Oh my god I've reached the 20th chapter mark yeah and I still have quite a bit of plot left which I'm sure makes a lot of you happy. Now is the time to thank some fans.

Fox of the Nova: thanks for keeping up with the story and yelling at me to update. If it wasn't for your love of the story I would of started to slack a long time ago.

Dreaming of my angel: The same goes for you. Thanks for the supportive notes they were a big help.

Serena Fae: I enjoyed reading your story and I'm glad you liked mine. Keep up the good work.

time/psycho and neo-lover72: Thanks for all the little words of wisdom.

Now time for ch.20 YEAH throws confetti

Chapter 20: Forgiveness and Answers

Lotte woke up her hand still throbbing. She pulled back the sheets surprised to still be dressed except for her boots. All she could remember was her father picking her up and her touching his cheek before falling asleep. The curtain had been drawn and she liked it that way. The room felt more secluded even after the door had been closed.

She sat up, but fell back against the pillow her head aching in pain. She was still a bit exhausted, but she wanted to know how her father was doing. No doubt Pierre had told him what had happened and she could hear them talking as she dreamed, but she didn't know exactly what was being said.

Just then the door opened and Erik stepped in holding a small plate of food in one hand and a cold compress in the other. He raised the curtain and sat down beside her. "I had a feeling you would be waking up soon and I figured you'd be hungry. How are you feeling?"

"I feel like I was hit by a carriage."

He gave a weak smile and laid the compress across her forehead. "This should help. So I heard you're confused about a few things did you want to talk about it?"

"I feel like such a failure. Like I was the cause for so many problems and I got you involved. For example when I went searching for answers you were my main search and now the whole ordeal with getting shot. My carelessness and curiosity has almost caused your death. I'm so sorry."

Erik put the food down on the nightstand then climbed onto the bed and gently laid her head across his lap. He pushed back a few stray hairs and then took her hand into his. "I forgive you. But it's normal for girls your age to be curious. I have no reason to be cross with you."

"Will you tell me about my mother? I want to know what really happened between you two. As your daughter I deserve to know."

Erik couldn't argue with this and he told Lotte about how he had come to the opera house as a young child and did his best to make an improvement on his life. How her mother's voice was just the voice to soothe his evil heart and he wanted that for his own. So he went about trying to catch a glimpse of the angel connected to the voice and when he saw her for the first time it felt like he had seen an angel. For once god had presented him with something of goodness.

How he would visit her in the secret of the mirror and teach her to sing making sure she put that angelic voice to good use. When she was ready he had brought her down to the lair and let her spend the night. However the following morning she was the first to unmask him after years of living behind the mask. He had yelled at her for being so curious and then hid afraid to even speak with her. Eventually all was forgiven and she came down a few more times, but as soon as Raoul stepped into the picture everything went downhill. Christine had wanted nothing to do with him anymore and tried to hide away from his ever watchful gaze. He had done so much for her. Written her an opera, taught her to sing, and gave her the feeling that someone had loved her.

Then when she had actually kissed him for the first time here in the catacombs as the fires raged above he had told her to leave and never come back. He wanted to she her be happy and not have to deal with his ugliness again. That wasn't fair to her. He escaped without the mask, but when he returned it was there waiting for him. He was going to have to start his life over again and forget about Christine as difficult as that was.

Lotte was surprised to hear ever question be answered with such accuracy and truth. Erik looked away for awhile and stared at the wall. "Father, I'm glad you told me the truth. It took 18 years for someone to finally do so. Was this hard for you to do?"

"A little, but once I started it got a lot easier. Lotte I still love your mother, but I doubt the feeling is mutual. After all that I've done to keep you here with me she probably hates me and would rather skin me alive let alone touch me. Did she ever mention me when you were younger?"

"Whenever I asked her about you she would cry and then I'd get sent to my room and my papa would lecture me on why bringing you up was bad, yet he never said why. I had found a bunch of old articles about the fire, but mama threw them into the fireplace and burned them. Why was she so against telling me about you?" Lotte asked sitting up forgetting about the pain, but returned to his lap her teeth clenched.

"I caused her pain Lotte," he said rubbing her head gently. "But she dealt it right back in my face. She knew I was still alive and she didn't want you falling into the same trap. She thought she was protecting you by keeping all of that locked up inside and throwing away the key so it would never escape."

Lotte lay still. She had no idea how to respond except one simple gesture that had always gotten the point across. She reached for his face and touched it, tracing the deformed skin with her finger. Then she went across it wishing her finger could wipe it away and leave a clean face with no signs of hideousness or evil.

Last year he had shown her what his face had looked like for the first time and now he had just shared with her the love he still had for her mother. She knew he was telling the truth, because she could see behind his golden eyes that there was sorrow, regret, and loss rolled into one.

Pierre watched from the doorway surprised by the story and how Lotte was reacting to it. Le Noir came up to him and purred affectionately as she rubbed against his leg. He reached down and stroked her. With one last friendly meow she took off for the study to care for her kittens. Pierre turned back to the bedroom where Erik was now standing and had laid Lotte back on the pillows. He was singing something, but he was singing so softly that it was hard to catch all the words.

As Erik came back out Pierre sat down in a chair. "Can I go in and see her?"

"Not right now, she's gone back to sleep and she has enough to think about. Give her a little more time to rest and then you may see her." He went into the study and put the plate of food near the crate for Le Noir. Then he went into his room and sat down in one of the chairs. From off of the desk he picked up Christine's engagement ring he had taken from her at the Masquerade ball and held it to his heart. "Why Christine can't you see that I still love you?"