Madame Giry *seating back on the coach* Well that was the perfect Ending...
Christine, Erik and Meg *shocked* WHAT?!
Christine: The story cannot end like that! What about that rat Moore and the italian snake?
Erik: What about all the other things?
Meg: Mother, you cannot be serious!
Me: Will the three of you calm down? I'm the one writing this story and believe me it is far from ending.
I'm sorry! I'm sorry it took so much for me to update! EXAMS kept me way from writing for a long time but here is the new chapter and I hope you enjoy it. Once again I must punch my ego and say: I OWN NOTHING BUT THE CREATIVE SPIRIT TO WRITE THIS.
The kiss went on until Erik felt something press against one of his bruises and pushed Christine gently away, giving her a little peck to make the separation easier. His shoulder was hurting badly from the bruise and all the pressure he was doing to keep himself straight and able to walk was making it even worse.
"Erik, are you alright?" Christine asked straitening his hair. He was far from being alright. The pains kept him from enjoying that moment accordingly and he wanted so much to keep her smiling that he had no heart to tell her what happened. Erik smiled gently and warmly but even that made his wound hurt.
"Come let me introduce you to someone very important." Erik said changing the subject and holding her hand he took her back to here he had been sitting. Christine knew that it would take a lot of hard work to get him to tell her what had happened but at least for now she wouldn't dare to ruin the moment.
"That must be Dominic." Christine concluded once she and Erik here seating on the rock and as she glanced over to a boy with a white mask much like Erik's. The boy ran before them playing with this little girl that seemed to have a hunchback and he just seemed so alive and innocent, so unaware of his scar. There was no wonder that Erik loved this boy so much. Seeing that his nephew was far too focused in his game to be curious about the new comer, Erik took Christine's hand and placed it upon his knee turning his attention to her.
"Forgive him angel. Usually he's more curious." he said with an amused smile on his lips.
"Since when do you find curiosity an asset?" She teased him making him chuckle only to see him hold his ribs.
"He's a very good boy and so smart." Erik remarked with a proud smile on his face. "Marine is doing the best she can to help him deal with…" Erik pointed to his own mask. "I help her as much as I can by removing my mask at her house when are just the three of us and by encouraging him to do the same. It was difficult at the beginning but my sister raised her boy well.
"She sounds like a great mother and a wonderful sister. When do I get to know her?" Christine asked nuzzling against his arm making him whimper in pain. "Erik, please. Tell me what's going on."
Erik looked at her not really knowing what to say. If she didn't love him she wouldn't have followed him to America and he was certain she was still hurt because of what he had to do. He could not ask her to forgive him and to share his problems on the same day. That would be asking her too much, yet if he didn't tell her the truth he would be repeating the very same mistake that had caused him to lose her.
"How about I tell you everything over dinner at my apartment?" Erik suggested sighing, but trying at the same time to be warming and gallant. "It's no palace, but for the time being it's quite enough and you are welcome to stay as long as you like."
"You know, I might just take you up on that offer." Christine seemed to be quite enthusiastic about the idea. "Being alone in some hotel room at Coney can become rather tedious."
"And I assume that you find my company amusing?" Erik asked making her blush.
"At the very least you'll be there to save me from big bugs." Christine answered hiding her gaze.
"Well we can't have big bugs frightening my angel away. I'll make sure Merlin hunts all those pesky things around my house before your stay." Christine looked at him surprised. She had thought he was just sassing her for being a wimp, afraid of insects that she could easily squash, that they would dine and that would be just that for today but he was actually being honest about wanting her as a guest, to actually live with him for some time.
"All I have to do is get Dominic back home and..."
"How about we do things like this? Tonight you take me to dinner and tomorrow we meet for breakfast and then bring my bag over to your house." Erik looked at her protested. There was no way he would let her sleep even for a night at some second rate hotel where she would undoubtedly find some kind of strange insect and when she was about to protest he shushed her with a kiss.
"Argh!" they both heard someone say.
"Saved by the bell Monsieur Chevalier." Christine said looking at Erik intently.
"Dominic, come here." Erik called looking at his nephew who had just hidden behind sand. "There is someone I'd like to introduce you to."
Dominic stepped from behind the sand and came closer to his uncle and the lady that was with him. Christine smiled gently seeing how the boy was behaving so shyly and kept his eyes most of the time set on the ground. Dominic recognised easily the woman's face from his uncle portraits and at first he had doubted that she was real. Dominic had thought that she was an angel with whom his uncle used to dream and not as his uncle said, an angel of flesh and bone.
