"Meg? Meg!" Brett began to run up the stairs once he and Erik had crashed through the front door, but Erik grabbed his shoulder and clapped his hand over the boy's mouth.

"Are you daft boy? That man could have a gun!" He hissed, "Now, we have to be smart about this…" He trailed off seeing the couple coming down the stairs. Andrew had his arm around Meg and was carrying her bag with the free hand.

"Let her go Westcliff." Erik warned and the man smiled.

"Marguerite has agreed to come home…so I suggest you mind your business Destler." He said tightening his grip on Meg's shoulder. Meg averted her eyes from Brett's pained expression.

"But…Meggie…" She heard him say and winced. I'm doing this for you and my mother Brett…

"Brett stop…I…I have to go back. I married to Andrew. I...love him." Funny how when she said it even she didn't think it was convincing.

"Meg, I could kill him right here…" Erik said looking at her as a father would look at his daughter.

"No…Erik…I will be fine. This baby needs its mother and its father…we talked it all out." The lifeless tone in her voice shot pins through Erik's heart. Antoinette had talked like that after Philippe had passed away. In the same voice with the same face. Yes, Meg looked so similar to the way Annie had looked at her age it was jarring. Which, he supposed, was why he felt the need to protect the little Giry. Brett watched helplessly as Meg walked out without giving him a second glance. He couldn't see the tears streaming down her face.

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"Antoinette." Erik said as his friend opened the door to her flat. She smiled in surprise, seeing he and Roxana along with Brett.

"It's so nice to see…"

"We need to talk." He interrupted and motioned for her to go into her living room. She eyed him but did as he intended her to do.

"What is it?" She asked, sitting in her armchair. He sighed.

"It's Meg." He said and her eyes widened.

"What? What's happened? What's going on? I thought she was staying with you."

"She was," Roxana cut in. "When Erik and Brett went to the house, she was walking out. With Andrew. She said something about going back to him…"

"No." Antoinette said, refusing to believe it.

"Yes, I am afraid so Annie." Erik said, "He threatened her. I am certain of it. He doesn't even love her, so I can't see why…"

"The baby." Roxana said suddenly gasping. All three of them looked at her.

"What?" Erik asked, caught offguard.

"Their baby. Andrew needs it to collect the rest of his money." She said as Antoinette brought her hand to her mouth.

"Is he that deranged?" She asked and Erik looked at Brett, who was almost catatonic with grief.

"Annie, remember how insane I was during the whole Christine fiasco?" He asked her. She nodded. "Multiply it by ten."

"He's going to divorce her still." Roxana said, seeing Andrew's plans suddenly laid in front of her. She knew him too well. "He'll send her to England with the baby, if he doesn't kill her instead…and then…oh God…" She stopped, looking at her hands and then back up at Erik.

"What is it?" He asked, his eyes blazing with questions.

"And then he'll come after you." She said softly, looking at Erik and hearing Brett draw in a deep breath. "For me."

"Jesus Christ." Antoinette whispered looking from Erik to Roxana.

"Someone has to stop him." Roxana said, looking at her hands folded in her lap. The sound of the front door crashing open startled Roxana and she gave a little shriek. Erik instinctively put his arm around her.

"Aunt Annie?" A small voice came from the foyer. Christine shut the front door and came into the room followed by Raoul. Antoinette got up to embrace the girl.

"What's going on, where's Meg?" She asked looking at Erik.

"She went back to him." Brett said quietly. Raoul patted his friend's back comfortingly.

"Why would she do that?" Christine asked, wide eyed looking around the room.

"I don't know sweetheart…" Antoinette said, holding her as she had when Christine was a child. "But we're going to find out."

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"What are you thinking?" Roxana asked, changing the sheets on she and Erik's bed. He had come in from putting Jamie to sleep and was toying with the chain he still wore around his neck with the wedding rings on it.

"Nothing really…it's been a long day." He said, crossing his legs as he sat in the chair.

