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

[Guile]

The Phantom watched the party from the shadows. He scanned the large, yet packed room for Catherine. He didn't see her at first, but then he smiled as she saw her walk into the room. That's when he noticed her with Edward - that sight made the Phantom want to be sick. I suppose her they put her up to this to make her feel better. He did not want to cause a scene, so he decided to wait in the shadows until he could go and speak to her where she was alone.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

And come it did, about half an hour after her warning. Her name and many others were called to the center. She looked around for Christine, who was urging her forward with a wave of her hand. Raoul was positively ecstatic at this sight. His daughter was paired with a magnificent suitor! He copied Christine. Catherine had no choice but to allow Edward to pull her closer, his left arm around her waist and his right hand in her left. As soon as she took her first dance, she ended up stepping on Edward's toe. He winced, then glared at the girl, who tried to shy away from him. "Watch your step, my dear girl." He said as quietly as he could with venom in his whisper. She merely kept dancing. "I apologize."

 

[Guile]

The Phantom stood in the shadows and watched as his daughter was forced to dance with this pathetic excuse for a man - if one could even call him that. He was a child and behaved like one as well. He saw Christine and Raoul watching them as well, Raoul looking rather ecstatic about the whole thing. It's almost as if he forgot that Catherine is a human being that has a right to choose her own destiny. Edward is not the young man she wants - and he certainly isn't the one that deserves her. He wondered why Christine would allow such a boy to take her daughter anywhere, though he didn't blame her.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Something in Christine's mind was screaming at her to turn around and look up, and she did. He was right there! "My love, what ails you?" Raoul asked in a soft tone. "I'm fine. I just thought I saw him." She didn't mean for "him" to sound rude, but if she spoke the name, surely it would attract attention to the father of her child. Raoul understood immediately and shrugged it off. Catherine tried her best to work with Tremaine, but, he was constantly threatening her, causing her to be very tense and scared.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom watched this pathetic display before him: Catherine being forced - for her mother and Raoul's sake - to dance with that...pathetic child, Christine standing there letting it happen, and Raoul seeming to control everything. The anger rose in the Phantom and he wanted to scream. He wanted to tear that little prick's hands off his daughter and beat some sense into Raoul. But he couldn't. If he drew attention to himself here, in front of all these people, chaos would spread throughout the building.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

When, at last this particular dance was concluded, Catherine sighed in relief and stepped away from her partner to get some fresh air out on the balcony. It was true, she was indeed beautiful and the life of the party, and Edward wasn't the only one interested in her. As she leaned on the balcony and wiped tears away, she sighed. "I wish you were here again." She spoke words of a song she knew. "It would make things much easier."

 

[Guile]

The Phantom watched as the dance concluded, thankful for that simple mercy, and followed her to where she went out on the balcony. He walked up behind her and watched her for a few moments, listening to what she was saying. He smiled sympathetically at her, even though he knew she didn't know he was there. Finally he said, "you look beautiful tonight." It was all he could think to say to break the silence.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

She smiled. "There's only one man that speaks to me from behind rather than in front of me." She giggled to herself. "I'm so glad that you're here, my father. My Angel of Music." She hesitated. Should I do it? Should I turn around? She finally reached her decision, turned around, and like an excited little one, embraced the Phantom. "You made it!" She let go almost immediately. "I'm glad you made it." She pointed out Christine. "Mother is over there if you wish to speak or dance with her."

 

[Guile]

The Phantom laughed at her first sentence to him. So my awkwardness does come in handy. He laughed silently to himself. When she turned around his arms were already open, waiting for her and hoping she would jump into them. When she did the phantom held her tight until she pulled away. "Of course I made it! Why shouldn't I have?" He smiled at her, his eyes glinting with the pride of a father. When she pointed out Christine he turned and glanced at her. She looked beautiful tonight as well. She looks beautiful all the time... He thought to himself before turning back to Catherine. "As much as I'd like to, I don't think your mother would appreciate it." His eyes glazed over with a hint of sadness. "Even if she wanted to speak or dance with me, I don't believe Raoul would be too thrilled about it." He tried to brighten himself up for his daughter - he didn't want to ruin her night because he was sulking over Christine.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Catherine's smile was a mixture of both happiness and guilt. Happy that her father had come to the party, and guilt that she hadn't known who he really was. "I understand, s- Papa." She blushed a tiny bit. Was it too soon? Looking into his eyes, Catherine saw that he was glad that she was there, and ecstatic that Christine had accompanied her. This made her feel even more guilty about the kiss they shared so long ago. "Um, would you like to dance?" She asked as she gently pulled on his hand. "Or, would that be asking too much?"

