Christine's POV

I couldn't sleep, not while my angel was in the hospital. I couldn't imagine the pain he must be feeling, the agony his back and side must be in. While Gustave slept through the night, I rummaged through my angel's wardrobe, pulling out a few pairs of clothes and folded them up neatly into a leather bag I found. Along with that, I noticed some open scores he must have been working on laying sprawled out on his desk. Figuring that it would give him something to do, I packed that into the bag as well. Ten years, it had been ten years since I had last seen him, and yet, during those ten years he managed to build himself a life, a home, and a magical world.

As I folded his last shirt, I lifted the crisp sleeve to my nose, inhaling its musky scent. How I've missed that smell. During our night together ten years ago, that same scent surrounded me, and from that night, it became my favorite. The smell was indescribable, a cologne perhaps, one that was a mixture of roses and blueberries. I wasn't sure why those two scents smelled wonderful together, but they did. I had almost forgotten it, for it had been ten years. But to smell it again was happiness, heaven, life…

"Mother?"

When I heard Gustave calling me, I approached the couch and noticed that he was laying awake with the blanket wrapped around his body. He seemed a bit melancholy, and I knew exactly why.

"Yes, Gustave?" I softly asked.

"Is everything that happened last night real? Or was it another nightmare?"

Was it really morning? I peeked at the grandfather clock was in my angel's home, noticing that it was four in the morning. Had I really been awake all night?

"Sweetheart," I brushed his blonde locks and took a seat on the couch, my son laying his head on my lap. "Everything that happened last night was real."

"So Raoul is not my papa? Oh, mother why did you lie to me all these years?" my child sniffled through his tears.

"Sweetheart, it was so hard for me to lie to you. I don't enjoy telling lies, but the truth was that I thought Mister Y was dead. I didn't want to hurt you, hurt Raoul. He left me Gustave. We conceived you and in the morning he left before I woke."

"But why? Did he not love me?"

"Gustave, Mister Y loves you with all his heart. He didn't know you had been created. He was only afraid about what I would think of his face."

"What are we going to do now?" he asked.

"Mister Y should be waking up soon. I want to be at his bedside when he does."

"I'm hungry."

I ran my fingers through his locks, sitting him up so that I could stand.

"We'll go to the bakery on our way to the hospital."

"Could we get Mister Y something?" Gustave asked. "I'm sure it would make him feel better."

I tried to smile at my little boy, for his heart was pure and kind.

"Yes, Gustave, I think that would make him feel better."

After freshening up, I walked with Gustave outside and locked up Mister Y's home. I knew tonight Gustave and I would need to return to the Phantasma hotel due to the fact that our belongings were there. Then again, we were only booked there until the end of the week. Afterwards, my family was due to return to Paris. But could I truly leave now? Leave and never return again? My boy finally knew who his father was and tearing them apart would do either of them no good. But we hadn't the money to continue staying at the hotel. No, when the week was out, our stay on the island would come to an end.

"What kind of pastry do you think Mister Y would like?" my son asked as we stared into the display window of pastries and doughnuts.

"He likes Boston Cream." I said, remembering my angel's taste in pastries. Some nights when I stayed with him in his lair, he and I would indulge ourselves in anything he bought from the bakery, most times that being Boston Cream filled pastries.

"I like the rainbow sprinkled doughnut." Gustave said, pointing to the exact pastry through the glass. "And it's even filled with Boston Cream, mother."

"All right." I said. "We'll get that one for Mister Y. Now pick out something for yourself."

"Perhaps we should get him two." Gustave suggested.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sure one will be enough for him. I'm not even sure he'll finish this one."

My son nodded, and picked out a raisin covered sticky bun. After purchasing the pastries, Gustave and I walked towards the hospital. I signed in, only for the nurse to look down at my name and smile.

"Ah, Miss Daae, he slept through the night. He just started stirring a few moments ago."

Quickly, I sat Gustave down at a nearby table in the waiting room, placing his breakfast down in front of him.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to speak to Mister Y alone, all right? I promise as soon as I'm finished, I'll come and get you."

"All right, mother."

"Just sit here and eat your breakfast. Don't speak to anyone you don't know and don't leave this room."

"I promise, momma."

When my son was situated, I rushed to my angel's room. He was still laying there with his eyes closed, but he was making soft, agonizing whimpers. I took a seat at his bedside, interlacing my hand with his own. The moment I squeezed his pale hand, his eye opened slightly, moving to face me. He groaned and pressed his eyes closed again.

"Mon ange…"

He cracked his eyes open once more, shifting to his side, most likely due to the discomfort in his back.

"How are you feeling, ange?"