"It's nice to meet you Dominic." Christine offered her hand for him to shake. For her surprise the boy made a curtsy and kissed her hand.
"It's nice to meet you too, ma'am." Dominic answered never meeting her gaze.
"Call me Christine." she asked hoping this would help him to relax. "And who is your little friend?"
"I'm not little! I'm already eight." Agatha protested placing her hands on her hips. Erik looked Christine amazed. He didn't knew that she could be good with kids, but someone so innocent and kind-hearted could only be a natural in what came into dealings with these mini adults.
"Don't worry Christine. I like you. You make uncle Erik smile." Agatha said smiled getting closer to Dominic and quickly touching his shoulder. "Tag, you're it!" Before Erik could do anything to convince them to return home the two children stormed out running and continued playing.
Christine looked at Erik and saw a sad look in his eyes as he gazed at the children playing, almost like this could overwhelm the happiness of having her back. Just like he was sensing her gaze upon him, Erik squeezed her hand gently and sighed. For a moment that seemed to bring some comfort and he appeared to relax even if only a little. She wished she could say something to let him know that now she was there for him once more, that no matter how much the voyage had changed him they could go through everything together, but no words seemed to want to come out.
"Thank you." Erik said bringing with some difficulty his arm around Christine's shoulders and kissing her forehead. Somehow Christine knew that he understood what she was trying so desperately to say without her saying it. For a moment there things hadn't changed at all.
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By dinner time Roxanne had given up thinking that this was just Christine having a childish tantrum, that she would return with her bag and recognise how mistaken she was. If Erik loved her he would have not left… It was high time for Christine to redo her life and return to the stage and be the greatest Prima Donna ever. Why was Christine being so stubborn? Erik had trained her since they met each other and she was throwing the gift he had given her away.
"Roxanne, Christine is a woman now!" Angelo protested after hours of Roxanne's rumbling and walking around. "She's a woman now and you have no right to interfere in her life."
"She is my daughter and I will stop interfering in her life when she gets married and what do you know about parenting anyway? If I remember well you have the habit of running when things get serious." Roxanne spat feeling tears of worry sting her eyes. She would not admit she was wrong nor would she admit that little by little her pride was being replaced by worry and she just wished she didn't have a roughly handsome Italian man looking over her shoulder to mess up with her mind.
"Rox, I never meant to hurt you." Angelo said getting up from the arm chair.
"But you did it never the less!" She quarrelled glaring at him and seeing him completely defeated. "Angelo, leave me alone, please."
Angelo looked once more to Roxanne and tried to reach for her once more but she wouldn't react to his efforts so he left the room allowing her sometime alone. Roxanne sat where Angelo had been previously. Oh the chair was still warm from his lean body. For an old limping man he was still amazingly fit… 'What are you thinking Roxanne? The man broke your heart and Christine is out there, somewhere mad at you. Pull yourself together.' Roxanne scolded herself mentally, getting up and immediately brushing the "dust" from her clothes. 'But he is so handsome and he seemed sincere about being sorry. Maybe…' Roxanne looked to the door through where Angelo had left. 'You are fooling yourself Roxanne. Men like him never change.'
Forgetting all emotional turmoil inside her Roxanne sat where she had been before and closed her eyes.
"Mother. Mother." She heard Meg call shaking her shoulder. Roxanne opened her eyes not knowing if she had fallen asleep or how much time had gone by since she had closed her eyes. Before her stood an envelope written in Christine's handwriting with her name in it and as Roxanne took the letter, she broke the seal and then started reading.
"Dear Roxanne, my dear second mother.
I should have told you this sooner. I should have told you the true reason why Erik had to leave and perhaps, just perhaps we wouldn't have fought so much the past few weeks.
Erik was blackmailed into leaving me by Raoul. It was the only way of having him safe and alive for me, for us. Inside the drawer in my night stand there are two letters explaining details.
You are probably right and the odds of finding him are pretty narrow but I have to keep my faith high or I might as well kill myself. Yes I said it! If I can't have my angel then my live is worthless. I think you know the feeling.
I heard some of the girls at the opera house talking about Coney Island and its attractions with freaks. I hope I'm wrong but I think Erik might have gone there to find a new life. I need to check out for myself. I should be back in a week.
Hopefully I'm gone by the time you and Meg arrive home if I'm not and we had a fight over me leaving I want you to know I'm sorry. I love you mother and I will try to contact you as soon as I can, even if this, all this, gets me a lot of tongue lashing from you. I probably deserve it.
