At the Opera House

Chapter 23: Goodbye

Erik returned almost an hour later after depositing Raoul to the surface. While he was gone, Christine discussed with Nadir and her father what was to be done.

"It looks like I've been kidnapped at the moment." Christine told them. "It's not like I can go back and pretend nothing happened."

They talked for a time, but decided to wait until Erik returned before they made any final decisions.

Christine talked with her father, as he enthusiastically asked her about her life, about how she had come here. She answered them with growing weariness.

"Pappen, why didn't you come with Mamen and I?" She asked. "She missed you so much, I know that now. It hurt her when you didn't return with her."

Her father hung his head, and some of the age in his eyes that she was used to came. "I was selfish." He admitted. "I'm a good violinist Chris, I know that. In the future, I'm average, at least on the elite scale." He added. "I was struggling and struggling to be the professional I wanted to be. My goal," he remembered. "was to be the concert master for the New York symphony."

"Papa!"

"I know." He set his mouth. "When I came here, I was the best of the best. I loved it, going home meant leaving my success behind. I..... I didn't want that." He closed his eyes, and a tear rolled down his face. "I chose my career over the both of you. I'm sorry."

"Pappen....."

"I wanted to go back, right after I dropped you and your mother off. But I didn't know how. It was too late."

Christine felt a tear stream down her cheeks and she wiped her eyes. "Pappen. It's not too late."

"Chris, I can't face your mother. Besides, if you don't remember me being there, I don't think I should try to change that."

"You don't have to face mother if you don't want to Pappen. She died when I was sixteen."

His head jerked up.

"You came to me three months after that, took me from foster care."

His eyes softened. "You were in foster care?"

"I was underage."

Suddenly courage filled his eyes. "I'm going back." He finally said. "Where I belong. With you and.... and the rest of the future."

Christine stared at him, her hand tapping the arm of the chair. "Papa, if you go back, you will die. And not nicely either." She let a warning fill her voice. "I saw it."

"So?" He smiled weakly. "I can't abandon you again, once is enough."

"Papa, I will become a famous singer. Before a concert, here......" she paused. "Here in this very Opera House, they were doing some kind of revival. I was in the Opera they were doing, before the final concert....you gave me your necklace." Christine spilled out. "There was a terrorist attack-"

Dust filling her lungs as the rumble of the falling building filling her ears.

"You won't make it." She choked. "You died, saving me."