I do not own any of the characters from The Phantom of the Opera, although I do rather enjoy borrowing them from time to time.

A/N Poor Cara, she is only trying to get her man back. I just want to take a moment to defend our poor Christine. Please try to put yourself in her shoes and imagine how you would feel if your husband had told you that he was going on a secret business trip that only his assistant and you (his wife) knew about, only to have the knowledge that his ex (?) mistress had told you the exact location of the trip the very evening before. Then when you call your husband's cell phone and the ex (?) mistress answers, stating that your husband is in the shower? Come on now, it is very believable that Christine would believe the worst about her husband, and on top of that, she's pregnant with her hormones all over the place. Ok, I just wanted to make sure that everyone knew where our poor Christine was coming from with her (in my opinion) well founded suspicions. Here is the next chapter; Cara is still at it so I am giving you fair warning. Enjoy!

Author – ToryD

Beta – MJMod (Secret Cara supporter)

Choices

Chapter 25

Erik paced the lavish suite with an impatient look on his face. He had been up for the last eighteen hours and he wanted nothing more than to hear his wife's voice. For the last two hours, he had repeatedly dialed Christine's cell phone only to have it bank directly to her voicemail. "Where in hell are you Christine?" He said in an irritated voice as he continued his pacing. He had spent the last five grueling days thinking of nothing other than returning home to his gorgeous wife. Pushing the end call button, he pushed the speed dial button to connect him with Darius.

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Marie returned downstairs with Christine's untouched dinner tray. "She refused to eat. I know that something is upsetting her." Marie said to Darius as he held the kitchen door for her.

Frowning in concern, Darius followed Marie into the kitchen. "Maybe we should contact Mr. Desmond." He contemplated.

"I don't know. It could be that she is just missing him terribly. Or it could be her pregnancy hormones." Marie said as she dealt with Christine's uneaten dinner.

Just as Darius was calculating the time difference between London and New York, the kitchen phone announced an incoming call. Crossing to the wall-mounted phone, he picked up the hand receiver and began to speak in his distinguished tone. "Desmond residence."

"Darius, I have been trying to reach Christine on her cell for the last two hours. Is she there at the penthouse?" He asked in an anxious tone.

"Yes, Mr. Desmond, she is in the residence." Darius informed his employer.

Erik released the breath that he had not been aware that he had been holding. "Please let me speak with her."

"Yes, sir, one moment." Darius pushed the button to place Erik on hold. Turning to Marie, he requested her assistance. "Mr. Desmond is on the telephone. He would like to speak with Ms. Christine."

Marie dried her hands on the linen dishtowel as she nodded her head. "I will tell her." She said as she made her way towards the door.

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Christine lay on her side with her hand protectively covering her enlarged stomach. She blinked away the tears that were threatening yet again. "Why Erik?" she whispered in a hollow tone. They had been so happy these last few months, why had he thrown it all away. "Oh baby, what am I going to do?" she asked her unborn child in a wistful tone. Could she be the typical society wife and turn a blind eye to her husband's affairs? Closing her eyes, she wondered what kind of life she would have if she chose to ignore Erik's infidelity. Faced with the alternative she questioned herself, can I really leave him? Laughing without any humor, she thought of the ironclad contract she had signed. She couldn't leave him without dire consequences. Oh God, how did I let this happen? He said in the very beginning that he thought love was for fools. Oh God, I have no choice but to stay and be the faithful wife and mother. Hearing a knock at the door, she quickly dried her tears as she got to her feet. Opening the door, she looked towards the floor in order to avoid Marie's inquiring gaze. "Yes Marie?" she asked in a controlled voice.

"Erik is on the phone for you." Marie informed her with a sharp appraisal from her eyes.

Christine began to sob uncontrollably at the sound of her husband's name.

"Christine!" Marie called out in alarm as she put her arms around Christine distraught form. "What is the matter?" She asked in her motherly tone. Christine only cried harder as she allowed her heart to lay bare the immense pain of Erik's betrayal. "What has happened?" Marie questioned as she tried to look into Christine's teary face.

"Oh Marie, I…I…" Christine suddenly gasped in pain as she clutched herself around her middle. Grabbing onto Marie for support Christine fought the pain that was shooting through her abdomen. "Oh God No!" She cried as she a telling wetness began to leak between her thighs. "It's too early," she said with a frightened look on her face. "Marie it's too early."

