A couple days later...

"Gustave, can you make your father's toast, please?" Charlotte asked as she made her suitor some tea.

Gustave nodded and hopped out of his seat to put two pieces of bread in the toaster for his father. "I still can't take it up to him, right?"

"Right," Charlotte nodded. "I want to avoid you getting sick, if we can help it. There's a chance you may get it anyway, since he was down here the night before the rash showed up, but let's air on the side of caution."

"Okay," Gustave said with a sigh.

Charlotte kissed the top of his head. "I know you miss seeing him, but I can assure you that he'll be okay."

"I know. It's just strange not having him around."

"At least you're have me," Charlotte smiled. "That's a good thing, right?"

"It is," Gustave said with a little smile.

"Good," Charlotte nodded. "Now, I'm going to take your father up his food and then you and I can go out for breakfast."

"Okay. I'll get my shoes on."

"Perfect," Charlotte smiled, taking a tray up to Erik. "Darling, your breakfast is ready," she said from outside the door.

"Come in," Erik replied, smiling at her as she entered his bedroom. "Thank you, Charlotte. Is Gustave alright?"

"You're welcome," Charlotte said softly. "Gustave and I are going to the café down the street. Will you be alright alone?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. I'm glad you're taking him out - distracting him is probably a good idea. I take it he's not pleased about not being able to check in on me."

"No, he misses you," Charlotte nodded. "Poor kid. I'm trying my best to keep him entertained."

Erik smiled a bit. "I appreciate that. I feel bad that he can't be here. I'm finding myself missing him as well."

"Well, you'll be able to spend plenty of time with him once you're better," Charlotte smiled.

"Yes, I'm sure he'll drag me out to the front yard to play with him."

"I would bet good money that he will," Charlotte giggled, giving Erik's forehead a kiss. "I'll see you later."

"Okay. Be careful," Erik replied with a smile.

"We will," Charlotte nodded, stepping out.

"Are you ready to go?" Gustave asked when he saw her walk down the stairs. "Is Papa okay?"

"Yes, I'm ready," Charlotte smiled. "And your father is just fine. Don't worry."

Gustave nodded. "Good. Let's go! I'm really hungry."

"Me too," Charlotte agreed, fetching her clutch purse before following him out the door.

"I'm really enjoying Little Women," Gustave said as they walked.

"I'm so glad," Charlotte smiled. "Most boys your age would say that's a girl's book."

Gustave shrugged. "Just because it has girls in it doesn't make it a girl's book."

"Exactly," Charlotte nodded, wrapping an arm around him. "I'm glad we can agree on that."

"Is that your favorite book, Charlotte?"

"No. My favorite is A Midsummer Night's Dream," Charlotte smiled.

"Really? I love that one too. So did Mother," Gustave said with a smile.

"Perhaps it's a Daaé thing, then."

"I guess so."

They walked down the street a bit further and soon arrived at the café, waiting for someone to come seat them.

"Here we are," Charlotte smiled. "What do you think you'll get?"

"I was thinking of having crêpes," Gustave said.

"Yum," Charlotte grinned. "I think I want a breakfast sandwich."

"That would be good too," Gustave said, scratching his arm as he followed the waitress to their table. "Is this okay?"

"I'll sit wherever you want, Gustave," Charlotte nodded.

"Then we'll sit here," Gustave said, sitting in his chair and quickly telling the waitress what he wanted after glancing at the menu.

After, Charlotte gave her order and handed over her own menu, then turned her attention back to her nephew. "So, Gustave, what else did we want to do today?"

"Could we paint? I want to get better at it, though Papa says I'm good at drawing," the boy said.

"Of course we can," Charlotte smiled. "I can show you a few of my techniques."

Gustave nodded. "That would be great! I want to paint like you."

"Thank you," Charlotte grinned. "That makes me happy."

Gustave smiled back at her, scratching the same spot on his arm again. "I have to do homework too, but I'm quite tired. I don't know if I'll do it today or tomorrow," he said.

"Are you alright?" Charlotte frowned. "You're itching your arm an awful lot."

"Yes, I'm okay. It just looked a little red this morning, but I think I'm just scratching it a lot," Gustave said with a shrug.

"Can I see?" Charlotte asked softly.

Gustave nodded and rolled up the his shirt sleeve a bit. "Nothing's wrong," he said.

"This looks like the rash your father has," Charlotte frowned. "Do you have a fever?"

"I don't know." Gustave looked to Charlotte. "Am I sick too?"

"Possibly," Charlotte sighed.

"I don't feel sick." Gustave leaned forward so Charlotte could touch his forehead.

