Melissa Aminta- Thank you... I seem to be having trouble uploading things lately. It doesn't seem to want to work the right way.
To Melissa and any one else who may be reading this: I may take a while to update, as I seem to be having trouble typing from a recent car accident.
Chapter 3- A Life for a Life
Rene looked up at Erik. He looked at her for a moment, than not being able to swallow the image of his wife lying there, dying he closed his eyes, turning his face down from the vision.
Rene spoke in a forced and shallow voice, "Erik, please, don't do this right now."
Erik looked at her. She had tears rolling down her cheeks. The tears of sadness now mixed in with the tears of pain. "I need you to be strong." She forced. "I need to you to know something, Erik."
He leaned down and took her hand. "What, Rene?" He asked, choking on his words.
Rene breathed in, her voice shaking as she spoke. "Erik, even if Christian had not been killed," She said, grabbing onto him in whatever way she could, "I would have chosen you over the life that I lived. I would have stayed in the darkness with you forever if I had to."
She made a sudden sharp breath. Erik shushed her, and he went to sit at the head of the bed. He stroked her hair, affectionately. She looked up to him and made one last request. "Erik… sing to me?"
Erik obeyed, tears rolling down his cheeks. He opened his mouth and the words poured out of him, pulled from a long ago memory. "Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Please, don't give up on me now… Say I can keep you with me, here beside me. Please don't go where I can't follow you…" His voice cracked and he whispered, "Rene," Than sang, cradling her head in his lap, "That's all I ask of you."
Madame Giry entered with Matthieu, and she walked the child to his mother, where he looked down at her, curiously for a moment. Then, upon being told to say goodbye, he flung his arms around her neck, and repeated that he loved her and to please not go.
Madame Giry pealed to bawling child off of his crying parents and led him out into the hall. Erik placed his mask on his face, and pulled his hood over his head, so no one could see his face.
Erik watched the rest of the delivery. He cried through the whole thing, but his face was concealed. When the new child had been delivered, the doctor announced that it was boy.
Rene had just enough energy to sit up in her bed. She held out her arms, and the nurse assisted her in holding her child, for the first and last time. When Rene began falling into spells the child was taken away and the doctors left again, waving their grievances to Erik in the corner as they left.
Erik returned to Rene's side. He watched her eyes roll up into the back of her head. He watched her pass out, and lay there, motionless. Her breathing became quickened and then very swiftly it was slowed, until finally her last breath flew off with the warm summer's air.
Erik refused to see anyone, and so for three days Madame Giry tended to the young child. Erik planned Rene's funeral. Though he knew there would be only three people in attendance, he had a marvelous tombstone made for her grave. Inscribed on the front of the stone was her date of birth and her date of death, only 22 years between the dates. On the back was engraved the phrase, "Guardian angels God will send thee".
After three days time Erik came to Madame Giry to fetch him younger son. She asked what Erik was to name the child. Looking at the child for the first time, Erik saw how much the babe looked like himself. His eyes where a brilliant shade of blue and atop his head was a wisp of black hair. The only difference was that his child had been born without a deformity.
"Dominique." Erik decided. "I will call him Dominique."