Surprise! The next chapter is here, I know how you all have been waiting for it. :) It's not as long as its predecessors but I'm sure you will forgive me for that. :)

Thank you for your reviews, faves and alerts, I'm so glad you keep enjoying my story despite what I'm putting you (and our favourite couple) through.

Also, can't believe I've reached 100k words just two chapters ago! Whee! :)

I want to briefly say that I made up Erik's childhood, I just kept Boscherville from Kay's Phantom. His past is made up completely by me. Some of you may wonder about Erik's and Christine's age, so let me clear this up. Erik is 37 (32 in Paris), Christine is 23 (18 in Paris), Isabelle is 30.

Enough of me boring you to death, read on and enjoy!

Both Christine and Meg turned at the sound of Isabelle's voice behind them. Her face was unreadable and as her eyes drifted from Meg to Christine, she wanted to disappear. There was a fire in her eyes that was familiar, but she couldn't place where she had seen it before.

"Meg, could you please give us a moment?" Her friend nodded and gave Christine a last look before skittering away. Isabelle watched Meg go and then turned to her. "Come. Let us sit." They sat down at a small kitchen table that offered a view of the whole backyard, the man, the boy and now Meg playing happily.

"I have never realized Erik didn't tell you the truth until I heard you talk with Meg today." Isabelle gave a little chuckle, which completely changed her earlier countenance. "I do not know why he kept it a secret but I should not be surprised. It is Erik, after all." She smiled at Christine, who found her fingers folded at the table's surface all too fascinating. Isabelle laid her hand across hers. "Christine, no matter what happened between you in the past, I know he could never look at you as his sister."

For the first time Christine looked up and into Isabelle's eyes. The older woman's lips stretched into a soft smile. Christine had trouble processing what she had just been told. Sister? Erik and Isabelle were...siblings? The wave of relief that washed upon her at this revelation left her almost physically weak. She groaned and buried her head in her hands. She felt incredibly foolish for thinking Isabelle was Erik's lover. She had often wondered what was so familiar about the woman and now that she knew, she could see the distinct resemblance and now understood why Charles looked so much like Erik, despite Edward being his real father.

"I feel so foolish."

"Don't, it is not your fault. You thought we were lovers?" Christine just made a noise in agreement. "And that Charles was his son?" Mortified, Christine moaned and this time laid her forehead on her folded arms on the table. Isabelle laughed heartily but she could not see what was so amusing. After all, the thought of Erik having a child and loving another was painful. But then again, Isabelle didn't know the scope of Christine's feelings.

"He never told me he had a sister." Christine sighed then shook her head. "But he didn't told me much about himself at the Opera. I only know bits and pieces from his childhood."

"He did not know me back then. It was after the Opera burned down that he found me, by accident." They looked outside at the playing trio outside in the garden. Isabelle smiled fondly at the scene. Erik briefly looked up and a flash of concern passed over his face when he saw Isabelle and Christine sat together in the kitchen window. With Charles' arms wrapped around his neck he started to the direction of the house but Isabelle just smiled at him and slightly shook her head. He watched them for a few moments before the boy begged him to play another game.

"A couple of weeks after the disaster, he came to Boscherville, a town where he had been born and lived with our mother before he ran away. We met by coincidence at the mayor's office. Erik came for the copy of his birth certificate, I was there to settle our parents' inheritance. He could not believe I was his sister and I was so shocked and at the same time happy to see him. I never knew I had a brother until one day my mother told me. She was very frail and sickly and wished that she could find him and apologize for the way she had treated him. It wasn't easy to hear what she had put him through and to my shame I resented her after that for a long time. Unfortunately, she died before I could find him. I did not even know where to start or if he was still alive. She left him a letter in case I ever found him."

"What about your father?"

"Before I was born, he was in the Navy, so he was often away. He wasn't there when mother fell from a horse when she was pregnant with Erik." Christine took a deep breath, sensing where Isabelle was going with the tale. "She was about two months along when that happened and had no idea she had irreversibly harmed her child, leaving him with a deformity that has been the cause his soul is so scarred. When he was born, my mother was horrified but my father...he loved Erik so much. He did not care for the deformity, he only saw a beautiful boy." Christine's heart ached for Erik and his father. "Erik was about two when father had to leave for duty again and leave Erik in the care of our mother." Isabelle paused, evidently distraught by the events that followed. "I wish he had never left, Christine! Things would have been so very different if Erik had been shown love from the very beginning. Father loved him but he cannot remember that for he was too young."

"He ran away from home when he was five. When father returned the year after that, she told him Erik had run away. She did not tell him the reason why. Father was heartbroken and they had moved to Amiens to escape the memories. That's where I was born two years later and grew up. They never told me I had an older brother, I do not know why. Father never stopped in his search until he died ten years ago. Mother died seven years ago."

