Wow! Within an HOUR, I got five votes back, all of them wholeheartedly saying YES! And within the next few hours I received even more reviews, with not a single one saying no. I LOVE YOU ALL! So, here it is: our LND Christmas oneshot that's not technically part of this story, but I'm posting it here anyway for all the people who wanted it. So enjoy and Merry Christmas (even though it's not actually Christmas anymore)!
Christmas Morning
"IT'S CHRISTMAS!" Meg shrieked happily, bouncing on the edge of Christine's and Erik's bed. Erik groaned and rolled over, checking his pocket watch.
"Meg, it's six o clock in the morning," he growled in his best Phantom voice. She didn't heed the warning in the slightest, but instead shook her best friend's shoulder, reaching over Christine's bulging stomach which poked out over the edge of the bed.
"Wake up, Christine," she said in a singsong voice. "Your husband needs to get into the Christmas spirit!" Christine put a hand over her eyes.
"This is not happening," she muttered. "I did not just get woken up by an overexcited blonde just to be told that it's Christmas."
"Just to be told that it's Christmas?" Meg exclaimed. "It's our first in America! It's the best holiday of the year! It's only the twenty-first one you've ever experienced! It's Christmas!" Two moans of complaint rose up to meet her. "Oh, come on, you two. Get up! Mother's got Nadir helping in the kitchen—"
"What?" Christine and Erik exclaimed simultaneously, opening their eyes and sitting up (not without difficulty on Christine's part). Meg, for her part, grinned.
"He's not that bad of a cook—" she began, purposely baiting them.
"Of course, unless you're like me and prefer not to be poisoned by breakfast," Erik said sarcastically.
"He's not in our kitchen, is he?" Christine asked in alarm. Meg's smile only grew wider. Instantly, Christine started getting up. Erik, however, stayed put. Christine looked at him, indicating with her head that he should get up.
"I'm not getting up until she leaves," he said pointedly. Christine felt a blush creep up her neck and face when she remembered that her husband generally slept with only the bare minimum of clothing, if anything. Meg smirked at the look on Christine's face, then flounced out of the room and closed the door. Looking thunderously annoyed, Erik swung out of bed and began pulling on various articles of clothing until he was fully dressed, his mask and wig included. When he looked up after pulling his shirt on, Christine was standing in front of him with a dress in hand, looking sheepish.
"Help me get dressed?" she asked, blushing slightly. Erik readily obliged—he knew it would be difficult for her to stretch her dress over her belly, even though it was a maternity dress. He stood behind her and pulled it up as she stepped into it, easing the dress over her delicate frame.
"This is embarrassing," she said with a laugh. "I can't see my own feet and I need help getting dressed."
"Everyone needs help every once in a while," Erik said gently, securing the back. He kissed his wife's temple. Suddenly he heard a sharp intake of breath. "What is it?" he asked in alarm.
"Nothing; the baby moved, that's all," Christine said a little breathlessly. She turned and looked at him shyly, pressing his hand to her abdomen. Even through the fabric of the dress, Erik could feel the movements inside. His heart nervously skipped a beat. A clatter of something or other coming from the direction of the kitchen snapped them both out of their state of mind.
"Let's go stop Nadir from destroying the apartment, shall we?" Erik said, a little too nervously for the actual comment. He put an arm around Christine's waist and they walked out.
Once in the kitchen, they were greeted with an absolute chaos. Flour was spread across every surface, bowls and utensils were stacked haphazardly, and there was a smell in the air as though something had burned. Christine blinked, praying with all her might that this was just a horrible, horrible dream. Erik voiced her concerns, speaking to Antoinette and Nadir, who were arguing with each other about something and hadn't noticed them.
"Please tell me this is a dream and that you both are not using my kitchen without permission," he said. The other two adults turned around, looking defensive.
"Don't look at me," Antoinette growled, pointing at Nadir. "I was baking some cookies and then this buffoon came in here and tried to teach me how to cook."
"That is not what happened," Nadir argued. "True, she was here first, but—"
"That's not the point," Christine interrupted. "What are you all doing in my kitchen?"
"Baking," Madame Giry explained patiently.
"Why can't you use your own kitchen?"
"Yours is much better," Antoinette said matter-of-factly. Feeling overwhelmed, Christine sat down in a chair.
"Perhaps you could help Meg set up the tree while we…er…clean up?" Nadir suggested sheepishly. Christine got up and moved to the living room while Erik declined, and started cleaning.
"You two, get out of my kitchen," he growled. Neither of the other two adults dared cross him, and exited into the living room as well, where Christine and Meg were stringing cheap tinsel they had bought around the tiny tree Meg had insisted on buying. After a few minutes, they stepped back and observed their handiwork, a silvery star made of tin sitting atop the whole thing.
"Not bad for a bunch of not-so-well-paid performers with a budget," Meg concluded happily.
"I just don't understand why it has to be done so early," Christine said pointedly, stifling a yawn behind her hand.
"It's so that we can spend as much time with each other as possible today!" Meg said. "Considering that I have to be ready for three performances in—" she checked the clock on the wall—"five hours, and won't be back until late."
"Really?" Christine asked, surprised.
