Erik

I set my lovely sleeping angel into her bed and prepared to leave the room. Before I was at the door; a small, sleep-ridden voice called out to me; making me stop in my tracks, "Erik? Where are you going?"

I turned to face the angel who was resting on her elbow, curls cascading down her shoulders.

I suddenly lost the ability to form proper sentences. I fumbled for words as Christine looked at me expectantly.

Finally, I figured out how to speak again, "I'm going out?" Mentally, I slapped myself for my stupid sentence, of course she knew that! "Yes, Erik, I know that. I want to know why you are going." She had a weird look on her face; shy yet playful and coy to a point. I couldn't form a proper answer so my reply was anything but eloquent, "Uh...." Which was followed by, "Well, um...." "Come and sleep with me, Erik." I froze even more. "Please? Come sleep with me..." She begged, beckoning to me with her other hand. Before I knew what was happening, I was in bed with her, and she was in my arms. I tightened my grip on her, pulling her head tight against my chest. She sighed in my arms, and soon I heard her telltale signs of sleep.

I sighed once I knew she was sleeping; perhaps it was stupid to forgive her so quickly. Perhaps I was deceiving myself, making myself believe things that were not true.

Then again, perhaps I did not care.

Christine moved a bit, placing her arm across me, securing her hold on me.

Maybe she did love me.

I knew for certain that she did not hate me, which gave me hope. Maybe she even cared for me as she would a friend.

I was lying to myself if I believed that would be enough; because I would always want more. I would always want her to love me, truly love me.

I would always wish for her to return my passions almost equally, to need and want me as much as I.

Perhaps that was too much to hope for. Mayhaps she would never love me as much as all that, would only ever think of me a a friend. However, as long as she was with me, I would try. I would try and convince her to love me. All that I did was because I wanted to spend time with her, couldn't bear the thought of leaving her, or having her leave me.

Christine stirred in my arms, and murmured, "Erik....You are my Angel....one and only..."

I felt my heart skip a beat or two. Even though I knew not what her full sentence was, it still meant the world to me that she cared about me....If only she loved me....

Eventually, sleep overtook me and I fell into a blissful sleep.

"Erik Destler! Wake up this instant!"

I opened a sleepy eye to see Christine hovering over me. "And why in the world should I do that?" I asked groggily.

"Because if you don't, I am going to our wedding without you!"

That had me awake and alert in two seconds.

"You are marrying me?" I asked stupidly. "Yes, Erik!" Christine sighed, exasperated, "If we are not married today and wait until, say, next month; I will be swollen and people will know why we have married! Let's marry before anyone suspects us!" She giggled.

"Say that again?"

"Erik! Stop teasing me! You of all people know what I am talking about! Have you so easily forgotten that I am pregnant?"

"I guess so." I mumbled.

Christine smiled and pulled me out of bed, telling me to get dressed and ready before our baby was born.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I opened my eyes, then closed them with a groan. Of course that was a dream! Of course!

I hoped that someday something like that would come to pass...

Oh, how I hoped...

"Erik...? Are you still in bed with me?" Christine cooed, sitting up halfway. "I will never leave your side." I vowed; which was true, unless she asked me to leave. Christine sighed happily and settled into my chest, wrapping her arms around my neck.

I wrapped my own arms around her back.

"Christine...Would you consider putting my ring back on? I know you said you hated it....but do you really?" I asked carefully, hoping to hide my flaring emotions. "Oh Erik! If I could take back what I said to you, all those horrid comments, I would! I would do so a thousand times. And of course I will. I loved that necklace." She said, looking at me with foggy blue eyes. I acted on impulse and kissed her squarely on the mouth, wrapping my arms around her, pinning her to the bed.

Instantly, her fingers tangled in my hair, and mine in hers.

Twice, I nearly told her I loved her, and twice I bit my tongue.

Christine fell back asleep as soon as our mouths' were separated.

I knew what I had to do. I was going to go out and buy an engagement ring for Christine. Mayhaps I'd never use it, but with the turn events were taking, I wanted to buy one.

Quickly, I scribbled a note to Christine, a quickly-thought-of poem.

"~Leave unchanged the hand

That I have kissed,

Let midnight's magic

keep it that way...~"

The parchment still had room on it on the other side, so I flipped the other side over, and scribbled another poem.

"~Not a whisper,

Nor a thought...

Not a kiss,

Nor look be lost...

Keep alive universal

Love and hope.

I will return soon, Christine. ~"

I left the note on my pillow, then left the house.

I dashed to the nearest jewelry store, and was made to wait twenty minutes for the damned store to open. Once I saw the seller was inside, I banged on the door until he sighed and let me in. "Sir," He said, sounding tired, "We don't open for another two hours. I can't let you shop till then."

