Story Incomplete

Erik helped Christine to sit on the sofa in the parlor and knelt before her. Her eyes were fastened to Meg, who stood at the far side of the room staring out the window. Erik grit his teeth at the look on his wife's face, fighting to control his temper. He placed a hand over the swell of their child, more to comfort himself than her. This was the proof that Christine was his.

Christine had sworn to him time and again that she felt only friendship for the Vicomte, but he'd felt her tension grow as little Meg had argued with the boy. It had become obvious to both Erik and Christine that Raoul had not come to hunt down his former fiancée and bring her captor to justice. The boy had come chasing after Meg in a fit of jealousy.

Erik could actually find the whole thing rather amusing, if Christine wasn't so upset by it all. He glanced at Meg, feeling a kinship to her pain. Antoinette entered the room and walked over to Meg, and Raoul came skulking in after. His eyes landed on Christine and Erik; pain evident on his face. Then he looked towards Meg.

Erik was on his feet and in front of the boy in a flash, to Christine's protest.

"Erik, no..."

He ignored her. "I will not have my wife upset any further. Or my guests. You will tell me now what your intentions are, Vicomte."

Raoul fought his anger. This man...this Erik...had tried to kill him more than once. Had succeeded in killing at least two men, and God only knew how many others. He had terrorized the Opera. Terrified Christine. And yet he had escaped all retribution. Raoul wanted nothing more than to bring it down upon him now.

But he could not do that to Christine, who sat staring at them now with wide fearful eyes and a child in her womb.

A child that should have been mine, Raoul thought irritably.

Christine had begged Raoul for his protection. Clung to him in fear of the very man who stood now as her husband.

Husband.

Raoul felt justified in his anger. But then he glanced toward the window again where Meg had turned her head, waiting for his answer and his anger dimmed. He had come to England thinking only of Meg, but now he could scarcely think at all...

Raoul turned back to Erik, straightening his spine. "I will do nothing to upset Christine's happiness, Monsieur. You have my word as a gentleman."

Meg bit back a little cry of despair. Always Christine. Unable to bear another moment of this horrible tension, she silently rushed towards the door with Madame Giry following close behind.

Raoul caught the movement from the corner of his eye and turned to follow, but Erik clapped a hand over his shoulder and growled under his breath. "You have done quite enough damage to that girl for one day, Vicomte."

Turning on him, Raoul violently shrugged Erik's hand away. "It is nothing compared to the damage you have wrought!"

"Raoul! Erik! Stop this, both of you!"

Erik backed off slightly, and Raoul couldn't help but think it an odd thing to see such a man so easily bow to Christine's will. It had always been so, really. Raoul felt a fool for not realizing sooner who truly yielded the power in their strange relationship. It seemed Christine had only needed the courage to use it.

But Erik was not completely domesticated. Anger glinted in his blue-green eyes as he turned to his wife. "What would you have me do, Christine? Shall I fade into the shadows again now that your vicomte has returned for you?"

Christine gasped. "Erik! Please! You know that I love you."

He cut her off cruelly. "Your words belie your expression, my dear." Erik turned to Raoul, the exposed side of his face twisted in pain and anger. "It seems, le Vicomte, that you and my wife still have some business to settle. Kindly inform me when you are through here."

With that, Erik stalked out of the room and Christine promptly burst into tears again.

Raoul stood staring at her, completely uncertain of what he was to do. There was a time when he would have wrapped her in his arms and comforted her, but it was no longer his place to do so. And, oddly, he found that he really had no urge to have her in his arms again.

She is another man's wife. And the thought of it bothers me more for my hatred of the man than my love for her.

Still, Raoul hated to see her cry. He sat gingerly on the sofa beside her, careful to keep a distance between them. "Christine, please. You mustn't upset yourself so. It has been a trying day, to say the least. I am certain none of us have meant half of what has been said."

