"WHAT!" Raoul's roar sounded as footsteps thundered down the stairs rapidly.
"My water just broke! I…I want Erik!" Paris sobbed as Raoul, followed closely by Christine, entered the parlor.
"Jesus!" Raoul breathed as soon as he saw the water stain on the floor below Paris' dress which she held up from the floor.
"Quick, we have to get her up to her bed before we go get the doctor or even Erik! Oh, why did he have to leave now?" Christine moaned as she rushed forward to help Paris.
While Christine helped get Paris undressed and into a nightgown, Raoul hurried out to the stables in the back of the house to saddle two horses. Christine joined him a few minutes later and they were galloping towards the village. Christine hadn't wanted to leave Paris but Paris had insisted that Christine go with Raoul to retrieve Doctor Murphy and Erik.
They got Doctor Murphy first before Christine turned her horse in the direction of the construction site thanks to Doctor Murphy's instructions on how to get to it. Christine barely had time to admire the beautiful church before she was spotted by one of the laborers.
"Something wrong, Ma'am?" he asked.
"Yes, I must get Monsieur Desslar," Christine gasped for air.
The man frowned. "What for? You're not his wife are you?"
"Please, I don't have time for this. I must see Erik!"
"Fine, he's inside," the man gestured towards the church.
"Thank you, you've been most helpful," Christine muttered sarcastically. Just as she was about to dismount Erik exited the church. Christine stared in shock when she saw him dressed so casually. He had always dressed in an immaculate suit while around her. Now he wore a plain white shirt with the top couple of buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up on his strong muscular arms. His pants were covered in dust and already he looked tired. He was wiping his hands on a rag and was heading towards the water barrel. Realizing she had been staring and doing nothing, Christine shook her self and began to move her horse towards him.
"Erik!"
Erik stopped and turned at the sound of a woman calling his name. At first he thought it was Paris but seeing the woman riding towards him he recognized Christine. He waited until Christine was closer to him.
"Erik, you have to come back! Paris is going into labor!" Christine gasped as she reined her horse to a stop.
Erik had hardly heard the name Paris before he was leaping into action. He turned and ran for his things. Then he mounted his own horse, a Christmas gift from Paris, and after telling the man second in command of the construction work where he was going, turned his horse towards home and ran as if the devil was on his heels for home. He could vaguely hear the cheers of congratulations being shouted after him as he left. Paris was the only thing on his mind.
Erik didn't even bother to unsaddle his horse before he rushed into the house. Raoul was in the parlor with a glass of brandy in his hand for Erik. Christine entered the house right behind Erik and hurried up the stairs. Erik was about to follow her but Raoul blocked his way.
"Let me past, damn it! That's my wife up there!"
"Doctor Murphy said to not let you up there during the labor process. You would just be in the way. Here, drink this, it will calm your nerves," Raoul commanded and handed Erik the brandy.
"I refuse to just sit down here as if my wife was not going through labor! She needs me!"
"She won't need you if you continue acting like this. Men are not allowed in the room while the woman is giving birth. Too stressful," Raoul answered calmly as he sipped his own brandy.
"Too stressful? For whom?" Erik growled, his eyes flashing dangerously at the calm Vicomte.
"The father, I think," Raoul said eyeing Erik pointedly.
Erik growled and would have said something if a knock hadn't sounded at the door just then. With a sound of annoyance Erik strode past the Vicomte and yanked the door open.
"What!"
"Is this a bad time, Erik?" Nadir Khan asked calmly eyeing Erik's dirty and mussed up clothing.
"Yes damn it, it's a terrible time! My wife is in labor and that damn doctor won't let me see her!" Erik shouted.
"Then this is a wonderful time. The birth of a baby is a most miraculous thing indeed. I congratulate you both," Nadir smiled and entered the house. "Ah, Monsieur de Chagny, a pleasure to see you again. How is the Vicomteess?"
"She's doing fine. She's up helping Madame Desslar at the moment," Raoul smiled.
"That's good to hear. Erik will you stop grinding your teeth, that's rather annoying," Nadir turned frowning at Erik.
"Does no one care that my wife is in labor upstairs right this very minute?" he demanded.
"Yes, we all are rather concerned for your wife but there is nothing we can do but sit and wait. You forget Erik that I have gone through the same thing before. My dear son, may he rest in peace, did not just appear in a crib next to my wife's bed."
Erik growled and swallowed his brandy in a single gulp and relished the burning sensation it made all down his throat to his belly. Just then Christine hurried down the stairs. All three men turned to look at her with expectant looks upon their faces.
"Oh, don't get your hopes up just yet. Doctor Murphy says she still has a ways to go. Oh, afternoon Nadir," Christine said as she dashed towards the kitchen. She hurried back up the stairs a few minutes later with a bunch of rags and a bowl of hot water in her hands.
Erik moaned and stumbled into the parlor where he collapsed into a chair. Raoul and Nadir followed close behind. They knew it was going to a long day.
Over the next few hours Christine hurried down the stairs numerous times to get more hot water. Every time she came down she would shake her head at the men letting them know that the baby still had not made an appearance.
Erik had taken to pacing back and forth in front of the fire then sitting in a chair to twitch nervously then rise again to pace. It was quickly getting on Raoul's and Nadir's nerves. Finally, Raoul had had enough.
"Erik, sit down and sit still before I tie you to a chair!"