"Well, you're really warm," Charlotte sighed, putting a hand to his head. "I'll see how far the rash goes up your arm. There's always the chance you're just a little overheated and the rash is an allergic reaction."

"Okay. We can still have our breakfast before we go home to look, right?" he asked.

"Of course," Charlotte smiled. "I wouldn't miss this for the world. I enjoy spending time with you."

Gustave grinned. "I do too," he said.

Charlotte kissed his cheek. "I love you, Gustave."

"And I love you, Charlotte," Gustave replied as he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"You know, I never thanked you for the other night," Charlotte smiled, wrapping an arm around him. "Thanks to you, your father and I are together."

"You're welcome. Papa's admired you for a while now. He just didn't know how to tell you or if you felt the same way," Gustave explained.

"Thanks adorable," Charlotte said softly. "Is that why he'd blush every time I smiled at him?"

Gustave nodded. "Because he loves you!"

Charlotte bit her lip, still smiling a bit. "I love him too. Very very much."

"You're blushing right now!" Gustave said with a laugh.

"Maybe a bit," Charlotte giggled. "I'm just so happy that your father loves me back."

"He really does. I remember when I first found out. He tried to deny it, but he just ended up blushing and stumbling over his words."

"Aw," Charlotte smiled. "He's so cute when he's being shy."

Gustave laughed. "He was really nervous. He didn't think you liked him in the same way he liked you."

"I suppose I was sort of denying it until you said something," Charlotte admitted.

"So you have admired him this whole time?"

"Yes, I did," Charlotte smiled. "Maybe not exactly at the start, but at some point after. I didn't exactly let myself believe it until he got sick and I was caring for him."

"I'm glad you two are courting now," Gustave said with a smile.

"Thank you," Charlotte nodded. "That means a lot to me."

"You make Papa happy. He was really sad before he met you. He tried not to let me see, but I did."

"I think he didn't always want me to see it either after we met."

"I don't know why. We can't help if he doesn't tell us that he's sad," Gustave said with a frown.

"I know," Charlotte sighed. "I know he's not used to having to rely on others for things, so maybe he thinks it's best to handle it on his own.

Gustave nodded. "I guess. But he lets you help him now."

"He doesn't get much of a choice," Charlotte giggled.

"That's true. I think he likes when you help, though. It reminds him of Mother a little," Gustave said.

"Well, as long as he's allowing me to help," Charlotte nodded. "Your poor father."

Gustave nodded. "I don't know what happened to him that made him so sad. Besides losing Mother," he said softly.

"Well, your father hasn't had an easy life, Gustave," Charlotte sighed. "Has he not told you about it?"

Gustave shook his head. "No, not really."

"Do you want me to explain a bit of it?"

"Maybe a little bit."

Charlotte nodded, putting a hand on his. "Your father's mother sold him to traveling gypsies when he was a young child. Your father became their biggest attraction...they would beat him in front of crowds and they called him the Devil's Child," she explained.

Gustave stared at her, eyes wide. "Why would they do that?" he asked quietly.

"Because they were cruel people who just wanted the money," Charlotte sighed. "When the fair traveled to Persia, a man named Nadir Khan helped your father escape. Your father lived with him for a few years before Nadir got in contact with his old friend Madame Giry, who worked at the Opera Populaire. Nadir smuggled him out of Persia, and your father went to live underneath the Opera House, where he met your mother."

"All that happened because of his face?"

Charlotte nodded. "You can't tell him that I told you all that, okay?"

"Okay," Gustave said. "Do you think he'll ever tell me himself?"

"In time," Charlotte said with a small sigh. "It's hard for him to talk about. Especially to you."

"Because he doesn't want to make me upset?"

"Exactly," Charlotte nodded.

Gustave sighed. "Poor Papa," he said

"I know," Charlotte said softly. "Being whipped is no joke. I feel bad for him."

Gustave's eyes went wide again. "They whipped him?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"Yes," Charlotte sighed. "I've been whipped too, so I know what it's like."

Gustave frowned a bit when he heard that, but was quick to wrap his arms around Charlotte's neck and hugging her tight. "I'm sorry," he said.

"It's not your fault," Charlotte shrugged, pulling him onto her lap as she held him close.

"I know, but I still feel bad. People hurt you...Papa too."

"I appreciate your sympathy," Charlotte smiled, kissing his cheek. "But don't feel bad, alright? Things turned out okay."

Gustave nodded as he pulled back. "Now we're all together," he said with a smile.

"Exactly," Charlotte grinned, cupping his face in her hands. "You're such a wonderful young man, Gustave."

Gustave smiled. "Thank you," he replied quietly.

