"Erik?" it couldn't be he's dead she thought.

He smiled and removed his hood "Yes, my love it's me." He was so happy to see her but he wasn't sure how Christiania felt by her look. "Christiania?"

"No. No, I've lost my mind. You, you're not, you're not here. You're not real. You're, you're dead." He looked at her confused and she looked down and held her head in her hands and began to cry.

"Christiania who told you such a thing?" As he put his hand on her shoulder she jerked away and looked at him with a face full of tears.

"Why must you do this to me?" she shouted. "Why must you haunt me? I tried to go back and save you from my father but they held me back." She cried even harder remembering how helpless she felt. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you, but please, please just leave me be. I cannot be haunted by you, it's too painful, please." She wrapped her arms around herself and closed her eyes continuing to cry, but Erik would not go that easily.

He came to her and cupped her face, then she opened her eye. Erik shook his head "Christiania I am here, I'm alive, and I'm still your Erik. Please what will it take for you to believe me? Christiania please," He looked down at her stomach and let one hand travel down to rest there, he looked back into her eyes. "I love you Christiania De Chaney so much, please my love come back to me, believe me."

She just stared at him for a moment searching his eyes. Then it was all so clear to her, she felt so stupid for believing that her father could actually kill Erik of all people. She threw herself at him holding tight never wanting to let go. "Oh Erik! You're here you're really here! My love I'm so sorry for believing him I never should have even thought of something like that! Oh Erik!" she cried out as she cried tears of joy. They broke away long enough for Christiania to lead him back to her apartment.

After the door was safely locked she ran to Erik and he caught her in his strong arms. "Don't let go." She whispered to him.

"Never again." He whispered in reply pulling back to take her lips.

"I've missed you so much Erik." She took he's hand and led him to her bedroom. She slipped into the bed and he laid next to her holding her close to him.

His hand came to rest on her stomach once again and it didn't take him long to notice that she a grown some since he last saw her. He smiled and kissed her "She's growing." He said.

She giggled "What makes you so sure it's a girl?" he shrugged and kissed her again. He began to lift her dress but only past her stomach, then he broke away. He moved down to her belly and kissed it making her giggle more. Erik began to trace circles around her belly button "Erik that tickles."

He laughed softly at her. "It seems your mother is quite sensitive." He said to her stomach. He came back to her and kissed her as she smiled. Christiania removed his cloak with ease letting it fall of the bed to the floor, then the mask, and his jacket followed. Erik pushed up her dress and pulled it over her head. "You're just as I remember you. Beautiful." He kissed as she went to work with the rest of his clothes. His shirt was soon rid of and his pants followed, Erik slid off her underwear with ease.

"I love you Erik." She said with a breathless voice as he trail kisses down her neck, top her chest, and her breasts flicking his tongue out every so often. Christiania sighed and moaned with every kiss as his hands roamed her body, she knew what he was doing. Neither of them wanted this moment to end but Erik in the back of his mind feared that Raoul or his guards might have done something to her in her struggle to get back to him. Thankfully he found none the only change was plump little belly from their child. He smiled at the thought. Their child. But then he thought more and stopped pulling away some.

"Erik? Darling what's wrong?" He shook his head and avoided her eyes. "Erik, Erik look at me." She placed a hand on the scared side of his face and he turned to her. "What's wrong?"

"The baby, what, what if it looks like, like, like this?" he motioned to his face. "Could you handle it if this was the fate for your child Christiania? If our little girl-, or boy, looked as I do, what then?"

She shook her head "Then our child would learn toleration as well as love and kindness. I will not abandon my little boy or girl because of something as simple as a face. I hope that our child comes out as beautiful as you, I love you Erik because of who you are and your face is a part of that and I love it. As I will love our child no matter how he comes out."

"He? Christiania?"

"Don't you look at me like that, it slipped." She said smiling. Then he reached down to the floor and picked up his jacket. He searched each pocket till he found what he was looking for and then through it carelessly making her laugh again. He sat up and lifted her up with him. He opened his fist to reveal a beautiful ring. It was gold with a small diamond most women would have preferred a bigger one but Christiania wasn't most women, it was just right for here. "Oh, Erik I love it." He smiled and took her hand.

