The days seemed to pass as lifetimes those months Christine stayed with the Chagny’s. Raoul seemed to try and avoid her as she was him. Their few encounters were cold and brief. Christine has written to Erik but had yet to send any of the letters, her words didn’t seem to match her feelings she lacked the gifts her angel held for making words into magic. The weather was turning cool as September faded into October. Meg was merely at her due date and glowed with motherhood more each day. Raoul’s family had called him back to Paris for a family illness and as much as he hated leaving Meg so close to her due date he really had little choice.
“I’ll take care of her.” Christine promised watching him pack he said nothing to her in reply. He kissed his wife good-bye and mounted his horse.
“What’s gotten into the two of you?” Meg asked that evening at supper.
“What do you mean?” Christine asked as innocent as she could muster.
“Raoul and you, you are acting like children avoiding each other and being rude. I love both of you, I’m not going to choose. Can’t you get along?”
“I’m so sorry Meg. I’ll try harder.” Christine scolded herself mentally for causing her friend un-happiness.
October was unusually cool this year, fog had set in from the water and Erik was annoyed by this. He spent most of his days repairing small items around the house, he had repainted and was now tending to the yard, when the weather permitted. Now he sat in the den sipping hot-coco and missing Christine. He knew Meg would have the baby within the month, but he wasn’t sure when Christine would take her leave. Daily he watched for a sign or letter from her, and daily he was left still waiting. Nothing had come in the seven months she’d been away. He wasn’t surprised, he hadn’t really expected her to write. The fog drifted across the water causing ripples, Christine, Erik realized may never come home. More then a few times he’d had to stop himself from rushing to the Chagny home, and ripping his Christine from them, he reminded himself that she was free to be anywhere she please, and if next to her pregnant friend was where she needed to be then so be it. Never would she feel a prisoner. Never would she feel unable to do anything she wanted. And unpleasant as it was for Erik, he survived. “Years of solitude have prepared me for this.” said more trying to convince himself then the small squirrel listening to him.
All hallows eve seemed the perfect time to send a letter to Erik, and Christine would have if Meg had not gone into early labor. “Breath” Christine heard the mid-wife between ordering water and warm towels. Christine was put to work reassuring Meg and helping her to focus. Meg seemed to only want to sleep, “I don’t care Christine.” she breathed after four hours of labor. “Just get him out.” fear ran through Christine’s vain’s as she patted a cool towel across Meg’s brow.
“It’ll be alright.” she promised half heartedly. The midwife called for the doctor to be brought in and Christine asked if she should contact Raoul, the look on the face of the mid-wife told Christine things were going badly. Not wanting to leave Meg’s side she instructed one of the maids to send word to Raoul.
“It’s killing me Christine.” Meg said through clenched teeth nearly eight hours into labor. Raoul was on his way from Paris as fast as his horse could carry him, and Christine wasn’t leaving her side. Meg’s eyes were closes as the mid-wife got more blankets. Christine noted the amount of blood soaking the towels and rags around Meg. Finally the baby was pulled from her, he’d been breech and oxygen was cut off, he didn’t survive. But miraculously there was another baby, pushing to be freed with her brother, and at 03:15 November 2nd Gia-Marie was born.
“Twins” Christine exclaimed to Meg, but Meg didn’t move. “Nurse?” Christine looked worried.
The nurse came to her aide quickly as Raoul and the doctor rushed into the room. The doctor took to Meg immediately he checked her pulse and called for things from his bag, the nurse grabbed them with ease. Raoul examined his children, his son whom had no chance and his daughter who was fighting to live. He glanced at Meg, he knew she was gone, with her son in the grasp of heaven.
