Sorry for the wait guys...had strep throat! I am better though. More updates sooner from now on. Love you all.
Cameron Khan settled into Paris society nearly flawlessly with the help of his uncle and Erik. He, like Roxana, was the result of an interracial relationship between Nadir's brother and a French woman. His eyes were brilliant green, or at least it seemed that way since his skin was the same light amber as Roxana's. His features were soft and his hair was black. He found a job with a local shopkeeper fixing things, as he was mechanically inclined. Much to Erik's delight, for he reminded Erik of himself at that age. The boy spoke perfect French and confessed to Erik that he played the violin as a pastime, having taught himself. It was during the first week of his living in Paris that Cam fell completely and utterly in love.
Raoul and Christine threw him a welcoming ball to introduce him to Parisian society, though sadly as the viscountess was heavily pregnant she had to leave early. All was going surprisingly well. The Marquis de Chagny proudly showed off his new bride. Antoinette Dubois Giry de Chagny along with her daughter, Marquess de la Clare. Cam was enjoying the company of her husband, the Marquis de la Clare and the Viscount along with the Earl la Coste when a flutter of yellow satin caught his eye.
"Ah, Cam..." The Viscount de Chagny chuckled, patting his back. "May I introduce my dear friends, Trevor and Angelina Pierpont and her sister Mademoiselle Rachelle Beaudry." He turned back to the three. "This is Cameron Khan. He's just joined us from Persia." Trevor and Angelina both nodded politely and spoke to him briefly before moving to say hello to Roxana Destler and Alana Reynolds, who were in a heavy conversation concerning children and their sleeping habits.
"It's all they all ever talk about anymore." Rachelle said, finding that she and Cam had been abandoned for talk of diapers. He chuckled.
"What is?"
"Children." She replied and looked at him, alarmed at herself. "Not that there is anything wrong with children at all...I myself want at least four."
"Well...I am sure your fiancé will have no qualms about obliging you..." He said and nearly choked on his own words in embarrassment. She laughed as his cheeks flushed. "I mean...to say...I didn't mean..."
"I know what you meant Monsieur Khan..." She paused a smile playing at her lips. "And I am not engaged." She said, with a grin and walked away. His mouth half dropped open as he watched her flit about, chatting with her friends and giggling. Every so often she would look back his way and make some sort of facial gesture.
"Quite a girl, isn't she Cam?" Erik asked, stepping beside the young man. Cam decided to play casual.
"Who? Miss Beaudry?" He asked. Erik smirked, knowing damn well who he meant.
"Yes..." He said and Cam nodded.
"She's funny...and nice." He said, his eyes betraying his emotions.
"Why don't you ask her to dance?" Erik offered and Cam looked at him.
"Do you think she'll accept?" He asked and Erik laughed.
"Only one way to find out."
"Well Roxana, my love, your little scheme to bring Rachelle and Cam together is working and you didn't even have to do anything yet." Erik said, wrapping his arm around his wife's newly slender waist. She grinned.
"I know...I love it when I am right."
"Well, I love you." He said, squeezing her hand. She smiled at him before nodding towards Alana and her sister.
"Alana finally admitted she's having a baby." Erik raised an eyebrow.
"Well that's a relief..." He said dryly, making her laugh.
"Well, I could tell you just were dying to know." She said, patting the small of his back.
He turned on her and whispered into her ear.
"No, I am just dying to get you out of these clothes..." She smacked his arm.
"Erik Destler, you will control yourself in public..." She said, unable to hide her grin. He leaned closer and said,
"Make me..." He growled at her and just as he moved to kiss her, she held up her hand.
"Later, my love..." She said and he stopped.
"We can make love again now?" She giggled.
"Yes, it's been nearly a month. I'd say it's fine." Erik grinned in anticipation of the night ahead.
"So, how old are you Miss Beaudry?" Cam asked after the waltz ended. She blushed.
"Twenty-one actually...I'm a borderline spinster." She laughed. He frowned.
"I'm twenty-three. And you are no spinster..." She shrugged.
"Well, according to my chaperone...my mother...I am bordering on it." She said. He shook his head.
"I don't understand it, you're so lovely." He said and her eyes widened. He began to stutter.
"Well, I mean...that is..."
"Thank you Monsieur Khan." She said softly. A nervous silence came between them as they walked into the gardens of Raoul's estate.
"So is that your sister?" Cam asked, referring to Angel who was dancing with her husband. Rachelle nodded.
"She's sweet, but our father sheltered her very much…so, she's very naïve." Cam nodded.
"Are you the older sister?" He asked. Rachelle gave a small nod.
"Yes. That's why they're so mad that I am not married." She smiled tiredly. "I love my parents, I do, but sometimes…they just put so much pressure on me to be perfect. And I am not…I'm really not." She stopped herself and laughed a little. "I really shouldn't speak this way…I should go…" She said and began to go back into the house.
"Wait!" Cam said and she stopped.
"Yes?" She replied and nervously, his hand clenched.
"Could I maybe see you again?" He asked, his dark hair blowing in the night breeze. She smiled and said.
"I'd like that…" When he began to grin she held her hand up. "Now, don't you think that just because I told you all my secrets that I am an easy egg to crack Monsieur Khan." He smiled.
"I know you are not." She held out her hand for him to shake.
"Friends?" She asked, her head tilted playfully. He nodded.
"Friends."