"Yes…it has." She agreed, moving to change behind the screen. Once her nightgown was on, she began to brush her hair and noticed he was still sitting there like that. They'd known for less than a day that she was pregnant and neither of them wanted to bring it up.

"Ugh…" She said putting her head in her hands, frustrated and tired. Erik looked up.

"Are you alright?" He asked and she nodded.

"Fine." She answered. He frowned.

"Is it the…" He stopped himself as she turned to look at him.

"No it's not…" She said, sighing and joining him on the bed. "This is pathetic. We can't even talk about it."

"You're right." He said, leaning his head against the headboard as she sat crossed legged.

"How do you feel about this?" Roxana asked hesitantly, studying the chiseled features of the left side of his face. One of the things she adored about it was the defined line of his jaw. He looked at her and she could see the fear residing in his green eyes.

"Well...I don't know." He replied honestly. "Terrified for one." He said as she nodded in agreement.

"Me too." She added, taking his hand in both of hers.

"I mean...this is someone's life Ro, not just a pet...everything we do and say will shape what this person will become." He went on. Roxana tilted her head.

"This person is your son or daughter, Erik..." She said. He nodded, allowing his glance to move to her middle which was blissfully flat.

"God help us if it is a girl." He muttered and she laughed out loud.

"I personally am very welcome to the idea of a girl..." She replied, causing him to look over at her as if she were mad.

"Roxana, have you met the Chagny girls or Angelina Pierpont? Dear Lord above..." Roxana eyed him, for she knew he was really trying to disguise the wonder and dare she say, excitement he felt about the impending arrival of his son or daughter. They still hadn't acknowledged that it was their baby. That it had been created out of the love each of them felt for each other but hid under layers of denial.

"You'll feel differently the first time you hold her in your arms." She said and he looked at her.

"What is it like?" He asked, confusing her.

"Holding a baby?" She asked and he nodded. "It's like...nothing I ever felt. All I remember was cursing at Justin all the while and in the middle of calling him something like an insensitive bastard, I cut right off as the midwife laid James on my abdomen and he opened his eyes and looked up at me. That's when I broke down in tears." She laughed at the memory, recalling the horrified look on Justin's innocent face as he saw the midwife produce the baby. His eyes had rolled back for a moment and they'd both worried he was going to faint right there but he'd held his own.

"I'm sorry he died Ro." Erik said, fidgeting with his hands and she nodded.

"So am I, Erik. But it's been three years and I've come to realize something. You can't change it. He's not coming back, so what the hell have I been waiting for? I have to think of James too, not just my own selfish mind that tried to cling to his memory forever. I've been denying how I feel about you since pretty much the day we got married and I think I am ready to say it, so I am just going to say it." She stuttered on and on, almost amusing Erik, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

"So say it Roxana." He teased and she nodded.

"I...I love you Erik. I really do. The same way I loved Justin...not a bit less. I never thought I could, but it's happened. It's real...and I never want to leave your side again."

He stared at her with his arms crossed for nearly two minutes silently, holding back the smile, feeling his heart pounding so hard, it was ready to leap from his chest. He did this until she was nearly driven mad by his hesitation.

"Well, say something will you!" She demanded as he grinned, finally.

"Marry me...again. Right now." He said as her sculpted black eyebrow raised.

"I beg your pardon?" She asked, wondering if she had heard him correctly. He unclasped the chain which held their rings on it from around his neck and set it gently in his lap, picking her ring up.

"I wanted to wait until Christmas, but right now seems so much better. Marry me...right now. Make our vows real. If you love me...make a real vow before God and myself."

"You're serious." She said, stunned and he nodded.

"You haven't answered Roxana." He said placing both of the gold rings in the palm of his hand.

"I...yes. I will Erik. I'll marry you right now..." She said, taking his ring. Je vous aimerai jusqu' à l'éternité…It read. 'I will love you until eternity...'"Erik Destler, I take thee as my husband, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love...from this day forward. In the presence of God, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner and friend for as long as we both shall live."

