Chapter 11

Ok, question time! I have a third LND fanfic on stand-by. This one is in Christine's POV. Let me know if you would be interested in reading it. – E.B.

Erik paced back and forth nervously as he listened to the horrible noise from the bedroom. As soon as the midwife arrived, she made Erik leave no matter how much he insisted on staying. Gustave sat on the chair in the living area. He was swinging his legs back and forth and seemed to be in deep thought. Erik placed his hands on his son's shoulders and tried to calm both of their nerves. The more Erik looked back on the past seven months, the more he realized how they had been the most anxious months of his entire life.

He had helped Christine do everything from the night she had told him the unexpected news to the last few moments until he got kicked to the curb. He wanted to strangle that midwife for leaving him out in the cold, but that was who Christine had wanted so that's who Christine had no matter how much he hated her.

Once Christine found out that everything was going to be okay, she decided to break the news to Gustave. He didn't really understand at first. He asked all sort of questions including the ever so famous, "Where do babies come from?" Erik felt compelled to answer him, but when he started, Christine had given him the death stare warning him not to go there. Erik didn't understand why she didn't want to tell Gustave. The boy was already eleven. He was going to find out one way or another. Erik laughed to himself as he remembered his childish mind and wonder. Gustave had so much of that same imagination.

Erik was so thankful that Coney had been on its off season during this time. True, he had spent most of his time composing for next season, but that had almost been the best part of the entire time he had off. When he played, the baby would kick. It filled his heart with a tremendous amount of joy and seemed to make his music soar even more. He had no doubt in his mind that this next season would be even better than the last especially with all of the inspiration he had around lately.

Erik didn't understand what was taking so long. He wanted to just bust down the door. He was being kicked out of his own bedroom. He knew if he didn't let his frustrations out, then he would do something he regretted. Not only would that upset Christine, but it might also frighten Gustave, so instead of breaking something, he settled for striking a few keys on his piano. He almost couldn't play. His hands were shaking with nerves which didn't help fix his frustrations. He picked up the bottle of cognac that he kept on his piano. He was about to throw it when suddenly, the door knob jiggled, and the tall lady with the ridiculous updo came stumbling out.

Erik stood and wiped his sweaty palms on his trousers.

"Mr. Y, if I were you," she said in a raspy voice that made Erik cringe, "I'd keep a close eye on that child. Something's not right. She was born silent. Don't worry, sir. She's very much alive, but something's still not right." She collected her things in a hurry and left before Erik could say anything to her. This was probably the wisest choice because Erik was staring daggers at her.

He rushed into the bedroom afraid of what he might see. All of his deepest horrors were pushed aside as soon as he saw Christine holding a small bundle of blankets in her arms. The child was sound asleep, and Christine was starting to nod off. Her forehead was beaded in sweat, and her stubborn curls were stuck to it. He walked over to her and pushed the hair away. His simple movement woke her with a start, but as soon as she saw his face, mask and all, she smiled. Erik couldn't help but smile back at her. Christine took her hand and pulled back to blankets so Erik could fully see his child.

"Erik," Christine said quietly, "this is Angeletta."

Erik carefully pulled the little girl out of Christine's arms. He held her close to his chest being extremely careful not to drop her.

"Erik," Christine muttered gently, "Don't be so tense. You're not going to drop her. I promise."

Her words made Erik relax a little bit. He stood from his chair and walked around the bed to the window. He pulled back the curtain that normally stayed closed due to his love for the dark. The light flooded in from the evening's sunset. Erik cringed as the light hit his face, but Angeletta's little eyes opened to reveal a very large, bright pair of icy blue eyes. "Welcome to the world, my little angel," Erik whispered to her making Christine smile. He suddenly turned to Christine. "What about a middle name? We never discussed that."

Christine smiled, "Rose. Let's call her Angeletta Rose."

