-1Disclaimer: We own none of the characters from Phantom of the Opera.

Chapter Nine

"Oh, Erik, be careful with that!" Christine instructed the men where to place furniture in the new home, but she had a hard time letting Erik do anything. Since she had realized she was pregnant, she had become strangely overprotective over the father of her child, and she continuously rubbed his back after each piece he lifted.

Erik glanced at his wife with a chuckle, setting down the sofa and smiling at Nadir, who stood at the other side. Turning to Christine, he walked toward her and pulled her into his arms. "You know, my dear... I think we have things a bit backwards... I should be the one being so protective of you..." He teased, kissing her forehead gently. "Do you know when your uncle will be arriving, my dear?"

Christine shrugged and held Erik tightly in her arms, not wanting to let him go. "I have no idea when he'll be here. But I can't wait to see his reaction." She rolled her eyes at the thought of her uncle, and realized she'd have a ton of men around her, fretting about her every waking moment. She didn't mind Erik, and she appreciated everyone's concern, but she would prefer less attention than what she knew she'd be receiving. She looked up at Erik and cupped one side of his neck. "Please be careful."

"You know I am." He assured her, tracing his fingers over her cheek gently. "Now what would you like moved next?"

"How about you and I go move things around in the bedroom?" She suggested slyly, raising one eyebrow and squeezing him tighter around the waist. Her eyes left his for a moment to glance briefly at Nadir, and she smiled sheepishly as she gazed back at Erik.

Erik grinned broadly, giving a quick nod and taking his wife by the hand. As they walked past Nadir, Erik gave him a pat to the arm. "Go and take a break, Nadir..." He told his friend, before leading Christine up the staircase and to the room they had determined would be their bedroom.

Christine closed the door behind them and grabbed Erik's hand, swinging him around to press him against the door. She grinned deviantly before pressing herself against him and grabbing the back of his head almost roughly, letting her tongue slide against his lips and into his mouth.

Erik gasped, then let a low moan escape his chest as her mouth came against his, and he clutched at her hips, devouring her mouth with his and slowly backing her toward the bed which had been moved into the room earlier that morning. "Christine..."

Meanwhile, Jean Claude tapped lightly on the door of the new home, and finding it unlocked, let himself in. He saw Nadir and smiled, waving subtly. "Where are Christine and Erik?" He asked the Persian, looking around curiously.

Nadir's face flushed, and he cleared his throat. "They... they are upstairs... quite busy..." He gave Jean Claude a very knowing look, hoping that the man understood what he meant.

Jean Claude, in his respective innocence and new involvement in the couple's life, wasn't very aware, and his smile widened. "Ah, we should go and help them, then. I'm sure they'd appreciate it." He heard what sounded like a cry from Christine, and he began trampling up the stairs. "Perhaps she lifted something too heavy, that's a man's job." He went to the door and knocked before walking in to see Christine straddling Erik on the bed, her dress pulled up around her thighs.

Christine's eyes widened and she squeaked, fumbling to pull her dress down, and she rolled off only to fall to the floor and hit rather hard on the side of the bed.

Erik made an uncharacteristic fearful gasping sound, rolling on the bed to cover himself from view and hastily pulling his pants back up. Once finished he dropped to the floor beside Christine, immediately concerned for the baby. "Christine, are you okay?" He asked, touching her stomach lightly and meeting her eyes, his face flushed from embarrassment and eyes wide with fear.

Christine nodded, holding her arms over her stomach. She peeked up over the bed at her uncle, glowering at him. "Ever heard of knocking!"

Jean Claude shrugged helplessly. "I did knock!"

Christine narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head wildly, standing and walking toward the door. "I don't know why I even try!" She shouted, throwing her hands up in the air as she walked down the stairs and back to where Nadir was. "I should've locked it," she murmured to the Persian man, and sat down on the sofa, folding her arms across her chest.

