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Destiny Takes Time	By : GueritaSalome Category: M through R > The Phantom of the Opera > Het Views: 19819 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Chapter 26 – Shattered Hopes

“Raoul, I’d like to come with you to the opera house today,” Christine said when he stopped by that morning to check on her.

“Oh really? Any particular reason?” he asked, almost afraid of the answer.

“It’s just been a long time; that’s all,” she replied, as nonchalantly as she could. “Madame Giry has been busy lately and hasn’t been able to stop by in quite some time.”

Raoul considered this for a moment. What if all she really wanted was to visit Erik? He had been in contact with André and Firmin though, and they had reported that the opera ghost had not been heard from for months. Perhaps, he thought, O.G. might have even left, or done them all a favor and died.

“All right then. You can come with me.” He decided it should be harmless enough now that Erik no longer seemed to be about.

Upon their arrival at the opera house, Madame Giry was surprised but pleased to see Christine.

“How are you doing, my dear? I am so sorry that I have not been able to stop by and visit you in a while,” she said and reached out to caress Elaine’s hair as she slept in her mother’s arms.

“I’m fine, Madame Giry. I have missed you and wanted the outing.”

“Meg will be glad to know that you’re here. We’re taking a break from rehearsals at the moment. I will go and get her for you. Would you like to lay the baby down for her to finish her nap?”

Christine nodded and followed Madame Giry. To her surprise, she led her to her old bedroom. Apparently, no one else was occupying it.

“This room is no longer in use?” she asked.

“No, not right now. Our last leading lady just left recently. She has been the only person to occupy it since you have been gone. Carlotta is singing lead now until the managers can find someone new. Go ahead and lay Elaine down. I’ll be back with Meg.”

It wasn’t long when she returned with her daughter.

“Why don’t the two of you go out for coffee and maybe a little luncheon? I will stay with the baby,” Madame Giry offered.

“Well, I suppose I could go. I just fed her a little while ago. She shouldn’t be hungry right away,” she said, running her hand softly over the baby’s thick, brown hair as she slept peacefully.

“Oh, thank you, Mama!” Meg said excitedly.

Christine got up and took her friend’s hand. Together they set off to the little café. As they enjoyed their food, they talked calmly – Meg asking questions about motherhood and married life, Christine answering her half-heartedly though she was careful not to show her true feelings.

“So how have things been since I’ve been away? Have the managers been treating everyone well?” she asked, wanting to talk about something besides the marriage and perfect family life that didn’t exist.

“Things were tense after you were gone. André and Firmin were upset and took it out on all of us, but it improved once your replacement was found. Her name was Mariana; she was Spanish and new to Paris. Everyone liked you better, but she was good and not as difficult to be around as Carlotta was. We just lost her a couple of weeks ago. She was leaving to get married, like you.”

Christine smiled a little in acknowledgement. Of course that must have been the reason it appeared she’d left; she had announced she was Raoul’s wife and that they were expecting a child so soon after her departure. Her distressed state when she’d told Meg she was leaving could have been attributed to anything. Perhaps she and her mother had figured out that Christine was already pregnant when she left, which in fact, had been the case, and they were just too polite to mention it to her.

“Yes, Madame Giry told me that the girl who replaced me quit recently and that Carlotta is leading lady again, at least for now.” Then an idea came to Christine – why not ask? “Has anyone heard from the Opera Ghost lately? Does he still make his demands about casting and the like?”

Just as she’d expected, Meg didn’t appear overly surprised at the question. An awareness of the Phantom had been part of daily life at the opera house.

“Actually, no one has heard from him in a while. After you were gone, he just sort of stopped making his presence known. Only once that I remember, he caused a commotion at one of the rehearsals, and mother said it was because he hadn’t been paid. After that, I’m sure they’ve been seeing that he gets his salary just to be on the safe side, but to most everyone he’s almost been forgotten.”

“Oh,” was all Christine could mange to say. She did not want to appear too interested in the matter.

The two friends arrived back at the opera house about an hour after they’d left.

“Meg, I think I would like to visit the chapel. Would you tell your mother where I am and let her know that I’ll be along shortly?”

“Yes, of course I will,” she replied, understanding Christine’s need to be alone with the memory of her father.

Gustave’s picture was right where she had left it. There were a few candles already lit in the little chapel, and Christine lit one of her own.

“For you, Papa. I wish you were here right now, to guide me,” she whispered.

She spent a few minutes with her head bowed and then went to take a seat beside the stained glass window. Christine leaned back and admired the angels painted on the wall and the one in the lovely window right next to her. She closed her eyes, placed her hand on the image in the glass, and leaned her head against it. How she wished the heavenly being were real and that he could take her in his arms, although it was another pair of arms that she truly longed for. Being here reminded her of so much.

