Disclaimer: All originating characters and storylines belong to their respectful owner. This is mostly a continuation of ALW's work, but I do throw GL a couple of good nods. All new characters and sub-plots are my original work and are not to be used/reproduced without my expressed permission. Enjoy the story and shoot some feedback my way if you can! Thanks for reading.

Twinkle22: Thanks for reading. All your praise mans the world to me. I appreciate you taking the time to read my story.

phantomfan1911: Your flattery really is too much. Thank you so much! Hope you enjoy this chapter, Christine reappears.

Chapter Eighteen

Motherhood was more rewarding than she ever envisioned. Though having two little ones tried her patience some days, Christine learned to separate herself from the chaos and remain calm during the tantrums and crying spells that happened all too often. She didn't really know what had changed about her, but only hoped that it would stay. She finally felt comfortable to be with her children and was delighted to see the love she projected on them be returned to her in tenfold. Her two little boys had so much love and admiration for her, she often found it hard to breathe as they coddled and cooed over her.

Stephan was her favorite. Christine tried to hide it, but his sweet and quiet demeanor quickly won her heart over. His presence, though, captivated all those around him. Given his relatively calm personality, it was surprising how he entered this world with great thunder and authority. His birth was a fiasco for the whole household.

After her water broke, Christine immediately went into panic beyond recognition. Genevieve was in a frenzy getting Christine calm enough to climb the stairs to where she had started to prepare the bedroom for delivery. Nadina was still nowhere to be found. Christine called out for her. Genevieve nervously replied, "She be here in a minute. She is sending Francois out for the midwife."

The contractions did not offer Christine a moment to collect her thoughts. As she tried to prepare the bedroom for the delivery, she was thwarted by mind-numbing pain that took over her entire body. Christine tried to delay the baby's delivery until someone was there to help. Christine kept praying that Nadina would return soon as Genevieve would only huddle in the corner wincing with Christine's screams and shielding her eyes when it was too much for her to bear. While it only a brief moment, it seemed forever before Nadina finally came to Christine's rescue.

"You silly goose of a girl!" Nadina screamed at Genevieve. "Just lettin' the mistress deliver this baby herself! Now be useful go fetch us a basin of hot water." She directed Christine back to the bed. "You're doing fine. After all, been through this once before, so this shouldn't be brand new to you." Christine was quietly sobbing in the wake of a terrible contraction. "But we do forget about the pain though, don't we?" She laughed, "That's just God's way of tricking us into letting our husbands get near us again. If we remembered, we wouldn't even sleep together in the same room, love!" Nadina started grabbing towels and laid them off to the side. "Now get up on that bed and save your energy for when you really need it. The midwife should be here any minute." Nadina sat beside Christine. "We'll just wait right here until she does."

Soon thereafter, Christine began to feel the need to push. With each agonizing contraction, Christine could feel the baby making its way out. It was finally too much to bear. She screamed out to Nadina, "It won't wait! The baby is coming now!"

Nadina immediately jumped to attention. Muttering more to herself, she annoyingly whispered, "Where is that girl and my water?" She pulled a spare sheet from the linen closet. Tying it to one of the posters on the bed tightly, she knotted the other end and gave it to Christine. "This is the only way I know how to do this. Now this may not be like the first time, but it'll work, believe you me." She kneeled on the foot of the bed. "Next time you feel one coming on, use this to pull on and push that baby out. I'll be here to catch it."

On the next wave of pressure, Christine bore down and pushed hard and slowly. She stopped to regain her breath and almost keeled over with faintness. "Oooo, that's a good one, milady! Just take your breath and we'll do it again," Nadina said excitedly. "What a brave lass you are! Just wait till the master hears about this. Heads are going to roll." Christine's pain kept washing over her and she began to push again. "Looky there, you can see the baby's head!" Nadina screamed out. Reaching down, Christine felt the baby's head crowning. "Al'right, just one more. This baby's not wasting any time. It's ready to come out and greet us. I wish I had it this easy with mine!" On the next push Nadina cradled the tiny head between her hands and Christine slowly pushed the rest of it out. "It's a boy, Countess! A little angel." As the cold draft billowed through the room, he began to cry furiously. "Listen to that, fine set of lungs, just like your Mama!" Nadina wrapped him in a towel and handed him to Christine. The mother cradled him against her chest, smiling and laughing.

A loud crash erupted from the doorway. The water from the basin the maid was carrying splashed across the floor. "Madame! The baby - " She quickly regained her composure. "I am sorry, Countess. I couldn't get the water heated fast enough. I panicked when I saw the baby. I'll clean this up right away!" She thought better of this and exclaimed, "No, I will get some more water first!" Her feet lost their footing on the floor and she slid and fell against the walls in her hurry to fetch another basin of water.

Nadina cried after her, "Now don't go bothering her with your nervousness, and mind that you don't break your neck goin' down those stairs!" Nadina turned back to Christine and said softly, "You did a fine job, miss. I'll get this cleaned up right and quick."

Christine laughed, "Please, it's fine. Take your time." She stared into his face. "The worst part is over."

Christine heard a roaring commotion coming up the stairs. Raoul didn't have time to see the water on the floor. Before Christine could warn him, she saw his feet flip up in the air as he landed on his back. Perplexed, Raoul slowly pulled himself up from the floor. Water was dripping from his fingertips. He examined himself carefully before commenting, "I hope this is just water." When he looked up, he saw she was holding the baby in her arms. He quickly ran to her side. "Already?"

She smiled sweetly to him. "Another boy, Raoul." He didn't have the opportunity to speak as the midwife rushed into the room.

