Christine's POV

The days began to fly by like the seasons. I remembered when summer just began, when Erik took me for my first slice of pizza, when he and I shared numerous walks on the busy boardwalk. Now, summer was nearing its end, and winter would soon be upon us. My husband's park had gone from a broken down piece of land, to a place full of wonders. It was nearly completed, and by next spring, Erik would open his new world. After the night of our argument over Raoul, he and I did not bring it up again. Raoul went back to Paris with his mother, probably not returning again until Phantasma was bound to open.

It was strange seeing Coney Island's summer crowds slowly disappearing one by one. Most days while Erik was at work I would stand on the balcony of our flat, watching the docks crowd with people leaving for the winter, or taking in the beauty of the sun and the ocean. Erik was like an over protecting hawk when it came to me. It was as if the bigger my stomach became, the more he would worry and his restrictions and rules grow. Mr. Squelch would chauffeur me into town when ever I needed to pick up an order of groceries, but that was the extent of my outings, at least when Erik was at work anyway.

One morning, I awoke to the slightest breeze teasing my bare arm. I covered myself completely with a blanket, and rolled over to notice that Erik was no longer in bed with me. Most nights he wouldn't sleep, and would only stay with me out of kindness. When I would finally fall asleep, he would rise and work on paperwork or music until the sun rose. I worried for him, but I knew better than to ask about it. If I did, he would only become angry. No, this morning the balcony doors were wide open, making it obvious as to where the breeze was coming from.

I placed a hand over my overly pregnant belly, and walked towards the open doors. There, at the edge of the balcony stood Erik, gazing out at the slowly rising sun. His arms were behind his back, and his facial expression seemed to be filled with such sorrow and worriment. There were a lot of days when he seemed worried and on edge, but I never asked him about it.

"Good morning, Erik."

He did not turn, only answered me in a emotionless tone.

"Oh, good morning, Christine."

"You're usually gone by now, darling. Are you not working today?"

"Everything is complete."

"If everything is complete, then why do you sound so upset?"

Erik shrugged, and I approached him to stand beside his worried body.

"I wouldn't say that I'm upset, perhaps just a bit frightened about how others will see me come spring time. What if I become the laughing stock of the city?"

I placed my hands on both shoulders, forcing him to look down at me.

"Erik, you will be no such thing. You are a genius, and they will come to see that too."

"I….I have auditions today at the new opera house, Christine. What will people think of me when they see me sitting there in the auditorium?"

I pressed a light kiss to his lips, and smiled.

"Erik, you are a beautiful person. You have so much to give the world, and in the spring you're going to have a park and a new baby."

This seemed to lift his spirits.

"Yes…..a baby."

He said this as if it were poison coming out of his mouth before blowing past me, the tails of his overcoat flowing gracefully behind him.

"Erik? What's wrong?"

Erik was at his desk, rummaging through his drawers as if he were just doing it to distract himself from answering me.

"The more you bring up this child, Christine, the more I become worried for you. You're in constant pain, in constant agony, in bed all the time. My seed is causing you nothing but pain. This child is going to be hideous, I can just see it now."

Erik threw off his black mask, and buried his face into his hands.

"Oh, Christine, I'm so ashamed."

"No, Erik, our child is going to be beautiful. I'm nearly into my sixth month, Erik, and you have done nothing in help of preparing for its arrival."

"What would you like me to do?" Erik growled. "What else can be done! I've filled you with my monstrous seed, isn't that enough!"

"You promised me that you were going to finish the nursery, and you have yet to do so. I kept this child because I wanted to give you something else to love, Erik. I kept this child because I thought it was going to make you happy."

"Well, you've made a mistake! I'm worried all the time, Christine! I worry at work, I worry when I'm laying beside you at night!"

"Worried about what?"

"That this child is going to kill you. You look ill all the time, Christine. I see pregnant women all the time when I'm working and they look happy, they look tan and healthy…..But not you. I've poisoned you with this child, I've poisoned your body. Which is why this child is going to be the only one you're going to ever bear…."

Erik was in tears now. But I knew there was nothing I could say that would make him feel any better. He had it in his mind that our child was going to be hideous, and I knew until it was born that he would just go on thinking what he wanted.

"I don't have time for this croc of bullshit!" Erik spat, shooting to his feet. "I have auditions today and I'm already late."

