Erik's POV

After sitting down, Gustave poured Christine and me a glass of wine. Not only did he have wine, but he also had a few covered entrees set out.

"Gustave, just how did you get something like this together?"

"That's why I was out here on the night of the fire," he explained. "I was setting everything up for the treasure hunt. Not only that, but I was also talking to Mr. Squelch…He helped me with the food. He spoke to the restaurant manager for me."

"I know what you're up to, boy…" I said, taking a sip of my wine. "And yes, this was very nice of you, but you really shouldn't have done all of this for me."

Gustave placed our meals down in front of us before taking a seat beside Christine and I.

"You and mama mean more to me than anything in the world. I never knew my papa, but if there is one thing I truly want in this world, it's to have you as my papa forever. I know that it hasn't happened yet, but I would really like it if you would be my papa, Mr. Erik…That way, I could call you papa instead of Mr. Erik…"

I was about to open my mouth, when Christine answered for me.

"Gustave, that is very sweet of you, and yes, Mr. Erik is a great man, but as of right now, he and I are just seeing one another. The only way he could be your father was if he and I became married."

"Well, then after dinner could we go and get married?" Gustave asked. "Please, mama…"

Both Christine and I looked at one another…We were speechless.

"Gustave, pumpkin…It's not that simple. Maybe one day we will get married, but as of right now, we're not. Mr. Erik isn't going anywhere. He's always going to be in the same place."

"She's right, Gustave. I'll always be here for you, no matter what. Perhaps someday your mother and I can be more, but for now, we're just dating. You'll understand someday."

When Gustave nodded, we endulged into the delicious meal Gustave had gotten for us. Though, from out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that he seemed sad. I knew Gustave wanted his mother and I to be married, but he was too young to understand something such as that. Yes, the boy was smart for his age, but clueless as to the way the dating world worked.

"After dinner, Gustave, I have something that I want to show you…"

"Really?"

I nodded. "Yes, it's something that I believe you will enjoy. Your hunt was really fun today…Your idea was clever, really clever. We both had fun working together."

"I know…" he sighed. "I just thought you could have been married together."

Once again, Christine and I looked upon one another, and were absolutely stumped as to what to say to the boy. So, instead, we finished dinner off in silence. When dinner was over, we rose and headed towards my library…The building was tall, which was why we traveled to the roof. Once there, my park's beauty could be seen perfectly.

"Wow…" Gustave gasped. "It's beautiful…"

Indeed, it was. The lights alone were enough to make anyone gasp.

"Someday, Gustave," I said. "This will all be yours."

"Really?" his eyes widened in excitement. "Phantasma? All mine?"

When I nodded, Gustave embraced me tightly.

"I'll take great care of it, Mr. Erik…"

"I'll be right back…" Christine replied after we returned from dinner. I nodded and took a seat in my arm chair. I was exhausted after such a long day…When Christine returned from tucking Gustave in, she crawled into my lap and buried her head into my chest.

"What are we going to do, Erik?"

"About what, ange?"

"About everything? Gustave wants a father, and yet, we can't give it to him."

"Hey," I lifted her chin and pressed my lips against her own. "Don't worry about the boy. He'll be all right, Christine. We're doing great…you know this."

"I…I just don't want to disappoint him in life."

I stood from where I was sitting and brushed my fingers against her beautiful cheek.

"You, Christine, are the best mother there ever was. No matter what happens between us, I will always be here for you and the boy."

Christine wrapped her arms around me once again and I did the same.

"We are taking things slowly, Christine. And if that day ever arrives when we do marry, I will be the happiest man in the world to call that child my own son."

"I know, Erik."

"Now, let's get some rest."

"I'm too tired to walk up those stairs," Christine groaned. "We've been walking around Phantasma all day."

"Well then, I shall carry you."

When I lifted Christine's body up into my arms, she wailed out in laughter.

"Erik, put me down…"

"I will, when we're in my room…Our room."