My angel pressed his head into his pillow, lightly groaning. I knew he wanted to speak, but the tube in his mouth was causing him discomfort. I called in a nurse, having her remove it from his throat. Only when we were alone again, did my angel relax and look up at me with those agonizing eyes.

"Y…You're still in the same clothes from last night." He whispered.

"I didn't sleep well last night."

He pressed his eyes closed. "Wh…Why?"

"Because you were here."

"Oh, Christine." Came his painful voice.

From the bag, I pulled out a pair of his sleep trousers and a black stripped pajama shirt.

"The doctor thought you would be more comfortable in your own clothes. I went to your house…I hope you don't mind."

He laid there breathing heavily, and managed a nod.

"It's…It's all right."

"Ange, you lost your kidney."

"At least…At least I…I have the other one."

"Here, let's get you into something more comfortable."

I gently grasped onto the buttons of the white hospital shirt he was wearing, only to have him weakly grasp onto my hand.

"N..No…No…"

"Ange…"

"N..N…"

I knew he had trouble speaking. I knew his pain was causing him so much discomfort. Soon, his grasp weakened enough for me to unbutton his shirt, only to be met with thousands of lumpy scars. When we had made love ten years ago, I had felt them, but never bothered asking about what they were. I figured that because his face was deformed so was his body. But these were scars, these were manmade. No one was born with lumpy flesh like this. I decided not to dwell on them and lifted his body up to slip the shirt over his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around my neck as I looked down at his backside, I noticed the bandage that was wrapped around it from where he had his kidney removed from.

"There you are, ange." I laid him back down, buttoning his shirt as I did so.

"N…No…Tr..Trousers." he groaned. "Pl..Please."

I laid the trousers aside, folding them and placing them on the side table.

"Better?"

He painfully nodded, laying there relaxing.

"Angel, I was wondering…Do you have a first name? I…I've always wondered what it was."

My angel parted his lips, forcing out a name, but not just any name, my angel's birth name.

"E...Erik."

I smiled, for it was a handsome name, one that fit him.

"I like it."

"Ch…Christine…"

My angel clutched the bed sheet, looking towards a chamber pot that was on the floor.

"Christine…Please…"

I didn't hesitate, grabbing the empty pot, and holding it below Erik's mouth. I was just in time, for he began vomiting. I rubbed his back, helping him through his spout of illness. When he finished, I laid him down, brushing his cheek with my fingers.

"You poor man."

"Oh, Christine."

"I brought you a pastry, but I don't think you'll be wanting to eat it with you being as sick as you are."

He shook his head.

"My backside is throbbing."

"It's going to, Erik..."

"Where is…Gustave?"

"He's here. I'll bring him in if you'd like. I just wanted to speak with you first is all."

My angel pressed his eyes closed once more, groaning in excruciation.

"Erik, do you want me to fetch the doctor?"

I knew he must have been in agony, for if he wasn't, he wouldn't have nodded. I left his side, fetching the doctor to assist my angel. He came back into the room with me, checking on my angel's vitals before placing two morphine tablets into his mouth.

"Swallow those, Mister Y."

"He's been vomiting." I stated.

The doctor nodded. "It's common with his condition."

"Doctor, could you send my son in?"

He agreed, leaving Erik and I alone for a few more seconds.

"Ch…Christine…"

I looked down at my Erik, wondering what he wanted.

"H…How long will you be here?"

"In the hospital?"

"N…No, Coney Island."

"I don't know." I confessed. "I wish to stay with you for a while longer, but sadly, our hotel reservation is only good until the week's end. Afterwards, we will be forced to leave. I haven't any money to book another stay."

"M…My home." He offered. "It's…It's yours. M…Make yourself comfortable."

"I couldn't possibly."

"Y…Yes you can."

"What about Raoul?" I questioned. "He refuses to leave the island without me."

My angel's eyes pressed closed once more, opening again with the words I never thought I'd hear.

"I…If your husband wishes to stay… He is welcome to…to…be with you too."

"Erik," I caressed his feverish cheek. "I couldn't."

"And why not? Seems as though…I…I will be in here for a while."

Before I could say another word, Gustave came walking in with his hand behind his back. What was he up to? He approached Erik's bedside, a look of concern displayed across his face.

"How are you?"

Erik's labored breathing never ceased as he looked his son in the eyes.

"A…Alive."

"I have something for you." He said, pulling out a handmade card from behind his back. "I made you a get well card."

He must have found some crayons and a piece of paper in the waiting room and whipped my angel together a card. Oh, it was beautiful, simply beautiful! On the front, there were black music notes gliding over a rainbow. Erik lifted his hand to take the card, opening it and silently reading the message that was inside.

"I hope it makes you feel better."

Erik had tears in his eyes as he stood the card up on the bedside table.

