The Phantom's Daughter

17. Happily Ever After?

"I'm sorry Christine. I'm sorry, that I've put you in this position. I only meant to free you, I didn't know it was going to end like this" apologised Raoul.
Erik was holding a noose around Raoul's neck, and any second he could pull it, ending Raoul's life.
Christine had been given an impossible choice; save Raoul by pledging herself to the phantom, or refuse him and watch Raoul die.
"Whichever choice you make, I am condemned, for I cannot live in a world where you are not beside me" continued Raoul.
"If it were not for my cursed face, you would choose me, over this pathetic man" admitted Erik angrily looking at Christine, as he tugged on Raoul's noose.
Christine shook her head, "Your horrid face, does not frighten me anymore. It's in your soul, where the true distortion lies".

Elise had begun to fear a similar thing about her father.
His face wasn't the only bad thing about him anymore, for he had taken several lives for his own personal gain.
Life in the shadows had twisted him, turning him into a selfish monster.
Elise could hear shouting and chanting coming from above her, interrupting her thoughts, and it sounded like it was getting closer.
Somehow the guards had found a way into the tunnel system and they were headed their way. And Elise was scared of what they would find when they arrived.

"Well, what is it going to be? Do you end your days with me, or do send your lover to his grave" Demanded Erik.
Christine pulled away from Elise's hand, and began to walk through the water in the cavern, towards Erik.
"Pitiful creature of darkness, what kind of life have you known. God gave me courage to show you, that you're not alone" Christine said as she approached Erik.
Once more, Christine placed her hand onto the phantom's face, but this time she touched his gruesome skin, instead of a mask.
She then leaned forward and pressed her lips against Erik's, kissing him in a way that he had never experienced before.

Elise saw Raoul look away, as he couldn't bare to watch Christine kiss another man.
After removing her lips from his, Christine took a deep breath, before both her and Erik leaned back in, to kiss again.
Elise was torn on how she felt.
She was happy for her father, but she hated the idea of her best friend becoming her stepmother.
Elise knew that her father loved Christine, and she had never doubted that.
But she had never been sure of how Christine had felt about the phantom.
However, watching Christine kiss her father for a second time, Elise realised that a part of Christine really did love him.

As the pair drew apart, Elise noticed how close the angry shouts were getting, and she realised that they didn't have long left on their own.
Erik dropped to his knees and began to cry, letting go of Raoul's noose.
"Go. Take him. Take him and leave this place" sobbed Erik.
Christine didn't need to be told twice, as she ran forward and freed Raoul from the metal gate he was tied up to.
"Go now! Forget me, forget all this!" Continued Erik as he stood to his feet, and made his way back up the stone stairs out of the water.

Raoul turned to go, but Christine didn't follow. Instead she approached the phantom, who frowned as he was deeply confused by her actions.
Christine then removed a ring from her finger and placed it onto Erik's palm, before kissing him softly on the cheek.
She then backed up, and rejoined Raoul's side.
"You should go with them" Erik whispered to Elise.
"I'm not leaving you here" insisted Elise.
"Go. You don't belong down here in the dark. You deserve to live your life in the light" replied Erik.

Elise sighed and walked towards Christine, placing her hand back around her friends.
The trio began to walk away, leaving the phantom of the opera behind. But Elise stopped, when she heard her father's sobs, and she realised that she couldn't just leave her father behind, even though he had done terrible things.
He was still her father, and she knew that deep down he cared about her.
The bad things he had done, were done out of love.
He wasn't evil.

Elise turned and saw Erik sitting alone on the steps, before moving back around to look at Christine and Raoul.
They had each other, Erik had no one.
That was when Elise made her choice, and it wasn't one she had ever considered before. She was choosing her father over everything, but it was the only thing that felt right.
She threw her arms around Christine and hugged her tight.
"Until we meet again" whispered Elise, before pulling herself away.
"You can't stay here" replied Raoul.

"This is where I belong" admitted Elise.
"No it's not" insisted Christine.
"He is my father. And he needs me. You don't need me, but he does. Which is why I have to stay" replied Elise.
"Are you sure that this is what you want?"
"I'm positive"
"Will I ever see you again?"
"I hope so. One day... You need to get out of here though, before anyone finds you".
Christine nodded before taking Raoul's arm and leading him out of the cavern.

Elise then began to make her way towards Erik, who still hadn't moved from his spot on the steps.
"Why didn't you go with them?" Asked Erik.
"Because I didn't want to. I wanted to stay with you" answered Elise.
"Well, I don't want you. So you should catch up with them, and leave this terrible place"
"I know that you don't mean that. You're just pushing me away, because you don't want me to suffer like you did. Living a life in the shadows. But what you don't realise is that I don't need a fancy life in the sun. I just need you".

"You really want to stay with me, and follow where I go?" Questioned Erik.
"Yes. I do" replied Elise.
Erik stood up and placed his arms around her, hugging for the very first time.
They quickly drew apart, for the sound of angry voices was getting nearer.
"Come. We must go" announced Erik.
Elise nodded and followed him up the steps.
"Do you want this?" Asked Elise, as she picked up his iconic white half face mask, and passed it to him.
"No. This can stay here" replied Erik as he placed the mask onto a nearby chair.

Erik threw back an old curtain from a magnificent mirror, before pushing on the glass, revealing a hidden passageway.
"Promise me that from now on, wherever you go, whatever you do, I am there beside you. From now on we do everything together" said Elise.
Erik nodded and took hold of Elise's hand, "Together".
The pair then stepped inside the passage, shutting the door behind them, and closing off that part of their lives forever.

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Thank you for reading my fanfic.
Stay tuned for book 2, following the events of Love Never Dies, a very underrated musical in my opinion.

If you like my work, please check out some of my other fanfics, I have many in several different fandoms, so you're bound to find something that you like. 😊.