Note: I really love reading all the reviews and hearing all the feedback so please keep it up! There was a question as to if this was the end of the story; no, I am close to done but I still have one twist up my sleeve...hhehehe

I woke up late the next morning but I didn't care. Dumas and the rest of the station could go to hell for all I was concerned; CJ was still asleep and I did not want to wake her up. However, when she did wake up, she did not share this point of view,

"Erik!" she exclaimed with still a hint of sleep in her voice, "You have to go!" she tried to get out of the bed but I had wrapped my arm around her just below her breasts so as not to hurt her stomach, and I was not letting go,

"Erik, you are going to be late,"

"I am already late," I said, and I did not release my grip on her; she stopped struggling to stand and gave up, allowing her body to relax against mine,

She sighed, "Erik?"

"Yes?" and I moved my other arm and pushed her hair away from the back of her neck and shoulder and pressed my lips to her bare skin; causing her to sigh again and press herself harder against me,

"Erik, I want to know, what made you run back here yesterday?"

"I needed to tell you that I love you," I said between the light kisses I was placing up and down her neck,

"But why then? What made you realize it?"

I sighed and lifted my lips from her, "I…I saw Christine again," I felt her body tense against mine, "And I knew that all the things I had believed I loved in her were…not really there, and she is nothing compared to you, CJ,"

"You better say that," she muttered,

"It's true!" I rolled her onto her back gently so I could look into her eyes, "I want you to know that I am being sincere," She stared up at me; blinking her bright green eyes slowly,

"Her eyes don't shine like yours do," I said, and a strange expression came over her face; and then she began to laugh, her whole body shook as she giggled,

"I am trying to be charming here," I said angrily, but I was beginning to smile as well,

"I am sorry," CJ tried to curb her laughter, "I am going to stop; there," She bit her lip to stop herself,

"She can't compare to you; she's not as strong, she doesn't have your laugh or your intelligence, she doesn't have your beauty either," CJ had stopped laughing now and she reached up and stroked my face; I lowered my lips to her and kissed her gently,

When we broke apart I rested my head on her chest and she stroked the back of my head, "Do you want to know when I realized I was in love with you?"

I raised my head a bit, "When?" I asked,

"Its silly, you can't laugh,"

"You laughed at me,"

"Fine, you can laugh if you want," She took a deep breath and I felt her chest rise beneath my head, "It was when I said, "they didn't unite you either?" and you said, "no they did, I just tied myself back up for fun,"

"CJ," I stared at her open mouthed, "That was the moment we met!"

"I know, the moment you said that and I saw you, I fell in love with you,"

"Why?" I was amazed,

"I thought you were humorous, I thought you were handsome and troubled, and I loved you," she sighed, "I though I was just being foolish, so I tried not to show any affection; but then you would do something…like pull a bullet out of my shoulder, and I couldn't help it! and then when you kissed me after the torture chamber I just thought…I thought you loved me,"

"CJ," I whispered, and I raised my eyes to hers, cupping her face in my hand; she turned her head and kissed my palm; I could not believe what she was saying,

"When you told me you still could not…I wanted to get away from you; I did not think there was any way you would ever love me and I thought I was becoming dangerously close to being pathetically in love with a man who would never care for me; I needed to move on quickly if there was going to be any chance of me keeping my heart, but it was no use,"

She reached up and stroked the back on my hand, "Leo was a sweet man but…I missed you; then when I found out about the baby, I was ready to give up. I had tried to break away from you but fate did not seem to want to let me. I was worried about getting to hurt, that was why I stayed in the other room…,"

"CJ, I had no idea," I breathed,

"I know, I never mentioned anything about it, until Leo came back; I guess I just couldn't take it anymore,"

"CJ, I am so sorry," I whispered,

"Don't be, if you honestly love me than it is all over now; nothing else matters, we have wasted enough time,"

I kissed her, gently parting her lips; I could feel her shift beneath me and wrap her arms around me; pulling me down on her. I was afraid of hurting the baby and I pulled back,

CJ noticed the motion and she released me; "I guess you have to go," she said softly, and she was right; I was very late.