Erik cast a glare at the Vicomte but did as he said. Nadir rose and poured a glass of brandy which he handed to Erik. Erik took it and gulped half of it in one swallow. Nadir exchanged a look with Raoul. They were reminded of Erik's wedding. He had been antsy and nervous then too. A scream suddenly filled the house and Erik shot to his feet, his glass of brandy falling to the floor, shattering.
"Mon Dieu, what is he doing to her?" Erik gasped out hoarsely as he gripped the mantle.
"She must be close to her time," Nadir answered softly.
Another scream sounded from upstairs in the master bedroom. Erik's cries of pain filled the parlor. His wife was in pain and he wasn't there to comfort her!
"Damn it, I'll kill you Erik when I get my hands on you!" Paris' screamed threat came down the stairs when the bedroom door was opened to allow Christine out.
Erik went visibly white beneath his mask at the venom in his wife's voice. Surly she didn't mean that? Christine looked haggard when she came down the stairs once more to get more hot water. She cast a tired smile towards Erik before she returned up the stairs.
"Men should have to go through this much pain too! After all they were there to make this kid why do they get off easy! Erik, you had better watch out, mon amour because when I get out of this bed you will know first hand all the pain I am going through to bring this damn kid of yours into this God forsaken world!"
The closed door of the bedroom couldn't mute out Paris' threat this time and Erik's swallow was heard by everyone in the parlor.
"Don't worry about it, Desslar. My brother's wife had a baby recently, a boy, and Bethany said some similar things when she was giving birth. It's the pain talking, at least that's what Bethany said," Raoul smiled reassuringly as he placed a hand on Erik's shoulder.
"If you think you're going to touch me intimately any time in the future, you had better rethink some things, Erik! I'll cure you of any further sexual pleasure before I let you place a hand on me, damn you!"
"Then again, maybe not," Raoul backed away after Paris' threat. Erik didn't know what to do. Paris was in pain and screaming about his ultimate demise. However, Raoul was telling him that it was just the pain talking and that Paris' didn't mean any of her threats. Glancing at Nadir, Erik felt a tiny spark of hope inside of him. Nadir had survived the birth of his son and Nadir's wife hadn't killed Nadir. And Erik had a feeling that Nadir's wife had shouted some rather cruel things at Nadir during the birth as well.
Another scream sounded from the bedroom, this one longer and louder than any of the others. Then, all of a sudden there was silence. Erik began to hyperventilate as the silence lingered. A loud smack was heard and that pushed Erik over the edge. With a loud thump he fainted. Raoul and Nadir spun around at the sound of a body hitting the floor and stared in shock at the infamous Phantom of the Opera collapsed on the floor in a dead faint. They rushed over towards him just as the sound of an infant's cry filled the house. Raoul and Nadir spared time to give a whoop of delight for the birth of the baby before they returned their attention to the incapacitated new father. Footsteps suddenly sounded on the stairs and Christine soon entered the parlor, a wide smiled on her tired face.
"A girl, she had a girl! Erik, you have a daughter! Erik…Erik?"
"He fainted," Raoul said turning to look at his wife.
"Oh dear."
"Well, what does the new father have to say? He hasn't come charging up here," Doctor Murphy called down.
"He fainted!" Christine shouted up to him.
"He did WHAT?" Paris' screamed demand filled the house, her anger and shock apparent. "Wake him up damn it! He wanted to see this kid so he had better be awake to see her! I swear to God, if he's not up here in two seconds I'm getting out of this bed and marching down to him to show him his daughter!"
Raoul and Nadir chuckled as they listened to Paris' threats. Raoul took the small bottle of smelling salts that Christine handed to him and held it under Erik's nose. Erik woke with a moan and batted the offending smell away. His eyes opened slowly and he sat up with a hand on his head.
"What happened?" he asked.
The baby's cry filled the house and Erik's eyes flew towards the direction of the master bedroom. A quick glance at the smiling faces of Raoul, Nadir and Christine told him all he needed to know. Scrambling to his feet, Erik dashed for the stairs. He took them two at a time in his hurry to get to his wife. Doctor Murphy grinned as Erik reached the top of the stairs and stepped out of the anxious father's way.
"It's about time, I was beginning to think you had deserted me," Paris spoke from the bed as soon as Erik entered cautiously.
Paris looked exhausted. Her hair was plastered to her face and neck with sweat. Her eyes were tired and she looked ready to fall asleep. She looked so tiny sitting alone in the bed but to Erik she had never looked more beautiful especially since there was a new addition to the family in her arms.
"Come say hello to your daughter, Erik," Paris said softly with a tired smile on her face.
Erik slowly made his way over to her side and peered down at the tiny bundle resting in Paris' arms. Settling next to his wife he smiled with pride as she showed him his daughter. She was just a tiny little thing with a tiny patch of black fuzz on her tiny head. Her eyes were open and staring at him. Erik smiled when he saw that she had his eyes. Raising a finger to trace her cheek gently she raised an arm and caught the finger in her tiny hand. Erik felt tears prick his eyes. This was his daughter, he thought. Turning his attention to Paris he leaned over and gave her a heated kiss which she returned wholeheartedly.
"I love you," he whispered before capturing her lips again.
"And I love you, mon amour. Now go show everyone our daughter," Paris smiled with tears in her eyes.
Erik carefully gathered his daughter into his arms and left to go show everyone her. He and Paris had finally agreed on names for their child depending on what it was. He felt proud that he was now about to introduce his child to his and Paris' friends by her name.
"Everyone, I would like to present to you my daughter, Aurelia Myra Desslar."
A/N: Yay the baby's here!