See you soon,
Christine"
"What now? Should we go after her?" Meg asked sitting at Roxanne's feet.
"You said Christine had become friends with Met's leading tenor, did you not?" Roxanne asked placing the letter inside her pocket.
"Yes but what has Jonathan Williams to do with any of this?" Meg wondered confused. "Wait! I see what you're going for. His family lives at Coney Island or so said Christine."
"Then I shall speak to him in the morning and see if he can look out for Christine. May God and her father watch over her until then!" Roxanne sighed getting up and leaving the room to look for the letters Christine had mentioned.
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Erik had dragged Christine, or Christine had dragged Erik at the unusually slow pace he was walking, all over Coney Island, first close to the park where he left Agatha with a strikingly huge man with tattoos on his face and then to her hotel were Erik and Dominic waited patiently at the bar. The building in itself had a very good structure and with the proper money it could be turned into a great place, it was already better than his house… What was he thinking?
"Uncle Erik, who is she, truly?" Dominic asked after a long moment of silence.
"She is truly Christine." Erik answered still cursing himself for taking Christine away from comfort.
"What is she to you?" the boy insisted.
"She is my angel and I love her." He confessed finishing his tonic.
"Well she's beautiful like an angel but she isn't really an angel… is she?" That made Erik laugh. Being so smart and so mature at times, Erik had the habit of forgetting how his nephew was still such an innocent child. Erik ruffled Dominic's hair and allowed him to sit on his knee, finishing his lemonade.
Christine had listened to the last part of the conversation and she felt her heart swell inside her chest. She knew by her own experience how good he could be with children but with Dominic it was different. Hopefully in time she would understand the nature of this relation, maybe once Erik introduced her to Marine she could enlighten her.
"You see Dominic there are angels that God allows to live on earth like humans and that can see the beauty underneath." Erik explained amused, trying to maintain some mysticism around the woman he loved. "You just have to be lucky enough to find one for yourself. They are very rare."
"Not as rare as angels of music though." Christine said standing behind Erik only to see him jump with surprise. That made her laugh but she was pretty sure she had been noisy. "Pardon, Cheri. Je sois désolais." Erik glared in shock at Christine feeling his blood run red from yearning. He had never expected such a common thing as hearing his native language would cause this fire to fill him, but Christine's voice even saying 'I'm sorry' made it infinitely more sweet and appealing.
"Is…" Erik coughed to find his voice. "It's quite alright. Shall we?" Erik offered his arm and then he noticed the suitcase in her hands. Erik bended himself and took hold of the handle before Christine could even react taking her bag. She was going to protest for he was needlessly straining himself but she knew him well enough. Erik was a gentleman even if a rather taciturn one at the moment and he would probably be offended if she didn't accept his chivalry. Regardless of what he would think or say, Christine held the bag's handle making sure to touch Erik's hand allowing him to lead her once more.
Now they seemed to be going to a more central part of the city as day light started to dwindle and city lights welcomed the coming night. Soon - or was it that time flew now that they were together? – Erik stopped before a four story building, placed Christine's suitcase on the floor and removed from his pocket a set of keys. His sister's apartment was on the second floor and Jonathan helped to pay the bills which made things much easier for them but still Erik was wondering what made him not pot the big question after one year of almost living together… oh well who was him to judge.
"Dominic, would you be so kind as to pick up Christine's bag and bring it up?" Erik requested leaning against the handrail feeling a little breathless and closing his eyes. Christine rushed to his side and looked at him with concern remembering far too well the last time she had seen him like this.
Being the kind-hearted boy he was Dominic asked for Christine to his uncle up stairs while he took care of the rest.
"Go and help him. I'll take care of myself." Erik said chuckling at the fuss they were both doing over him.
"Will you be able to get upstairs alone?" Christine asked gently.
"I'm sure I'll be able to get to my sister's house and then to my apartment… eventually" Erik smiled tiredly taking a deep breath. He knew he should have listened to Marine's advice to stay home and take it easy, but if had done just that probably it would take him months to get an opportunity like that, or any opportunity at all, to find his Christine. Just that made his pain and lack of air worth it.
"I must assume you live in this building, for I won't let you go up these stairs needlessly." Christine threatened facing him completely now.