"That's beautiful, dearest," Erik said. He looked at his new daughter. "Hello, my beautiful Angeletta Rose." The child looked back at him with an intense gaze. "One thing is for sure," he said, "she has my cold stare down."

Christine smiled. "She is most definitely all you."

"No she isn't. She's going to have your beautiful voice. I can already tell that."

"Can you now?"

"Of course, she's not crying. She's already learning how to save her voice," Erik said jokingly.

Christine didn't have the energy to laugh. All she could do was yawn. She caught a glimpse of Gustave standing in the doorway and she motioned for him to come in. He cautiously came into the bedroom.

"Gustave," Christine said, "you have a new baby sister." Gustave looked down at his feet. "What's wrong, Gustave?" she asked.

"Does this mean that you don't love me as much now that the baby's here?"

"Oh, Gustave, darling, come here!" He sat right next to her on the bed and rested his head on her shoulder as he started to tear up. "We love you more and more every day! Nothing will make us love you less."

Gustave started to sniffle. "Even when I do something bad that you and Papa don't like?"

Christine kissed the top of his head. "Even then," she said gently.

Erik sat next to them and held Angeletta out to Gustave. "Do you want to hold her?" Erik asked.

Gustave nodded, and Erik very carefully placed Angeletta in his arms. Gustave giggled as he held his little sister in his arms. Erik's hands didn't go farther than an inch from the baby.

"Erik, darling," said Christine, "she's going to be fine. Calm down, dear."

Erik wiped his hands on his pants' legs once more. He realized how hot it was, or was it just him? He didn't know. He did know that Christine looked like she had run several miles and back again. He kissed the top of her head, "Get some rest, angel. I think I can look after her for a little while."

Christine didn't want to take her eyes off of Angeletta, but she couldn't help it. Erik had started singing lullabies to the baby, and before she knew it, she was sound asleep with Gustave napping in her lap.

Erik rocked his Angeletta back and forth and sang soothingly to her. She never really reacted. She just glared at Erik with that intense stare that he himself knew so well. As he sang, she suddenly grew anxious and started squirming in his arms. He realized that she may be getting hot all wrapped up in the blankets. He set her down on the dressing table and unwrapped her. He smiled as her squirming subsided. She was absolutely perfect in every way, and Erik loved her unconditionally. He wrapped his long fingers around her tiny back to pick her back up. That's when he felt something peculiar. He hoisted her up into his arms and rested her head on his shoulder so he could look at her back. To Erik's horror, he found a veiny deformed mess all the way down her back. Erik remembered the midwife's words about something being wrong with the child. He felt anger boil up inside of him. It was his fault entirely. He pulled the child closer to his chest and began to let the tears fall down his cheek and mask. He had wanted her so much, but now he almost wished that she didn't exist. It wasn't that he didn't love her, but he didn't want her growing up like he did. He didn't want her to think that she was a freak or a monster. Christine had been right. This child was all him.

He suddenly felt his mask start to slip off of his tear soaked cheek. He silently prayed that little Angeletta wouldn't scream as he carefully placed the white porcelain on the dressing table. That's when she did the last thing Erik expected. His wife and child had screamed in horror the first time they saw the mangled skin, but Angeletta did not. Instead the cold stare suddenly gained a little warmth as she smiled for the very first time. Erik smiled down back at her. "Hello, my little angel," he said quietly as he tried not to wake Christine and Gustave. Her smile stretched, and she started to giggle.

Christine's eyes shot open as she heard the first sounds her child had ever made. In the dressing room mirror, she saw a maskless Erik smiling down at the bare baby in his arms. She was looking back up at him giggling. That's when she saw it. Up under Erik's coat sleeve, a little bit of distorted flesh peeked out at the world. At first she gasped in shock. How could she not have noticed? But then she calmed herself as she heard Erik start to sing again. She smiled at the pair. She wasn't going to worry about her dearest Angeletta Rose when she had a very wonderful Papa at her side.