"Gustave, you don't have to do this. I don't want anything to be different between us." Erik began to sob as his eyes searched frantically for Christine before cowering his head down.
"It's alright, angel. Please don't pull away." Christine spoke softly to him.
"Mr. Y, I do want things to be different. You're my friend and I want to see your true self. Mother told me that I should look with my heart and not with my eyes and she was right. This place…. Your world is beautiful. I knew it from the first day we arrived. I thought I was ready to see the beauty underneath but you…. You and Mother showed me what that really means."
Gustave touched Erik's hand and gently coaxed him to bring his head up and look at him. "I want to see all the wonders of the park, Mr. Y. I can take it." He smiled.
Erik swallowed hard. He let Gustave's hand guide his hand down, as he brought his head up and then sat on his knees allowing some space between them. Gustave looked at his face for what seemed like an eternity. Erik wanted to run. He wanted to grab his mask and run for his office where he could bolt down the door, but he fought against those fears. He fought against his past demons.
I need to endure this for him…. For her…. For my family.
Christine knew that Erik felt as if he was on display and something needed to happen quickly before he might become disoriented and think he was back as a spectacle to ridicule. She was about to speak when she saw her son place his arms around his father. She was taken by surprise that she gasped, as she sunk into the couch watching them.
Erik's heart melted. He started to cry but soon found the nerve to embrace his son right back.
"Gustave, I…."
"I love you, Mr. Y." He kept his arms tightly around him.
Erik looked up at Christine, who was crying tears of joy. He knew what she was thinking. It was the same thing he was. At last. At last he was able to have this moment. At last father and son were finally together.
"I love you too, Gustave." He held him tighter. "I love you both so much."
Christine joined her family on the floor, embracing her men, silently thanking her Papa for this moment.
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Christine's performance the next evening was her most brilliant yet. She shinned up on that stage. She felt radiant and it had nothing to do with the dress or the applause. Yes, the music always transported her to another time and place but this time, her feelings were being surged by a higher power.
Her son and her angel had finally broken down the final barrier between them. They were finally free to be themselves. No more masks or fears. Erik finally had the love of his child who didn't fear him. Gustave's acceptance made her feel even more assured that their love was strong and meant to be. The only thing that would have made the night more perfect was if she were able to tell Gustave the truth about his real father. Yet for the first time since coming to Coney Island, did she feel that the boy could accept this news and be proud of where he came from. He could see that his life came from love and that love had been reunited. It was only a matter of time now.
She hurried to get changed for she was meeting her family for dinner and then Erik promised a dance or two, along with a long overdue game of Blind's Man Bluff. She was just about ready when she heard a knock at her door.
"Erik, I am almost ready. Come in!"
The door opened and suddenly her smile fell.
"Christine, where in the world have you been hiding all these 10 years? Really you were perfect. To think I know your torrid, little secret. For I do know who your great tutor is."
"Meg…."
"Couldn't leave well enough alone, could you? You had to sing for him, didn't you? Never mind your marriage or your child. You and Erik both thought that rules never applied to you. Why worry, when Meg will clean it all up."
"Meg, you should be very careful what you say or do. Erik isn't going to let you…."
"Your precious angel isn't here right now, Christine. Right now, it's just you and me and I think this has been a long time coming. Wouldn't you say, old friend?"
A/N: We all knew it was going to happen at some point, right?
