Acceptance(Part III)

7 years later...

Christine and Erik were hand and hand in the park that day. It was nice, really, and she found that each and every step they took had purpose. The day was rather beautiful, and Erik was happy to stroll across Paris streets with the woman he loved.

"Mhm, Erik, what do you find you wish to do today? Perhaps we could stop delaying a marriage?" Christine jested, "Though this walk is pleasant my feet can't take too much of this."

Erik chuckled and swept Christine off of her tired feet, the giggling that filled the whole park crept to a couple who looked curiously at the masked man and his woman.

"Erik!" Christine said jovially in his arms, the very fact that he loved holding her made her smile.

"Better, my darling?"

Christine nodded and placed her nose against the masked-man's. He clung on nicely to her tiny waist, and his hands were sprawled on her back nearly enveloping the whole of it. Her dress was sprawled out above him, and Erik was trying to place a kiss to Christine's lips as she teased him. Finally, the man caught her lips and kissed her gently so everyone could see the way he loved the soprano.

People hardly sneered when they found that Christine Daaé was on the arm of Erik Destler. They were both the most amiable people one could come across, and they looked so in love. Despite their ceasing to wish to be married, the couple looked to be the happiest ever. Christine Daaé certainly was happy in her suitor's arms, she just wished she could take the man's last name.

He'd denied her that simple wish for no apparent reason other than he didn't want to tie her down to him just in case she ever changed her mind. Christine had protested profusely that she would, in fact, never change her mind. Yet, that still never swayed Erik from keeping down a proposal.

"My love, let's go home," Erik sighed as the sky seemed to darken.

"If we must, I shall oblige."

Erik kissed her nose, but before he could stand up after Christine had brushed herself from him, he felt a small hand reach out and touch his shoulder. With quick awareness, Erik spun around, and he found something rather alarming. Well, someone.

"Elaine."

"Erik, it is you," she replied and retracted herself a few steps, soon fiddling her fingers together.

Looking nervously to the floor, Elaine couldn't help but stand speechless in front of the man who was once her husband. He'd seen the worst and best of her, each and every nook and cranny that no one else had uncovered except a select person or two. They'd slept together and not a few times, but a fair amount all considering.

But there he stood, Christine looking at her strangely as she cuddled into his side and smiled like nothing at all could ruin her perfect day out with her husband. At least, that's what Elaine assumed.

"Uh, Christine, this is-"

"I'm Elaine, Erik's friend," she filled in for him.

Christine smiled and lightly tapped her suitor's chest, "You never told me you had friends."

"Well, I wasn't used to having them until she came along." Erik wasn't too sure of his answer as she stood before him.

That's when he took the time to look at his beautiful ex-wife. She still had blonde shimmering hair, and her eyes were still that crystal gray, not blue like most blondes. Her face looked a little skinnier than when they had been together, yet her abdomen area withheld a little extra weight than he remembered. She was still dreadfully skinny, and looked even more so then before, but he assumed it was because he left. He felt awful, but she decided that it was the right thing to do if he still loved Christine. He did, he really did love Christine, it's just...

"Well, I'm Christine Daaé, he's yet to hand me his last name, for an unknown reason to myself," she giggled lightly sticking out her hand in agreement to a friendship with Elaine.

The blonde looked wearily at the brunette and eventually stuck her hand out quickly, bringing it back the second she could as though touching her caused her pain.

"It's been seven years," Erik commented out of the blue, "Since I have seen you last, how are you fairing?"

Elaine took a deep breath and took off her gloves, the heat just too much for her clammy hands. But sadly, that was how Erik noticed the fact that two, very new and precious rings, were placed on her finger. Her ring-finger held a captivating diamond on a swirling silver band. It was gaudy, and it was also as real as the sun. The band below it, also stunning silver, matched the first one entirely and looked rather fitting on her dainty fingers.

Their rings were no where to be seen on her person.

Of course, there was a chain dangling on her neck that went well into her bosom and probably past it, for as he searched her bodice, there was a tiny indent in its place. The necklace must have ended there with mystery contents in its bearings.

"Well, my husband, Philippe, and I have been traveling with our daughter, Annalise."

Erik looked at Elaine with wide eyes, but certainly not enough for Christine to notice.

"Oh! That's so wonderful! Who have you been accompanied by, and where have your journeys ended you?" Christine asked politely, realizing her suitor wasn't apt to carry on the small conversation.

He seemed to be a rather poor friend, Christine realized, as he didn't speak to her too much.

"Oh, Philippe de Chagny, he's a Comte, and we've been traveling to Italy, mostly, but also England."

Christine paled at the mention of the de Chagny name, yet Erik took a different approach.

"You have married?" He bit almost viciously, clutching Christine's waist rather painfully. "To a de Chagny?"

