From Heaven's Mind

Chapter Twenty-One

"So how did you get off the stage at the end?" Erik asked on Sunday morning. They were lying in bed, talking quietly as watery sunlight spilled through the window. Trisha and her family had left the day before and they were taking advantage of the time they had before Erik had to leave. Christine smiled.

"Why should I tell you? You're always so secretive about your special effects."

"Because if you don't tell me I won't give you the present I brought from America." Erik smirked. Christine's head snapped up and she grinned.

"A present? What is it?"

"Tell me about the effect."

Christine looked at him in pretend-shock.

"Erik Destler, one might consider that blackmail!"

"I'm not saying that it isn't blackmail. It simply depends on how much you want the present." Erik said lazily, resting with his hands behind his head on the pillow. Christine, lying on her stomach beside him, pulled a face.

"Oh, fine. If you must know, there's a trapdoor. When the light came down, the trapdoor opened just as that shadow appears and goes up. The idea is that I get out of the way so quickly, no one notices the switch."

"It's a good idea, it worked well. Who came up with it?" Erik asked.

"Max and James, between them. Present time now." Christine smiled sweetly. Erik smiled and leant over to open the top drawer in the bedside table. He drew out a package wrapped in brown paper.

Christine perked up and reached for it but Erik held it just out of range.

"I'm wondering if that explanation was truly worth this gift. It's a rather special gift, you know."

"Erik, give it to me!"

"Why?" He said, looking genuinely curious. Christine ground her teeth and he smiled serenely. So she kissed him and as soon as his arm drooped slightly, she pulled away, snatched the parcel and rolled away, giggling. Erik scowled and she smiled.

"You deserved that."

"Very probably." He agreed, leaning up on one elbow to watch her unwrap the gift.

She tore carefully through the brown paper and found a jewellery box inside, covered with black velvet. She smiled and looked at him.

"Erik-"

"Look." He said. Christine opened the box slowly and her jaw dropped.

It was a necklace, silver links with a pendant of tiny rubies in the shape of a rose. Christine lifted it up to the light, smiling as it glinted.

"Erik, it's beautiful. You shouldn't have…" She breathed, admiring the beautiful piece of jewellery.

"Do I need an excuse to spoil you?" Erik asked.

"No, but… thank you." She smiled and kissed him.

After a few minutes she said,

"We should get up."

"We should." He agreed. "Would you like the shower first?"

"Please." She set the necklace carefully on the bedside table before climbing out of bed and going to the bathroom.

"I wonder what time Nadir got in. I didn't hear him come home." Erik commented. Christine looked out of the bathroom with a smile.

"Erik, darling, I don't believe he planned to come home at all."

June peered blearily around the bedroom. What time was it? She reached for the clock and grimaced. 11 already? She rolled over and then frowned.

"Nadir?"

There was no reply. She pulled on a large t-shirt and went into the kitchen, pushing her hair out of her face. And found Nadir cooking. She grinned.

"Wow. You really are the perfect guy, aren'cha?"

"I do my best." He smiled. "Eggs?"

"God yes. I'm starving."

"There's coffee in the pot."

As she poured herself coffee, June glanced at him.

"So, has the slave driver given you the day off?"

"He has indeed. Well, actually Christine did but it amounts to the same thing." Nadir laughed, serving up eggs.

"Good. Cos I've got plans for you." June smirked. Nadir eyed her.

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really. Hope you didn't plan on getting dressed today." She grinned cheekily.

Nadir just smiled.

Christine and Erik went to the hospital that morning to visit Meg. She was sat in bed with a su doku puzzle book that Tom had bought for her in the gift shop and was frowning. She smiled as they came in.

"I think my head is going to explode if I carry on with this." She put it to one side and then smiled at Erik. "You, Mr Destler, are my hero."

"I am?"

"Hmm. I met with Mr Jordan, the physiotherapist, this morning. I'm going to be making a full recovery. Probably with a limp but I'm going to walk again."

Erik blinked and then smiled. Meg held out her arms.

"Come on. You're getting a hug whether you like it or not."

"Oh, er… well…" He looked helplessly at Christine who smiled.

"Go on."

Awkwardly he moved over to Meg and bent down. She hugged him as tightly as she could and then let go, kissing him quickly on his exposed cheek.

"Thank you, Erik." She said with a soft smile. "You have no idea how grateful I am to you."

Erik was flushing a rather interesting colour and Christine decided to save him.

"Do you know when you're getting out?"

"In about a week. I'll be using a wheelchair so Tom and Max are going to set me up a bed downstairs in the dining room and we'll eat in the kitchen. And I'll have to call around all of my students and get them to come to our place, instead of me going to theirs." Meg said.

"In which case I'll try and find you a good place to sit at the opera." Christine smiled.

