CHARLES

Dad had Gabe and I both by the wrist and he was leading us through the smoke. We found an opening in the corridor and went through it, consequently ending up back in the chapel.

"Alright good, we can get out now…" Dad said and I stopped.

"No…I am not leaving this building without Maddie." I said, planting myself in the middle of the smoke filled chapel.

"Charles, we have to get out. There is gunpowder in the cellars, enough to blow half of this building to bits. For all we know, she is outside waiting for us and if we don't leave now, you will never get to meet your unborn child!" He begged with his blue eyes until I finally had to relent.

"Fine…" I said, looking at Gabe. "Did you know about it?" I asked him, referring to Maddie's condition. He smirked.

"Charles, everybody knows about it." I glared at him a moment, but he only grinned. I punched him in the arm and followed Dad through the opera to one of the back exits.

Outside, people were in a panic, screaming, crying. Desperately, I searched for Maddie. Not a sign of her. Dad was also feverishly scanning the crowd for her. Aunt Meg saw us and pushed her way through to us.

"Meg, have you seen Madeleine?" Dad asked her and she looked alarmed.

"No, I thought she was with you!" A loud explosion came from inside the building, silencing everyone who was standing there and my stomach sank as dust and smoke poured out.

"Madeleine!" I cried, hysterical now, throwing people aside to find her. She couldn't still be in there…Oh God, what if Dupont had killed her? What if her body lay somewhere beneath the stage and would never be found because it was being burned. I fell to the ground.

"Charles, come on…you have to stay strong!" Gabe said, pulling me back to my feet. Another explosion.

Black smoke poured from inside the building until, of all things, it began to rain. Ten horrible minutes passed as we watched the smoke die down a bit. Dad had sunk down to sit on the ground, I could see he was weeping. I had a terrible feeling it was all over. I would never see Maddie again. My heart began to beat horribly fast and I couldn't breathe. All I could see was her face and I knew my life would be emptiness.

"Look!" I heard Deirdre cry and I forced myself to look up to see a figure coming through the smoke. It was only a silhouette, but hope began to spring back up into my heart. The smoke cleared a bit revealing a man, carrying a very unconscious Madeleine. He didn't matter right now; all that mattered was that I get to her. I pushed through everyone, Dad right behind me as he laid her on the wet ground gently. He nodded civilly at Dad as I took Madeleine onto my lap, kneeling across from her savior. She was completely limp, but she was breathing.

"Maddie…come on Maddie…" I whispered, rocking with her. Aunt Laney burst through a few people with a wet cloth.

"Charles, here." She said, handing it to me. I pressed the cloth to her face and around her forehead.

"Maddie…Madeleine…" I whispered. I looked up at the man, who I just noticed was wearing a mask. Still, it didn't matter to me at this moment.

"Is she going to be alright?" I asked and he looked at me seriously, answering in a soothing silky voice.

"She's only fainted…she will be fine." He leaned down, touching her face with great care. "Madeleine…Madeleine…" He beckoned her to wake up and as if by command, her eyes began to flutter open. I sighed in pure relief, tears I am sure were streaming down my face.

"Charles…?" She whispered, her voice hoarse. I smiled, sobbing.

"I am here…" Thank you God…I wrapped my arms around her so tightly I could hear her laugh softly since she was so exhausted.

"Charles…" She said and I looked down at her.

"What?" I asked and she laughed out loud.

"You're suffocating me." I loosened my grip on her and began to laugh. Dad crouched beside me.

"We're so glad you're alright…" He sighed, kissing her forehead.

"Thanks Dad." She laughed and he smiled. "You don't mind if I call you that, do you?" She asked him and he shook his head.

"Not one bit." She nodded and looked to the other side of her.

"And you…I don't know how I can ever thank you enough." She said, sitting up and putting her arms as tightly as she could manage around that man with the same green eyes as mine.

I saw him smile as he hesitantly brought his arms around her too.

"It isn't necessary…" He said, patting her back as if he were afraid to touch her. She pulled back, still sitting between all of us. Dad held out his hand to him, which the man shook, again hesitant.

"Erik…Christine…" The man held his hand up to silence him.

"I know." He said. "I know…just answer me this…was she in a lot of pain?" I looked at Dad, who sighed. I knew this was hard for him to talk about so I took the liberty.

"Not toward the end, no. She was on heavy medication." The man looked at me silently for a moment, as if sizing me up.

"And you're her son." He said, to which I nodded. A smile almost came to his lips. "You have her curls." He said and I laughed.

"Erik? I presume?" I asked, holding my hand out. He looked at my hand a moment, but took it. His hand was cold, yet felt so warm.

"You presume right. Charles?" He asked. I nodded. He looked at Dad for a moment with a look of approval. "You did her proud, Raoul…" He said, nodding toward me. Dad looked pained, but satisfied at the same time.

"Thank you Erik. That means a lot to me." He smiled as Maddie tried to stand, sitting instantly back down. He chuckled at her.

"Silly girl, you have just been through hell and you want to go running through the streets? Sit down…" She giggled nervously.

"But sir…it's raining." She said, pulling her wet curls out of her face. He helped her to her feet.

"Rain is water…what's wrong? Afraid you'll melt?" She laughed and turned to me. I opened my arms for her and picked her up off the ground.

"Do you love me?" I asked her, and she smiled.

"I suppose." She said and kissed me in the pouring rain. I set her down and walked over to the man who I had hardly just met. I looked back at Maddie, who nodded as she stood next to Dad. I looked into the man's face, since we were about the same height we were eye to eye.

