So this chappy was EXTREMELY difficult for me to write. For the first time in this journey I hit a writer's block! But after a good night's sleep and a long day full of classes, I was able to come back to Elisabeth and figure out what I wanted to do. I hope you enjoy it- Lord knows it was a lot of work… but I like how it turned out in the end.

Thank you to those of you who have been reading and I apologize that it took so long for me to update this. I was in the process of auditioning for a musical (which I got the lead in- YAYS!!) and then I needed time to mourn over the passing of Michael Jackson (ok, that's a lie... I was heart broken but I could've updated.... ^^)

On with the chappy!! ENJOY!!!!

Chapter 7

Choice

The following day, Elisabeth was ordered to remain in bed and remained there for the following 9 months. She was only permitted to get up when nature called. Other than that, she was to remain laying down, her feet slightly elevated. Elisabeth felt as if she was trapped as a prisoner in the 19th Century. Pregnant women walked around all the time well into their pregnancies- this was ridiculous. She had not seen the light of day, other than through her window, in months. But during this time, she was rarely ever alone.

During the long and torturous days, Sophie kept Elisabeth company. During this time, she longed for nothing more than the evening to come. From four in the afternoon to midnight, Joseph kept watch over Sisi. This was the time that Sisi enjoyed- just her and Joseph acting as husband and wife. At exactly midnight, Joseph would make sure that his wife was fast asleep. She had often complained of the nights being cold so he would always add another blanket atop her ever growing belly.

Elisabeth's pregnancy lasted as long as any other woman's but the time seemed to fly by at an unnatural speed. She never saw her der Tod- perhaps it had been all in her mind after all. The only time she ever thought of him was in the night when her room had a deathly chill to it. And, before she realized it, nine months had passed.

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The pain was unbearable. Elisabeth had awoken in the night, screaming for her husband. Being of high status and wealth, Joseph had a doctor come to his home to deliver the baby, rather than rushing to the hospital. The doctor was a small, balding man with thick glasses, who spoke softly and encouragingly to Elisabeth.

Pained screams filled the air. Throughout the night and into the next day, Elisabeth suffered the absolute pains of womanhood. Such pain had not seemed possible. It began deep in her loins and slowly began to grow, burning and rolling its way up to her stomach, making her entire being feel as if it were on fire. Her hair was drenched in sweat, her hand held tight to her husband's. Joseph would rub his wife's back, trying to help take her mind off of the pain. He wished with all of his might that there was a way for him to take away the pain. To help her. But all he could do was stand by and watch his wife writhe in excruciating pain. Each time a scream erupted from her throat, Joseph felt his heart break, piece by piece.

Finally, the doctor announced that Elisabeth was ready- the baby was coming.

With soft encouragements, he would count, "Ready? One, two, three!" and on three, Elisabeth pushed. Quickly, she lost her breath and needed to rest.

"You're doing great, Sisi," the doctor said with a weak smile. "Come on. Try again! One. Two. Three!"

Elisabeth tried again. Oh, God the pain. The pain was unbearable now. She just wanted it out of her. New tears began to flow down her already wet cheeks. She sobbed in desperation, shaking her head.

"Elisabeth, one more time. Try just one more time and give it all you've got!" the man between her legs cheered.

Nodding weakly, she waited for the doctor to count once more.

"One. Two," he paused looking up at Elisabeth. "Three!"

Elisabeth pushed with all her might. She pushed and pushed, feeling herself rip inside. Her face bright red and twisted from the pain. She could slowly see her stomach getting smaller and smaller. She saw the doctor move to catch something- it must have been the baby. Before Elisabeth had a chance to see her baby, before she heard it cry, everything went black.

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Elisabeth awoke to a heavy atmosphere full of cries. A cool wet cloth was placed on her forehead and she could feel fingers on her wrist. She slowly opened her eyes to see the doctor standing over her, taking her pulse. Realizing that Elisabeth was awake, he gave her a small smile, patted her hand, and left the room.

Elisabeth could hear voices in the hall and could vaguely make out at least six figures. The doctor walked up to one of them and whispered in his ear. Joseph quickly turned and walked into Elisabeth's room. He knelt beside the bed and took his wife's clammy palm in his hands. It looked to Sisi that he hadn't gotten any sleep. She smiled weakly and said in a raspy voice:

"How's the baby?"

Joseph sighed as he looked down at Sisi's hand within his. His eyes began to fill with crystal tears, quickly overflowing. Elisabeth asked in a confused voice:

"Joseph?"

"Oh, Sisi," he cried as his kissed her hand. "Sisi…" He held her hand tight as he bowed his head and burst into sobs.

Taking deep breaths to control herself, she asked in a shaky voice, "Joseph, the baby?"

"Gone," he said as he wiped the tears from his face. "Oh, Sisi, I'm so sorry. The baby didn't make it."