I miss you, Erik.

She began to hum to herself softly, and then she started to sing. How she had missed this place…missed her angel of music.

Christine had just finished singing when she became aware of a presence in the room with her. She looked up and saw him in the corner.

“I see that your voice is as lovely as ever,” he said simply.

“Erik? Come into the light where I can see you,” she said, standing up but afraid to move toward him.

He obliged, and her heart wept. It was him. He moved with such grace, but his appearance was different from how she remembered him. He had lost weight; it was obvious in his face. Though he was still very handsome, his exposed left cheek was noticeably hollower, and instead of the warm look that used to be in his eyes, there was only sorrow. Christine couldn’t hide her shock.

“What’s the matter? Don’t like what you see?” he asked coldly.

“It’s not that. What’s happened to you? You look as though you’ve been ill.”

My God, could my absence have done this to him?

“Well, I suppose you could say that, yes. And you? You haven’t changed at all.”

This was a lie. She had changed. Her face looked slightly thinner, giving her eyes the appearance of being larger, and there was something else different, too. Erik just couldn’t put his finger on what it was.

“I’ve missed you,” she said softly, taking a few steps toward him in the hope that he would do likewise.

He did, slowly closing the gap between them.

“Oh, you’ve missed me, have you?” he said, lightly running his fingers over her cheek.

Christine closed her eyes and let out a soft sigh. It had been so long since the last time she’d felt his touch, but it affected her just as much as it had a year ago.

“Oh Erik, of course I have,” she said as she placed a hand on his chest. His face was so near hers now that she could have almost kissed him.

“Then what is this?” he growled as he lifted her hand with the ring on it and pushed her away in disgust. She stumbled and almost fell.

“It’s not what it looks like…” she began, in a futile effort to calm him.

“You had a nice taste of pleasure with me and decided to get more from someone who had no need to hide his face, did you not? Let me guess. You left with De Chagny?”

“It wasn’t like that. Please, just let me explain…” Christine cried.

“Explain what? Why you didn’t care to be with a monster anymore when there was someone else much more to your liking?” He spoke without raising his voice, but he might just as well have struck her.

She started to back away. This was awful, and nothing like how she’d imagined their encounter would be. She wasn’t prepared for this. He had not bothered asking questions. Erik’s only intention seemed to be humiliating her. There was a chilled silence for a moment, before they heard someone coming.

“Christine,” called Madame Giry, “Elaine is awake now, and I think she wants feeding.”

When Erik saw Anne take the baby to Christine, his expression went from furious to blank. Madame Giry just nodded to him and left them alone again.

“You’re a mother now,” he said, his voice suddenly very soft. That was what had made her different, the look of motherhood.

Afraid now to say another word to him, Christine only nodded, refusing to meet his eyes. Instead, she focused on her daughter. She took her seat beside the window once more, and he looked on in wonder as she exposed her breast and held the baby close to nurse her. Erik suddenly felt ashamed that he’d just been so harsh with her, even if he did feel deeply betrayed.

“She’s a very beautiful baby,” he said as he came closer.

“Thank you,” she whispered as large teardrops rolled down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry for how I treated you earlier. I had no right. You’re entitled to happiness and a family.”

His anger had passed. It wasn’t the child’s fault that her mother had betrayed him, and he couldn’t help but feel affection when he looked at the little girl – she was Christine’s.

“Erik, I would like to talk to you…about what happened between us,” she said softly, lifting her eyes at last to search his expression.

She knew that they couldn’t have the discussion right then. It had been too much of a shock for him to see her again and find out that she had a child. Neither of them was prepared for the long, tiring talk that it would take to try to set things right, but she would certainly return soon and be more ready to face him.

“Yes…I will listen to what you have to say,” he answered passively, his eyes still gently fixed on the sweet little girl nursing in her mother’s arms. “Please don’t wait too long.”

“I won’t. I promise,” she said.

She could have sworn that she saw tears glisten in his eyes, and Erik reached out as though he wanted to caress Elaine’s little head, but he stopped short.

“It’s all right. You can touch her if you want to,” Christine urged him.

Erik looked at her desperately, his expression heart-broken but gentle.

“I…I am…” he stammered, suddenly at a loss for words due to his conflicting feelings. “I will see you later,” he managed, before turning around and slowly walking away, leaving them alone.

She understood that he had meant to apologize again, but the words just wouldn’t come out.

Once he was back in his lair, Erik sat down and cried bitterly. He would have given anything for Christine’s baby to be his, but maybe it was better this way. Surely, he could never sire a child so beautiful.
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Destiny Takes Time