Paris carefully lowered herself down into the overstuffed chair that Erik had pulled over towards the piano. Mary and Carrie were there for their weekly lessons. Carrie sat at the piano playing one of Erik's compositions that her mother had purchased for her from Erik for Christmas. Mary sat on the couch a short distance away watching Paris with concerned filled eyes and listening to her sister play.
Paris was six months pregnant and was showing rather greatly. Erik had insisted that Paris not give lessons any more until after the baby was born but Paris had been just as insistent to keep teaching. So Erik had backed down with a warning that if she pushed herself too much he would tell all of her students that lessons would be cancelled until after the birth of the baby. Paris had taken one look into his eyes and knew he was not joking. So with a sigh she had agreed. Now she worked to keep herself relaxed. Her students seemed to have come to a silent understanding that they were not to over tax their teacher and so they practiced until they knew their pieces by heart so that when they came for lessons they did not make Paris angry. Her temper was short and she got angered quite easily nowadays and that was not something the students wished to see very often.
"Very good, Carrie. You play that very beautifully," Paris said with a tired smile.
"Thank you, Ma'am. Um…Madame Desslar, are you all right? You look tired," Carrie said her voiced laced with concern. Mary nodded her agreement.
Paris sighed and leaned back in the chair with a hand on her swelling belly. "I'm fine, girls. I am tired but that's just part of being pregnant, or so Doctor Murphy says. I'll take a nap after your lesson Mary so don't worry so much. Worrying just brings unwanted wrinkles."
The twins laughed and switched places so that Mary could have her lesson. By the time they left for home, Paris could barely find the strength to climb the stairs to the bedroom. She hadn't slept well the night before. Slipping off her slippers, Paris slid under the covers and closed her eyes. Sleep claimed her as her head nestled into the pillow.
Erik entered the house with a tired sigh and shut the door softly. He stood in the foyer silently for a moment and listened. The house was silent. Frowning he checked the parlor, library, music room and finally the kitchen. Paris was no where to be seen. A glance up the stairs showed that the master bedroom door was closed. His frown faded to a small smile. Paris must be up there, he concluded.
Grasping the handrail he climbed the stairs silently. Upon reaching the bedroom door he carefully opened it and peered around it to look inside. The sight that greeted him brought a warm smile to his face. Paris slept peacefully beneath the covers on her back. One hand was curled next to her cheek while the other rested protectively over her round belly. Slipping softly into the room Erik padded over to the bed and sat down on the side gently. Reaching forward he gently brushed a strand of midnight hair off of his wife's forehead. With a moan, Paris scrunched up her face and slowly opened one eye to peer up at him.
"Hello," Erik whispered with a smile.
"Mmm, hello," Paris mumbled with a stretch. "What time is it?"
"After six," came Erik's amused answer.
Paris eyes shot open and she sat upright. "After six?"
"Yes, do you have something pressing to do now?" Erik's amusement was obvious.
"I should have been up a long time ago. I decided to take a nap after Mary and Carrie's lesson but that was hours ago. I haven't done anything all day but sleep," Paris moaned as she swung her feet out from under the covers.
"I don't think anyone is going to condemn you for sleeping when you were obviously in need of some rest. You are pregnant after all," Erik said kneeling down to slip Paris' slippers upon her feet and then standing to help her up.
"No but I haven't even gotten dinner started." Tears welled up in Paris' eyes.
Erik sensed a mood swing coming on and quickly jumped in to cut it off at the pass. "I'll get dinner; you just sit in the library and read. Consider this a day off for you."
Tear filled eyes found Erik's and the tears trickled down Paris' cheeks as she spoke in a trembling voice filled with disappointment. "You don't think I can take care of dinner? You think I'll mess it up somehow!"
"No, I don't think that at all. I'm looking out for you and the baby. Just let me take care of you today, all right?"
Paris sniffed before nodding. Erik always had a way with making her fears and doubts disappear. Erik smiled and wrapped an arm around Paris' shoulders as he led her down to the library. He promised to play a game of chess with her after dinner and that brought a smile to her face.
Dinner consisted of cold chicken and biscuits with lemonade to drink. Erik had made a picnic out of it and they made their way out into the woods. Paris had laughed the whole time much to Erik's pleasure. Due to the pregnancy Paris had not been as cheerful as she had been before and that had worried Erik. However, after a visit with Doctor Murphy Erik's fears had been lessened. They were just the mood swings, the Doctor had reassured Erik, nothing to worry too much about. Erik had known that the mood swings were the issue but hearing the diagnosis come from the doctor made Erik feel better. It was one thing to hear men speak about their wives' mood swings and a completely different thing to hear it from a man who understood the situation a bit better.
