Please note that I have written two new stories called "The Phantom Triumphant" and "Siren of the Sea" which are both now complete. If you enjoyed this story, please check them out as well. Thank you.

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Chapter 53

Epilogue

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Erik was at his desk in his lair beneath the Opera House, looking over the playbills for their upcoming production of 'Un Ballo in Maschera', when Charles came storming into the room. He looked upset and Erik felt he knew the reason why, doing his best to hide his smirk so as not to further upset his son. Not even looking in his father's direction, Charles tossed a drawing tablet onto the coffee table and went directly to the piano and began to pound out his frustrations with Mozart's Requiem. When he got to the end and hit a rather sour note, Erik cringed. Charles must really be upset if it is affecting his playing, he never missed a note in that piece. Slamming the lid down on the piano he leaned forward and placed his head in his hands and let out a few choice words in Persian, ones he had obviously overheard his father mutter a time or two.

"Charles." Erik said in a warning tone, causing the young man to spin around in a manner that revealed he had not known anyone else had been in the room. "You are almost eighteen, nearly a man and if you have not learned to control your temper by now, you best find a way to at least hide it better." Erik told him, knowing that he himself still needed to be reminded of that exact thing from time to time. At least the boy came by it honestly.

"I am sorry, Father. I did not know you were in here." He apologized, hanging his head in shame. He would never have acted in such a childish manner in front of anyone, most of all the man he still idolized. "I was just so upset."

"I could tell. May I inquire what it is that has you in such a state?" Again he felt he already knew.

"Emily and Katherine, what else?" He said in an exasperated tone, shaking his head like a weary old man.

"Katherine more than Emily, I will warrant." Erik surmised, pushing his chair away from his desk and leaning back as he folded his arms over his chest. Charles' sister Emily had always been able to rile him quite easily, but it was Katherine de Chagny who Erik noticed had lately managed to get under his skin. The young girl, who had played with his daughter since they were infants, had recently blossomed into quite a young lady and now seemed to have set her sights on Charles. Leaving the young man confused and unsure how to deal with the situation. Erik had to admit that despite her misfortune in paternal parent-ship, he had always thought very highly of Katherine and encouraged her friendship with is daughter. But he was not about to pressure his son into any sort of relationship if he was not ready for such things, and certainly not if he had no affection for the girl.

"She is just so…so…irritating!" Charles stated once more placing his head in his hands. I am in hell, Charles thought to himself. "I was minding my own business, simply drawing and suddenly she was there beside me and far too close for a proper lady, if you ask me. She kept asking me questions and wanting to see what I was drawing and she refused to leave me be. I told her to go play with Emily but she remained there until I got up to leave and then she…she kissed me!"

"She kissed you?" Erik was taken aback by the girl's forward nature, but he suspected he had his own Emily to thank for that. "Where exactly?"

"By the lake, right outside!" Charles bemoaned.

Erik chuckled slightly and shook his head at his son's innocence, he had always been an extraordinarily bright child, but just like his father he fell short when it came to the intricacies of the affairs of the heart.

"I meant where on your personage did she kiss you?"

"On the cheek." He revealed, his hand rising to the spot and touched it lightly as if she had burned his skin there with her unsolicited lips.

"Katherine is young, and she looks up to you, it is only natural that she might find herself attracted to you, Charles. She has grown up around you and she feels safe in your presence." He now gave Charles a very stern look. "Do not disappoint me by making it otherwise, as my son I expect you to comport yourself as a gentleman at all times…especially with Katherine. I do not want to see or hear of you taking liberties with her feelings."

"Why in the world would I? She is not even in her teens yet, simply an annoying child, just like Emily. And hardly anyone I would ever find desirable!" Charles stated, looking almost aghast at his father's insinuations.

"Right now you might see her as such, but in a few years…things could change." Erik pointed out.

"I highly doubt it." Charles assured him, his tone unrelenting.