For the remainder of the evening, Christine and I spent that time wrapped up within one another's embrace. Exhaustion had set in, exhaustion that made both of us surrender to sleep. With Christine in my arms, I slept like a baby…perhaps even better. The following morning, I woke to an empty bed. I hated waking to an empty side, for it meant that Christine was obviously up and already starting her day.

"Christine?"

I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, hearing my bathroom door opening. When I turned my head, I saw Christine walking out with a towel wrapped around her waist.

"Sorry, Erik…I didn't mean to frighten you."

"It's all right, Christine… You didn't frighten me."

"I was showering…"

"It's perfectly fine, Christine. I'm going to go downstairs and start breakfast."

"All right, Erik… I'll be down as soon as I'm finished dressing."

After throwing on my robe, I headed downstairs, grabbing hold of the morning paper and opening it. Though, as soon as I did so, I noticed that the morning's headline was about Mr. Tilyou going bankrupt and Luna Park's closing… I had won! Life was finally starting to go my way! I devilishly smiled and chuckled all the way to the kitchen. Once there, I began to hum due to how happy I was. After placing a kettle of water on the stove, I turned to set the table, taking notice to Christine walking in.

"You seem rather perky this morning, Erik…" Christine said as she took a seat at the kitchen table.

"Well, how could one not be happy, Christine?" With that being said, I slid the paper in front of her.

"I'm speechless," Christine said. "Completely and utterly speechless."

"Wonderful, is it not? Oh, after all these years, finally, I can breathe a sigh of relief."

"Erik," Christine's voice was uncertain, so uncertain that it made me curious.

"What is it, Christine? Can you not be happy for me? That man is the definition of evil! I believe that he deserves this after all the bad that he's done. Do you not agree?"

Christine placed the paper down and looked at me, her face still filled with uncertainty.

"Erik, America is supposed to be the land of opportunity…"

"So they say…"

"Then how is it fair to everyone else that your park is the only park on Coney Island? As evil as that man is, Erik, fair is fair…"

I had hoped Christine to be just as excited about Mr. Tilyou's failure as I was, but she wasn't. In fact, she was pitying the man. Damn this woman…Damn her to hell.

"I am a good man, Christine," I said, standing before her, my height overpowering her own. "I may not be a great man, but I am a good man. It's taken me years to become the man that I am today, and therefore, Mr. Tilyou can burn in hell for the scars that he's caused me…"

"Erik…I didn't mean that."

"Really? I'm standing here enjoying my few moments of relief, and there you are, telling me that I should be feeling sorry for the likes of him. You don't understand, Christine, because you've never had a whip lashed against your flesh."

"Erik…"

Christine tried to grab my arm, when I moved away from her.

"Don't...Just leave me be."

"Erik!"

Before I could say another word, I slammed the door closed and headed to my office. Though, after opening the front door, I rummaged around for the lights to brighten the darkened room, only to find that Mr. Tilyou was already seated in my chair…I stopped in place and looked down at the man who was sitting before me.

"Ah, I was wondering when you were going to show up…Usually, you're here by eight. It's nearly ten…"

"I…I was busy."

"Busy in bed with your precious little girl were you?"

"As you were most likely busy taking down your park…"

I pressed my eyes closed and pointed to my door.

"I'm going to ask you to leave…And I'm being kind about it."

"Leave? Why would I come and sit in your office only to leave before I say what I came to say?"

"Which is what?"

From out of his pocket, Mr. Tilyou produced a deed of some sort.

"Read it and weep, monsieur…"

I snatched the paper out of the man's hands and began to read what was written on it. Though, my heart ceased within my chest, for this was an agreement…One that would combine both Luna Park and my own together…No…I couldn't! I wouldn't!

"You see, monsieur, I am good friends with the owner of the boardwalk, Mr. Dublair… He made it pretty clear the other day that combining both parks into one would be the best thing for Coney Island. So, you see, monsieur, you're stuck with me. Partners until death do we part… I came by to see that you signed on the line below. Mr. Dublair is expecting this back…Next week, the news gets out and then we shall have one monstrous money maker of a park."

"We?!" I snapped. "We have nothing! I refuse to sign such a document!"

