A/N: Our beloved couple is truly in torment here, self-inflicted I might add. The fools! Thanks for the reviews, I'm still addicted to your comments. BTW, the quote was from "The Princess Bride". If you haven't seen it, rent it. And if you haven't seen it since the 80's, see it again. It's much funnier the older you get.

Ch. 10 – The Light Of Day

Charles was restless in the ship's cabin after having been confined for over a week following his illness. Christine knew that he was fit enough to return to his normal routine, but she was stubbornly determined to keep him from Erik as per her final words that fateful night. The first couple of days after the "night of the storms", as she referred to it in her mind, Charles was still a bit sluggish and she was able to convince him that he needed to stay in their room and rest. Her bitterness and her bruised pride were still feeding her anger in those early days, but now time had cooled her fervor and she was painfully aware that what she had meant to use as a punishment for Erik was in fact a punishment for her son, the only innocent in this situation.

"Mama, why can't I go fishing today? I'm not sick anymore." His tone was uncharacteristically defiant. Her son had always been a good, obedient child. That was when she had been a mother who showed fairness in her decisions. She knew she was not being fair to him, and she knew that he didn't understand it. Desperately trying to think of a solution that would allow her son to have his way and allow her pride not to take a hit, she remembered Erik's words, she was free to roam the ship. She could take Charles topside and watch over him, thus if Erik made an appearance, she would be present.

"You shall fish today, Charles!" she exclaimed, almost as excited at her realization as he was at her decision. "As soon as Stone comes to pick up our breakfast tray, I shall make the arrangements." She didn't want to just appear on deck for the first time since they had set out unaccompanied. The men would no doubt be distracted by her presence. Stone had informed her this morning that Harcourt had been dealt with and was suspended from duty for several weeks. She had been skeptical when he told her, raising an eyebrow in question. But he assured her that the Captain had curbed his desire for the man's death and had administered a fair and deserving punishment for his disobedience. Since the suspension meant he was confined to his cabin, she did not have to fear running into the red-haired man. She only had to fear running into the ebony-haired one.

Stone questioned her logic when she told him her intentions a little while later. She recalled Erik's words to him, releasing her from her imprisonment, and then agreed to wait while he checked with the Captain for his approval. Nervously she paced the room, all the while listening to her son happily chatter that he was finally going to go outside again. She knew that if Erik had changed his mind and did not allow her to accompany Charles, she would let the boy go without her. She couldn't disappoint him now that his hopes were up and she found herself feeling guilty each time that her son mentioned seeing his friend, the Captain.

Stone returned to the room a few moments later. He appeared worried.

"Was he angry that I wanted to leave the cabin? What did he say?" She knew that she sounded over anxious and realized that she just wanted to hear some news of how Erik was faring.

When Stone had asked Erik whether he had given permission for Christine to emerge, the Captain had showed the briefest sign of excitement followed immediately by a stoic calm. He had nodded his assent and continued on with his task at hand, working with the navigator plotting a course that would help them to avoid another storm.

"The Captain is allowing you to leave the cabin, but, are you sure Christine?" Stone was concerned about her showing herself and causing the Captain more misery. As it was, Erik had barely eaten or slept since their last meeting, but he dismissed Stone's worries citing that there were many things that were on his mind, not just the woman.

Christine nodded, knowing what Stone was asking. Was she sure that she and Erik could be in such close proximity to one another without an incident? The crew had to be considered as the rumors were already a problem. "I will behave myself if he will," she quipped playfully.

Stone led them up the stairs exposing Christine to sunlight for the first time in three weeks. She closed her eyes as they had to adjust to the brightness, and allowed the warmth to fall upon her face. The breeze tossed her hair and caressed her like a lost love. Without even seeing her surroundings, she felt a sense of peace and contentment for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime.

Though she had not yet seen the men on the deck, they all had seen her. Each crewman's face had turned to look as Stone mounted the stairs, alerted by the little boy that burst forth and ran to find the Captain with a happy shout. Some of the men decided upon their first glimpse of Christine that she was the most beautiful woman they had ever seen, gazing at her with unhindered adoration. Others did not even try to shield the lust that took hold of them, not having been in close proximity to a woman in such a long time. Surprisingly a few of the men seemed to regard her with an open hatred, these men whispering amongst themselves and quickly hiding their expressions lest someone notice.

