Chapter 8: Phantom's Child

1919

Meg looked up hearing the car stop and she looked out the window. The driver got out and went to see what was wrong. She looked around and saw a deer running across the stretch of snow covered land. She smiled seeing this kind of life flourishing and sighed.

" My memories are still fresh Erik, what about yours?" she thought

1872

Meg clasped on stage suddenly and a doctor on hand was called. She was taken to the dormitories and laid in her bed. The doctor did a full check on her and discovered that she was fine and yet there was something to celebrate.

Meg woke up and found her mother at her side and she looked around.

" Mama, what happened?" she asked

" You fainted my darling," Madame Giry said

" Am I ill?" she asked

Madame Giry shook her head and said, " No, you are healthy…though you are pregnant."

" Pregnant!" she exclaimed, " But…I haven't done anything…oh no!"

She laid back and her mother looked at her daughter. Meg covered her face and tears fell from her face. Her mother shook her head and took her daughter in her arms.

" Hush, there is nothing wrong, you should be happy my darling," Madame Giry said

Meg cried in her mother's arms and confessed that she slept with Erik. That they both had forgotten morals that day when they met again. Madame Giry was surprised, but then she was not.

" You have to tell him," Madame Giry said

" Mama, how far am I?" she asked

" Almost three months my darling, you are already beginning to show, just as I was with you.," Madame Giry said

" I have ruined my career," Meg cried

Madame Giry shook her head and knew her daughter was shocked and afraid. Meg laid to rest in her bed and her mother stayed with her.

By the following week Meg had sent Erik a letter saying she would like to meet him in the cemetery in Paris. She went to visit her father's grave and knew that Erik would show.

" Meg," he called

She stood and turned and looked at Erik as he walked down the path. His black attire matched his black mask and his long flowing cloak followed behind him. She walked towards him and then wrapped her arms around him. He looked at her afraid that something was wrong, he had seen her acting strangely during rehearsals. She would became sick suddenly and would have to leave, but this action was strange to him. He wrapped his arms around her and then kissed her head.

" Meg, what is it?" Erik questioned, " Are you well?"

" I am," she whispered, " but there is something I must tell you."

Erik looked at her and Meg looked up at him. She wiped her tears away from his sight then took his hand.

" Erik," she whispered, " I'm pregnant."

" Pregnant?" Erik whispered, " Who's child?"

Meg kissed him and said, " Yours."

" Mine!" Erik exclaimed

" It only took that one time and now I have your child growing in me," she said

Erik felt his knees become weak and he fell to his knees and she knelt down. She took him in her arms as he breathed deep trying to grasp this idea.

" My child is in you," he whispered, " I didn't plan this."

" You said it yourself it was destiny that I would find you," she said

Erik looked at Meg and touched her stomach. He felt tears fall from his face.

" I'm sorry," Erik whispered, " It's my fault…you don't deserve this curse."

" No, Erik it's not a curse," she whispered, " It's a blessing."

Erik looked at her and she removed his mask and wiped his eyes. She touched his face and kissed him.

" Giving myself you that night was the best thing that happened…it was your first time experiencing a woman's touch and mine experiencing a man's true touch," Meg said, " I want this child and you should want it too…we don't have to get married right away, but mother suggest we do."

" I can't," Erik whispered, " I can never get married."

" Erik, we have too," Meg said

" No, I can't," Erik said, " I won't."
He stood up and Meg looked at him and felt tears fall from her eyes.

" You do love me Erik?" Meg questioned

" Of course I do, but I can't marry," Erik said, " I'm sorry."

Meg looked at him and stood up to face him. She grabbed his hands and kissed them and then sighed.

" I understand," she whispered, " I just feel it would be best like my mother said."

Erik looked at her and kissed her cheek.

" I will support this child," Erik said, " I will help you raise it, but I just can't marry you Meg…its nothing against you. It's not part of my nature to be with others."

" Then this is a chance to be someone new…I don't want to bring this child into a world of emptiness," Meg said, " Erik I love you and you are this child's father."

Erik turned away from her and his black cloak blew in the wind. He looked up at the sky and shook his head. He then slipped his mask back on and walked off without a word. Meg looked at Erik and then turned to the grave that she stood in front of.

" Papa, help Erik find the light to parenthood," she whispered

She pulled her shawl tightly around and walked towards the carriage. She sobbed the whole trip back to the opera house. Erik was afraid, but she wanted to spend her life with him…she wanted to be his wife and love him.