Just then the two men could hear the front door slam and the sound of girls laughing and talking as they came closer. Soon the two chattering friends entered the sitting room and fell into fits of giggles on the couch, secretly amused by some unknown girlish fantasy. Emily held Ayesha in her arms like a baby doll, the elderly cat acting as though it hardly cared any longer how it was transported from one place to another by the young girl. Erik recalled just how tolerant the feline has been over the years with two pairs of childish hands always reaching out for a pet or a hug and he was amaze how patient she had been with his two children. Once the girls were seated, the cat leapt from Emily's arms and bounded to the mantel above the fire place and settled down in her favorite spot beside the Persian Monkey, licking her paws as she began to groom herself.

Emily gave a cry of dissatisfaction that made Katherine giggle even more, the sound causing Charles to roll his eyes and stand up.

"I will be in my room if I am needed." He told his father, walking out without even a backwards glance at either of the two girls.

His departure did not seem to upset Emily in the least, but Erik noticed that Katherine's lovely green eyes saddened as they seemed to follow his son out of the room.

Emily jumped from the couch and ran over to throw herself onto her father's lap, Erik's arms encircling her as he hugged her to him. He leaned in and kissed her dark honey colored curls, thinking how each day she grew to resemble her beautiful mother more and more. But it was not Christine's blue eyes that looked back at him with such love, they were instead the same color of amber shared by he and Charles. Emily also took after her mother in fire and spirit, this having been evident right from the beginning. She was a wild child to be sure, her mass of curls always unruly and she seemed to sport more skinned knees than Charles ever had. He and Christine might have been a little lax in her lessons of decorum and lady like behavior, but Erik found that he would not have it any other way.

"Was Charles complaining about us again?" Emily asked, reaching up to touch the mask on his face with curious fingers. She was not used to seeing him wearing the thing around the house, both she and Charles having never given his face a second though. To them he was simply Father, and even though she knew he wore it whenever they had company, it was still odd to see him with it on.

"You two should not tease him so." Erik scolded, holding out his hand to the other girl as she approached sadly.

"Why does Charles not like me anymore?" Katherine asked, taking his hand in hers and standing beside his chair respectfully. "He used to play with us all the time, but now he is so…distant."

"He is growing up, becoming a man. He has other interests now and has less time to spend on things that used to amuse him, and that includes spending time with pretty young girls like you two." Erik tapped Emily on the nose as he said the word pretty, making his daughter giggle. "Just be patient with him, and in time you too will see that growing up requires changes."

"I am not going to grow up." Emily said suddenly, throwing her arms around Erik's neck and kissing his exposed cheek. "I want to always stay little and have you sing me to sleep each night. And I never want to become a woman and have some silly boy take me away from my wonderful little home here beneath the opera house."

Erik found his grip tighten around his daughter at the mere idea of some boy taking her from his side.

"I would like to see any man try and take my baby away!" He growled, making Emily pull back at his harsh tone before she dissolved into fits of laughter.

"I may not wish to grow up, Father, but I am hardly a baby any longer." She told him, her amber eyes bright with amusement.

"I am sorry to offend you, my daughter, but to me you will always be my baby." He told her as he placed a kiss on her forehead lovingly.

This was the picture that Christine had walked in on, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel as she leaned against the door jam and watched the idyllic scene before her. She had heard Erik's words and knew that he spoke the truth, Emily would always seem like a babe to him. She let her mind drift back to events that led up to the day she had told him that he was going to be a father for the second time.

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They had been married in Paris for almost a year and a half when she had suspected that she was once more with child. Since their wedding the two of them had not really been trying to get pregnant, however they had not done anything to avoid it either. The whole papaya seed fiasco had long been a source of amusement for the two of them every time they watched Charles running and playing through the tunnels and caverns surrounding their little hide away beneath the Opera House. Erik had been correct in assuming that this place would provide endless enjoyment and opportunities for exploration for his son and the boy seemed to thrive down below. They of course did acquire a piece of land where Erik saw to the construction of a very large and highly functional mansion that suited their every need. However the time spent above ground at that location was small indeed when compared to just how often the little family seemed to occupy the lair. Christine knew it made Erik feel more comfortable and since he insisted on schooling his offspring himself, claiming that the current educational system would simply destroy their minds, there was not much reason to remain for long periods of time at their home on Rue Auber. They of course went there when they wished to entertain, which was not often with Erik's aversion to guests, but the house had known many good times and was always warm and inviting.

