Chapter 14
Black Lining of the White Cloud
A/N: I'm going to warn all of you now, that what happens in this chapter, is going to take you totally by surprise, and I really hope you like it. A lot of my reviewers have gotten impatient and haven't reviewed this story in some time, and I would recommend you do this time if you want to see this story continued, I'm serious, I won't waste my time on it if I feel I don't have to.
Erik paced frantically back and forth outside of the room in Mme Giry's little cottage, his hands behind his back, his visible brow furrowed and glazed with sweat. He cringed slightly and looked at the door as Christine let out a blood curdling scream, and he felt an odd, jelly like feeling in his shoulders, causing them to droop from their usual prideful height, she'd been in there too long...
The door opened and Mme slipped out, just quickly enough so that he couldn't glimpse his hysterical wife, and she moved past him. He caught her arm and his pained eyes met her emotionless ones. "Tell me, is it as bad as my gut has warned me?"
She kept her lips pursed to hide the frown she wanted to release and finally she bent her head, then gazed at him. "Erik, Christine, you must understand, is young, and very small and weak. The doctor has every confidence the baby will be fine tho."
He fought solidly to keep his lower lip from quivering. "But Christine, he doesn't think she will make it?"
"Erik they are doing their best...."
"That isn't good enough!" He cried out. "Dammit Virginie, that is my wife in their and I will not be held aside as she is quite possibly dying, let me in!"
Her eyes full of compassion and sadness she shrugged towards the door weakly and continued her quest for ice. He slowly moved to it and opened it, slipped in, feeling his heart twist in agony as he beheld her form, bent slightly, moaning in pain, covered in sweat. He moved quietly to her, ignoring the nurses and doctor's stares. She looked up and sobbed. "Erik, I'm so frightened!"
He shook his head and sat near her, took her hand. "Do not be frightened my dear, it will be fine."
"No! Erik don't do that, don't go into denial and try and use it on me! I might die! I might hardly get to see my baby and I might leave you!"
"Monsieur, if you can please keep her calm, she's only wasting precious energy." The snobby doctor growled, looking up at Erik from Christine's open legs. "All right Mme, push!"
She tried desperately but collapsed. "I can't do it!"
"Please Mme, just one more!"
With all her might, Christine gave a push, screaming in pain, squeezing her husband's hand and feeling her energy slip from her. She heard a scream and looked up to see her bloodied daughter in the doctor's hands and with what strength she had she brought Erik down and kissed him. He smiled at her just as Mme Giry entered and he moved to the child. Christine's heavy eyes met the old woman, then her husband whose smile faded and he rushed to her, then the doctor who rolled his eyes and threw his hands into the air.
And as she uttered words of love, Christine Daaé took her last breath and went into a deep sleep.
"I love you, Erik."
Erik felt panic rise as her eyes fell shut, and moved quickly to her as a nurse cleaned their screaming daughter. "Christine?" He gently shook her arm only to see she didn't respond. "Christine? Darling, look at me!" No response again.
Tears flooded his eyes and his throat became tight. "Christine wake up."
The doctor rolled his eyes. "She's dead man, get over it and get me some water!"
Erik looked over at the tired, arrogant man and then at Mme Giry, whose eyes also flooded with tears as she looked at the young woman lying there. Erik let his wife's small, pale hand slip from his and he began to approach the man, at this Giry's eyes widened and she ushered the man out. "Go, monsieur, you're service is no longer needed."
She returned minutes later to find Erik with his face buried in Christine's hair, sitting on the bed with her in his arms. She listened to him sob quietly and then took some instruction from a nurse who left, along with the other two nurses. She looked at the motherless child lying in the small bassinet by the bed, then moved to Erik.
"It will do you no good, my friend, to mourn her forever, when you now have a child to take care of."
Erik calmed slightly but growled from behind his wife's lifeless form. "Do away with the child, I don't care, I can't take care of her without Christine."
Giry opened her mouth to speak, but then grinned slyly. "Very well, if you feel that is what Christine would have wanted you to do." She moved silently to the baby and lifted her, then made her way very slowly to the door. Silently she counted in her head. Three... Two...
"Wait." His tear broken voice whimpered. "You win."
Giry sighed and moved slowly to him, child in arms. "Erik you know Meg and I will help you out as best we can, please, I know this hurts I loved her too but please, for your little girl's sake, don't let it get to you like that."
He looked up at her and reached out his arms, motioning with his fingers for her to hand him the baby. She did so, and watched a moment until he finally spoke. "May we all have a moment, Virginie?"
"Of course, ami, of course." She left and closed the door and Erik looked back down to the tiny bundle that was his daughter. He gazed at Christine and sighed. "I'm sorry I spoke so, my little one. I loved your maman very much, no, I love her very much. Oh and she loves you." He smiled softly. "I will take good care of you, I promise. Don't you worry about a thing, you are safe with your papa, and do you know why?" He paused, then kissed her forehead. "Because he loves you."
And so he stood and moved to take the child from there, not daring to look back at Christine, beginning his fresh start from that moment on. But still, he could hear her voice echo in his mind, a song long forgotten but kept in memory, perhaps for this moment.
Think of me
Think of me fondly when we've said goodbye
Remember me
Once in a while
please promise me you'll try
When you find that once again you long
To take your heart back and be free
If you ever find a moment
Spare a thought on me.
We never said our love was evergreen, or as unchanging as the sea
But if you can still remember
Stop and think of me.
Think of all the things we've shared and seen
Don't think about the things that might have been
Think of me
Think of me waking silent and resigned
Imagine me
Trying too hard to put you from my mind
Recall those things look back on all those times
Think of the things we'll never do
There will never be a day when I won't think of you.
He gazed at the mantle much later that night, he was staying with the Giry's until the baby was older, and Christine had been taken by the undertaker a bit ago, he found himself taking Raoul's part of the song and making it his own. "Can it be? My little Christine? What a change you're really just the piece of my memory I won't loose, you may not be here with me, but I am there with you."
We never said our love was evergreen
Or as unchanging as the sea
but please promise me that sometimes
You will think of me!
Tears in his ever tired eyes, he buried his face in his hand and murmured ever so softly. "I promise, Christine. I promise."
Raoul entered his apartment with a sigh two weeks later, it was a busy hour in Budapest, and he had just made it home before it would get worse. "Rush hour." He scoffed and moved to his table, deciding to finally get to the mail he had ignored a week.
A bill, a bill, another bill, a letter from his manservant? Intriguing. He carefully opened it and read what he recognized as Erik's handwriting.
Fondest greetings,
Though my letter wishes you well it bears bad news. Christine gave birth three days ago, and it kills me to tell you that she passed away just moments after the birth. I cannot comfort you, tell you she died in peace, without pain. But I was with her, she was not alone.
She had been worried over you in the week leading to our daughter, Elodie's birth. I am not saying it was your fault, merely pointing out that se had not forgotten you, and she never would have. I want you to know you are always welcome here, I could use the company, it won't be easy for me to raise Elodie by myself at my age, but it's what Christine wanted.
Do take care of yourself friend
Erik
And as he read it over and over, Raoul felt pain beyond belief rip through him and he faced the heavens and gaze an agonized, "Christine!" Before collapsing to the ground in tears. What Erik must be going through! Oh God Little Lotte, not her, not Christine! His one true friend was dead, and he had been too selfish to be there with her! What must her pain have been like? What must this child and man live through? All because of him!