What Christmas came and went quickly for everyone. Brett lived in a blur of misery and grief. There was no one to talk to. Garrett had moved out into his own home with Alana. His parents had gone to England for a holiday. There was no one but him in the house other than the servants. Raoul had come to see him a few times along with Trevor, but for the most part he stayed in the house. He'd hardly said four words since he'd last seen Meg. Sure, he'd seen her around the city, usually with her head bowed beside Andrew. Her middle had become quite large by this time and she was due in just over a month. If she would have only listened and come away with him...

Brett knew damn well that Meg didn't go back because she loved Andrew. She went because he threatened her in some way. He just wasn't sure how. Most likely, he had used her mother and Christine against her. Andrew was always good with playing mind games. Or maybe he really had brainwashed her into being his obedient little wife. Whatever the reason, she had made it clear that he wasn't to come near her again. She never wanted to see him again. Unless...unless he was a factor in Andrew's threats. Had Andrew threatened to kill him if she tried to escape? Of course! Meg did love him! She did! He was so happy at this discovery, he could have cried. He had to save her. Andrew had to be locked up, there was just one problem. No one had any proof of anything. Raoul! Raoul was a lawyer! Pulling on his coat, he flew out the door and pulled his horse from the stable, not bothering to find a carriage.

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"I am starting to show already!" Roxana moaned to Christine, staring at her reflection in the mirror of the sitting room. She hadn't shown this early with Jamie, but sure enough there was a slight rounding of her abdomen at almost four and a half months along.

"I think you're glowing." Christine said, pouring some juice for the two of them. Raoul and Erik were discussing Brett's condition.

"He's retreated completely away...she's ruined him." Raoul said sadly. Erik shook his head.

"There is something more to this. I know it." A knock at the door distracted them all as Raoul ran to open it.

"Brett!" He said, patting the man on the back and pulling him out of the snow. "What brings you here?" He was a bit surprised at the grin on Brett's face.

"I know why she did it." He replied, coming into the sitting room.

"Who?" Roxana asked.

"Meg! I know why she went back!" He said, looking at Raoul. Everyone looked at him impatiently, awaiting an answer. "He threatened to kill me. And others I am sure. That's why she wants nothing to do with me. Why she won't look at me on the street."

"It does make sense." Erik agreed. Brett turned to Raoul.

"Which is why I need you. You're a lawyer. I need your help finding the proof." Raoul sighed, pouring Brett a glass of scotch.

"It's not that easy...you'll want to get an investigator. Trevor." He sighed. "Of course, once you bring him to trial, I will represent yours and Meg's side. I have wanted him to be caught for Justin's murder since it happened." Roxana looked at her hands her heart in pain. She knew Andrew had killed Justin but she never wanted to believe it. If it was proven she would have to believe it and that hurt more.

"Ro...are you alright?" Erik asked, eyeing her. She nodded.

"It's all just happening so fast. I mean it's true, I know it is...but I don't want it to be. I want Andrew to be a good person. Is that so bad?" Erik shook his head.

"No Roxana...it is not bad. You have to stop blaming yourself though. I know that's what is going on here." He said and she nodded.

"I feel like I did something to cause this. I led him on. Something."

"You didn't Roxy...He's crazy." Brett said, looking at Christine with worry. She looked as if she were about to faint.

"Christine?" Raoul asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine dear, I just..." and with that she collapsed straight back into Erik's arms. She awoke to Roxana patting her forehead with a cloth.

"You scared us." She said, brushing the curls from Christine' s face.

"What happened?" Christine asked vaguely. Raoul squeezed her hand.

"You fainted love." Christine's eyes widened.

"Oh...it was all so frightening. Meg being in the arms of a murderer, ready to give birth. What if Aunt Annie is in trouble?" She asked worriedly, looking at Erik.

"She is going to be fine Christine. Relax...it's just your anxiety...remember how you used to get through it? Breath in and out slowly five times and close your eyes a moment."

Christine visibly relaxed and smiled at him.

"Thank you...I had almost forgotten about that." He laughed.

"Well it wasn't easy raising you!" She shook her head and grinned.

"You see? You've already raised me and now you're worried about raising your own? You'll be just fine!"

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"So you want me to find proof that Andrew killed Justin?" Trevor asked the three men as he lit a cigar. He offered them all one but they declined.

"This is going to be very hard. I'm going to need all of your cooperation." Raoul sighed.

"I'm not positive, but I think Jacqueline Marquet is in on it too." He said and Brett nodded.

"They were whispering at Alana and Garrett's wedding. And Meg said he told her something...she wouldn't go into what though." Trevor shrugged.