Elaine looked offended, "Yes, Erik, I have. He treats me wonderfully, and I have no opposition to our relationship. He... He loves me."

"I'm sure he does, Philippe always said he wouldn't marry until the suited woman came along," Christine Daaé spoke up suddenly, smiling weakly at the woman in front of him. "I'm sure you understand by now that I was betrothed to his brother for a few awful years. Not that the Vicomte was not a fine young man, he was simply not whom I wished to spend my life with."

"Well, Philippe is a passionate man. He's away on business occasionally, but I comprehend the need to uphold a business. Annalise simply adores her father, though."

Erik looked off-guard as she spoke. She had a daughter? And yet after all those times he and her had been together, that man was able to allow her to conceive? It hadn't ever been him, and looks like it shan't ever be, Christine had yet to turn up swollen with a child as well.

"Elly! Darling, Annalise wondered where you went off to, so I brought her-" the man stopped speaking when he saw two horribly familiar figures in front of him, talking to his Elaine. "Christine, Monsieur," he spoke as Erik had earlier, nearly biting their next words away.

"Philippe... How does Raoul fair?" Christine asked ashamedly, hoping that his brother was, indeed, well.

Philippe smirked and took the child resting on his hip and placed her down and almost behind him. His free arms now encircled that of Elaine's waist.

"He's great, actually. Married about two years ago and they love one-another very dearly."

"Marguerite is with child, as well!" Elaine added.

None of what they said was false, and that fact that Erik had deducted himself nearly killed Christine. She could see the belief on his features, and if her loving suitor could believe it, then she may as well throw in the towel.

"That's wonderful," Christine muttered, then changing the subject.

Erik looked down at the poor girl hiding behind her father. She was the spitting image of her mother, including the blonde hair that must have come from both parents. She looked to be about four... And her eyes were those exactly of her beautiful mother's. Gray. A stunning gray at that, and he couldn't help but realize just how perfect they were in comparison to the woman who birthed her. She even had some of Philippe's features, her perfect skin and quite adorable face.

"So, who is this?" Christine asked as she leaned over and held out her hand to Annalise.

"Annalise Paisley Jepsat de Chagny," Philippe filled in, letting one of his large hands place themselves on her back. "She is six years of age, and a papa's girl."

Christine giggled and the little girl held out her hand and shook it. She had a rather strong grip on her.

"Six?" Erik asked timidly.

Elaine looked worried as Erik asked the question, but her husband didn't skip a single beat.

"Yes, well, she was out of wedlock for a few months. We married six months before her birth. Elaine and I didn't meet in impressive circumstances," Philippe admitted. "But we love one another no less," he boasted and kissed his wife on the lips.

"Mother!" The child holding on to Philippe suddenly voiced.

Her voice was... In saying the absolute least, quite angelic. One understands that there must be a huge difference between a voice that can carry the world and a voice that can move the world. She had the most beautiful voice one had ever heard, and even Christine couldn't top the child in front of him.

"Yes, my love?"

"May we eat?"

Her parents laughed at the girl smiling up at them, nodding in agreement with the poor child's pleas.

"Yes, darling, we shall return to the manor at once!" Philippe's exclaimed and hoisted his child onto his shoulders. She giggled all the while, her smile infectious.

"Papa!" She exclaimed as he tickled her, but held on swiftly so she wouldn't fall.

Elaine looked up with such a melancholy smile, Erik wasn't sure it was a smile at all.

"Sorry to cut this reunion short, but we must feed our little munchkin."

"Papa!" Annalise groaned as Philippe turned away and began to leave the park.

Elaine stood there and watched as her daughter turned back and waved.

"Good bye, Erik, Christine, I hope you're happy," she breathed deeply and shed a smile, also one of pure melancholy.

"You too!" Christine replied with a genuine smile.

Elaine ran off and caught up with Philippe, joining their hands as he held onto his daughter tightly with the other.

"Good for her, Erik, your friend seems to be-"

"Let's get married."

Christine looked taken aback, wondering why on Earth it had come up after a conversation with those two.

"Why?"

"Because I want to marry you, Christine. I love you," he promised and then sealed the words with a fervent kiss to her lips. Luckily for him, she was swept with happiness to distract her from his reasoning for the proposition. 

"Alright, yes! I'll marry you!"

-

It wasn't a week later until the previously married couple ran into one another again.

"Elaine!" Erik called waving his left hand in the air to catch her attention.

This time, they were both alone. Except the child Elaine had, the beautiful gray-eyed angel.

"Erik, it's so nice to see you again! I see this might become a regular occurrence?" She muttered half-hoping that he'd say he was to leave the country any moment.

"Most possibly, how's Philippe?"

"Papa is on business!" The little girl exclaimed, "But he'll be back for my birthday!" She added.

"When's your birthday?"

"In eight months!"

