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Destiny Takes Time	By : GueritaSalome Category: M through R > The Phantom of the Opera > Het Views: 19824 -:- 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 31 – Picking Up the Pieces

Now that Raoul had freed her from her fears, there was no reason for Erik not to know the truth. Christine sent word with Madame Giry for him to meet her in her dressing room that night, and she was nervous as she sat brushing her hair. She smiled when she heard the familiar sound of the mirror rolling back.

“You’re early,” she said teasingly as she looked up at him. He was dressed formally, and she was reminded of how he had looked when she’d seen him for the first time.

“If you want, I can leave you alone,” he answered with a little smile and handed her a red rose with a black ribbon, as had so long been his custom.

“No, Erik. I don’t want you to leave. I had hoped to speak to you as soon as possible.”

She laid her brush down on the little table and took his rose. Holding it to her lips, she closed her eyes and breathed in its sweet fragrance.

“How is your daughter?” he asked.

“Oh, she’s just fine. Lynette is looking after her. Thank you again for tending to her.”

“She is your child – the most precious thing in the world to you, and you are what I love most. Elaine is dear to me as well,” Erik said simply and with a warmth that conveyed his sincerity.

God, how she loved this man. Standing up, she placed a kiss on his left cheek.

“I wanted you to come here tonight so that I could clear up what happened between us. Things are not as they appear to be. Here, before I tell you anything else, I want you to see something.”

Christine turned back to her vanity table and carefully placed her rose in a little vase. Beside it lay her purse. She glanced back at Erik with a somber expression before reaching into it and taking out the forged letter. She had never been able to throw it away even when she’d believed it to be genuine, holding on to it because she’d believed it to be the last thing he’d given her. Now she was glad that she’d kept it. He needed to see it to truly understand.

She took his hand and led him to the small sofa where they both sat down together. Erik eyed the little note curiously, but he appeared outwardly calm. Christine hesitantly placed the letter complete with its envelope in his hand and waited for his reaction. He looked at her as though he wanted to ask a question, but instead simply took the letter out to read it. His face went from relaxed to bewildered.

“You can’t possibly think that I would write something like this?” he asked with his hand shaking as he held up the piece of paper.

“Erik, when I saw it, I thought that you did. Look at it – the writing, the seal. They’re the same as yours, exactly the same.”

He knew that it was true. “I admit it does look like my writing, but I didn’t give this to you, Christine. You must believe me.” His expression became dark. “It was that boy, wasn’t it? I don’t know how he managed, but it had to have been him!”

“I know that now, Erik, but I didn’t at the time. The night before I found it you hadn’t come for me…it made me doubt you,” she said softly, and he saw the hurt in her eyes.

He had the sudden urge to hug her tightly, and he did so. Holding her close to him, he stroked her head.

“The night before you left, I did come. I was behind the mirror when De Chagny came in and started showering you with affection. It bothered me so badly that I left without thinking to speak to you.”

“Oh, Erik…I’m so sorry. Raoul was acting strangely that night, and at the time I didn’t understand why.”

“Of course you didn’t. He must have had everything planned for some time. I had decided to see you the following night to ask you about what I saw. It took me a while to think it over…too long. When I came looking for you, Anne told me that you’d gone. I should have stayed and talked to you right then instead of waiting. Christine…” He paused. “I was going to ask you to marry me.”

She tilted her head back and looked up at him with wide eyes. “Do you really mean that?”

“Yes, you know that I do. I wanted nothing more than to make you my wife. I suppose it’s too late for that now, though. Raoul wanted you, and he got what he was after. Perhaps if I had not touched you before we could be properly wed, you would not have doubted my sincerity and intentions.” He lowered his head.

Christine drew back from him and reached out to lift his chin. “If you had not touched me, I wouldn’t have Elaine,” she said gently, looking lovingly into his eyes.

He seemed confused for a moment before speaking. “You don’t mean to tell me that she…she is really…”

“Your daughter, yes,” she said with a soft smile.

His lower lip trembled, and he felt a knot in his stomach. “You were already expecting when you left? You should have told me! Didn’t you think I’d care to know that I had a child?” He sounded angrier than he’d meant to.

Christine didn’t get upset at his sudden outburst. She had anticipated something of the sort.

“Erik, I didn’t know I was pregnant until afterward, and by then, I didn’t want to tell you. I thought at the time that the letter was genuine, remember? Raoul offered me his protection, and I accepted, but I never married him. It wasn’t until I had started to show that I agreed to pretend to be his wife because he was so insistent that he didn’t want me to be treated as a social outcast.”

The full impact of what she was saying finally hit him. She had been unwed and with child, perhaps the most humiliating circumstance that a young woman could find herself in. Erik had never stopped loving her, but she hadn’t known that; her shame and pain had been no less real. His heart broke as he thought of what it must have been like for Christine to endure her entire confinement with the belief that her baby’s father cared nothing about her.

“Christine, you could have died giving birth, and I would have never known.” His beautiful green eyes, so like their daughter’s, filled with tears.

“Shh, there now. It’s all right.” She removed his mask to wipe his eyes and held him close.

“When I saw that you had a baby, I just assumed that you’d left me to go straight to his arms…and his bed. I was so wrong. I’m sorry.”

“I know what it looked like, and I understand how you must have felt, Erik. I’m just glad to be back here with you where I belong.”

Without hesitation, she cupped his face in her hands and kissed him gently on the lips.

“I missed you so much – your company and your kisses…your body next to mine in bed…”

He smiled and their lips met again briefly.

“Christine, do you want to marry me?” he asked. A charming blush had crept into his face.

“As soon as you like,” she answered and nestled herself even deeper in his arms.

“I wish that I had another home to take you to. An underground cavern doesn’t do you justice, and Elaine will need a place where she can play and be free and…”

Laying a finger on his lips, Christine silenced him. “There will be plenty of time for all of that later. As long as you’re with me, I’m home, Erik.”

Christine saw his ravaged face light up with a joy that she was certain she’d never seen before, and then he was silent for a moment.

“We might have a problem finding a priest who will want to marry us, though,” he began. “I have no documents.”

“We’ll go to every priest in Paris if we need to, and if no one will agree to perform the ceremony, I’ll just promise myself to you privately,” she reassured him.

Her reply pleased him. “I want to give you an engagement ring,” he said sweetly. “I still have the one that I was going to present you with before.”

“Erik, I’d love to wear it.” Her eyes lit up at the thought of having his ring on her finger.

“Would it be all right if I take it to your bedroom later on this evening?”

“Yes, of course…and if you want…you can stay.”

He looked at her gently, his eyes full of love and softly ran the back of his hand over her cheek. Christine wrapped her arms around his neck and began to reverently kiss every inch of his exposed, marred flesh. Then, her lips met his and instantly parted. Almost shyly, Erik allowed his tongue to slip out and taste hers. Their hearts raced with excitement as though it were the first time they had ever intimately kissed. Lost in each other, the kiss deepened, and Christine soon found herself in his lap with his hand cupping the side of her breast through the dress she was wearing. It was Erik that finally broke the kiss, his breathing ragged and his face flushed.

“I should go now, Christine. I will see you in a little while. I promise.”

He didn’t want to end up taking her in this manner.

“Please hurry. I’ll be waiting for you,” she said as she slid from his lap to allow him to get up.

He kissed her forehead and smiled before replacing his mask and making his way back to the mirror. When he was gone, she let out a little squeal. Finally, things were going to go well for them.
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Destiny Takes Time