Sweet Seduction
Chapter Twenty-Two: Angels of Music
Erik sighed miserably, laying his head in his hands as he sat in a plush couch outside Christine's dressing room. The doctor and Madame Giry had been with Christine in her dressing room for over an hour now, shutting him out here. There wasn't anything he could do to help and he hated this feeling of...well, helplessness! He should be doing something, anything, but not just sitting here! He resisted the urge to let anymore tears fall. He couldn't break down. Not now, not here. But, what if something was happening to Christine? What if she was dying, or already gone? No, that was too horrible to think about.
He was grateful when he felt another body slide onto the couch next to him. He lifted his head to see little Meg Giry, sitting next to him in her fluffy tutu and tights. She sighed, gently patting his back
"Erik, don't worry, everything will be fine. You'll see. We just have to be patient"
He groaned "Meg, what if something happens to her? What if she's dying? What if-"
"What if she's perfectly fine and just fainted because she was excited? Or tired? Hmm? Did you ever think of that?" Meg pointed out
He tried to smile, but it ended up falling into a scowl "I don't know what i would do if she left me. I don't know if I could even keep living if she was gone"
"Erik, please, just try to-"
"Try to what, Meg?" he exploded, standing up "Hmm? Try to sit here while Christine could be dying in there and I'll never get to see her again? Should I still keep being patient?" he fumed "That's it. Enough is enough, damn it! I'm going in there. I don't care what that idiot doctor said!"
Meg stood up suddenly, putting herself against the door and blocking Erik's only way in. He glared at her
"Meg, I swear, if you don't move, I can't be held responsible for what I might do to you"
"I'm not frightened Erik. Go ahead. Do your worst, but you're not going in there." she said, a steely unmoving glare in her eyes even though she was trembling. Bravery wasn't her strong point and Erik knew that. He tried to pick her up out of the way when she kicked him sharply in the shin, making him groan. She led him back over to the couch, settling down
"You know you're getting more and more like your mother every day Meg" he groaned "That's the second time today I've been injured by a Giry" he tried to joke
She smiled weakly "I do apologize, Erik, but you shouldn't have tried to go in there. Besides, the door's locked"
He looked over at her "How would you know that?"
"Who do you think tried to go in there first?" she asked practically
He sighed "I'm sorry, but I just can't bear the thought of losing her."
"Erik, it's okay-"
"Meg, I know you're trying to help, but would you please stop trying to be Miss Empathetic already? You can't possibly understand!" he said
"Can't understand?" she shrieked "Can't understand? Understand what Erik? How much you love her? How much you two care for each other? Don't you think I can see that? I'm her best friend, for goodness' sakes! I've known her ever since we were young. She was the only real friend I've ever had. I can't ever imagine what I would do if she left us." Meg said sadly, sitting back down, the furious glare in her eyes now replaced by tears threating to fall.
Erik awkwardly placed his arm around her shoulders as she cried into her hands. This wasn't helping matters at all.
"We've always been the best of friends, and I know it's not the same as you love her so much, but I love her too, like a sister. We've always been so close and I never imagined how horrible life might be if she wasn't in it" Meg sobbed
Erik patted her gently, wishing she would stop crying already.
"There, there Meg, calm down. I was just getting upset for no reason. Christine will probably be fine"
Meg smiled, wiping her eyes with Erik's handkerchief "I hope you're right. After all, she only fainted. It isn't that horrid."
She looked up at Erik "I never did tell you, but Christine was always the happiest I had ever seen her after she had been to a lesson with her 'angel'. What were you two doing in there?" she asked curiously
"Singing" Erik responded, puzzled
"Just singing? Nothing more?" Meg asked mischievously
He was about to respond when the doors to Christine's dressing rom swung open and the doctor left, followed by Mme. Giry, looking rather somber "Erik, you may come in. Quickly now" she said
Erik was up in a flash, bolting off of the couch to his wife's dressing room, praying the worst hadn't happened.
Erik entered his wife's room quietly, and for a moment, his worse fears were confirmed. Christine lay in the bed in a spare dressing gown, her eyes closed tight and her face drawn, her curls spread out messily over the pillow. Erik felt his heart turn to ice as he neared the bed, gently stroking Christine's hand. He was too late.
