"Oh Eric I can't believe how beautiful she is." Christine giggled rocking the infant.
Eric gripped his shoulder wincing adjusting his position.
"That came from her mother." He smiled thinking of her beautiful smile and long black hair.
"I see a lot of you in her especially in the face." Christine stated rocking the child.
Eric whipped his head up his face tight.
"The jaw shape and her eyes." Christine said quickly realizing that Eric may have misunderstood her words.
Eric clenched his jaw, "Wouldn't you be interested in holding her?" Christine questioned holding out the fragile being.
"I...I can't" his stuttered trying not to hide his fear of the possibility of holding the child.
"Come on Eric she is your daughter. Just try."
Eric looked down shaking his head.
"Come on." Christine laughed placing the child in his arms.
Eric gasped holding up his good arm in shock.
"Christine!"
"Eric" She chuckled, "You are just as much of a baby as she is."
Eric awkwardly cradled the child in his arm.
"You look like you have never held a child before."
Eric grinned at the baby, "I haven't."
"Eric, who was Rajja?"
Eric stroked the baby's head, "She was my wife." He mumbled looking down a tint of sadness in his blue eyes.
Christine sat down resting her hand on his leg, urging him to go on.
"It was a force mirage by the shah, It was only a few weeks but I guess she got pregnant."
Christine looked at him "I'm so sorry."
Eric sighed "The shah ordered my death, Daroga, umm Nadir smuggled me out."
"Eric I am so sorry you have been through that."
"I don't need pity."
"Ah I see you haven't killed anyone yet." The familiar person voice echoed through the opera house foundations.
Eric rolled his eyes.
"Hello Nadir come join us." Christine chimed her rose colored lips parting into a smile.
Nadir walked out of the tunnel and sat down in one of the deep red chairs
"How are you feeling Eric." Nadir asked getting comfortable.
"I'll live."
"No thanks to me I presume." Nadir joked.
"I don't give thanks Daroga, you know that."
"You haven't changed one bit." Nadir smirked.
Eric gave a faint hint of a smile "good to see you again old friend."
Nadir raised an eyebrow.
"Don't go getting a big head, I will still kill you if need be." Eric humored darkly.
The Persian chuckled. Dropping a basket of things and left.
Christine rose from her seat and ventured over to the basket.
"Oh look, baby clothes, diapers a bottle, and some milk. You look set, daddy."
Rosa started fussing in Eric's arms, Eric stiffened not sure if what to do.
"She probably needs to be changed." Christine giggled.
"Changed?"
"Yes silly here I'll show you." Christine grabbed the fussy baby from Eric's grasp and lay her down on the ground. Directing Eric through each step.
"For now, she will sleep mostly, when she fusses it will most likely be she's hungry or needs changed." Christine instructed he motherly instincts taking over.
Eric nodded.
"I have to go, they will wonder where I am. I'm sure you can find me when you want me."
Eric had never been so scared in his life. In his arms was a tiny life that was alive because of him and could only continue with him.
"Christine" Eric called "thank you."
A tender smile swept across her face. Before she made her way through the tunnel.
Rosa began to wail he picked up the infant with is good arm and began singing.
Rosa closed her eyes within seconds and fell asleep.
Eric stood in the middle of the floor in complete awe of the baby.
"Was he ok?" Madam Giry asked when she caught Christine sneaking into bed trying to hide the fact that she had been gone.
"Yes, he is in some pain but he will survive."
"Good." the ballet mistress replied showing no emotion. "Christine, you look tired take the day off."
Christine looked shocked at the older woman, "Thank you madam I have been taking care of two babies all night."
The woman cocked her head, "Whose"
Christine froze, "Umm I just ment Eric he is quite a baby when he is hurt and I think he counts as two children."
"Oh," was all madam Giry said but it was evadent she didn't believe Christine.
Christine sat at one of the tables in the dining room, she played with her chicken poking it and rolling her peas around the plate.
"Hello Christine."
Christine held her breath and clenched the fork tighter.
"I have nothing to say to you Monsieur Raoul de Chagny." She hissed stabbing the chicken in a very unladylike manor.
"Christine my dear why are you angry?"
Christine slammed her little fists on the table causing everyone to grow silent. Knowing it wasnt safe to talk about Eric she jumped up and dashed out of the room with Raoul chasing after her.
"Raoul leave me alone!" She cried frustrated at the man.
"Is it because I shot your lover? Is that it, are you in love with the fearsome Opera Ghost?" The young man spit bitterly.
"Raoul stop! He is not a ghost, nor a phantom or whatever they say he is." She shouted trying to hold herself together but failing.
"Please Enlighten me on what he is then."
"He is Eric the only reason he plays the part of a ghost is because that is what everyone has tried to make him, a monster."
Raoul paused for a moment then smiled cruelly "Some say he has no face."
Christine looked up in shock, what was Raoul turning into? This was not the boy she had known so many years ago. "Eric happens to have a beautiful face, but you wouldn't appreciate it."
Raoul smirked his eyes growing cold, "I have a woman that I know that says differently, Christine, meet the ghost's mother, Madeline Destler."
Christine gasped, a chill running down her spine thinking of what that woman had done to Eric.
"I remember you." Madeline said outstretching her hand to Christine.
"What do you want?" Christine hissed between her teeth clenching her fists.
The woman ran her fingers through her long blond curls, "Just to find my son Miss Daae no harm intended."
"Go to hell!" Christine spit her anger fluring, you are not going to hurt him again!
The woman raised an eyebrow at Christine's language, turned around gracefully and left with Raoul following.
Christine stood frozen in shock trying to think of what to do. "Nadir!" she cried bolting through the opera house in search of the Persian man.
And she returns. Eric's temper has seemed to rub off on Christine a bit.