Erik's eyes widened at the words that escaped Christine's lips. He was tempted to ask her if she was absolutely certain, but he could feel his wet leg pressed against her hip. He carefully lifted her up. "Don't panic. I've got you. Just stay calm and I'll bring you upstairs."
"But Erik, we need to reach Dr. Webber."
"Angel, I don't think we have time for that. It's not safe to take you by carriage. I'll get you situated and then…."
She grabbed his collar. "No, you can't leave me alone!"
"I would never leave you alone, silly girl." He eyed her tenderly. "Come, let's get you to the bed."
"But what about the doctor?"
"I'll make sure he comes later but for now, we'll deliver this baby together."
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At first he was going to place Christine in their bedroom, but decided against it. Instead he placed her carefully in one of the spare bedrooms.
"Are you in pain?"
"God, yes. I had forgotten how much it hurts the last time."
"What can I do?" He asked helplessly.
"I was so looking forward to some form of pain relief this time."
He rolled up his sleeves. "We need hot water. Will you be alright, if I get some towels and such? It won't take but a second."
She nodded, as she grimaced.
Erik came right back and placed the hot water and towels at the foot of the bed. He then helped Christine undress and placed a damp cloth on her forehead.
"Do you remember what to do?"
She looked at him as if he had two heads. "I know I need to push but it hurts so badly... I…Ahh! I don't know when…. I want to now but I….."
"Let me see if I can see the baby." He asked timidly. "May I…"
"Erik, you don't need my permission. You have seem me countless times."
"I know but this is…." He then saw the look of fear and pain in her eyes. "Grab my hand, Christine."
"I…"
"Every time it hurts, I want you to grab my hand, as if you wish to break it. I'm here. I will be your guide through this."
"But you don't know…. Ahh!"
He grasped her hand. "I know what to do, well…. The essence of it. You can't push until the baby is crowning. Breathe and focus on me."
"How do you…"
"The gypsies. Now, you focus on my voice and breathe."
"Erik, the pain…"
"Squeeze my hand. I'm right here, between your legs."
She laughed but it soon turned into more anguish. "Oh God. Erik, I'm scared." She yanked on his hand for dear life.
Erik thought he saw stars from the pain but he kept it to himself. "That's….. That's it. Use my hand." He said in pain.
"I'm sorry!"
"No, no. I'm sorry. Good God, you must be in agony."
"No, it will be worth it. There…. There's a reason why I forgot how much it hurt. Ahh!"
Erik watched to see if he could see the baby. Luckily Christine was a healthy, young woman. He had seen births before. As long as things went to plan, they both should be fine. Right now he needed to keep Christine calm and help her with the pain.
"The baby is not quite ready, angel. You are doing so well. Just breathe and listen to my voice, alright?" He came over, while she still grasped his hand and used his other one to apply more of the damp towel to her forehead.
"Erik….."
"It's going to be fine. Soon we will have a new angel to love." He kissed her cheek. "You are so brave and wonderful. I love you so much."
He then went back to his position and saw how she was struggling not to push.
"Erik, please….. I have to push."
"Not yet, my angel. Keep yanking my hand off and listen to me." He hoped she would smirk at least and felt a small victory when he saw her try to smile.
He began to sing. The song was something new but it wasn't from his opera. It was a love song he had written after a dream long time ago. He had no idea what made it come to him now but it was exactly what Christine needed. As soon as she heard his voice she felt better. She almost stilled herself so she could soak up every word. Despite her pain, she breathed and listened to his song, and ignored him when the notes sounds off, due to the pain that Erik was feeling, in his soon to be removed hand. Then when he was done, he looked down and saw the crowning of the baby's head.
"Christine, it's time to push."
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Once she began to push, everything seem to go much easier. She was still in pain, but Erik's encouragement and hand, helped her. After the final push, they were rewarded with a loud, piercing cry from their daughter.
"It's a girl, angel! We have a girl!"
Christine smiled, as her head fell in exhausted. "A girl."
"Christine, she is beautiful. She looks just like you." Erik said in wonder. He examined her face and body and all ten fingers and toes. She was completely flawless. He wiped her clean and wrapped her body in a towel before bringing her to his wife.
Christine eyed her new baby with such love. She then looked up at her husband. "Erik, she's so beautiful. She has your eyes." She beamed. "We did it. We really did it. Oh Erik, thank you. Thank you so much."
He fell to his knees and started to tear up. "You were so brave and strong."
"Come closer. I need to feel both of you beside me." She then saw him shake his hand. "Are you alright? I am so sorry about your hand."
He shook his head quickly. "I have never felt better." He kissed her forehead and bent down to kiss his daughter's head. He then gasped, as he sat beside Christine.
"What is it?"
"I just realized that she saw me."
She didn't understand him. "Erik?"
He pointed to the baby. "She saw me and she didn't scream."
Christine nodded, as her eyes glistened. "That's because she knows who you are and loves you very much. Almost as much as I do."
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After a few minutes, the baby started to cry and Christine knew she was hungry. She grimaced, as Erik helped her sit up.
"Angel, I can send for milk and ….."
She tried not to laugh, for she knew it would hurt, so she shook her head. "No, love. We have milk. She gestured to her breasts.
"Oh!" His face reddened. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Could you get me some water? I think the two of us can manage this."
He nodded and walked to the door.
"Angel?"
He turned around. "Yes?"
"Hurry back. Your place is right here with us."
Erik smiled widely. He didn't even realize how much he needed to hear her say those words. "Right away."
He ran down the stairs and heard knocking at the door.
