I'm thinking my chapters are just going to start being shorter. I can write a good portion but then I find myself busy and let it go for a few days then I write more and more until it's a good enough length to be posted. I really don't like posting below 1,000 words but I feel bad if I post nothing at all so they might just end up shorter for a while. But I hope you like this chapter. Read & Review please.

I woke up at three in the morning. The bed was empty and I could hear the faint sound of rain as it hit the roof. Sudden hits of thunder filled the room with a bass to the lovely melodies that echoed through the house. The music was low and ominous, much like the storm itself. But it wasn't coming from this room. I wrapped myself in one the black sheets on the bed. I found myself walking, not in the direction of the music, which is what usually happened, but towards the bathroom.

One of the walls had somehow transformed into a wall of glass. The storm's lightning was the only thing that kept the bathroom from complete darkness. There was a single dark form sitting on the floor staring out at the storm. Lightning crashed down creating a beautifully eerie glow over the ocean. I walked toward Erik's form and sat beside him. He turned to face me as another crash of lightning ripped through the sky. I could see the faint outlines of tears across his cheeks and then we were submerged into darkness. I cupped his face in my hands.

"Erik what's wrong?" His eyes were far away and he seemed distraught.

"Beautiful. So beautiful." His eyes focused on my face and they seemed to fill once again with tears. "I'm sorry Christine."

"Erik what's wrong?" The panic in me rose my voice a few octaves. I crawled into his lap and pulled the sheet tight around us. Erik's body was cold and I couldn't imagine how long he had been sitting there. After a few moments he calmed and his rigid body softened. His arms found their way around my body and he held me tight to him. He stopped shaking and he looked down at me.

"I heard the storm tonight and I got up to play, inspired by its rage. But as I sat down this music filled my ears. Then I found myself here looking out at the storm and thinking to myself, hating myself. How could I leave alone, and with our child? How could I do that to you? What would our lives have been like together if I would have stayed? What if-" I stopped him. I couldn't stand to hear the pain in his voice. I could bear to hear the way his voice cracked like that.

"You don't think I've thought about all of that before. Erik it was meant to be like this. There were some things I had to learn. I had to grow and mature and I got to do that because of that night Erik. It had to be done. The past is the past and there is nothing we can do about it and there is nothing we should do about it. Think of the present. Think of what we have right now. We have each other and a loving, talented son. You have a career and acceptance and love. We are meant to be Erik and nothing could or can ever change that." Our fingers entwined and I felt we were undefeatable and invincible.

"Oh, Christine. I love you so much." He pulled me tighter closing the last bit of space between us. We looked out onto the water as the last note was played. I fell asleep in Erik's arms listening to his heartbeat. When I woke up again, the clothing that had covered the floor the night before was cleaned and put away, Erik's arms were tight and secure around me.

"Good morning beautiful." His voice was deep and rich in my ear, sending shivers through my body. I turned around in his arms to face him.

"I love you Erik." I kissed him delicately but his arms wrapped tighter around me making the kiss become more passionate.

"I love you too, Christine." Erik let go of me and slipped out of the bed. He walked over to the floor and picked up the last remaining article of clothing, his infamous mask, and slipped it on his face. He walked into his closet and returned moments later dressed in a very classy black suit. He walked back towards the bed and I pulled him into it. "Christine, you realize mornings are usually used for get dressed not undressing those around you correct?" He chuckled and I couldn't help but blush.

I pulled myself out of the bed reluctantly and walked into my closet. I slid on a white blouse and pulled on a long black skirt. I looked down at my left hand and almost forgot that Erik's ring still graced my hand. I was so lucky to have found him. Well to have had him find me. What if Erik hadn't noticed me? What if he had given lessons to someone else? What if he had fallen in love with someone else? I suppose Raoul wouldn't have felt so threatened and wouldn't have picked up his lovely habits of drinking and gambling. But something would always be missing. There wouldn't ever be that spark of devotion. I would never feel what I felt now. I would never be truly happy and I would never honestly know love.

"You look exquisite, darling." I turned to see Erik leaning against the closet door's frame. He was staring back at me with so much admiration and adoration that my heart swelled with love. I walked towards him and slid my arms around his waist pulling his best against me.

"When are we going to get married Erik?" He looked down at me. He obviously hadn't expected me to ask him. But he smiled down at me.

"Whenever you want Christine. Whenever you feel better we'll start planning."

"Now Erik. Please? I want you to be mine now and forever Erik."

"But Christine, I have been yours since the day I first laid eyes on you while you were praying over your father. I have been yours Christine for about twenty years now Christine."

