Author's note: This story was written for the Christmas drabble writing contest. It came in second, as well as winning the Twain Award for the most enjoyable story. I hope you'll enjoy it as well.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from "The Phantom of the Opera". They belong to Gaston Leroux / Andrew Lloyd Webber.

For Christine's sake

Neither of them had liked the idea of spending Christmas together. Yet for Christine's sake, they had agreed. After all, she was about to give birth to her first child any day, and who'd have dared upsetting a pregnant woman? No one.

If it had been for Erik, he'd have spent Christmas in his sitting room, reading, pretending that nothing was special about that day. Since Christine had left him, all days were as dull and similar as grey coulds in the December sky. What was the point in celebrating one of them?

If it had been for Raoul, he'd have spent Christmas far away from Paris, far away from the things had had made their lives a misery for the last two years. He could have taken Christine to his summer home in Nice, but she had insisted on staying in Paris, so that she could be with the Phantom on Christmas. What was the point in celebrating that?

Yet since they had both agreed, they eventually found themselves sitting at the large oak table in the de Chagny's dining room. It was Christmas Eve, and snow was falling outside. They both knew it, for they were staring out of the windows, eating whatever was on their plates automatically. The meal the cook had spent hours on preparing was delicious, but it was wasted on the two men. They wouldn't have noticed if they had been given stale bread instead.

Christine made an attempt to start a light conversation, and for her sake, they joined in, making non-committal remarks about the weather and life in general.

If Erik had been able to, he'd have asked her why she was tormenting him like this, why he had to sit at the table with his enemy, who had stolen her from him, married her and was the father of her unborn child. Yet for Christine's sake, he said none of it.

If Raoul had been able to, he'd have asked her why she was tormenting him like this, why he had to sit at the table with his enemy, who still had a place in her heart, even though she hadn't chosen him. Yet for Christine's sake, he said none of it.

As soon as dinner was over, Erik excused himself and went upstairs. The festivities would be continued tomorrow, with more pointless eating and more pointless talking, so he had been given a guestroom in which he could stay for the night. He was tired of seeing the two of them together.

Raoul excused himself minutes later and went to bed, leaving Christine behind. He was tired of her cheerful chatting of how lovely the evening had been.

For Christine's sake, both of them waited till the doors of their rooms were closed firmly before they burst into tears. It were sad tears and angry tears, tears of ignorance and tears of hopelessness. It were noisy tears. They were so noisy that none of them heard the gasps and groans coming from downstairs, announcing the beginning of what would result in a new life.

The end