"You assume right, doux coeur." Erik answered finally standing straight. "It's the fourth floor. A quiet little studio turned by the landlord into an apartment with a lot of light." Christine looked at him a lit confused. Light? That wasn't like him at all. In fact nothing that he had told her until now seemed like him, or maybe it was her. He had lived such a secluded life that only now, far from all kind of judgement even his own, was he able to be his true self. Maybe she had only seen a glimpse of he could be but never his full potential and that small glimpse had made her love him.
"Erik we can make it to your apartment and then I'll make you dinner." Christine promised placing herself beneath Erik's arm. "Come I'll support you."
"I won't have you cooking and serve as my maid when I was the one to invite you to my house." Erik protested, his voice sounding like thunder. Christine didn't even flinch but he took a deep and passed a shaky hand through his hair to calm himself for hers and Dominic's sake. "I'm sorry about that… You surely didn't need to see that."
"Erik are you alright?" a voice asked coming from above.
"Just fine Marine. A little exhausted but fine." Erik said starting to walk up stairs. "Dominic put that down and say good bye to our friend. Your mother is waiting for you."
"Are you not coming for dinner?" Marine asked potting her head above the stairs banister.
"No, I'll let you have a quiet dinner with the family and if you can share some groceries so I could cook at least too meals that would be much appreciated." Erik answered potting his own head over the banister. "I promise that tomorrow I'll come down, or up, or whatever may the case be to dine with you and your boy."
"You are her family…" Christine whispered once Erik's hear got close enough to her lips.
"Is it so wrong that I want to have you alone for myself a while longer?" He asked in the same voice tone as he pressed his lips to her temple gently. Christine smiled feeling her belly twitch with nerves, the good kind of nerves. She had missed that feeling so much and the easiness Erik had to put her in that situation. At least that hadn't changed in the months that had passed. Well, that and the need Erik seemed to always have to keep her for himself first.
Erik smiled rubbing Christine's arm gently has they went up another flight of stairs and as they arrived to the third floor they heard Marine's voice.
"Erik, after dinner I need you to check on Dominic. Jonathan and I have a date tonight."
"Ari I have a date tonight." Erik growled feeling a sharp pain to his side.
"Easy, darling." Christine cooed touching his chest. "We'll have our dinner then I'll bring you to your sister's house so you can take care of your nephew."
"What about us?" Erik asked looking into her eyes. Oh he looked so genuinely sad that it broke her heart.
"We've waited a long time to be together and that we already are. Must we also be picky?" Christine asked warmly. Erik sighed knowing that exhausted and with the pains he felt he would not be able to go up and down those stairs again. He would look after the boy but Marine would have taken him up and get him back once arrived.
Marine did not see Christine, but all the whispering and ashush-ashush made her wonder to whom was her brother speaking to and what was that talk about having a date. 'Soon Marine. As soon s you find yourself alone with that nifty fox you must pin to the wall and force him to tell you what the hell is going on.' Marine thought closing the door behind her.'I can only hope that he doesn't do anything crazy! That girl from his doddles will end up driving him to insanity.'
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After dinner Meg went to sick refuge in the study like Christine used to do. The arm chair right next to the window used to be her favourite place and sometimes Meg would find her looking at the pale moon romantically wondering if her love was seeing the same thing and maybe thinking of her. Seating now on the same spot the young ballerina could hear, clear as day, her sister's song-bird voice whispering into her ear:
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is to love and be loved in return and believe little Meg, you'll never see it coming and it will be worthless to fight it back. It will hurt you more if you do."
Seeing what love had done to her mother and then to her best friend, seeing all the pain they had gone through by accepting it into their lives, Meg doubted that love could cause any more damage if ignored, so she didn't want to fall in love and if that meant never knowing the never knowing the happiness of being a mother so be it. Sure, she could always... No that was completely out of question! Not only did Meg not have a heart or the gall to go that far with a complete stranger, but her mother would be insanely mad.
"You look troubled." She heard a male voice ask.
"I'm sorry Fabio. I haven't seen you there." Meg said getting up.
"You're probably worried with Christine. It's alright! I would be like that too if someone I loved was hurting." Fabio said with a warm caring smile. Fabio was the youngest of Julia's three sons. He was a good dancer with the lean physic of one as well. Like his uncle he had those big black eyes that seemed to hold you once they met yours and Meg found it always hard to breath when he was in the room but as the time went by she found it difficult to be away from him.
"Well signor, you seem to read me like an open book." Meg remarked seating back where she had been.
"Like any good partner should. Now, ma belle, what troubles you?" Fabio asked warmly. Sure his accent was a little funny but Meg loved his voice so warm, gentle and musical.