Erik laughed richly, and made his way down the stairs to sit next to Christine. Grasping her into his arms he kissed her with a powerful passion, not caring that Nadir was nearby, or that Jean Claude was on his way downstairs. All he knew was that he had been interrupted while making love to his wife, and he was feeling frustrated enough to take her right here on the sofa.

Christine's lips were slack against her husbands and she pulled away, lying down on the couch. "My back hurts," She shot a glare at her flushing uncle, standing by Nadir, "And I refuse to try anything again when there are others to interrupt us." She'd never been considerably moody before, even after her father had died, and she knew her pregnancy was part of the reason. She gave Erik a playful smile and then turned on her side to snuggle into the couch.

Erik tried not to laugh, but a soft chuckle escaped him as he looked knowingly at Nadir. "Would you like me to rub your back, mon ange?" He asked as he reached out to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Or would you like something to drink?"

Christine lifted suddenly, her eyes wide. The hair he had tucked behind her ear splayed out across her face and she gulped as she stood hastily and covered her mouth with both hands. She ran down the hall and to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

Jean Claude raised an eyebrow and looked worriedly at Erik. "Is she okay?" He asked, concern obvious in his features.

Erik nodded, distracted by the sounds coming from the bathroom as he stood. "Yes, she's fine...nothing out of the ordinary." He said as he moved toward the bathroom. Opening the door he grasped her hair as had become a bit of a ritual for the two of them, and he rubbed her back as she knelt on the floor. "I'm so sorry, my dear... I feel like this is all my fault, you can't possibly be enjoying any of this..." He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck.

Jean Claude's eyes narrowed and shifted to Nadir. "Nothing out of the ordinary!" He questioned angrily, moving towards the bathroom. He pushed the door open and looked down at Erik and Christine. "Are you ill, Christine?"

Christine turned her head away and frowned. She didn't want to be seen like this. It was bad enough that Erik had to, much less her uncle that had seen her in full glory upon the opera house stage.

Erik placed a loving kiss to Christine's forehead, before glancing over to Jean Claude. "She is fine, I have told you. This has been happening all day, and I assure you, it will be happening for quite regularly for a long while." He stroked Christine's cheek affectionately, his eyes twinkling as he looked down at her. "Are you alright now, my dear?"

Christine nodded and stood, and as she had many times before, splashed water over her face. "Please don't be worried, Uncle," she beseeched as she dried off her face and neck. "I'm quite alright."

"But I don't understand!" Jean Claude exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. "Why is this going to continue!"

Erik simply smiled, glancing down at Christine and stroking his fingers absently over her stomach. "That's just the way these things go... for the next month or so at least... isn't that right, Christine?"

Jean Claude's eyes narrowed as he watched Christine nod absently and wrap her arms around Erik's waist, and nuzzle her face into his chest. He was utterly befuddled and he couldn't understand why they would dismiss this so easily. "Have you seen a doctor, little love?"

Christine rolled her eyes and looked up at Erik. "I'm tired," she announced, leaning completely against him once more.

Jean Claude was the one irritated. He raised an eyebrow and said sternly, "I want to know what's going on here. I'm worried about you, Christine."

Christine sighed and wrapped her arms around Erik's neck, snuggling into him. "I'm pregnant, Jean Claude," she murmured against Erik's throat, and her eyes closed as she became more exhausted suddenly, for no particular reason.

Erik beamed up at Jean Claude as he nuzzled Christine's hair lovingly, concerned about her exhaustion but knowing it must just be another side effect of her pregnancy.

Jean Claude's mouth dropped open and he gaped at Christine. "Pregnant?" Well no wonder Erik had been so concerned when she'd fallen off the bed! His concern flared and he stepped forward to place a hand at her back. "Are you alright?"

Christine nodded. She would've nodded to answer anything at that moment, as long as she could sleep in peace.