"She can use Box 5."

"Really?" Meg said, looking delighted. Erik nodded.

"I've paid for the next three years on it but since I'm hardly ever here it's rather a waste. At least this way someone will be using it." He said.

Meg grinned.

"Aw, you're getting another hug, mister!"

"I'll just go and get some coffee." Erik said, getting hastily to his feet and leaving. Christine laughed.

"Meg, you're terrible!"

"Yeah, I know. Can you figure out this puzzle?"

"It's going to be so weird, not going out to America every other weekend." Christine said as they stood in the entrance hall, saying goodbye. The opera was showing every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night.

"I don't mind flying out. And you shouldn't be flying anyway. It's not good for the baby." Erik said firmly. Christine smiled.

"I know. And in three months I'll be coming out to you anyway."

"Exactly. Now, I'm going before I miss my flight." He said and kissed her

"Call me when you get there."

"I will."

Erik looked at her for a moment and then reached into one of the cases.

"Here. Another present." He smiled, handing her another brown package.

"Another one? You're spoiling me." Christine smiled.

"You deserve it. I'll see you next weekend." He kissed her and disappeared through the front door. Christine unwrapped the present and found a blank videotape inside.

"If this kills me in a week, I'm coming back to haunt you." She said to no one in particular, going to the media room.

She slipped the video cassette into the machine and sat down to watch it, curious as to its contents. Trister jumped up to sit beside her on the chair, laying his head comfortably in her lap. She stroked his soft ears as the tape began. The screen flickered uncertainly for a moment before settling on the image of a quaint church. Christine's jaw dropped.

It was their wedding video.

They thought the film had been lost and Erik had sent it off to several experts in hope that they could fix it. Christine had forgotten all about it.

Max's face appeared, smiling in front of the camera.

"Hey! We're just waiting for the blushing bride and then we can get started. What?" He looked at someone off-screen. "Oh, right. This is the video of Erik Destler and Christine Danes' wedding, by the way. Probably should have said that straight-off! Anyway, this is the church where they're going to get married. Erik's already in there with Nadir, the best man. I'm just waiting for Christine, Meg and Christine's cousins. Tom, he's the guy holding the camera, and I are going to be helping out today."

He looked around and grinned.

"They're here!" A car pulled up and Max bent to open the door. Kelly and Melanie tumbled out, both wearing sweet little dresses in pale pink. Meg followed and smiled.

"You're filming already?"

"Here is Meg Grayson looking exceptionally hot." Max grinned, putting an arm around her shoulders. She smiled.

"And she's going to be kicking Max Hodges somewhere very uncomfortable if he doesn't get his arm off her."

"Duly noted." He said, removing the arm with a smile. And then he whistled. The camera turned and Christine found herself looking at an image of herself, fully clad in her wedding dress and a veil falling over her face.

"Max, don't waste the film!" She laughed.

"I'm not wasting it. Get a shot of the gown, Tom. Ladies and Gentleman, I give you the most beautiful woman to walk the earth's surface."

"Suck-up." She smiled.

The scene then skipped to inside the church. Christine wasn't sure who was holding the camera now because Max and Tom were already stood beside Erik and Nadir. Erik was looking terribly nervous and rather uncomfortable. Christine smiled and watched herself walk down the aisle.

Whoever was holding the camera had managed to tape the whole ceremony. As she and Erik kissed, the scene changed again, to the reception in the ballroom at the opera house. She was just standing and Christine realised that this must have been the speech making.

"Hello everyone. I want to thank you all for coming today." She smiled, looking around the room at the guests. "I'll keep this short. I just wanted to say thank you to a few people. But first… there are two people who aren't in this room that should be."

She paused before continuing.

"Not many of you here knew my parents, Charles and Faith. They were the best parents ever and they should be here. But they're not. I wish they were because this is a big day and I wish I could share it with them. I just hope they're watching, wherever they are now."

A moment of silence filled the room before she smiled again.

"The next people I have to mention are these three." She gestured at Tom, Max and Meg. "These are three of the most important people in my life. No matter how many times I've tried to get rid of them they keep clinging on." There was a ripple of laughter. "I suppose that's why they mean so much to me. They got me through some difficult times, between them. And I'm more grateful for that than I could ever let them know."

Christine smiled to herself as she watched the rest of the speech.

"But mostly I want to think Erik." The television Christine said, looking down at the man beside her, who was watching her with that little smile. "I was… at a not-so-good point in my life. Meg would tell me to get out more, to have fun, to date, to go shopping. But I didn't. It wasn't until I met Erik that my life really began again. And now I get to spend the rest of it with him and I don't think my life could get much better. I have him to thank for that."

Christine watched the rest of the tape happily. Nadir slipped in and stood behind her as she watched herself and Erik taking the first dance.