"Erik, let me come with you." I pleaded. "Let me sit with you today."

"No, Christine, you know where you need to be."

"You have the nerve to stand there and call me ill, Erik, when you never take me outside! I'm like a vampire! Maybe if you took me out once in a while I'd be tan and healthy. No, you keep me locked away in a clock tower like some kind of helpless invalid. I'm pregnant, Erik, not dying! You're the dying one."

"You little temptress!" Erik threw a pile of papers on the floor as he grabbed his notes that were needed for the Phantasma auditions. "If you know what's good for you, Christine, you'll stay put!"

And just like that he was gone. But was I about to stay put? Of course not! I was not going to lay in bed again. I was going to go to the opera house and watch the auditions. After sneaking out of the clock tower, I walked towards the opera house that I had yet to ever go into. It resembled the one in Paris all to well, the statues and gargoyles matching perfectly. Once inside, I pushed past the crowds and crowds of people waiting to be let on stage to show Erik that they had something worth watching when Phantasma opened next spring. I quietly entered the auditorium, and tiptoed myself down the rows of seating so I wouldn't disturb the current dancer that was dancing on stage. Erik was sitting four rows back from the stage, staring endlessly into his hands as this horrible act went on. I took a seat three rows back behind Erik, and stayed quiet.

For five more minutes this woman flapped her skirts on stage to a song that was so horrible, that if I had to listen to it any longer my ears would surely bleed.

"Enough!" Erik shouted.

The music finally ceased, and the woman tripped and landed on her behind due to Erik's sudden outburst.

"That will be all, Miss Bargentine."

The woman didn't say a word, and held her head high as she exited the stage. When the next person came out, Erik looked up from his paper work.

"Your name?"

"Alice Smith." the woman in a short red dress replied.

"All right, just do what ever you're going to do."

The woman was obviously going to sing, and as soon as she opened her mouth and the first few notes came out, it was like hearing Carlotta all over again.

"Next!"

The woman gasped.

"What? You didn't even listen to-"

"Next! I said next!"

"You're a despicable man!"

Erik didn't answer the woman and buried his face frustratingly into his hands.

"This is doing nothing for my nerves." I heard him mumble.

"Hi, Mister E."

From out on the stage, Meg came walking out. Erik looked up, and began writing something down on his notes.

"Hello, Meg. Do me a favor and save me from such talentless people."

Meg giggled. "I'll try my best."

I sat there and watched as Meg danced around the stage to a song that was being played by a man on the piano. I also watched Erik's expression. It didn't change, but at least he wasn't screaming for her to get off the stage. He let Meg dance around for at least five minutes before he motioned for the music to stop. It came to an abrupt halt, and Meg seemed worried.

"Did….did I do something wrong?" she worriedly asked.

"No, I've seen enough of your dancing. It's acceptable. Can you sing?"

"Um….well, I do, but it's probably not to your liking, sir."

"Let's see."

"What do you want me to sing?"

"Anything, just sing something."

Meg stood there thinking for a moment before telling the piano man what to play. When the familiar tune began, I knew this wasn't going to go well with Erik. She was singing my song, the song I had once sang in front of the whole audience in Paris.

"Think of me, think of me fondly when we say-"

"Stop, Meg! You will not sing that song." Erik snapped. "Anyway, your voice can improve. Much! Just brush up on your singing and I'll be in touch with you."

"Yes, sir, and thank you."

"Good, now skedaddle off my stage."

I didn't know what had gotten into Erik, but he was being a complete monster. He was afraid of what others were going to think about him, and yet, he was acting like a monster. I know I should have stayed hidden, but I couldn't let Erik continue acting like this, for when spring came around, his life would be a living hell. I stood up from my seat, and moved to the one directly behind him.

"Erik, your attitude is completely out of hand."

My husband spun around, standing up and grabbing my arm violently.

"What are you doing here! I told you to stay!"

"I'm here, Erik and I need you to know that you are out of hand."

But Erik didn't answer me. He forced me out of the auditorium, as I tried pulling away.

"Erik, stop! You're hurting me!"

He dragged me all the way to his office, where he threw me inside, causing me to land on his couch.

"I told you to stay home! I'm going to teach you about listening to your husband!"

And then he lifted his hand, lifted it so high as if he were going to strike me with it. I was cowering on the floor, sobbing, my dress torn from when he grabbed me. Everything had slowed down, and when I dared to open my eyes again, he too was crying.

