A/N: This is going to be the last chapter before I go on vacation. I'll be back on the 19th and hopefully I'll be able to start writing again soon. Till then…

"Raoul come quickly! Here, put your hand right here."

"Christine… that's our baby."

"And he's been kicking me all day long. He's going to be just as strong and brave as his father."

"You should be off your feet. Here, sit down. Is there anything I can get you?"

"Just stay here with me."

Raoul woke from his dream in a cold sweat, the scent of Christine's vanilla perfume in the air.

"I'm sorry, Monsieur. I didn't mean to wake you," the servant spoke softly, setting a tray of food on the nightstand beside the bed.

"What is that fragrance you are wearing?"

The girl reached a hand up to her neck. "Vanilla. It was a gift from my mother. She saved for weeks to be able to buy it for me."

Raoul nodded slightly and waited for the girl to leave before rising from his bed. He breathed in deeply, letting the scent fill his lungs and make his head swim. However painful it was to think of Christine, Raoul wouldn't relinquish the memory of her. Everywhere he went with Christophe he would speak of Christine, in part to tell him the story of his mother's life and in part to keep her in his own mind. Her smile, her eyes, her laugh- Raoul treasured all of it.

A tiny pair of hands grasped the back of Raoul's pant legs. "Papa!" an eager voice called out. Raoul turned and looked down at the smiling face of his son. How he had grown in a few short months! He was an adventurous little boy, taking advantage of the newfound freedom that walking brought and following his two feet wherever they would take him. He ran through the house on wobbly legs, always careful to stay within view of his father.

Raoul squatted down in front of his son, "What do we have here?"

Christophe stuck out a chubby fist which held a small purple flower. "Papa," he repeated, forcing the object into Raoul's face.

Raoul chuckled and took the gift from his son. "Merci," he whispered as he leaned in and placed a small kiss on the tip of the boy's nose. The child let out a happy squeal as he turned and ran towards the front door. As he reached the open door he stopped and turned, looking for his father's approval.

"Would you like to take a walk?" Raoul questioned, joining Christophe at the door.

With a nod, the toddler was running once more, Raoul fast on his heels. They chased each other along the beach until the sun was high in the sky. From the house, Raoul heard Mama Valerius's servant call them back. He picked Christophe up and placed him on his shoulders, allowing the toddler to take hold of his hands.

"Madame Valerius requests that you join her for lunch."

"We will be in presently," Raoul answered, ducking to prevent Christophe from hitting his head on the door frame.

When he entered the room, Raoul found Mama Valerius as she spent everyday, sitting up in her bed, surrounded by pillows.

"What rubbish," she said as she removed her glasses and set aside her newspaper.

"What is rubbish?" Raoul asked with a teasing smile.

"This business about the Phantom of the Opera," she answered.

Raoul's face drained of all color at her response. He set Christophe down on the floor and picked up the newspaper from her lap. "What are you talking about?" he asked anxiously as he scanned the headlines.

"Oh nothing, dear. Someone claims to have seen him above the stage in the Opera Populaire. I just can't believe that this silly story ended up in the papers. Really, when will people give up on this myth?"

So he had been right all these years, right to fear the shadow in his nightmares. Raoul had told that Christine that he was gone, but he would always be there. Raoul found the article she had been talking about. It was a follow-up to a story they had run a few months earlier. "It's probably some publicity stunt staged by the managers. I'm sure they're desperate for attention," Raoul said, feigning confidence to hide the quiver in his voice. He noticed that the date of the original story was very near that of Christine's disappearance. He didn't know exactly what he was thinking, but he just knew it somehow had to be more than mere coincidence. At that moment Raoul decided it was time for him and his son to return home. He was going to discover what had been occurring in his absence.