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 A great big thank you to all of you wonderful reviewers, with your faithful reviews we surpassed the 700 mark! Thanks again for all of your support.
B/N
Author – ToryD
Beta – MJMod (Through rain, sleet and snow, the amazing MJ will not rest until she has edited the lastest chapter!) Are you snowed under?
ChoicesChapter 31
One month later
"She has gained four more ounces over the last three days, so I am happy to report that you may take her home this afternoon," Dr. Mortensen informed the ecstatic parents of baby Isabella Rose Desmond.
Christine leaned into Erik's warm embrace at the news that their family would at last be together under one roof. "Thank you Dr. Mortensen, I can't tell you how much that means to me," she said with tears of joy reflecting in her clear blue eyes.
Erik held out his hand to the good doctor adding his own gratitude. "Thank you Doctor," he said in an emotion-filled voice.
"It has been my pleasure," John Mortensen, the country's leading authority in pediatrics responded as he took Erik's offered hand. "I have written down a few names of some New York pediatricians that can take over Isabella's care."
Erik took the paper and handed it off to Nadir. "Dr. Mortensen, Nadir will be in contact with you next week regarding the funding of the new pediatric wing," Erik said as he entwined his fingers with Christine's.
"I'll look forward to it," John replied with a grateful smile. "Now if you will excuse me, I have a plane to catch," he said as he turned to the open doorway.
"Have a safe trip home," Christine wished the physician who had overseen her daughter's care for the last month.
With a nod of his head, John walked away from one of the most loving families he had the privilege to meet.
Nadir watched the happiness shine from Christine's eyes as she crossed the room to take the chair next to her daughter's plastic crib. As he took his position next to Erik, he wondered at the look of anxiousness in Erik's eyes. "Is something wrong?" he questioned with a slight frown upon his dark face.
Erik felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility enclose him at the prospect of taking his tiny daughter home. "What if Isabella gets sick?" he asked in a nervous voice.
Nadir began to see Erik's point. What if Isabella became sick while in their care? "I could call the nursing agency and have them send out some baby nurses," he offered as he and Erik both stared at Christine as she rocked the baby.
"Yes, do it," Erik said as he pounced upon Nadir's helpful suggestion.
Nadir already had his cell phone out and was accessing his vast database of numbers, while Erik made his way over to his gorgeous wife and daughter.
Christine felt her husband's presence without looking up from her contented daughter's face. "Isn't she the most wonderful thing you have ever seen?" she questioned Erik with a mother's love so very evident within her soft voice.
Erik felt his eyes fill with tears as he looked at his beautiful wife. "Yes," he whispered reverently.
Christine looked up sharply as she heard a strange note in Erik's voice. "Erik?" she questioned hesitantly as she took in his pain filled eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked in a concerned manner.
Erik fell to his knees at her feet, taking her left hand in his he brought it to his lips and pressed a desperate kiss into her palm that expressed all of his love for her. "Christine, I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you," he said in a horror filled voice that pierced through her heart.
Christine felt tears fill her eyes at Erik's passionate declaration. "Erik," she called to him softly.
Erik looked up slowly, his heart beating rapidly within his chest.
"You didn't lose me," she said in a serene voice that began to soothe Erik's tattered nerves. "I love you Erik Desmond," she said with a watery smile. "I love you with all of my heart, and now I want you to listen to me," she instructed him with a gentle firm tone. "I was such a fool to ever doubt you." She said in a self-loathing tone. "I know that I don't deserve your forgiveness for my lack of trust in you, in our love and in our marriage. At least I can promise you this, my sweet, sweet Erik. I promise to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I promise to fill every day with the love that you deserve. I promise to be the best mother to our daughter that I can be. But most of all I promise to love you to my last breath on this earth," she said with an undeniable truth reflected in her loving eyes.
Erik looked deeply into her love filled eyes and found his one true salvation. "Christine," he called out with his voice breaking on the overwhelming emotion. "It is I who should be begging your forgiveness. Cara," he began only to be silenced by Christine's fingertip on his lips.
"Let's agree never to speak of her again; I know that you love me Erik, I know it with every beat of my heart, and that my dear husband, is all that I will ever need," Christine said with a radiant smile.
Erik was unable to speak for a moment, as he comprehended the depth of Christine's love for him. Swallowing hard past the lump that had formed in his throat, he looked up into her adoring eyes and saw only love and acceptance within them. "I love you Christine," he said in a low tone that caused a smile of joy to spread across his beautiful wife's face.
"I know Erik," she said as a tear escaped to trail lightly down her cheek.
