(BEING REWRITTEN) An Opera Ghost- A Phantom of the Opera Fan Fiction

Chapter Three

"Florence," the Phantom whispered, looking at the child... his child through the darkness of the opera house. He could feel tears welling in his eyes, and tried his best to push them away. He had never thought he would have a child... yes, he knew Christine was to have one that was his, but he had never known having a child would feel like it did. Never imagined it would make him feel so good.

The Phantom held Florence close to his heart and kissed the infant's head gently. He wondered if she would be frightened of him as so many others were... or perhaps she would accept him. He looked down to see two little eyes watching him and he smiled.

"Hello, my little angel," he cooed, his voice almost cracking, "I'm sorry you've had to go through all of this hassle today..." The baby made a small noise and the Phantom laughed a little. "I suppose you're hungry, aren't you, little one?" he asked the infant, then added, "I suppose Madame Giry  can take care of that as I have no clue what to do for you... "

                                                            ~-de Changy Manor~-~-~-~

"No, Raoul!" Christine shrieked, "She can't be! No! What will happen when he realizes... Raoul we will be killed! He will kill us!" Raoul watched his wife in horror. He knew she would take the news of the infants 'death' badly, but this he never expected. She was beside herself, scared to death that when the Phantom found out about the death of his child, he would come after them. He knew it was wrong to let her worry, but he couldn't tell her the baby still lived. She would undoubtedly want to see the child. Instead, he found himself sprouting another lie.

"Christine, my love," he said silkily, "the Opera Ghost is dead. I heard a few men speaking of him... it was, apparently, a rather gruesome death." Christine's eyes were stretched wide open at this news, but then they became calm. She became calm, lying down in the bed. She clutched her heart as if to keep it from racing out of her chest.

"Oh, Raoul," she whispered, "Oh Raoul, we have been saved... Though I do feel bad for the Phantom... and the baby... Oh the baby..." Raoul shushed his wife comfortingly and sat beside her  on the bed.

"I think it's better this way," Raoul said softly, "We both know that if we kept her we would only grow to resent her and the Phantom. Now her and her father are together." At least that was true. They were together. Christine  merely nodded, but Raoul felt as though his lie had worked just as he wanted it to.

                                                        ~-Opera Populaire~-~-~-~

"She looks like her," Madame Giry cooed as she took the baby into her arms, "And she has your eyes."

"I know, Madame," the Phantom said, looking to Madame Giry, "I want you to care for her. Just until she has grown a little." Madame Giry looked from the child to the Phantom.

"But..." she began, but the Phantom held up a hand to silence her.

"Take her," the Phantom said, "It can be your way of thanking me for not killing you when you betrayed me, Giry."

"You know I had no choice... " Madame Giry hissed angrily, "If I hadn't told them Meg and I would have gotten into much trouble. I would have lost my job and if you killed more and I never revealed you I would have been hung. Would you like that? Do you want me to hang Erik!?" The little girl screeched out a cry, as she had been woken from her sleep. The Phantom took a step back, frightened too by Madame Giry's outburst and the fact she had just... just...