Elisabeth sat on her bed, silent. Joseph wrapped his warm arms around her and held her as she burst into tears. Gone? How could that be? She was so sure that this baby would save her and Joseph's marriage. Elisabeth wrapped her arms around her husband, holding on for dear life. She felt as if she would drown in her own tears.

"Damn you," she whispered.

"Sisi," Joseph cried through his tears. He ran his hand through her hair, swaying back and forth, their tears mingling.

"Damn you!" Sisi screamed at the man she knew was there, silently watching them.

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Several days later, Elisabeth found herself surrounded by death. She and Joseph felt it necessary to give their child a proper, Christian burial. A cloud of black floated throughout the sea of tombstones in the town's local cemetery. Friends and family of both Joseph and Elisabeth were present to say goodbye to the child- to the little girl.

Elisabeth didn't hear much of the ceremony, she was trying with all her might to not remember this horrid experience. Soon, the crowd began to dwindle until it was Elisabeth, Joseph, and Sophie left. Sophie turned to go, beckoning Joseph to follow.

"She'll want some time alone," she said over her shoulder. Elisabeth glanced at her. For once, Sophie was right.

"Are you going to be alright, Sisi?" Joseph asked, putting his hand on her arm.

"Yes," she mouthed, nodding her head. She watched the two walk away. Once the black figures had disappeared in the distance, she turned back to the tombstone. She and Joseph had decided to name her Valerie. Elisabeth slowly knelt before the grave, her black dress cascading over the dirt. She reached out her hand and took a handful of the dry dirt and slowly let it pour out between her fingers over the tombstone. The dirt was dry, just like her eyes. They had run out of tears. She could no longer cry for her little girl.

After what seemed an eternity of kneeling, Elisabeth raised her head to the heavens. The sky had grown dark. She slowly stood, the blood rushing to her legs that had fallen asleep. She cleaned her hands of the dirt as she blew a kiss and began to walk away.

Suddenly the air was deathly still and seemed as cold as a winter day. Elisabeth stopped and slowly turned back to the grave site, afraid of what she would see. There, kneeling before the grave was Death, himself. His head was bowed, his golden hair falling over his perfect face. His black coat lay across the ground all around him, and he had a single gloved hand placed atop the grave.

"No!" Elisabeth screamed, running back to her child. "What are you doing here, der Tod?!"

Before she could reach him, he had stood up and caught her. They slowly sunk to the ground, sitting on top of the grave of Elisabeth's child.

"No," Elisabeth cried out. "Let go of me!"

Death held fast to the woman in his arms. After a moment of her trying to free herself from his grasp, he felt her entire body cave in and she began to sob, uncontrollably. He held her, as he had all those years ago. After several minutes of tears, he slowly lifted her face and held it in a single black gloved hand. He held her chin, forcing her to look in his eyes. Elisabeth tried to pull away, but Death would not give in.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Elisabeth."

"For what?" Elisabeth asked in a venomous tone. "For taking my child away from me? Why apologize? You're jealous of what Joseph and I have and so you decided to get back at us. I understand completely so there's nothing to apologize for."

"No!" he roared, bruising her chin with his firm grip. "I didn't-" he took a breath to steady himself. "I was only following orders."

"What?" Elisabeth asked, furrowing her brow.

"I don't always choose who's time is up. I follow my orders from Destruction and Fate. I had to make a choice and there wasn't much time," he paused, looking into his love's eyes. "I watched you every night. I fell in love with that child just as much as you did. But it was either you or the baby. How could I possibly…" he trailed off.

"But I thought you wanted me to-" Elisabeth said in a confused voice.

"No," he cut her off. "I couldn't take you when you were a little girl and I couldn't take you now. I'm waiting."

"Waiting?"

He smiled a wicked smile that reached all the way to his cold, blue eyes.

"Yes," he whispered. "You need me. You love me. I refuse to take you for myself until you realize that."

Furious, Elisabeth spat, "I don't need you! I don't need anyone!"

"I believe I just proved you wrong there," he retorted. "If it wasn't for me, it'd be you under the ground right now," he finished as he tapped the dirt beneath him with a long, gloved finger.

Elisabeth froze. She knew he was right. She should be dead at the moment. And yet, because of him, she was alive. He had saved her. Again. She dropped her eyes to the ground in shame.

"And I'd be careful if I were you," Death warned. Elisabeth slowly raised her eyes to meet his once again, searching for an explanation. "Don't get too close to that man. You're unlucky, falling in love with Death. You're only going to drag him down with you….."

"Sisi?"

And with that, Death released Elisabeth from his icy grasp and disappeared into the darkness of the night. Elisabeth sat there on the ground, frozen in fear.

"Sisi!" Joseph cried as he knelt before his wife. "Are you alright?" He asked as he held her face in his hands looking into her eyes. "Come on," he sighed. "Let's go."

Waking up from her nightmare, Elisabeth stood up with Joseph. She walked out, leaning on her husband for support. Her legs seemed weak, her head felt light. And in her mind, she kept repeating Death's foreboding warning:

"You'll only drag him down with you…"

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