A/N: I wanted to say that this chapter is dedicated to SilverGray, whose review convinced me to continue this story. J

Upon returning to their place of stay, Claude and Esme found themselves wanting to be with each other despite what had just taken place in the medical center.

Claude sat down on the couch with Esme and rubbed her legs.

"Claude, are you angry because I'm pregnant?" She asked looking at his lips.

"Angry? No…" He began slowly. "Just more shocked than anything. I was actually looking forward to being a childless family for the beginning of our relationship. But if this is what the good Lord intended, then so be it."

She was not sure if his response was good enough, partly because his tone of voice was off, and he was speaking out of the side of his mouth. But Esme was determined not to let his mood infect her. They were on their honeymoon, and a honeymoon was what she was going to make him experience.

Beyond thoughts of their honeymoon, Esme's mind was captivated by the fact that she was carrying Claude's heir. His child. It made her so proud to know that she would be giving birth to a little Frollo. Her hands went to her stomach as if she was protecting the child.

Claude placed his hands on top of hers.

A child… He thought. A baby…. He was suddenly taken over by thoughts of his past. A time before he knew Esme had existed…

That one cold and wintry night he met those gypsies sneaking into the walls of Notre-Dame. He remembered the one defiant gypsy who was set on not allowing him to take her bundle from her arms. She had run as fast as her legs had carried her…

And then…he ripped the bundle from her and she fell onto the steps of the cathedral, now dead.

The bundle was not stolen goods…but a baby. Or was it a baby? This creature was deformed. One eye could not be seen due to a surplus of skin around that area. His back was hunched over and looked as if there was a lump protruding from it.

No, it could not possibly be a baby….

But it was. It began crying and Claude knew not what should be done. He looked at the ugly creature in front of him and then to a well that was only a few feet away.

He was going to send it down the well… But the archdeacon had stopped him. And that was how he ended up raising Quasimodo.

Claude looked at Esme for a moment. She was a gypsy. Just like Quasimodo's mother had been. Her womb would be like a poisonous nest. It would only contaminate whatever was living there. His child would be no different than Quasimodo.

He suddenly felt anger enflame within him. He wanted his child out of the poison at once! He lurched up throwing Esme's legs off of him.

"Claude!" She yelled taken by surprise.

For a moment he just let his eyes fall upon her face.

She did not look like she could possibly be poisonous… She looked the same as she always had to him. Beautiful. Angelic. Forbidden…

Was this God's way of rewarding him for his actions? He had taken Esme and married her. A girl who was much younger than he was. A girl whom he was not supposed to have anything to do with. But yet, he went and married her and poured his seed into her. Was this God's punishment for him? Having his child grow within one of these gypsies?

But wait… Claude collected his thoughts. He needed to calm down. He was just too taken aback by the sudden pregnancy that his thoughts had gone into overdrive. No…his child would not turn out like Quasimodo. Quasimodo's parents had both been gypsies. His child however, was only half a gypsy. And it was not just any gypsy. It was Esmeralda. And it was not some dirty gypsy seed that was making up half of the child. It was his seed. His clean and pure seed…

No. The child would definitely not end up like Quasimodo. His child was in a safe place as of now.

Claude took a breath and sat back down on the couch bringing Esme's legs back onto him. Esme, who was still looking at him with wide eyes and her mouth slightly open, was expecting an explanation.

"I'm sorry." He replied to her stare. "But some thoughts had been running through my mind at the moment… I cleared everything up though." He ran his hand through his hair and kissed Esme on the lips.

"What thoughts?" She asked breaking the kiss before it had the chance to grow.

"Thoughts about the baby." He admitted.

"The baby? What thoughts about the baby would cause you to look so livid?" It was she who was growing angry.

"Esme, if you wish to know, I must ask you to promise me you will not become enraged with me."

"I should promise you nothing right now. If your thoughts would cause me to become enraged then the thoughts must not be good ones!"

Claude sighed and looked at his hands.

"I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror the other day," he began. "I saw how much that I had changed. No, not my exterior, but my interior. I used to be cruel. You were right. But once you had walked into my life, once I saw you, I knew to earn your love I would have to abandon by old lifestyle and adopt a new one." He paused and searched her face. "Just now, I had seen some of my old self. I was thinking about…" He put his head down, clearly ashamed.

"What? What were you thinking about?" She asked a bit more softly than before. She put her hand on his shoulder.

"About…how I did not want the baby to end up like Quasimodo…as far as looks go."

Esme remained silent.

"Because the baby was growing inside a gypsy." He whispered.

Esme felt her mouth go agape. She pushed herself away from Claude.