"That was wonderful," Paris sighed contentedly as she leaned back in Erik's arms.
"I'm glad you enjoyed that, mon amour," Erik smiled.
"After the baby is born and old enough to walk we'll have to do this again." Erik nodded and kissed his wife's head. "Oh, I heard from Christine today! She said she and Raoul want to be here when the baby is born. I told them that that would be fine, it is isn't it?" Paris turned around to look up at Erik.
"It will be all right, chérie. Christine will be able to help you with the birth," Erik answered. He didn't really want the Vicomte there during the birth but Paris really wanted Christine to be there and Christine would only come if her husband said she could. And of course the only way Raoul would really let Christine come would be if he was with her himself. Raoul still did not completely trust Erik with Christine.
"You still don't like Raoul, do you?" Paris accused with a grin.
"Well he certainly isn't at the top of my list of great friends," Erik answered.
"I don't think I'll ever understand you two and neither will Christine. She said Raoul was reluctant to go at first but in the end he agreed to come." Paris shook her head in confusion. Erik laughed and pulled Paris back against him, his hands resting on the swell of her belly possessively.
"Well, the baby isn't due for three more months so there will be plenty of time for Raoul to finally realize that I am not about to kidnap Christine for myself."
Paris sighed happily and closed her eyes. The evening was nice and warm with a gentle breeze. The sun was slowly setting casting beautiful shades of orange, pink and purple into the sky. The birds chipped less and less as they began to bed down for the night and crickets began to sing. Erik and Paris sat in the little clearing for a while longer before Erik stirred.
"We had better head back while there's still light for you to see by. I don't want you to trip over something and hurt yourself or the baby."
Erik helped Paris to her feet then he knelt down to clean up the picnic. Standing, he grabbed the basket in one hand and wrapped his other arm around Paris. After a quick glance down at her Erik began to lead her back to the house. Erik knew that the next three months were going to be hectic but he was prepared to face them head on and not back down. Erik Benedict Desslar, the infamous Phantom of the Opera, did not run and hide in a dangerous situation. And a pregnant woman was one of the most dangerous things a man would ever face.
To Erik the three months passed quickly. To Paris they dragged on. Being heavily pregnant in the summer was not something she wished to ever do again. The heat made her even more irritable so she snapped at everyone and everything. She had had to apologize several times to her students after she snapped at them for silly things. Erik had also taken several blows to the ego due to Paris' rants and raves. However, he always took them in stride which would send Paris into tears as she apologized to him over and over again all the while telling him that she didn't mean to hurt him and that she loved him.
"Do not worry about it, mon petite. I know you did not mean the hurtful things you said. The baby will be born soon and you will be back to your wonderful, cheerful self again," Erik always reassured her.
Of course with the due date of the baby arriving soon so did the time when the de Chagnys would be visiting. While Erik was still working at the construction site for the church, which was almost finished, Paris worked on preparing the house for the arrival of Raoul and Christine. She wanted the house to look perfect for her friends and so she cleaned and cleaned and rearranged furniture and cleaned some more. Every time Erik came home he found the house rearranged in some way and then rearranged again.
"Paris, darling, you're going to hurt yourself if you keep moving the furniture around all by yourself. Doctor Murphy said not to over-tax yourself. It wasn't good for the baby or you," Erik had cautioned Paris one day when he had returned home to find the furniture once again rearranged and Paris slumped in one of the chairs in the parlor.
"But Christine and Raoul are coming in three days, Erik! I can't let them see the house looking like a pig sty!" Paris had protested.
"I know you don't want them to think that and they won't. Paris, they'll understand if the house isn't as gorgeous as theirs is. They don't expect a palace. They know what the house looks like. Just keep yourself relaxed and everything will be just fine," Erik reassured her.
Paris was silent then smiled and nodded. Erik always had a way to make her feel better. And three days later the de Chagnys arrived. Paris and Erik stood outside waiting for them to walk up the path. As soon as Christine and Paris saw each other they laughed and ran towards each other. Well, Christine ran, Paris waddled with a hand upon her large stomach. Erik and Raoul watched, amused as their wives greeted each other like children.
"Oh, Paris let me look at you! Oh, you look so wonderful!" Christine laughed holding Paris back so that she could look at the mother-to-be.
"I do not, I look fat!" Paris protested but she laughed just the same.
"You must be very proud," Raoul spoke to Erik as they stood in front of the house watching their wives.
"Ouí, very proud indeed," Erik answered softly with a proud look upon his face.