"Are you always like this with your dancing partners or am I just lucky?" She asked reclining on the armchair, flirting with him. Fabio chuckled siting on the coach.
"You are not just any partner, Meg. You are my friend and yes I think you are an amazingly beautiful woman." He answered smiling. "You can count on me for everything, you should know that."
"Christine as gone to Coney alone to find the man she loves on a mad-woman's suicidal mission. If this is what love looks like then I don't want to fall in love." Meg cofessed wrapping a strand of hair around her finger. That hit Fabio like a punch to his guts. Here she was this stunning woman, with golden locks, a lovely smile and eyes that would put the stars to shame gibing up at such a young age on something that some people would kill to feel.
"It's a pity, you know?" Fabio sighed. "You shouldn't quit so soon. Many man would want to have a chance to court you. As I said, you are a beautiful woman."
"Would I count you on that list?" She asked looking right into his eyes.
"You most certainly would." he answered with sincerity. Unwillingly Meg started laughing and to her dismy she saw him frown offended.
"Don't get me wrong Fabio, but you are an italian man. You won't resist to a chalange set by a woman."Meg commented getting up and seating next to him.
"And I assume your dear maman told you that." Fabio scorned seating back. That made Meg see red. How did he dare to assume... The nerve of that little man! Roxanne Giry could be and say many things but she was only looking out for her daughter... Wasn't she? It took a while for Meg to calm herself down and once she found her voice sure enough and her temper under control, she turned to look at Fabio.
"And if she did?" She asked, giving him her best smile.
"Allow me to prove her wrong to you." Fabio requested holding her hand.
"Then my friend and respect my decision." Meg answered removing her hands from his and getting up, leaving the room. It took all she had to leave the room in the most ladylike manor without slapping him across his face. He had no right to presume she was or had ever been interested in having him prove anything whatsoever to her. She could have been shamelessly flirting and teasing him, but it had always been an innocent game between friends... Right?' Well, probably a much more experienced Christine or her mother would tell her otherwise but for now that would be her little secret. Still she kept wondering… 'If it is only a game why do I feel so guilty? Why do I feel like I can't get enough of him?' Meg thought to herself felling her heart pound wildly. 'Seriously Megan! Grow up! Men mean nothing but heartache and trouble.'
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As soon as they arrived to Erik's apartment Erik fell asleep on the coach from exhaustion. In fact it had taken Christine a while to convince him to rest and allow her to make him dinner. That had given her time enough to explore the studio for herself. That didn't look anything like a musician's house. Except for the violin resting close to the broken-down coach were Erik was sleeping, there seemed to be no sign of any other instruments or any sheets of handwritten music and the lack of a piano made Christine's heart ache. How could he live without the hunger he used to have for composition? Was he starving for inspiration? It was just too painful to imagine. Christine looked around to find a complete division, with only another door besides the entrance that would surely lead to one of those new bathrooms some builders were starting to install in their constructions and as she opened the door she wasn't surprised to find that her suspicions were correct. At the furthest corner of the room she could see a wooden folded screen, no, two screens protected to most private part of the house where Christine could only find a queen size bed and a wardrobe. She allowed her hand to hover above the covers and imagined Erik's lonely frame lying there. 'Oh Erik, my poor angel.' Christine could contain a sob to come out from her chest. 'What has become of you? You deserve so much more.' All this self-loathing did Erik no good and Christine was sure that he would have to be desperate or at the very least punishing himself by living in this house which was clearly not enough for a man who had gotten to a certain comfort. Comfort? Grant it that his lair, his house used to be pretty cold but the fireplace he used to light up made it liveable, perhaps even more then this apartment he had above ground, and let's not forget he had lived for months with Nadir, who evidently praised comfort above all things. Erik was willing to offer her what he had to give and he had so little, not that that made him less appealing to love, on the contrary, it made her love him even more, but if she was to refuse this, even for the sake of being less of a burden to him… Oh she would hurt his pride and he would think her the same shallow girl she had once been. He would say that his love wouldn't be enough to get her through that kind of life. She doubted even for all the hate he had for himself he could endure this for much longer. He even lacked space to create his beloved roses.
Christine felt something jump onto her shoulder, breaking her chain of thought and for a moment there she froze. It took a while for Christine to master up her courage and when she looked at her shoulder she found a little furry fellow with two curious eyes staring back at her. As soon as she came out from her panic she heard someone knock to the door.