"Everyone out!" she ordered. "Yes," he looked at Raoul, "You, too." After she ushered them out and closed the door behind her, she turned back to Christine and the baby. "Now, let's have a look here," she said smiling, "What a beautiful baby- " she peeked underneath the wrappings, "Boy! May I take him from you?" Looking over fingers and toes, the midwife started cooing to him, "You're Mama did a fine job. Yes, a fine job, indeed. Now we must look into the matter of separating the two of you." The baby began softly crying, as though the thought of it pained him. The midwife winked at Christine before looking back at the baby, "I know, I know. But I promise that it's for the best. Let's get you back to Mama while I finish this busniess." Christine welcomed him back into her arms.

The midwife pulled out her satchel and began to crimp and cut. In a matter of minutes she finished with Christine and returned her attention to the baby. She carefully examined him, making sure to clean him thoroughly. Turning her attention to the baby's face she opened the baby's eyes and softly whispered, "Now that is something you do not usually see."

Troubled, Christine snapped up. "Is everything okay?"

"Nothing to alarm yourself with," she gently laughed at her. "Most babies have blue eyes at birth that, in time, change colors to whatever they are supposed to be. This one has the most vibrant green eyes I have ever seen."

"Green eyes?" Christine asked nervously. "Are you sure?"

"Well, as I said, they could change later." She smiled back at her. "You did a wonderful job. He is fit and healthy. That birthmark should fade in a few short months. Just normal coloring for a baby. Nothing to worry over. Great color, full head of black hair! Yes, my dear, you did well. You are going to be up and running shortly, I know it. You two should get better acquainted. I'll be around in a few weeks to make sure everything is healing as it should and that the baby is feeding properly." She gathered her things and started packing everything away. "But you should take it easy. You have plenty enough people in the household to see to the daily tasks. Be sure that they don't bother you and the baby, you hear?"

Christine nodded and bid her farewell. She gazed back down on her son who was resting peacefully in her arms. "Green eyes?" She whispered to herself. She examined his little body. He looked up at her and opened his eyes slightly. She saw his striking fire-burst green eyes staring back into hers. Golden around the pupil, it faded into a vivid sea green. She didn't notice a birthmark before. Christine had to look closer, but she barely noticed a slight redness on the right side of his face. Just as she was inspecting it in finer detail, Raoul burst into the room.

"Are you all right? I knew I shouldn't have left," Raoul said mostly to himself as he walked next to the bed and leaned over to check on his wife and child.

"You couldn't have known," Christine comforted him. "Besides, everything turned all right in the end." She looked back onto her newborn son. "I am glad it's over, though," she said tiredly. "Thank goodness he is finally here and I won't have to waddle from place to place. Now all we have to worry about is nightly feedings and dirty naps. And then there's Jean. He won't know what to do now that he'll have to share us with a new one."

"We could always get a nanny," Raoul interjected.

"Nadina would kill us, you know that," Christine said, slapping Raoul's arm gently. "She's been waiting for another baby to fuss over for so long. Besides, it will be good for Jean. Did he enjoy his fishing trip?"

"Immensely," Raoul smiled brightly. "You should feel safe knowing that if my fortune were to disappear, Jean would able to put food on the table. He caught three big ones with very little help from me."

"And you?" Christine asked.

"Just one," Raoul held out his fingers a few centimeters apart. "It was huge." He laughed heartily. "Now are you going to let me hold my son, or do I only get to look at him from afar?"

Christine patted the space next to her, where Raoul sat down. Smiling, Christine placed the baby into his arms. Raoul took a moment to carefully look over his son. His thick black hair stuck straight up from the top of his head. His little fingers firmly grasped Raoul's. The baby gently cooed to him. Raoul smiled in spite of himself. "Christine, he's beautiful." He glanced back up to her, "He looks exactly like you." "Good strong grip, too." Looking back down, he commented, "But those eyes. Aren't they wonderful?"

Christine smiled meekly. "Yes, Raoul, they're lovely." Trying to change focus, she asked, "Well, what shall we name him?"

"I thought we decided on Phillippe," Raoul replied, puzzled. "We were going to give him a family name, remember?"

"I don't know, Raoul. He doesn't look like a 'Phillippe.'" She whispered back looking at their new child. "It almost sounds too pretentious for him." After more pondering, she said to Raoul, "I don't want to disappoint you, but I think Stephan suits him."

"Stephan?" Raoul repeated back slowly. After more thinking, he continued, "Stephan is a good, strong name." He asked the baby, "Do you look like a Stephan?" Raoul leaned in and nuzzled Christine's neck. "Well, I named Jean. It's only fair that you get to name this one. Still, I think that we could still give him my brother's name as well. He has no namesake and was honored when I told him of our original intention. Will you allow him that honor my dear?"

Christine smiled and nodded. "Well, I think that is a fair compromise."

He held the baby up. "Stephan Phillippe de Chagny it is, then! Fine name for our noble son, born this Sixteenth day of August," Raoul cried out triumphantly. He turned to Christine, "I am sure he will do great many things."

What seemed like yesterday to Christine turned into three months. The birthmark faded over time, just like the midwife had said, but during the brief moments when Stephan became angry or flustered, it turned red and more pronounced. His eyes never changed. At a glance, Christine would catch her breath and her stomach would tighten. He had the same mischievous grin. The authority his presence demanded grew every day. When no one else was around, Christine could hear him softly singing to himself.

Raoul never guessed, or if he did, he hid it remarkably well from Christine. At times Christine could convince her mind that Stephan was Raoul's. In that light, in some way, Christine tried to see some resemblance to Raoul or his family. In the moments that they shared together, Christine knew that Stephan loved Raoul as any child could love a parent. However, in her heart, there was no question; Stephan was Erik's child.