The Phantom and the Ballerina

Epilogue

It had been three days since the Don Juan Triumphant incident. 

Only a small fire had been caused and while a few people were injured there were no deaths. The fire itself had been contained to the auditorium so most of the theatre remained intact. As for Raoul and Christine, they had come back up from the lair claiming that the Phantom had disappeared, and had only kidnapped Christine as a distraction to that he wouldn't get shot. 

Juliette had a feeling that story was Christine's idea. A thank you for letting them go. All of this ran through Juliette's head as she fastened her cloak tight about her when the voice of her mother stopped her.

 "Where are you off to Juliette?" Juliette turned to see her mother standing in the entryway. Madame Giry looked the same as ever. Juliette smiled to herself. Leave it to her mother to be able to look the same even after an event like the one that had just happened.

 "I have to go and see if he is there," Juliette involuntarily clutched her locket. Her mother nodded in understanding. 

"I suppose I should have expected this. If you find him tell him to... take care." She paused and looked at Juliette sternly, "And be careful yourself." Juliette nodded, finished pulling on her dark green cloak, and stepped out into the evening. 

It was dusk and Juliette knew it would be unsafe to walk all the way to the opera house so she hailed a carriage.

 "To the Opera Populaire," she told the driver who just nodded and the carriage set off. Once she had paid the driver Juliette looked up at the building. The outside may look the same, but she knew the inside was a very different thing. 

In truth, the Populaire wasn't the same, and neither were its people. Making sure that nobody was watching, Juliette snuck around to the side of the building where what looked like a drain pipe, big enough for a person to walk through, was covered by a grate. 

Juliette knew better than to judge by appearances. Fiddling with something near the grate there was at last, a series of clicking sounds. The grate opened and Juliette quickly went through, closing the gate behind her and hurrying through the pipe.

The tunnel itself was damp and dark. This meant Juliette had to light a match so as to see the way forward. Lucky for her she already knew which traps to avoid and where, meaning that she made fast progress.

 At last she reached a curtain, which she pushed aside to real the Phantom's home. Juliette looked around. Things were spread all around music, drawings, etc. Some of it was obviously from the mob's raid but the other part seemed as if someone had been packing. 

"Erik?" she called out. There was no response. Grief and fear rose up inside of Juliette. She walked over to the organ and saw some of his drawings, one of which, she recognized.

 It was an image of three girls stretching together in ballet outfits. One girl was very young, with a white ribbon in her golden-blonde hair, the next was the oldest with chocolate brown curls and brown doe-like eyes, and the last was average height with bright blue eyes, dark-blonde hair and a slightly mischievous smile.

 "I wondered if you would come." Said a voice behind her. Juliette jumped and turned to see Erik standing behind her. He was dressed in his usual evening attire and wore his half mask. "I couldn't really think why you would come but I am not entirely surprised." He continued.

 "Oh Erik!" she hugged him. "I was so worried for you. I had to come and see if you were alright." Juliette looked around. I'm sorry for everything the mob ruined." Erik shook his head. 

"It isn't your fault." After a pause he asked, "How is Christine? I assume she and that boy are happy." He turned around and continued picking things up and packing them, clearly trying to hide his expression.