No Means No!

The premise here is very simple. What if Christine grew a spine and did what we all know she wanted to do from the start? Namely, make out with Gerard Butler….. I mean, be the Phantom's love… Yes, that's what I mean…

"Go now, Don't let them find you!" Those words seem to echo around the lair as Erik said them. Christine started toward Raoul, still gasping from the Punjab lasso that just moments before had been cutting off his breath. Then, she stopped. Christine turned slowly around, and loud and clear over the sounds of Raoul's pitiful gasps and Erik soft tears, simply said: "No.".

"WHAT?" Both Erik and Raoul squeaked out. "Christine, what are you saying? You were so scared of this monster! He tried to kill me! What are you doing?" Raoul's voice was getting angrier and rougher with each sentence. Erik was still standing there in shock. "Christine, I said to forget me, forget all of this." He whispered, barely daring to hope.

Christine went over to Raoul, helping him out of the lasso and bringing him to his feet. "Raoul," she said "you have been so kind, and I know you thought you needed to save me. But I won't go with you. I'm staying with him." Raoul barked out a short, bitter laugh "Christine, you're not yourself, you've been through too much, and you're not thinking straight, come, now."

"No, I won't be coming. I'd be miserable without my Angel. I understand now why he's done the things he did, and I'm not afraid. I would be unhappy in the life you have planned for us." Christine said softly, trying to still leave her old friend some dignity and not hurt his pride.

SMACK! The sound of a slap resounded through the cave, the lake water amplifying the sound. "Christine, you're crazy! You are not rejecting me! You are not going to embarrass me, you little ballet rat! Now come along, we're leaving this awful place and that dreadful creature!" Raoul hissed out his poisonous words, right before an icy grip was felt on his wrist. Erik had somehow managed to quickly rush to help Christine without being heard. "I would not say or do such things if I were you, fop!" Erik's eyes burned as he almost crushed the bones in Raoul's wrist. Flinging him back, Erik seemed to draw on every fiber of his Phantom persona and roared "GO NOW! GO NOW AND LEAVE US!"

At first slowly, then with increasing speed as the terror fully struck, Raoul ran. Erik and Christine heard him shouting to the mob that Le Phantome was guarding the underground lair, and that they all must leave or suffer his wrath. Christine inexplicably giggled, watching him run like a small child. Then she turned, and caught Erik's eyes. He still looked so sad, and confused. He slowly turned away, heading deeper into his home.

"Is something wrong, Erik?" Christine asked hesitantly. "Oh, Christine," Erik sighed, knowing he was about to have his heart broken by this sweet, horrible girl, "I know why you didn't want to go with him. I see that you were only trying to escape his cruelty and selfishness. You will be free to go, and live your life without any chains now."

Christine shook her head with a hint of amusement "Erik, were you not listening? Didn't you hear what I was saying? When I said no, I said no to you both. No to going with Raoul, and no to leaving you."

I guess I should explain a few things about my Phantom. I love the Leroux novel, so I will be ready to refer to that at times. I thoroughly enjoy Webber's Phantom, but NOT Schumacher's Phantom (Joel Schumacher's vision of "the Phantom Of The Opera" is like his vision of Batman. The movie in my eyes was Diet Phantom.) But I love Gerard Butler as the Phantom, even though his voice will never compare with Michael Crawford. Emmy Rossum was a FAIL as Christine, sorry. And I guess you can already tell that Raoul in my eyes will always be a Pansy Fop. So any Phantom fics I write are going to be a gentle blend of Leroux and Webber.

I'm considering a second chapter to this, if my managers command…. I mean, if reviews are good and a follow up is desired *Smacks hands for quoting Carlotta the croaker* All reviews receive virtual cookies and hugs.