Meg and Brett were married in early April when Justin was two months old in a small ceremony including close friends and family. The bride wore blue and the groom wore his usual casual suit. Antoinette held her grandson as she watched her daughter marry for the second time and smiled to herself for she finally felt things were as they should be. For a short time she had been courted by the Count de Chagny's brother, but the romance had fizzled when he was called to London on business. This had been a hellish and long year for all of them but it seemed that they were coming out into the light at the end of the tunnel again.

As she looked to her left, she saw James sitting on Erik's lap, looking bored as any three year old would at a wedding ceremony. Roxana sat tiredly beside them with her head on Erik's shoulder. He'd told Annie that Roxana's back had begun to hurt her because she was not far from giving birth. Christine sat with Raoul who had fully recovered on the other side of her. A delicate bump gracing her middle. Raoul's cheeks were flushed with protective pride. Annie was sitting with Georges and Monique, who was cooing at little Justin just as she was. Elisabeth who had been sitting between her parents rolled her eyes and leaned over to her father.

"You'd think they'd never seen a baby before…" She grumbled. Georges chuckled putting an arm around her.

"I pity your future husband…" He said to her and she scowled.

"Well don't because I am not getting married. Ever." Georges just smiled, for he knew it wasn't true.

Once the vows had been made and the rings exchanged, Marguerite Giry Westcliff became Marguerite Reynolds. Marquess de la Clare. On the way back down the aisle, she stopped and took Justin from her mother, walking with Brett's arm around her and grinning from ear to ear. They were having a small reception at their home for the guests and Meg wanted to put the baby down for a nap. Already he was holding his head up a bit and laughing when she or Brett made a funny noise or face. Brett was enthralled by him, hardly having let either she or the baby out of his sight since he was born.

Meg was sitting with Roxana and Christine at one of the tables set up behind her house when Brett crouched beside her chair. He looked a bit serious so she took his hand.

"Is everything alright…is Justin…?"

"He's fine. You have a visitor…" He said and she looked at her friends, confused. A man with a briefcase stood in the study and motioned for her to have a seat. She gripped Brett's hand, a bit apprehensive about what this was about. The man smiled.

"Don't worry Marquess…I am only here to give you news. As you know, your first husband received a large chunk of his grandfather's money when you were married. When your son was born, he was to receive the other half." He said and Meg frowned, looking at Brett.

"Yes I know all that…is something wrong…was there some sort of mistake?" She asked and the man shook his head.

"No, nothing like that…when Lord Westcliff past away your son inherited his title, and his inheritance did not just disappear…"

"What are you saying monsieur?" She asked impatiently, clutching Brett's hand. The man produced a contract.

"This contract says that should anything have happened to Lord Westcliff, his first born shall receive his inheritance. Madame, your son has just inherited a large chunk of money, of which you and your husband will be in charge of until he is of age to control his own finances. It will be transferred into the account that Lord Westcliff opened for his son before he was born."

Meg stared at the document in her hand, speechless. Her son had inherited well more than many men would make in an entire lifetime. She signed the forms and as the man began to leave he stopped, remembering something.

"Oh! I also have something for you only…" He said, reaching into the inside pocket of his coat.

"What is it?" She asked and the man frowned.

"I am not sure…it was left the day of your husband's death." He said, handing her the envelope reading: Marguerite…

As the man left, she hesitantly opened it with trembling fingers, leaning against Brett for support.

To Meg-

If you are reading this I am now gone. Our son has his inheritance and hopefully, you have moved on past this mess. I can't control myself anymore, I don't even know how to be human…all I think about is how badly I want Roxana and how much I wish I could have loved you instead. Indeed, was fond of you with your gentle beauty and soft voice, but I could never get the image of Roxana out of my mind. Please do not fault me for it, I wish it weren't so. I know I have done you many injustices since we met, but I am not asking you to forgive me. Only know that I am sorry. I also want you to know that my brother's death and the death of Earl La Coste have haunted me every day. Also know that you will be handsomely provided for as I have set up an account for our son as well as one for you to live comfortably until you die. I have so many regrets Meg…but this I do not regret, and I never regret my marriage to you. You are a good woman and you will raise our son well.

Your husband,

Andrew

Meg stared in shock at the paper she held, wondering how he could have written all of those wonderful things the day of his death after he had beaten her and locked her in the attic to give birth. Suddenly she knew and from the way Brett had tensed, he did to.

"Andrew knew he was going to die…" She said and Brett nodded, enclosing her in his arms.

"Look at the date, he even wrote the time. February twenty-seventh, eighteen seventy-two at nine-thirty P.M."

"I was still in labor…" She said softly, unable to tear her eyes away from Andrew's letter. "Oh Brett…" She sobbed, burying her head in his chest.

"Meg? Brett?" Garrett's voice came from the doorway. Brett put a finger up to halt him. "Cake is being served and they want you two to cut it." Brett wiped Meg's cheek and guided her out to the reception, leaving the letter on the desk. Applause erupted from their friends, but only Christine noticed that Meg had been crying. Still she smiled on. Garrett returned to Alana's side, and for the briefest of moments, his hand grazed the lower area of her abdomen protectively. She slapped his hand away as if he'd told their secret but let him put his arm around her shoulders. Meg gave her a half smile and was distracted by a tugging on her skirt. She looked down to see her nephew standing there with his hands on his hips.

"Aunt Meg…when are we going to get cake?"

Roxana, hearing her sons voice, turned her head to see him standing there and her eyes widened.

"James Sebastian! Mind your manners, don't make me get out of this chair…" She threatened. Erik, who had been in a discussion with Raoul and Trevor Pierpont rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"As if she could…" He replied dryly. It was true, Roxana needed his help whenever she wanted to get up or sit down. Meg let out a small sigh and picked up the little boy.

