Chapter 9: Good Morning!

A/N: Hello! Thank you to everyone who has left reviews. Please continue, they make my day. Looking at the traffic graph I noticed that more people have read chapter 8 than chapter 7, and I just wanted to make sure people know it's there. I think it will still make sense to some capacity, but we do meet some people in chapter seven that have some importance to the plot, so just make sure you've read that. It might just be that people are reading chapter 8 multiple times, which is great! It was my favorite to write so far, and actually the first thing I wrote for this fic. Chapter 8 was my last prewritten chapter so now I'm writing as I post, so chapter posts maybe a little more spread out. Finally, I posted chapter 9 last night, but I wasn't satisfied with it so I rewrote it and it is VERY different than it was when I last posted it so read this again. Alright I'm done enjoy this chapter.

"Good morning!" Meg had sang as he sat down.

"Good morning," he sniffed, unfolding the paper.

"Erik?" Meg asked innocently. "Where's Christine?"

"How would I know?" Erik asked, scanning the front page of the New York Times.

"Oh I know she went down to the lodge last night and I didn't hear her come back up," Meg said with a shrug.

"Why would that have anything to do with me?" He sniffed, glaring at her over the paper.

Meg stopped talking to him for the rest of the meal.

When he had finished his tea and half a piece of toast he stood up.

"I'm going to run some errands, if anyone needs to come be ready in twenty minutes," he said and strode off, a little disheartened that Christine hadn't come down. He was even more disheartened when Meg ran off.

'Please don't let her have to go to town,' Erik thought as he went upstairs.

Christine woke up smiling. She didn't remember why till she was getting dressed. Then she frowned, raising a tentative hand to her lips, like they would be changed after kissing Erik.

She groaned and flopped down on her bed.

Why had she kissed him? She wasn't the kind of girl who went around kissing strange men! She had only known him for a few days really. It hadn't even been a week. Meg wouldn't care. Meg would kiss every fellow who smiled at her. That's why Christine had to be careful. If she started kissing every guy who passed by, then who would chaperone Meg? She would a hypocrite, telling her to be careful, to get to know him before kissing someone. She was the rational one though, so she wouldn't need reminding. She would just know. She could kiss someone and still take care of Meg. She wasn't the type to lose her head because of a boy. Erik wasn't just any boy though. He was smart, he had a successful business, and was an excellent kisser. It didn't matter she decided.

'What had happened was a mistake, an alcohol induced accident,' she thought to herself.

"Good morning!" Meg sang, coming into the room.

Christine just grunted and rolled back over onto her back.

"That's not very nice," Meg sighed. "Why are you only half dressed. I mean it's quite the look, but I don't know if it's the most put together I've seen you."

Christine raised her head and looked down at her outfit. She had on a blouse and cardigan, combined with he pajama bottoms. One foot was clad in a thick wool sock while the other was bare. Her hair hadn't been touched yet and thus was still a mess.

"Really? I think they should put me on the cover of Vogue," Christine said, but she stood up and changed into a pair of slacks.

"Is that better?" She asked when she was done.

Meg nodded. "Much better. Do you want breakfast? Erik was wondering where you were."

Christine dropped her brush.

"Oh. No I'm all set," she said as she picked it up. "I have errands to run."

"Okay, I think Erik said he had to go out too. You could go together," Meg said.

Christine gave her a look.

"I can do it later. I don't want to get in his way," Christine said.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind waiting for you."

Christine turned to face her.

"Why are you trying to get Erik and I to spend time together? What if these are personal errands I want to do with a man?"

Meg crossed her arms and looked at the floor.

"Sorry I just thought it would be convenient," she said with a shrug and left, shutting the door behind her.

"I better go now," she muttered to herself, pulling on her shoes and coat. She pinned her hair tied her red silk scarf over it. She put on a pair of cat eye sunglasses and grabbed her purse before going to the garage to see if Fred was there.

Downstairs, Meg was sitting with Raoul. She saw Christine hurry past, with her head down, looking like she was going out.

"Stall her," she said to Raoul and ran upstairs to get Erik.

"What?" he snapped when he saw Meg panting outside his door.

"Come on."

She grabbed his arm and dragged him downstairs and pushed him out the front door.

Christine let out a breath of relief when she made it halfway to the garage without being seen.

