Christine's POV

When I woke the following morning, I sat up to find my angel laying beside me fast asleep. He seemed so peaceful, his breathing steady as his hand that was beneath his pillow, pressing it against his face. The night before, he had taken me out to a wonderful dinner, ending it with such passionate kisses. We had fallen asleep in our clothing from the night before, never bothering to change due to how exhausted we were.

"Angel?" I gently rubbed his shoulder, but he didn't stir. He must have been exhausted; therefore, I pulled back the drape and changed. This would be the perfect time to go and search for Raoul. I had to tell him the truth, I had to tell him that I wouldn't be returning to Paris. The night before, Erik had woken a deep passion from within me, one that reminded me that I was still in love with him. Ten years ago, I buried my angel in my mind, never believing to love him again, but Erik had proved to me that love never dies. After dressing, I noticed that Gustave was still asleep on the couch. Deciding to keep it that way, I left the studio and started my search for Raoul. I decided to check where I always found him; at the bar.

Of course, as I had suspected, he was there. I entered to find him gulping down his last few swigs of whisky, seeming as though he had spent the entire night there.

"Raoul?"

I approached him and took a seat on the nearby barstool, looking my husband in the eyes.

"Christine, what are you doing here?"

I would have suspecting him to be drunk, but by the way that he sounded, it was quite obvious that he wasn't even buzzed.

"Raoul we need to talk." I said. "I was hoping we could perhaps get some breakfast and talk about some things."

"And why do you wish to speak to me?" he raised his glass to take down the final swig. "Shouldn't you be at home? With your new monster? Your hero?"

"Raoul, enough. I have every right to be angry with you, especially with the way you've treated me the other day. You didn't even jump in to save me. From what Erik told me, you just stood there."

"Erik? Don't give that foul beast a name, Christine!"

"But that is his name, Raoul. He is a man…"

"He is not a man!"

Raoul stood up so fast, that I nearly stumbled off the bar stool in fear.

"Raoul, I'm not returning to Paris with you." I quivered. "You should just go home."

I was fighting back tears as I said those exact words to my husband. It was hard to say such a thing, but it needed to be said. I couldn't continue lying to him, couldn't continue to drag out marriage on when there was nothing left to salvage. Our love was no more, and therefore, this was the end.

"What are you saying?" he growled.

I wiped my eyes and looked him in the eyes.

"I'm staying here, Raoul. I want our marriage to be annulled."

Raoul's hand came down over my fist, grabbing onto it and pulling my body closer to his own.

"What? Ten years, Christine? Ten whole years and this is how it's going to end? Why? Why do you wish to end what we have?"

"What we have isn't anything, Raoul. It used to be…Perhaps for a month or so into our marriage there was something, but it's not anymore. Our love has died, our passion burned. It's time to go our separate ways."

"The only separate way that you'll be going, Christine, is in the ground on my family's plot."

"Raoul…please. Don't you understand?" I was sobbing now. "I love Erik. I loved him the night I made love to him."

"Don't even call it that!" he snapped. "Don't you call what you did with him love. God, Christine, he's so hideous! How could you even dare to touch something as repugnant as he is? To think that you allowed him to have you first, before your own husband!"

"Raoul, I believed there to be love between us…really, I did. But after being with Erik in the way that we were, there was no denying my love any longer. I tried to love you, Raoul, truly I did. But after being with Erik, things just didn't feel the same. When you and I made love, it didn't feel like love, when you kissed me, it didn't seem right… No, it's taken me a long time, but I finally know that the love I feel for you is the love of a brother, not a husband."

I wasn't even finished speaking when Raoul struck me across the face with his fist.

"Hey!" the bar tender had tolerated our conversation long enough, but when he saw Raoul's fist make contact with my face, he intervened. "Not in here! Mister Y does not allow bar violence."

"Mister Y!" Raoul grunted, pushing me aside. "I'm tired of hearing about that foul beast. Mister Y thinks he can have anything his heart desires. Just because he has money does not necessarily mean that he can have the world…And you, my Christine, are off limits! No money in all of Phantasma can buy you. You belong to me!"

"I am not your property, Raoul." I cried. "I don't wish to be with you any longer. Please, for all our sakes, go home."

Raoul staggered to the bar door, turning to face me one last time.

"This is my home, Christine…" he then began singing, his voice slurring with every word. "Anywhere you go let me go too… Remember that, Christine? I will never break that vow."

And with that, he left, but not before sending a wave of fear down my spine. For I knew this was far from over.

