A/N A great big thank you to all of you wonderful reviewers out there! I can see that we have quite a lot of you that are anxious to see Simone and Cara. Well don't fear because they are both going to take center stage in the next few chapters. Thanks for taking the time to read. Here is the next chapter. Enjoy!
Author – ToryD
Choices
Chapter 18
Christine quickly made her way down the grand staircase, already running late on this her first day back to work in over a month. Rushing into the dining room, she was surprised to see that Erik had not left for the office. "Erik, I would have thought you would be long gone by now." She said as she leaned down to give him a quick kiss.
Erik folded the paper that he had been reading, giving his gorgeous wife his full attention. "No, I needed to speak with you." He said with a strange apprehensive look in his green eyes.
Frowning, Christine took her seat at his right. Smiling at Darius as he served her morning coffee, she turned and looked questioningly towards Erik. "Ok, so what is so pressing that you have delayed your busy day?"
"Eat your breakfast first. I have two gentlemen I would like you to meet." Erik said in an overly casual tone that set Christine's suspicion into overdrive.
"I'm running late as it is, can I meet them another time?" Christine said as she took a bite of the fresh strawberries that Darius had place in front of her.
"No, I'm afraid that this can't wait any longer." Erik said as he studied her thoughtful expression.
Smiling at her husband of the last month, she relented. "Alright, but I'll have to make it quick, I need to finish up my IEP's for my parent teacher conferences." With the honeymoon and the holiday season rushing in on her, Christine found that she had little time to herself these days.
"Ms. Christine, would you care for some eggs this morning?" Darius asked her with a slight bow.
Christine felt her stomach roll over at the sound of the word. She had not been feeling well for the past week. With all of the students at school transferring the various childhood illnesses around like trading cards, it was only a matter of time before she fell ill this cold and flu season. "No, thank you Darius." She responded politely. "Maybe some dried toast, if that wouldn't be too much trouble?"
"Right away Ms. Christine." Darius said as he used their agreed upon address.
Erik studied the paleness of his wife's face. "Christine, are you feeling ill?" He asked with a sweet concerned look on his half-masked face.
Reaching out she grasped his hand. "Oh Erik, I'm afraid that you will have to honor your vow of 'in sickness and in health', for you see you did marry a teacher." She said with a glint of amusement in her eyes.
Bringing her hand to his lips, he kissed the back of her hand gently. "I guess I hadn't thought about your exposure to illnesses as a teacher."
"Comes with the job I'm afraid. I am usually immune to most of what the boy's bring to class." She said as she thought of the five autistic boys that she and Meg were currently responsible for.
Darius returned from the kitchen carrying Christine's toast. "Anything else you require Ms. Christine?"
Christine reached out and patted his arm in a warm gesture that was becoming a habit. "No thank you Darius."
"Mr. Desmond, may I get you anything else sir?" The elegant butler asked of his employer.
Standing Erik placed his napkin beside his plate. "No Darius, that will be all."
Christine frowned at her husband's lack of gratitude with his staff. It seemed that Erik had become so accustom to having a staff at his every beck and call that he took for granted all that was done for him. Shaking her head, she decided that she would have to have a talk with her insensitive husband sometime in the near future.
"Christine, when you are finished, will you please join me in the study?" He said as he reached out to place his hand on her flushed cheek. "Are you sure you feel up to going to work today?" He asked as he took in her pale features.
"I'm finished," She said pushing her barely touched piece of toast away as she fought the nausea that played relentlessly in her stomach. Rising she tucked her arm in Erik's and pushed him towards the doorway. "And yes I am well enough to go to school."
Erik fell into step at her side, as they neared the closed study door he pulled her abruptly into the small sitting room. "Christine," he said with an uncharacteristic nervousness. "I love you."
Christine sensed that something was bothering her husband. "Erik, what's wrong?" She asked him with a deeply concerned expression on her face.
Erik took her face in his hands and leaned down to kiss her lips with a desperation that tore at her heart. "I can't lose you!" He said in an impassioned voice as he pulled her tightly against him.
Christine cursed herself for not realizing that Erik was suffering after effects from the attack as much as she was. Putting her arms around him and simply held him. "Erik, I'm not going anywhere." She said in a clam soothing voice.
Closing his eyes tightly he held her for a few more seconds so that he could gather some measure of control over his volatile emotions. When he had at last recovered his normal level of control he took a step back and looked into her worried gaze. "The two gentlemen that I want you to meet are waiting for us." He said as he entwined his fingers with hers and gently pulled her towards the study door. Grasping the knob, he paused as he turned to look at his beautiful wife. "Christine, please know that your safety is the most important thing in this world to me." He said with a closed expression that caused a chill to race down Christine's spine.
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Meg had watched all morning as Christine tried unsuccessfully to reign in her anger at Erik's latest surprise. Now that they were somewhat alone as they watched their young charges participate in music class, Meg decided that she better try to explain her view. "Christine, Erik is only thinking of your safety. You can't really blame him. I mean with all that's happened it's only natural that he would want to take all possible steps to ensure your protection."
Christine glared at the large man who had taken up his post outside the music room door. "Easy for you to say Meg, you're not the one with two constant companions watching your every move!"
Sighing with sympathy, Meg reached out and threaded her arm through Christine's. "No, I have to admit that it would be rather strange to have two big, good-looking men doing nothing but protecting me. I mean what could Erik have been thinking, to have the audacity to want his wife to be looked after." Meg said with a sarcastic edge.
Rolling her eyes Christine knew that there was some validity to Meg's argument, but damn it, why couldn't Erik have discussed it with her first, she thought to herself as she began to rise from her seat only to fall back down as darkness threatened to enclose all around her. Inhaling a deep breath Christine fought to evade the dizzy sensation that had taken hold of her body.
