Christine's POV

"I've got it!"

"What?"

Erik came up from where he was, with a small briefcase, and set it on the counter. I stared at him with confusion as Gustave crawled around our feet.

"Erik, what's the plan?"

"Alright. We'll go to Persia! Christine, it's the only place I can get peace. No one stares at me like an idiot and they are offering promising careers for me! Now, I know that there are some odd rules about the place such as women having to be escorted by men and children having to serve work but..."

"Wait! Children have to serve, Erik, Gustave! We can't..."

"No, it's not what you think. In Persia, children, male children, have to join their fathers at work. Female children have join the women in housework and other needs, but it's not terrible. And the conditions are very clean, the homes are neat, it's almost a barren town. Christine, please."

I thought. I knew that Erik loved this country, and surely we would be well hidden, but I was afraid of one thing and one thing only... money. We were anything but rich and there was no way we could just walk to Persia. And jobs, what job did Erik have in mind.

"Erik, we don't have enough..."He inturupted me before I could finish.

"Yes."

He grabbed the briefcase and dumped its contents onto the table... SO MANY FRANCS!

"Erik! How did you..."

"Do you remember the two thousand francs that I required from the managers for composing."

"Yes."

"Well... I saved up for a special occasion."

"Erik!.."

"Don't say anymore... Just kiss."

I pressed my lips tenderly to his own and watched as Gustave began to stir up. I released Erik's lips and pointed to Gustave, Erik turned around. Gustave's stood on his wobbly legs and Erik had the happiest tears in his eyes imaginable. Erik knelt down and spread his arms out for his little boy.

Gustave wobbled one step at a time to Erik. He was almost there, just close enough to his hands. Gustave stretched his arms out and fell into Erik's arms. Erik caught him with a smile sweeping across his tear stricken face.

Erik stood up and kissed Gustave all over his little forehead. Gustave playfully giggled at Erik's many kisses and I just patted Erik's back encouraging him to go on. I loved this display, Erik was the perfect father and I couldn't ask for more than this.

"Puh... puh... puh... Papa!"

"Huh! He spoke..."

"Muh... Mama! Mama, Papa!"

"That's right! This is Mama, and that is Papa. Good job, Gustave."

Erik's POV

We had just gotten off the train and departed at Bonab in a small residence. Christine, trembling, held my hand with Gustave in her other arm. I had everything wrapped in one arm, our luggage and so on.

Right by the train depot, luckily, was some rather expensive apartments. But I wanted the very best for my family, they deserved it.

"Two bedroom suite."I said, placing eighty Francs on the nice mans desk.

"There is one more open for two months. Is that in convenience for your family?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'll be right back with the keys."

The man departed and I was really surprised to see a man that I hadn't seen in twenty years... My old friend, Nadir Khan.

"Nadir!"

He turned and recognized me immediately. Nadir came rushing up to me and stared confusedly at Christine, holding my son.

"Erik, erm, I never expected that you'd ever have..."

"It's a long story. You see, I silently taught her to sing for a while as the Angel of Music. I was the Phantom of the Garnier and..."

"Oh! The famous Opera Ghost story? It's everywhere, Erik! I can't even get my own wife to stop reading it."

"What do you mean?"

He handed me a paper, The Époque, and I read the headline... Vicomte De Chagny further explains the Opera Ghost situation. And I was infuriated, how could that dastardly man give further explanation. Even Christine has realized that it is not a good idea to press my buttons, and oh boy was he pushing them right now.

"I!.. I'm glad I moved back to Persia so I wouldn't have to kill that stupid boy! Come, Christine!"

"But, Erik..."

"COME!"

She nodded and sat down in the chair I required her to. I stood and waited for our room key. The manager returned and I accepted the keys from him.

"Come on, darling. I'm sorry for the way I yelled earlier..."

"... I know. I'll come in a moment."

"You can't just stay right here. The Persian assulties will have you arrested if you stay alone, without a man."

"Alright."

Christine followed me into room one thirty one. She set Gustave down in the opposite room and laid out his blocks to play with.

She watched him play for a while, patting his back and kissing the longer black hairs. Gustave would always turn around and stare at me for a little before returning to his building. He had gotten tired after several minutes of playing with blocks and came up to me, lifting his arms and pleading for affection.

I lifted him up and kissed his cheeks over and over. Christine was always happy about me doing so, maybe I was a good father after all.