She lived for a while with the Persian, but when her arthritis worsened, she felt the call of her native country. She knew she would miss her niece and best friend dearly, but time had come to leave. And so, when Catherine and Erik decided to visit with Juliette and their new granddaughter, she returned to Paris with them.

Daroga did not follow her though, stating this city never was for him. In truth, Madame Giry felt he wanted to stay near his old friend until he passed away. He never was fond of France anyway, but Elizabeth had to leave. They parted but promised to write to each other often.

At the moment, Catherine and Erik were lying together in bed, skin to skin, holding close to each other. He could not stop staring at her. Even with the two or three gray hair she had on the left side of her head, to him she still was the most beautiful creature on Earth. She did not age a day, save for the few gray hair, yet her mane was still dark brown for the most part.

Catherine gazed back at her husband in the same manner as he. He had a few wrinkles in the corner of his eyes, but he still was the handsome man who saved her life so many years ago. They were not wrinkles of worry, but of laughter, showing off how happy he had been in his married life.

It seemed so long ago since they first met, back in Madame Giry's attic. Yet, at the same time, it felt like it was yesterday when Erik found Catherine down the stairs of his underground kingdom with her leg broken. They still remembered, rather vividly, the night they went to see Romeo & Juliet, when they had given themselves completely to their love in the guise of a secret wedding in the underground lake.

Erik held his wife tighter in his warm embrace. The sweet memories she blessed upon him had effectively erased all the bad things he had lived. Nothing in his past, before he met Catherine, matter anymore. Only his wife, three children and now his granddaughter were important to him.

Things went on peacefully over the next several years. Louis had met with as lovely young woman whose name was Marie-Lise and they were to marry the next summer. He was now living in Paris, near Juliette and Gustave's home. Juliette had another daughter who they names Jeanne. Sophie decided she had better things to do than take husband and chose to pursue her carrier as La Rose Bleue's Prima Donna.

Madame Giry went to live with her only daughter. Marguerite was prematurely widowed as her husband, Martin Champagneur, died in an accident during one of his business trip. They never had children, much to Elizabeth's sadness. As promised, she kept in touch with Daroga, who still lived close to the Lavoix elders, but he died early in the summer of 1915, passing in his sleep, Elizabeth's handkerchief and latest letter clutched in his hand.

Catherine had been working at her husband's school since her children definitely left the family nest as a teacher, until September 1918…

One day, as she was teaching her class, Catherine felt faint and had to return home, where she lost consciousness before she could arrive upstairs. Worried sick, Erik had called upon a doctor, but not Renard, the old man had died long ago. Catherine was examined but the prognostic was not a good one. It was too late… Madame Lavoix had a disease which could not be healed… She was condemned.

Juliette, Louis, Sophie and their families were immediately called to their mother's side. Erik never let Catherine, keeping her warm and administering his potions to her, hoping it would cure her of that terrible illness devouring her…but it was to no avail… She was fading with each passing day.

On December 4th, Catherine opened her eyes, gazing tiredly at her husband and smiled at him tenderly. She could not speak anymore. Her beautiful voice had fled along with her health many weeks ago. Yet, Erik did not need words to understand his wife. Her eyes were speaking volumes and he knew this day was her last.

Erik held upon Catherine's hand until she drew her last breath. Their children and grandchildren were present, surrounding their mother and grandmother's bed. Yet, the Phantom could not see them, unable to take his eyes from Catherine's now peaceful but still features. Her hair had grown completely silver over the past few months. Erik did not notice until the moment she died.

Then reality simply hit him… Catherine was dead… Tears flowed and he screamed in agony as he gathered her in his arms, begging her to take him with her.

His children watched helplessly, standing by their father's side. Juliette was holding her daughters' hands, while Gustave rubbed her back lovingly, trying to bring her some comfort. Louis held his wife and younger sister in his arms as they silently cried. That day, the Phantom of the Opera and his three children had lost an important part of themselves.

Louis, whose wife was pregnant with their first child, promised that if this baby revealed to be a girl, he would name her after his wonderful and courageous mother. He knew he and his siblings would miss their maman very much… She was painfully missed already…

Three months went by since Catherine's death and nothing could sooth Erik's pain. Not even the strongest of his potions nor his music could make him sleep and forget. As though it was not enough, he received news that the Comtesse Christine De Chagny had passed away. His wife, the love of his life was gone and now, one of his first friends had joined her. He was devastated.

Juliette, Louis and Sophie gathered together to try to convince their father to be reasonable and come back to Paris with them. It took many discussions, but Erik finally decided to comply. Though, he decided to return alone. He chose to give his children what he owned before leaving Belgium. To Sophie, he left her his school and the house went to his son. To Juliette he chose to give his music and paintings.