Charlotte kissed his cheek. "Now, let's eat," she said as the waitress brought their food over.

—————

"That was fun, wasn't it?" Charlotte asked as she shut the front door between her and her nephew.

"It was! The food was good," Gustave replied as he took his shoes off, scratching at his arm a bit while he did. "And I liked getting to talk to you."

"I liked talking to you too," Charlotte smiled. "Now, let's go upstairs and take a look at that rash of yours."

Gustave nodded and walked up the stairs to his room, Charlotte following close behind.

"Could you do me a favor and take off your shirt?" Charlotte asked, closing the door.

Gustave did as she said, slipping his shirt off. "I guess I'm more red than I thought," he said as he noticed the little red spots on his arms and chest.

"It's scarlet fever alright," Charlotte sighed, putting a hand to his forehead. "And you're getting very hot. Why don't you change into your night clothes and get into bed while I check on your father?"

"Okay," Gustave said as he went to his dresser to pull out his night clothes.

Charlotte stepped out and took a few paces down the hallway, quickly reaching Erik's room. "Hello, darling," she said softly, opening the door.

"Welcome back. How was your outing?" Erik asked, smiling at her as she walked over to him.

"It was enjoyable," Charlotte smiled, sitting on the side of the bed. "How do you feel, my love?"

"Not bad. Better than I have been in the past couple of days."

"That's good," Charlotte nodded, kissing his cheek. "Maybe you and I could go out for dinner soon."

"We could. Like...like a date?" Erik asked hesitantly.

"Exactly," Charlotte grinned.

"Well, I would enjoy that," Erik said with a small smile as he leaned over to give her a kiss.

"Good," Charlotte said softly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "By the way, I've got some bad news. It appears Gustave has also come down with scarlet fever."

"What? But we were so careful," Erik said.

"I know," Charlotte sighed. "But it's very contagious."

"Poor boy. Will you let me go see him? I'm starting to feel better."

"If you wish," Charlotte nodded. "But don't overdo it. You'd still need rest."

"I know, I won't," Erik said, getting out of bed and giving Charlotte a kiss. "Thank you, love."

"You're welcome," she smiled, wrapping an arm around him. "Come on, I'll walk you to his room."

Erik nodded and walked with her down the hall, then stepped into Gustave's room. "Hello, my boy. I hear you're not feeling well," he said softly.

"Charlotte says I have scarlet fever too," Gustave sighed, coughing into his arm.

"I know, she told me." Erik kneeled next to his bedside and brushed his hair back. "How are you?"

"Worse by the second," Gustave mumbled.

Erik sighed. "I'm sorry, my boy," he said, kissing Gustave's forehead and pulling away with a frown. "God, you're burning up. Here, keep your shirt off. I found it helps."

Gustave nodded and allowed his father to help him take off his night shirt. "Thank you, Papa."

"Of course. I'm going to get a cool cloth for your forehead, alright? Just stay here and keep your sheets off for a moment. You'll get cold again because of your fever, but you need to cool off for now."

"I can get it, Erik," Charlotte nodded. "You can stay with him."

Erik turned and smiled at her. "Thank you," he said, looking back to his son. "Can I do anything else for you, Gustave?"

Gustave shook his head. "That will be enough for now."

"Okay. How about I just sit with you for the moment? Maybe you'll fall asleep."

Gustave nodded and moved over to make room for his father in the bed.

Erik sat next to him, wrapping his arm around him so Gustave could lean against his body. "There. Now try and rest. It really does help," Erik advised.

"Okay," Gustave said quietly.

Charlotte came back in a moment later and smiled at the sight of the two. "Here, Gustave, let me put this on your forehead."

Erik brushed back the boy's hair and let Charlotte place the cloth onto his forehead. "That feels better, doesn't it?" he asked.

Gustave nodded a bit, closing his eyes.

"Rest, dear," Charlotte said softly, kissing his cheek before turning to Erik. "Would you like a cloth too? I can see you're getting hot."

"Sure," Erik replied, gently rubbing Gustave's back in an attempt to lull him to sleep. "He seems to have more spots than I do. Do you think he'll be worse?"

"Maybe," Charlotte sighed. "Yours wasn't much different than his the first day, though. We'll see with time."

Erik nodded, keeping his eyes on his son. "I'll just stay here with him for now. If you have something to do, you don't have to stay."

"My only job right now is caring for the both of you," Charlotte said softly. "I'll be back with your compress. Try to rest, my love."

"I'll make an effort once I know he's asleep," Erik replied with a small smile at Charlotte.

"Oh, he's definitely asleep," she nodded. "Just close your eyes for a bit. I'll be back in a moment."