"I will see you again as soon as I can," I said, standing and pulling on my shoes and changing my shirt,

"Do you have to do that right in front of me?" CJ asked from the bed as I buttoned up my other shirt,

"Do what?"

"Take off your shirt! It's not fare, now I want you to stay even more,"

"I will try to come home soon," I walked over and kissed her good bye, but she insisted on seeing me to the door and kissing me again; when I walked out of the house and down the road, I knew she was still watching me.

After this night and following morning, we became what I believe anyone else would have viewed as sickeningly in love; CJ would come down to the police station around lunch sometimes. I would see her at the door and go out to meet her. We did not want to meet in the station for fear the Dumas would get angry if she came inside.

However, soon everyone in the station caught on to what was happening anyway; and it seemed there was something about a couple that were going to have a baby that generated a kind feeling in the hearts of others because the men at the police station became much kinder toward me and CJ. Some of them, who had kids of their own, brought in things they had used with their children for me to bring to CJ.

The first time this happened I was quite overwhelmed; an old man named Arthur Fleche who had been in the French army years ago and then joined the police force; had said little to me until the day he brought me a chest of old clothes his wife had kept from their children, and he told me I was free to keep the chest as well. After this, other parents in the station began to do the same.

I was also allowed to do more than just sit at a desk; there was a robbery at a ladies boutique, arson at a bakery, and murder at an apartment house. Where I proved the most helpful was in the area of interrogation. There were men brought in who were dirty, crooked, soulless criminals and the honest, hardworking men of the police station often failed to break them. I however, had been one of these soulless criminals for some time and I knew exactly how their minds worked. I usually got them to confess in under an hour.

I also got visits from my old friend Nadir, who had found me through his connections with the police. He came to the house in late November, and by his face he was amazed at what had been done to the place; CJ had turned it into a real home. Every room was brightly painted; all the cobwebs were gone, bright curtains hung on the windows, the furniture had been reworked and repainted; all from the money CJ had gotten from her story; which was going to be turned into a book, and the also the payments on her next story, a continuation of the first.

Fall turned slowly to winter. One night I woke up from a nightmare about Persia; these dreams seemed destined to follow me throughout life. I was shaking all over and CJ woke up as my arm around her quivered,

"What is wrong darling?" She asked me softly as I sat up,

"Nothing, just a dream," I said, and then I looked out the window, "CJ," my voice lightened considerable, "I think it is snowing out,"

It was the first snow of the season, and we when to the window to watch the white flakes fall past the window pain. Soon however it was too cold to go on standing there, and we went again to the warm bed. CJ nestled against me, trying to warm herself and I held her close.

I knew full well what CJ was capable of; I knew that if those green eyes darkened her enemies had better run because she had no reservations about killing anyone who threatened her. However, to me she was my docile, loving wife who I wanted to protect and please above all else.

It was this urge to please her which caused me to save a bit out of each pay check to buy CJ a Christmas present from the boutique I had seen when it had been robbed and I had been sent to investigate. As I had been successful at finding the culprit and returning the stolen merchandise, the owner had gladly agreed to give me what I wanted at a lower price.

I ordered her a dress; one beautiful dress. I knew she would tell me I had wasted my money and she had no real use for it, but I wanted her to have it anyway. I also got her a locket; a silver locket with a sliver chain and the letter 'C' embossed on it.

It was a snowy day; Christmas eve, when I went to the boutique on my lunch hour to go and pick up my order. Tom came with me, in hopes of finding a present for the girl he was currently seeing.

"Hello Detectives!" The owner of the boutique yelled to us as we walked in; he was a friendly man and I think he knew the names of everyone who entered his store, "I have the dress, and the locket was just finished yesterday; wait right there, I will go in the back and fetch them for you!"

I nodded and waited by the counter. I looked around the shop; it was fairly large and fashionable; there were quite a few women fingering the bolts of fine cloth standing next to husbands who looked like they were in hell itself.

I scanned everyone in the shop; I had developed a habit of taking in everyone in a room and searching them for anything which might indicate wrong doing, however nothing seemed out of place,

Then I spotted someone I defiantly did not want to see. My heart turned cold as I saw the familiar brown hair, and Christine turned around to face me. Our eyes met immediately; I could not help but stare at her; seeing her again had never been something I desired after that one day at the café and it occurred to me how dangerous this situation could become. If she told that boy she was married to and he reported it...