Jean Claude grinned sheepishly. "Well I'd expect you to become pregnant the way you too seem attached to each other!" He patted Christine's back and stepped out of the bathroom, and walked back to the sitting room. "I'm going to be a great uncle!" He held his head and sat down. "I'm getting so old..."

Erik cuddled Christine against his body in the bathroom for another moment or so, before walking into the sitting room as well and kicking back on the sofa. Gently he rested his head against Christine's, his lips against her ear, and very softly he began to hum to her, trying his best to relax his wife and let her sleep.

Christine smiled peacefully and held him to her as her breaths became deeper, and she slowly began to fall asleep. "Erik," She breathed, before drifting out of consciousness.

Smiling triumphantly, he kissed her forehead, then turned to look at Nadir and Jean Claude. Nadir was smiling at him with such a proud expression on his face that Erik couldn't help but blush. "What?"

Nadir walked over and sat down on the armchair that had recently been brought inside. "Erik... when I met you... well, you know how you were. I assigned myself as your conscious fully believing I would spend the rest of my years stopping you from doing a multitude of crazy, dangerous things... and instead, I stand here in your new home, and watch you hold your wife, sing her to sleep... I'm very proud Erik." He said softly, patting the man on the arm and blinking a few tears from his eyes.

Erik's face flushed, and he looked down at Christine's face, embarrassed by the praise. However, he looked back up a moment later and smiled gratefully at Nadir. "Thank you." He said warmly in Persian. "Your acceptance... Nadir, it feels as close to me as I can ever get to my father being proud of me." He hadn't even realized he had slipped into the other language, and Nadir smiled fondly at hearing the tongue that had not touched his ears in so many long years.

Jean Claude grinned, pleased with his niece's husband, as well, knowing finally that he was a good man. He was jovial that he was going to have even more family, and he wondered what it would be like to have children around. He'd never had any, himself, and he was excited about the upcoming events. He stood and gestured around the house. "If we're finished settling things in here, we can go and purchase anything else you may need while staying here, and Erik, you can stay with Christine."

Erik looked up at Jean Claude gratefully. "That would be wonderful, I wasn't sure how we would find time to go today... Christine wrote a list of the things we need, and she put it on the table over there." He gestured with his free hand toward the little table by the staircase. "You're sure it wouldn't be any trouble?"

Jean Claude shook his head. "Not at all. We're more than happy to help with these small concerns. You just protect her." He motioned to Christine and smiled in her direction, feeling giddy once more. "Come, Monsieur," he spoke to Nadir, and grabbed the list on his way to the door.

Nadir nodded, and stood, following Jean Claude and smiling at Erik before exiting the house.

Erik looked down at his sleeping wife, standing carefully and walking up the stairs. Kicking open the bedroom door, he gently laid her down, and lifted the blankets from where they had fallen from the floor earlier, placing them over Christine's sleeping form. Slowly then he walked to the other side of the room, looking out the window at the streets below him.

Christine sat up in bed and smiled slyly. She stood and went to Erik, swinging him around to face her. "Finally!" She announced, and wrapped her arms around his neck before jumping up and wrapping her legs around his waist, as well. She dipped her head down to his and kissed him fervently, running wild fingers through his hair.

Erik's eyes widened in shock and he stumbled slightly when she clung to him, before moving toward the bed and laying Christine back, climbing to lay over her and kiss her with unequalled passion. "Was that all a game, then?" He asked, eyes twinkling as he caressed her sides.

Christine grinned up at him, stroking the back of his neck as she so loved to do. "I wanted to be alone, did you think I wouldn't have my way?" She pecked his lips and nuzzled her nose into the crook of his neck. "I have this intense urge," she began, as she slid her lips across his neck and up to his jaw line. "To make passionate love to you." She slid her hands down to his pants.

Erik whimpered in need, resting his hands over Christine's and helping to shed his pants. A very large sigh of relief escaped his throat as he kicked them from his legs. Quickly his hands reached to Christine's back and after only a moment he worked her dress from her body, then set his hands to unlacing her corset.