"It's wonderful, Gustave…"

My son crawled onto Erik's bed, placing his head in his lap. My angel was taken back, for he looked up at me with a look of concern. His hand shook, as he ran his fingers through Gustave's locks of hair.

"Oh, Christine…"

And at least for the time being, we were a family…together at last.

Raoul's POV

I had spent the entire night in the bar. Where else was I to go? Back to the Phantasma Hotel? Of course not! Everything around me reminded me of him! I wanted to leave this hellhole of a place, return to Paris where Christine and I belonged. But she refused to leave that demon's side, refused to let him suffer on that operating table. But why not? Did I not save her ten years ago from his obsessive grasp? I was supposed to be the hero, and yet, she was making me out to be the enemy. This is what drove me to drink. Every time I seen the look of sorrow upon my Lotte's face, it reminded me of how I had failed her. I couldn't be a failure! I was her husband for God's sake! But each time she gave me that look, I found myself at the nearest bar.

So, here I was three beers and five shots later. What made me drink even more, was the fact that Gustave was not my son! For ten years I raised the little bastard, believing him to be my own flesh and blood. That monster mentioned the fact just the other morning when we had placed down our bets, saying that Gustave was his son, and not mine. Oh, how dare he! How dare he even ruin Christine's name like that, slandering our son's parentage. She was faithful to me…was she not? But when Christine told me the truth, I went completely mad inside. How could she even dare to make love to such a creature? Make love? Was that even what took place between the two of them? How could any woman ever love or lie with a man as horrible and as hideous as he was? She had given herself to that demon before allowing me to have her first!

I had a right to be angry! I had a right to drink myself to death over hearing such a disgusting thing. I had been the only one left in the bar the following morning. My hair was a disheveled mess, my clothes wrinkled and stained with droplets of the alcohol I had been drinking all through the night. I didn't need to look good, for what was the use? At the moment, Christine was most likely at that demon's bedside. What was to become of our marriage now? After all the skeletons that had been released from this monster's closet? Yes, I could just leave Coney Island and head back to Paris, but I was married and I'd be damned to leave without my wife. If the child wished to stay, he could, for I would never give a damn about his ass again. How could I after finding out the truth. Every time I would look upon his face, I would see the monster and know what had taken place in order for him to have been born.

"Vodka on the rocks." Came a familiar, yet depressing voice. I looked over to see Meg sitting four bar stools away, seeming more of a mess than I was.

"Meg Giry?"

She looked over at me, never paying any mind that I was sitting beside her.

"Shouldn't you be at your wife's side?" she sneered. "Away from the island and on your way back to Paris by now?"

"I wish I was." I stood up from my seat to slide down to the one beside her. "I found her last night waiting in the emergency room of the hospital. She refused to leave with me, refused to go home."

"I warned you about letting her sing." She growled. "I warned you about what would happen if he got into her soul again. Once that happens, there isn't a thing she wouldn't do for him."

"You're the one who shot him."

"It was an accident." Meg placed her head down. "It was, really, but…"

"But what?"

"Last night, when I shot him, it was by accident. But now, I wish I would have killed him. Christine is at his side now, seeing to it that he gets well again. After that, who knows what will happen. I'm going to probably lose my job, lose everything that I've built for myself during the past ten years. I wish he would die! I wish that bastard would choke on the very bullet I shot him with last night!"

"You and I both, Meg. Christine should be here beside me, on our way home to Paris, and yet, at this very moment, she's probably at his bedside. God…I believed Gustave to be my own flesh and blood, and instead, he is the product of fidelity, possibly rape for all I know! She wouldn't go willingly…Oh, no, she wouldn't have."

Meg sipped on her drink.

"You really think so, monsieur? Christine told me a few days ago that she would have married him if not for him fleeing after the deed was done."

"What?"

Meg nodded. "She returned to him, they made love, fell asleep and then he rose before she woke, afraid that she would become repulsed over the sight of his body."

"And who wouldn't! He is disgusting! Scum of the Earth…How could Christine wake and not take one look at him and vomit?"

"You wish to leave the island, monsieur. And if you wish to leave accompanied by Christine, then the only way you will succeed is to have her find him repulsive."

"Impossible. If she fucked him, it's obvious that she isn't, and never will be again."

"That's the thing, monsieur; Christine said that on that night, they had sex in the dark…"

A light bulb flashed on in my head.

"Look, I want Christine gone as much as you do. And that's the only way."

Meg finished her drink, standing up to waddle her way out of the bar.

"Good day, monsieur."

And when Meg left, I began pondering ideas about how to make Christine loath her angel. If I could get her to feel repulsed by that monster, I possibly had a chance to win back my angel for good and leave this hellhole behind, never to return again!

Chapter 2...Please review!