"Oh, Christine, what have I done?"

"You're a monster, Erik. All I wanted to do was comfort you, make you happy, and yet you hurt me."

Erik fell into his chair, and punched the wall beside him.

"Oh, Christine, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I've been so stressed. This whole park has me on edge. I'm supposed to be this person in charge of everything, and yet, I don't even have control over my own life…."

But what could I say to him? His actions were still unacceptable.

"Look, Christine, just go back to the flat, and I'll be there as soon as I can. I'll…..I'll make it up to you somehow."

He leaned in to kiss me goodbye, but I only pushed passed him. But I did the one thing I always did, never listened to him. No, I didn't go home, I found myself at Feltman's, sitting under the covered patio looking out at the ocean. For hours I sat there sipping on a glass of lemonade, and thinking about my life. My child would be born soon, and Erik didn't even seem to care. I cared, but he didn't. When the sun went down, I sat there staring into the lit candle that was in the center of my table. Since summer was just about over, Feltman's was now empty.

"Christine, there you are." I heard Erik's voice, and turned to see him headed my way with a handful of red roses. When I realized it was him, I went back to staring at the candle.

"I've been looking all over for you, Christine. I got worried when I returned home to find that you weren't there."

Still, I didn't answer him.

"Christine, I'm so sorry for the way that I've acted today. I don't know what's been wrong with me."

He placed the roses down in front of me, but I swiped them off the table with my arm. They immediately scattered at our feet like red raindrops falling from the sky.

"I know exactly what's wrong with you! You don't want this child, and you're taking your anger out on everyone around you…..even me."

I was in tears again, crying into my arms as I laid my head down on the table.

"You don't want this baby, Erik! I should have gotten rid of it when I first found out, but I didn't because I thought you would be happy."

"Oh, Christine, I'm not upset because I don't want this child. I do, I know deep down that no one in their right mind would have ever kept a child from me, but you did. I guess I'm upset because you're happy over this child. I'm upset because deep inside I know I'm getting you excited for a let down. To see your happy expression change to horror when you hold our baby for the first time…Oh, Christine my heart and anger is already rapid. I tried letting it out on the everyday living people, and yet, it still came out on you."

"You hate that I'm happy? What do you want me to be? Miserable? I'm not your mother! I love this child, Erik, and I don't care what it comes out looking like. Maybe looks are everything to you, but they're not to me!"

"I've been an angry person, Christine. I lay awake at night dreading the coming months, the birth, everything. I thought by avoiding finishing the nursery that it would delay the pregnancy, but…..Oh, Christine, I'm such a foolish monster."

When I lifted my head, Erik was picking up the roses I had pushed off the table.

"I'm still upset, Erik. You always do this, you always make me feel terrible and then apologize to me. I can't be with someone who enjoys making others upset to gain their happiness."

Erik got down to his knees, holding his hands up as if he were praying to God.

"Never, Christine, never has Erik ever made you upset to gain his happiness. His anger is out of foolishness and nothing more. Please don't be angry, love, please. Erik promises that his worries for your happiness over this child are over. Just please, please never say that again. Erik loves you with his whole heart."

Erik reached out on the table, and grabbed a sharp knife that was placed on a napkin, and held it against the center of his chest.

"Erik would pierce his own heart just to prove to Christine that he never means to hurt her."

I placed my hand over the handle of the knife, and pulled it out of his grasp.

"Don't do that, Erik, please."

He nodded, and placed the roses back on the table.

"I…I actually had something for you tonight, but it seems pointless now that you're angry with me."

"What are you talking about?"

Erik motioned to the roses that were laying on the table, and I couldn't help but notice that one had a black ribbon tied around it, but that wasn't all. No, there was something glimmering from around it. Curious, I picked it up and there before my own very eyes was a ring. But not just any ring, the ring I had given back to him the night I left his lair.

"Erik, this is the ring I gave back to you."

"You don't have to accept it back, but I've been planning on giving it to you for a while."

"Why now?" I curiously asked.

"Ever since the night you told me that you wanted to stay married to me, I wanted to give you that ring. When you told me you wanted me and only me, I knew this marriage meant more than just documentation. I just didn't think it was going to last, so I waited. You don't have to wear it now, Christine, but when ever you wish to do so, you'll have it."