Christine stood for a moment, then she walked over to me, she seemed as though she was in a trance,

"What are you doing here?" she asked distressed,

"I was just…" I began but she cut in,

"Were you following me? Have you been following me? Watching me?" she was growing more upset and the other people in the store were starting to watch,

"No, of course not," I said but she interrupted me again,

"How is this possible?" She had turned pale and I thought she was going to faint, "You are dead! You're dead!"

"Now, I am not," I said in a hushed voice, "But I am not following you either, I…"

At this moment the store owner came back over carrying the dress and a small cloth bag, "Here you go," his voice started off in its usual pleasant tone but when he saw Christine and I he grew worried,

"Ah…perhaps you two would like to speak in the back?" the owner suggested, not wanting us to disrupt his customers. We followed him back to his private work space; Tom, who had been looking around the store, came with us to.

"Ah…Madame de Chagny, I see you have met detective Phann?" the owner of the store said when we were in his office,

"Detective?" Christine said confused, "He is not a detective, he is in love with me, and he is following me," she sounded as though she could hardly believe what she was saying,

"Yes I am a detective, and no I am not following you!" I hissed back,

"You were in this store buying something for me? Weren't you?" she said faintly and she ripped the cloth bag out of the store owners hand and opened it, pulling out the locket, "Oh my God! There is a 'C' on this! You were going to send this to me!"

"No, he wasn't," the owner said, "It is for his wife, her name is CJ,"

"He made it up, He was in love with me," she said feverishly

"Christine," I hissed, "I was not following you!"

"He really wasn't Madame," Tom cut in and I was very grateful he was there; he was the only one who had ever met CJ, and he could attest to the fact that I was here for her, "His wife is CJ, and he has not been following you; he is at the police station all day,"

"Who are you?" Christine asked haughtily

"Oh! You can call me Tom, Madame," he stuck out his hand but Christine did not take it, so Tom continued, "I can assure you Madame, he is married to a woman named CJ, and he is a detective, not a stalker,

"You don't know who is really is!" Christine was not clamed, so I decided I would try to reason with her,

"Christine, I am not following you," I said firmly,

"Yes you are, just like when we were at the opera," she whispered faintly

"Christine, if I was following you today, how could I be picking up a dress which was clearly ordered weeks ago," Christine was silent, so I continued, "And if my intention was to follow you, and I had had these things made for you, wouldn't I have waited for a time when you were not in the store to pick them up?"

Christine looked confused for a moment, then she spoke, "What if you did not know I was going to be in the store?"

I sighed, "If I had been following you, as you claim I have been, than I would have known where you were going to be,"

Christine looked very sadly up at me, and her eyes softened, "You were dead Angel," she said softly, "You were dead,"

I did not know what to make of her; she seemed terrified at first, but now she just seemed sad, "I am dead, Christine," I said firmly, "The man you knew is dead,"

She looked like she was about to cry and I wondered if the pregnancy was making her act in this strange manner, "What are you doing here Angel?" she asked me,

"I am leaving, there is no more angel, remember that," I said and I hurriedly paid the owner, took the dress and the locket from Christine and bolted out of the store, Tom was at my heals,

We walked swiftly down the road in the blustery snow in silence for a time, then Tom spoke,

"Bit of a loony, that one," he said, and I had to laugh as I pulled my coat, another thing I had brought up from the opera, around me tighter,

"She was,"

"That was the girl before CJ?"

"Yes,"

Tom laughed, "They seem a bit like night and day,"

"You have no idea," I could not tell Tom that the truth was Christine had left me in perpetual night and CJ had pulled my into the light of day.

When I reached my home later that night, I was glad to get out of the cold wind and into the warm kitchen. It was a feeling I had never thought I would experience; to come home after a long day to a wife at a hot meal. CJ hated cooking; but she would do it anyway from time to time and as this was Christmas Eve I was not surprised she had made something.

I passed the kitchen where CJ was and quickly put her present in our room.