Christine had wanted to know for sure if her suspicions were correct before she voiced them to Erik, since both of them had recently begun to worry if they were never going to be blessed with another child. As always it had been Nadir who had quieted Erik's concerns just a few weeks earlier.

"For pity sake, Erik, you two have only been together again for a short period of time. Do you wish for Christine to give up her career so quickly in order to fulfill your desire for more children?" Nadir had laughed when Erik had once again brought up the subject during their weekly game of chess. "You two have plenty of time to think of expanding your family, simply be content with the child you have for now and do not dwell on things you can not alter." He told him, moving his bishop in front of Erik's queen.

"I am very happy with my son!" Erik said defensively, and he truly was. That boy had become the center of his world…aside from Christine of course. Every day he marveled at the way the boy astounded him, whether it was due to some new talent he suddenly displayed or simply how he ate his breakfast. Erik would sit for hours just watching him sleep, having to be coaxed to bed by his understanding wife. But he could see that Christine was anxious for them to enlarge their family and he so desperately wanted to give her everything her heart desired.

"I know you are and I too believe that any addition to your home would be a source of love and joy, just like Charles is. But you cannot rush these things and the more you fixate on it the less chance there is that it will happen. You need to put it from your mind, concentrate on other things and let nature take its course." He looked up at him expectantly. "It is your move."

Erik leaned forward and did indeed slide his rook forward three spaces, taking one of Nadir's bishops in the process. Nadir frowned.

"But I do not wish to disappoint Christine and she seems so anxious to have another baby. Especially since Meg and Raoul just announced that they are now trying to have one of their own. Although I truly pity any child who must suffer through life having that boy as a father!"

Nadir gave another sigh as he moved his knight forward two and over one. He knew that Erik and Raoul had never quite come to terms with the hostile feelings that surrounded their initial meeting. They were civil with one another, sharing drinks on occasion, but they never quite made it past the stage of simply being polite. This was an endless source of irritation for Meg and Christine, but Nadir found it quite entertaining. The more reason Erik found to be upset with the young Vicomte the less time his masked friend spent barking at him.

"One day you might be forced to accept that boy, as you call him, as a member of your own family and I do not mean simply because of Christine's familial ties with them." Nadir said, watching as Erik now moved his queen to the middle of the board.

"What do you mean by that?" Erik asked, not liking Nadir's cryptic words.

"Well, you have a son…what if Meg and Raoul have a daughter one day and the two of them fall in love. Stranger things have happened and you could find yourself sharing the duties of in-laws with Raoul de Chagny. Puts things into a whole new perspective, does it not?" Nadir told him as he took one of Erik's pawns with his other bishop.

"That would never happen! My son is far too wise to ever find himself falling for a Chagny!" Erik fumed, moving his other knight in striking distance of Nadir's queen.

"Suit yourself, all I am saying is that change will come when you least expect it, and dwelling on the future will not make it move any faster. Enjoy your life now the way it is and soon enough the winds of change will blow your way." The Persian told him, watching as Erik stared off into space as he contemplated his words. He then slid his bishop over to a spot diagonally adjacent to Erik's king and stared at the board in amazed wonder. "Checkmate." He said in an almost hushed tone, scanning the pieces to make sure he had not just fallen into one of Erik's more elaborate traps. But not, he could see no scenario other than the obvious fact that he had just won.

"What?" Erik said, snapping out of his trance to check the board as well. No, it couldn't be! Had that dastardly Daroga finally managed to distract him enough during a game that he had actually lost?

"I won." Nadir said once more in disbelief. "I won!"

Erik scowled at the board and then up at the now elated Nadir and began to reposition the traitorous pieces back in their original places.

"Enjoy it while you can, Daroga. It will not be happening again!" Damn him for bringing up the possibility of Raoul's child marring his son! The mere idea was going to keep him up at night for weeks.

