Erik left Roxana with the baby to go to Meg and Brett's house to get Jamie and tell everyone about the baby. As he expected, they were all sitting on the edge of their seats and jumped up when he walked in. After a moment of him just standing there, Christine finally blurted,
"So are you going to tell us or what?" Erik grinned tiredly.
"A girl. James you have a sister." Jamie looked up from playing with Justin and made a face.
"A girl?" He said, loathing the concept. Erik suppressed a chuckle.
"Yes, a girl." He bent to pick up the child.
"Did you name her yet?" Annie asked and Erik nodded, somewhat losing his smile, but remaining content.
"Madeleine." He stopped, looking at Christine. "Madeleine Christine." She smiled, surprised.
"Really?" She said throwing her arms around him like an grateful child.
"Really." He replied, nodding at Raoul. "I can't believe all of you are still here." He mused and Raoul rolled his eyes.
"As if these nosy things could simply go home." He said, referring to Christine and his sister, Alana.
"Congratulations Erik…" Annie said, patting his arm. "I have to go home…I am exhausted." As she bent to kiss Meg's cheek and touch little Justin's hair, Erik noticed a flash of gold on her wedding finger. It was an engagement ring.
"Annie…" He said as she kissed Brett's cheek too.
"Goodnight Erik." She said with a secretive grin. Meg bit her lip.
"That woman has been acting strange all night, ever since the Marquis de Chagny…oh my God!" She suddenly cried. Brett looked down at her in question.
"That little sneak went and got engaged and didn't even tell us!"
Christine gasped.
"She wouldn't…would she?" Her voice was so innocent that Meg had to give her a look.
"Oh Christine…don't be so naïve…where do you think I got my deceitful streak from? Along with my temper…" She muttered. Brett chuckled.
"It's true. She beats me." Meg turned to look at him.
"Brett Alexandre…you are a fiend." She said and he kissed her cheek.
"What else is new love?" Since it had been almost three months since Meg had given birth to Justin, she and Brett were free to make love as often as they liked and though they had not yet, since it was only their wedding night, Meg suspected it wouldn't be long before she was pregnant again with him near all the time. The thought made her giggle.
"Well, we should…" Erik began and Christine grabbed Raoul's hand.
"We'll come too! I want to see her! Is that alright?" She asked her husband who just nodded.
"But not too long Christine…it's too hard on you what with the baby kicking now and all." He said, draping his arm around her shirt. Alana and Garrett said their goodbyes as well and went the opposite way to their own home. Once everyone had left, Justin began to cry.
"He's hungry again…" Meg sighed and adjusted herself so he could eat comfortably. Looking apologetically at Brett, she sighed. "I'm sorry…we haven't been alone all night." He smiled.
"Meggie, we have the rest of our lives to be alone…just take care of our son." She loved him for saying Justin was their son for the simple reason that he was Justin's father in every way that mattered.
Meg gently placed the sleeping baby into his cradle beside her and Brett's bed. Finding herself a bit nervous about what was to come, she laughed to herself as Brett sat on the bed and began to undress. She could tell he was tired. She tossed her dress aside and crawled into bed in only her chemise. She wore no corset, since nursing would not be an option. The Westcliffs had offered to hire her a wet nurse, but Meg would have none of it. When Brett finished undressing she held her arms out to him which he gladly crawled into.
"Meg, I have to tell you something…" Brett began nervously as he entwined his fingers with hers.
"What is it?" She asked and he sighed.
"I've done this before…I mean, you're not my first…" She had expected as much.
"You think I was Andrew's first? Most men I've ever known have made love before marriage…" He seemed so innocent about it all. She laughed.
"Well it was twice. Once when I was nineteen, my brother and our friends got me drunk and there was this prostitute in the bar…I woke up with her the next day. The other time was while I was in London at the university two years ago, I walked into their library when I got lost in their house and she was in there…wine was involved in that too…"
Meg bit her lip.
"Brett, you really don't have to tell me…"
"Yes I do." He said, putting a finger to her lips. "I want you to know that even though I've done this before, it was nothing compared to what it will be with you. You are everything to me and I don't want you to resent me…"
"I could never resent you Brett. I love you." Meg replied, holding him. "Now make love to me before I divorce you." She laughed and he lay on his side.
"Gladly…"
"Oh my goodness! She looks like a perfect mix of the two of you!" Christine said, cradling Erik's baby on her lap. As Raoul had predicted, it had been a natural thing and she'd adjusted easily to the way the baby fit into her arm. It was true, the baby had Roxana's exotic eye shape and Erik's green color along with a small feminine nose and Roxana's lips. Roxana was still in bed upstairs with Jamie who had crawled in beside her. When he'd seen his sister, his disappointment in not having a brother seemed to go away as he said,
"Me and her have the same hair…" Amazingly, both children had inherited Roxana's hair and lips but had taken on both of their fathers' eye colors and light skin.
"I think I am having a boy." Christine suddenly mused aloud. Both men turned from their conversation to look at her.
"Why do you say that?" Erik asked and she shrugged, pulling the baby closer.
"Just a feeling…it kicks really hard. I also think he's going to be blonde, like Raoul used to be and like his sisters still are. Well, two of his sisters. Izzy always had that marvelous dark hair."
"You're crazy, child." Erik said, shaking his head, but patting her cheek anyway, before lifting the baby out of her arms. "Ro is probably going crazy up there right now…I'd better deliver Maddie back before she gets hungry again."
As if the baby understood what he said, she began to wail and he made a face.
"Too late!" He said apologetically and Christine got up with help from Raoul.
"I need to go home anyway…I find myself having to use the toilet more and more…" She kissed Erik's cheek and touched the baby's hand before Raoul shook Erik's free hand.
"We'll see you soon. Give Roxana our love." He said and Erik nodded, starting up the stairs.
Roxana was talking softly to Jamie who was lying beside her with his head on her pillow.
"Uncle Raoul did all that because his sister was in trouble?" He asked softly and she nodded.
"So don't you see how important it is to care for your sister? A brother is supposed to protect his sister…I never had a brother and I always wished I did." Jamie smiled innocently.
"But you got Papa now…right?" He asked and Roxana looked at Erik who had silently set the baby in the cradle beside Roxana and was grinning in an amused manner.
"Look at you Erik Destler…grinning like a fool…" She observed, narrowing her eyes in feigned suspicion.
"Can't a man smile at his wife who just gave birth to his child?" He asked, lifting Jamie off the bed and perching him at his hip. "Am I right James?" He asked and Jamie nodded.
"You're always right, Papa." He said and Erik chuckled, kissing the boy's forehead.
"I've taught you well son." He set the boy down and sat on the bed with him. Roxana rolled her eyes.
"God help me."
Erik smiled, loosening his tie and taking off his jacket.
"I talked to Nadir earlier…his nephew Cam is moving to Paris with him. He's twenty-three."
"Oh?" Roxana replied, putting a blanket over her shoulder and beginning to feed Madeleine. Erik nodded, noting that Jamie was slowly falling asleep beside Roxana.
"Nadir said Cam is looking to settle down away from his father…and since Nadir has just retired, they decided Paris is ideal."
"When is he due to arrive?" She asked and Erik thought a moment.
"In three weeks time." Roxana nodded thoughtfully and a smile played at her lips as she said,
"Interesting…" Erik eyed her.
"Roxana my love, what have you got going through that impish mind of yours?" He asked suspiciously and she smiled sweetly at him, kissing the baby's head of black hair.
"Nothing dearest…"