"Esme…don't do that… It was just something that happened. It will never happen again…"

"How do I know that?" She whispered. "How will I know whether or not your old self will come out? I can't have you acting this way Claude!"

He felt a familiar weight become lodged in his chest.

"Because you will be with me." He replied to her question. "As long as you are with me I know I will never go back to the person that I was."

"Claude, I fell in love with the person you are now. Not the merciless, cold, prejudice man I thought you were." She told him sternly. "I do not want the baby to be judged because of me. I am your wife Claude. Not just some gypsy whore. Our baby will not be deformed. Our baby will be beautiful."

Claude was struck with guilt.

"Esme, I sincerely apologize for my behavior. I know you are worth more to me than the entire world combined. I love you most ardently. I will never think to not treat you without respect. If you will only forgive me… Please… I know that I can completely erase my old self if you agree to help me do so. You are the only one my Love." He took her hand was pleased when she showed no reluctance. He kissed the top of it and let his lips remain there.

"I forgive you Claude Frollo," She said with a smile playing around the edge of her lips. "Let us forget the past and only focus on the life we will live together."

"Thank you." He sighed laying down next to her on the couch. He wrapped his arms around her body and sobbed into her chest. "Thank you…"

She stroked his hair and kissed him behind his ear. "You're welcome…" She sighed. "I love you too Claude. I love you too."

A new understanding had been reached between the couple, and this understanding only strengthened their relationship.

Claude was concentrating on fully becoming someone whom his future son or daughter would be able to speak fondly of. Someone who his wife could appreciate all the time, not just when they were together being romantic.

Esme was concentrating on eating healthier and exercising so her pregnancy could be a very good one. She would eat fruit for breakfast and then she and Claude would go on a walk. Claude would make it evident that holding her hand in public was not an issue with him. He wanted to show her how he did not care about what anyone thought about him.

Esme was the most important person in his life, and he wanted her to know it.

Today, they were in town. Claude pointed out several sights to Esme, giving her a history and story to go with each one.

And she enjoyed his talk. She enjoyed watching his eyes glimmer with excitement every time he saw how intently she was paying attention to him. And it was especially amusing to watch how he faltered when she leaned in close to him.

"Esme," Claude began while they were lounging on a bench in a park, "do you know what today is?"

Esme looked puzzled for a moment. "It is August fourth…"

"Exactly. It was one month today that you agreed to be my wife."

A passionate look crossed Esme's face and she smiled. "It is!" She giggled and felt Claude's hand as it became twined with hers.

He stood up then and she did as well. He guided her to the middle of the park and wrapped his arms around her.

"Esme, I love you more than life itself. And I will love the child with the same dedication." He kissed her cheek.

Esme sighed and kissed his long nose.

"I love the lovely way she smiles, I love the lovely way she looks at me. I love the lovely, lovely way she makes me utterly happy...she is the only one for me. She lights up my life this star I have found. She sings like no other, no other sound. The way she speaks, the way she laughs, my heart is beating like a flash, she is the only one for me…" He began singing to her as he started to dance. "She is the one who knows me by the touch, the one who I can never get enough…of…. She is the only one for me…"

Claude was aware that some people were beginning to stare at them, but he could care less. Today his focus was only for Esme.

Esme blushed as she saw the people that had stopped to look at them.

"She is so beautiful, my angel, my dear. My lovely, my sunshine, and when she is near…I cannot think straight…" His voice was loud enough for anyone within one hundred feet to hear them, so naturally, a lot of Italians had paused their actions to watch the couple dance.

Then, something odd happened. No, maybe not odd, but something…fascinating. It started out with one couple. They had seen Claude and Esme's actions and had decided to join in. They went into each other's arms and began to dance to the melody of Claude's voice. Then, another couple joined in. And then another. And then another. Soon, the entire park it seemed was full of dancing couples. And Claude just continued singing and dancing with Esme as if he noticed nothing.

Esme saw the crowd of dancing couples that had surrounded them and felt happier than she had since a few days ago. She kissed Claude in between verses, kisses that were so passionate; it was hard for him to continue the song.

Once the song had come to an end, the couples still remained dancing as did Claude and Esme. They just leaned their heads together and smiled at each other.

"You have convinced me," Esme said quietly. "You are a changed man. You are the one I fell in love with." She kissed his lips softly at first, but then turned up the heart by letting her tongue in his mouth.

Claude felt his heart accelerate.

"I am glad you think so." He smiled at her, and his expression was so profoundly happy, should the happy be harnessed and turned into energy, it would have the power to light up the entire world with light. And then some.