Chapter 14

Meg had been a beautiful bride. Christine and the new baby, Gustave, came to the small ceremony at the church in Pantin, where Daniel performed the ceremony. She had worn a very modest yet flattering white dress, and Erik had worn a long black jacket and red vest. His face had improved even more since returning from Pantin, almost a fleshy color instead of an angry red, yet the deformity was still there, Meg hardly noticed. Madame Giry walked with Meg, and was the young couple's witness for the ceremony, though no one stood with the two. A few of Meg's friends from the Populaire had attended, but it had been a relatively small ceremony.

After there had been a feast at Daniel and Rachel's home, from there Mr. and Mrs. Destler had left for a few days to travel around the area on a honeymoon, meanwhile Madame Giry fixed up inside the house in Boscherville and had Erik's piano and organ sent there. After that, she approved management of closing off all passageways to the channels underneath.

Erik and his bride returned and started their new life together in Boscherville. That, was a different story. Most people had either forgotten about the boy-travesty, or had left town long ago, and anyone that had remembered, didn't have much to say to the couple. Meg and Erik mostly kept to themselves, Erik worked on composing inside the house, and Meg started teaching children's dance, while traveling to Paris to teach private lessons for the Corps.

About a month from their marriage, Meg was coming into Erik's study with a tray of tea for the two of them. "Erik, I know this may be hard for you, but you've grown so much, and you know I would always love you. . ." She babbled, Erik looked up from his papers, curious as to what she was rambling about.

"You have my attention infuriating woman, now what is it my dear?" He said with his tone of teasing, Meg smiled nervously.

"Do you think, maybe, that you would ever want a family together, Erik?" She asked, quiet as a mouse, desperate to get a positive answer when she knew it was imminent he would say no. He sighed deeply. He knew this was bound to be brought up again, they hadn't exactly discussed it since they had returned to Pantin from Meaux, and that was what marriage was particularly about, he supposed. But what could he tell her that he had not already?

"Marguerite, you know I would love nothing more than to give you a happy family, but it is all I have in me to give you myself at all. There is no way to answer your question in an honest way that would satisfy us both. I am afraid that I will pass my burden to my son or daughter, I'm afraid I'll be driven into despair and react no different from my mother if that happens. I am afraid of the responsibility of taking care of someone else, when I can barely hold myself together." Erik was not happy to give his loving and doting wife this answer, nor was he happy when she got up silently and started pacing the room, she wasn't supposed to pace. She was supposed to be calm and rational, and something had obviously discontented her.

"Oh Erik, then I don't know what to do, I'm so afraid you'll be disappointed in me. Please don't hate me." She said, crying. Erik walked over to her, upset that she would ever think in their lifetime that he could hate her.

"Meg don't you ever think I could hate you, I love you more than life itself. Whatever is the matter?" He took her hands between his and looked at her, or through her, so she thought.

"Erik. . .I'm going to have a baby."

And Erik saw black.

After a time, Erik returned to his senses, and deduced that he was on the couch in the sitting room. Odd, he thought. The last place I remember being was my office, how did I end up here? It all came back in a blur, and Erik felt faint again. Meg. His Meg, was to have a baby. A son or daughter, all of his own. He had helped in giving life to someone, rather than taking it away. He rolled off the couch in search of his wonderful caretaker.

He found her tending her garden. She straightened herself in the hot sun and laid one hand lovingly on her still-flat stomach. Erik thought she was radiant. Her hair shined the most pure gold in the sunlight, making her look like an angel. His angel. He fell in love all over again, and he ran to her.

Collapsing to his knees, he knelt in front of her, tears freely gliding down his face, and pressed into her slowly growing stomach. "Hello little dove, whomever you are, I'm going to be your papa."

Meg laughed through her own tears, and laid her hands upon his head. Deep down she knew he would work it all out with himself once she told him, but she put it off for a couple of days, since the last time she had been in Paris for her private lessons. She went to her mother with all her symptoms, and her mother having given birth, had sent her straight away to the doctors.

And here she sat kneeling in the grass with her husband, in hysterics, she felt ridiculous, but she was in love. She knew that things were going to be okay, and she knew that Erik would be a fantastic father. She had never had doubts about him. He was so doting, and always thought about her before himself, so she knew if they were to have a family he would love them all unconditionally.

Meg and Erik's life was in no way perfect, but for them, it was all they ever dreamt of.

A/n: This one came to me in a dream, believe it or not. I still get feels from it.

Just the epilogue left, and then we're all done.

I hope you enjoyed!