Erik's POV

Bliss, that's all that I felt as I fell asleep beside the woman I dearly loved. How long had we kissed? It seemed like hours, curled up in the privacy of my bed, my angel tugging seductively at the buttons of my shirt. Though, she never removed the article, just teased. I knew if we had any plans on moving so quickly any time soon, I would have to bring her to the Phantasma Hotel in order to obtain such privacy. Though, I was satisfied with just the wonderful kisses, everything else would come in time.

When I awoke the next morning, the first thing I noticed was how terrible my side was throbbing. I weaved my arm towards my back, pressing it against my bandaged side. I had pushed myself too hard during the past couple of days. I was supposed to be in bed resting and instead I had been spending time with Christine. Oh, curse my missing kidney! Curse the empty space in my backside, curse it all!

"Oh, dear god…" the mere words escaped my lips as I rolled over onto my back, arching my hips off the mattress as the throbbing continued. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I noticed was that Christine's side of the bed was empty. Oh, where had she gone off to? At the moment, I wasn't concerned about it. Instead, I grabbed hold of her pillow, placing it beneath my back to caress my throbbing side.

"Mister Y?"

A few moments later, the drapes were pulled back and Gustave hopped up onto my bed. As soon as he noticed me, he raised his brow in confusion.

"Mister Y, you're still dressed in last night's clothing."

"I was too tired to change." I cringed.

"How did your dinner go?"

"It was wonderful. Though, this morning I'm not feeling quite like myself. I believe my injury has finally gotten the best of me."

"Is there anything I can do?"

I shook my head. "No, just let me rest here for a while. Have you seen your mother?"

My son shook his head. "No, I just woke up."

"She's obviously stepped out then. Just let me rest, Gustave."

The moment I closed my eyes, I heard the door opening. I was in too much agony to care, therefore, I laid there with my eyes closed, listening to Gustave greeting Christine. Oh, how my side ached, how it throbbed with a cramping sensation that drove me simply mad.

"Mister Y isn't feeling well, mother." Gustave mentioned at one point. "He said his side is bothering him."

Before Christine came through the door, I had switched positions, turning to lay on my uninjured side. Though, after Gustave spoke about my discomfort, the room fell silent, and then, I felt my angel's warm hands place themselves against my aching side.

"Erik?" her voice was soft and gently, her palm placing itself against my feverish forehead. "Erik, speak to me."

"Oh, Christine," were the mere words that escaped my lips.

"Erik, you're burning up."

Next thing I knew, I felt blankets being tucked in around my body, sending warm waves of comfort down my spine. Perhaps I had worked myself a little too hard? When didn't I? There weren't many times when I didn't do just that. But that dinner with my angel was crucial, for I had been aching for such an outing for ten whole years.

"Erik, I'll make you something to drink." My Christine promised, "You should drink something warm to take that chill in your bones away."

"Mother, is Mister Y going to be all right?"

"Yes, sweetheart. Just get changed and meet me in the kitchen. We'll make breakfast together and let Mister Y rest this morning."

Cramp after cramp came and went, leaving me exhausted from such an uncomfortable sensation. I tried pressing the pillow deep into my back, but the comfort would only last a few seconds before the cramps came back. When the sun dared to rise over Coney Island, the blasted light blinded me, but I had a weapon to prevent such a horrid annoyance, I had my drapes. As soon as the first ray of light dared to hurt my eyes, I pulled my black drapes shut around my bed, sealing off any daylight that dared to come creeping inside. Darkness was my friend, always was and always will be…Darkness kept me safe, even though it wouldn't take away the current agony I was in…No, that would be a god given miracle.

Christine's POV

"Mother, is Mister Y going to be all right?"

I was boiling water over the stove, when I heard my son speaking to me. Only then, did I turn and spot him standing right behind my in his pajamas. I told him over five minutes ago to get dressed for the day, and yet, here he was still in his night attire.

"Yes, sweetheart." I assured. "Mister Y just needs to stay off his feet for a while. He shouldn't be up and about with just having lost his kidney a few days ago."

"So what's there now?" Gustave asked.

"What's where?"

"In place of his kidney?"

"Nothing, Gustave. It's just an empty spot."

"So, why is he in pain then?"

"It's grueling, Gustave. Having something like that extracted from your body is painful."

"But if you were born with two, how can you go on living with just one? I don't understand, mother."

"And no one does, darling." I patted him on the head as I moved to the counter to stir up Erik's tea. "God works in mysterious ways."

"He's confusing sometimes."

I smiled, for I knew what Gustave meant. Years of believing that my father and God had sent me the angel of music, when in reality, they had sent me a man, one that had become my lover and father to my child. Mysterious indeed.

"He is, Gustave, but we just have to accept things as they are. What's done is done…Now get dressed so you can help me with breakfast. I'm going to finish Mister Y's tea and bring it to him."

"Yes, mother."

When my child was gone, I brought Erik's cup of tea to his side.