"I hope everything works out for the both of you. I've heard that the birthing is the most painful part of a pregnancy. Women have died because of it and your Paris is a rather small woman physically," Raoul stated looking at the woman in question.
"She may be small physically but she is large in heart and will not let anything happen to herself or the baby," Erik glared at the Vicomte.
"I was just putting a word of caution out for you, I meant no harm."
"Hmm."
The four eventually went inside and Paris proudly showed the de Chagnys around the house now that the furniture was back in its original places. Christine gushed over the nursery and looked at Raoul with her big blue eyes as if to plead with him to give her a baby of her own. Raoul had glared at the smirking Phantom when Christine had looked at Raoul.
After the tour the four sat down for dinner and then they all gathered in the library to talk and catch up. Letters had been written but, as Paris had told Erik as they had all entered the library, letters weren't the same as telling things to someone in person. They talked late into the evening and Paris promised to take the de Chagnys to the new church so that they could see Erik's wonderful creation.
"It's not finished yet on the inside but the outside is so beautiful. Stain glass windows and white marble stone sides. I can't wait to play the organ in it when it's finished," Paris praised and smiled at her husband as he sipped his brandy.
"It sounds beautiful," Christine said before yawning. A glance at the mantel clock told everyone that it was well after one in the morning.
"Goodness, where did the time go?" Paris gasped rising out of her chair with Erik's help.
"That is something no one will ever know, mon petite," Erik answered.
After the de Chagnys had been shown to their room, Erik and Paris entered their own. It had been a rather long day and they were both ready to get some sleep. Paris was anxious to have the baby now that Christine was there and the baby was due any day now. Placing a hand over her belly Paris smiled when she felt the baby kick. Erik glanced over at her when she gave a small laugh.
"The baby kicked," Paris explained. She hurried over to Erik and taking his hand she placed it over her stomach. A few seconds later the baby kicked again. Erik laughed softly and gave Paris a swift kiss on the lips.
They fell asleep that night with the smiles on their faces knowing that their baby would soon join them in the world.
Morning came bright and early. Erik arose before Paris and after he was dressed he went downstairs to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. While he was cooking the eggs Christine entered the kitchen.
"Oh, I thought you were Paris. I didn't think you would be in here," she stammered.
"Paris should be getting up by now. She's been sleeping in longer than me because of the baby. Usually she's up long before I am," Erik said turning back to the eggs.
"Raoul will be down in a minute as well. Can I do anything to help?"
"No, I have everything taken care of."
"Oh, okay then."
Christine left the kitchen and headed towards the music room. Raoul came down and joined her a few minutes later. Paris still wasn't down by the time breakfast was ready. Erik frowned up the stairs, concerned. After telling Raoul and Christine to start eating with out him or Paris, Erik went up the stairs and entered the bedroom.
"Oh, thank God you're here. I was just about to call you. I can't get my dress buttoned," Paris turned her back to her husband who gave a silent sigh of relief. "Will you be going to the site today?"
"Yes," Erik said as he buttoned the dress.
"Okay. I can show Christine and Raoul around since you so kindly told all my students that there wouldn't be any lessons until after the baby was born."
Erik said nothing. Instead he helped Paris down to the kitchen for breakfast. Paris and Christine did the dishes while Raoul went into the parlor to read the paper and Erik left for the construction site.
"I'm going to show you and Raoul the village. You must meet my students and we can go shopping. I haven't been shopping in a while thanks to this baby," Paris explained happily.
"Is Erik alright with that? Shopping I mean. After all you are going to have your baby any time now," Christine frowned with concern.
"I'll be fine, don't worry about it. If I'm in the village I'll be around friends and if the baby decides to come while I'm there then there will be plenty of people to help me," Paris reasoned.
Christine was still a bit wary about going to the village with Paris so close to the time of delivery. However, once the dishes were put away Paris told Christine to go tell Raoul the plans while she went up to get ready. A short while later Paris waited in the parlor for Christine and Raoul to come down so that she could show them the village and introduce them to her friends. Her humming came to a sudden stop when a sharp pain pierced her lower abdomen.
"Funny, that's been happening a lot lately," she muttered with a frown.
Rising to her feet so that she could go see what was keeping Raoul and Christine, Paris froze. Something wet was trickling down her legs. Paris' eyes widened in alarm as she realized that her water had just broken. Raising her head, she turned her face towards the direction of the stairs.
"Christine! Raoul!"
"Hold on Paris, we're almost ready!" Christine's voice called down.
"I don't think you need to finish! We're not going!"
"What? Why?"
"My water just broke! I need the doctor!"
A/N: Yay, the baby's coming!