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"… Your mother, well, she loved singing more than anything…" Raoul cooed softly to the tiny bundle of blankets in his arms, looking out over the waking city. Morning light poured through the thin baby-blue drapes, bathing him and the infant in a golden glow "She still does, and her father, he had a rather fine gift for music much like your mother, but he played the violin, your grandfather might be watching over us now…" Raoul already knew that he would keep the child safe from the horrors he had gone through the past year. And as Christine had lived through too… "Now, your god-mother Madame Giry will be coming to visit later… but your mother deserves her rest now, don't you think?" The three-week-old infant stared at Raoul, the same blue eyes as his… and Raoul couldn't wipe that smile away from his face…
"Really Raoul, I'm fine." Christine smiled as she entered the drawing room, already dressed and her long, chestnut-brown hair pulled up in a soft bun "Have you put him down at all, Raoul?" She teased, gently nudging him in the shoulder before the count handed the red bundle from his arms over to her. However, deep down, the young man was afraid that the baby would disappear, as so his beloved wife would too…
"I don't want to let him go either…" She mirrored his unspoken fear, adjusting her son in his arms "Are you going to let mama get a good look at you?" the young countess unwrapped the blankets gently "He's got your eyes and my hair!" Think brunette locks covered his head, much like hers "You are so beautiful, lilla du…" Oh, how innocent he looked… "Did you come up with a name for him? When you told him those stories?"
"Isn't it you who names him? After all, you brought him to this world…" Raoul gently kissed her forehead, unable to break his gaze from her and the baby.
"He's…" Christine averted her gaze, subconsciously tightening her grip on the bundle. A child could live in constant fear of their mother's past. A child would be in danger every waking moment. A child could still end up lost and alone, vulnerable and… Oh God…
"He's safe, Christine… he'll never go through… what we did…" He lifted her chin to meet his eyes, now mirroring her fears. Raoul quickly changed the subject- Christine's nightmares got worse as time progressed… and all he could do was to hope he could subside them for her sake.
"We could call him Marcus…"
"I like Marcus but… if I wanted a girl, I would like to name her Maria and aren't they too similar for siblings? I'd like to save that."
Raoul couldn't help but smile a little, at the suggestion that she wanted another child. Even though her bloodcurdling screams had echoed throughout the mansion for many hours… "You want another one?"
"Vladimir?" She quickly continued their discussion over the boy's name. "After your father…"
"Hmm… it just doesn't feel right for him…"
"Andre?"
"Did you just pick someone you knew?"
"Christopher?"
"I'm not so sure…"
"Raoul."
"I'm not naming him after myself, Little Lotte…"
"Okay, how about-" The name came to their lips in unison "Gustave!"
Christine looked down at her son, who was looking up at her with his big, blue eyes… Gustave… oh, what a beautiful way to remember her father… the name of the man who raised her and taught her compassion… it was fitting…
"Gustave it is…" He rested his chin atop her head, the scent of her rose shampoo soothing any remaining fears of their new life together…
"Oh Gustave, I promise that you will never have to face the things your father and mother went through… that is a promise I will hold on to until the end of time…"