The Point of No Return- COMPLETE

Author: Amy (SavageWords)
Title: The Point of No Return
Rating: 18+
Fandom: The Phantom of the Opera
Disclaimer: I don’t own any of the characters from the movie. Yet the plotline is all mine. I am changing the ending of the movie a bit to fit the plotline.
Summary: Christine had a difficult choice to make. It wasn’t only a matter of choosing to save Raoul’s life. It was a choice that she had to make from her heart. Raoul was her childhood sweetheart, an innocent love. Yet her Angel of Music was dark mysterious and seemed to love her with a passion that Raoul never could. Knowing she had to follow her heart, she chose to stay. But would that choice come back to haunt her? What would life with her mysterious new love bring her?
Pairing: Christine and Erik…AKA The Phantom

Prologue


She stared at him in wide eyed wonder. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest, thumping against her ribs. She knew she was walking on the finest line between sanity and madness right now. Her palms were clammy and she felt her whole body trembling. Her Angel of Music stared back at her with a mixture of anger and anticipation. She stared deep into the beautiful eyes that now held her attention. There was a lot of sadness deep in those eyes.

“Christine, make your choice.”

Her head whipped up at the sound of his husky voice. She stared at him as she whispered furiously. “You deceived me. I gave you my mind blindly.”

The Phantom’s hands tightened on the rope as he growled low in his voice. “You try my patience. Make your choice!” He gave a forceful yank on the rope as Raoul gurgled as he tried to fight against his noose.

Christine winced as she gazed at Raoul. Tenderness flooded her heart as she stared at him. He had been her childhood sweetheart. She had been his Little Lotte. She was to marry him. She saw how much pain he was in. She knew that with her words she could set him free. Raoul shook his head as he mouthed, No. She looked back over at her Angel. Her eyes went back and forth between them. Freedom had come down to choosing between two men. However, as she stared at Raoul her mind whirled. Was it true love she felt for Raoul? What was love anyway? Was it the sweet stolen kisses they had shared? On the other hand, was it the butterflies she felt in her stomach when her Angel touched her? She looked back at the Phantom, chewing on her lower lip.

“Christine.” Her name floated from his lips like the holiest of prayers.

She swallowed hard as she looked at the situation that lay before her. She couldn’t let Raoul die. Too many lives had been taken already. She had no doubt that if her Angel took his life, regret would haunt all of them. She shivered. The water swirled around her feet, chilling her to the bone. Licking her lips softly, she stepped deeper into the water. “I see you standing before me and I felt a stab of pain deep in my heart. What kind of life have you known?”

The Phantom stared at her in silent wonder, trying to make sense of her words. He was afraid to speak. The ropes bruised his bare hands as he clenched it as if it was his own lifeline. He found he was holding his breath as he watched her come closer to him. He had been in love with her for a long time. At first, her voice intrigued him. She had the voice of an angel. The more he saw of her, of her beauty, the more he yearned for her. His original goal had been to create the beautiful music he dreamed that she would sing. Now he craved much more. “A world I had tried to spare you from.”

Hearing those words, it was as if a cloud had been lifted from her thoughts. Christine slowly moved through the water until she reached him. Her dark eyes roamed over him carefully as if she were trying to memorize every detail. The white shirt he wore was nearly undone, giving her a hint of hard muscles that spanned the expanse of his broad chest. She could see a light dusting of soft hairs along his skin. His dark hair spilled around left side of his face. Her eyes moved up to the right side. To any other person, it would be a face of horror. But not to her, not anymore. The heavy scars that encircled his eye were puckered, almost as if in anger. From the middle of his forehead to the bottom of his perfect mouth, they seemed to reach out to her. Lifting her hand, she ran her fingertips along the ridge of his cheek. She could feel him shiver under her touch. “I pray that God gives me the courage to show you that you are not alone.” She whispered softly to him.

He stared at her in bewilderment. What did her words mean? Suddenly he felt her palm on his chest and his heart quickened. He looked deep into her dark eyes and he saw something that had not been there moments before. Then he froze. No no, even God wouldn’t torture me this painfully! Instantly Christine’s lips were upon his, moving softly in her innocent attempt at a kiss. All his life he had been denied everything. He slid his hands around her delicate waist as he pulled her closer to him. He knew this might be his last chance to get a taste of what he had been craving for his whole life, some compassion.

The moment she felt him return the kiss, something happened. This wasn’t like the kisses Raoul had given her. They were mere sparks. The kiss that her Angel was bestowing on her now was a wildfire. Her hand slid up to caress his cheek, the scarred tissue feeling rough under her soft hand. She opened her mouth to gasp and that is when he deepened the kiss. She had heard once that love could be judged in a kiss, and tonight she was finding that out. Whatever she had felt for Raoul, it paled in comparison to the feelings that were thundering over her now. As the kiss ended, she still remained huddled close to him as she looked up into his eyes. She could see the tiny flames of desire burning deep within the green depths.

The Phantom stared at Christine, feeling the hot salty tears filling his eyes. He was losing her forever. He had to let her be happy. All he ever wanted was her happiness. He let go of the rope and turned back to look at Raoul. “Take her, forget me, forget all of this. Leave me alone, forget all you've seen. Go now, don't let them find you.” He began backing away from the young couple. He raced up the stairs and waved his arms. “Take the boat, swear to me never to tell. The secrets you know, of the Angel in Hell.”

