"Isn't she beautiful, Mama?" Charlotte exclaimed perched a top a zebra. Erik walked in front of her holding the reigns guiding the animal down the empty boardwalk. Worst of all she was not even riding side saddle.
"Erik, you did not!" Christine lifted her skirts and ran to her husband and daughter. "This better not be your surprise!"
Mr. Y laughed, "Oh no! This is Charlotte's surprise! Well, she will also be part of one of Phantasma's newest attractions for next season! Zebra drawn carriage rides to and from the train station to Phantasma's gate!"
"You bought more than one?!" Christine closed her eyes and sighed to calm herself down, "And you thought bringing in the zebras five days after we closed for the season was the best idea? Why not wait till before the start of next season? Now we have to board them for the winter."
"I cannot control when they were ready."
"You lie."
He smirked, "I do, but look how happy she is. And they will need some training. They have pulled carriages before but they can be a bit insolent."
"Mama, come pet her!"
Christine smiled at her daughter as she walked over to stand beside her. She raised her hand and stroked the zebra's mane. The Diva laughed as the animal shook its ears.
"Her name is Belle because she's going to be pretty when I get ribbons in her hair!" Charlotte leaned forward, resting her body against zebra's neck, wrapping her arms around it.
"Do you really think Belle will like ribbons?" Christine rubbed the zebra's head.
"Yes, because she loves me and I love ribbons," The girl sat back up. "Dada, back to the stables."
"Is Gustave at the stables?"
"No, he's in the theatre getting his automatons ready for storage."
The Diva caressed the exposed side of her husband's face, "Well I guess I will go help him with that and let you two deal with the zebras."
It was two weeks into Phantasma being closed for the season, but Mr. Y was still barely home. Closing the park for the season had never taken this long. Most of his workers had already secured plans to travel with Ringling Brothers to warmer destinations during the winter. Others took jobs in the city, while others still made enough money to take the winter off.
For the second day in a row, Erik left early and it was now past supper and he was still not home. Christine sat on the floor of the nursery helping Charlotte build a large stable with her blocks for all her new toy zebras. Matilda laid on her stomach on her blanket, babbling as she chewed on her stuffed elephant.
"Mother, do we have any stamps?" Gustave walked into the nursery an envelope in his hand.
Christine smiled at her son, "A letter for Rose already?"
"It's been two weeks with no scheduled events to be seen, Mother! I do not know how father spent ten years away from you! What if she returns to Jonathan!" The boy slouched against the doorway and sunk down to the floor.
"Gustave, you being idiot," Charlotte tied a white ribbon around the neck of one of the wooden zebras. She then placed it in one of stalls. "Rose gave you locket of her hair. Said she love you."
"Charlotte, no!" Gustave exclaimed. "How can you do such a thing! That was our secret!"
"Gustave!" Christine chided. "She's doesn't understand the repercussions of what she just said."
Charlotte giggled.
"Not so!" Gustave sat up on his knees. "Look at her laughing! She's a little brat!"
"I not a brat!" The girl crossed her arms in front of her chest.
"Are too!"
"I not a brat, people just mean!" The girl now picked up a block and tossed it at her brother hitting him in the shoulder.
"Hey!" he exclaimed. "What was that for? I've done nothing but love you, play with you and protect you since you were born! And you're just going to throw blocks at me? You're mean too, Charlotte." With that Gustave stood up and stormed out of the nursery.
The girl's deformed face dropped before crinkling in on itself crying. "Gustave, no!" She jumped to her feet kicking over parts of the stable. Some of them went flying into her mother's lap. "Gustave, no! I'm not mean! I sorry!" She ran out of the nursery and down the hall chasing after him. "Gustave!"
Christine rubbed her forehead before looking over at Matilda. There were blocks on her blanket, but she remained blissfully unaware still chewing on the elephant now partially saturated with drool. "Are you sure you're our child?"
When she felt the bed shift in the morning, Christine turned and grabbed her husband's arm.
"Where are you going? The sun isn't even up yet," her voice sultry. "And you returned home so late last night."
Erik turned to face his wife, "I know, Angel."
"The park is closed, what else can you possibly be doing?" She pulled him close to her body, "Stay." An amorous kiss sealed her plea. She caressed his face, tugged on his distended lower lip with her teeth as she worked her tongue into his mouth. She traced the shape of his body with her hand, spreading it wide across his behind.
The Phantom breathed in through his mouth as he pulled away, "Angel, I recall you are on your menses."
"If you'd been home more, you would know it has been over for a couple of days," She rested her forehead against his, smiling large.
The Phantom chuckled, "So this is what this is really about? I have left you aching?"
"I would say more vexed and our children need you," She ran her fingers through the sparse grey locks of his hair. "You need to talk with Gustave. Rose gave him a lock of her hair and he's already writing her love letters."