"When I met Erik at the mayor's office, I thought that my father was standing there. It was him, exactly as I remembered him when I was younger. Charles Garnier had always been a very handsome man and the man standing next to me was the spitting image of him, save for the mask. We had a very, very long talk. At first he was reluctant to trust me but eventually he told me everything. When we settled our parents' inheritance, Erik invited me on a journey to England. There he met Edward and introduced him to me and the rest, as they say, is history." Isabelle concluded with a sigh. Her tale was heartbreaking and Christine's heart went out to her family.

"I am sorry about Edward, Isabelle." She reached out and gave Isabelle's hand a gentle squeeze in support. "He was a good man." Christine remembered the last time she had seen Monsieur McNeil, the day Erik had left London. Even though he had not liked her, in the end he had helped her.

"Thank you. I am glad that he was able to be there the first two years of Charles' life." She smiled sadly, a faraway look in her eyes as she remembered her late husband. They sat in silence for a long moment before Christine felt the need to break it.

"I should apologize." Isabelle looked up at her in surprise.

"Apologize? What for?"

"For not telling you the truth. In London."

"There is nothing to apologize for. Had I been in your situation, I would have probably done the same. I think you have handled the situation remarkably well. I don't think I would've been strong enough. Do not worry about it, Christine."

"You do not mind me being here? After all that I've done to Erik..." She trailed off when Isabelle shook her head.

"I do not blame you for your actions, Christine. You were so young and my brother he can be quite...well, intense. If he hadn't been so...him and courted you properly like any man should, none of this had to happen. As much as I'm protective of my brother, I could not hold that against you. We all make mistakes." Christine was amazed by the woman's ability to forgive and hoped that she could befriend Erik's sister again. It was so easy to talk to her and she was surprised at how different Isabelle's and her brother's personalities truly were.

"I should have never left. You see, the last few days in London opened my eyes. I should have stayed in the Opera that day, maybe I would have realized sooner..." Isabelle looked at her curiously and she blurted out. "I love your brother, Isabelle." Whatever Christine was expecting, a wide smile on Isabelle's face was not among those things.

"I had hoped you did." Christine realized that everything she had been thinking was actually the opposite. Would Isabelle never cease to amaze her? "I am glad you feel that way. Back in London I knew you were special and I knew you could make Erik happy. Even after I knew who you really were, it did not matter. I like you Christine and I am a hopeless romantic." Isabelle chuckled. "And as the last member of the Garnier family, I give you my blessing to court my brother."

"Me? Court Erik?" Christine hid a giggle at the thought while Isabelle just shrugged.

"Why not? He is not an ordinary man and yours is not an ordinary relationship. Do not tell him yet of your feelings, though. He is not ready for that. Just take baby steps and I am certain there will be an engagement within a few months." Her words gave Christine hope; could she be right? Feeling optimistic again, she smiled at Erik's sister.

"Now tell me, what did you do on your outings? He never told me." It was an innocent enough question but Christine could not help but blush furiously. With her cheeks aflame, she avoided Isabelle's eyes for a long moment. The other woman sat there stunned before mischievous grin spread across her face and she tried to stifle a laugh. "Oh." She said at last and exploded into laughter, while Christine's blush deepened.

"Is everything alright?" Meg peeked curiously into the kitchen, having heard Isabelle's merriment.

"Everything is just wonderful, Meg! Come, we should go outside, it's such a beautiful day! It would be a shame if we spent it all indoors." Meg just stared for a moment after Isabelle had left and then turned her gaze to Christine, who was still unsuccessfully trying to contain her blush.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, truly."

"You look like a tomato, Christine." Meg pointed out kindly and she gave her an unamused look. "About what you said earlier-"

"It is nothing. I was just foolish and perhaps a bit jealous. I was not aware they were siblings." Her friend said nothing and instead took her hands, pulling her from her seat and leading her outside.

They entered the garden to the sound of a deep and very masculine laugh that Christine felt all the way to her toes. She never thought she would hear Erik laugh but she had learned that today was full of surprises. He had allowed little Charles to tackle him into the grass and now held the boy up in the air, making the boy laugh delightfully. Her heart sang at the joy on Erik's face. It was clear he loved his nephew. She could clearly imagine him in a similar situation, only the child would be his flesh and blood and if God was willing, she would be the one to carry his progeny. She knew he would be a wonderful father. Hiding a discreet smile, she joined the ladies at the table on a large patio, drinking their tea, falling into a comfortable conversation.

A short while later Charles came running to his mother giggling, perching on her lap and reaching for a plate of biscuits on the table. Isabelle gently scolded him but gave him one piece to settle him down. Erik followed soon after, his hair and clothes dishevelled, pieces of grass stuck and soil on his pristine white shirt and black trousers. He ran his hand through his hair several times to get them back under control and tried to brush away the dirt from his clothes, albeit a bit unsuccessfully. His eyes darted between her and Isabelle and as their eyes connected, Christine smiled at him reassuringly. He seemed to relax even more and took a vacant chair next to her, joining in their conversation.