Erik reached up and tenderly wiped the tear away. "Let's take our daughter home," Erik said as he felt a completeness that had eluded him his whole life. With Christine and now the addition of his beautiful daughter, he was at last a part of a family. He was at long last, truly loved.
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Two months later
Reggie shifted nervously outside of Erik's office. His caught his breath as the door opened and Nadir motioned for him to enter.
Erik stood pacing at the impressive view of the New York City skyline, totally oblivious to its magnificent splendor as he tried to comprehend the information that Nadir had just imparted. "Sit down," he commanded in a harsh tone as he saw that Reggie had entered the room.
Reggie took the offered chair without a single word.
Erik clenched his hands into tight fists as he tried to get a grip on his escalating temper. Taking a calming breath, he crossed to his desk and took a seat in his tall leather chair. "Nadir has explained all that you have confessed to him. I would now like to hear the reason behind your indefensible actions," Erik said in a barely controlled tone.
Reggie knew that his employer was more than justified with his fury. "I have no excuse, other than I had been an employee of the Javert agency for quite some time. Mr. Javert called me in to assist him with a case that he had taken for a Cara Johnson," he explained in a self-repugnant tone.
Erik watched as Reggie fought with his inner demons. "I have one question for you," he said in a cold voice that sent a chill through Reggie's soul. "Why did you decide to confess? Why Reggie, when you had no fear of discovery? Why?" Erik asked in an incredulous tone.
"Because of Mrs. Desmond," Reggie responded in a tortured whisper. "Because I could not go another day with seeing her look at me with such a pure trust within her eyes, while knowing that I was responsible for all of the pain she had suffered."
Erik closed his eyes against the pain that was so truthfully reflected within Reggie's eyes. "Are you willing to help us prosecute Cara Johnson and this Javert?" Erik asked in a tired voice.
Reggie was thankful that in some small way he could atone for his indefensible actions. "Yes Mr. Desmond, I will do anything you ask of me," he responded as a man who had been given one last small ray of hope, that he could once again put right a most grievous wrong.
"First I want to discuss this with Christine," Erik said almost more to himself than to the other two occupants within the room.
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Christine washed Bella gently under her chubby little chin as her daughter gave her a happy smile. "There," she said as she reached for the white fluffy towel to dry her daughter. "Now that you are all nice and clean, what do you say we call Daddy and see if he wants to meet us in the park?" she asked the wide-eyed Bella.
"Did I hear my name?" Erik asked as he walked into the large bathroom off of the nursery.
"Daddy's home!" Christine cried excitedly as she stood and walked over to her smiling husband. Reaching up she kissed him on his bare cheek. "We were just going to call you and invite you to our park date," she informed him with a smile.
"As much as I would love to show off my two best girls, I'm afraid that something has come up that I need to discuss with you," he said in a resigned tone that caused a frown to mar Christine's forehead.
"Is something the matter?" she asked with a worried look in her eyes.
"Let's get Bella down for a nap and then you and I can have a private talk," he said with a little too much mystery for Christine's taste.
After thirty minutes of rocking, Bella finally fell into a deep sleep, gently lifting her into her crib; Christine allowed herself a moment of complete and utter happiness as she stared down at her healthy daughter. "Sleep well my angel," she whispered sweetly as she turned and went in search of her husband.
Pushing the heavy study door open, she saw that Erik was balancing a half-full glass of whisky on his knee. "Erik," she called in a concerned tone, for she had not seen this nervous side to him since they had left the hospital with Isabella. "Is everything all right?" she questioned in a worried tone that sent a sharp piercing pain straight to his heart.
Downing the last of his drink he placed it gently upon the desk as he rose from his chair and crossed the room to join his wife. "Christine," he began in a stilted voice. "I love you more than anything upon this Earth. I would spare you any amount of pain if it were in my power," he said in a husky tone that caused a chill of alarm to spread throughout Christine's body.
"Erik," she said as she treaded her arms around him. "You're scaring me, please just tell me what is upsetting you," she pleaded as she rested her head against his rapidly beating heart.
Erik held her tightly to him as he closed his eyes and savored the feel of her within his arms. "I know that we agreed to never speak of Cara again," he paused as he felt her stiffen within his hold.
Christine felt her heart skip a beat at the mention of Cara's name. "Erik, I don't want to hear it," she said painfully as she tore herself from his embrace to wrap her arms protectively around her middle.
"I'm sorry Christine, but I have come into some information that will allow us to seek criminal charges against Cara and the private detective that helped her," Erik said as he studied her face intently.
"Criminal charges?" Christine repeated in an astonished whisper.
