-Sniff- Ooh, this is one of those things that makes you wanna laugh and cry at the same God-forsaken time! Okay, um... well, this is the end of my story... Yep, the end... Though I think I'll write an epilogue, if you guys want... Yeah, I think I will... No, I'll have you guys vote on it. Anyway... without further ado (Still a funny word... ado... HeHe)... here's... the last chappy (unless I write an epilogue)... I guess -blows nose-

P.S. HaHa "blows nose" rhymes! Go me!

Disclaimer: For almost the last time, I don't own PotO!

"No..." Jane murmured, and she suddenly let out a cry. "ERIK!" She wanted, more than anything, to tear her eyes from that sight, and her wish was granted as darkness finally claimed her.

Erik heard her cry, and he raised his head. He turned disbelievingly just in time to see Jane's face go underwater.

"Jane?" he uttered. He blinked once, then it hit him that she was unconscious. He frantically splashed over to the lever that worked his portcullis and pulled it again. He didn't even bother to remove his shirt, but dived into the water as quickly as he could.

With powerful, steady strokes, Erik swam to where Jane's body was submerged inches below the surface of the icy liquid. He took a deep breath, went underwater to her level, and wrapped his arms around her waist. When he held her securely, he kicked until air hit both of their faces.

It was a harder task for Erik to swim back to his home now that he had Jane with him, but he eventually made it. He felt his feet hit the bottom of the waterway, and dragged himself (and Jane) into his home.

When they reached the shore, Jane let out a low groan. Erik immediately stopped and gave her a concerned look.

"Jane? Jane, are you alright?" he asked. She groaned again, and Erik touched her arm. It was cold, unnaturally so. Barely conquering the panic that threatened to take hold of his heart, he picked her up and carried her into her room.

Certain that there was nothing else he could do, Erik started to untie Jane's dress, since she needed the wet clothes to be disposed of. His fingers were hesitant, but the sight of Jane's closed eyes and limp body forced him on. He took off the light green gown, then debated on whether or not the chemise needed to be removed.

No, Jane might not ever forgive you... You don't deserve to, anyway, Devil's Child... Erik sighed as the cruel name echoed in his head, then lay Jane down. He piled blankets on top of her, then reluctantly crawled under the blankets andencircled her in his embrace, knowing that she neededthe help of his body warmth to survive. Even though he was wet form swimming out to save her, his body was still warmer than hers, and before long heat radiated under the thick velvet covers.

Erik allowed his thoughts to wander as Jane slept. Why did she come back? he questioned over and over. He gave her a gentle squeeze, and, as though he had pressed some kind of switch, she began to shiver. This was a good thing, since it showed that her temperature was rising, and Erik allowed a small smile to grace his lips as her eyes opened.

"Jane," he whispered. Jane's gaze turned to him, and a glint of amazement found its way into her eyes.

One of her hands reached up and gently caressed his face, and slowly tears came and blurred her brown irises. Erik used his soft fingertips to wipe away each drop as it ran down her cheek. Jane let out a choked sob and softly whispered his name.

"Sshh..." Erik shushed, pressing her head against his chest. "It's alright now, Jane. Everything will be okay, you'll see."

"You... you were dead!" Jane breathed. "I saw you... with the rop-"

"Sshh..." Erik repeated, "You need to sleep. Rest your eyes, Jane..." He paused for a moment, then began to sing.

"Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams

Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before!

Close your eyes; let your spirit start to soar...

And you'll live as you've never lived before." He kept singing until he was sure Jane was asleep. She shivered slightly in her slumber, so Erik stood up and tucked the blankets around her shoulders, trapping the heat within the covers.

Once Jane seemed snug enough, Erik left the room. He wandered into the main room and seated himself at the table. His mind was spinning, and he wasn't sure whether he should be happy that Jane had returned or sad, because she had almost died.

But why did she come back? Erik wondered yet again, Why did she come back to me after what I did?

Jane awoke a short time later. She groaned and got up from the bed shakily, but the air chilled her skin. She wrapped a blanket around her shoulders so that she wasn't too uncomfortable, then she opened her door and stepped into the hallway.

"Erik?" she called, pulling the velvet material tighter around herself. Erik heard her and stood up from his chair as Jane came into sight.

"Oh, there you are," she muttered, staring at the ground. "I wasn't sure if you were in here or not. You... didn't answer. I thought you might be in your room..." Her voice trailed off and she took a shy step back.

Suddenly Erik couldn't resist it for another moment. He reached out, seized Jane's wrists, and pulled her toward him in a desperate kiss.

For a second, every muscle in Jane's body tensed, and then they melted all at once. She let the blanket slide off her shoulders and onto the floor as she looped her arms around his neck. She needed him, and he could feel it in the way she massaged his lips with her own, begging him with her actions not to pull away.

