I do not own any of the characters from The Phantom of the Opera(not even Erik, sadly), although I do rather enjoy borrowing them from time to time.
A/N Alright, alright all of you impatient readers out there, in this chapter you will finally have Christine tell Erik that they are expecting a baby. I couldn't just put in the last chapter where evil Cara was now could I? A great big thank you to MJMod for agreeing to be my Beta! Yay! You will finally get to read a chapter free of spelling errors(am doing my best)! I was very touched that so many of you offered your time so graciously. It means a lot to me that you wanted to help me out. And to KatieKay90, I'd take you up on that bet with Christine and Cara in a cage match, but I just don't think I should since I have some inside knowledge of what's to come. Oh, well there goes an easy hundred bucks! Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews. Here is the next chapter. Enjoy!
Author – ToryD
Beta – MJMod (She's doing an awesome job!)
Choices
Chapter 20
As the helicopter descended towards Erik's country estate, Christine felt a small measure of nervousness at the prospect of meeting Erik's mother. What must she be thinking of her son's sudden marriage? Not only was there the suddenness of it all, but also there was the fact that Erik married a person whom she had never even met. Christine felt her queasy stomach protest at the falling feeling that the descent was causing. Taking several deep breaths, she tried to calm her nausea.
Erik frowned in concern as Christine clutched her stomach. "Christine, are you still feeling ill?" He asked as he leaned over to take in her pale features.
"I'm fine." She replied as she patted his hand. Unbuckling her seat belt she felt relieved that they were finally on the ground.
Erik eyed her suspiciously, as she looked far from fine in his opinion. He had noticed that she had seemed to have lost her appetite over the last ten days. He also knew from his daily reports from her bodyguards, that she had run herself ragged all over the city in the search of what she termed the perfect Christmas gifts. He had to share some of the blame for the dark circles that had taken up residence under her beautiful eyes, he thought to himself with more than a little guilt. He had dragged her out every night this past week for some holiday function of another. Sighing, he unbuckled his own belt and rose to hold out his hand to her. "I have a feeling that you are not at all fine, and if I personally don't see you feeling better by tomorrow morning I will have a physician flown in to have a look at you." He said in an authoritative tone that caused Christine's eyebrows to shoot up in surprise.
Smiling with the knowledge of her secret, Christine took his hand and followed him off the helicopter. As they made there way towards the main entrance, Christine could not help but remember the last time they were at this very spot. "Erik," she called to him softly. "Do you remember what you said to me the last time we stood here?"
Erik paused as he looked down at his gorgeous wife. "I said that I would do all within my power to make you happy." He said with a half smile upon his perfect lips.
Nodding Christine leaned into his strong frame as she recalled the promise he had made to her so sweetly that night six weeks ago. "You have made me happy Erik. I feel like I am the luckiest woman in the world."
Tilting her face up towards his he took her lips in a soft lingering kiss. Lifting his head, he stared down into her soft eyes. "I love you Christine." He said with a beautiful simple truth shining from his eyes.
Reaching up she traced the curve of his unmasked cheek. "And I love you, my sweet Erik."
Closing his eyes, he savored the feeling of her love and acceptance. How incredible it felt to have the one thing that had been denied to him all of his lonely life, the unselfish love of another human being.
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Simone watched the tender scene below from the view of her third floor window with a vicious look in her green eyes. "So, that's how you trapped my son you little bitch!" She cursed under her breath.
Turning violently way from the window, she stalked across the elegant suite that Erik had decorated especially for her. Sitting down at the vanity, she viewed her reflection with a critical eye. Running her perfectly manicured hand over her newly botoxed forehead, she wondered how she should proceed with her plan to oust the little gold digger from Erik's life. "You must bide your time." She said to herself in a calming tone. "Gain her trust, and then it will be the time to strike." Picking up her antique silver brush, she began to prepare for herself for the inevitable meeting with her new daughter-in-law.
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Marie stood beside Darius as he held open the large hand carved door for Erik and Christine. She could not stop her gasp of shock at the paleness of her Christine. "Christine! Dear, are you ill?" She asked in an anxious voice.
"Marie, what a wonderful surprise." Christine said as she embraced the woman who had raised her.
Marie enfolded Christine in her motherly arms. "Thank you my dear, I am very grateful to your husband for his kind offer. I am so happy to once again be in service to you."
Christine leaned back and looked at Erik with a questioning look upon her face.
"Marie has graciously accepted my offer of employment." Erik informed her as he watched her intently. "Christine, are you sure you're feeling well?"