Erik reached out to caress her smooth cheek lovingly. "Yes, what she did to you was a crime, and I now have the proof I need to put her away for a long time." He said in a soft voice.
"Please tell me what you have found out," Christine said as she pulled him towards the soft red leather sofa.
Forty minutes later Christine lay with her head upon Erik's strong chest, so filled with a resigned sorrow that someone could hate her so much as to go to such lengths to destroy her marriage and the health of her baby.
Erik stroked Christine's back in a rhythmic caress, trying to bring some sense of calmness to her tense frame. "Christine," he called to her softly. "I have already dismissed Reggie from his post. I believe that with his testimony for the prosecution he will not receive any jail time," he said in a quiet tone.
Christine rose abruptly at the mention of Reggie and his betrayal. "Erik," she said in a pained voice that tore at his heart. "I want to talk with Reggie alone."
Erik stood up and crossed to where she stood. Taking her by the shoulders, he looked into her tense features. "Christine, I don't think that is necessary. Nadir and I have both already spoke with him," Erik advised as he looked into her sorrowful eyes.
"It is necessary to me Erik," she said in a simple tone that conveyed the need for her closure.
Sighing deeply Erik withdrew his cell phone and dialed Nadir. "Nadir, I want you to have Reggie come to the penthouse immediately. Also if you could put in a call to the district attorney, I want Cara charged by this evening at the latest," he said with such venom it caused a shiver to reverberate through Christine.
"Thank you," she said as she reached up to remove his mask.
Erik took her within his arms and simply smiled down into her face. "I love you Mrs. Desmond."
Christine felt herself begin to heal as she looked into his loving gaze. "Don't ever stop," she said as a tear slid slowly down her cheek.
Erik leaned down to kiss her tears away as he pulled her tightly against him. "That I can guarantee," he whispered against her mouth as he kissed her with all the love in his heart.
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Reggie was shown into the professionally decorated parlor that rivaled any found in the great palaces of Europe. Hearing Christine's light footsteps behind him, he took in a deep breath and prepared himself to face the one person from whom he could never obtain forgiveness.
Christine closed the double doors softly behind her. Seeing the tense stance of her former bodyguard and more painfully former friend's form, she called out softly to him. "Reggie, if you would please take a seat, I have a few questions I would like to ask you," she said in a quiet voice that caused Reggie to swallow hard past the lump that had formed within his throat.
"Yes, Mrs. Desmond," he responded in a respectful tone as he took a seat on the floral antique sofa.
Christine surprised Reggie by taking a seat right next to him. "Erik has already explained the details of your involvement with Cara Johnson and Mr. Javert," she stated in a matter of fact tone. "The reason I wanted to see you personally is because I want to know why?"
Reggie stared unblinkingly at his tightly clenched hands. "Mrs. Desmond, I have absolutely no excuse. I did what I did because I was a well-paid employee of Mr. Javert's agency."
"So it was for money?" Christine asked in a betrayed voice that caused Reggie to look up sharply.
"Mrs. Desmond, I know that there is no earthly way I could ever garner your forgiveness, so I can only say how sorry I am," he said as tears of his utter self-loathing filled his brown eyes. "I know that it is little consolation for you and Mr. Desmond, but please know that I will live with this the rest of my life. I am so very sorry for my part in all that was done against you and Mr. Desmond," Reggie said in a breaking voice that conveyed the depth of his apology.
Christine read the truth of Reggie's word in his tortured features, and at that precise moment, she felt an overwhelming peace wash over her. Reaching for his tightly clenched hands, she treaded one of hers through his. "Reggie, the fact that you came forward speaks volumes for your character," she called to him in a calm voice. "I accept your apology," she said with a serene smile.
Reggie felt his heart lighten from its heavy burden of the last several months. "Mrs. Desmond," he said with a shaking voice.
"There are three conditions," Christine said with a calculating look on her face.
"Anything," Reggie said hurriedly without a thought to the consequences.
"You will promise to forgive yourself as well," she said with a gentleness that warmed his soul. "You will have to promise to remain in my employ as my personal bodyguard, and lastly you will have to promise to call me Christine," she informed him with a radiant smile that showed the immense power that her forgiveness held over the betrayals of the past.
Reggie, unable to speak merely nodded his head in ascension.
Christine leaned over and kissed his cheek. "I trust you Reggie, not only with myself and Erik, but with my daughter's precious life as well," she stated in a solemn tone.
"I won't let you down Mrs. Des…Christine," he amended as he looked into her trusting eyes.