Christine looked at him in complete shock. What was going on? She watched as the Phantom raced away from them. She turned to look back at Raoul. She knew she had to get him out of here. He shouldn’t be caught in the middle of all of this. She waded through the water and untied him. “Come Raoul, we must get you out of here.”

When he was freed, Raoul grabbed her arm. “Come my love. Christine, you are coming with me. We must hurry.”

Christine took a step back and shook her head as unshed tears filled her eyes. “I am not going.” A hoarse whisper came from her throat.

“What? He let us go.” Raoul grabbed her arm as he tried to drag her to the boat. “We have to hurry.” He tugged harder but when Christine wouldn’t move, he turned. His eyes snapped over to look at her’s. A sudden chill went through him as he saw the tears in her eyes. “What is wrong?”

“I am not going with you.” Christine repeated.

Raoul stared at her for the longest time. He knew it was best for their safety if they ran. But as he looked in Christine’s eyes, he could see the truth. She wanted HIM. The tears she was shedding weren’t for her fiancé. They were for the man who granted them their freedom. A pain ripped through his heart. She had been his love since he was a child. Yet as he looked into her eyes, he could see that he wasn’t the one who held the key to her heart. Anger rushed through him as he clenched his fists. Raoul wanted nothing more than to race up there and beat the love out of HIM. As he watched tears fall from her eyes, any initiative he had was lost. He could see the love for him in her eyes. “You love him.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement.

Christine wiped her eyes quickly as she nodded.

Raoul watched as she slipped off her ring and held it out for him. His eyes focused on the symbol that once represented his love for her. It no longer held the same meaning. He shook his head. “No. I want you to keep it.” He walked up and brushed his lips over her forehead. “It is something to remember me by.” He stroked her cheek as he turned towards the gate. He turned and looked back at Christine. “I will try to keep them at bay as best as I can. Go to the deepest vault you can and hide.” Raoul couldn’t look back. It would be too hard. In the end, the Phantom had won.

Christine watched as Raoul took the boat and headed back up to the main opera house. Only then she let the tears fall. Seeing Raoul go did tear a tiny piece of her heart out. She would always remember him as her childhood love. However, she was a woman now. She was a woman who had fallen in love with a very powerful man. Turning in the water, she began to climb the stairs. Where was he?

Then she heard it. A tiny tinkling sound near the back of the lair. Pulling up her dress so she wouldn’t trip she followed in the path that he had taken. She knew that the police would question Raoul to her whereabouts. She had to protect her Angel. Reaching the top of the stairs, she pulled open the thick heavy crimson curtain that hid the bedroom area. The sight there nearly broke her heart.

The Phantom sat in front of his music box. He had a sad tearful smile on his face as he watched the monkey bang his cymbals together. A sudden chill went up his spine as he felt someone behind him. Lifting his head slowly his eyes widened as he saw Christine standing behind him. He didn’t want to breathe, afraid if he did she would be gone. He watched in fear as she walked over to stand by him. She stood there staring down at him. He saw the tears in her eyes and he silently cursed himself for making her cry. He knew that she would walk out of here with Raoul. But he had to tell her even if it was the last thing he did. “Christine, I love you.” He said breathlessly.

“I could not leave you.” Christine whispered. She held out her hand as if she wanted to touch him. She could still the sadness in his eyes.

“Why?” He whispered as his eyes widened.

She walked up to him and cupped his face in her hands. Her palms slid over the tear stained skin. He closed his eyes in part pleasure and part pain. He clenched his fists in an effort not to grab her and haul her close. When he felt her hands slide down his neck, he hissed. He opened his eyes to find her kneeling in front of him. He held his breath as he felt her hands slide in his shirt over his chest. Her touch was the most beautiful agony he had ever experienced. He couldn’t hold back anymore. His hand slid through her hair to cup the back of her neck. Pulling her close he could feel her warm breath against his lips. Having her so close was wreaking havoc on his body. Never before had he felt this and it was scaring him. Suddenly his lips were on her’s. Where the first kiss was nervousness, this one was full of passion. His lips massaged her’s as he pulled her close.

Christine moaned softly as she slid her hands up around his neck. In an instant, she knew she made the right choice. As the kiss ended, she whispered against his lips. “I love you my Angel.”

“Erik.”

Her eyes snapped up to look deep into his. She could see the tenderness shining back at her. “Erik?”

“That was the name I was given at birth. I have not heard it on another person’s lips in ages. I am not sure if it is really me.” He sighed as he laid his head on her shoulder. “But it is a name.”

Christine lifted his head to look in his eyes. “I love you my beloved Erik.”

“To hear it on your lips, it finally feels right.” He closed his eyes as he hugged her close. Suddenly there were shouts deep in the belly of the opera house. Erik looked around in a panic. “We must flee. They will be after us.”

“Raoul said he was trying to stop them. He told us to hide in one of your secret vaults. We can return later. But for now we must flee.” Christine stroked his face. “Come, I am with you.” She intertwined their fingers.

Getting to his feet, Erik held out a hand for her. Lifting her to her feet, he swept her up in his arms. He cradled her against his chest, kissing her softly. “Come we must hide. I will not let them get you.” He held her as if she were the most priceless artifact in the world.

“We will come back, I swear.” Erik whispered in her ear as he grabbed his cloak and covered her body with it. Heading towards the back, the two lovers raced for their lives. Giving one look back, he sighed. When they returned he would make it a musical kingdom again. After all, he now had his queen. The music of the night was far from over…