"Everything alright?" He asked quietly. She looked up and smiled.

"Yeah. Everything's good." She said, putting her hands on her stomach. "Everything's fine."

"Three months and the baby is forming nicely." Doctor Pine smiled. "Has the morning sickness ended yet?"

"Yes, thank god. It's no fun trying to sing in an opera when you have to keep dashing for the loo." Christine smiled, pulling her shirt down. Doctor Pine printed off the new images of the baby.

"I'll see you at the end of January then. Have a Merry Christmas, Christine."

"Thanks Doctor. Merry Christmas."

Christine paused in the reception of the hospital to pull on her scarf and gloves. The bitingly cold December wind hit her full in the face as she went outside. She bent her head against it and made her way to her car. She began the drive home, making sure to be careful on the icy roads.

Nadir and June were sat in front of the fireplace when she got back.

"Christine, how'd it go at the doctor?" June asked.

"Everything's fine and I've got some more pictures." Christine said, taking them out. "Look, it's not a blob anymore!"

"Yes it is. It's just a bigger blob." Nadir teased. June elbowed him in the ribs.

"Shut it."

"Yes ma'am."

Christine laughed.

"Oh, she's been training you well, Nadir. Has Erik called?"

"Not yet. I've sent the car to the airport anyway."

"I hope the flight hasn't been delayed." Christine said, glancing out at the threateningly dark sky. The news had reported the possibility of snow. A week before Christmas, this was not the best thing to happen when Trisha, Jack and the kids were supposed to be arriving in a few days.

"It won't have been. Don't worry; I'm sure he'll be here any minute." June said, stretching in a leisurely fashion. She glanced over at Christine, casting a critical eye over her stomach.

"I think I'm going to have to start letting this costumes out soon. You're starting to grow."

"I know, isn't it great?" Christine grinned, looking down at what appeared to be a very, very slight bump.
"You wait until you're the size of a house with swollen ankles and a bad back." June grinned. Christine laughed.

"I'll be in New York, relaxing the penthouse by that point!"

"Lucky cow." June grumbled.

It was over two hours later when they heard the car coming down the driveway. Christine jumped to her feet and dashed outside, rushing down the steps as the car drew up. Erik climbed out and she threw herself at him. He smiled and embraced her.

"Christine, get inside! You'll catch a cold!" He ordered, pushing her towards the doors. Once inside he removed his heavy coat and gloves as she waited impatiently for him.

Erik turned to her and she smiled excitedly.

"I've got new pictures of the baby! I saw the doctor today and everything's fine."

"Just what I like to hear." He smiled, following her into the living room. "Nadir, June."

"Hi Erik." They echoed as he and Christine sat down.

Coffee and hot chocolate was brought in and they discussed both operas, the baby, baby names (this conversation ended quickly to avoid inevitable arguments) and Christmas.

"How long are you staying?" June asked.

"I have to get back on the 27th. We open New Years Day."

"I can't believe I won't get to see your opening night." Christine sighed.

"You can see it as many times as you want when you come over at the end of January." Erik said calmly, kissing her hair.

"I read somewhere that if you play music to a newborn baby, it helps their intelligence levels." Christine said. Nadir laughed.

"That baby is going to be a genius then."

"Of course it will be." Erik said, as though it were obvious.

"How could it not be with Erik Destler for a father?" Christine giggled. Erik smirked and didn't say anything.

Once June and Nadir had retired to bed, Christine looked up at Erik.

"It's going to be terrible, not seeing you for an entire month."

"We shall survive." He murmured.

"Hmm…" She said, rather sadly. "I just don't know how I'm going to manage. Your coming home was the high point of my week."

"Seeing you was the high point of my week." Erik replied.

They fell silent for a moment.

"I suppose it'll be worth it. One month apart, but then we can see each other every day. We'll finally be together properly again." She said. "Like we should be."

"Exactly."

"Oh, stop showing off about how wonderfully intelligent you are." Christine smiled, looking up at him. He smirked.

"One cannot help their own genius."

"I certainly hope that this baby has your mind. It'll be invincible."

"If it is to have my mind, it must have your voice." He said. And after a moment's consideration, "And your eyes."

"I like your eyes." Christine commented.

"I prefer yours."

"One of each then. One green, one brown."

"If only they made babies to order." Erik said lazily. Christine laughed.

"I prefer to be surprised."

She rested her head against his knee and they watched the fire fade into glowing ashes.

A/N: Sorry about the wait, I just couldn't figure out what to do with this chapter. So I threw some fluff in and called it finished! Lol, I'm going to start moving forward in time, instead of just hanging around here. Let's get that baby popped out and Erik's opera going, people!

And also, everyone should try su doku puzzles. Guarunteed to drive you insane!

Lotsa luv 'n' huggles

Katie