He sighed "Christine, I love you" he whispered
At that moment, as if he needed any more surprises today, Christine's eyes snapped open and she sat up in bed "Surprise" she exclaimed happily
Erik felt himself laughing cautiously as he threw his arms around his wife "Christine? Oh, thank god!"
She laughed "Erik, I didn't die. I only fainted! Mme. Giry said you looked worse than I did!" she said, giggling
Erik smiled "I thought for a moment you left me"
Christine smiled mischievously "Erik, did you think I was that easy to be rid of? I'm going to be around for a long time"
"I couldn't have it any other way" he responded, hugging her again. He broke apart, looking at her "So, what was wrong? Why did you faint?"
"Well, you see Erik" she began nervously, playing with her hair " Well, we love each other, right?"
"Of course. I could never have loved anyone else in my life as much as you dear"
"Well, Erik you'll have to learn"
He looked at her oddly "What do you mean?"
"Erik, the doctor thoroughly examined me and...well.. oh bother, Erik" she said, gently sliding her hand into his own before exclaiming
"I'm going to have a baby!"
For a precious instant, Erik felt time stop, reverberating with Christine's voice and lost his own voice for a minute. He looked at Christine, clearing his throat
"A baby? We're going to be...parents?" he asked in shock
Christine nodded, tears brimming in her eyes "Yes, that's just what I said Erik. We're going to have our own little angel!"
He was silent for another moment before he started uncontrollably laughing
Christine stared at him "Dear, are you all right?"
He nodded, joyously exclaiming "I'm fine! I'm just so happy! We're going to have a baby! We're going be parents!"
She laughed "I know, darling, I know!'
He laughed again and started to swing Christine around like the night they had become engaged, before he remembered himself. He gasped
"Oh, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have done that. You're in a delicate condition, I shouldn't be rough with you? Do you feel o.k? Do you need anything?" he asked hurriedly
Christine smiled, putting her hand up to silence him "Erik, relax. I am perfectly fine. And you don't have to treat me like a china doll. I can still do all the things I did before, at least up until the eighth or ninth month"
He looked at her "Christine, are you sure you don't want a housemaid? You're with child, you shouldn't be working so hard doing everything. You could hurt yourself and the baby"
She bit her lip "Well, it is beginning to sound tempting, but let's just wait and see, shall we?"
He nodded "All right. I just can't believe it, I mean, getting married was more than I ever dreamed of" he broke off, kissing her gently "but a child? We're going to have our own little angel! I mean, I don't know anything about raising children!"
She laughed "Well, Erik, it will be new expierence for both of us. We'll just have to learn as we go along"
He let out a low whistle "I can't believe it, I just can't believe it! A baby! You're going to be a mother! And I'm going to be... good god, I'm going to be a father" he broke off in shock
Christine jumped out of bed, fetching him a nearby chair which he sank into in a daze. She shrugged
"Oh. I just remembered, Mme. Giry told me to make certain you were sitting down before I told you. Oops, I knew I had forgotten something"
He sighed, kissing her hand "That's all right love, it was just a...shock when I finally realized it" he said, running a hand over the outline of his mask out of force of habit. He stopped, frozen with horror
"Christine" he whispered hoarsely
"What?" she asked, getting back into the bed
"Christine, what if our child is born with this?" he whispered
"Born with what?" she asked exasperated
He removed his mask, gersturing to his scarred, mangled flesh
"This. What if our perfect little angel is born with a face like mine? What if it inherits my deformity? Oh god, it could be worse than mine was! It's life will be horrible! Oh god, and it's all my fault" he moaned, replacing his mask
Christine sighed "Erik, really,calm down and here, come sit next to me" he did so
"Now Erik, just calm down. Honestly, I hadn't thought of that either, but what does it matter-?"
"What does it matter? Christine, the first ten years of my life were hell on earth! What if our child has the same face? The same fate?"
"Erik, really. Things have changed. Your moth- well, you didn't- I mean-"
"What you mean is my mother was a cold, heartless bitch that sold me to the gypsies and then ran off with her lover. Is that the term you were looking for?"
"Well, Erik, possibly, yes, but things could be different! Who says our child has to have that deformity?"
"You mean he could have another type? Oh god, I hadn't even thought of that"
"No! Erik, I meant there's thousands of different possibilities for how a child could look."
