Love's Redemption A Phantom of the Opera Story

by Filhound

This is a sequel to Phantom Phoenix. For five years the Muhlheims and De Chagny's have lived peacefully in Normandy. Erik is now a beloved husband, father and friend. He has received honor and recogition for his many talents. But will he, and those that he cares about, be able to maintain their hard earned peace? Or will the dark forces that threaten them destroy everything?

1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 March 15, 1886 near Rouen, France

Erik and Christine Muhlheim were awakened by the happy squeal of their four year old son Gustave. The tow headed green eyed boy landed right in the middle of their entwined bodies followed by two large mastiffs and their two year old daughter Caroline. Erik growled at all of them in mock severity. He threatened to thrash them all but was contented to tickle the two children instead. He was greeted with both children's happy laughter. Christine arose more slowly but smiled at the interactions between father and children.

Erik gleefully looked over to his ever beautiful wife and told her "Happy anniversary, mon ange." His emerald eyes beamed love towards his wife and children.

Christine smiled at her husband and reached over to give him a kiss. Their eyes locked for a moment and declared their mutual love. Their five years of marriage had done nothing to diminish their love for one another, in fact, the opposite had occurred; it matured and deepened. Christine and Erik had long ago flushed out any lingering secrets or unease with one another. Their souls had joined and healed much of Erik's earlier pain and sorrow. He had come a long way from the solitary bitter and broken man who had once terrified the Opera Populaire and even Christine. But he never forgot where he had come from either.

The man who had been reborn from the ashes of the Opera Populaire was still cognizant that each smile, kiss, touch or sound of laughter was a precious gift. They meant more to him than all of the honor and monetary fortune that he ever received. He had spent his first thirty five years enjoying none of those simple things that most other people took for granted. He loved all of it, even the rare arguments that he and Christine would have. He knew that even a disagreement meant that she cared about him. He loved playing with their two children. He was beginning to teach Gustave how to play the piano, and found that the boy shared his musical genius and many of his other gifts. Caroline was still young but was already talking and saying many things that went beyond what most two year old children could do. He even loved his two large often dirty dogs, aptly named Odin and Frigg, who often jumped into their bed together with the children pretending to be lap dogs.

When the hubbub had died down, he turned to Christine and whispered hoarsely "Wait here, I have ordered for breakfast to be served to us on the terrace."

A moment later several servants arrived and transformed the balcony into a flower festooned garden reminiscent of the glade where they had been married. The children's nanny took them away for their own breakfast leaving the couple alone together to enjoy their meal. Erik pulled out a chair for his bride and then opened a box that was sitting on the table. He took out a sapphire necklace and earring set that matched Christine's vivid blue eyes.

He placed it around her neck and admired its beauty. "Bon anniversaire de marriage mon petit ange" he whispered from behind her, giving her a gentle kiss.

Christine turned to him and said "Oh Erik, it is beautiful. You spoil me so."

She stood up and reached for his face cupping it in her hands and giving him a passionate kiss. When they were done, she got up and returned and brought him a box as well. He opened it and looked at her in amusement. They were golden handcuffs with an inscription 'To my angel of Music, Your chains are still mine eternally', love Christine.

Erik laughed at the gift remembering how he had once told her that, long ago, at the Opera when his love for her seemed to be hopeless. His emerald eyes moistened joyfully as he admired the finely crafted object.

He put his hand on her shoulder and gazed into Christine's loving blue eyes and told her "What a very inventive and interesting gift Madame Muhlheim. I shall treasure it.

"You know that it was always the truth; you held my heart in thrall even back then, even when I did not yet hold yours."

Christine shook her head "No, mon amor, you had my love from the beginning. I was just a foolish child who did not know what her heart truly wanted. I always wanted you."

Erik teased her "Wanted me? Remember my face? Remember my dark soul which was even more twisted than my face? You are altering the past to suit your own needs. I was as mad as a rabid dog, and my face reflected my spirit."

Christine smiled insisting "You are wrong my dear, there was nothing wrong with either your face or your soul, I just didn't recognize that at the time. You were handsome in all things and now you are even more. You and I are chained together in this life and for all time and I would not change that for a moment. Do you notice that I provided no key? I willingly tie my destiny to yours for now and forever more."

Erik laughed "An eternity with you, I could see many worse fates then that."

He pointed to the beautiful gardens below that stretched all the way to the river. All of it was theirs and more. "Look below us and all around us my love. This is all ours. We have created a paradise here, heaven on earth. I once promised you this dream and you believed in me, your poor angel from hell, you brought both of us to this moment."