"And I was a fool for not running away with you sooner." He pulled my chin up and he kissed my delicately.

"Maybe just a little." He chuckled and slipped out of my reach before I could elbow him.

Erik and I walked down to the dining room for breakfast. Gustave was already halfway through with his breakfast by the time we arrived.

"I'm sorry Mother but I'm helping Dr. Gangle's brother, Randle, muck stalls today." Gustave was only nine and he was acting like an adult. He ran out of the room with only a peck on the cheek. I turned to Erik who was pulling out a chair at the table for me.

"I guess it's just you and me today." I sat down in the offered chair and he sat beside me.

"Well actually I was thinking that maybe you could sing the song we wrote yesterday, at tonight's late show." Phantasma had five shows a day and was always busy, but the grand show did not start until late at night, that was when the best acts would perform.

"I would love to Erik. Before the night I sang Love Never Dies, it hadn't sung in years."

"Raoul I take it."

"He believed if he cut music from my life, he would cut you from my heart. You can clearly see how well his plan worked out for me." I could how troubled Erik was as the ideas of Raoul's cruel treatment flashed through his mind. "It's okay Erik." He shook his thoughts away and pulled the cover off of one of the plates on the tables. Below it was a large stack of blueberry pancakes. I placed two on my plate and he uncovered the next tray revealing chocolate chip muffins and bacon. He made sure that all of my favorite foods were always on the table.

After we finished eating we sat in the music room singing and playing for what felt like days. But it was amazing. I always seemed to forget the thrill that I got from music. After a while we had to take a break so my voice wouldn't be overworked. We walked down the spiraling staircase and entered the back of the main building where the big acts were displayed. Gustave was practicing acrobatics with Miss Fleck again.

"Tonight is his first performance. He wanted to wait until you were well enough to watch. He wants to surprise you." I quickly turned from what Gustave was doing afraid to ruin his perfect surprise. Erik's hand slipped into mine and he pulled me out of the building's back entrance. The ground was soggy from the storm the night before, yet the sun shone brightly. The air was filled with the sugary scent of the festival food. Erik pulled me into every building, proudly displaying each one of his employees and their talents. He took me into the stables and showed me each animal. There was one white horse I recognized very well. Cesar had been at the Opera Populaire as a trained horse for a few of the operas performed, until he was stolen by the supposed Opera Ghost.

I pointed to Cesar and Erik shrugged. "Once you bond with a horse…" I laughed at his answer. I ended up eating two Carmel Apples before we returned back to the house to finish my rehearsal. After a while Erik had to leave to check in with his other acts to make sure everything was running smoothly.

There was an hour before my performance so I was wondering around backstage. I hadn't even made it to my dressing room when I was being pulled into the wings by Squelch. Gustave was just entering the stage. This time Fleck wasn't with him, he was all by himself. But boy did he own that stage. He did his cloth routine with such elegance and precision. He was so talented, he was indeed a child prodigy and he never seized to amaze me. When he finished he ran off stage towards me. He crashed into my arms and held me tight.

"So what did you think Mother?"

"You were incredible. You were just so beyond words. I am so proud of you Gustave!" He grinned up at me and began to pull me further backstage.

"Thank you. Now we must get you ready for your performance." He pulled me into my dressing room. There on the dressing table sat a single red rose with a black satin ribbon tired around its stem. A long white garment bag hung on the back of the door. Gustave sat at the dressing table and watched as my shaking hand pulled down the bag's zipper. Inside was an elegant red gown. I quickly slid it on. The shape of the dress let it cling it to my body in the most flattering places. It cascaded to the ground in tendrils of silky fire. It was the most gorgeous thing I had ever seen. "Wow Mother. You look so beautiful, so very beautiful." I kneeled down to his side and kissed his forehead.

"And so are you, Gustave. I am so proud of you darling. You have grown up so quickly these past few days and it astounds me. You are so talented and I am so proud of you. I love you Gustave."

"Five more minutes Ms. Daae." I grinned. Erik must have made sure that no one would ever call me Viscountess De Chagny, which made me glad. I was never meant to be a Viscountess. I was and would always be in love with the one and only phantom of the Opera Populaire. Erik was my fiancée, owner of my heart, other half to my soul, and father of my child. I rose from my spot on the floor and walked towards the door. Gustave ran ahead of me and found his place in the wings. I followed the lights that led to my destiny.

As I reached the stage I looked out at the stunned faces of the audience. The music started to play and I looked off to my right to see the great pianist at work. Erik was where he had always belonged onstage in front of thousands displaying his talent as he played the magnificent music he wrote for me.