I do not own Phantom!

Alright. For the amusement of all, I present, the birth of Meg Giry! Once again based off the RP I do. I was just in a weird mood and this happened. But before we begin, let me explain a little...

Pierre is Madame Giry's husband, a Doctor. He is aware of Erik's involvement in her life and even has a rather tentative truce with our beloved Phantom. They do, however, seem to enjoy a heathy verbal sparring occasionally, though you won't see much here. Oh, if Erik seems a little OOC, I apologise, but this is many years before we know him and he is still very young and very naive. If anything is unclear, please feel free to ask about it :)

The Masquerade Ball was in full swing. And down in her room, Ann Giry was groaning. She wasn't due for 2 more weeks and yet, not half an hour ago, her water had broken and she went straight into severe labour pains. Pierre, her husband, had told her that labour took hours usually, especially for the first child, and that no matter what happened, he would be there to deliver their son. He was sure it was a son.

She sat on her little bed and grit her teeth for another one. The contractions were coming hard and fast. She was, to be honest, a little worried. What if something was wrong! She couldn't walk; she'd already tried. So there was no hope in finding someone to fetch a nearby doctor. And Pierre wasn't due home for at least another hour. What was she to do! No one would be returning from the Ball to this area of the Opera House for a very long time yet.

"Aaaarrr… RRRHHH! Pierre! I'm going to kill you for this!" She groaned.

The contractions were only getting closer and he was not. Ann got frightened. She was alone. She was in labour. And she wanted a COLD DRINK, DAMN IT!

She felt hot tears sneak out of her eyes. It was getting to be too much. Was having a baby really all worth this? She needed help, and there was only one thing she could think of to do to get it. No one would hear her up at the Ball, but someone else might…

A contraction hit.

She screamed.

His name.

"ERIK!"

The young Madame Giry fell back on her bed and wept. Five minutes passed and she managed to get herself calmed a little, even if she remained very flushed and had to pull up her skirts a little to cool her legs.

OOO

Erik heard his name, very faintly, from up above. Odd, he though. It must be Ann, but what…? He didn't need to be called again to drop the book he was reading and rush upstairs. He climbed into the passage that led into the wall beside her room. From here he could speak to her at least. There used to be a little two way mirror into the room but since her marriage… well, they thought it best to block it off.

"Ann?" He called out to her softly.

"Erik? Is that you?"

He scoffed.

"Who else would it be?"

"Come in, please."

The panic in her voice worried him. She sounded more upset then he'd heard in a long while.

"Alright. I'll be with you in just a moment. Hold on Ann."

OOO

Erik entered her room and balked. He just stared, stunned.

There was Ann Giry, sitting very unladylike on her little bed, with her skirts up around her knees. Her hair was messed and sweaty and she looked at him as though he were her saviour. Also, the floor seemed to be quite wet…

"Ann, what the…!"

She suddenly glared at him.

"Do I look like I have time to answer stupid questions! I need your help Erik!"

"What is going on?" He ran his hand through his hair, blissfully unaware at this point that it would become a habit by the end of the night.

"What does it look like?" she snapped impatiently. "I'm in labour! The baby is coming Erik!" Suddenly her mood changed again and he almost visibly jumped. She started to get very teary. "I'm about to give birth and I have no one to look after me! Pierre won't be back for hours and hours and I don't want to be alone!"

Erik backed into a wall, suddenly getting quite nervous.

"And, what did you want me for?"

"To stay with me, stupid!"

He flinched. He didn't like this at all. Someone had stolen his Ann and replaced her with an evil, fat, yelling woman.

"Alright then…"

She softened again, but this time he remained very much on guard.

"Oh, Erik… Could I have a drink? I'm dying of thirst!"

"Of course." He went to fetch her something out of the little cabinet standing nearby.

"Erik? What are you doing? I can't have that. I need water."

Well, at least she's calming down.

"There's no water here."

"Get me some?"

Oh no… Not with the eyes!