She shook her head "No Erik, you brought us here. I followed where you led us. I wish that this moment could last forever, just you and me, so happy, so content."

He looked at her and agreed "I wish for that too, but that is outside of my powers even as a great magician. But we can make these moments as frequent and lasting as we can, as long as we live we can make the best of the time that we do have. I pinch myself every day to make sure that this is all real and not some dream that I invented."

She hugged him. "If it is a dream then we are having the same one and it is glorious."

Erik pointed to the food and said "We had better sit down and enjoy our breakfast before it gets cold Cook will be displeased with us if we let all of her efforts this morning be in vain."

She laughed "You are afraid of Therese, Erik the once feared Phantom of the Opera? You are afraid of our ninety pound cook."

He smirked "Absolutely Madame, she spent the past two weeks helping to plan this. She can be very moody when she does not get her way, like a certain other small soprano that I knew intimately."

Christine replied "Then we are going to toughen you up somehow, bring out that side of you. The Phantom has not had much to do lately."

Erik smiled "He doesn't mind in the least bit to spend time in retirement. Both the Opera and I seem to be getting on fine without him for now. He has hung up his Punjab lasso in favor of more gentlemanly pursuits such as hunting and playing cards with the Comte. Speaking of the fop I invited Raoul and my sister for lunch today. They are bringing the young Vicomte, Erik to play with our kids."

Christine laughed "Erik, he is quite a handful; he definitely does not take after his father who was a very sweet tempered child. He is more like you and Severine."

Erik snorted "Exactly, who needs that overbred noble blood when you can have our stronger potent blood in your veins. I will not have my namesake grow up to be a simpering fop like his father."

Christine observed "Who has become your best friend and surrogate brother."

He looked at his wife and joked "To satisfy you. Someone has to protect him. He is too pretty to help himself." He shrugged with mock severity "A man has to make some sacrifices for domestic tranquility."

Christine laughed "Which you seem to do with great enthusiasm."

Erik looked up from his food and smirked "When have you ever see me do anything halfway?"

Christine smiled at him "Never my angel. You pour your heart into everything that you do especially being a great husband and father."

Erik replied softly "Shall I practice the husband part?" He glanced over to their bed "As you said I like to do everything with great enthusiasm."

Christine sighed "I wish that we had time to do so but you know that the De Chagnys will be here in an hour and your mother, brother and Dominique a little bit later. Meg, and her fiancé the Baron de Castelot Barbazac, will be arriving with her mom on the two o'clock train from Paris."

Erik remarked dryly "Another effete aristocrat I presume."

Christine replied "Hardly, Meg tells me that he spent the last six years in Cochinchina. He was a colonel of a regiment of the Troupes de Marine in Saigon. Meg told me that he was quite anxious to meet you. Apparently he left France right about the time that your fame as the Phantom was in full bloom. He wanted to meet the man who set Paris buzzing for so long."

Erik sneered "Another student of the macabre no doubt."

Christine laughed "You are always so skeptical of meeting new people Erik, why do you always believe the worst of people; why not look for the best instead?"

Erik told her "Another product of my past as an outcast Christine. I may now be considered a hero of France because of my apprehension of Philippe; but inside, I am still the same antisocial creature that I have always been."

Christine reached over and took his hand "I wish that you wouldn't speak that way Erik you are well loved and sought out by many and you know it. You are no less amiable than anyone else. If anything, you are warm and charming and a great conversationalist."

He smiled "I thought that you said that we needed to get ready for our company. If you keep talking like that about me, we shall have to make them late."

Christine smirked "They would understand since they are, in some ways, more loving then we are."

Erik smirked "Nonsense my darling wife, no one could be more in love with their wife than I am with you, particularly not that boy. Now I really am going to have to show you. The Phantom will not stand for any defiance of his wishes."

Christine laughed "Then ravish me here and now and so that we can give our guests our full attention."

Erik bowed to her gallantly and eyed their bed "After you Madame Muhlheim."

They were definitely a few minutes late to receive their guests.

Sometime later the couple emerged from their room to greet the Comte and Comtesse De Chagny. The little Vicomte was already off and playing with his cousins in the nursery. Erik and Christine came into the drawing room where Raoul and Severine awaited them.

Severine was pregnant with their second child and due in a month or so.

Erik noted the radiant look in her eyes and commented "You look positively radiant my dear sister, your condition agrees with you I think."

Severine replied "Thank you Erik, but Raoul can't wait for me to deliver; he has been a veritable saint to put up with me these past months. I am not always the most companionable wife."