Indeed, life was going back to normal for the Destlers and the Chagnys as well as the Khans. They had all fallen into a nice little routine. Every morning, the baby would wake up and Roxana would feed her. When she was done feeding, Erik took over as Roxana went to take care of Jamie. Ana and Carolina would get breakfast ready for them and then Erik would work with Jamie on music or schooling. Roxana visited Christine, who was going mad sitting around her house, often. Raoul was also a bit strung out, going between his work at the law firm and his wife who was nearing her delivery of their child. Soon after Meg and Brett's wedding, she got extremely big very fast. It nearly frightened her and she could no longer see her feet.
Near the end of July just after Christine turned eighteen, she was bigger than Roxana had ever been with her two children and needed help getting up and down.
"If this continues, the baby is just going to claw its way out because he is going to be as big as Jamie!" Christine groaned as Roxana helped her up with a laugh. She'd brought Jamie and Madeleine with her today as Erik had gone to some meeting with Raoul.
"My God Christine, if you get any bigger, we'll have to leave you in the bed all day…this baby is too big for your little body."
"Don't I know it…" She winced a bit. "Ugh…I have had the worst pains for the past two days."
Roxana's eyes widened knowingly as she studied her friend.
"Are you sure you aren't in labor? I mean, you are awfully big…" Madeleine began to cry as Christine replied.
"I don't think so…I think my food just hasn't settled well what with him being so large." Roxana frowned, picking up the baby, who was ready for her meal. Christine read a book to Jamie as Roxana finished feeding Madeleine, but as Christine was being helped to the toilet, she tilted her head to the side.
"What is it?" Roxana asked her.
"I think I've wet myself…it's horrid. I can't even control it anymore." She said and sighed as the baby moved restlessly. "Roxana…did your children move this much?" She asked and placed Roxana's hand on the small of her belly. Roxana's eyes widened.
"Good Lord, Christine! You have a regular grown child in there…I think you've just broken your water…" She added, seeing the liquid pooling at her feet. "Come on…I think it's best we send for a midwife."
"No…really, I think I'll be…oh!" A jab of pain caught her and she nodded. "Midwife sounds really good right now."
Roxana paced the foyer of Christine's house, waiting for Erik and Raoul to return. Meg and her mother had come over and Brett would be joining them after work. Finally around six o'clock, the men filed into the house and stopped when they saw Roxana standing there with her arms folded impatiently.
"Where were you two?" She asked and Raoul frowned.
"W-we went to the bar with Trevor, Garrett and Brett after the meeting…" He replied. Erik, took off his hat.
"What are you still doing here sweetheart?" He asked, kissing her cheek. She remained aloof.
"Well, someone had to be here when Raoul's wife went into labor this afternoon."
The color drained from Raoul's face.
"L-labor?" He asked and she nodded.
"Your Aunt Annie is up there with her and she is fit to be tied." Without another word, Raoul sprinted up the stairs two at a time while Roxana set her gaze on Erik.
"How are the children, my pet?" He asked with a hopeful smile. She nodded.
"Keep the flatteries coming Erik Destler…I'm not quite ready to forgive you…" She suppressed a smile as she lead him into the sitting room where there was now a small crowd of the Chagny family. Five months pregnant Alana with her husband, The Comte, Comtess and Elisabeth, and Rosaline and her husband.
"Papa!" Jamie cried, running to the man he knew as his father and loved beyond reason. Erik knelt and picked up the boy, who was nearly four now.
"Were you a good boy for Mama today?" He asked and the boy nodded, looking at his mother who also nodded.
"He helped Aunt Christine and got her things she needed." She said and Erik kissed the child's forehead.
"I'd expect no less." He said and set the boy back down, moving to the pen where the three Chagny girls were cooing over his sleeping daughter.
"Monsieur Destler?" A small voice distracted him from the baby a moment as he looked into the eager young eyes of Alana Reynolds.
"Yes Alana?" He asked and she smiled, looking back at Garrett.
"If it's a boy, we're going to name him Erik." She said, an devilish glint in her eyes. Erik laughed.
"Why?" She shrugged.
"Well, we were thinking, who is the best person we know? And of course we came to talking about how you married Roxy, and saved practically everyone from Andrew…and…is it alright?" She asked hopefully. He nodded at the couple.
"If that is what you really want, then I am honored."
Picking up the sleeping baby, he brought her back to where Roxana was sleeping. Maddie didn't stir, but she seemed to much prefer the warmth of her father to the carrier. The front door opened and Brett walked in.
"Is Meg here?" He asked.
"In the kitchen." Izzy replied as Meg emerged with Justin, who was awake and happy.
"How is he?" Brett asked, kissing her. She smiled.
"Fine…I swear he said 'Papa' today but he hasn't said it again, so we'll see." Brett smiled.
"Ah Meggie…have I told you I love you today?"
"Not yet Brett…"
"Push!" The midwife ordered Christine as Raoul patted her hand and Annie brushed her hair out of her face.
"I'm trying to push you mean old witch!"
"Look dear. The baby is almost out…just one more…" Annie pleaded with her. Christine looked at Raoul who nodded at her, nearly as flushed as she was and cried out in pain as she gripped his hand.
"Congratulations Madame, you have a boy…" She said and Christine began to reach out for the baby triumphantly.
"That little baby made me this big?" She said incredulously. "He's not even as big as Maddie was!"
"Well, every woman holds her baby weight differently…" Annie offered.
"It's over then?" She asked the midwife, taking the baby as the midwife began to set about with the after birth. She nodded. Christine winced.
"Then why does it still hurt?" She cried out in pain again and began to pant. Raoul looked helpless at the midwife as she quickly cut the cord and handed the baby boy to Annie to clean up.
"Let's have a look again then shall we…oh!" She cried out in surprise.
"What?" Raoul asked, looking at Christine worriedly.
"There's another head! You're having twins!" She said and with that, Raoul fainted.