"What about you?" I asked, untying the ring from around the rose stem. "You don't have a wedding ring."

"Monster's don't wear them, Christine."

I didn't respond to this, and placed the wedding ring into Erik's hands.

His face turned to horror, as if he were thinking that I was giving it back to him.

"You don't wish to be married to me, Christine?"

I smiled, and held out my left hand.

"No, darling, I wanted you to do the honor."

Erik slowly reached out his hand to place the ring on my finger, but he lifted my fingers to his malformed lips and placed tender kisses all over them.

"Oh, Christine, Erik promises to never lash out on her about this child ever again. He wishes he could take all the pain his Christine is feeling and bring it upon himself. Just tell me what to do to make it up to you, and it shall be done. Erik promises this…"

"Erik, do you know what I really want?"

"No, love, but tell me, tell your Erik what you wish."

I clasped my hands around his own, and lightly squeezed them.

"Anything you want, Erik."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm tired of telling you what I want, Erik. I want you to do something nice for me, something that is coming from your heart. If you can do that, Erik, then you can place the ring on my finger."

Erik lowered his head, and fingered the ring he was holding within his fingers.

"But Erik is not a true romantic, like Raoul. Sometimes, I wish I was."

"But you are. I've seen you do some of the nicest things, Erik." I placed my hands under his chin, and raised his head. "You amaze me."

It was as if those exact words sparked his heart, for within seconds, he was pulling me to my feet and back towards Phantasma.

"Erik, slow down." I laughed. "I'm carrying our child."

He did as I asked, but continued pulling me right along through his darkened park all the way to the entrance of his Ferris Wheel. I wasn't sure what he was doing, but he opened the first car, and helped me inside. Before I even got the chance to ask him what his intentions were, he flipped a switch and the whole wheel lit up in colorful lights. I gasped at its beauty, already finding him completely amazing. After flipping a switch, the car began moving upward and Erik quickly hopped into my car before it left the ground. After shutting the door, he took a seat across from me, and told me to hold on.

"What are you doing?" I was laughing so hard from my excitement that I wasn't even concentrating on the spectacular view from outside the car.

"You told me you wanted to ride the Ferris Wheel, Christine." he said. "I promised that you'd be the first one to ride it."

"And I am?"

"Of course. Erik never breaks his promises."

When we reached the top, the Ferris Wheel stopped moving, giving me the most breathtaking view I had ever seen. I could see everything from up here. The Coney Island lights glistened across the ocean, as the chilly wind made me shiver.

"Here…."

I felt Erik's jacket being placed over my shoulders, only to notice that Erik was now seated beside me. I leaned against him, gazing out at the beautiful ocean, wanting this moment to last forever.

"Do you like it?"

"Like it? I love it, Erik. You see the world differently from anyone I know. You see these beautiful places and figure out a way to show them to others."

"Well, of course you could ride this during the day, but the view isn't as beautiful as having it shown to you at night."

"No, never in a million years."

Erik then took my left hand into his own, and slipped the ring on my finger.

"It's beautiful, Erik, just like you."

I leaned in, and pressed my lips up against his own, feeling that same sense of passion that he and I always seemed to share. It was so romantic, kissing him at the top of Phantasma. This was it, I knew this was the moment I wanted to tell him, tell him how I finally felt, tell him everything. We broke away, breathless and smiling at one another. I opened my mouth, ready to say the three little words I had been holding back on saying.

"Erik?"

"Yes, love?"

"I….I…Lo-"

But I never finished saying it because within a flash, our car began moving again. I gasped in fear, and Erik leaned over the edge, not knowing what was going on.

"Erik, what's happening?"

"I'm not sure. I set it to stay motionless for at least a good twenty minutes."

When our car finally reached the ground, the Ferris Wheel came to a complete stop, only to find that someone was in the operation box.

"What in God's name is going on!"

Erik attempted to get out, but the door to the operation box opened and out came Mr. Gumpertz! Someone I had been dreading more than anything. I knew this day would come, but why? Why did it have to be tonight? The night I was finally going to admit my love for Erik? I knew for certain that Mr. Gumpertz wasn't here to chat, no he was furious and I knew his revenge wasn't far behind….


Ok everyone, please review! Love you all! I know I left it on a cliffy, but I promise the wait will be worth it!