Three

Les Problèmes d'Argent (Money Problems)

A/N: First I'd like to apologize for my long absence, I've had some trouble lately with work and my health. In light of all of this I've seen some new things but Phantom has (I'm ashamed to say) slipped from my mind, and you probably notice I have been writing but nothing Phantom, and I've gotten into gear. I'm working on a new Mirror Has Two Faces chapter, Love Knows No Limits' sequel 'Shattered' and In the Light of the Moon, as best as I can and your feedback really helps so keep it coming. I'm really low on ideas for In the Light of the moon and The Mirror Has Two faces so PLEASE help me out bit, just to get me back on my feet. I have finally reenabled anonymous reviews so please, drop me a line.

Little Felicity ran into the house, a stack of mail in her hand. She carelessly plopped it onto the kitchen table where her mother would see it, then ran upstairs to work on her homework in her father's office/library. There were many volumes here that he had moved from the house on the lake, and as she had grown he had put together a small shelf of dictionaries, encyclopedia's and other books that were more suitable for her age, so when she did her work, if he wasn't around she could try and find an answer there.

She sat on the smaller chair next to her fathers and set her schoolbooks in front of her, began to sift through them and complete her assignments. She heard the door slam downstairs and her little brother's giggle and she grinned. "Maman, mails on the table!"

"Merci darling." Her mother called softly, she heard Angel, who had mastered the skill of walking in the past two months thud up the stairs anxiously and he giggled as he ran around the second level. Felicity smiled softly and moved from the room to him."Angel, venizisi á moi." She giggled as he tilted his head and smirked at her. "Come to me Angel."

The little boy complied, ran to her, shrieking with joy and she laughed as she gathered him up. "Felicity, don't get him too riled up, it's nearly time for his nap."

"Ok Maman."

Christine sighed as she returned to the mail and frowned, another overdue bill, another penalty. She shook her head, lately they had cut teacher's salary, and Erik hadn't really composed anything to make extra money from. A large house like this with a fair household like theirs wasn't inexpensive, and it was beginning to get to them. And what with Felicity having started school the two years ago things had gotten worse, text books, tuition and other supplies were costly.

She made her way up the stairs and gathered up her wandering son, who giggled in his excitement. She laughed at him and shook her head. "Are you a little hyper?" The child squealed and so she sighed. "Well, there's no getting you to sleep right now, how about a bath?"

"No!" Angel responded, shaking his head, crossing his arms. "No bath!"

Christine smiled softly and swept him up. "Yes bath, if you don't nap you'll be fussy half the night. Come on, maybe if you're good we'll have time to say hello to Papa when he comes home!"

Ecstatic at the last promise Angel slipped from her arms and took her hand, lead her to the bathroom and she smiled, got some water ready then slipped off his clothes and washed him. He behaved in the water, sometimes splashing her to wake her from deep thought and she would smile at him and splash him back. Once he was tired and clean enough she lifted him from the tub, dried him in a towel and let the water run down the drain. She carried him in the towel to his room and dressed him in his sleep-wear, then laid him in the crib with a kiss. "Sweet dreams, beloved."

Christine slowly made her way downstairs, drunk with the image of Angel's little, sleeping form in her mind. She stepped into the parlor and tidied up a bit when the doorbell rang, curious as to who would be calling she went to it, straightened up in the mirror by the door, then opened it. She smiled softly at Dominique, who held some rolled papers.

"Salut Christine, is Erik home?" He asked, smiling just as politely.

"No, I'm afraid not, but he should be home momentarily, would you like to come in?" She motioned to the sitting room.

"I'd hate to be any trouble." He said curtly, moving to leave.

"Dominique you are never any trouble! Please, come inside, get warm it's freezing today!" She practically dragged him inside, her motherly intuition taking over and he laughed.

"I suppose if it's all right." He allowed her to lead him to the sitting room and at her command gave her is coat, he could not help but notice how beautiful she was, even now that she was in her early thirties. After having born her husband three children her frame was still thin and curvy, and her face was untouched by the wrinkles of time.

Shaking himself from it he asked. "Where are the children?"

"Felicity is studying and I just put Angel down for his nap." She replied softly. "How's your job at the printing shop?"

"Oh it is most wonderful! I saw a concerto yesterday, most ingenious!"

Christine's laugh was cut short by a blood curdling scream from above she raced to the stairs, right past her husband who was just entering. She turned and looked at him with fear filled eyes, then ran up the long staircase, Erik looked to Dominique who said. "Felicity just screamed."

His heart pounding as another scream sounded, then Christine's cry of alarm, Erik too ran up the stairs and into the study, Christine was just scooping up Felicity out of her ball in the floor, her arms were scratched and bleeding, her dress torn slightly. Slippy skipped out past him and biting back rage Erik moved to the little girl and sat next to them, none of them spoke, and then suddenly Christine angrily stood and stomped out, carrying Felicity with her, mumbling something.

Erik went back downstairs and finished his business with Dominique, then back up the stairs to Felicity's room, he slipped into the door and looked at Felicity, sprawled out on the bed, her head in her mother's lap. Christine looked up at him, her eyes teary and she whispered something to Felicity, then stood carefully and left the room closing the door.

"You just couldn't get rid of that cat could you? Could you!" She hurried down the stairs with him in toe.

"You aren't blaming me for this!"

"I told you Erik! If she ever hurt one of my children again it would get ugly and now, she's done it! I don't ask you for very much, why is getting rid of that cat so hard! Do our children mean nothing to you? You do understand we may never very well be able to conceive again?"

"Christine the cat gets aggrevated! Felicity MUST have done something to anger her!"

"I can't believe you're shoving this on her!"

"She very well could have! No one was watching her to know!"

Tears pouring down her cheeks Christine replied. "So the cat does mean more to you than our children and their safety?"

"No!" Erik cried, catching her arm as she was prepared to leave the room. "I'm just saying it's possible!"

"You're not going to get rid of her?! Even NOW?"

Pressing his free hand to his face he asked. "Is that what you really want Christine?"

She sighed and nodded. "Yes."

"Then I shall. Can we make up now?"

She laughed at his expression and nodded. "I suppose."

Meh. Ok. Well read and review.