"I know you won't Reggie," she said as a blanket of tranquility washed over her, as she was enlightened that everything was exactly how it should be. She had the love of a devoted husband, the joy of a healthy baby, and friends; friends that she knew she could count on with whatever life had to throw her way. She smiled as she linked her arm through Reggie's. "I think you are needed at the district attorney's office," Christine said as she led him towards the door.
As they made their way to the main entrance, Christine smiled up into Reggie's grateful eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow at your normal shift," Christine said as she opened the door.
"Yes, I'll be there," he said happily.
As Christine shut the door behind Reggie, she frowned at the thought of Erik and his reaction to her rehiring of Reggie. Squaring her shoulders, she went in search of her husband. After several minutes, she found her two favorite people in the nursery. "I have been looking all over for you," she said in a slightly complaining voice as she watched Erik as he lovingly rocked their daughter gently in his arms.
Erik looked up with a concerned gaze, "Are you all right?" he questioned with an intent look.
Smiling Christine crossed the room to settle herself at his feet. Laying her head against his knee, she looked up into his unmasked face that was so dear to her and saw the unending depth of his love. "I am," she said with a realization that she was truly blessed beyond all measure. "I really am," she whispered with her love so very evident in her tone.
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Cara frowned in annoyance at the insistent knocking upon her door, "I'm coming!" she yelled through the closed door, not knowing who she was more angry with, her doorman for failing to notify her of a visitor or the unmannered person behind her door. Jerking the door open, her face paled at the sight of two uniformed police officers.
"Cara Johnson?' Officer Darcy questioned.
"Yes, I'm Cara Johnson," Cara responded in an automatic reply.
"If you will step outside and place your hands against the wall," the seasoned officer instructed in an authoritative manner.
"What?" Cara asked in a bewildered voice.
"Step outside and place your hands against the wall," Officer Darcy said with a more forceful tone.
"I most certainly will not!" Cara responded with a haughty tone that galvanized the two officers into action.
As Officer Darcy grabbed Cara roughly about her shoulders and forcefully pushed her against the hallway wall, Officer Reynolds began to recite the practiced rights. "Cara Johnson, you are being arrested for the solicitation of a crime, tampering with federally regulated phone lines, and malicious conduct. You have the right to remain silent, if you give up that right anything you say may be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney; if you cannot afford an attorney then the state will appoint one for you. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you Ms. Johnson?"
Cara gaped at the young man who had just patted her down and cuffed her hands behind her back. "This is outrageous! I will have you both fired for this!" she screamed in their bored expressions.
"Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you Ms. Johnson?" Officer Reynolds repeated his previous question.
"Yes, you stupid idiot!" Cara responded with hate-filled venom.
"Lets get her down to the station," Officer Darcy called out to his partner as he jerked painfully at the cuffs that held Cara's arms imprisoned behind her back.
"Wait, there has been some mistake!" Cara began as they pushed her onto the waiting elevator.
"You can explain it all to the judge in the morning," Officer Reynolds said in a disinterested tone.
"Morning, why can't I see him now?" She asked in a shrill voice that had both officers wincing in response.
"It's after 4:00 Ms. Johnson, by the time we get you processed at the station, court will be closed for the day, so you will just have to enjoy the hospitality of our finest city jail for the evening," Officer Darcy imparted with a slight smile upon his clean shaven face.
"But I can't spend the night in jail," Cara said in a despondent tone. "What would my friends think?" she asked in a manner that had the two officers shaking their heads in disbelief.
As the threesome made their way thought the elegant lobby, several of the buildings residents began to whisper behind their hands.
Cara began to shake at the realization began to set in. This is all because of Erik, her mind began to put it all together, he must have found out what I did to Christine, she thought to herself as the officers placed her in the backseat of their police cruiser. Closing her eyes she leaned back against the stained seat and felt an utter sense of hopelessness enclose around her. Oh Erik, I did it all for you, don't you know that? I would have done anything to win your love back, her tortured mind cried out silently. "What is going to happen to me now?" she asked in a resigned voice that had Officer Reynolds turning to face her.
"That will be up to the judge and district attorney." He stated in an unemotional tone.
Erik was extremely friendly with most of the city's judges as well as a frequent guest of the district attorney's many social gatherings. "It was all for nothing," she whispered in a dejected tone.
"Did you say something Ms. Johnson?" Officer Reynolds inquired as he took in her depressed features.
Cara merely smiled sadly, as she turned her face away to stare out at the busy traffic. Erik loved Christine, all that she had done, all that she had hoped for was a total and utter loss, for she could never win against a love such as Erik had for Christine. What a waste, she thought as she watched the yellow taxis vying for position upon the congested streets, what a complete and absolute waste.
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A/N Only one more chapter left! Let me know what you think in the reviews.