CHARLES

"It seems, young man, that we were destined to meet for I remember reviewing some of your sketches at my architectural firm." Erik said, sitting in the armchair in our library. "You are very talented." I sat across from him.

"Thank you sir…and may I say that your designs are what inspired me to pursue a career in architecture." The man looked pleasantly surprised.

"Well…I uh…thank you." He said. I sighed, not wanting to discuss business.

"Did you have any idea that my mother was pregnant?" I asked him, suddenly driving right to the point. Remaining perfectly calm he replied,

"No I did not." He said, "I made her leave me…I had nothing to offer her. No home, no security, no future. You see, one of the things your mother loved was the sun. She loved people and life. I couldn't give her those five stories below the opera. Not to mention I had killed people and may have been executed anyway."

I held my breath for a moment before looking back at him.

"If you had known, would things have been different?" I asked and an amused look came to his face.

"I…don't know. I want to say yes, but just look at how well you turned out. I honestly don't know if I would have been able to give you the life you lead." He said seriously and I sighed.

"Do you think that's what matters to me Erik? Material things and money? If you love someone enough…" I said and he held up a hand, still amazing me with his calm exterior.

"I loved your mother, never doubt that…I loved her so much that I let her go. It nearly killed me dear boy. You see, I knew she would come back, so I told Nadir to inform the papers I was dead and to leave me, never looking back."

Finally, some sort of physical emotion was beginning to show in his face. Ah Erik Destler, so you do have feelings…He went on.

"I never had a father, hell, I hardly had a mother…what do I know of parenting? I would have been so afraid to ruin you, I would have ruined you!" I took a breath.

"Erik," I laughed, "I am twenty-five years old…I think it's safe to say that I am no longer in need of parenting…at least in the sense that I don't need to be disciplined and taken care of. This may sound cliché, but I always felt like I didn't belong. I mean, I don't look like anyone in the family, they were always whispering. My Aunt, God love her, never did but Dad and Mother were always chittering to each other."

Erik looked at me for a moment, a bit confused.

"So…what? Are you saying you want us to hug and kiss and you can call me Papa? I mean, let's face it Charles…it's not like Raoul doesn't love you enough. He raised you." I almost laughed out loud at the picture of that description in my mind, but I held it back.

"No Erik…of course not, but I would like to have some sort of relationship with you for the love of God…I mean, my mother obviously cared very deeply for you. If you were good enough for her than you are good enough to me." I said and he smiled.

"No one was good enough for your mother. God, could you imagine me raising a child?" He said, almost jokingly and I allowed myself to laugh.

"You know what? Just for that I think I'll call you Papa." I said, folding my arms and he raised an eyebrow.

"Don't even dare." Erik said, an amused smile playing at his lips.

"What's so funny?" I asked him. He chuckled.

"I am sorry, I was just imagining the little devils you and Madeleine will produce." I nodded.

"Frightening, isn't it?"

"Charles?" Maddie's voice called from outside the library.

"In here Maddie!" I called back and she appeared in the doorway with a small grin on her face. Dad walked in behind her.

"What's going on?" I asked them and Madeleine ran to me to take my hands.

"We are getting married!" She said and I laughed.

"I know…you already said yes." I said, stroking her cheek. She shook her head.

"I want to do it in two weeks." She said and my mouth dropped.

"She deserves to be a bride first." Erik said behind me and I turned to look at him.

"Well, of course she does." I said, still surprised, "I just didn't expect you to be so excited about it!" She smiled, motioning for me to follow her and leaving the room. I looked at Erik who chuckled.

"Go, you dolt!" I ran after her as Dad and Erik sat down together.

She was perched on the bed after quickly changing into her nightclothes behind the screen. Her curls were wild and loose. God, she was lovely with those almond shaped hazel eyes and that full pouting mouth. I climbed in beside her and pressed a kiss just under her ear. She laughed.

"Oh Charles…if I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to seduce me!" She said as I kissed her lips.

"You're damn right I am…" I said huskily and she pushed me off.

"I don't think so Monsieur…" She laughed, "You may have gotten away with it once, but it isn't happening until our wedding night…" She said and I sighed, lying down.

"Fine…" I said, pretending to pout, although it was quite hard to concentrate with her bare legs showing like that…

She layed beside me, resting her head on my chest.

"I was thinking about names today...baby names and all I mean." She said, and I had to laugh at how uncomfortable she still seemed about being a mother.

"It isn't a crime to think about your child Madeleine." I said, kissing her hair. She smacked me.

"I just thought that if it's a girl, you know maybe we could call her Christine. I think that would be really nice, don't you?" She asked, her eyes wide with a bit of excitement in them. I held her softly.

"Yes, it would be I am very honored that you would want to name our child after my mother." She shrugged.

"She is your mother...and I know how much she loved you." She said and I looked at her, surprised.

"You do?" I asked and she nodded, pointing to my desk.

"I found some pictures of you and her in there...and even one of you and Raoul...uh...Dad." She said. I pulled her head back down to my chest, pulling the covers over us.

"Are you nervous at all Maddie, you know about having the baby and such." She sighed, thinking for a moment.

"Well, even though the thought of an eight pound human being pushing it's way out of my body is a bit jarring, I would have to say no. Women have been doing it since the dawn of time and here we all are...I'll be fine." I played with her curls, twisting the shining chocolate strands around my fingers.

"I want to lay like this forever..." I said, sighing tiredly and happily. She giggled.

"That wouldn't be too productive now would it?" I kissed her forehead and she sighed into my chest.

"I love you Charles...I just want you to know that." She said in which my reaction was to swallow the lump that alway formed in my throat when she said those words.

"I love you too Maddie, my God but I do..." I said back, almost happy to the point of losing my mind. I was allowed to tell her how I felt for her over and over again and she believed me. She loved me too. I knew she was close to sleep because her breathing had become slower, but I still had one more question as I smiled in the dim light of the room.

"Maddie?" I asked.

"Mmm?" She replied and I sighed.

"What if it's a boy...?" She sat up and looked at me with an impish gleam in her eye.

"I thought we could name him after your father..." She said and I was confused.

"Raoul?" I asked but she shook her head, her smile remaining.