And the thought did occupy his mind off and on until the day that Christine had dropped her own baby bomb on him. He had just come back to the lair after having a meeting with Andrew, whom he had hired to be his acting manager almost immediately after taking over the Opera House. The savvy business man had done an excellent job filling in for him during all the pointless meetings and social functions he did not care to attend. It had also afforded Marie the opportunity to remain closer to her husband during the day as she continued to take care of Charles when his two parents were busy with opera duties.

Erik took off his mask as he entered and sat at the piano, playing a bit of Bach in order to wind down. He was so engrossed in his music that he failed to hear Christine enter until she came to stand right beside him, placing her hands lovingly on his shoulders.

"Forgive me, my dear. I didn't know you were there." He apologized, reaching out to take her into his arms and pull her to his lap.

"I find that I am used to being ignored whenever you are engrossed in your music…or in Opera house affairs…or in our son." She laughed, listing off all his usual distractions.

"Ahhh, I have become an inattentive husband, is that it?" He said with a sad shake of his head. "I am truly a pitiable creature then if I do not have the good sense to dote on my adorable wife at every opportunity."

"Yet as an understanding and loving wife I find it in my heart to forgive you for your transgressions." She smiled back, knowing he was not taking her seriously.

"Perhaps later I can right such terrible wrongs and show you just how much you still enthrall me, my demanding wife." He laughed, burying his face in her hair as he kissed her neck.

"Why wait when you can show me right now?" She asked, smiling as he pulled back with a look of surprise.

"What would Charles think if we simply disappeared for an hour?" He asked, looking around and lowering his voice, checking to see that the boy was not listening to their conversation.

"Only an hour?" She asked, her lip sticking out in a pout. "But you need not worry, I asked Marie to take Charles for a walk in the park and then to have dinner at their place before bringing him home."

"Really? And what may I ask has brought on this sudden need for us to be alone, my dear?" He asked, sitting her up slightly so he could look into her mischievous eyes. It was only on very rare occasions that they would not spend the evening with their son and Erik was instantly curious.

"I simply thought it would nice to have some time alone, just the two of us… since soon we will have less time to ourselves than ever before." She told him in a sly voice, averting her eyes so he could not see her excitement.

"And why pray tell will this be?" He asked, being as patient as possible as he allowed her to continue whatever game it was she was playing at.

"Because with one child running around it is difficult enough to have you all to myself, but with two it will be next to impossible." She said slowly, now raising her eyes so that she could fully gauge his reaction. What she saw almost sent her into fits of laughter. It seemed that all the blood suddenly drained from his face and his jaw literally dropped open and yet no words came out. "Could it be that I have at last silenced the Opera Ghost?" She asked in feigned shock.

"A baby?" Erik was at last able to articulate. "You are going to have a baby?" He looked down at her stomach and placed a shaking hand over the area as if he could not believe it.

"I was suspicious for a while but today I went to see a midwife and she confirmed it. She thinks I should be expecting sometime in early spring." Christine told him, unable to contain her excitement any longer. "Are you happy?" She asked him, knowing the answer but wishing to hear it confirmed from his own lips.

"Happy?" He asked, looking up at her with wide eyes. "I cannot even begin to tell you how elated I am over this news. I promise to be the most attentive husband during your pregnancy, you will not have to lift a finger, I will carry you wherever you need to go and you can forget about doing any sort of house work!" Erik told her, his face now lit up like a candle. "We will need to make some more adjustments in the layout of the lair…I will be forced to add on another room at least. Perhaps two while I am at it so that I can reclaim my music room from Charles and then we should add on another washroom, and then…"

"Slow down please." Christine laughed, cutting him off mid sentance. "I just found out I am expecting, we have almost a full eight months to get ready for this little one. Right now all I desire from you is that you take me into our bedroom and remind me exactly what it was we did to make this little bundle of joy."

"Is that safe?" Erik asked, now pulling her away and holding her at arm's length as if he might break her.

"Perfectly safe." She assured him with a roll of her eyes. If he was going to start acting like she were made of porcelain this early in the pregnancy she could tell she was in for a long road ahead. "Now are you going to make love to me or did I just waste Marie's time when I asked her to watch Charles for us?"

