You Are My Sunshine

Please don't take my sunshine away.

A/N: Hey Everyone. It's me again. First of all, i would wholly like to apologize for my certainly uncalled for hiatus. You know how it goes though. Life is great, then one morning you wake up and the world around you is crashing and burning, but the most you can do is stand and watch the embers fall down around you. Slowly, but surely though, it all begins to get better and you mind begins to get clearer and clearer.

In any case, I hope that I am back for good. I miss you all and of course, I miss writing.

Thank you for following me still, but i promise you I'll be better.

Stay safe this fall!

Christine didn't think that a baby could bring her so much joy.

For all she knew, Charlotte was going to be bane of her existence.

Oh, how she was wildly mistaken.

Even so, Erik was pleasantly surprised at the rapid pace at which his fiancée and daughter were bonding.

The Composer himself, was not so lucky.

3:31am

"Go back to sleep Christine, I'll get her to sleep."

Erik rose to his feet, placing his mask on his face. Exhaling slowly, the new father turned to his right and quickly made his way to the nursery.

"Charlotte, what did we talk about two hours ago, my love?" Erik entered the nursery, grabbing a clean diaper, wipes, and some bay powder off the counter. "Your mother needs her rest." Peering down into the cherry wood crib, The Composer sighed at the sight.

Charlotte had bright green eyes like her mother and full pink lips that expanded with each happy gurgle. She was the spitting image of Christine and Erik couldn't be more relieved that his daughter didn't turn out with the same misfortunate that he did, when he was brought into the world.

"I'm composing the greatest piece I've ever had the pleasure of composing for you, my dear." As Erik brought his daughter over to the changing table, Charlotte blinked slowly, reaching up to feel the contact of skin to skin, with the man she has concluded is indeed, her father. "I can't wait for you to hear it - for both of you to hear it. That is... Both you and your mother."

Aside from Erik trying so hard to bond with his daughter, there was this unattainable feeling of guilt that washed over The Composer, each second he held his daughter or even took once small glance towards her.

Guilt, yes guilt. Erik didn't know why he felt guilty, but it was there.

"Are you two having fun?" Sleepily, a bed-headed Christine leaned against the doorframe of the lavender nursery. "Better yet, are you having fun, Erik?"

"Oh, you know... I do love visiting my daughter at the early hours of the morning." Christine yawned noticeably, stepping into the lavender nursery with her favorite blanket wrapped around her shoulders. "Why are you awake, Christine? Didn't I tell you that I would take care of Charlotte? Do you not trust me?"

"What?" At once, Christine's full eyebrows moved into the center of her forehead, squinting her eyes at the absurd statement.

In all honesty, Erik had no idea that he felt that way.

"I did not mean... Christine, I'm sorry-" But before the unmasked composer could finish his sentence, the room filled with unnerving silence as he was left with his daughter.

Erik brought his daughter to his chest, swaying her back and forth.

"Let's go find your mother, shall we?" Erik whispered to his yawning daughter, as he walked towards the hallway. "To be perfectly honest, my dear Charlotte, I'm probably not her favorite person at the moment, but it never hurts to try."

Charlotte gurgled and giggled, looking up at the ceiling fan, spinning erratically in pure entertainment for the newest member of the Lantier family. Erik turned the corner and to his dismay, his Angel was not in the shared bedroom. Charlotte glanced around the room, taking in the lavender wallpaper. Suddenly, the child began to cry, thrashing and reaching for the ground.

"You cannot walk yet, my love. What do you need?" Erik's smooth voice filled the room, as his daughter continued to reach vigorously for the ground. "Okay, okay. I will let you down, my dear."

Charlotte was let down to the ground and almost simultaneously, she reached for a shimmering light, at the corner of the bed on the floor. Slowly, her hand reached for the light and soon enough, Erik reached down with his daughter and all of sudden, his heart stopped and the earth came to a halt.

One Week Later

"It's not that big of a deal, Erik! Stop turning it into something it isn't." Christine rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You took off your engagement ring, Christine. How is this not a big deal?" Christine once again her green eyes, sighing heavily into the open air. "Do you not want to get married anymore? Do you not love me anymore?"

"Erik, you know that I still love you and I always will." Christine tried sounding as sincere as she could, but she found it most difficult when her annoyance was rising at a steady pace. "You know that I didn't take off the ring on purpose. It must have fallen off... or something."

"Then we must get it refitted." Christine felt like rolling her eyes was becoming second nature to her at this point. "Christine! Would you stop doing that? You are... You are acting like a-"

"Like a what, Erik? Like -A -What ?" Christine enunciated, closing the space between them. "Like a child?"

"No-"

"Is that what you were going to say to me, Erik? Is that what you were going to say I was acting like? A child?" Christine was livid, her emerald eyes piercing the soul of her beloved. "Well, news for you DARLING, I am YOUNGER THAN YOU!"

"That is not what I said-"

"No, it isn't what you said, but it is what you were thinking!" Christine huffed and puffed, storming off into the nursery, with Erik close behind.

"Please do not walk away from me when I am speaking to you."

Suddenly, the room was silent and the only thing that could be heard was the echo of Erik's booming voice.

"Erik does not like it when Christine walks away from him. Now, if you could come back here and talk to me like the adult I know you are-"

Turning slowly, Christine narrowed her eyes at the Composer and stepped slowly towards him. With a confidence he had not yet seen, Erik shook beneath his skin and braced himself for the worst.

"No, Erik. I will not be bossed around by you."

And with that, Christine fled the scene with her child clutched close, and her car keys clutched even closer.