"And what do you expect me to tell him, my dear Christine?" He rested his head on her shoulder. "You're going about this the incorrectly, son. What you really need to do is write her an opera about your base desires for her."
She tugged his hair, "No! I mean maybe we should have another discussion on human anatomy and babies."
"Because my dear Gustave ignore that you were born from illicit love now that you are old enough to understand society finds that disgraceful. But just for your mother; the wanton vixen!"
She slapped his chest as she gasped, "You are being ridiculous, Erik!"
"I believe you are, Angel. You informed me you are vexed and the children miss me from my being gone over my taking care of a final few things. However, I can only solve one of those right now." He nibbled at her neck and as she giggled, he untied the drawstring bow of the neckline of her nightgown.
"Quiet, you do not want to wake, Matilda, you wanton vixen" He gently palmed her peaked nipple, feeling just a little bit of milk seep out. He lowered his mouth to her breast and latched on.
She now dug her nails into his behind, bunching up his nightshirt. The Phantom's fingers slid up The Soprano's nightgown, tapping her thighs, running each finger down in a soft stroke as his hand crept up higher. The Diva closed her eyes, panting as she rested her head on his shoulder.
Erik pulled away from her breast, cream dripping down his chin, "Ahh no panalettes! You were waiting for me last night and I let you down."
"Then quit talking and make up for it now," She pushed his hand into her moist womanhood. He traced their petals, collecting their nectar before gently circling the sensitive bud.
As she moaned, The Phantom collected her lips into his bloated ones to silence her. She squirmed and withered under his touch as he pushed her off the edge of her paroxysm.
"Erik..." She pulled away from his kiss, pulling on his bottom lip.
"Ahh Christine!" He moved his hands to his waist spinning her onto her belly while bunching her nightgown up past her waist.
Christine breathlessly giggled as she propped herself up on her knees and elbows. Holding the base of his throbbing member he pushed into her wet warmth. She met her Angel's thrusts by pushing back into them and tightening around his erection. The Diva reached another paroxysm hasty, moaning loud.
"Yes, sing for me!" The Phantom groaned. He pushed in and out of her trembling womanhood a couple more times before withdrawing. A few quick strokes and Erik's seed puddled onto the bed between Christine's legs. Large breaths of relief escaped through his grinning bloated lips as he sank back down beside his wife.
Christine returned to a resting position but after a few seconds her eyes widened and she gasped.
"It is okay, I withdrew," He lifted his hand and caressed her cheek.
The concern melted from her face. She closed her eyes and sighed, "Thank you, Angel. Come here." She pulled him into an embrace. After their heartbeats and breathing returns to normal, Erik pulled away and got out of bed.
"Erik!" Christine exclaimed, "You're not supposed to leave."
He turned on the oil lamp on his night stand, "I am not. I am going to draw us a bath so we can get cleaned up and ready for a day in the city."
"Erik," Her voice was firm. "I refuse to have you do something just because…"
"Check the closet for your new walking dress. I would be honored if you wore it. Mary is coming early today so you do not need to worry about Matilda's morning feeding," He turned and disappeared into the water closet.
Erik opened the carriage's door stepping out into the street before turning around and helping Christine out. "Please watch your step. I got your new dress without a train on purpose but the streets are dirty."
Christine sighed as she stepped down, one hand in her husband's the other holding her new blue dress up so high it exposed all of her mid-thigh boots, "Angel, you are being ridiculous."
"Am I?" He nodded towards the carriage's horse who was shitting onto the street.
Linking her arm with her husband's Christine rolled her eyes, "You act as if you never lived in a city. So lead me away from the foulness."
Erik lead his wife a few buildings down and then up the stairs: Smithfield School for Boys. He turned the bell and smiled at his wife, "Once you talk to the Dean and Headmaster and see inside, I think you will agree this is best school for Gustave."
"What do you mean best school?" Christine's doe eyes widened.
"I have narrowed it down to three, but together we need to make the final decision," The smile on The Phantom's face was wide.
"I don't understand…" Christine gripped her husband's arm tighter.
"This is what I have been doing with some of my early mornings. It's part of my surprise for you."
"Gustave's school choice?"
At that moment the door opened.
Back in the carriage, Erik took his wife's hand, "Now that we've visited all three schools, what is your opinion? Which one do you think is the best fit for our Gustave?"
"You were correct in saying Smithfield was the best but there is a problem; they do not have a dormitory. We would be better finding Gustave a school in Brooklyn than Manhattan."
He chuckled, "That is where you are wrong, Angel." He leaned to look out the window. "And soon you will know why."
When the carriage came to a stop, Christine looked out the window. They were back in the same neighborhood of the first school.