"Oh, there will be no time wasted, I assure you, my amazing wife." Erik told her, now pulling her close as he kissed her soundly on the lips. "But until this little one makes its appearance, I think it best that we avoid any visits from the Opera Ghost for a while."

"How about from the Angel of Doom?" She asked, a bit upset that he would forbid one of their favorite games.

"Oh he is most definitely not invited into our room!" Erik stated matter of factly. "You will have to settle for just plain Erik until further notice."

"You will hear no word of complaint from me, my husband. For he is my favorite nighttime visitor…and daytime guest as well."

"I am very glad to hear that." Erik smiled as he scooped her up and indeed carried her into their room, shooing Ayesha out the door before he turned and locked it.

The months seemed to fly by and soon Christine had been forced to relinquish her role as diva of the Opera House and while Erik found a suitable understudy, he told her time and again that no one could truly replace her on stage. And even though she missed the excitement of performing nothing compared to the thrill of being pregnant while having a husband like Erik willing to dote upon you. This time she thoroughly enjoyed being with child, not having to worry about where her next meal was coming from or raising the child alone. Erik was so attentive and catered to her every need…even when she had not yet realized she had a need. Pastries and confections would show up by her bed at night as if he could read her mind and knew exactly what she was craving. He made sure she had an endless variety of new dresses, each one designed to flatter her now growing figure and every night he would sing lullabies to her rounding belly, soothing the extremely active infant inside so that she could get some rest. More times than she could count she woke to find him simply staring at her as he gently rubbed his hand over her abdomen.

"Our little one is anxious to come out." Erik told her one morning during her last month. "It wants to see just how beautiful its mother really is." He leaned down and placed a kiss on her stomach, a smile coming to his face as he felt a kick beneath his lips.

"And I am just as anxious to see it as well." She laughed. They continued to call the baby an It since neither wish to voice their opinions on what they hoped it might be. But Christine knew they both wanted a girl, a nice complement to the son they already had. She knew they would love the child no matter what it was, but she really did want a girl.

"Are you truly, Christine? Anxious to see it, I mean?" Erik asked with a look of trepidation. "Do you not still worry that any child of mine might inherit my curse?"

"I told you long ago that it would not matter to me in the slightest. I will love this baby the same way I love Charles. You never have to worry that I will in anyway treat it differently, no matter how it looks. It is our child, Erik, and thus it will be loved."

Erik took her into his arms and held her so tightly as tears welled up into his eyes.

"What did I ever do to deserve a wife such as you?" He asked for what was probably the millionth time during their marriage.

"You only had to ask and I was yours." She assured him, placing a series of kisses on his scared cheek, ending at his lips while she took her time exploring.

The blessed day came right on schedule but the infant chose the worst time of the evening to announce its presence. They had just settled in for the evening at the house on Rue Auber when Christine let out a sudden gasp and sat up in bed, clutching her stomach. Erik threw off the covers and bounded to the other side to kneel beside her as he held her hand in sheer panic.

"Now?!" He asked, looking from her face to her stomach.

"Now!" She told him through the spasms of pain radiating through her. Oh yes, she remembered this feeling quite well. And while a small part of her wished that Clair could be here for her once more, she was overjoyed at the knowledge that she had Erik at her side for the birth of his second child.

"Stay here, I will go wake Nadir and send him for the midwife." Erik told her, reluctant to leave her side even for a moment, but he knew it had to be. So with a quick kiss to her hands, he ran from the room shouting the Persian's name.

Christine laid back and tried to focus on anything but the pain, silently begging the little baby inside her to be a good boy or girl and not to cause their mother too much trouble.

"Mama?" Came the frightened little voice of Charles from the doorway. He was standing there in his night clothes and looking at her with wide eyes. "Are you hurt, Mama? I could hear Papa shouting."

"No, my love, I am fine." She told him, trying her best to sound calm and reassuring. "But it is time for your little brother or sister to make their appearance so your father is just a little over excited."

"What can I do to help?" He asked, somewhat comforted by her words.

"You can come here and hold my hand until your father gets back." She told him, reaching out as he ran to her side. "And then I think it would be best if you went down to the guest room to sleep tonight, your father and I might be up late talking and I do not want to disturb your sleep. Then when you wake up in the morning you might be able to say hello to the baby." She did her best to give him direction without burdening him with too much information.