"Of course… But, from where? I can't get…"

"Oh, I don't care Erik! Just get me some cold water, please, now!" She rubbed her head and belly, obviously in some kind of pain.

"Yes, alright. Cold water… Um…"

He looked around himself and thought. There was no way in hell he was going to be able to get her cold water, the way he knew she liked it, on this night, at this time. Sneaking around the Opera House during the Masquerade Ball was just too risky for him, that's why he had been at home reading.

He did the hair thing again.

"Ann, I… I'll have to get it from home. Can you wait a few minutes?"

"Oh… I suppose so, but Erik I don't want to be alone!"

"I'll be right back."

"No, I mean… Erik, take me with you!"

"What!"

Had the woman gone mad? She wanted to go down to the cellars now? Could she even walk!

"But Ann, how…?"

She grabbed his collar roughly and yanked him down to her eye level.

"You listen to me Erik Devereux! I am a woman on the edge! I am in labour and I am going to be doing a whole lot of screaming tonight. People will hear and they might just come running! Now, I do not intend to risk you like that. But I also do not intend to be alone at any point from here on in, so unless you feel like getting up close and personal with the floor, I suggest you do exactly what I say! Got it!"

He gulped.

"Yes, Madame."

"Good… Now, you'll have to help me up."

He nodded, not even considering disobeying her at this point. His initial summation was right. She had gone mad…

Erik put his arm around her and helped her to her feet. She faltered a little, but he just held tighter. He felt moisture, only sweat he liked to tell himself, seep through her clothes and into his. Erik turned his face away and cringed, but was quickly back with her, giving her an encouraging grin.

"Come on then. We'll just take it easy if it hurts to walk."

She squeezed his shoulder with the hand there.

"You're so good to me Erik… Oh, wait! I almost forgot! Would you leave a note for Pierre, to tell him where I am?"

"Alright."

He sighed and put her back down to write a quick explanation, and left it on the dresser where her husband could find it. Once again, they got up and made their way out.

Step by agonizing step, the two made there way down to the cellars. Half way she had to stop and rest a minute, but soon was back on the move. Walking actually seemed to ease the soreness in her body.

Once down in Erik's lair, Ann asked to sit. He only had his bed really, and that was covered in brand new sheets he'd 'borrowed' from some poor soul who shouldn't have left them laying around.

Erik groaned.

"What's wrong?" She asked, all concern for her friend now.

What he thought was;

Don't you play the innocent with me you conniving, evil, fake Ann! I see right through you! You just couldn't wait to get down here and ruin my bed could you!

But what he actually said was;

"Nothing Ann. I just… Forgot to tidy up. Well, I mean, I wasn't expecting visitors."

"I'm sorry," she murmured miserably as he lowered her to the bed, "I'm being such a nuisance."

Nasty doppelganger Ann from hell!

"Don't be ridiculous Ann. You're never a nuisance to me. I thought I'd shown you that…"

She grabbed her considerable stomach and moaned.

"What? What is it Ann?"

"Oh… Another one's coming!"

"Another what!"

"Another contraction. Oh, Erik, they're so painfuUULLLLL!"

She screamed and clutched his hand. He held tightly onto her, even wrapping an arm tentatively around her shoulder. Squelchy, demon Ann-replacement though she may be, it was still Ann and he couldn't bear to see her in such pain.

OOO

After the contraction passed, and Erik was able to get her the water she so craved, he found another problem arising.

"NO!"

"You might have to Erik! Please… I just can't do it on my own…"

"Absolutely not! I'm happy to hold your hand or go get Pierre but there is no way I… I am not going to… NO!"

"ERIK! If he doesn't get back in time, you are delivering this baby, end of discussion!"

"But I'd have to…"

He blanched at the thought.

Her eyes flashed bloody murder.

The Phantom got scared.

"GET. OVER. IT!"

His voice came out rather small and pathetic.

"Alright…"

"Good." She growled. "Now… Shut up… I need a rest…"

Another hour passed.