"I'd thought you'd say that. Either way, the decision has already been made by Mr. Dublair. So, there is no sense arguing about it. Though, I know what you would love to."

"I don't want anything from the likes of you!"

"Really? How about the name of the man who beat and raped your little angel of music?"

I stopped breathing for the slightest of seconds. This man had my full attention now. But how did he know about such a thing?

"Ah, now I have your attention. That's right, monsieur…I know who beat and raped your little girl. I was walking home that day…Saw it all go down. He's a regular. Scum of the city, really…Set the fire to your little fun house too no doubt. The police know him around town."

"What do you want out of me?"

"Your John Hancock, sir… You're going to be forced to sign anyway…So, if you do it without arguing, I will give you his name."

I wasn't sure about what to do… If this were true, then I knew sooner or later, I was going to be forced to sign. But to have the man's name! To have the bastard who harmed my angel and Gustave…Oh, I would kill him with my own bare hands. My hand shook as I signed my name on the line, looking back at Mr. Tilyou. Mr. Tilyou then rolled up his document with an evil smile displayed across his face.

"McPhee…" Mr. Tilyou said as he was leaving. "Donnie McPhee. He hangs around Bar Eleven every night. I shall see you soon, monsieur…Very soon."

When I was left alone again, all I could think about was the coming days. I didn't leave a moment to spare once Mr. Tilyou was gone. No, I hurried to the office building where Mr. Dulblair worked. I needed to see this man, I needed to talk to him.

"Mister E…" the secretary gasped when she saw me barreling through the front doors. Oh, I was furious!

"I need to see Mr. Dublair…Now! I need to speak with him."

The secretary shot to her feet and headed into the adjoining office. When she returned, Mr. Dublair was accompanying her.

"Mister E…Is there something I could help you with?"

"I need to speak with you in private."

"Right this way then…"

When Mr. Dublair and me were in his office, I slammed the door closed and hovered over the man's desk.

"I thought I could trust you, monsieur…I believed I could put every ounce of trust I had within you, and yet, you go and stab me in the back."

"Oh, so I take it Tilyou spoke with you about the changes?"

"And just when were you going to tell me this?! The day it was bound to happen on?!"

"Mister E, please…Let's not be rational… I was going to tell you a few days ago, but things got busy. Instead, I sent the forms to be signed with Tilyou and he told me he would see to it that the documents were signed."

"What about me? What about my park?"

"Mister E, Luna Park is suffering…Well, it's dead, really… I didn't have any other choice but to join both parks. It's the only way to save Luna Park."

"Ah, so your plan was to save your sinking ship by making mine suffer! Do you know that he treats his employees terribly? Or that he abuses the freaks in the freak show? They came to me for salvation! What will they think when they find out that he's going to be lurking around?"

"Mister E, you're still going to be the head honcho of Phantasma…Your park isn't going to be losing anything…Not even its name. Think of it as an expansion."

"And what of Tilyou? Partners? Is that the foolishness you place in my lap?"

"Mister E, Tilyou is my brother in law. I couldn't just throw him to the dogs…He's family. I needed to do something. Look, he'll be lurking around, but at the end of the day, you are the only one who has say in anything that goes on within your park. He may be the boss beneath you, but as long as you're around, he won't have authority over you."

I was calm now… Tilyou believed that he was going to have authority over my park, but in the end, Mr. Dublair was just giving him the title of "boss" to make him feel wanted.

"He'll stay out of your way, I'll see to it."

"When will my park be expanding?"

"Next week, Mister E…So, get a move on. You have lots to do with being the owner of a larger park."

"I do hope my percentage in pay is going up as well?"

"Do I look cheap to you? No, your pay will be going up by thirty percent…"

Yes, this day had started out terrible, but now, it was great. Not only did I get a raise, but I now also knew who had harmed my family…And he would certainly pay.

Wow, that was an exciting chapter...Lots of twists and turns. Anyway, Happy New Year and please review! And if you haven't already, switch over to my new story "Love is not always beautiful..."