She spoke the same words they had spoken at their wedding, but this time there was feeling behind the words. The words became real for her and it moved her as she slid the gold band on his wedding finger. He took her hand and easily slid her ring into its rightful place.

"Roxana Delilah La Coste Westcliff Destler. Before you I lived in a world shrouded in darkness. I had nothing but the comfort of my own half insane mind to get me through a day. There are so many things I love about you, but if I tried to name them all we would be here forever. Now we begin our journey as parents not only to James but to this new life which has been created out of the love we feel for each other. I will be your faithful partner and love...but above all things I will be your friend. I will love you without conditions and I will protect you with my life because that is all I can give you."

Smiling, she climbed into his lap and laid her head on his shoulder, watching the delicate gold gleam on her finger in the dim light of the kerosene lamp.

"What about your music?" She teased, running her hand along his jaw and pulling his face gently to hers as she captured his lips in the softest brush of a kiss, resting her forehead on his.

"Well, there is that..." He managed to breathe. Her hand wandered to caress the marred side of his face as she whispered.

"I now pronounce us husband and wife..." He didn't have to be told twice as he pulled her into a rapturous kiss and they fell back onto the bed in warm, gentle passion.

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Meg didn't sleep that night. Rather, she didn't sleep well. She flitted in and out of nightmares and could scarcely believe she was back in this prison. Surely Roxana and Erik had told her mother. Meg could only hope her mother didn't try anything. The tiniest thing could now set Andrew off as she had found out when they'd returned home and he'd hit her so hard, the room had spun. She'd been under his eye all night and even now, she slept with his arm draped over her waist. She lay in the fetal position, staring out the window and praying. Tears running down onto her pillow. Andrew had drunk himself to sleep when they got home.

She'd been informed that she was not to leave the house without Andrew and when she did, she was to smile and pretend that nothing had happened. Andrew had confirmed everything once again on the way home, admitting to the murder of his brother.

"Yes, Justin always was stupid..." He'd said casually, "Always had his hands full of charcoal or paint. Damn artists. Once that brat was born, he was so smug with his perfect son, and his perfect inheritance and his perfect wife! I wanted her...I loved her more than he did. I deserved her more...nobody could have loved her like I could have. So I took care of it. I waited until Roxana had taken the baby to her little weekly tea party and I went into their house and found Justin in the office. He gave me that perfect smile that my mother always loved and welcomed me...I saw right through him...and I shot him right through the heart."

She'd begun to sob right there.

"Oh Meg..." He'd touched her and felt her cringe away from him. "Don't worry, I will get my due soon and I will have the life I should have...Roxana will be my wife...We'll have my inheritance and we'll send that son of hers to boarding school. Oh, such a life we'll have..." He boasted as she shook her head, sobbing.

"Stop it, stop it, stop it..." She repeated over and over. "I won't go to England. Divorce me if you will Andrew, but I want to raise my baby near my family." He'd taken her by the shoulders then and shoved her against the side of the carriage.

"You will go to England and you will damn well like it, or you'll have no family! I can't have my reputation soiled because of your bleeding heart."

As Meg watched the moonlight seep into the darkened bedroom, she imagined the twinkle in Brett's ocean blue eyes. The light hair falling into his eyes and his wide, lovely grin. It was what she loved about him was his soul was in his eyes and his easygoing nature. If only she'd realized how he could have saved her at that first ball. Once she and Andrew were divorced and she was discarded as yesterday's trash, she wouldn't be an option for anyone to marry and she was sure the Duke and Duchess Reynolds would not approve of a seventeen year old divorcee with a baby for their eldest child. How could she expect Brett to raise someone else's child as his own? It was all too much to take in...yet still she loved him. She loved him so much, she had to stay away from him to save him. She sniffled softly in the darkness, listening to the steady drunken snore of Andrew beside her and silently prayed, hoping that Brett and God would somehow hear her cry...Save me Brett...I need you...