"Christine!" She turned and saw Raoul jogging towards her.

"Good morning, Raoul," she sighed. She had hoped to make it out before seeing anyone.

"Good morning," he said with a grin. "Meg said you're going into town."

Christine forced a smile. Of course Meg had told him. Had she told Erik too? She needed to leave, now.

"Yeah. I have some shopping I need to do," she said. "And errands Lillian wanted me to do."

"If you wait a few minutes Erik can drive you. He's getting his coat now I think- oh there he is," Raoul said. He waved to Erik who had frozen on the porch, eyes locked on Christine.

Erik couldn't tear his eyes away from her. She looked glamorous, as she always had since their meeting, wearing her scarf with a matching shade of lipstick. Raoul was talking to her, standing awkwardly, glancing back at the door. He waved to Erik and he couldn't move.

"Where?" Christine said, pretending not to see him. "I have to go!"

She had never been much of an athlete, but in that moment she would have beaten an olympic sprinter in a race.

Erik blinked and looked at Raoul, who was staring at Christine's retreating figure.

"Why's she is such a hurry?" Raoul asked. "Aren't you going to follow?"

"I don't know," Erik snapped. "There's probably another car I can take if not I'll go later."

In the garage, Fred was climbing out of the ford.

"Keys!" Christine yelled and he tossed them to you.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" he called as she pushed past him, climbing into the car.

"Town. I'll be out for a few hours, is that okay?" she said, as she started the car.

"It's fine," Fred said but she was already driving away.

She felt incredibly reckless driving down the driveway at such a high pace. It wasn't as if Erik was going to run after the car. He hadn't even been moving when she had been talking with Raoul.

Once she was on the open road she sighed and took her sunglasses off. They hadn't really been for protection from the sun, but rather a disguise to get her out of the house without being seen. In hindsight, the cherry red scarf on her head was probably a bit of a giveaway.

The inn was on the outskirts of a medium sized town. Christine didn't really have any plans, she just wanted to get out for a little while, away from Erik, although that plan was a little useless now.

Unsure what to do, she went to the grocery store. She could walk around for a little while, and Lillian had asked her to get groceries for her.

There was another car for Erik and he was able to stop by the post office before returning to the inn. It took him maybe thirty minutes total.

He had managed to push Christine from his mind as long as he was doing something and had a task to do. He afternoon looked bleak for him, because with the exception of one dress rehearsal that evening he had nothing to do.

He parked the car back in the garage and walked back to the inn, where he saw Arthur sitting on the porch.

"Good morning, General," he said.

"Good evening, Erik," Arthur said, looking up from his book. "Where have you been?"

"I had to go get some mail," Erik explained. "I picked up the programs for the show."

He handed on toArthur, who took it and examined it closely, squinting slightly.

"I left my reading glasses up in my room but these look great," he explain, looking back up at Erik. "If you and Raoul are doing this because you're concerned about the well being of a certain innkeeper from Maine, you shouldn't be. I'm doing fine. I don't think I'll be here much longer anyway."

Erik's brow knitted together at that and Arthur shook his head. "No, not that. I've sent in a request for active duty. I'm expecting a letter from Washington any day now."

"Oh!" Erik said, decidedly relieved that Arthur wasn't dying. "I think I have something for you here."

He pulled out a few envelope from his pocket and rifled through them before handing one to Arthur.

"That looks like the one," Arthur murmured, running a hand over the letter. "I wanted to read it in private, but I'm afraid I'll chicken out if I do and like I said, I don't have my glasses. Would you read it to me?"

"I'd be honored to," Erik said taking the letter back from him. He opened it and cleared his throat. "Dear Artie, you dirty old-"

"You can skip that part," Arthur said, flustered.

Erik nodded.

"We were all surprised to be hearing from you at this stage in the game, but your letter was appreciated. It gave us all a good laugh. You've always been an amusing fellow. Of course, now you have time to be amusing sitting on a porch looking out over the ocean while we're putting in a full day's work. You always were a lucky-" Erik cleared his throat and shot the general a look. "A lucky man. I was just telling Peggy the other day that soon I'll be able to be like old Artie, taking it easy in retirement-"

"Old Artie," Arthur murmured, running a hand through his silver hair.

Erik gave him a sympathetic look and continued reading.