"Wouldn't surprise me...he's always been a womanizer. What we need is an undercover girl...to test him out. Spy on him a little." He said and Erik nodded.

"Yes but who...one of the Chagny girls no doubt." He said, eyeing Raoul.

"Elisabeth is too young." Raoul said firmly.

"And Alana is married, which leaves Rosaline." Erik finished for him. Raoul shook his head.

"You want to use my baby sister to get to Andrew?" He asked and Erik nodded.

"It's either her or you...and lets face it Chagny, she's more attractive."

"What about Rachelle?" Trevor asked, referring to his sister-in-law. Raoul nodded.

"Actually that would be better, because she isn't linked to Meg at all." He said. Brett nodded.

"Rachelle would be perfect. She's smart, pretty and brave." He said and Trevor nodded.

"She's here. I will have Angel send her in." He said, moving to call out the door. "Angel dear! Sweetheart!" Within moments, the girl was at the door with the baby. Trevor took the baby girl from her mother and kissed his wife.

"Could you send Rachelle in? We have a proposition for her." She nodded, eyeing him but left to retrieve her sister.

"Hello precious...how is my princess?" He cooed to the baby and Raoul rolled his eyes.

"And you're the one who said having a family wasn't going to change you." He said dryly.

"Just you wait Raoul...when your first is born, you'll melt like a sad little puddle in springtime." Trevor replied, and Raoul's eyes widened. He and Christine had barely talked about children much less, thought about them and suddenly, Raoul realized that at any moment, he too could face impending fatherhood. The mere idea made him want to hide beneath the desk.

"Alright Pierpont, what is it you wanted?" Rachelle asked as she walked in the room with her arm linked with Angel's.

"We need a favor Rach." Raoul said hesitantly, making her raise her eyebrow at him.

"A favor?" Angel asked, looking at her husband suspiciously. Trevor nodded gently.

"We're trying to get some information about Lord Westcliff. We need Rachelle to get it from him..." He said and Rachelle laughed.

"You want me to seduce Westcliff?" She asked incredulously. The men all nodded at the same time. Angelina looked horrified.

"Trevor! You want her to deal with that pig..."

"I'll do it." Rachelle said quickly, silencing her sister.

"What?" Angel asked, looking up at her sister's blue eyes.

"Look...Justin was one of our best friends and we've always suspected Andrew was somewhat off. This could be our chance Angel! We could save Roxy...remember what the filthy man did to her some months ago?" She asked, referring to his raping her. Erik winced as he remembered the swelling of his wife's face. Angel whispered to her and Rachelle shook her head.

"Don't even think it Angel...I am going into this prepared." She looked at Trevor. "Tell me where to sign." She said, winking at Raoul.

"That's my girl!" Raoul said, patting her back. The two of them had been terribly close as children and had lost that when she'd gone off to finishing school. Raoul was finally seeing that his play partner was still in her and it gave him hope for the women of the world. He was surrounded by great women. His mother, his sisters, Christine and Angel and Rachelle. Angel kissed her husband who reassured her that he and the other men would be close in case something happened to Rachelle.

The girls took the baby and set about finding something for Rachelle to wear. She settled on a pink dress she hardly wore which made her look like a fairy princess. Angel pinned half of her gold hair into curls while letting the other half hang in cascading waves. The dress was rather low cut for a day dress with a bit of lace drawing attention to the bosom. Andrew would appreciate that. They had set it up for her to incidentally forget her purse near his office when he came out and ask for a ride. After this she would become his innocent mistress...if all went according to plan. She certainly had no intentions of bedding Lord Westcliff. Even though she did not know his wife, she could not bring herself to further betray the little pregnant woman.

"Alright Rachelle...he will be leaving in exactly four minutes if he leaves at six...and he will because he will be getting home to make sure Meg stays put." Trevor said, handing her a decorative fan. She rolled her eyes.

"Do men honestly think we are this desperate?" She asked and he hushed her, pushing her out of the carriage. She began to fan herself wildly as the Trevor and Raoul waited with Erik and Brett in the dark carriage to watch. Sure enough, Andrew walked out of the office and nearly collided with Rachelle.

"Miss Beaudry!" He said pleasantly, making Brett's fists clench in fury.

"Oh Lord Westcliff! Thank goodness! I seem to have left my purse at home while visiting the Viscountess de Chagny! I don't have any money for a cab..." She began to sob lightly, fanning herself. Out of the corner of her eye against his chest, she saw Jacqueline emerge from the offices quietly and begin to make her way toward the two of them. Luckily, Raoul saw this and discreetly exited the carriage, catching her eye and leading her across the street out of sight.

"Oh Lord Westcliff...whatever shall I do?" She said, pretending to cry prettily, her eyes rimmed with false tears under her lacy hat.