"Are you about to show me Smithfield School for Boy's secret dormitory they did not mention?"
Mr. Y smiled large, "You could say that." Escorting his wife out of the carriage, they walked a few doors down stopping in front of a brick townhouse. "Well we are here. Your surprise! The one I've been sneaking off for the past couple of weeks."
The Diva arched an eyebrow as she looked at the house and then looked at her husband.
Erik reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a key. He gently placed it in his wife's hand. "Go open the door."
Blue eyes wide, her hands shook, "Erik, what are you talking about? I am not going to go open other people's houses!"
"Nor would I suggest you do. I am not that man anymore. However, it would be such a shame if all that money I put aside and saved to buy us a winter home in Manhattan was wasted because you didn't believe it was our house."
"Erik!"
He smirked, "If you want to keep spending winter lonely and isolated on Coney Island you can. I will bring the children and we will stay here."
The Soprano darted up the cement stairs and put the key in the lock. It turned and the door opened. The afternoon sun poured through the windows, lighting up the parlor.
"Oh my Lord," she whispered as she walked in. She ran her hand over the green velvet couch before walking over to a desk against the wall.
"For Gustave to work on his homework and studies," Mr. Y stood in the open doorway. "It's about a thirty-minute walk to the school from here. And to call on Daisy is no longer a day trip."
"Is this what you have been working on since Phantasma closed for the season, Angel?" Christine walked up to him tears in her eyes.
He nodded wide grin on his face, "Yes and honestly before. This is what I've been putting all our money back for. But these past couple weeks I've been making sure all the furniture has been delivered and ready for us to move into for the winter. When it was just me living year-round at Phantasma was fine. But these past couple years, and especially this season, made me realize it's not fair to keep my family out there isolated when it's not season. You have friends and our children need proper education and socialization."
"But what about you?" She took his hands into hers. "How will you work with your workshop out there?"
"If need be I will go out there and spend a weekend. However," he closed the front door before taking her hand and leading her down the hall and into another room, "I plan on focusing on music while here."
The room was smaller than their current music room but was cozy and seemed to also act as a library. There was a baby grand piano, book cases, a couple of chairs, music stands.
"Come, there's so much more to show you," Mr. Y took his wife's hand to continue the tour. He lead her upstairs, his bloated lips ear to ear, or she was sure if the mask wasn't hiding the other side.
He opened the door closest to the landing, "Gustave's bedroom. I wanted him furthest from the master."
The Diva giggled but barely had time to process as he opened another door, "I have this currently set up for Charlotte and Matilda to share and it's connected to the other room which will be for play." Erik opened the other room to reveal a dollhouse, a table, a nice plush Turkish rug on the floor, a chest.
"There are not too many toys in the chest. I figured Charlotte will be insistent on bringing what she already has."
Christine leaned her head against his arm, "You know her all too well."
"And now, the master bedroom," he took her hand and led her down the hall to the last door. "Go ahead, open it."
She gave a smirk to her husband as her free hand turned the handle. Once open she let go of him and walked in. "Oh Erik, it's so cozy!"
He rushed into the room, "Is that a bad thing? I know it's smaller than our current bedroom but it's a townhouse…"
"No, it's lovely. It's intimate, no bassinet; it's back to just you and me," She stroked the duvet as she walked over to him.
"So…is…is this okay? You're not angry I planned this without your input?"
"Oh Erik," The Diva sighed tears in her eyes. She lifted her hand to his mask and removed it. She caressed his cheek, "I'm overwhelmed. You did this, all this on your own. You did it selflessly for our family." She reached up and passionately kissed him, wrapping her hands around his wigged head.
He pulled her tight against his body, deepening their kiss. When he pulled away, he did have an ear to ear smile on his face, "We can start moving in tomorrow. Gustave will start school next week."
Christine dropped the mask onto the wood floor and took her husband's hands, "If that is the case, I think we should use our time here right now alone to…" She smiled sheepishly and bit her lower lip.
"To what, Angel?" He arched his eyebrows.
She slowly walked backwards leading him towards the bed, "Christen this bed as husband and wife."
"You brazen vixen!" Mr. Y exclaimed pushing her down onto the bed.
Both laughed as she sank into the mattress and he landed on top of her.
"I hear no objection," She giggled again as she reached up and held his face.
"And you will not. Christine, I love you," Erik caressed her neck as he leaned down and kissed her.
I would like to thank everyone who has continued to read this Phic as I have published chapters, everyone who discovered it along the way and everyone who is going to read it. I very much love "Love Never Dies" and these characters and I hope this came through. I also enjoyed mixing in my original characters with them and continuing to character build and grow the characters that weren't mine. I would really appreciate it if you would leave comments on any of the chapters you liked; even if it's just "wow!" or "OMG LOVED IT!"