Meg gasped at the paleness of her friend's features. "Christine! What is it? Are you ill?"
Closing her eyes Christine put her head down in an effort to regain some type of function to her fuzzy mind. "I just feel a little light-headed is all. Just let me sit here for a minute."
Meg reached out to feel Christine's forehead, "You don't have a fever. Is this the first time you've felt faint?"
Recovering somewhat Christine lifted her head and looked into Meg's concerned eyes. "I haven't been feeling well for about a week, I have been a little nauseous for the past few mornings. It's just some virus that I picked up."
Meg raised an eyebrow at Christine's comment. "Um, Christine are you sure it's just a virus?" she asked with an implied meaning to her question.
Christine looked quizzically at Meg. "Of course, what else could it be…Oh my God!" Christine said with a shocked tone as she realized that she had missed her period two weeks ago.
Meg smiled at the surprise on her friends face. "Yep, that's what I thought." She said with an amused expression dancing across her face.
"What am I going to do?" Christine asked in a bewildered tone that caused Meg to bite her lip in an effort to contain her laughter.
"First you're going to see a doctor to make sure that you're ok." Meg said as she reached for her cell phone. Quickly accessing the directory on her phone Meg activated the call button. "I need to make an appointment for this afternoon." Meg paused as she listened to the receptionist on the other end. "Four-thirty will be just fine. Christine Daae…I mean Desmond." Pausing again, Meg smiled at the speechless Christine. "Pregnancy test. Thank you we'll be there." Meg snapped her phone shut. Turning to Christine, she grabbed her friend in a congratulatory hug. "Oh my God Christine, you're going to be a mother!" She said with and excited air.
"What am I going to tell Erik?" She asked more to herself than to her happy friend at her side. Her brain working franticly she quickly turned to face Meg. "Will you help me with something?" She asked in a decisive tone.
"Of course." Meg answered unquestioningly.
"I need your help getting past Erik's henchmen. I don't want them reporting back to Erik that I went to the doctor's office." Christine said with a calculating look in her eyes.
Meg heaved a big sigh. "Christine, I don't think that is such a good idea. You know that they will contact Erik as soon as they find you missing. Erik will be so worried about you."
"Good! Serves him right for not consulting me before he hired his private brigade." Christine said in a smug voice. Grasping Meg's hand, she beseeched her friend for her help. "Please do this for me Meg. I really need you're help to keep this private."
Groaning Meg relented to her friend's request. "Ok, but you have to promise me that you will call Erik as soon as you can. He is going to be beside himself with worry when he learns that you have gone missing."
Smiling in triumph, Christine hugged Meg. "I do you one better. I'll text message him that I am Christmas shopping and that I just needed some time on my own."
Shaking her head, Meg wondered if Christine knew how much her planned disappearance would upset poor Erik. "Oh Christine, I hope you know what you're doing." She said in a tone that caused Christine to frown.
"I do." Christine said in a voice that betrayed the little pang of doubt that was nagging at her heart.
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Erik paced the study in his pent house as though he were a caged tiger. "Damn it!" He said as he thought of Christine's absolute disregard for her own safety. Turning to face the two men who had failed in their duty, he pinned them with his angry glare. "I want her found. You do whatever is necessary, but I want her found and home within the hour!" Erik's voice bellowed throughout the large pent house as he gave reign to the violence of his rage.
Reggie turned and headed for the door with Steve close on his heels. "I think we had better start with Mrs. Desmond's friend." Reggie suggested to the older man.
Steve sighed at the absurdity of the situation. Here he was, a highly decorated former Navy Seal and two young women totally out foxed him. "Oh yeah, I definitely want to question one Ms. Megan Darcy." He said with a sinister sneer.
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Christine stared at the picture of the mother and child on the wall of the small examining room as she anxiously awaited the results of the pregnancy test the nurse had just administered. Feeling the vibration of her cell phone, she glanced down to see that Erik was calling her for the fourteenth time in the last hour. "Give up already Erik." She said to the annoying phone. I really ought to answer him, she thought with a resigned sigh. Taking a deep breath, she activated the phone to speak with her husband. "Hello Erik." She said in an overly calm voice.
Erik's heart leaped as he heard her voice over the phone. "Christine." He said in a relieved voice. "Where in hell are you precisely?" He asked in a stilted tone that betrayed his intense anger.
"Erik," she said with a tired sigh escaping her lips. "I am fine. I just needed some time to myself." She said in an attempt to divert his question.
Pounding his fist down upon his desk, Erik welcomed the physical pain. "Christine, I want you to tell me where you are so that I can come and get you." He said in a tone that brooked no arguments.
"I will be home in an hour. We can talk about it then. I have to go." She said as she hurriedly disconnected the call, missing the desperate plea in Erik's voice. Closing her eyes, she knew that she was in for a long night of explanations when she got home. Hearing the door open she sat up straighter as Dr. Mesamore entered the small room looking at the chart she held in her hands.
"Congratulations Christine, you will be a mother sometime next August." Dr. Mesamore said with a delighted smile on her kind face.
Christine stared at her doctor with a bemused smile slowly spreading across her face. "August?" She asked in a tearful voice.
Nodding her head in affirmation, Dr. Mesamore repeated the month. "August."
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A/N FYI, in this chapter I eluded to an IEP, which is an Individual Education Plan that is mandated by the US Dept of Education for any child with special needs. I have to deal with these at least once a year with my son Bradley. Next up, Cara begins her horribleness. And the holiday spectacular: Christmas with the Desmond's. Let me know what you think in the reviews.