Meg returned and she was helped out and she looked up on the roof top to see Erik standing there, though he wore a different outfit. He wore his red attire with the skull mask, she walked into the building and he fled.

3 months

Meg looked at the chorus girls and sighed wanting to be up there. She felt the child kicking her and she placed her hand on her stomach, then rubbed it. The child stopped kicking, but she could feel every once in awhile it's movements. Meg walked around and walked to her room, separate now from the others. She sat down and breathed deep feeling pressure relieved from her back and feet.

" Four more months," she whispered

She dabbed the sweat off her face and laid down to rest a little. She fell asleep, but she woke up feeling a hand on her cheek. She looked over and saw Erik standing there, he removed his hand.

" Erik," she whispered

" How are you feeling?" he asked

" I feel tired that's all," Meg replied

Erik sat beside her and leaned forward and kissed her stomach. She grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach. Erik felt the child kicking and Meg placed her hand on his.

" Oh, Erik," she whispered, " I want our child to be happy."

" Perfect," Erik whispered, " it will and be perfect."

Erik stood up and Meg looked at him as he fixed his collar.

" There will be no flaws," Erik said, " Perfect in everyway."

Meg smiled and said, " I hope so."

" I know," Erik said

Erik stroked Meg's head and kissed her then let her rest, he walked to the door then stopped.

" Meg," he whispered

" Yes," she replied

" I love you," he said

" I love you too Erik," Meg replied

She smiled and Erik opened the door, but then Meg stopped him.

" Erik why are you wearing the red attire?" she asked

" I couldn't resist," Erik whispered, " It's apart of me like that child is apart of me."

He left without a word and shut the door and let Meg rest. She looked up at the ceiling and sighed as she drifted to sleep.

4 months

" Alright my darling this is it," Madame Giry said

A doctor and a nurse came in and got ready to deliver the child that was on it's way. Meg began to cry as labor pains began and Madame Giry stayed with Meg.

" It's alright," her mother said

" Alright Meg, you have to push," the doctor said

Madame Giry dabbed her daughter's head as she pushed, she pushed and breathed deep. The doctor saw a head and told Meg to continue to push as hard as she could.

" Come on Meg," her mother said

" I'm sorry Mama, that I didn't tell you sooner," Meg said as she pushed

Madame Giry held her daughter's hand as she pushed and pushed, until there were cries of a baby. Tears fell from Meg's happy face and she looked at her mother. She laid back as the nurse wrapped the child into clean cloths. She walked over to Meg and placed a beautiful baby boy in her arms. Meg began to cry as she held the child in her arms.

" He's beautiful Meg, he looks like you," Madame Giry said

" He looks like Erik," Meg whispered, " just as I pictured him."

Madame Giry looked at the child and smiled, he was perfect, everything. She kissed her daughter's head as Meg held her son.

" What are you going to name him?" Madame Giry asked

" Gabriel," she whispered

" Gabriel, what a wonderful name for a beautiful baby," Madame Giry whispered

Meg rested with Gabriel in a cradle beside her, both sleeping peacefully.

" Erik," she whispered in her sleep

" I'm right here," he said

Meg opened her eyes and looked in the shadows seeing Erik standing there. He walked out and sat beside Meg.

" Look at your son, Erik, he's perfect," Meg said

Erik turned and looked in the cradle, seeing a sleeping baby. He reached over and lifted the child in his arms and there just held him.

" Beautiful," he whispered, " perfect in everyway."

Meg sat up and leaned forward and leaned her head on his shoulder.

" He's your son and he needs his father," Meg said, " let us get married."

" I can't," Erik whispered, " I told you already Meg…it's not in my nature."

" But it would be in your son's best interest," Meg stated, " Your son needs his father."

" And he will have one Meg, remain here and I can be with you both. I can not get married," Erik spoke

Meg looked at Erik and took Gabriel into her arms and Erik looked at her. She laid the child back into the cradle and Erik looked at her.

" Then you don't deserve this baby Erik, if you can't marry me, then this child shouldn't be yours and I wish it wasn't," Meg said with tears

" Don't say that," Erik said

" Why are you going to go back to killing those who talk about you Erik?" Meg questioned, " You're a spoiled child."

She pushed him away from her and Erik narrowed her eyes.

" Your pushing me away because I can't marry you," Erik hissed

" No, Erik I'm pushing you away from my child, and it is you who is pushing away from me. Go away Erik, this child is no longer yours."

" We'll see about that Meg," Erik hissed

He turned away abruptly and Meg fell back into bed crying. She didn't want to push him away, but she did.

" Why?" she cried out, " Why are you doing this?"