Chapter 18 - A Son is Born

Thirty six hours later Kimberlee was back in her hospital room resting with her son beside her asleep. She watched him lovingly not believing that he was really here. His features were perfect, he had ten fingers, ten toes and no sign of the disfigurement that Erik had been cursed with, not to say that would have made a difference to her. She would love her son no matter how he looked. She closed her eyes and quietly wished that he would come through the door to see his son, see that he really was his despite what he had said.

She opened her eyes when she heard the door opening and felt her heart skip a beat with anticipation. It was not Erik but she still smiled when she saw Christine and Meg come through the door carrying flowers and a teddy bear.

"Hi girls, to what do I owe this visit?"

"We wanted to see you and the baby of course" Meg said hugging her.

"Well I hope you snuck in some food with that teddy bear because the food here is just as awful as it is in California."

"No sorry, but we did manage to find you some nice flowers to brighten up your room with. So can we stay for a while?" Christine asked hugging Kimberlee

"Oh alright, but only cause the teddy is so cute with it's little bow tie" she said jokingly.

"Oh my gosh Kim, he's beautiful and so small. Christine look at his little hands, they are perfect" Meg gushed.

"He didn't feel small coming out I'll tell you, thank God for drugs. Would you like to hold him Meg?"

"Could I, that would be wonderful."

Kimberlee stood up and picked up her son placing him into Meg's arms.

"I haven't decided on his name yet so we'll just call him kiddo for now. This is your Aunt Meg and your Aunt Christine" she said to her baby.

He opened his eyes and stared up at Meg. Christine leaned over Meg's shoulder to have a look at the baby while she waited her turn to hold him.

"What names have you thought of?" Christine asked

"Richard, James and Jaden are my favourites. I left my baby book at home so I am waiting for Jason to bring it to me, I want to make sure he has the perfect name."

"I like those names, perhaps a combination of a couple of them will work" Meg said smiling.

"He has such beautiful green eyes, don't babies usually have blue eyes when they are born?" Christine asked

"Most babies yes, but I had a feeling his might be green. His father has green eyes."

There was a quiet pause while Meg handed the baby to Christine. Both girls then sat on the bed facing Kimberlee and prepared to ask the question everyone wanted to know the answer to since her return.

"Kimberlee, who is the father?" Christine asked

"Yeah, because it can't be Jason, you haven't known him long enough for him to be the father."

"Erik is the father, though he doesn't believe it," she said glancing at Christine waiting for a reaction. Seeing none she decided that the 'Phantom' must not have told her his name.

"Erik, that's the man you told us about last year?" Meg asked

"Yes, we were involved until I left for school. I asked him to go with me but he said no and ended our relationship."

"I thought you two loved each other" Meg said.

"We did, I still do but sometimes love makes you do things that are out of character. Sometimes it can scare you as much as it makes you happy."

"Sounds complicated" Christine said.

"Not always. Do you love Raoul Christine?"

"Yes I do, I have since we were children."

"And you believe he loves you?"

"Definitely, I wouldn't be surprised if they were engaged by Christmas" Meg said smiling.

"See, love doesn't have to be complicated, just for me," Kimberlee said with a sigh.

"I'm sure you two will find your way back to each other someday soon" Meg said hopeful.

"One day perhaps."

The door opened and Jason walked in holding the aforementioned book in one hand and two coffees in the other.

"Sorry I took so long, but I got lost on the way back here."

"That's fine, I had some company while you were gone."

"Oh good, hi girls I'm Jason. I don't believe we were formally introduced with all that's gone on in the last week."

"No I don't think so either. I'm Meg Giry and this is Christine Daae."

"And we had better get going before your mother wonders where we got to" Christine said glancing at the clock on the wall.

"Thanks for coming to visit me girls, but next time bring food with you please."

"Got it, when are they releasing you?"

"Should be in the next couple of days if not tomorrow. I promise I'll come see you before we head home."

"You'd better and with a name for this little angel" Meg said.

Christine handed the baby back to Kimberlee and the girls left them alone. Jason pulled a chair beside the bed and handed a coffee cup to Kimberlee.

"Jay, we need to talk about yesterday at the church."

"What about yesterday?"

"You kissed me."

"You didn't like it, it was too soon wasn't it?"