Erik put his hands on Jane's hips and tugged her body until every bit of it could be felt resting against him. His heart beat loudly and fully, bringing forth the passion and desire that had been bottled up for a week and a half.

At last they parted, both breathing heavily and yearning for more. Jane winced as her corset constricted her breathing, forcing her to gasp slightly. Erik sensed her pain and took a step forward.

"Let me help you with that," he murmured, curling his arms around Jane and swiftly untying the lacing. His fingers tickled her neck as he fumbled with her throat for a second. Jane didn't notice, as she sighed in relief as her corset fell to the ground and took a deep breath, thankful for the ability to move her diaphragm.

"Thank you," she whispered. She was silent for a long time, and all of the sudden she burst into tears and collapsed into his arms. He had been expecting this, and hugged her back with a welcoming attitude.

"Oh Jane, I'm so sorry!" Erik apologized, holding her tightly and burying his face in her hair. "I never meant to hurt you, ever. I had no right. I'm so sorry!"

A tear ran down Jane's cheek. "No, I should apologize. I shouldn't make you think about things that might hurt you. It was in the past, and I should have accepted that. I'm sorry I was so inquisitive."

"That is no excuse for my actions. I'm sorry I yelled at you, Jane. I never want to hurt you, mon ange, ever..." Erik paused for a long time, savoring the fact that he was holding Jane again, and he remembered something.

"Jane... why did you come back? After what I did, and when you said it was goodbye, I... I mean, why?"

She was quiet for a few seconds. "I came back because... well, because you said that Death was coming for you. I... don't want you to die, Erik."

"Why not?" he inquired curiously.

"Because..." Jane inhaled. "I still... love you. No matter what you did. I love you." She let out a breath and pressed herself closer to him.

Erik's heart skipped a beat, and he could have sworn at that moment that he was dreaming. "Oh, Jane... I don't think I deserve... I... I love you, too!" He leaned down and brushed his lips lightly against her own, holding the back of her head. His tongue ran across her lower lip, and she opened her mouth to let him enjoy one of the pleasures he had missed so badly in the time of her absence.

When they pulled apart, Jane glanced down and realized that she was clad only in her chemise. In the presence of any other man, she would have felt uncomfortable, but with Erik she felt safe and secure. That was one of the things she loved about him.

Something still nagged at the back of Jane's mind, though. She knew what it was. Now was the time for a very important thing in her life to become part of Erik's, too.

Jane gave a small sigh. "Erik, there's something that I need to tell you. I mean, I should have told you this a long time ago, but I was... to scared. Now, I think you need to know."

Erik's eyes searched hers wonderingly, urging her to keep going. Jane took a deep breath, then continued.

"When I got sick, and the doctor looked me over, he... he noticed something about me. He told Madame Giry about it, and she told me. I should've told you before, but-"

"What is it, Jane? Just tell me," Erik prompted.

"Erik, I'm pregnant!" she cried suddenly. "I'm going to... I'm going to have a baby." She turned away and refused to look at him. Erik could hear her soft sobs, but wasn't sure of why she was ashamed. He breathed deeply, then put a hand to her shoulder.

"Oh, Jane... that's... I don't know what to say. Isn't that a good thing, though? Why... why are you crying?" he asked.

Jane sniffled once of twice. "But, Erik, I don't think that this is your child. The Ratcatcher... took my innocence... before we... I don't think you're the father, Erik." Jane's voice cracked, and she turned away again.

Erik put his arms around Jane from behind. "Jane, my love, my angel...It's not your fault that the Ratcatcher did what he did to you. You couldn't control it. I'm sure you didn't want it, so how could I blame you for it?" He put on what he hoped was a more assuring tone. "Regardless of whose blood flows through the veins of this baby, I would... I would still like to father it, if you would allow me to."

Jane's eyes sparkled with joy. "Oh, Erik, would you really? You wouldn't care if this wasn't your child?"

"Of course not, Jane," he assured, kissing her lightly on the cheek. "Allow me to ask you something first, though."

As Jane looked on in wonder, Erik released her and took off down the hallway, disappearing into his room. She heard him opening a couple of drawers, and soon he came back out to her. He knelt before her and took her hand gently, and Jane saw that he held a tiny square box. Her heart fluttered at the thought of what might be inside it.

"Jane," Erik began, "This is a rather difficult thing to ask, but... will you do me the honor of... becoming my wife?" He closed his eyes for a second, then flipped open the lid of the small box. A small golden ring was inside, rubies and emeralds forming a rose that matched the necklace he had given her before.

Thinking of the necklace made Jane instinctively reach for her neck. Miraculously, the jewelry was once again around her throat. Erik had somehow slipped it on her when she was distracted. Jane's eyes filled with happy tears and she looked lovingly at Erik, who was still on his knees before her.