Christine ran her hands along his abdomen as she bit her lower lip, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She stopped him from unlacing the corset and flipped him onto his back, leaning over him. Her hand moved lower, until she touched his aching flesh very lightly. "But I'm afraid the baby will be very disturbed by this..." She stroked more firmly, though still very light, and licked his lower lip.

Erik gave a strangled cry, claiming Christine's lips passionately with his own and lifting his hips against her hand, whimpering almost constantly. "Oohhh... Christine, please..." He gasped out, clinging to her body and shaking with desire.

Christine grinned smugly, knowing he liked these ministrations. "Though, my love, I would never want to leave you unsatisfied..." She stroked the whole length of him, delighted at her power and at the sounds coming from her husband. She pressed her breasts against his chest as she increased her pace in her strokes.

A low growl slid from the back of Erik's throat, and he thrust his hips upward, groaning and grasping at Christine's head, nibbling her neck and crying out in need.

Christine kissed his lips before removing her hand, and trailing her lips down his neck and onto his chest. She nipped at his collarbone and then licked a trail down to his navel, and paused there to look up at him. She circled his navel with her finger, and watched as she did so. "The baby would definitely be scared," she stated as she grinned up at him.

Erik whimpered at the loss of her hand, but as her lips moved lower and lower down his body, he began to tremble anew, and he blindly clutched at her hair, looking down at her in awe and finding it difficult to breathe. "Christine...?"

Christine gazed up at him innocently. "Hmm?" She murmured as she lowered her lips once more and kissed along his abdomen. She slid her hands down to stroke his thighs as her mouth came in contact with his throbbing flesh. She touched her tongue to the top of his manhood lightly, before taking as much of him as she could into her mouth and then sliding her mouth back off. She repeated the action and the second time, after she had removed her lips from his flesh, she grinned up at him, an eyebrow raised and a smug look upon her features.

Erik cried out sharply as her lips touched his flesh, and he shot up, looking down at her in shock, desire swept over his body. "Yessss..." He purred, laying back on the bed and trembling. "Christine... oh God you are amazing..."

Christine grinned and moved back up above him, and caught his lips in hers. She situated herself atop him, and looked down at him with a grin. "Try not to scare the baby," she told him, before sliding onto him and throwing her head back with a deep moan.

Erik gasped in pleasure, grasping her hips and watching her body move on top of his. The sunlight form the windows washed over the bed, casting shadows over Christine's body as she swayed atop him, and Erik couldn't believe the beauty of the moment. I expected to find pain and hate above ground... and instead, such unbelievable beauty... Whimpering, he began to move his hips in time with Christine's, crying out as his pleasure mounted.

Christine's hair draped down her back as she moved rapidly. She arched her back, trying to get him deeper inside her, and when she did so, he hit the sweet spot deep inside her and she cried out, repeating her actions to make such occur once again. She continued, moaning deeply and calling out his name, and she grabbed hold of his shoulder and upper arms as she moved faster.

Erik murmured incoherently as he neared the edge of his restraint, and he sat up, continuing to move with Christine as he began kissing her neck, trailing his lips down to move across her breasts, he brushed his tongue over her nipple and dug his nails into her back as his head fell back. "Christine...!" He gasped out, speeding their pace slightly.

Christine shut her eyes tightly as glorious waves of pleasure began to wash over her, and she clutched his back and neck tightly as she felt her strong release finally come. She leaned forward and kissed his lips passionately as she began to shudder tremendously.

Erik cried out with tremendous volume, feeling quite grateful that Jean Claude and Nadir had left the house, and thrust into her once more, biting her shoulder and squeezing her tightly against his body. His body shook as he released, and a small whimpering sound slipped from his lips as he rested within his wife, eyes screwed tightly closed. Amazing...