"The kiss was alright but unexpected. I had just run into Erik outside and told him about the baby, it didn't go over very well. I do care for you, you are my best friend but I don't care for you that way."

"Don't you think that one day you might be able to? Kimberlee I love you, I have since we met and I don't want to hide my feelings any longer. Surely Erik's reaction should be an indication that you two are over."

"He was in shock and I didn't exactly handle myself well either."

She paused before continuing.

"And no, I don't think that I will ever love you the way you care for me. I can't see myself ever loving anyone else but him. It's too soon to tell the future though, please understand."

"I do just as long as you know that I love you and I am willing to wait as long as it takes. Now you should get some rest."

Jason stood up and placed a kiss on her cheek, he lingered in her room a moment longer and then left. When he had left she placed the baby back into the bassinette, leaned back and started to cry.

Two months had passed since Richard James Shaw had been born and Kimberlee had remained in Paris to settle things with her father's estate. Jason had returned to California already for the semester starting in July and Michael had left Paris now and gone to Australia to play in the outback. Kimberlee made her way toward the stage of the Opera Populaire to say goodbye to all her friends there and to see Erik one last time before going home. Final rehearsals were now underway for El Muto to be performed that evening. Raoul was backstage watching when he noticed everyone crowd around Kimberlee to get a glimpse of the baby. When Monsieur Reyer and Mme Giry finally got everyone back to their places Kimberlee took the opportunity to slip away undetected.

She arrived at the underground lake and found the boat. She placed Richard inside and stepped in rowing toward Erik's lair. Since her last time here Erik had set up some new trigger wires to alert him to intruders and she unknowingly found one. When she arrived at the open gate she peered around to see if he was there. Before she could call out his name she felt the Punjab lasso fall around her neck and tighten.

"Erik it's me" she said beginning to gasp.

The lasso was loosened and she slipped it off her neck. She looked again and before calling out his name now saw him standing on the shore just inside. She paddled the rest of way and he helped her ashore.

"What was that for?" she asked annoyed

"I've placed some new trip wires down here, you triggered one of the alarms coming here."

"Well next time make sure there really is a threat first" she said as she stepped out of the boat lifting Richard out also.

"What are you doing here anyway, and with him no less? This is no place for a baby, it's too cold and damp."

"I am leaving for California on the red eye flight tonight, but before I left I wanted you to meet your son. Whether you believe me or not Erik, he is yours."

"He can't be, why would you torture me like this?"

"If you really believe that he is not your son then you are not the same man I fell in love with all those years ago when I was just a silly girl. I want you to look at his face, look into his eyes and then tell me that he is not yours."

Kimberlee walked to Erik and placed Richard into his arms. She now stood mere inches from him and he looked at her with fear in his eyes.

"Don't worry, you won't drop him. Just hold him like so" she said stepping back now.

Richard opened his eyes and looked into Erik's face. Erik stared at the child and saw that he had the same green eyes had the same strong jawline. He also saw that this face was the perfect mixture of his own and Kimberlee's. He studied the boys face and saw no sign of deformity and felt a wave of relief. He knew without a doubt that he was looking at his child. He quietly handed him back to Kimberlee and felt a tear fall down his face.

"Thank you but you must go. I cannot offer you the life you deserve and it was selfish of me to think I ever could."

"Erik, if we are together that's all I need. We can be a family the three of us."

"No! Please go back to California and give him the one thing I never received as a child...his mother's love."

"What about his father's love, doesn't he deserve that also?" she asked grabbing his arm and turning him to face her

"I don't know how to love, how could I love him or you for that matter?"

"That's not true, he was created here in this very place in love. Unless you had me fooled and were just using me for sex. I still love you and that will never change, there will never be another for me."

"Well I don't care for you anymore, I care for Christine so do yourself a favour and leave" he shouted at her.

"Fine...if that's the way you want it, I'll leave," she said. Pausing she took a cd out of her pocket and placed it on the nearby table, "but I don't believe you" she said quietly to herself.

Kimberlee left the opera house an hour later after bidding her friends farewell and got on the red eye flight for Los Angeles. Erik did not touch the cd she had placed on the table for him, he ignored the fact that it was there. Rather he went above for that nights performance, a performance that many would soon not forget.