"Angel?"

The moment I called his name, he opened his eyes and looked up at me. I cupped his cheek, smiling as I did so. Oh, he seemed so sick…My poor angel! I wasn't sure why his condition had taken a turn for the worse, but I refused to leave his side.

"Christine?" his eyes suddenly filled with concern as he struggled to sit up, his gaze never leaving my own. "Christine, what happened?"

I wasn't sure what he was talking about, not until I felt his fingers brush over my eye. God! I forgot about that. I covered my bruise with my hand turning away and assuring that it was nothing.

"Nothing, Erik."

My angel stood up out of bed and hurried to my side, forcing me to turn around.

"You went to see Raoul today, didn't you?"

"No," I lied. "I didn't."

"Yes, you did."

His hands were shaking as he placed them against the bruise on my eye, brushing it lightly with his fingers.

"He hurt you."

"Erik, stop this!" I didn't mean to, but I pushed him away from me. My angel stumbled backwards, catching himself before falling.

"Why do you do this to yourself!" he growled. "Why do you submit to his every whim?"

"Every whim?" I spun around to face him. "He is my husband, Erik."

"End it with him, Christine. End it, or by god, I will end it for you… Oh, and you wouldn't want me to do that, now would you? You know what I'm capable of…A man as hideous as this is capable of everything."

"You have a son to think about!"

Erik grabbed my wrists, lightly squeezing them.

"And I'm smarter than you know! You know how sneaky I can be, Christine. I can make it seem as though Raoul just stepped right off the pier. Drunk, Christine, a drunk man can make mistakes."

"Just leave him be, angel." I begged. "Please."

"Then stay away from him. Let me find one more mark upon your flesh, Christine and by God, your boy will be no more. I have a family to think about, and self defense will not be a problem."

When I didn't say anything, Erik let me go.

"You believe me to be a monster."

"I don't like when you speak to me like that."

"Like what? I am protecting you."

"I went to the bar this morning to tell Raoul to go back to Paris. He got angry."

"And I can get angry too, Christine." He growled. "But never once did I ever strike you. Oh, I can, Christine, but I refuse to harm any part of your beautiful face."

With that, Erik threw on his waist coat, and took a seat at his desk.

"What are you doing?" I questioned. "You should be laying down."

"I'm working!" he snapped. "Just leave me be."

Erik's POV

I was angry, and when I was angry, working was the only way to make me feel better. How dare that fop raise a hand to my angel! How dare he!

"Mister Y?"

When I heard Gustave's voice, I stopped writing to see him standing beside me.

"Yes, Gustave?"

"What are you doing? You said you were sick today."

"Indeed. I need to work, Gustave."

"Where does it hurt?" he asked, pressing his hand against my backside that was missing my kidney. "There?"

"Gustave, go play and leave me be. I have work that needs to be done."

"You're angry." He said. "You sound so mad. Is it mother?"

"Gustave, please leave me be."

"Could we go out? Phantasma is closing soon, you said it yourself. I could help you close it for the winter."

"Enough!"

I didn't mean to yell at him, but I was angry and when I was angry, I did things I didn't mean to do. My son gasped, causing him to take a few steps back.

"Gustave, forgive me…"

I placed down my pen and turned to face him.

"I'm not feeling well, and I'm agitated."

"You yelled at me, Mister Y."

"And I'm sorry."

My child stared at me as if he were afraid, and I couldn't blame him.

"I'm sorry."

I stood up from my desk, storming over to where my jacket was hanging and placed it over my shoulders.

"Erik, where are you going?" Christine asked.

"Out." Was all I said before storming out of my studio. I was hurting inside, but I walked on, headed towards my workshop. I knew if I stayed home another second I would most likely blow up on my family. My anger was something hard to keep inside at times, so, it was better than I left until I cooled down. Living ten years of living alone, and now this… I wasn't used to having others being around me all day and night, which was why it was best for me to leave my home.

"Angel…"

When I heard someone calling for me, I turned around to find Christine chasing after me. Oh, what was she doing? Was she concerned that I was going to find Raoul? At the moment, he was the last thing on my mind.

"Christine, go home." I said. "Gustave needs you."

"Where are you going?"

"Christine, just go home."

When I felt her hand against my shoulder, I placed my own hand over her own.

"Don't shun us, Erik."

"Never." I pressed a kiss to her knuckle. "It's best that I leave until my anger is calmed."

"You should return home and rest. You said it yourself that your backside was bothering you."

"I'll return later, Christine." I pressed another kiss to her knuckles. "I promise you."

And with that, I left my angel, headed towards my park… Closing day was almost here, closing day and then the harsh reality of winter. This winter was different though, for my angel and son would be beside me… That alone made winter worth living through…

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