"So you mean, there's a chance it won't have...well, this?" he asked, pointing to his mask again
She grasped his hand in her own kissing it again "First of all, Erik you'll have to stop referring to our baby as 'it'. 'It' is our living, flesh-and-blood baby, and the baby is either a he or a she. Not an 'it'. And secondly, even if our baby does have a similar or the same deformity, things are different now. He or she would have two loving, caring, encouraging parents who will love and nurture him or her, and besides, our baby will have lots of support and acceptance from all our friends. Could you imagine Marie or Meg refusing to hold our baby because of his or her face? Or Georges? Do you think he wouldn't accept that?"
Erik smiled sheepishly "Well no, not when you put it like that. I guess I was just being foolish"
"And besides, could you imagine me selling a baby? A loving, living, wonderful child? Selling it? Are you mad, Erik? I won't let him or her out of my sight for at least the first year!" she shrieked happily.
Erik smiled "I can tell already that you're going to make a wonderful mother"
She kissed him again "And you will be a wonderful father, I know it" She ran his fingers through his hair gently, and he whispered to her"And who knows? The baby will have to have some musical talent! Look at who his or her parents are! Maybe our baby will be a marvelous singer, like you, or maybe they'll take up composing like me! There's hundreds of possibilities! They could be a dancer, or an artist, or maybe they'll like books and literature and learning!" he finished excitedly, unlimited possibilities for the future racing through his mind
She laughed "See? You'll be a great parent. We both will"
He moaned with pleasure at her soft kisses "Mmm, imagine, I'll have two angels in my life now!"
She kissed him again, and they broke apart when Mme. Giry came in after knocking rather loudly. Shelooked at Christine expectantly
"Well my dear, I assume by now you've told him the good news, haven't you?"
Erik nodded "Of course! I...just can't believe it!"
She nodded, sitting down "I know. My dear husband was just the same whenI told him I was expecting Meg"
"Oh!" Christine gasped "We have to tell Meg and everyone else!" she exclaimed, starting to rise outof bed
Mme. Giry and Erik both pushed her back into bed
"Dear, calm down" Mme. Giry said, slightly amused "I doubt Meg's still here anyway"
"But, what about the opera? Oh my, what happened after I fainted?" she asked worriedly
"Let's just say you put a rather early ending to it" Mme. Giry said kindly
Erik laughed"They will be performing it tomorrow night, and anyone that didn't wish to come see the repeat performance was given their money back, but their were only about a handful of those" he said
Christine sighed, leaning back in bed "Good. So, is there another rehearsal tomorrow, or do we just have another performance?"
Erik looked at her "Why would you ask that?"
"Because I have to sing! Remember?"
"Christine, you can't possibly mean you're going to continue performing! Not when you're with child!" Erik exclaimed worriedly
Mme. Giry silenced both their protests with her hand "Honestly, I can't tell which one of you is acting more like a child at the moment. You two just need to calmly work things out-"
"But Marie, Christine can't seriously keep working when she's pregnant! You're just joking, aren't you?" he asked, turning to her
"I most certainly am not!" she exclaimed furiously
"Would either of you two mind listening for a moment?" Mme. Giry broke in "Thank you. Now, Christine isn't due until October, and I don't think she was implying she wants to keep working so long that she has her baby during a performance, do you dear?"
Christine shook her head
"And Erik, you certainlydo not intend for her just to sit home the rest of her life and never sing again, do you?"
He shook his head
"Then you two will just have to arrive at a compromise. There won't be any visible changes in Christine's figure until at least the third or fourth month, so she could still keep continuing to sing if she chooses to do so."
Mme. Giry patted Christine's hand and stood up, calling out as she left
"Whatever you two decide upon my dear. You'll just have to compromise, that's all. And once again, congratulations, I know you two will make fine parents"
As soon as she shut the door and left Christine just smiled wickedly
"You are aware it's going to be a bloody battle between her and Meg for who is going to be the godmother?"
"Oh god, not that already"
"And guess who will be right in the middle of that?"
"I wish you lots of luck my dear" he said fondly
She stared at him "Don't go wishing me luck so soon. I have a feeling Georges and Jacques would both like to be a godfather. And who do you suppose is going to have to choose the godfather and work with both the candidates here for the next nine months" she said wickedly
Erik sighed. There was no telling what to expect from his angel next.