Erik looked over to the Comte "I don't feel sorry for you at all; you knew what you were getting when you married my sister. Be grateful that I have not taught her how to use the Punjab lasso yet."

Raoul smiled "Well you finally taught me. I daresay that I am almost as apt at using it as you are."

Erik remarked "Almost fop, but not quite there. You lack my vast experience at using it on real people. There is a big difference between lassoing a pole and a person."

Raoul replied "Why do you still call me a fop? Severine insisted that I cut my hair years ago and you dress just as fashionably as me. I don't call you monster or fiend or thing anymore. I would like some respect, Phantom."

Erik laughed "Sorry fop, old habits die hard." Erik ruffled the Comte's perfect blond hair.

"You are still too pretty for your own good. If we popped a wig on you and a skirt you could most certainly look the part."

Severine gave her brother a warning glance "Behave yourself Erik; you know that Raoul thinks of you as an older brother as well as a friend. Why do you tease him so?"

Erik told his sister "Because Jean Paul is not gullible enough to tease and I never had a younger brother to make fun of. Besides the boy is such an easy target. Since I can no longer practice with my lasso on him for fear of your considerable wrath; I need to use other tried and true techniques to keep him humble."

Severine laughed "Who is around to keep you humble, brother?"

Erik looked at Christine and smiled "Isn't it obvious? my fierce Viking bride! Who else could have transformed a monster into a man?"

Christine came up to him and jabbed him in the belly. "How dare you call my husband a monster? You were never such a thing."

Erik snickered "That's not what you told me earlier when I captured you, my fair lady and ravished you like an ogre in a fairy tale."

Christine blushed and giggled "You are my handsome prince, not an ogre, you always were."

Raoul looked at both of them mediating with mock severity "Perhaps we will try a compromise. Christine you will concede that Erik was at one time, in great need of improving his communication skills. Erik you will admit that you were not as bad as we thought that you were. You went a little overboard with your attempts to make yourself understood."

Erik laughed "I admit nothing. I can see that your new position with the foreign ministry has done you some good. Your six months in London last year has added to your skill as a diplomat."

Raoul replied "Perhaps so if I had been able to smooth over the row that we had with the Countess of Swinford. Severine did not endear us to her when she called her a snotty old cow. We would still be there if the Lady Swinford did not pressure the embassy to send us back to France for consultation." He smiled at his Comtesse and told Erik, "Your sister almost destroyed the two thirds of a century of peace between France and Great Britain."

Severine looked at her husband and reminded him "She was an old cow, and she was very snobby. When she found out that I had married above my station she would have nothing more to do with me and forbade her daughters to associate with someone of 'such low birth and breeding.'"

Raoul observed "Perhaps because you incurred her hostility by telling her your opinion of how inbred the royal families of Europe were getting. You observed that if war ever breaks out between all the different countries in Europe it would be more like a family feud than a fight for national pride."

Severine shot Raoul a barbed glance, Erik could see that his sister was still bothered by the old argument.

"It is not my fault that the ladies could not take a little criticism of their antiquated political system. We French are much more intelligent than most other European countries we have thrown off our kings and emperors and are now a republic. I hope that someday soon they will grant us women the right to vote" Severine averred.

Raoul rolled his eyes "She criticized their system, yet married a Comte. I think that her real problem became obvious several days later, when she found herself to be in her current delicate condition."

Erik laughed and turned to Christine "I hope that you are not going to start spreading Severine's radical ideas around. I think that we can afford to have only one scandalous character in our family and I have created enough of that for all of us."

Christine replied "I prefer my behind the scenes role of taming you. Now that you rile up and spoil our children, it has become a full time job for me just to keep you all out of trouble. I don't have the energy to dabble in politics. I will let Severine fight for us."

Severine looked at her husband and smiled "I am out of it for the time being. Little Erik has become a terror. I overheard one of the servants calling him Le Petit Fantome the other day, perhaps we should have named him for someone who is a little calmer, like his stepfather Georges."

Christine looked at Raoul "How are your parents doing? It has been quite some time since we have seen them."

Raoul replied "They will be coming for the gala in July to celebrate the completion of Erik's repairs to the Chateau. Speaking of which Erik, did you find a new subcontractor after Jean had to back out?"

Erik nodded "Yes, although I do not really care for this new one. He had great references from all concerned but there is something about him that unsettles me. I wish that he was not the only bidder. I would have rather had you put the gala off, to give me time to find someone else."