Marie instantly knew what Christine was saying. Helping her towards the bed, she gently laid her down. "Shhh, Christine. You need to remain calm. I am going to call an ambulance." Picking up the phone she pointedly ignored the blinking light a pushed another button to obtain a clear line. Pushing 911, she took a deep breath and silently prayed to God to save the precious child that was not due for four more months. "Yes, I need an ambulance sent to 3500 Park Avenue, Penthouse suite. Marie Giry, I work for Erik and Christine Desmond. Mrs. Desmond is five months pregnant and having some cramping. Hold on." Marie turned to look into Christine's pain filled eyes. "They want to know if you are spotting Christine?" she asked in a soft reassuring voice.

Christine unable to say the words only nodded her head.

Marie grasped Christine's hand within hers. "Yes," she said into the phone. "She is lying in bed." A frown appeared on her face as she turned away from Christine avid gaze. "They need to know when the last time you felt the baby move." Marie asked in a stilted voice.

"Marie," Christine cried in a terrified whisper. "I haven't felt the baby move since this morning." She said in a far away voice. "OH GOD!" She began to shake her head back and forth at the horror of the situation.

Marie took a seat next to Christine on the bed and brushed at the tears that were running down her pale cheeks. "Her physician is Dr. Mesamore." She said into the phone. "Yes, someone will be waiting for them at the door." Hanging up the phone, Marie turned her full attention back to Christine. "They have instructed me to keep you in a lying position and to have you remain as calm as possible. Are you in any pain?"

Nodding her head Christine tried to bank down the fear that was washing over her in great waves. "Marie, please don't let me lose my baby. Please," she pleaded with such desperation that Marie's own eyes began to fill with tears of sorrow.

Knowing that she had to be strong for Christine in the next coming hours she took a deep breath and resolved herself to her normally controlled countenance. "Listen to me Christine." She said in a firm tone that demanded Christine's attention. "You need to remain as calm as possible for your baby. So I want you to take a deep breath with me and let it out very slowly. Ready, deep breath….slowly exhale. Again…" Marie repeated this for several more minutes while they waited for the paramedics to arrive.

Darius had just had just received a thorough dressing down from his angry employer for being kept on hold for the last fifteen minutes. Seeing that the master suite's door was opened he ventured in to see the reason for Ms. Christine's delay in answering Mr. Desmond's call. What meet his eyes drained all color from his face. "Ms. Christine!" he exclaimed in alarm.

Marie shot him a telling look. "The ambulance is on the way; make sure that one of the staff is there to meet them in the lobby."

Darius nodded dumbly as he walked over to the phone. Seeing the blinking light he remembered Mr. Desmond was still on the line. Pushing the unlit button, he called downstairs to alert Ms. Christine's bodyguard of the situation. As he ended the call, he pushed the blinking light to connect him with Mr. Desmond. "Mr. Desmond," he began in an emotionless tone. "Ms. Christine is not well. We have an ambulance in route to take her to the hospital."

Erik felt as though someone had hit his chest with a sledgehammer. "Christine," he whispered desperately as he fell heavily into a chair.

Darius hearing the despair in his employer's voice closed his eyes at the injustice of it all. "They will be here shortly sir," he said hoping to reassure his employer that all that could be done was being done.

Erik swallowed hard, "Let me speak to her," he said in a pain-filled tone.

Darius walked over to Christine, taking her pale frightened features with one look. "Mr. Desmond is on the phone Ms. Christine."

Christine let all thoughts of Cara go as she reached for contact with the one person who would see her through this unbearable pain. "Erik," she cried, her voice breaking in pain.

"Christine, I love you so much." He said in a soft tone that called to her breaking heart. "Are you in any pain?" He asked with fear in his green eyes.

"A little," she said bravely not wanting to frighten him. "Erik, I need you. Please… I need you so." She said with tears filling her eyes.

Erik felt so helpless being so far away from her when she needed him most. "I will be there as soon as I can." He said in a determined voice that made her smile in spite of the dire circumstances.

"I love you Erik. Always remember that I love you more than anything." She said in a calm voice that caused a shiver of fear race through him.

"Christine!" he called out in alarm.

The paramedics arrived with a gurney and several boxes of equipment. "Ms., my name is Ron and this is my partner David. Can you please tell us when the cramping began?" the tall thin blond haired paramedic asked as he took her pulse.

