Music of the Night: The Phantom of the Opera Returns (Guile & Melody)

[Guile]

The Phantom heard Catherine's words echo softly through his head. He started to feel the familiar sting of salty tears streaming from his eyes and down onto his cheeks once again. I never meant to hurt you. He thought. I miss you and the kindness you've shown to me...but mostly...I just miss having someone around that meant something to me again - someone who didn't loathe me for a hideousness that I had no control over. He didn't know if Catherine could hear him or not, but the thoughts were running through his head anyway. They entwined with the long-ago memories of Christine and how he had turned her from him as well. Of all the memories that circled through his head, he knew of only one common denominator in all of his problems: him. It was his fault that things were going wrong in his life. It was his fault that people hated him, and his fault that he had no one to love or to be loved by. If I could go back in time and change things I would, but it's too late now. I would start with Christine...I wouldn't force her to stay with me; wouldn't make her chose between marrying me or the death of the Vicomte. He sat there, contemplating the past and all the things he could have done to change things for a better outcome. These thoughts filled his head for the better half of an hour. He had started with Christine and ended up thinking about the recent past and how he could have stopped Catherine from falling for him - which may have allowed them to be very close friends, almost like family, at this point in time. But it was all over now, he figured. There was no way he could change the past and he couldn't think of words to say or things to do to make up for the wrongs he had done. Thinking of all this, the Phantom didn't know if he would ever be able to bring himself up from as low a state as he was in now.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine couldn't bear the girl she loved in such horrible pain. Standing, she turned to Raoul. "My love, I must go back and tell him to leave her alone. If he doesn't do that, at least have her as a student again." Raoul looked behind his wife, at their child, then Box Five, then back at Christine again. "Promise me that you won't entangle yourself in his lies again." Daae nodded and left. Catherine watched her go and followed, a stabbing pain in her chest.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom sat in box five not realizing that Christine was coming over. He would never have imagined she would do such a thing, plus, he didn't even know they were in the House that night for sure. He had heard Catherine's voice and he sensed her, but he didn't know if he was just wishing for her to be there or if she really was. So, he sat in his personal box - that meant little to nothing to him anymore - and dazed off in his misery, still not watching and barely hearing the show.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

The door clicked open and the Phantom's former lover entered the box. "Hello, my angel of music." She spoke softly to the man. "I see you've never left here, my friend." Her daughter clung to Christine's dress, obviously nervous. She made a small choking noise as she buried her face in the silk. "Hush, now." Christine played with the girl's hair. Turning to her former coach, she sighed. "What have you done with her and why are you still here?"

 

[Guile]

The Phantom rose, startled by the entrance of Christine. Though he had been facing away from her, he knew who it was. How could he ever forget that voice? As he turned to face her and his eyes gazed over her - noticing that she was as close as she'd been to him in many years - his throat swelled up. The words wouldn't come at first, and his heart raced. He made a mental note to himself that now was not the time to break down and cry. "Christine..." He finally managed to whisper, but once her name was uttered the words ceased again for a few moments. Then he noticed Catherine. His heart ached and he grew saddened by the state of the girl. He turned back to Christine. "Forgive me..." He pleaded softly. "I never meant to hurt her - and physically I did not - just...emotionally." His voice trailed off as he thought about his and Catherine's last face-to-face conversation. You can rot here in Hell, she'd said. Those words still haunted him. He got down on one knee and looked at Catherine, his eyes pleading to her to forgive him. "I am so sorry, Catherine. Please, I never meant to upset you the way I did. I only wanted to help you be a great singer like your mother. I wanted to give you the same opportunity that I gave her." He glanced up at Christine quickly, his heart still fluttering knowing she was so close. "I beg you to forgive me. I understand if you never wish to see me again, but forgive me, please." He paused, choking on his words. "I...I can't bear to be hated by yet another person I care about." His thoughts flickered to Christine when he said this, but he couldn't look at her again.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Catherine's cries grew more into a strangled tone as he had admitted to finally hurting her, but, she did something unexpected. She embraced the Phantom. "I-I missed you." She started shaking, wanting him to hold her and at least acknowledge that she was there. "I miss you! I miss singing! I miss everything! I miss your song!" The shaking got more violent. Christine couldn't look at the two of them for a while. When she did, she nodded. "I can forgive you as long as you stop comparing my daughter to me."