Christine drew a shaky breath and, after a moment, composed herself again. "Erik meant every word. And I know he is right." She met Raoul's blue eyes. "We are long overdue for this conversation, Raoul."

"Yes. I suppose that we are."

xXx

In the rear garden, Meg sat on a bench next to her mother in determined silence. She refused to cry one more tear over the sorry state of her affairs.

"You will feel better to talk about it, child."

"Talking changes nothing, Maman. You saw how he looked at her. Nothing has changed."

"I also heard what he said, Meg. He followed you here. Not Christine."

"But she is here, Maman. Why he came makes no difference now."

Antoinette sighed. "I think you are wrong. It makes all the difference."

Meg only shook her head sadly, and returned to silence.

xXx

Erik paced his music room, resisting the urge to tear it to pieces. He should not have said what he did.

But you always strike out at her. Like the poisonous viper you are.

But damn it, he was not wrong. Christine had been jealous at seeing Meg and Raoul together, even in argument. Was he expected to just ignore it?

Feeling caged and in need of air, he stomped to the mudroom and out the door. He contemplated saddling a horse and disappearing for a while, but he would not give that little fop the satisfaction.

He paced towards to orchard; thinking to howl and curse and rage away from easily offended ears...to calm the demon inside him. Passing the garden, Erik saw Meg and Antoinette sitting in awkward silence, and curiosity got the better of him.

As he approached, Antoinette stood in concern. "Erik. Is something wrong? Where are Christine and Raoul?"

Erik shot her a withering look. "Don't worry, Antoinette. I have not strangled them...yet."

"Erik! That is not even funny."

"Am I laughing?"

"You left them alone together?" This came from Meg, who was looking up at Erik with the same look of anguish that he knew was etched on his own face.

"They are...talking. Such as friends do." Bitter sarcasm dripped from his words.

Meg looked away. Antoinette shook her head in disapproval. "Sulking like children will do neither of you any good. I will be inside when you have both decided to grow up."

Erik stared after her. "I am not sulking."

Meg couldn't help the tiny giggle that bubbled up at his childish tone.

Erik glared at her. "You find this amusing, little Giry?"

She looked up at his expression, and began laughing outright. Erik only stared at her as if she had gone mad.

Perhaps she had.

Then a chuckle escaped him as well, although he would have been hard pressed to explain why. Neither of them had anything to laugh about, but as Erik contemplated this, the entire chain of events suddenly struck him as very bizarre indeed, and his laughter increased.

Erik collapsed onto the bench next to Meg, and after several moments of breathless laughter, they both finally regained their composure. At least until Meg's tears of laughter changed and began to fall in earnest.

Erik had never been entirely certain what to do with a crying woman, and Christine was the only one he had ever cared to comfort at all. But this was Meg...and the pain and uncertainty she was feeling mirrored his own. He tentatively wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and was surprised when she turned into his embrace.

He tried to think of something comforting to say.

"You cannot really want that fop, can you?"

Meg jerked her head up. The angry gleam in her eyes told Erik that his attempt at comfort had been sorely lacking. "You know nothing of what I want."

Erik studied Meg thoughtfully. She had neither denied nor confirmed, only evaded.

Clever girl.

"You must know you are too good for him, little Meg."

She sighed wearily. "The heart wants what it wants, Erik. For the better or the worse makes little difference. You should know that more than most."

"Yes. I suppose I do."

They sat in silence another moment, before Meg pointedly glanced up at the house. "Do you...do you think it will ever be settled?"

"Oh, it will be settled. But for the better or the worse, I cannot say."

A/N: I felt the need for a little Meg / Erik moment there.

Welcome back, DragonheartRAB, your little comments always make me laugh and they are most appreciated.

Also, one more excellent story that I can't believe I forgot to mention is The World As It Shoud Have Been by angeldreamerphantom. It has a good bit of RM in later chapters (though it is primarily an EC) but it's an epic, and still going, so be prepared for a very long but enjoyable read.