Handing the phone to Marie, Christine focused her attention on the questions the paramedics were asking her. "About fifteen minutes ago. I have had an ache in my back for most of the afternoon." She offered the information to them.

David was taking Christine's blood pressure and almost gasped aloud at the below the charts reading. "80 over 60" he said as he gave his partner a knowing look. "Let start an IV." He instructed his younger counterpart. "Ms." He paused, waiting for her to fill in her name.

"Call me Christine," she said with a wince as a sharp pain began to grip her stomach unrelentingly.

"Christine, are you in pain right now?" Ron asked as he felt the ridged tension of her abdomen.

Unable to speak Christine merely nodded her head.

"Ok, we are going to take you to Mercy General. But I need you to do one thing for me Christine." He said in a calm orderly tone. "I need you to take some deep calming breaths."

Christine nodded as she did as she was instructed.

Ron smiled at her encouragingly. "Good, that's it." Turning to David, he instructed him to take another reading.

"Still 80 over 60." David said with a concerned look hidden from Christine.

Ron smiled at Christine. "Ok Christine, we're going to lift you onto this gurney and take you to the hospital now. Would you like someone to ride with you?" He asked as he began to place his hands under her shoulders.

"Marie," she looked up at the older woman with pleading eyes.

"I will be accompanying Mrs. Desmond." Marie said as she took her place beside Christine.

"Let's go" Ron said as he picked up several of his equipment boxes and laid them besides Christine's feet.

Once they were in the elevator, Christine felt the strangest sense of floating as she closed her eyes.

"Christine?" Ron called as he watched what little color she did have disappeared completely. Grabbing her arm, he took her pulse. "Pulse is weak and thready. We need to get her a transfusion as soon as possible." As the elevator doors opened, the two white uniformed paramedics rushed Christine's unconscious body out the crowded lobby towards their ambulance. Marie followed with Darius at her side. Waiting while they loaded Christine in to the back, she turned to face a worried Darius. "Get Erik home", was all she said as she climbed up after Christine.

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Erik raced up the steps of his private jet with an anxious Nadir close on his heels. "Call the hospital again." He ordered in a gruff voice.

Nadir had the hospital on speed dial. "I would like an update on Mrs. Christine Desmond." He said into the phone. "Yes I'll hold." He said as he took his seat across from Erik.

Erik closed his eyes as a fear he had never known began to fill him with a hopeless sense of dread. "I can't bear it if anything happens to her Nadir." He said in a tortured filled tone that spoke to the sheer truth to his words.

Nadir felt his heart break for the tragedy that was unfolding before them. "She is in the best care possible Erik. We will be there in five hours. You need to remain calm for Christine's sake."

Looking out at the warm London night, Erik cursed himself for not being with Christine when she needed him most. How he had failed her as a husband. Please God, let them both survive, and I vow never to take them for granted again. Please God! He prayed with a desperation that was painful to witness.

Nadir had to turn away from the agonizing vision of fear in his best friend. "I am going to put you on speaker phone Dr. Mesamore."

"Mr. Desmond?' the doctor's voice called out over the small cell phone.

Erik cleared his throat. "Yes, I'm here Doctor."

"Christine has lost a lot of blood. We have given her four pints so far. I had hoped that her bleeding would have stopped by now, but that is not the case. She is still unconscious. Her blood pressure has come up a bit but it is still to low for her to regain consciousness. The good new that I do have is that the sonograms show that your daughter has a very strong heartbeat. She is a fighter Mr. Desmond. If we can get Christine's bleeding to stop, I believe that both mother and baby will survive this crisis."

Erik looked up with tears filling is eyes. "Did you say 'daughter'?" he whispered in an astonished voice.

Nadir smiled sadly at the pain mixed with joy on Erik's face.

"Yes, I did Mr. Desmond." Doctor Mesamore said softly.

Nadir seeing that Erik was unable to talk, quickly took over the conversation. "Is there anything you need Doctor?" He asked with a purposeful tone.

'No, we have everything medically we need. Just get Mr. Desmond here. I think that will be the best medicine for Christine."

Nadir looked up at Erik who was swallowing hard to contain his emotions. "I will have him there in five hours."

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A/N I can't tell you what will happen next, so don't even ask. Let me know what you think in the reviews.