"Don't fear Miss Beaudry...I shall accompany you home in my carriage." He replied.

Taking his hand and forcing herself to keep smiling she laid her head on his shoulder.

"So thoughtful...your wife is a lucky woman." She said, as helped her into the carriage.

"Well...it seems my wife and I are not on very good terms dear...and once our child is born, we shall go our separate ways. I have plans to remarry..." He said quietly, trying to charm her. She smiled coyly.

"Oh? Yes...I believe a woman should do everything in her power to satisfy her man. It's what we women are for." She nearly threw up saying the words aloud. This pleased him.

"Isn't it though? Thank goodness for women like you and Miss Marquet." He said, not realizing he'd spewed her name.

"Oh? You're acquainted with Jacqueline?" She asked innocently, letting the sleeve of her gown fall.

His eyes fell with it to her bust. The lust was clear in his dark blue eyes.

"We're...business associates...of sorts..." Hearing this, she almost lost her calm. Men were only business associates with a woman for one reason. She was returning sinful favors for his help with something. But what? What could Westcliff possibly help her with? And vice versa? She knew he was planning on pursuing Roxana again...but Jacqueline...her gaze wandered out the window to wear Raoul was enduring Jacqueline's incessant chatter to fend her off. It was blatantly obvious that she was still after Raoul de Chagny!

"Holy Hell!" She blurted aloud, startling Andrew.

"Is something wrong my sweet?" He asked and she inwardly wilted at the endearment.

Scooting closer to him, she fanned herself.

"I just feel so faint...such a long day it's been." She leaned against his arm which had slipped around her. She thanked God for all of the undergarments she had on since he would inevitably take a kiss as an invitation to make love right there in his carriage and she was not planning on losing her virginity any time soon.

"Let me remedy that..." He said, taking her lips with his own. She played along. It was a long kiss, a wet one at that and her first. It had no effect on her other than that of the negative. He pulled back and grinned.

"Perhaps Miss Beaudry, that when I am married to Roxana, you shall be my mistress and I will provide for you all which you desire." She giggled.

"What will you do about Lord Destler?" She asked, toying with the button of his shirt and he squeezed her hand.

"Oh I have plans for him. Roxana will have no choice but to leave him. Jacqueline is making sure of that." He grinned to himself. "Then I will consequently have the Viscountess de Chagny sent to America with a note to her husband saying she left him. Jacqueline will then have her way..." Rachelle swallowed hard but managed to keep her smile.

"My, but aren't you smart..."

"He's going to kidnap Christine and trick you!" Rachelle cried hysterically once she was back at the Pierpont's home with the men.

"What?" Both Raoul and Erik cried at the same time.

"Jacqueline is going to seduce you Erik...Roxana will be set up to catch you..." She said and Erik raised an eyebrow.

"That is ridiculous. I would never step out on Roxana." He said. Rachelle turned to Raoul.

"Jacqueline wants you...badly...they're going to kidnap your wife and ship her off to America." The girl was badly shaken.

"Rach, relax sweetheart!" Brett said, holding her by the shoulders. "You did well..." He said hugging her tightly. He was trying to calculate a way to get Meg out of the house.

"He invited me to his office tomorrow. I am planning to get some documents with some evidence." Rachelle went on. "This bastard needs to be prosecuted. Is Alana home?" She asked Raoul, who looked confused.

"Well, I am sure she and Garrett are home from their honeymoon, but I doubt..."

"Good...I am going to have to ask her how to pick a lock." She stated and Raoul's jaw dropped.

"Lana can pick locks...?" He asked and she laughed.

"Oh please...we used to sneak into your room and read your journals...Christine this...and Christine that...you were as bad as Romeo with Juliet!"

Erik was highly amused at this finding and set his mouth in a slight grin.

"I always knew you were a starry eyed little fop." He said and Raoul glared at him.

"Now is not the time...Erik." He shot at the man who slapped his back.

"I'm only teasing..." He said, messing up the boy's long hair. Becoming serious again, he returned to the topic.

"Alright gentlemen and lady..." He said referring to Rachelle, "Where do we go from here?"

"What took so long?" Roxana asked Christine who had sent for the pharmacist to bring some pills to help with Roxana's nausea. To her surprise she was feeling a bit nauseous herself, and couldn't help but wonder if there was a sickness going around. She sighed.

"The pharmacist said some lady was looking for morphine. Said she had a husband who was in a lot of pain." Roxana nodded.

"Ah..." Another knock at the door startled Roxana, who got up from the sofa and went to answer the door. She found herself staring into the dark eyes of a man who was staring at her as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Praise Allah...you must be Darya's child."