"Oh well. Some people get it all. Everything is fine here. Jack had chicken pox last-"

"The rest is just about his family," Arthur said, taking the letter back. "He's saying they don't need me. Thank you, Captain."

He stood up and left Erik standing there feeling oddly defeated.

"How the hell are you going to round up a whole division and get them up to rural Maine by Christmas Eve?" Raoul asked, leaning back against the step above the one he was sitting on

Erik and Raoul were sitting in the lodge on the steps up to the stage while a group was rehearsing. Raoul was supposed to be watching, but Erik decided it was alright if he distracted him for a few minutes.

"It doesn't have to be a whole division," Erik said with a shrug. "Just enough of the guys from the unit, his unit, to remind him that he isn't forgotten. There are probably enough guys in New England alone to get the job done."

"Won't putting the show on do the trick?" Raoul asked. He was skeptical of the whole plan, namely the logistics of the whole operation. It had been one thing wrangling their employees up there for the holiday, never mind a group of men, probably with families, scattered across the country. Who would want to leave their families on Christmas Eve?

Erik shook his head and sighed.

"If you had seen the look on his face when he read that letter, you would know it wouldn't be," he said.

"The show is in four days!" Raoul cried. "How are you going to get them all up here?"

"Television. I was about to call Nadir now and see if I can go make a pitch on his show," Erik explained.

"Without asking me?" Raoul sighed dramatically, feigning offense.

"Yes, but then I thought you ought to be in the know," Erik sniffed.

"Well I think it's crazy, ridiculous, and insane," Raoul said.

"Anything else?"

"I wish I had thought of it first."

Erik let out a bark of laughter and stood up.

"I'll go make the call now," he said. "You rehearse the number."

"Super. George," Raoul called to the choreographer. "Get the kids ready for a dress rehearsal."

Erik strode confidently from the room and into the front lobby.

"Lillian?" He called. The housekeeper poked her head out from the office. "Would you place a call to Nadir Khan in New York City, please?"

"Nadir Khan?" Lillian asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The one," Erik said. "You'll catch him at Radio City, I believe."

"Of course," she said, hurrying back to the switch board and phone.

"And Lillian," Erik called. "Keep this between us. It's personal."

She gave him a thumbs up as she dialed. Once they were connected she motioned for Erik to pick up the phone.

"Hello, Daroga," Erik said cooly.

"Some nerve, Erik, calling me up after you ditched me," Nadir said.

"I apologize, but something came up," Erik said and continued before Nadir could pry. "I have a favor to ask you."

"Of course you do," Nadir sighed. "Lay it on me."

"I need to come to New York and make a pitch on your show."

"Why?"

"You remember General Shepard, don't you?" Erik asked, glancing around to make sure no one else was around. He didn't see Lillian and figured she must have gone off to take care of some errand.

"Of course!" Nadir cried. "I wouldn't know how to tie my shoes if it weren't for him."

"Well it's his inn I'm staying at right now," Erik said. He explained the whole situation to an enthusiastic Nadir, leaving out Meg and Christine.

"Sounds like a great plan. I'd love to do something for the old man," Nadir said. Erik heard him clicking a pen. "Why stop with calling in a few fellas from the old days, when you could put the whole show on air. I'd come up myself, bring the lights, the cameras, everything!"

"No, that's not the idea," Erik explained. He didn't know it, but upstairs, Lillian picked up the phone to listen in on the other line.

"It's a great idea! Televise the whole show from Maine! A whole Christmas Eve spectacular about how you and Raoul are saving the inn," Nadir said. If Raoul thought Erik had an intense business side of his personality, he would be shocked to get to know Nadir.

"You know," Nadir continued. "Put a bunch of heart into it. And, it would be at least a thousand dollars of free advertising for Destler and Chagny. You can put the general on himself! It'll tear their hearts out."

Lillian hung up, breathing heavily.

Erik shook his head, forgetting that Nadir couldn't see him.

"Thank you Nadir, but that's really not what we're trying to do," Erik said. "We aren't commercializing on the old man's misfortune. All I want to do is come on your show and say a few words to try to round up a few men. Alright?"

"Whatever you say then," Nadir said. "I'll put you on on Sunday night. Does that work for you?"

"Perfect," Erik said, hanging up before Nadir could get another word in.