Raoul replied "But if, as you said, he had great references and you could find nothing off about him in his background, then you have made the right decision. I know that you are proud of your ability to see people for what they are Erik. As long has he has done solid work in the past does it really matter that he is not the sort that we would ask to have brandy and cigars with?"

Erik looked at him and acknowledged "No, and I have contracted with him because you are my client and I am aware of your wishes." Erik's eyes twinkled mischievously, "You reminded me, not too long ago that I wasn't the sort of man to have brandy and cigars with, but we cemented our alliance in so many ways." He continued thoughtfully, "Nonetheless I wish that Nadir did not return to Persia to handle his family emergency. He could have helped us to look into this man more. I don't have the time to do so and to attend to all the other matters right now. I did hire an investigator to dig into the man's past dealings. I used the same firm that Nadir used to investigate Philippe and to exonerate me. So far you they have found nothing to confirm my misgivings about the man. Strangely that in itself bothers me, since most people do have some sort of skeleton in their closet. You and I are both examples of such."

Raoul sighed "I know that you have an uncanny ability to read peoples true nature, but this timing is important to us. It commemorates the sesquicentennial of the elevation of our family from baronets to Comte. It is important to me that we have the opportunity to celebrate something positive in our family history since we are still trying to recover from the damage to our family's reputation that Philippe imposed on us with his horrific activities."

Erik agreed "Don't worry you have my word that it will be finished on time. I know what it means to you and am trying to keep a close eye on this new contractor but I cannot babysit for him."

Raoul put his hand on Erik's shoulder "You don't have to do so. I will heed your advice and will watch him myself. So far it is turning out splendidly. We are already enjoying the greenhouse that you put in. The fresh herbs really made a difference in our meals this winter."

"I have modified these plans several times since I first drew them up for your brother after you and Christine rescued me from the mob." Erik told him "Now that the current Vicomte De Chagny is my nephew and namesake. I have to make sure that he will inherit something lasting."

"I think that it was an excellent idea to turn 'Guy's Suite' into a wine cellar, I do not want to see some distant heir of mine turn out like Philippe and want to use it as a dungeon once again." Raoul observed wryly.

"My short experience there cured me of keeping that room intact. I do not like to design torture chambers after doing so for the Shah of Persia. A wine cellar seemed to be a great way of exorcising the ghost of your unsavory ancestor from the Chateau."

"Severine tells me that you just expanded the size of your own cellar. May I see it?"

Erik replied "Of course. I would love to show you my most prized bottle of wine. I just acquired a 1787 Chateau d'Yquem."

"Do I have to keep my hands to the level of my eyes? I still have a slight aversion to following you down into cold dark places." Raoul joked.

Erik laughed "Only if you try to take what is mine, Monsieur le Comte. My lovely wife has only tamed me on the surface; the Phantom still lurks within me."

Christine shot a glance at her husband "If he is there would you please tell him to stop telling his scary ghost stories to Gustave? He has been getting nightmares about them."

Erik shot her a chastened look. "I only wanted to tell him some old family ghost stories, De Chagny here has crazy old Comte Guy, and we have the Phantom. I didn't mean to scare the boy only to treat him to learning his heritage."

Christine asked "What family heritage? Comte Guy lived hundreds of years ago; our family specter is still very much alive."

"All the more for him to appreciate the blessings that he has; I want him to know that he did not receive them without the sweat and pain of my misbegotten youth. I am grateful that neither of our children was born with my deformity" Erik told her.

Christine smiled at her husband and then turned to their guests. "Why don't we split up, Erik you can show Raoul your new wine cellar and Severine and I will go to the drawing room and wait for Meg, her mother and the Baron. We are in the middle of knitting some new outfits for the baby."

Erik turned to Raoul "Come on fop, I know when we are not wanted."

Raoul joked "You go first; I prefer it when I have the high ground when descending into your cellar. Have you added any trapdoors to the route?"

Erik told him "Just one but I haven't tested it yet perhaps today is as good a time as any. Care to be my guinea pig?"

Raoul laughed "I will gladly give someone else the honor; perhaps you will find that the Baron will be a good candidate."

Erik nodded his head "Perhaps, knowing how frivolous little Giry can be I suspect that her Baron is even younger and prettier than you."

Raoul replied dryly I certainly hope so, it would be nice if you were to receive fresh game for your traps. I am sure that the Baron will be sorry that Meg brought him here to meet us."

They both laughed. Christine still loved it when they teased one another. It reminded her how far that they had all come since those dark days in Paris when their jibes were real and potentially very deadly. She was ecstatic that her childhood friend and her husband had not only resolved their differences but had become close friends.