Christine looked at the door not rightly knowing what to do. Waking Erik was out of question. The poor dear looked far too exhausted and sooner or later everybody would know she was there most importantly his sister so it should do no harm, but what if it wasn't his sister what could she be as a woman that a respectable man could have in his house at such a late hour? A maid? No. There was only one room and a man who couldn't pay for a better house surely couldn't pay for a maid to take care of it. A nurse? That would be even more stupid that the one before. He could be wounded but it seemed to be nothing that inspired much care and he was young, not too young to need a nurse but not too old to need one either. Who would believe her to be a nurse anyway? Of a child maybe, but of a wounded or sick man it would certainly require more strength, something she lacked. His lover? NO! The thought of it being true wasn't completely unpleasing, in fact it was rather tempting, but Erik would never allow it and she wanted him all for her own. Society would put her to shame, not that she cared. His wife? That brought a smile to her lips as she thought that maybe one day she could really be exactly that and be there for him… well for now dreaming would have to wait as someone knock once more at the door.
Christine place a shaky hand on the door's knob and turned it. The woman before her was quite striking and the family resemblance was plain to see. Just like her brother she had these penetrating eyes, even if hers were in a green hew mixed with a hazel brown and not amber. Her hair was black most like his and wavy as his was when not slicked back. Her features weren't exactly delicate but not outright strong, meaning as beautiful as she was this woman had not had an easy life and that had made her strong enough for her to look wise, even if weary.
"You must be Marine." Christine assumed looking right into the woman's eyes. A gentle warm smile appeared on the woman's lips and relief filled her eyes.
"And you must be Christine Daae. My brother spoke worlds of you." Marine said with a large smile on her face. "So you are his date? His been driving himself nuts with those drawings of his, I'm glad that he found you at last." And there was something in which the Chevalier siblings were different. As Erik used to be rather a silent and stern man, Marine seemed to be quite the contrary. Only time would tell.
"It seems old habits continue even overseas." Christine sighed helping Marine to put the things she had brought inside the pantry, if you could call pantry to a small cupboard close to the sink. Christine would take him from that place if it was the last thing that she did.
"What do you mean?" Marine asked looking at Christine. "Forgive me. It is none of my busyness."
"You are the sister of the man I love." Christine answered sitting at the kitchen's table and glancing at Erik. "You deserve to know what kind of woman made your brother fall in love with her."
"Christine?" Erik mumbled in his sleep. Christine quickly got up and rushed to him. She held his hand and caressed his hair.
"For a moment I thought I had dreamed you." Erik confessed smiling wearily.
"No my love, I'm here." Christine cooed kissing his forehead.
"Is my sister here with the boy?" he enquired caressing her check. Christine looked at Marine taking advantage of his drowsiness.
"She is going to take the boy for a walk." She answered seeing Marine nod in concordance. "Now rest. I'll wake you when diner is ready."
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When Marine arrived for her date with Jonathan, bringing Dominic by his hand, she seemed to be in a completely different world. In her mind was still the image of that young woman, with long mahogany locks and greyish blue eyes, with ivory skin, the gracefulness of a ballerina and a voice that would put angels to shame, with her brother's heart in her hand. What a lucky man Erik was to have by his side one such as Christine who seemed to have such deep love and devotion for him.
Jonathan looked at the woman he loved and he couldn't stop wonder what captivated her so much. Dominic was still enjoying his ice cream as his mother's melted inside her bowl. Jonathan held her hand and got no reaction. Her hands were rough from the work at the semesters shop and her fingers had calluses from the needle that she used to do some detail work, and for all the smoothing lotion she used to use in her hands it never seemed to be enough. Still he couldn't avoid relishing the familiar warmth as he played with her fingers.
"Hum. What? Did you say anything?" Marine asked coming out from her trance.
"Nothing my love, I just find you quite distracting this evening and quite distracted as well." Jonathan answered entwining his fingers with hers.
"I'm sorry dearest." She said drawing circles in his hand. "I was just wondering what kind of woman would sweep my brother of his feet."
"Any woman would have to be an angel in human flesh to hold your brother's heart." He stated with an amused smile on his face.
"Like Christine?" Dominic asked his moth and part of his mask dirty with chocolate.
"Yes my darling, like Christine." Marine answered smiling and cleaning her son's face. "Look at you. You've made a mess of yourself."
"Who is this Christine you are talking about?" Jonathan asked confused.
"She was my brother's best pupil. Her name is Christine Daae."