"Who is it?"
"Mr. Y, it's Ms. Fleck. I thought I come by and see if you or the Madame needed anything, with the baby being so close to coming and all."
"Ms. Fleck!" Erik hurried to open the door. "We baby had!" I mean…. Baby had us. Er…. We had the baby! A girl."
"Mr. Y, that's wonderful! Congratulations!"
"Please Ms. Fleck, can you go and get Dr. Webber? Christine is nursing the baby but…."
"Of course. I'll go straight away."
"And Gustave."
"Gustave?"
"He is visiting Penelope."
She smiled. "Don't you worry, Mr. Y. I'll bring them all back. You just focus on your wife and new daughter."
He nodded. "Thank you." He then realized he forgot Christine's water. "I have to get back upstairs!"
He was gone in a flash and Ms. Fleck shook her head. "I never thought I would see him so out of sorts. Just you wait, Mr. Y." She laughed and ran to get the doctor.
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The doctor treated the baby and did all he could to make Christine more comfortable, so she could rest. However, as she had already begun nursing the child, Christine's sleeping would not last long. Erik had already purchased everything needed for the nursery, so when Dr. Webber suggested a basset would be best for the first few months, Erik was quick to retrieve one and place it on his side of the bed, so he could easily pick up the baby and transport her back and forth to Christine.
"Mr. Y, you mean to tell me you delivered the baby by yourself?"
"No, Dr. Webber. Christine and I did. I couldn't have done it without her." Dr. Webber laughed but Erik was quite serious.
"Well, if you ever are looking for another line of work, I could use a reliable midwife." Dr. Webber gave him a look and then started to laugh again.
Suddenly Erik understood. "Sorry, I'm still in shock. At first we felt it would never be over and then it was over just like that." He then looked at the doctor with all sincerity. "Are they going to be alright?"
"Perfectly fine. You have two very strong women up there, Mr. Y."
Erik smiled. "Indeed I do."
"No need to walk me out. I'll see myself."
Dr. Webber open the door to see Gustave running to the house with Penelope.
"Hello there, Gustave. You've missed a lot. You better go upstairs and welcome your new little sister."
"Oh Gustave, how exciting!"
He and Penelope came up the stairs and saw his mother nursing his sister with his father sitting next to them, ready to assist in any way Christine needed him to.
Penelope noticed Gustave was just standing still. "Gustave, what is it?"
"I just want to take a moment and watch."
"Watch what?"
He took her hand and grinned. "My family."
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A few days passed by and the house had been filled with employees and friends stopping by and offering congratulations, along with meals and presents for the family. Gangle would stop by and offer up daily reports of what was going on at the park, and Molly and Sally stopped by to "ooh and ah" at the latest addition to the family. Nadir helped entertain Gustave and Penelope, as the old man delighted at being able to play with both children.
When Erik wasn't attending to Christine or the baby, he made sure Gustave was a part of everything, including learning how to change his sister's diapers.
"Father, is this really necessary?"
"Gustave, what kind of a big brother would you be, if you were not able to help where needed?"
He nodded with minor hesitation.
"Besides," said Erik. "Think how impressed Penelope will be when she knows you can do this at a moment's notice."
"You really think she will like it?"
"Positive." He winked and then kissed his son's forehead.
Later that night, Christine had been walking about, slowly trying to get herself back to a routine, when he saw her son's door opened. She walked in and saw his nose in a book.
"Isn't it past your bedtime, young man?" She smiled.
"Mother, I thought you were asleep?"
"I was but I woke up all alone and I didn't like it one bit. So I decided it was time I start rejoining the living." She sat by his side and kissed his cheek. "How are you, my beautiful boy?"
She grinned. "I'm very well. Mother. You just missed Father."
"Oh, is that so?"
"Yes, he read me a story and said if I promised to go to bed after one more chapter, he would let me read it on my own. Yet I like Father's voice better than my inner one. He does the voices so much better."
Christine giggled. "He is a masterful storyteller."
"Are you feeling alright?"
"Never better, darling."
He looked at her for few seconds.
"What is it?"
"Nothing, Mother. I just like seeing you so happy."
"You are one of those very reasons why I am so happy, dear heart." She kissed him one last time. "Alright, better finish that one chapter." She grinned and got up. "Don't stay up too late."
"I won't. I love you."
"I love you too."
Christine then went to return to her room, when she saw a light in the nursery. She walked in to find Erik sitting in a chair, with their daughter in his arms.
"What do we have here?"
Erik lifted his head up and smiled at his wife. "She wanted to play in her crib, but when I put her down she would star to cry and wouldn't stop until I held her."
"Erik….. You're spoiling her!" She placed her hands on her hips.
"I certainly hope so!" He kissed his daughter's brow. "Will her beautiful mother come and join us?"
"It may be a while before I feel beautiful, angel."
"Nonsense. You are always a vision." He got up and had Christine sit down, and placed the baby in her arms. He then kneeled beside both of them. "I actually think this time it was more me needing her than the other way around."
She nodded. "I can see why. I woke up and when I saw I was alone, I felt so empty. The baby wasn't in her bassinet, Gustave wasn't sitting on the floor, reading and waiting for me to wake up and you weren't beside me. I couldn't stay in that room a single second more."
"We truly have everything we could ever ask for don't we, Christine? There's nothing more we need. Happiness is all within our reach."
She kissed him tenderly. "Yes, this is everything. However I do have one question for you, my husband."
"What do you wish to ask me, my wife?"
"What are we going to name this little one?"
A/N: One more chapter left!