"Money is no object, I assure you. If it is an issue of payment, do not let that stand in your way." I said, grabbing the little pouch of money I had brought with me. "Sir....I...I am going to close the shop."

The seller did so quite quickly, and then turned to me. "What do you seek to buy?" He asked, rubbing his hands together. I resisted the urge to bring out my punjab lasso and strangle the man; after all, I needed him. He was the best jewelry maker in all of Paris. Simply the best, which was what my Christine deserved; what she would always deserve.

"Necklaces, brooches, bracelets, rings, engagement rings, wedding rings...What is your pleasure?"

"Engagement rings, please. Show me your very best." I told the seller. He nodded with a gleam in his eye, then went into the back. A few minutes later, he returned with a ring case. He set it on the display table before me, "What catches your eye?"

I looked at the rings, and three immediately caught my eye. Two were very similar to each other, one looked like it was the ring-version of a princess's tiara. I quickly disregarded the less sparkly of the two similar ones, instead focusing on the one which looked like a rainbow. In the center of the rainbow-stone-ring, was a giant stone; which might have been a diamond. Around the diamond were little pinkish diamonds. The ring was sterling silver; intricate and delicate, with little folds on each side. Each little diamond was supported by little arches.

The other ring had three diamond on the face, one big one surrounded on either side by two littler ones. This one was a golden ring, with princess tiara etchings and loops. They were both stunning.

"You like those, sir?" The seller asked. "Very much..." I sighed, wondering if she would. "Say, can you give two rings if you are asking for a woman's hand?" I asked, knowing nothing about things like that. "You want to buy both? Well, that is unusual...But I suppose if the woman means that much to you..." He trailed, paused, then resumed talking, "Do you have enough to buy both?"

The urge to throttle him came back. I breathed in then replied, "How much are the rings, both of them?"

"The rainbow diamond flower is 2,000 Francs and the Princess Diamond is 1,800 Francs." He told me, hope in his eyes.

I had five thousand Francs with me in my pouch, so that was within my current price range. "I will but both." I said, and the seller nearly let out a whoop of happiness. I gave him the money and waited for my rings. Once they were ready, I exited the shop and ran to Nadir's home.

Hopefully, Christine would not be awake before I returned....

I knocked on Nadir's door, pounding on it until a sleepy Nadir opened the door, looking irked and like he would rather be in bed. "When you have children, and they have kept you up all night, I am going to knock on your door and keep you up." Nadir griped, stepping aside so I could come in. "You do not have children, though..." I stated. "I may not have any biological children, but I will repay my adoptive child back for all he has done to me."

I held in a retort.

"What do you need at...." He paused and looked at the grandfather clock in his hallway, "four in the morning?"

It was four in the morning? No wonder I had received such a reaction....Perhaps I needed to invest in a grandfather clock down in my home.

"I bought engagement rings for Christine. I couldn't pick between the two, so I bought them both. I plan to give them both to her when I ask her to marry me."

"You bought two?" He asked incredulously, then muttered something about the rich having more money than brains. I ignored him. "So, when do you plan on asking her?" He waggled his eyebrows at me. "The night of my Don Juan." I answered automatically.

"Ah...Am I invited to the performance?" He asked with a grin. "Of course. I also have a proposition to ask of you. Would you consider being my, ah, secondary manager. I would run the house and all that, but you would be the person the cast and workers come to with questions about payment and such. Would you help me?" I asked hopefully. "Erik, I am retired!" He exclaimed. "Well, yes, I know that. But I need help! Mme. Giry is busy with running the ballet and I know no one else I trust as much as you!" I pleaded. He sighed, "Do you realize that I never had headaches until I met you?" I rolled my eyes, "Nonsense, Nadir! Your headaches likely stem from the fact that you were always a boring little fart."

"Now will you please help me?" I begged. He sighed in defeat, "When will you need me?" "As soon as possible. Can you come in tomorrow?" "Yes."

"I thank you, Nadir."

He grunted, and got up, "Do you want a cup of coffee?" "Thank you, but no. I think it would be wise to return home before Christine wakes up." I replied and showed myself out.

I ran back home and tried to figure out where I should put Christine's rings.

Perhaps in my coffin? No, Christine might chance upon them....I decided I would hide them in the pocket of my Don Juan's costume, where they would be most useful. Then, I dashed back to Christine's room and crawled into bed with her. She sat up, holding the piece of parchment with a curious gland at me. "Where were you?" She asked, tapping my chest. "I went out and visited Nadir." I replied softly. "At four in the morning?" She asked skeptically. "Well, I missed him." "Mmhm.." She did not sound believing. I kissed her on the forehead, "Let us not worry, please. Instead, come, let sleep overtake us."

She huffed adorably twice before settling her head on my chest.