"But uncle Nadir is in the guest room." He pointed out.

"I think he will be up talking pretty late as well, so I do not think it will be a problem." She laughed, knowing that no one was going to get much sleep that night.

Erik returned just then and came back to her side, leaning down to brush the hair off her forehead.

"I sent Nadir to fetch the midwife and he is on his way." Erik assured her.

"Did you at least let him put on pants or did you send him out in his night clothes?" Christine asked, trying not to laugh at the shocked look on Erik's face. From the expression he gave she could almost imagine that the Persian was indeed running through the streets of Paris in his night shirt.

"Nadir I am sure had the good sense to dress before he left." Erik assured her, only half convinced himself. The Daroga had been staying at their home for the past week just for this occasion and Erik was grateful that he had not been the one forced to leave his wife to go for help. He looked over at Charles who was still dutifully holding Christine's hand and knelt down to look at the boys worried face. "Your mother will be just fine now, why don't you go back to bed and I will come get you after the baby is here."

"Mama said I am to sleep in the guest room down stairs tonight." He informed his father. "Can Ayesha sleep with me, she might get scared all alone tonight."

"That is a good idea. You and Ayesha can pretend you are both honored guests in your own house and sleep down there, just like an adventure." Erik knew Christine had suggested it since it was the furthest room away from theirs and the boy would hopefully not hear any of what was soon to take place. "Now you head off to bed. We are sorry we woke you."

"Will Mama be all right?" He asked, his eyes drifting from his father's worried expression to his mother and then back again.

"Yes, of course she will. I would never let anything happen to her." He assured the little boy as he guided him to the door and watched him descend the stairs to resume his slumber. Shutting the door behind him, Erik returned to her side and pulling up a chair he took over the job of holding his wife's hand. "I meant what I told Charles…I will never let anything bad happen to you, Christine. Do you believe me?"

"Of course I do Erik, you have always been a very protective husband. However, if I remember how this all goes, there will be some things you will not be able to stop from happening tonight. But if you promise to stay by my side and sing to me I think it will go a lot smoother than the last time."

"I will not leave your side and will do anything that will ease your suffering." He promised her. "Anything you wish."

And true to his word, Erik catered to her every whim the whole night. He sang, he got her cool compresses, he held her hand and he rubbed her back. Nadir had returned directly with the midwife and she announced that it would not be long before the baby was ready to appear. Erik was grateful for this because it pained him deeply to see Christine in such agony and he was unable to stop it. Every time she would cry out he felt as if his heart was breaking and he swore he would have traded places with her if he could. After several grueling hours the midwife got very excited and told Christine it was time to push and encouraged Erik to sit her up slightly to help the process. Placing his back against the bed frame he sat behind her and had her lean against him for support, taking her hands in his as she did her best to expel the child. Many tense moments passed and suddenly the beautiful screams of an infant with healthy lungs filled the air. Erik and Christine exchanged grateful looks while the midwife quickly took the child to the table she had set up for examining and cleaning. Once it was washed and bundled she brought it over and laid it in the arms of its mother.

"Congratulation, you have a beautiful, healthy baby girl." The lady told them, her tired smile conveying her pride in a job well done. She then stepped from the room to give the two of them some privacy before returning to finish her job.

Erik looked down at the small pink face and could not believe how tiny she was. His daughter. Though he had been there during the entire pregnancy, watched her grow inside her mother as well as witnessed her birth, Erik still could not wrap his mind around the fact that she was his. Could he have truly helped make two such perfect little children as her and Charles? Was it even possible?

Christine must have been able to read his thoughts for she held the little girl up to him and asked.

"Would you like to hold your daughter, Erik?"

At first Erik was unsure. Charles was one thing, a strong vibrant five year old who loved to rough house, but his daughter was so very tiny and delicate he was afraid he might break her. But his heart yearned to feel her in his arms and he nodded silently as he held out his hands. When he took her from Christine he was amazed at how little she weighted, was this normal? Was she truly healthy and the right size and weight? The midwife had said so, but did she know for sure? Erik had already read every book he could get his hands on about how to care for an infant, but he quickly decided to read more on the specific subject of infant weight and growth to make sure.