Elaine chuckled and shook her head, "No, darling, eight weeks."

"Oh," the girl muttered and burrowed her head into her mother's dress.

"It's alright, Monsieur Destler understands you're still little."

Erik looked at Elaine as she protectively held over her child and smiled down at the girl. The little beauty truly was an angel from Erik's perspective. Especially with a de Chagny for her father.

"Well, what are you doing out, anyways?" Erik asked the elder woman of beauty.

"Just grazing the markets for some apples to make one of my pies... Where is Christine?"

Erik smiled and put his hands in his pockets, "She's actually out with a few friends right now, the Giry's, and I decided to buy some things for the house."

"Oh, that's very sweet!"

Elaine grabbed the chain on her neck and let her fingers play with it a small bit, showcasing her anxiety about Erik who seemed far too stoic in the situation. 

"What do you have there?"

The blonde looked down at her daughter, "Go right over there and sit on the bench for me, okay? Don't wander any other place."

"Yes Maman," the girl muttered and skipped away to the bench just far enough to where she wouldn't hear the conversation.

She pulled the chain, what looked like painfully, from her corseted waist and through her bosom to hold the warm rings in her hands.

"They're ours."

The few words shattered the easiness that might have possibly been between the two and created a solemn hurt.

"Philippe thinks they are my parents' rings."

"Your parents never did like me."

"They had good reason," Elaine replied venomously.

"You are the one who told me to go to Christine," Erik growled back.

They had no clue why they were suddenly mad at each other, but they weren't trying too hard to figure out why. That was probably because they knew the reason that they held spite for the other person.

"Because you love her! I can't control that, Erik, it doesn't mean I don't miss you!" She nearly cried out, but the attention the couple was getting wasn't good for either of them.

"That's exactly why Christine and I eloped last week," Erik snapped. "Because we love one-another."

Elaine looked like someone had slapped her right across the face. Or as though someone close to her had died.

"I know," she said with tears betraying her stern eyes.

Elaine did the unexpected and ripped the chain from her neck, and shoved the rings into Erik's hand.

"Annalise! Darling, we're going!"

The small child hopped up and looked at her mother worriedly. The way she had cocked her head, though, made Erik realize something. Just in front of her left ear lay a single scar, one almost as recognizable as it could get. A scar, like the so many on his face, rested in front of the tiny child's ear.

"Wait!"

It all made sense. In eight weeks, it would be nine months after their anniversary. The scar, her rush to sleep with and marry Philippe, that made even more sense.

"What?" The poor woman hissed as she turned back around and glared at Erik.

"The child. She is not Philippe's."

"Damn right she is!" Elaine replied, hugging the young one to her chest and looking offended.

"No, she is not, she is mine... The scar near her ear is the only proof I need. Not that seven years of marriage and no more children isn't of any help,"

Erik was in a hostile stance, and Elaine was nearly in tears. The little girl, though, was clueless.

"Erik, I can't do this right now, I can't have this right now! You don't love me! You never did! Philippe does, and while my heart still lies with you, it can't! We can't! So what if she isn't Philippe's? Ignorance is bliss! You do not love me, I do not love Philippe, Christine loves you, and you love Christine. That's how life works, alright?" She nearly screamed, gaining the attention of the whole market. They turned away immediately at the sight of the masked-man, however.

"That's my child..." He whispered looking down at the poor thing. The features he thought she'd inherited from her father and mother combined were not anyone's but his. Ones he didn't know he had, so it hadn't been apparent until he had gotten real evidence that she was paternally wronged.

"We have to go, Erik, please don't seek me out."

She hated to say it, truly, for Elaine was never one to just disappear and be forgotten, but she couldn't live with the fact that Erik knew of his child. He didn't love her, obviously, so why should he get to be apart of the child's life when he can have those of his own? Christine was most probably fertile, so she could do him that deed, the woman he loved. He didn't need the burden, the explanation, anything that would come with anyone knowing that Annalise was his.

"Elaine..."

"Stop," she commanded before he'd said anything more than her name. "This needs to stop."

"Fine," he conceded with a horrid look of defeat. "Fine."

He hurried off as Elaine took a deep breath, wondering how on earth she hadn't been crying sooner.

He could not just walk back into her life and demand that a child raised by her father was his.

She couldn't handle the thoughts as she returned to the de Chagny manor and cried. Annalise was taken by a care-taker which seldom ever happened, as Philippe and Elaine loved to care for the only child they had. He had mentioned once or twice why he thought it odd that they had only had luck in conceiving one child, but Elaine thought it was luck that they had not conceived one. She couldn't imagine having two different children of two different father's... she would would feel like a harlot. 

As much as Elaine yearned for Erik, she would have taken Philippe by her side in that moment, missing the warmth of him dearly. Elaine just wanted the crying to stop and the sleep to ensue, but never was she so lucky,