Christine rolled her eyes in a dramatic fashion. Good Lord, if this is how he's going to be when he thinks I just got a little bug, I wonder how he's going to act when he finds out I'm carrying his baby. She thought to herself. "I'm just a little tired." She said with a sigh. Turning to Darius, she greeted the elegant older man. "Hello Darius."
Darius smiled a smile that he had reserved just for her. "Good evening Ms. Christine. Dinner will be served in the formal dining room in an hour if that meets with your approval?"
Feeling uneasy in her new role as mistress of the house, she looked towards her husband for guidance.
Erik, seeing her uncertainty gave her a slight nod.
Smiling Christine turned her attention back to Darius. "Yes, that will be fine. Darius, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, could you please send up some tea to my room?"
"Yes, Ms. Christine, right away." He said as he turned to walk towards the kitchen.
Marie shook her head in concern. "Come my dear, I want you to lie down before dinner. You do not look at all well to me." She said in a tone that made Christine feel as though she were a small child.
"Alright." She said with a resigned tone. As she walked towards the grand staircase, she paused to look back at her forgotten husband. "Erik, are you coming?"
Erik walked over to her side. "I'll be up in a moment; I should see to my mother first." He said as he leaned over to give her a light kiss.
Christine gasped in alarm at her bad manners. "Oh Erik, how rude of me! Of course I will go with you."
"No Christine, you will meet her at dinner." He said in a soft tone. "Marie, please take Christine upstairs and see that she has everything that she needs."
Nodding approvingly Marie smiled at her new employer. "Yes I will do just that." She said in a matter of fact tone.
Christine eyed the two people who she loved most in the world with a suspicious look in her blue eyes. "Why do I get the feeling that you two are conspiring against me?"
Erik smiled knowingly at her. "I have no idea where you would get such a notion."
"Nor I," Marie added as she gently pushed the weary Christine towards the stairs.
As the reached the first landing Christine had to grab hold of the banister in order to remain upright. With the room tilting dizzily around her, she tried to take in several deep breaths.
"Christine!" Marie cried in alarm.
Erik, who had only just opened the door to his study heard Marie's cry. Running up the stairs two at a time, he reached them just as Christine lost her battle to stay upright. Lifting her up effortlessly into his arms, he quickly made his way towards their suite. "Marie, call down to Darius and tell him to call Dr. Lim, I want him flown in within the hour to exam Christine." He demanded as he placed Christine gently upon the hand carved four-post bed.
Christine felt tears fill her eyes at the trouble she was causing. "No Erik, please I don't need a doctor."
Seeing her distressed alarmed him even more. "You obviously do Christine when you can't even walk up a single flight of stairs without fainting." He said with a little more anger than he intended. "Please do this for me. I can't bear the thought of anything happening to you." He said with his voice breaking in emotion.
Christine felt as if her perfectly planned announcement was utterly destroyed by her untimely fainting spell. Sniffing she grabbed onto her husband's hand. "This is not how I wanted to tell you." She began to cry harder at her perceived failure as a wife.
His heart was threatening to beat out of his chest in fear at the comment his wife had just made. "Oh God Christine! I knew something was wrong!" His thoughts were filled with life threatening diseases that would take Christine away from him forever.
Looking up into Erik's fear filled eyes, Christine felt a calmness wash over her. "No, no. Oh Erik, nothing is wrong with me." She said as she brought their clasped hands her heart. "Please call down and cancel the doctor." Seeing that Erik was not at all inclined to follow her request, she smiled up into his worried half-masked face. "Erik, please trust me. I promise I will tell you as soon as you call Darius."
Erik ran a shaking hand through his thick brown hair as he considered her request. "Christine, are you sure you don't need to see the doctor?"
Smiling up at him, she nodded her head in ascension. "I'll explain after you call Darius."
Erik slowly stood and crossed to the internal phone. "Darius please call Dr. Lim and apologize. We don't need him after all this evening."
Erik paused as he listened to the concerned voice of his long time butler. "I'll keep you posted." He said as he hung up the phone. Erik crossed the room to once again take his place at Christine's bedside.
Christine felt as if she hadn't slept in several days. Looking at the doorway, she saw that Marie was still hovering anxiously. "Marie, if you would please excuse us."
"Yes, if you're sure you do not need me?" Marie said uncertainly as she watched Christine with an intent worried look upon her wrinkled face.
"I'm sure." Christine said in a quiet voice.
"Very well." Marie said as she shut the door softly behind her.
Turning her attention back to her concerned husband, Christine lifted her hand to remove his mask. "This is not at all how I wanted to tell you." She said with a sad smile.
