The next morning Christine awoke very early. She could not immagine why as they had been up well into the night, sharing hopes and fears and the loveliest of silence. They had talked about their day of marriage, about Céline. How it pleased him to become a father!

Erik had told her of Father Domenico, his dear friend and savior. They had met in France as Erik was running from the mob, his past, his anger...Father Domenico had taken him under his wing, getting him safely out of France and eventually to Venice. He had taught him the biblical stories that his mother had never bothered to acquaint him with. The holy book had always been a means of threat to Erik, warning him what would befall on his evil soul. He never learned how that same book also contained stories of love, forgiveness and compassion. He was brought to realising that great evil had been done to him, shaping his character into its current twisted state. And that he could not blame himself for those evils.

He had told her of the Father's desire to meet with her and she had happily agreed. She dearly wished to thank him over and over again for his kindness in giving Erik back his true soul, the soul that now loved her so dearly.

He had stubbornly avoided all her luring tricks and had returned to his own chambers after kissing her goodnight. "Before long I shall never have to leave your side again, ma chère. I believe a little patience might be appropriate!"

The door opened and the tapping of little feet betrayed her daughter trotting in. Quickly she closed her eyes, as she heard Céline walking towards her. She felt the little girl's breath above her face as she was seeing whether her mother was truly asleep. A quick jump and Céline was next to her on the bed, crying with joy.

"Bad maman, you were not sleeping!"

"Good morning my sweet!" The two of them lay side by side for a while, whispering secrets and dreams in each others ears.

"Is not Monsieur Erik here? Is he already awake?" Christine chuckled, obviously Céline had concluded since that night, that it was perfectly normal to find Erik in her bed. She hoped the girl had not mentioned this to any of the staff!

"You like Monsieur Erik, Céline?"

The little girl nodded fervently. "He sings me pretty songs and he makes me laugh and he chased the monster away!"

Christine took a deep breath. "Céline...how would you like it if Monsieur Erik was to be your papa?"

Céline fell quiet for a while, frowning and looking at her maman. "But papa is with God and grand-père in Heaven?"

"I know, my sweet. Papa in Heaven is the papa who gave you life. But when he is in Heaven he can not play with you or sing you songs, can he?"

Céline pouted. "Papa in Heaven never sang me songs!"

Christine knew. Raoul had neglected far worse on his child then merely refraining from singing to her!

"Monsieur Erik loves you very much, just as much as I do. And he has asked me if he could be your papa here on earth and sing songs for you every day. Doesn't that sound nice, my sweet?"

She noticed Céline slowly grasping the difference between her two papa's. She turned to Christine. "Can I call Monsieur Erik my papa also?"

Christine kissed her, relieved that she had been able to bring the news to her daughter in a way a three-year-old could understand. "Yes you can, my sweet. I'm sure he would like that very much."

And so as Erik joined them for breakfast he found Céline jumping up at him.

"Bonjour papa!"

He lifted her up, his confused expression shooting from her to Christine and back.

"Bonjour, ma petite!"

Again he turned to Christine who merely gave him a reassuring smile. "How did you...what exactly..."

"Oh it was easy enough my love. When I promised her you would be singing to her every day, she quickly found that to be a pleasure her "other" papa could not live up to!"

As Nicole brought Céline back to the nursery she would not leave before cuddling with her new papa as fervently as she was used to doing with her maman. "It is a strict morning ritual between us, and if you wish to avoid your daughter pouting at you the rest of the day, I advise you to take it very seriously!"

She found the subject of Céline to still silence him every time. "Christine...to father a child, a child so dear as your Céline...I simply never immagined such wonders to be bestowed on me. I...cannot even be sure...I mean, I would so wish to..."

She was cradling him even before his tears fell. "You can and we will, my love. It is my dearest wish to give you as many children as we may accommodate here in our beautiful Palazzo."

He noticed how she was already speaking in terms of "we", and "our", and it made his heart overturn in joy. She poured him more tea. "Now drink this, for I fear with so much singing awaiting you in the future, you shall have to sustain your vocal chords as well as I do mine!"

That afternoon they met with Father Domenico, and she found the good Father as dear a man as Erik had described him to her. He was an exceedingly good listener, pondering every thought before retorting with a question or wisdom to explore. They told him of their desire to marry as quick as convenience would allow them, for they feared the gossip that had already started to make its way through town.

"At least you were wise enough to introduce Christine as an old friend rather than a relative. Otherwise you would face a much more complicated explanation as to your marriage."

Christine smiled insecure. "Would people not object, do you think Father? My husband only died this last winter...I know for fact in Paris it would be a complete uproar to see a lady remarry so soon!"

Erik moved nervously in his chair, afraid that Christine might wish to postpone their wedding.

"Ah, but you are no longer in France, are you my dear? Here in Italy you will find people are much more...forgiving, open minded if you will. They prefer love to reign over etiquette, and they would love to see a young widow like yourself with a small child find new happiness and stability with a handsome man like Erik."

His eyes twinkled, how he loved to tease. As Erik was sent off to the kitchen, Christine thanked Father Domenico over and over again for his kindness. "I know so little of Erik's past Father, but from what I've learned he has faced many a dark abyss with no love or assistance from anyone. I wish one day he may confide in me as he does in you..."

Father Domenico's eyes turned somewhat somber in answering her. "Trust indeed is a very important base for any marriage. In time Erik will reveal what he wishes to reveal. But know now my dear, there will always remain those...experiences that will most likely never pass his lips again. Things he loathed even to recall in my presence. Not because he does not trust you with them, but simply because the very memory of them will drive him back to the very edges of his sanity..."

Christine swallowed hard and nodded. If even a superior mind as Erik's was unable to support these trauma's she doubted whether she would ever be able to do so. Perhaps in cases as these it would indeed be best to let the past be just that. Erik returned and though he suspected his name had been mentioned more than once, he decided to leave them be.

Father Domenico refilled their glasses while glancing from one to the other. "So my children, what would you say to Thursday next? I have it on very good authority a most splendid full moon shall shine that night."

Erik and Christine needed but one glance to wholeheartedly agree. The night would be most perfect...