 

[Guile]

The Phantom held onto Catherine tightly - the moment she had embraced him tears had started falling again. "I missed you too..." He whispered, allowing a moment of silence to pass between them before Christine spoke. His face reddened at the realization that she knew at least some of what he'd been confessing about her. He tenderly broke the embrace and stood. Only then did his look into Christine's eyes again and he was once again stunned at how close she was to him. He could reach out a touch her again - but he wouldn't dare to do so, despite how much he wanted to. "I..." He cleared his throat nervously, "I will, Christine. I apologize. It's hard not to. If I may say so, I only ever meant it as a complement...you...you should be very proud of her. Which, if I know you at all, I know you are." He smiled down at Catherine, before looking back at Christine noting that he'd never felt as uncomfortable as this before in his life.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine looked back at her husband in their box. I must do this quickly. She threw her arms around his shoulders and kissed him. This feeling that Christine was feeling broke her heart. She loved both Raoul and her teacher, but was married still. She had to stay with De Chagney. She loved him very much. She broke the kiss mere seconds after it began. Catherine messed with her dress, trying not to show how much this was hurting her. "Mother, I want to sing again." She spoke softly through sniffles. Christine smiled at the masked man. "Will you have her back?"

 

[Guile]

The Phantom stumbled a bit under her sudden embrace. He felt her lips against his for the first time in years - something he would have died for any moment of his life - and, for the first time in a long time, he cried tears of joy. Though, he had to admit, they were more bittersweet. Christine was married, there was nothing he could do to change that. She loved her husband but, was it possible that she loved him still as well? When the kiss broke he felt like a part of him had just died - he longed for more, but he understood - he would have to settle for that, for now. He looked at Catherine, and smiled a sympathetic smile as he knew why the girl looked a bit hurt, then he turned back to Christine - the joy over flowing again as he looked into her eyes. "Of course!" He choked out through his tears of joy. "I would be honored to have Catherine as my student again." He grinned widely at Christine, feeling his heart beginning to tear and mend itself at the same time. These mixed emotions were confusing him, but there was nothing he could do but let it run its course.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine smiled at the two others. "You see,Catherine, he will have you back." Her daughter smiled as well and took the Phantom's hand, planning to leave to the catacombs with him, alone. Christine felt uneasy. "Will she come home safely, sir?" She asked as began pulling the girl away.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom let Catherine take his hand - grateful for the touch of a person again - before smiling genuinely back up at Christine. "Don't worry," he reassured her softly, "I'll watch after her as if she were my own daughter." He promised - and he meant it. He took one last, long look into Christine's beautiful eyes, before allowing Catherine to lead the way out of the box.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine smiled and whispered so that no one heard. "She is yours." The confession that ate away at her for years was finally out and, hopefully, Raoul was going to be okay with the truth of the child's origin. You see, that one night she spent with the Phantom led to them making love with each other. Christine never told anyone about this night and convinced Raoul that Catherine was his. I should have told the truth then instead of now. Christine felt relieved to finally have that off her chest after such a long time.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom, of course, did not hear Christine's confession as he and Catherine were already out of box five and making their way down the halls. His thoughts were consumed now by the moment he had just shared with Christine. Also, he couldn't help feeling overjoyed that he had Catherine back as a student. She truly was wonderful - she deserved to go far in the business, and he wanted to help her do it.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Catherine, once wrenching the trap door open, jumped in and started running ahead of the Phantom. "I can't wait to get started again! It's going to be wonderful! A wonderful lesson in an exquisite setting!" Her body still ached with pangs of hunger and she still looked very much like a walking skeleton. She reached the boat first and took her normal seat in front of him and at his feet. "Okay, I'm ready." She looked back at him, eagerly. "Don't worry. I won't sing that song. That's Mother's song, I know."

 

[Guile]

The Phantom watched her running ahead of him, her enthusiasm forcing him to smile widely. His eyes gazed upon her lovingly and couldn't help but wish that he had a child of his own. The thought sent a stinging sensation through his heart, but at Catherine's voice he perked up again. He couldn't describe the way he felt when she started acting this way - all giddy and excited as if he were the keeper of all the secret's she'd ever wanted to know, and now she was about to be told them all. he took his spot in the back of the boat and began rowing. When she promised not to sing that song, he smiled a half-smile. Thank you, child. Thank you for understanding. He thought to himself before speaking out loud. "I'm very glad to see you so excited about starting lessons again, Catherine. I must admit I am just as excited as you are!" He laughed quietly to himself. "If you're so eager to begin...I'll let you pick a song to sing. Any song you want, dear. Just...sing your heart out." He grinned as he rowed on, anxious to hear her sing again.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

She was still very shy around him. She didn't know why. It was just strange for her to be back here after she had already told him that she wasn't coming back to him. "I'm sorry I said those awful things to you. It wasn't right and I was out of line." She pulled her knees to her chest again, same as always. "I will never, ever hurt you again." She listened to the boat rock against the walls every now and again and the pleasant sound of the Phantom raising and lowering his ore. "I'm happy that you decided to take me back. I'm astounded that you did, actually. I'm sorry I removed your mask and yelled at you. I'm sorry I left you alone down here."