Christine rested her head against his shoulder, and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh... my God, Erik..." She smiled against his shoulder and raised her head to kiss his cheek. "Scare the baby anytime you'd like," she whispered and smiled playfully at him. "You're so magnificent, Erik. I'm so lucky to be with you."

Erik laughed softly, laying back on the bed and cuddling Christine against his chest. "I love you so very much, Christine..." He breathed gently, kissing her forehead softly. "I can't wait until we have our child..."

Christine smiled and sighed into his chest. "Me either. Did it tell you what's it's going to be yet? I want to tell you so badly!" She grinned up at him and placed his hand on her stomach.

Erik grinned down at her. "No, my dear... you have not told me yet... are you volunteering?" He asked, brushing his fingers through her hair and stroking his fingers over her lips lovingly.

"What do you want it to be, Erik?" She asked, gazing up at him with a broad smile.

Erik gave Christine a rough look, kissing her nose playfully. "I want it to be whatever it is." He said, kissing her warmly.

Christine grinned. "Good answer." She scooted closer to him, tangling her legs with his. She leant up to whisper in his ear, "Start thinking of names for a young boy."

Erik grinned broadly, kissing Christine with a very strong love as he touched her stomach reverently. "You're certain?" He asked, glee shining in his eyes.

Christine raised an eyebrow and ran her fingers through his hair. "If it were a girl, would you be disappointed?" A sparkle came into her eyes at thinking of brushing her daughter's long hair, or hearing her daughter sing the songs she had sung from the opera.

"Not at all, my dear." He whispered, nuzzling her neck and cheek lovingly. "A boy or a girl would be marvelous... I suppose we'll have plenty of both though... twenty children and all." He teased, nipping her neck.

Christine giggled and placed a hand on his chest. "You make me become excited once more with talk like that. Will you never be sated, my love?" She grinned and sent her hand down his body once more.

"Never." He assured her, brushing his lips down her body to nuzzle her tummy. His hands rested on her thighs as he cooed playfully at her stomach.

"Daddy, I love you!" Christine spoke in a small, childlike voice, and pushed her stomach up into his face as if the baby had kicked. She grinned and giggled, feeling completely happy at the situation she was in.

Erik laughed, laying his head against her stomach then and stroking his fingers over her skin. "Christine... you have made me so happy..."

Christine smiled radiantly and touched his cheek. "Really?" She asked, happiness shining in her eyes.

"Yes... really, I've never been so happy.. and whenever I'm with you... oh Christine, you make me so very glad that I lived through everything in my life...I would gladly live through it all again and not utter a single complaint if it meant I could be with you like this." He whispered, kissing her warmly and stroking his fingers up and down her sides gently.

Christine held the back of his head and she trembled with delight. A sudden thought came over her, and she frowned. "Erik..." She held the sides of his face in her hands, serious beyond belief. "If something happens while I'm giving birth..."

Erik shook his head, looking away. "Do not even say that, Christine. Nothing will happen. Nothing." His eyes became clouded with tears at the thought, and he curled against her, snuggling his face into her neck. "I will not let anything become of you. You are mine..." He whispered, placing one small kiss to her neck, then closing his eyes against his sudden fear of losing his wife.

Christine held his face in her hands once more and struggled with her own tears, as well. "No... you listen to me. If something happens, you must take care of the baby..." She stroked her thumb up his cheekbone. "It will need you, do you hear me? It will have a part of me and therefore you must be strong and take care of it. Are you listening to me, Erik?"

A tear slid down his cheek, but he nodded anyway. "Why are you saying this, Christine... what makes you think..." A soft sob escaped him, sure now that Christine expected to die. His mind, after all, became irrational when he was frightened.

Christine shook her head and wiped away the tear that had managed to fall from her husband's eye. "I shouldn't be worried over it. It's just..." She sighed and looked away, out the window. "My mother died in childbirth." She snapped out of her trance-like state and stroked Erik's shoulder. "And my father survived and took care of me." She pecked him on the lips. "I expect you to do the same."