"Oh my god," she breathed quietly. Erik looked at her curiously, still holding the ring out to her. All at once, Jane laughed and smiled, tears still coursing down her cheeks.

"Yes!" she cried, "Oh god, yes! Of course! Of course I'll... marry you." The words were glorious for Jane to say, and Erik stood and grinned. His eyes filled with tears as he took Jane's left hand and slipped the ring onto her fourth finger.

They both stood there for what seemed like an eternity, holing each other and crying for joy. For Erik, this was better than anything he could ever have imagined possible.

This is amazing, he thought, This is unbelievable... I... I'm getting married! He was unable to think of anything else for a long time while the tears streamed down his face. The grin was as big as ever on his lips, and he let out a deep breath.

Erik finally dried his eyes and did the same to Jane, using his lips. She smiled and kissed him with a heated passion.

"I can't believe it," Erik murmured when they parted, "I can't believe that... I'm getting married to you, Jane. This is wonderful, better than anything I've ever felt before. And a child, too! This is... amazing." He paused for a few moments, then picked her up.

"Jane, I love you so much," he breathed, "You are such an angel. Not only in your appearace, but your soul, your... everything about you. I just... I love you so."

"And you," Jane replied, 'Are truly an angel as well. I know you don't see it, but you are." She sighed dreamily. "I just love everything about you. Your voice, your heart... your face." She moved forward and kissed his cheek softly. "Everything."

Erik allowed a small smile to grace his lips as he carried Jane into her room. He spun her around once and then set her down and folded her into his embrace, all in one fluid motion.

"Are you... afraid, Erik?" Jane asked, "Neither of us have ever raised a child before. Are you scared?"

He gave Jane a soft look. "Well, I'm... I'm really not sure. I just learned now that I'm going to be a father, and it might take a while for it to settle in. I am a bit afraid, though, that I might... bring harm to our child. I wouldn't want the babe to come to any harm."

Jane laughed and kissed him. "You are the most gentle person I know. You make mistakes, but that's because you're human. I know you would never harm the baby."

"Are you afraid, Jane?"

It was a while before Jane answered him. ""If someone would have asked me that before tonight, I would have said yes. But now... I don't feel so scared. You give me strength, Erik. I know that we can raise this child together. And there's no one in this world whom I would rather raise this baby with than you, my love."

Another smile spread across Erik's face as he walked forward and wrapped his arms around Jane. "It's late," he murmured, causing her to giggle as his words tickled the lobe of her ear. "and so much has happened in this night. I think sleep might do more good than bad in this case." Jane agreed with this, and she slid into the bed. Erik lay beside her, but he moved lower and laid his head on her stomach.

"I love you, Jane," he whispered, just loud enough for her to hear. She smiled and put a hand to his head, holding him against her.

"I love you, too." she murmured back. She closed her eyes and slowly drifted off into the most peaceful sleep she had experienced in a long while.

Erik lay awake on her abdomen, silently reliving all that had happened that evening. He could still hear her cries of acceptance as she told him that she would marry him. They were ringing in his head, keeping him too happy to fall asleep.

I guess it isn't my time to die after all... he thought, and he pressed his ear to Jane's stomach. The gentle beating of her heart was a welcome sound, but it was not the only one that he heard.

A much softer, quieter heartbeat, one almost inaudible, resounded in tune with Jane's, and Erik gasped in amazement. The child, his child, was right there with him, making it's presence known by the lub-lub of its tiny heart.

Erik grinned again and shut his eyes, drowning in his love for Jane and his child. The second his eyelids closed together, he was able to feel the exhaustion that plagued his body. It took a few minutes, but eventually he dozed off, too, becoming not the second, but the third person asleep in that bed as he held his family in his arms.

Aww... sweet. Anyway, was that too corny for any of you guys? I just wanted to know... if it bugs anyone, well... I can email you a revised version, because I don't wanna change this one! HeHe so stick that in your pipe and smoke it! LOL But do you guys think I should write an Epilogue? Cause I will... it'll probably explain what happens with the baby and such...

Ohmygosh, and speaking of the baby... Well, I know that there's not much chance that the baby would have lived through everything Jane involuntarily put it through, so I need you guys to vote again for me. Should the baby live, and they all live happily ever after, or should it die, and Jane and Erik decide to make their own little progeny, with Erik as the real father? Either way, they're gonna have a baby... whether or not it's the one that's been part of the story for a few chappies is up to you guys!

So vote on it: Should I write an Epilogue? And in that Epilogue, should they have Erik's baby or the Ratcatcher's? I know there would be drama if Jane lost what would have been her firstborn, and I would put that in the Epilogue if you decide that she should lose the child. Anyway, vote on it and I'll update soon!