"Then with this ring I Orson Erik Destler ask you, Christiania Marie De Chaney to be my wife." She laughed and started crying "Yes, Yes Erik, yes." He smiled and slipped the ring onto her finger. "And if you ever repeat my first name I will kill you," They shared a laugh, and then she kissed him again and again. Later on that night they made love and celebrated their engagement and being reunited.

When Christiania awoke the next morning it was to the sound of Erik's heart beat and to the feel of his skin and breathe. She shifted her position and looked at him, he was already awake just staring at her bare body. "It wasn't a dream." She said happily with a smile.

He petted her hair and smiled "No my Christiania not even a dream could be that wonderful." He rolled her over and began to kiss her but then they were interrupted by a loud bag on the front door. Christiania jumped up and put on her nightgown that she had laid out but had no use for last night then put on her underwear and ran to the door.

"Who is it?" She yelled.

"Who else would dare to see you this early in the morning besides your brother?"

She laughed as Marcus teased "Give me a moment." She unlocked the door and let him in.

"I have food." He announced and went to the kitchen

"Alright I'll be right back." She said slipping into the bedroom and quickly shutting the door. Erik looked at her still bare under the blankets. She picked up his pants and through them at him. "Get dressed. " She ordered with a laugh. He did as told then she explained who was there and why. Marcus had been helping her think of ways to get out of the marriage and to get her away until she had the baby. After they were both dressed Erik waited till he knew it would be fine for him to come out.

Marcus smiled at her as she walked into the kitchen, he hug and kissed her cheek "And how so our Christiania this morning?"

"Wonderful actually. I had the most amazing night."

He looked at her strangely "Your date with my step brother was last night."

She smiled secretively "It was after that trust me."

He laughed "Another dream about Erik?"

"More like a dream come reality."

Marcus looked at her and just said "I'm listening."

She looked at him nervously then called to Erik "Erik." He slowly entered the room to stand behind Christiania. Marcus's eyes widened and he looked shocked as Christiania still smiled at him nervously. "Alright, now I'm really listening." Christiania motioned for him to take a seat as they all did. Both she and Erik went to explain the whole story most of which Christiania didn't know about yet. She didn't really care of what all he had to go through as long as he was here with her now. Christiania went to explain last night leaving out certain details of course. He might have been her best friend but he didn't need to know some things.

"Oh God." He said "I was interrupting wasn't I?" Christiania made a face and nodded. "Alright then and with that I leave." Christiania laughed at him. "I'll go over to Andrea's and tell him what happened and then we will all met here for lunch and discus escape plans. Now that you're here it should be less of a challenge. Bye I'll see you both later." Christina walked behind him and locked the door.

"Escape plans?"

She laughed "Do you honestly believe that I would marry Elijah without a fight?" He chuckled as he walked to her putting his arms around her waist.

"Now where we?" as he bent down for a kiss she placed a finger on his lips.

"I believe we were naked in the bedroom." She whispered seductively.

"So let me get this straight you have a plan that's supposed to work?" Andrea said to Erik taunting his last plan of escape.

"Alright," Erik said annoyed "I will admit that our last escape was not the best but I'm sure this one will work." He said with confidence.

"Really?" Asked Andrea.

"Really." Replied Erik.

"Positive?" He asked.

Erik then gave him a look "My dear Andrea have you not learned from your parent's mistakes, only pure fools are positive." He said mockingly making Christiania laugh hard. Andrea just shook his head at the comment and chuckled softly. Elijah surprisingly liked Erik as they all sat around in the sitting room of Christiania's apartment. The only down side of the plan was Christiania and Elijah had to act like they got along and wanted this marriage to happen. Christiania wasn't sure how she would make it but at least she had Erik again. With him by her side she felt she could face every demon in hell and still make it to tell the tail and she knew he felt the same. Erik loved her so much and he wanted nothing more than to spend what he had left of his life with her and their child.