Erik held her tightly against his body, trembling in fear. "You know I would take care of our child, Christine... I could do nothing else..." Tears slid from his eyes as he began to sob out his fear. He hadn't thought about the possibility of Christine dying in childbirth, and now he was so afraid that it would happen. God will see fit to punish me in any way... and taking the one person who I have ever loved... oh Christine...

Christine hushed him and held his face in her hands. "Erik... There's no need to worry. I'm healthy and as long as I don't wear a corset anymore, I'm sure I'll be fine." She smiled tremulously and stroked his cheek. "You wouldn't miss the corset, would you?"

He shook his head, laughing through his tears, and burrowed his face into her chest. "When I was a child, " he began, his voice slightly muffled, "I had a dog. Her name was Sasha... she was my only friend growing up... my first word was her name.. and the first time I walked it was only from her assistance...that dog loved me like no other could... when I would take off my mask at night, she would lick my face... when I read she would lay at my feet, when I played my piano she would watch me, listen to me..." Another sob escaped him as he remembered the horror of that day. "She got old... but she was still well... and then mother put her in the garden one day... and the boys whose mothers told of the horror that lived in my house... they came..."

He stopped as a few more sobs wracked his body. "They threw rocks, threw sticks at Sasha... they went over the fence..." He couldn't finish, and began to gasp for breath, still crying as he remembered running out, screaming at the boys. "I came outside... and Sasha was laying in the garden... she was so still... the boys were laughing... I screamed at them, said I'd kill them all... and I went to Sasha... but she was dead." He gasped for breath, and when he had calmed a little, he lay his head in her lap, and continued his story. "I took Sasha and buried her, sang her eulogy even though mother said dogs didn't go to heaven...they weren't people..." He sighed heavily, closing his eyes. "Christine, the only one I'd loved was taken from me... how do I know the same won't happen to you?"

Christine's eyes filled with tears and all she wanted to do was keep him there with her forever, to protect him from anything else that might come to make him upset. She stroked his hair and bent to kiss his temple. "Erik... You've had enough suffering... Nothing is going to happen to me, my love. We're going to grow very very old together, and watch our twenty children grow to be great musicians and artists. Trust me, my angel. I won't leave you. I'll never leave you."

Erik gave a tiny whimper, snuggling up close to Christine and closing his eyes. "I'll never leave you, then, Christine." He said gently, drawing back to kiss her lovingly. "Oh Christine... I would be so lost without you...I love you so..."

"And I love you, Erik." She rested her head on his shoulder and kissed his neck. Her stomach lurched and her eyes went wide. She placed two hands over her mouth and grabbed the sheet as she ran towards the bathroom on the upper level of the house.

Erik sighed heavily and stood, taking off after his wife and meeting her in the bathroom. Swiftly he grasped her hair with one hand, resting his other hand on the small of her back and rubbing in gentle circles. "I'll be very glad when this phase of your pregnancy is over." He said with a raised eyebrow.

Christine nodded and vomited, her eyebrows furrowing in irritation. She hated this. What if they had been making love and she had heaved on Erik? She stood up straight, and massaged her lower back. She'd been bending over so often today it was very sore. She washed her face off and grabbed a towel. "I'm sorry, mon amour," she said quietly.

"There is nothing to be sorry about, my dear." He said, drawing her against his body and tucking her head beneath his chin. "You're so beautiful... even when you throw up, you're ravishing." He teased, kissing the top of her head dotingly.

Christine batted at his chest weakly and glared playfully up at him. "I suppose I deserve that after making love to you after you'd just had an attack." She grinned and pulled him back to the bed.

Erik chuckled, and lay down on the bed after reaching the room, tugging Christine next to him and sighing softly. "This is nice...being able to see trees out the window... feeling the breeze and the sun... Christine, thank you. If it were not for you, I would still be beneath the opera... you have brought me so much light.."