Before leaving his Brussels home, Erik went to Catherine's grave, which was next to her parents', where she belonged. She stroked the small gold band he had on his little finger. It was Catherine's wedding ring. He missed her, so very much… He placed a bouquet of lilies of the valley upon the gravestone he had carved himself, then kissed cold granite. This was his farewell… Until I can join you, my love.

Erik traveled back to France by boat, as he and Catherine had when they moved to Belgium. He remembered with a smirk how sick she had been because she was pregnant with Louis at the time. He also recalled people looking at him strangely, not because of the mask, but because he was taking care of Juliette. His lips were graced with the saddest smile and tears formed in his stormy eyes.

He missed his wife so much, he was physically hurting. He knew it would not take long until death claimed him. The incredible pain of his loss was slowly killing him, he could feel it in his very soul.

It was a dying Phantom who paid his respect to Christine's grave. Immediately after he got off the boat, he went to Perros, to say goodbye to his friend, apologizing for the wrongs he did to her back when he thought he was in love with her. He gave her his very last rose, with the only present she ever gave to him: her engagement ring. Thank you, Christine, for without you I would have never met my wonderful wife. Thank you and may you rest in peace.

Erik tried to get up from the cemetery floor, but fell back on his knees. His grief was too great and it weakened his heart more and more with each passing day. Finally, he managed to get back on his feet and continued on. His next stop, and the last one, was the ruined Opera Populaire. My former home…

Nothing had changed. Each passages the same and he remembered every corners. He took the path of the mirror, in the old Prima Donna dressing room. His memories brought him back not to the night he brought Christine down to his domain, but when he had Catherine. She had sung with him, the lyrics still very present in his mind. Her voice…how he missed it…

When Erik arrived to his old lair, he was hit by a new fit of flashbacks. His memories were coupled with fresh tears. The lovely face of his sweet Catherine haunted him as he crossed the lake. The day she revealed she was in love with him, their first joining, when she told him she was having his child. Everything came back and so did her words before they made their very own wedding ceremony.

-"We cannot go against our hearts, my dear love. And mine will be forever yours. I will never leave you, Erik. You will never be alone again."

Erik smiled as he heard her voice perfectly as though she was right there, beside him. Life did not let her hold on her promise, but he could not be angry with her. But he suffered, greatly, from her absence. Then, her wedding vows returned to his mind. They had meant so much to him, and they still did.

-"Erik, my love, my guardian. I promise to be a good wife to you, to do my duties, the first being to love you for the rest of my life. You already own my heart, my soul and my voice, but I do hope my body will soon be yours as well."

His playful wife had given her heart, her body and her very soul to him that night. And she has taken mine back with her in Heaven… Erik could not suffer such unbearable pain any longer. When she passed away, air were forbidden to his lungs. Her smiles, her voice, her eyes, her heart, her everything had been his life.

Catherine was taken away from me far too soon… The words never again had become incredibly painful to Erik's ear. Never again would he hear her laugh, never again would he hold her in his arms. Never again would he feel her gentle hand caressing his deformed face. Never again would he hear her gasp his name in the throes of love. Never again would she tell him I love you.

Never again…

Erik laid on his old phoenix bed, not caring about the thick layer of dust and spider webs. He lay down clutching tightly at Catherine's wedding band. He could almost hear her, singing Greensleeves in his ear. He could almost feel her lips upon his. He could almost feel her arms folding around him, rocking her tenderly, whispering words of eternal love as he was lulled into the most peaceful and eternal sleep.

The Phantom of the Opera died with a smile drawn upon his lips, joining his Catherine's soul in Heaven, where he never thought he would be granted admittance.

The End

I promised myself I would not cry…but I did as I wrote the last chapter. I'm kind of mourning this story already. This was my very first story in English, back in 2006, and first fanfiction ever, so it means a lot to me. Now, with this rewrite, my story truly is the way I wanted it to be back then.

I hope that you enjoyed this story just as much as I enjoyed writing and rewriting it.

You can keep reviewing even once it will be months and years since I last posted for this story. ;)

I would like to thank all those who took the time to review since I began rewriting this story back in October 2008.

In alphabetical order, and hoping I did not make any mistakes, thanks to:

AnistasiaRose

annamariadv20

anon

bensonbrat

broadwayfreak27

Choirgirl1004

fleurd123

gray seal

House maid

ian

JadeWiliams

Karmaluv

Key klee

Korean Chic

Lady-Leah-Claire

lady wen

LonelyRose1

Lorien Urbani

Nausicaa of the Spirits

Nellyel

RefinersFire624

roolsilver

sanna B.

SaruwatariAsuka

SexySadies88

shadowama

silentmOOn

TheDearHunter

Timeflies

TwilightEclps

waggers12345

Warped Tenchu

I hope I did not forget anyone. If I did, forgive me. :)