Erik looked back at Gustave, smiling when he noticed that the boy had indeed fallen asleep. "Alright. I'll rest too," he said, slowly leaning back against the headboard of the bed and closing his eyes as well.

Charlotte smiled and slipped out, returning to the room a few moments later with another compress. She gently laid it on Erik's forehead, kissing she cheek. "Sleep well, dear," she whispered.

—————

Later that day...

"Gustave, did you eat at all?" Erik asked as he walked back into his son's room, sighing when he found his lunch completely untouched. The boy was laying in bed, teeth chattering despite the blankets on top of him. "Oh, my poor boy."

"I'm c-cold, Papa," Gustave whimpered.

"I know, Gustave. I'll get you another blanket, alright? I'll be back," Erik said, pressing a quick kiss to his son's forehead before he went back to his room to grab one of the thicker quilts that he had been using. He hurried back and draped it over Gustave, tucking it under him to try and trap any heat possible. "Here you are."

"Thank you," Gustave nodded, beginning to cough.

Erik sighed, picking up the glass of water on the bedside table to hand it to Gustave. "Here, drink some water."

"I don't want to," Gustave said quietly, closing his eyes and burying his face in his pillow.

"Gustave, we have to make sure you stay hydrated. You'll only get worse. I know you aren't feeling well, my boy, but we're trying to make sure you get better."

"Is everything alright?" Charlotte asked from the doorway of the young boy's bedroom.

Erik shook his head. "He's gotten worse, Charlotte," he said over his shoulder.

"Just let him sleep for now," Charlotte nodded. "Sleep is going to be the best thing for him. At the moment, you need to come downstairs and eat something."

Erik dropped his head, but nodded. He set the glass of water back down and kissed Gustave's head. "Try and sleep, my boy," he whispered as he got to his feet.

Charlotte kissed Gustave's cheek gently before leading Erik downstairs. "Would you like soup for lunch or would you prefer a sandwich?"

"It doesn't matter," Erik said, waving his hand to wave off the question.

"Are you alright, dear?" Charlotte frowned. "You seem worse than usual. Is something bothering you?"

"I'm just worried about him. He's gotten so much worse so quickly," Erik explained with a sigh. "I hate knowing that I can't do anything to make him feel better."

"It's okay," Charlotte said softly, kissing his cheek. "He'll be perfectly fine. Some cases of scarlet fever are worse than others. I can assure you that he'll be feeling better in a few days."

"I know he'll get better, but...he's so miserable and I can't fix it. It almost makes me feel like I'm doing all I can as a father."

"It's not your fault, okay? You can't help the fact that he's sick. You're doing everything you can to make him comfortable and that's what matters."

Erik sighed, but nodded, looking at her and wrapping his arms around her waist. "I know. I just feel bad," he said softly.

"I know, darling," Charlotte nodded, giving him a gentle kiss. "It'll turn out okay. Don't you worry."

"I'll try not to worry, but you know how I am- it's practically a hobby for me," Erik replied with a chuckle.

"I do know that," Charlotte giggled. "Now, where did we land on lunch? Soup or sandwich?"

"I think I'll have a sandwich. I've had quite a bit of soup over the past few days that I've been sick," he said. "Thank you, love."

"You're welcome, darling," Charlotte smiled fondly, preparing his food in mere moments. "Here you are, my love. I'm going to check on Gustave."

Erik nodded and went to sit at the table, picking up the newspaper to try and distract himself from his worry about his son.

Charlotte gave him a kiss the top of the head, as if to assure him everything would be okay, before going up to the boy's room. "I see you're awake again," she said softly.

"I got really hot," Gustave replied, gesturing to the blankets that he had thrown aside.

"Poor darling," Charlotte sighed, sitting next to him and dabbing his forehead gently with the cool cloth."

"My stomach doesn't feel good either," he added.

"Do you feel like you're going to be sick or is it just bothering you?"

"It's just bothering me right now."

"You poor thing," Charlotte said softly, putting a hand to his cheek. "Can you drink some water? That should help a bit with your fever."

Gustave shook his head. "I don't want to," he said, repeating the words he'd said to his father.

"Sweetheart, it's very important that you stay hydrated right now," Charlotte sighed. "Please just drink a little."

With a sigh, Gustave eventually obliged, grabbing the glass from Charlotte and taking a few sips.

"Thank you," Charlotte smiled. "Would you like me to read to you for a little while? Get to see what happened after Amy burned Jo's manuscript?"

Gustave nodded. "I still can't believe she did that," he said.

"I know," Charlotte giggled, taking the book of of his shelf and beginning to read.