Christine traced patterns on his chest. "No, Erik, thank you. You've been so brave and trusting in our love and that's the reason we're happy right now." She stroked his cheek. "And our happiness shall not fade anytime soon." She sat up and looked down at him, eyes sparkling, and long dark curls falling over her shoulder.

He smiled then, pulling her closer as he looked at the setting sun, and watching the clouds move past the sky. Tenderly he kissed her lips, then laid back on the bed, closing his eyes for a moment.

Christine folded her arms on his chest and set her chin upon them, gazing down at them. "Erik..." She began shyly, "Did you not mention you wanted to have a real wedding?" She became excited at the thought. Her uncle could walk her down the isle, and she would look so beautiful! And she'd see the look in Erik's eyes that she loved so much. She grinned down at him, the sparkle in her eyes never fading.

Erik perked up at the mention, and he grinned. "I wasn't sure that you remembered, and I was too nervous to bring it up again." He said warmly, placing his hands on her upper arms and looking deeply into her eyes, his own twinkling. "I would like very much to give you a real wedding, Christine... if you still want one?"

Christine's mouth gaped open and she sat up, staring down at him incredulously. "Erik!" She climbed on top of him and straddled his waist, placing her hands on his chest. "Of course I still want one! Erik, it'll be marvelous!" Her shoulders came up in an excited move, and she fell forward to kiss him fully on the lips.

Erik kissed her back with a great amount of love, and when their lips broke apart, he grinned. "Good, I was hoping you would still like one." He said, cupping her cheek and looking deeply into her eyes. "I suppose we shall have to wait until we are moved in, however... although that will give us plenty of time to become prepared." He said, appearing thoughtful.

Christine frowned and sat back up on top of him, playing with a piece of her hair absently. "Well we musn't wait too long. I don't want to be fat on our wedding day!" She frowned and shook her head, thinking about what she would look like.

Erik chuckled, pulling her to lie next to him and kissing her cheek. "You will never be fat, my dear. There is a difference between carrying a child and being fat. You will be magnificent."

Christine nodded. "You would think so. Nevertheless, I'd like to be wed as soon as possible." She grinned. "What will our wedding night be like?"

Christine giggled and stroked his arm. "What I want to know is how I'll be able to sit on top of you like this when I'm very heavy." She felt around his pectorals for the muscle, and smiled. "Are you sure you'll be able to handle me?"

"Believe me, Christine... I'm much stronger than I look. Besides," He flashed her a playfully cocky smile, "I can always handle you." He tickled her sides a bit, grinning.

Christine fell off him and to the side, and tried to stop his tickling. She laughed uncontrollably, her eyes filling with tears. "Erik!" She tried to move away from him so far that she fell off the bed... again.

Erik leapt up in concern, kneeling next to Christine and touching her face. "Are you hurt?" He asked, nervously helping her to sit.

Christine blushed furiously and shot him a glare. "Well, I fell off the bed -- twice -- and my breasts are beginning to hurt again. Hurt is in fact, an understatement!" She pulled the sheet from the bed around her, suddenly very self-conscious though she knew she had no need to be with Erik.

Erik tried not to be hurt by her tone, he knew it was just her pregnancy talking. Gently he lifted her onto the bed, and looked down at her with concern. "Is there anything you need, my dear? Something to drink or eat?"

Christine sighed, and lifted her hand to stroke the side of his face. "I'm sorry, my love. Forgive me. Your son has an attitude, not I." She grinned, and yet another feeling of arousal came over her. Good God! "Erik..." She pulled him down by the shoulder. "I do need something..."

Erik frowned as he was pulled down, and looked at Christine with bewilderment. "Christine...? What is it you need?"

"Make my breasts feel better?" She asked with an innocent, maiden-in-distress look.

Erik laughed at her words, bending to place a gentle kiss to each one. "Better?" He asked teasingly as he looked down at her.

"Not exactly," she told him with her eyebrows raised as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him over her again.