 

[Guile]

The Phantom perked up at the word 'papa'. He had never in his life thought he would be called that, and it brought tears to his eyes - joyful ones. He blinked them away and smiled at his daughter, who was lightly pulling on his hand. As he moved out towards where she was taking him to dance he grinned. "Of course, darling." He willingly let her lead him out onto the floor. "I would love to dance with you." Inside his heart was about to burst - this was going to be his first dance with his daughter.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

She saw how happy her father was and she was happy for him, but on the other hand, if he was caught, it would be all her fault. "If I embarrassed you just now, I apologize, Phantom." She returned to calling him that in a whisper, so as not to attract unwanted attention. "I was just excited about you being here, that's all." Christine and Raoul joined in on the dance floor, carefully stepping into a waltz. They looked so peaceful, with Christine in a peach colored gown and the Vicomte in red. Catherine wore her baby blue dress loosely and comfortably, wearing no corset, unlike her mother. "Do forgive me, sir." Catherine continued.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom watched Christine join Raoul on the dance floor, his heart starting to ache. He shook his head sadly and turned to his daughter, trying to put a smile on for her. "Don't worry," he whispered, "I understand." He placed one arm around her and pulled her to him in a small hug. "I wish I could go out there," he said glancing wistfully once again at Christine - whom of which he could pick out from flashes of her peached colored gown amongst the crowd - then turned back to Catherine, "but I'm afraid I would...you know, cause a commotion." He sighed, wishing once again that he wasn't known to the world as a monster.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

His child understood why he was so distant and reached up to turn his head to face her. "Please, if you do not wish to dance with me, tell me. I know you love my mother and that doesn't deter me from you at all." She put a small amount of distance between them with a smile. "Go ahead and go to her." She was now a foot from him. Christine had been watching them over Raoul's shoulder. "Raoul, I can't do this." She let go of him, as he did to her. His heart ached painfully, but he understood her position as she journeyed toward the Phantom and Catherine and cleared her throat. Catherine stepped away, leaving her parents alone.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom looked into his daughter's eyes and he hoped more than anything that she really did understand. He placed his hand on the side of her face and smiled at her, not realizing that Christine was coming over. "Thank you, my child." He kissed her forehead and stood, allowing her to put a bit of distance between them. When Catherine started backing away from him, looking at someone over his shoulder, he turned around confused. When he saw Christine he smiled calmly, but inside his heart was beating nervously. "Christine..." His voice faded out as he looked her up and down - this close to him she was even more beautiful, if that were possible, than she was when he had seen her walk in. "You look beautiful tonight." Was the only greeting he could manage.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Catherine curtsied to the both of them. "Yes, Father." She escaped to the crowd of people. Christine smiled at him. "Hello, my friend." She reached out for his hand. "I see you're settling in nicely with your child. It means so much to a young one to have both of her parents with her." She kissed his hand softly. "Raoul understands us, my dear." She whispered softly still.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom watched Catherine go with a bittersweet feeling in his heart. He looked into Christine's eyes as she took his hand. He looked down at their hands as if he couldn't believe that they were touching, and when he looked back up into her eyes his were beginning to tear up. He blinked them away as she spoke. "I couldn't bare to see her have to grow up without her father - now that we all know I am her biological father. It wouldn't be fair to her." He whispered. "Plus, I want to be there. I love her." He added as she kissed his hand softly. He wrapped his hand around hers a bit tighter and ran his thumb in circles over her skin. He looked over at the vicomte and once again felt that familiar sadness in his heart, but this time it was for Christine. "I'm sorry." He whispered to her. "I'm putting you in such a painful position..." He couldn't finish his sentence, but he couldn't help thinking about how much pain he must be causing her - she loved her husband and him. That must be so hard to live with, and the Phantom hated himself for putting her in such a position.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

"As I said, he understands us. He understands that I have to speak to you and be around you...for Catherine." She lied about who it was for. It was for her daughter, but she was also doing this for herself. "I'm glad she has you as her father. She is learning so much from you, as I hear. You have given her more than life. You have given an angel's song to her."

