Eternal Flame

Chapter One

This wasn't supposed to be happening. Not when He was finally happy. No, not when they were finally happy together. He'd been apprehensive when Christine had fallen pregnant with his child for obvious reasons and not so obvious reasons. The obvious reasons being that it was risky and that he had always worried that he'd pass on his face. The other reason was that he'd always thought Christine had been a bit too big for just one child, especially going into the last few months. If there was more than one, it was all the more reason for him to worry.

Yet she had been so convinced that she was strong enough, that she could pull through this. She'd begged him to have faith in her, and like a fool he had given in as he always did. He could never deny her- something he was quickly coming to regret about himself. Normally, He wouldn't be allowed in the room with her. Normally men were kicked out by the midwives. However, Erik wasn't a normal man and a few well placed and carefully worded threats got his point across. It probably helped that he'd paid them handsomely to keep their mouths shut about this odd situation.

It had been hours and Christine was beginning to weaken. Two babies had already been birthed, both girls. Thankfully, neither had inherited his deformity from what he could tell so far. Unfortunately, there was another one and she was struggling quite a bit. He hadn't wanted to distress her any further so he simply stroked her sweat-soaked curls, keeping the desperate pleas locked in his head. He couldn't lose her now. He just couldn't. He didn't know what he'd do if he did.

Earlier, when she had initially gone into labor, Christine had made him promise to carry on without her if it were to go wrong. He could admit that he'd lied to her. It was nothing more than a pretty, comforting lie. He'd simply told her what she wanted to hear. The truth was, she'd asked the one thing of him that he couldn't grant her. It was looking like he would be breaking his half-hearted promise, but he hoped that he was wrong despite himself.

After what felt like forever to him, the sounds of the last baby wailing sounded but he couldn't bring himself to look away from Christine. Unbeknownst to him, there were horrified gasps from the other people in the room. However, with their very lives on the line, no one dared to say anything that would upset the imposing man further.

Christine's chest rose and fell weakly as she wheezed. She reached out and grasped the material of his shirt, tugging him downwards lightly. Erik fell to his knees beside her. He grasped her little hand in both of his own, bringing it up to kiss the back of it. She offered him a tired smile. "I know you're going to be an excellent father... I love you." She breathed. Before he could respond, her hand went limp.

Erik couldn't process what had happened right away, but once he did a string of 'no's left his mouth. It wasn't something he noticed, it was purely subconscious. He couldn't concentrate on anything other than the way it felt like the ground was crumbling beneath him. He staggered to his feet and stumbled out of the room without a second glance, his chest feeling uncomfortably tight. He vaguely heard people calling for him but he ignored it, loosening his cravat. It didn't help. He couldn't do this without her. He refused to do this without her.

He considered going out to find Nadir, but that wouldn't do. The man wouldn't take his children in. The man was too moral to do something like that. He'd probably try and force him to keep his word and he didn't want to. Life had no meaning, no appeal without Christine. Especially not his life. Music could only do so much and his music was no longer his own anyways. It belonged to Christine, just like the rest of him.

Madame Giry. She was the only option. She was the only one strong enough to keep their children safe, yet wary enough of him to give in to his demands. She wouldn't deny him the sweet release of death. He hurried towards the surface to find her. The sooner that he could express his demands and bring her to the children, the sooner that she'd leave with them. As soon as she left with them, he could join Christine once more, though he highly doubted he'd go to the same place as her.