"Erik?" CJ yelled from the kitchen and I came in a moment later,

"Yes?" I saw she was peering into the stove,

"Ubiquitous," She said,

"I don't follow," I said confused, and she laughed,

"On the table," she said and I turned to see our dinning room table was covered with paper; her next story, "That was the word I was trying to think of, can you write it down over there?"

I wrote it on what appeared to be the last page she had written, "Done,"

"Thank you," She said, pulling away from the stove, "Dinner is almost ready, as soon as I find one of those…" she snapped her fingers, "one of those things,"

"Pot holders?"

"Yes,"

"Tucked into that ridiculous apron you are wearing," She looked down and saw the pot holder,

"It my mind anywhere over there?" she said exasperatedly

"I think it is gone for good," I said, coming over to her and wrapping my arms around her from behind, letting my hands fall on her growing stomach,

"As long as you still love me,"

"Always,"

Dinner was quite good, CJ might not have liked cooking but she did have a knack for it. Of course I never told her that, I would jokingly ask her what the hell that awful taste was, and she would retort that it was just the poison.

After dinner, I told CJ to wait in at the table while I brought her her present.

"What present Erik? I don't need anything," She said when I told her I had gotten her something,

"You do need it, so wait here, and close your eyes," I had a strange sort of excitement running through me as I raced up the stairs and retrieved what I had bought for her; I had never given anyone a Christmas present before.

"Alright," I said as I walked into the dinning room, "Wait a moment," and I put the locket around her neck and the dress in her lap, "Look,"

She opened her eyes and looked down at the dress. I had designed the damn thing for her; years at the opera watching the costumers and all the aristocrats of Paris parade around was as good as any other training in tailoring. CJ was a unique woman and I wanted to make this dress to fit her personality. It was whimsical, not what everyone else in Paris high fashion would have thought to wear, but more beautiful because of it.

"Oh, Erik," she picked up the blue green dress, "It's magnificent! I wish I could wear it right now!" I had given measurements which were from when she was not pregnant and now the dress would not fit her until after she had the baby, "It must have cost a fortune!"

"You are worth a fortune," I was still standing behind her and I kiss the top of her head, "And I got you this as well," and I tugged at the locket,

"Oh!" she looked down at the locket, "It is beautiful; thank you darling," she stood and kissed me swiftly, "Now you have to wait here while I get your present ready,"

"You got me something?" I said, the idea had never even occurred to me,

"Of course I did!" She smiled, "Now wait here,"

She was gone several minutes before she came back, grinning from ear to ear, "Alright, you have to come with me," She took me by the hand and led me out of the kitchen and to my surprise to the door of the suicide room; the only bedroom on this floor of the house,

"The haunted room?" I teased, knowing that was what CJ called it,

"Close your eyes," CJ smiled, and I did so. I heard the door open,

"Alright," CJ's voice was brimming with excitement, "look,"

I opened my eyes and almost fell over; the room I was looking at could not possibly have been the suicide room; it was painted white; and a large carpet was on the floor covering the bloodstains. The whole room was lit with candles which I recognized were from the house by the lake. But that was not the most stunning thing; the most stunning thing in the room was that the beds were gone, and in there place there was a large piano and a violin.

I stumbled backward as though there had been a blast when the door opened, "Oh CJ…How?"

"When I was negotiating with the newspaper, I threatened to sell the story to someone else, and they jumped to keep me from doing it; your friend Nadir brought up the candles and the violin,"

I walked slowly into the room, running my hands along the two instruments, I could not believe this…no one had ever given my anything; ever. That CJ had done this for me; she always said she loved me but I guess I never realized what that meant. That she loved me enough to do all this for me…

Stunned I turned to see her leaning against the doorframe, smiling. I opened my mouth but my voice stuck; and I just went to her and kissed her deeply.

I made love to her that night; carefully because of the baby but passionately none the less. I moved with her; I treasured the blissful look on her face while I was inside of her. When we were spent and I lay beside her; I pulled her close to me.

"You did not have to get me anything; CJ," I whispered to her, "You are enough, knowing you are mine is enough,"

"I am yours," she whispered back, and I kissed her goodnight.