"Thank you so very much." I said, a bit uneasily. He gave me a simple nod, but it just didn't seem like enough. I put my arms around him as well and surely shocked the hell out of him. Still, I felt his arms come up to pat my back as well.

"You're welcome…Charles." I pulled back and tried to capture what was going through his mind, but he was so calm and collected it was impossible. Still for a moment, and maybe I imagined this, I seemed to see a twinkle in his eye as a smile played at his lips. He knew. I knew he did.

"Excuse me, sir?" A small familiar voice came behind me. I turned around to see Aunt Meg standing there, looking meek as a ten year old. I almost laughed.

"Little Giry." He said firmly. She sighed.

"This is ridiculous, I am a woman of forty-one and I am standing here trembling like a child of four." He shrugged.

"I suppose I have that effect on people." He said and she laughed nervously.

"I guess you heard about my mother then?" He nodded.

"I actually read the obituary. You see just after the New Year I returned here from Persia. I saw young Madeleine sing at the funeral." He said and Maddie blushed. "You have a lovely voice young lady." He said and she shrugged.

"I had a good teacher." She said and I laughed, but Dad stepped forward.

"She did. This man is extremely talented." He said, patting my back. Erik smiled.

"Any child of Christine's would be." He said sadly. Suddenly Dad laughed.

"What are we doing still standing here in the rain? Erik, would you care to have some tea at my home?" We all looked at him expectantly as he looked at each person.

"Certainly. I can see there is much to talk about." Deirdre came running to find Aunt Meg and stopped dead when she saw Erik.

"Ma?" She asked and Meg waved that it was fine. Erik gave a low chuckle.

"It seems the world is going to be overrun with Girys." Even Dad laughed.

At the house, I saw that Maddie got into something warm and dry.

"Charles, really…I am not a child." She said and I thought for a moment, grinning when I found the way to win this discussion.

"No you are not a child, Madeleine, but you are carrying mine, so you will do what I say." Her eyes burned at me and she clenched her little fists but she was smiling.

"You are so infuriating!" She said and I held her robe out for her to put her arms in. I kissed her cheek as she did.

"But you love me anyways." I said and she raised an eyebrow.

"You'll do I guess." She said and I laughed as I quickly changed myself.

"So Madeleine…when are you due?" Erik asked as we came into the kitchen. I hadn't really found out, so she counted on her fingers.

"Let's see, I am due in the middle of October, probably a little over a month before Charles's birthday." My eyes widened as I realized this. By next Christmas, there would be a living, breathing child in this house. Dad sipped his tea.

"Well, we could turn Madeleine's room into the nursery since it is so close to yours, but then I doubt you two would want to live here." He said and I looked at Maddie. She shook her head.

"No, I want to live here." I put an arm around her.

"Me too Maddie." Dad turned his attention to Erik.

"So are you going to be staying in Paris, Erik?" He asked casually and Erik looked around the room.

"Well, I probably won't buy a residence of permanent nature here since I have to make trips to Italy frequently to see how my architectural firm is faring. I am considering renting something though." He said, sitting with his legs crossed, sipping his tea. Dad looked at me.

"Well, you know…you are always welcome to stay with us. We have extra rooms." Erik looked genuinely surprised and amused all at once.

"I wouldn't want to impose, besides don't you think it a bit strange to have someone who once used your life as blackmail in your home?" He said and Dad chuckled.

"I think we're quite past that by now, don't you. Besides, if it bothers me, think of it as a favor to Charles. To Christine. She would have wanted this. You must understand Erik, we thought you had died." Erik nodded slightly.

"That had been my intention. I thought if she believed I was dead, it would be easier for her to be happy."

Dad sighed unhappily.

"She was as happy as she could be, but I know she always hoped. Did you ever marry or have other children Erik?" He asked and the man actually chuckled.

"God no…could you imagine me being married, or raising a child, God forbid?" He asked and Dad even smiled.

"You would have done fine." He said, looking at me. I held Maddie. This was all so strange. Erik looked at me too.

"Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that she would have been pregnant. I was so weak at the time…it had been pathetic really, but she was such a kind hearted girl. She never showed me anything but respect. Which I didn't deserve, but that was Christine. Put everyone else first." Dad nodded.

"She had her moments though." Erik nodded.

"Don't we all?"

A knock on the door turned our attention for the moment. Therese opened it and let Nadir in the house. He looked a bit excited.

"Hello everyone, sorry to bother you all, but I think I have some good news…" He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Erik. His mouth dropped open as Erik stood. "I was just going to tell everyone you were staying in Paris!" He cried.

"Daroga…my friend. I trust you have been well?" He asked, and Nadir had to sit down.

"You are a crazy old bastard, you know that, don't you?" He said and Erik smiled, amused.

"As if you would ever let me forget it…come daroga, we must go catch up. It has been far too long." He said, motioning for the man to follow. He turned back to come over to me.

"You take care of this lady and hold onto her with everything you have, do you hear?" He said and I nodded.

"I intend to do just that sir. We are to be married." He nodded his approval.

"Very well, I shall be by in the morning to see you all again." He kissed Maddie's hand.

"By the way Madeleine, you played Aminta to perfection I do hope you continue to sing." She looked up at me.

"I will sir, thank you." She said shyly. He smiled slightly at her before turning toward Dad.

"I think I would very much like to stay with you when I am in Paris." He said.

"Christine would have wanted that." Dad said and Erik nodded, looking at us one last time before leading Nadir out of the house.