"Come on Jamie…you can have the first piece." She said, kissing his rosy little cheek. He looked defiantly at his mother.

"See?" He said, making everyone laugh.

Annie sat with Christine a bit depressed and not knowing why. Surely she was not meant to fall in love again since Philippe was long past and the Marquis de Chagny had just been a fleeting moment of insanity. Hadn't he? It was strange, but the thought of him made her feel like a young ballet student again, full of dreams for her future. It was as if God could read her thoughts because at that moment, Christophe walked through the door, his light hair blowing in the spring wind. She immediately blushed and looked down, but it was too late. He'd seen her.

"Antoinette Giry, are you avoiding me?" He asked, sitting beside her. She looked at him as if he were mad.

"What? No! Of course not!" It was a lie. It was a damned lie.

"Are you sad that our courtship had ended?" He asked her and hearing this, Christine grabbed Raoul's hand and told him to come with her to get something to drink.

"Well I…of course. I mean, it was a nice time…but I am not heartbroken over it." She said looking at her hands. "When…will you be returning to London?" She asked casually and heard him chuckle.

"Why? Will you miss me?" He asked and she glared at him.

"How dare you start to presume things?" She asked angrily and he grinned.

"You will won't you Annie?" She sighed loudly.

"Look when are you going back? The sooner the better!" She shot out and heard another low laugh.

"Never." His reply caught her by surprise as she looked up at him.

"Never?" He nodded and pulled out a flashing item of yellow gold, enclosing it in his palm.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you with your big blue eyes and bright red hair…where did you get that fabulous red hair?" He asked with half a smile. Annie blushed, feeling like a sixteen year old again.

"My mother had red hair. She was Irish. I was raised here in France after I was born. My father was French. He met her in London while he was in college and they eloped much to my fathers' parents'distress. He always said it was her red hair that caught his attention for he'd never seen a head of hair such a color." Christophe smiled, slight lines forming at the corners of his eyes.

"Indeed." He said and opened his palm for her to see. It was a simple gold ring with a plain diamond in it, yet, it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

"I wanted to buy you the biggest, heaviest diamond in the store, but I knew you would have hated it and thrown it back in my face. At least if you hate this one, it won't hurt when you throw it back at me." He said and Annie laughed.

"It's lovely, but…what does this make us?" She asked, sliding the ring onto her left ring finger, admiring the way its simple gold gleamed in the afternoon sun.

"I was hoping it would make you agree to be my wife." He said and her face relaxed.

"Really?" She asked and he nodded.

"Will you?" He asked, fixing the ring so the diamond was perfectly centered on her fingered.

"I will…" She said and as she leaned in to kiss him, Roxana who sat directly across from them let out a low sigh.

Annie looked over at her, as she craned to inspect something and for a moment, she thought Roxana had dropped something.

"Oh damn it all to hell." Roxana muttered, hitting Erik's back with the back of her hand since he was standing behind her and talking to Trevor. He looked down at her.

"Do you need something Ro?" He asked her and she nodded, sighing irritatedly.

"I need to go home. Now." She said and Annie knew what it was.

"Why?" Erik asked dumbly and when he saw the way the color had lost her face and her face was winced in pain, he realized. He looked at Annie.

"Jamie…"

"Don't worry about him. Go have your baby…"

"It's sooner than we originally thought!" Roxana said, surprised. This meant that they had conceived almost a month before the actual estimate. Erik sat beside the bed, unsure of what to do, so he kept folding and unfolding the blanket that they had for the baby. Roxana laughed at him.

"You look more nervous than I do." She observed and he nodded.

"You've done this before. I haven't." He said, his fingers wringing until she grabbed his hand and let out a low groan.

"They're much closer together now, the contractions." She said and he nodded watching the doctor move about the room, fetching one thing or another.

It amazed Erik how women could calmly go through all of this pain and not utter much complaint. About two hours had gone by and Erik had fallen asleep with his head against the back of the chair in the room when he faintly heard the doctor tell Roxana it was time to push. His eyes resisted as he opened them and realized Roxana was working to get their child out of her. He instantly jumped up and grabbed Roxana's hand. She was so calm, merely doing her duty and obeying the doctor's orders. As the doctor announced the crowning of the head Erik looked and felt light headed at the strange sight. He suddenly knew why some men could faint.

"You'd better get used to the thought of two children Roxana because I am never putting you through this again!" He said and she rolled her eyes, with a grunt.

"It's not your choice Destler! I'm the one doing all of the damn work!"

Again and again she pushed for what seemed like hours, hardly making a sound as she made progress. Finally, once she had the shoulders out, the rest of the baby fell into the doctor's waiting hands. Both parents looked expectantly at him as he lifted it and grinned.

"A girl." He said, setting her atop Roxana's stomach while he set about cleaning her and cutting the cord. He then took the baby and diapered her, finally wrapping her in a blanket. She had black hair and full lips like Roxana, but she had light skin and exotic eyes that were light green with specs of gold in them. When she was finally handed to Erik by the doctor, he had to sit down because his knees were shaking so badly. Roxana laughed hysterically at him, a moment she would never let him die down.

"She is so pretty…" Erik said thoughtfully, "I thought many newborns were funny looking." Roxana sighed.

"Erik, you are her father, not her doctor…she is beautiful because she is yours…you don't have to hold back your feelings." She touched his hand and patted the baby's thick black curls.

"She is beautiful." He agreed and something in him lost all animosity he felt toward his own mother. He realized it was time to move toward healing for this child, for James and for Roxana. "Roxana…"

"Hmm?" She asked, peering into the baby's face. He sighed.

"May we name her Madeleine?"