"There are always lots of productions that put on Christmas performances, Christine; you know that."
"You should have told me and Erik so we could come see you." Meg shook her head.
"No, you two should spend some time alone," she said, giving Christine a small wink. Despite being seven months pregnant, Christine blushed. "And now," Meg announced, raising her voice, "We eat."
"Eat what? Nadir's poison?" Erik asked, sticking his head out from the kitchen.
"Very funny," Nadir grumbled. "But I actually did go out and get breakfast this morning after I got off my night shift."
"As long as it's none of your cooking," Antoinette said brusquely. Laughing, they all settled in different chairs in the living room, some pulled from the kitchen, with fresh muffins. Christine was entitled to two.
Three and a Half Hours Later
"Now it's time for presents!" Meg said, after they had all eaten and had simply talked and laughed together like they hadn't been able to for months. Even Antoinette had laughed every once in a while. It had been the perfect family day so far.
"Presents?" Nadir asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's tradition, my dear Persian," Erik said, lounging on the floor near Christine.
"Yes!" Meg agreed, several small presents seemingly appearing in her arms out of nowhere. She began passing them out. "This is for Christine—Erik—Mother—and here you are, Nadir."
"Meg, you really didn't have to," Christine scolded, though she took her gift graciously.
"Just open them," Meg countered. Christine unwrapped the gift to find what looked like handmade baby clothing. It was three whole little outfits—booties, hats, sweaters and more, all unbelievably adorable in their smallness. Erik received a scarf and, surprisingly, a new wig that fit perfectly. Antoinette received a locket that apparently contained pictures of Meg and her deceased husband—it was the closest she had come to crying all morning. For Nadir, there was a much-needed pair of gloves and a scarf similar to Erik's. Both scarves were handmade and had their last names embroidered into them.
"Thank you, Meg," Christine said, touched beyond words. She held the baby clothes up, examining them. They were made finely and with love; she could see that they would last for a while.
"As a matter of fact, I have gifts for you all as well," Erik said unexpectedly. Christine looked at him with surprise as he went into their bedroom and came back with several items. At Christine expression, he explained, "I hid them under the bed." He started with Meg, handing her a box. "To the only person I know who willingly gets up at ungodly hours of the morning—" moving to Madame Giry, he continued—"to the only real mother I've ever known—" and then to Nadir—"to the best friend I've ever had—" and finally, he came to his wife—"and to my beautiful songbird, I have a very special gift which I will give to you in a moment. I want to see everyone open theirs first." Christine was a little confused, but she decided to go with it.
Meg, of course, gleefully unwrapped hers in a second, shrieking with delight when she found what was inside—a new pair of carefully tailored ballet slippers and a small silver comb that would be perfect for using in performances. Madame Giry was much more restrained, though she smiled wryly when she tore the brown paper off the long, thin package—a new cane, gold-topped like her last one (she had lost her old one in the fire at the opera house.) Secretly she was sincerely touched by Erik's thoughtfulness—he knew she didn't really need a cane, and that her main reason for using one was simply out of habit and a desire to feel in control. Nadir's gift evoked laughter from all of them—a standard cookbook, which, all joking aside, was indeed something Nadir needed desperately.
"Now, for my Christine," Erik said, his voice suddenly taking on a tender shyness. He once again returned to the bedroom, holding an object to his chest and backing out so that she wouldn't see it (its odd shape made it virtually unable to be wrapped). When Erik turned around and presented the gift to her, kneeling by where she was sitting, Christine couldn't help letting out a gasp, clapping her hands over her mouth.
"I thought it had burned in the opera house…" she managed to choke out through her emotions.
In Erik's hands was her father's violin.
The strings had been replaced, the wood lovingly polished until it gleamed. It was, in Christine's eyes, a miracle. Tears formed in her eyes as she timidly lifted the instrument from Erik's hands, the wood familiar and comforting. In the opera house, whenever she thought she wouldn't be able to go on, or when she was simply missing her father, the violin gave her comfort. She thought it had been lost, but…evidently not.
Christine looked up at Erik, her gratitude plain on her face. She pulled her Phantom into an embrace, not saying a word.
Meg pointedly cleared her throat in a teasing manner, then said, "Well, I've got to be going now."
"As do I," Antoinette hastily added. Nadir just grunted in agreement, clearly not wanting to stick around and be a third wheel. Erik nodded goodbyes at them all as they gathered their belongings and left. As soon as the door closed, his gaze returned to his wife.
"I got you something too," she said softly with a little laugh, "But I'm afraid I don't have it with me."
"What?" he inquired, curious.
"A piano."
"What?" he repeated, this time with surprise.
"I know we can't fit it in the apartment now, but I did buy you one. It's reserved for you in the shop. The moment we'll be able to afford a larger space, you can go pick it up." Erik, unbelievably touched, gently kissed her in gratitude.
"Merry Christmas, my darling," he whispered.
"Merry Christmas, Erik," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and claiming his lips for her own.
It was Erik's first real Christmas, and he felt it couldn't have gone any better.
Well, I was going to make it a little longer, but that was WAY too perfect of an ending. Hope you all enjoyed it and happy holidays!