 

[Guile]

The Phantom kept on rowing, listening to her words and feeling truly sorry that he had caused her so much pain and mental stress. Still, those words from that night kept haunting him. He hoped now that they had both accepted each other back into their lives that the memories would stop haunting him - at least the ones from that night. "Catherine," he said softly and sweetly after she had finished speaking, "I forgive you. I forgave you the second those words came out of your mouth that night. I...did deserve them. Honest, I did. I should have been more...aware of your feelings for me. I should have stopped it while I had the chance. I am the one who should truly be sorry - and I am, very much so. But, the past is in the past. It's time to forgive...and forget." He added, "the best that we can" knowing very well it would be hard for either of them to forget that night for some time to come. "I'm just glad to have you back, child. I've missed you beyond words."

 

[Saiyan Princess]

She looked even more guilty. "I do wish that you..." she stopped for a few minutes, "I do wish that you would have chosen to move on sometime, but, I realize that I cannot force my mother....from your song." She felt tears coming and breathed deeply. "Honestly, the day we met, I was horrified. I act strong in place of fear a lot." She smiled to herself. Just once more. She wanted his love once more, but knew that it was impossible. She banished that thought quickly. "Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world, purge all thoughts of the life you knew before." She sang to herself, secretly praying that he would sing, but, again, this was Mother's song.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom gazed upon her from behind with a sad smile on his face. He knew how much she cared for him, but just couldn't bring himself to love her in the same way he loved Christine. He did love Catherine though, but he loved her as a parents loves their child. He rowed in silence, then he heard her begin to sing. He smiled, as he knew what it was. He decided he would sing this sone with her. Hopefully, no consequences would result from it, but he had to sing something with her. So, he began where she left of. "Let your soul take you where you long to be. Only then, can you belong to me." He smiled at her, a friendly smile, knowing it would make her happy that he was finally singing a song with her.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

She thought of those words and knew that they were only meant for her mother, but that didn't hurt so badly now. She was resigned to the fact that he only had a heart for Christine. She hid her half smile from him as she stood. The boat had stopped now. "Don't you think that it would be nice to clean some of this up a little, Master?" She asked softly as her slippers touched stone. "Something so beautiful shouldn't be like this." She thought carefully of what she said. "I-I didn't mean that, sir." She turned around just as she sat on the single bed.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom laughed, the sound echoing through the room, but he did not do that intentionally. It tended to echo a bit down here, as it was mostly empty space now. He climbed out of the boat and looked around. "Why, Catherine. I do believe you are right." He shook his head, with a smile on his face, at the dirtiness of his home. "It needs put back in order." He agreed and thought like my life that seems to be cleaning itself up, for the most part. "I don't want to bother you with that though." He took notice, not for the first time, to how frail and sickly she looked since they last saw each other. He did not want to make her doing anything strenuous, well, ever. But especially not now - at least not until she was back to a normal health state. "I can fix the place up after you've gone." He offered.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"But, I..." she tried to argue that she wanted to help him, but took notice of the look on his face and waved that thought from her mind. "Will you...." she paused again. "You don't...." she tried again. "Would you mind....taking your mask off when you're here with me?" She felt guilty for asking so much of him in such a short reunion period. "I just want to prove to you that I'm not afraid of you. That you can be yourself around me." She shivered on the spot, not only from the cold, but the wait for the explosion of rage that might occur.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom contemplated her request. Then, he searched her eyes for a deeper meaning behind her words, but he could find none. She meant what she said, and that made him smile. He slowly reached up and took his mask off. "Alright," he whispered, "I'll do as you ask." Then he added, "just promise me, Catherine, that if you ever feel uncomfortable and want me to put it back on, you'll tell me. I promise you that I won't take offense. I will understand." He smiled sweetly at her, then laid his mask on top of a table that was amongst the rest of the rubble in the room.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

She returned his beautiful, sweet smile as she reached a hand up to touch the scarred half of his beautiful face. It felt strange, indeed, but she smiled nonetheless. "You're so beautiful...and good and sweet and kind." She whispered softly as she continued her caress. "I will never ask you to cover your beauty, Master. Just as you would never ask me to leave you." Her hand never left his face.


Her parents, hundreds of feet above them, were conversing together. "Raoul, Catherine is not your child. She's the Phantom's child." Christine confessed to him. He shot out of his seat. "My, Christine, how?!?" He wasn't angry, he was shocked.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom put his hand over the young girl's small, frail one. He looked into her eyes with such appreciation, such love, before embracing her. "You are a wonderful girl, Catherine. You will make a young man very happy someday." His eyes teared up at the thought of this sweet girl whom he looked to as a daughter with a man. "Don't settle for anyone less than you deserve - and you deserve a great deal, remember that." He ran his fingers through her hair as he held her close.