"I think we need a name for her." Christine told him, tears forming in her eyes as she watched him cradling her so tenderly in his strong hands. "And since I chose the name for our son, I leave it up to you to choose one for our daughter."

Erik looked at her in disbelief. She would trust him with such a weighty decision? He was speechless. What would her name be? Just then his little daughter opened her eyes and looked up at him, her eyes just as amber as his own and his breath caught in his throat. Once more he was struck with that overwhelming urge to lay down his life in order to protect what was his. He swore at that moment that she would never know want, never know need and always know love.

"Emily….her name is Emily Grace." He said, his voice now almost a whisper. He had no idea where the name had come from but the moment he looked into her eyes, he just knew. That was her name.

"Emily Grace Aaban…I like the sound of that." Christine nodded, laying her head back against the pillow and shutting her eyes in exhaustion.

The midwife reentered the room just then and suggested that Erik take the child downstairs for a while so that she could take care of Christine in private. Erik was once more reluctant to leave her, but seeing that she needed her rest he decided to do as he was told. He leaned in and gave her a lingering kiss, watching her eyes flutter open at his touch.

"Thank you my love." He told her with all his heart. "You never cease to amaze me."

"And thank you for staying with me through it all. I could not have done it without you." She assured him, reaching up to touch his masked cheek, wishing that she could feel his real face. "Now go and introduce our little Emily to everyone waiting down stairs." She told him with a tired smile. "Just don't get distracted and forget to bring her back."

"I will be gone no longer than needs be." He assured her as he left the room and headed down to the parlor. When he walked in everyone rose anxiously and stared at the little bundle in his arms.

"Well?" Nadir asked, unable to keep his curiosity at bay any longer.

"I would like to introduce you all to my daughter…Emily Grace." Erik said proudly, turning the baby slightly so that everyone could see her perfectly adorable face.

A chorus of oos and awes went through the group and everyone crowded around to get a closer look. Erik saw that word had spread and all of their friends had arrived early in the morning to wait for the blessed event. Marie and Andrew were there, Madam Giry, Darius as well as Raoul and a very pregnant Meg. The only one not in the room was the one person he wished to see, and that was Charles. Understanding Erik's searching look Nadir quickly left the room to wake the boy and bring him out. When they returned Charles was rubbing the sleep from his eyes but hurried up to stand beside his father eagerly.

"Is that the baby?" He asked, standing on his tip toes in hopes of seeing better. Erik kneeled down and moved the covers back slightly so Charles could see all of his sister's face. "What is it?" He asked, almost taking a step back when he saw her.

"This is your little sister, Emily." Erik told him with a slight laugh.

"A girl? Why did Mama have to have a girl? Girls can't do anything and they are no fun at all." He told his father, quite disappointed.

"You may think so now Charles, but I assure you that one day you will see things differently. And this way your Mama will have someone to play with while you and I are busy writing music or drawing." Erik assured him.

"That will be good. Mama gets jealous when we do things together that she does not understand." He nodded, looking down at his sister once more. He reached out his hand and gently touched her cheek. "I guess she is not that bad then. But she better not break my instruments or I will not be happy." He warned.

"It will be a very long time before she will be interested in anything of yours, Charles. And if she is musically inclined, which I cannot imagine why she shouldn't be, we will get her her own interments to play with." Erik laughed.

Twenty minutes later the midwife came down and told Erik it was safe to go back up and amid many thanks the lady left, promising Meg that she would be seeing her soon to deliver her own baby. Erik left Nadir in charge as he made his way carefully back up the stairs, trying not to jostle his sleeping daughter. He found Christine redressed in a clean night gown and the bed remade with new sheets. She looked tired but was eager to hold her daughter and so Erik reluctantly handed her over. His arms seemed suddenly empty and he longed to be cradling her to him once more, but he settled on sliding in next to Christine and watched as she sat up and coaxed the baby to nurse for the first time. Erik was in awe, nothing could have prepared him for the idyllic sight of his wife and child in such a natural and endearing act. If he lived to be a hundred he would never forget this sight and he committed everything to memory so that he would always remember it.