Erik felt as though his world was about to crash in all around him. Closing his eyes, he tried to summons the strength to get through the next few minutes. "Christine," he called in a tortured whisper. "Whatever it is, we will face it together."
"I was hoping you would say that." She said with a humorous glint in her eyes. Taking both of his hands in hers, she looked deeply into his troubled eyes. "Erik, you have made me so happy the last weeks." She paused to kiss his lips with a soft kiss. "I never thought that I would be so lucky to have someone to love as much as I love you."
Erik swallowed hard at the fear that was enclosing all around him. "Christine, I am the lucky one. You have brought me more happiness than I could ever have hoped for." He said with a reverence that brought tears to her eyes.
"Erik, you're going to be a father." She said with a beautiful soft voice. Christine watched as Erik slowly processed her words.
Clasping her hands tightly in his he continued to look at her with a dazed expression. "Christine?" He asked as he shook his head to try to clear the confusion within his head.
Laughing softly Christine freed one of her hands to trace the lines of worry around his left eye. "Erik Desmond." She said in a clear enunciated voice. "You…are…going…to…be…a…father." As she finished her slowly worded sentence, she watched her husband closely for any sign of comprehension.
Erik once again sat with a confused look upon his face. "Father?" He questioned in a stunned tone.
Taking his face within her hands, Christine looked deeply into his eyes. "Yes, Erik," She said in a soft voice. "We are going to have a baby."
"Christine!" He called to her with a joy he had never known. "My Christine." He said as tears began to well within his eyes.
Watching the happiness upon her husband's face, Christine knew that this was one of the rare life moments that she would treasure for the rest of her life. "I love you." She said in a voice that conveyed the depth of her emotion.
Erik knew that he would never want for anything else in this world now that he had Christine and a baby on the way. "I love you, my beautiful wife." Leaning down he took her lips in a soft lingering kiss. Lifting his head, he looked down into her tired face. "You need to see a doctor. These fainting spells can't be normal." He said in a sharp tone.
Oh no, here we go, she thought to herself. "I have already seen a doctor. I am very healthy for a pregnant woman. Dr. Mesamore said that the dizziness would fade shortly. I just need to get a little more rest is all." She reported with a confidence that Erik did not buy.
"Who is this Dr. Mesamore? What medical school did she attend? What was her class standing? How many babies has she delivered? How many years has she been practicing?" Erik began rattling off questions at an unparalleled speed.
Christine shook her head in dismay at the sight of her overprotective husband. Smiling up into his concerned face, she simply gave him a shrug of her shoulders.
Looking at his unconcerned wife, Erik knew that he had to take matters into his own hands. As much as he loved Christine, it seemed that he would have to be the one to ensure that she and the baby received the very best care available. Mentally making notes within his head, he planned the calls he needed to make in the morning.
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Javert tossed the medical file of Christine Desmond onto his already overloaded desk. "Well well well. So the Desmond's are expecting a baby." He said aloud as he leaned back in his desk chair. Pursing his lips, he tried to picture the reaction this news would garner from his highly-strung client. Deciding that it was not at all his concern he reached inside his jacked for his cell phone. Dialing the number to his top investigator, he waited for the connection to be made.
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Reggie felt the vibration of his cell phone within his coat pocket. "Garibaldi," He announced gruffly into the phone.
"What is the Desmond's status?" Javert asked without any sort of greeting to his employee.
"They have just arrived to the country estate for Christmas. I have been informed that they are to stay through Sunday afternoon." Reggie reported without any show of emotion on his part.
"Ok, see if you can gain access to Desmond's private files." Javert said with a pensive look on his face.
"Anything in particular that I'm looking for?" Reggie asked in a monotone voice.
"Just see if you find anything of interest." Javert said as he thought to keep all options open. "Any luck on getting their bedroom wired yet?"
"No, I should be able to complete it sometime tomorrow. I did manage to place the listening device into Mrs. Desmond's cell phone. I'll try to get to Mr. Desmond's tomorrow."
Nodding his approval Javert stood to don his overcoat. "Good work. I'll check in tomorrow." He said as he ended the call. Things were progressing on the Desmond case quite well in his opinion. Not only did he have his top investigator surreptitiously installed within the Desmond household, but he had also had achieved what he had thought impossible, a spy within the Desmond organization itself. "Javert you bastard! You even outdo yourself sometimes." He said to himself with an amused chuckle as he turned out the light and locked the door.
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A/N Ah, there so happy now. But I am sorry to say that things are about to hit a bump for our loving couple. Simone and Cara are on the scene in the next few chapters. Buckle your seatbelts, we are about to really get going!(This is the part of the story that I love to write!) Let me know what you think in the reviews.