 

[Guile]

The Phantom nodded in acceptance, but inside he still felt as if he was doing something very wrong. "I'm glad he understands." He finally managed. "And I'm glad you want to speak to me - even if it is only for Catherine's sake." Those words stung his heart, but he felt that they were true. Why should she be speaking to him if not for Catherine? Christine owed him nothing, and if it wasn't for the fact that they shared a daughter then she would probably still despise him for what he did to her years ago. "I'm glad she is taking what I have been teaching her to heart." It secretly meant a lot to him that his daughter cared about what he said - not only because she was learning to sing, but because he was her father. "Although it comes as no surprise to me - she's a very good student." He added, "you both have raised her to be a very respectful young lady" with a smile.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Christine felt her head lay against the Phantom's heart. She shut her eyes and dreamed of her childhood. "I love you so much. It pains me that you are still suffering. I still remember my days as a girl. I looked forward to your voice every day." Raoul heard bits and pieces of his wife's confession and sighed, removing his ring and walking out into the night. Catherine made a move to follow, but hesitated.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom closed his eyes and held his breath for a few seconds when she laid her head against his chest. He was sure she could hear how fast his heart was beating and he let his breath out in a quivering sigh. He raised his arms hesitantly and wrapped them around her waist, placing his hands on her back. His eyes still closed, he let his memories drift back to when he, too, was a child in the Opera House. He remembered the first time he saw Christine, the first time he heard her voice. "I love you, Christine." He whispered in her ear. "I always have and I always will." He hadn't noticed the vicomte walking out, and he continued. "I remember the first time I saw you - I watched you every day for years after that. And every day since I have thought of you - most nights I dream of you." He didn't add the 'between the nightmares' part.

 

[Saiyan Princess]

Reaching up, Christine felt the edge of his mask and thought of taking it off in front of everyone, but stopped. She couldn't. She loved him far too much. Instead, their lips met and she didn't stop kissing him. "My Angel, take me with you." Christine begged him, not knowing her husband disappeared until Catherine sprinted over, pushing people as she came. Her eyes were puffy. "Father is gone!" She screamed, referring to Raoul. "Mama, please!"

 

[Guile]

The Phantom held her close and when their lips touched his heart burst with all of the emotions he had ever felt in his life - he felt as if he were in Heaven. He was about to answer Christine, tell her that he would - he would take her anywhere she wanted to go; do anything she asked of him - when Catherine ran up to them screaming and upset. He broke away from Christine's embrace hesitantly and looked down at Catherine's tear-filled eyes. He looked back at Christine and felt all the love he'd ever felt for her rising in his chest. Then he thought about the vicomte. He had probably overheard them - what if he was angry enough to turn vicious again? What if he tried to hurt the two women that meant the most to him in this world? "I will find him Christine." He looked into her eyes seriously, as if hinting to her that he didn't want her to follow, for it could be dangerous. Then, he turned back to Catherine. "Did you see which way he went, dear?"

 

[Saiyan Princess]

The child was in so much pain. She felt that this was partially her doing. She was the result of Raoul's pain and sorrow. "Can I come with you, Papa?" She had her hands on his forearms, squeezing them. "This is my fault and I wish to make amends with him." She gave the same look her father gave Christine, who shook her head. "Child, we will stay here. Your father will bring Raoul back to us." She held her against her chest and sang to her. "Don't you worry." She whispered when she finished.

 

[Guile]

The Phantom could not bare to endanger their lives, and he would have had no choice but to refuse Catherine's wish had Christine not interfered. Before he made his way out, he turned to the girls and kissed them each in turn: Catherine on the forehead, and Christine softly on the lips. With a last look at both of them, he left the building and started down the dark streets after Raoul. He called out for the vicomte, but there was no answer so he continued on searching.