But only one man did not look at her, could not look at her. His eyes only watched the tow-head boy run to him and, without thinking he caught Charles and lifted him up, swinging him in an arc. It had been days since his face had registered any emotion, but now he found he was grinning broadly. He had missed the boy terribly and apparently, the feeling had been mutual.

Charles's giggle as he was spun around caused Christine to open her eyes and search out her son. The sight that she beheld stopped her heart. Her eyes instantly swam with tears and a heaviness settled in her chest. Erik was magnificent. She wondered if he had ever looked this good. He wore black trousers with black boots and a white shirt that was unbuttoned at the collar. The sun gleamed off of the white mask giving him an ethereal glow about his head. She knew she had never seen him in full daylight and realized that it was as beautiful a sight as Erik in darkness lit only by the glow of a candle.

The most wonderful thing about his appearance, the thing that had taken her breath away, was his smiling face. He was looking at her son with unbridled happiness and Charles was a mirror of that joy. Despite the fact that Erik's features were dark, his hair jet black, and her son was blonde with a light complexion, anyone who saw them would have thought they were father and son by their fondness of each other. How could I have punished them like I did, she thought. Charles had spent most of his life never knowing a father and Erik of course did not have a son or a father. Yet here they were, Charles was standing on the deck talking animatedly and Erik had squatted down to be on his eye level, completely giving the boy his enraptured attention. Had circumstances been different she could have been looking at her family.

She allowed the tears to fall from her eyes, crying for the unfairness of it all. It had been unfair that Raoul had been taken from them, unfair that Charles barely remembered his father, unfair that Erik had never been given a child of his own, and unfair that Christine now stood wishing that she was beholding her husband and not her beloved enemy. She was filled with guilt for disrespecting the memory of her husband. She would not have traded the years as his wife; he had been a caring partner, always concerned for her well being, conscientious and even accepting of her past with Erik. How dare she soil what they had shared with her thoughts of the man that had tried to come between them all those years ago!

As that last thought rang in her head, Erik's eyes met hers and held her stare - her face, one of sadness and beauty, his face one of torture and longing. The moment ended as Charles tugged on the man's shirt to gain his attention.

Once the eye contact was broken, she turned to survey her surroundings. She remembered the ship being large from the night that they had come on board, but her memory seemed to be failing her as she found the vast expanse overwhelming now. She raised her eyes to look at the sails against the blue backdrop of the sky then lowered them again to see the sapphire ocean beyond the railing. Men bustled around the deck performing their various tasks, while overhead a few climbed up rope ladders and maneuvered their way in the rigging bringing back to her mind the men who had worked the flies at the theater. She remembered Joseph Buquet and his fate at Erik's hands. Shuddering, she pushed the image from her mind. Her thoughts were of the dead much too much today.

As each man hurried past her, she heard them mutter, "Ma'am" out of respect for her presence. After awhile she noticed a few of the men hurrying up to Charles to slap him on the back or just say hello. Her son, it appeared, had been popular among the crewmen. Eventually, the boy ran across the wooden planks to join his mother. Stone had already prepared his fishing pole and Charles was giddy as he cast his first line. Christine smiled at his euphoria and accepted a chair to sit upon and watch her son in his blissful state.

He strode the deck as he did each day, answering questions, lending his expertise, supervising the men. This day however he found his mind and his eyes constantly wandering to the starboard side of the vessel. He had never known that when the sunlight illuminated her dark hair, a red glow lit her tresses giving her the appearance of a goddess. He had never seen her mother her son and was delighted with the ease to which she had assumed the role. She found delight in Charles and it was apparent as she hung on his every word and gazed at him with a soft expression of love. How many times can this woman break my heart, he wondered. He pictured himself walking over to stand behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder as she looked up at him with devotion and pride. He would lower his mouth to cover hers, ignoring the stares of the crew and the amused look on their son's face…

Viciously he ripped himself away from the fantasy with a growl. He had had enough, and signaled to Stone that he was going below deck. As the first mate assumed command, he watched Erik descend the stairway. Christine had also noticed him leaving the quarter-deck, and felt a chill as he went below. There had been a moment, at some point that she couldn't quite put her finger on, where she had felt a serenity. Now all she could feel was an emptiness that had opened up the moment he had removed himself from her vicinity.