"What has you so quiet, my husband?" She asked looking up into his adoring eyes.

"I am simply speechless. We have a daughter. Our family is complete." He told her, leaning in to kiss the top of her head. "And I cannot imagine anything more magical than the sight of you with our child."

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I can think of something just as magical, Christine thought to herself as she broke out of her daydream, and that was watching Emily with Erik…the magical bond between a father and his daughter. While he and Charles shared a wonderful relationship, strengthened by their love of music and the arts, Erik and Emily shared one just as strong yet built on something completely different. As soon as she could walk, wherever Erik was, that was where Emily wanted to be as well. At first it was a bone of contention between brother and sister, Charles not wishing to share his time with his father, but when he came to realize that this pesky little girl was not afraid of getting dirty and that she enjoyed boyish activities, the two became inseparable as well. That is until the last year when Charles began to act and think like an adult and no longer seemed to have time for his childish little sister.

Like a dutiful mother, Christine had kept an eye on things and could see how Katherine was quite taken with her son, but she knew that the chances of anything coming of it were slim at best. She would have loved to unite their families with a marriage, but she would not push, it would have to happen on its own if it were going to happen at all. But reflecting on the strange way that she and Erik had become a couple she decided that nothing was impossible.

"Girls, dinner is almost ready so will you please go set the table for me and we will join you in a few moments." She told them.

Emily wiggled off of Erik's lap and taking Katherine's hand the two ran laughing into the kitchen as directed. Erik stood up from his desk and walked over to where Christine stood, leaning down to pick up the drawing tablet his son had tossed down earlier.

"Where is Charles, I thought I heard him playing a little bit ago." Christine asked as Erik slipped one arm around her waist and pulled her in for a lingering kiss. She was very glad he was wearing his house mask that gave her full access to his lips.

"He has fled to his room in an attempt to avoid certain females." Erik told her with a laugh. When she gave him a questioning look he flipped the tablet open and stopped at a recent drawing of two young girls playing by an underground lake. And while Charles' sketch was accurate in every detail the one figure that stood out more prominent than the others was that of Katherine de Chagny. Showing it to Christine he raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"You might need to have a talk with your son." She said, trying to hide her smile from her annoyed husband. She knew he liked Katherine very much, but the idea of melding with the Chagny family had never sat well with him.

"We have touched on the subject. If I see the need, we will speak further. But hopefully I will not see the need." He added.

"You can't stop love, my dear." Christine told him, reaching up to remove his mask before she encircled his neck with her arms. "I think we proved that well enough."

"That we have." He agreed, relishing the look of devotion in her eyes. He couldn't help but think back to the very first time he ever saw her and how every fiber of his being had cried out to help that frightened little girl kneeling before him. In one glance she had stolen his heart and he had never been so glad in the taking. He had originally set out to save her, but in the end it had been her who saved him. Saved him from a life of pain, misery and loneliness, and here he was now the happiest he had ever been. He truly did consider himself a blessed man. "Do you have any idea how much I love you, my darling?"

"I could try and guess, but I am sure it would never come close to how much I love you." She laughed. "And do you know how long I will love you?"

"Exactly as long as I plan on loving you." He told her with a sly smile. "Now and forever, Christine…now and forever."

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The End

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Well there you have it folks….the end of The Angel Of Persia. It has been a wild ride and I want to thank each and every one of you for joining me from Persia to Paris.

I will miss my characters a lot and I hope that if I do write again you will all enjoy my new ones as much as you seem to have liked these.

Please make sure you hit the 'follow writer' button just in case I pop up again…after my nice long nap. My thanks to Butterflybird for all her help and putting up with my endless questions. There were so many others who gave great suggestions and advice when needed and I can't thank you enough. You know who you all are!

Again, I hope I entertained you with my story, I know you all entertained me with your reviews! If you just recently found this story and have not sent in a review, please do, I will continue see them in my E-Mail and would love to hear what you thought of my story - and it might encourage me to write more!

Thank you very much.

FantomPhan33