I love all the reviews and LittleLottie yours was the most touching. I will continue the story, because it's far from over. I'm not going to give anything away, but let me just say that some interesting events will occur.

Chapter 21: A New Battle

When Lotte awoke the next morning the throbbing had subsided and she wondered if what had happened last night was just a dream or had it really happened? Itmust have, because the cold compress had fallen onto her pillow and she could remember the pain upon her father's face as he told her everything.

She pushed back the covers and pulled up the curtain. Then cleaning up and putting on a simple day dress she ventured into the music room. It was strange to not hear the organ play. She found that no one was around and called out into the darkness. "Father! Pierre! Where is everyone?"

Erik sat up from his bed. He went to pick up his mask from the bed side table, but hissed when he remembered it wasn't there. He sat up and climbed out of the coffin and went to the door. "Lotte what are you doing out of bed?"

"I feel much better. Thanks to you," she went into the kitchen and came back with a roll. "I was thinking about what you told me," she said as she nibbled at it.

"And…?"

"And I feel so bad for you. I had no idea how bad it was." Then she remembered something. "How's your wound?"

"It's cleaned up rather nicely." He lifted his shirt a bit so she could see. He was right the wound had closed up and was healing nicely. He put the shirt back down and smoothed it out.

"Where's Pierre? I have an idea for getting back your mask and everyone needs to be present."

"He should be in his room," Erik said pointing at the door.

Lotte went into the room and found Pierre lying across the couch with a book lying open on his chest. She went over and lifted him up a bit so she could sit behind him. "Pierre darling wake up. Your Lotte is here." She ruffled his hair and caressed his cheek. He took a deep breath and stretched.

"Lotte you're okay," he said looking up at her.

"I am now. You saved me from a nightmare of guilt and turmoil. I love you," she said tenderly kissing his head.

Erik pushed the door open a bit more and stepped into the room. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Oh, you're not. I was just getting Pierre here to wake up." The book fell from Pierre's chest and hit the floor. Erik picked it up and glanced at the cover "Don Juan Triumphant" was written across it. "Sorry if I took that. It just looked really interesting. Truly a masterpiece."

"Thank you," Erik said placing the book on the dresser. He turned to Lotte, "So what's your plan?"

"Plan? What plan?"

"To get father his mask back," Lotte explained. "Well I thought we had enough costumes up stairs in the storage rooms that we could come up with some disguises and use the wagon money to buy the mask back from the jail. How much did we get?"

"Only 40 francs. That might be enough, but I doubt it."

"And there aren't any masks big enough to completely cover this," Erik said pointing to his face.

"Don't worry about that. I have something that will cover it Father. We have to look high class so that they will think we're high class. It will be a lot easier to get past their guards."

"I'm not so sure about this. What if someone recognizes us?" Pierre asked.

"They won't remember you, but Father and I are more at risk. I saw we at least give it a try. What do we have to lose?"

"Our lives," Pierre shrugged.

Lotte ignored him. "Father what do you think?"

"I'm all for it. I have everything I need to look upper class, but as I made aware before."

Lotte got up from behind Pierre and over to her father. "Then go put that on then come into the music room. There I can put the finishing touches on your face. When I finish no one will recognize you."

Erik got up and went into his room. Lotte went into her room and pulled out a bag of makeup she had taken from the makeup closet. As she was coming into the music room looking through the bag for a base to match her father's face Erik came out dressed in his finest dress clothes. A fine pair of pressed black pants, a white shirt, black vest, a black bow tie, a black jacket, and shiny black shoes. He had topped it off with a black top hat and a cane.

Lotte's jaw dropped at how well he could clean up, but Pierre reached behind her and closed it. "It's rude to let your jaw drop in front of a gentleman," he remarked.

She smirked and motioned for Erik to sit down on the organ bench as she dug through the bag. She matched the base and with a pad began to rub it onto his face. It seemed to make the deformed skin disappear, but it took at least a couple layers before it was all covered. Then she took an eyeliner pen and added to his eyebrow so it matched the other one. She took her work seriously and when she was finished she held up a mirror for him to see her handy work.

He almost dropped the mirror in surprise. Lotte had done such a good job that it was if his face had been magically restored and he could go about his life as a normal man. He wanted to cry, but Lotte warned him that it would ruin the illusion. "This is truly a work of god. Too bad it's only a bit of cover up. Lotte I am truly impressed."

"I'm glad you like it. Now Pierre and I need something to wear."

"I have something that will probably be in Pierre's size. Pierre, come with me," Erik said getting up and going into his room. Pierre cast Lotte a worried glance and followed.

Lotte stood and put the makeup away. Then she went into her room and opened the wardrobe hoping to find something of value to wear. Then her eyes fell on a velvet sleeveless blue dress with a red rose pinned to the sash.Changing into the dress she found that it fit perfectly. She wrapped the sash around her neck and pinned the rose to the middle to hold it in place. She brushed her hair and did it into a bun holding it in place with a tie and some clips. Then on the floor near the wardrobe she found some blue heels for her feet.

When she came out of her room she saw Pierre dressed in a handsome suit altered a bit to fit. They gazed at each other for a few minutes then Lotte looked up at her father.

"Happy Birthday Lotte. I know it's a little late, but I finally got it done. What do you think of it?"

"I love it. Thank you so much."

"Glad you like it. Now let's get going before it's too late."

They headed to the boat and Erik helped them in before pushing off from shore. In no time they had rowed to the other side and he helped them out again. Making sure they weren't seen leaving the Opera House they joined the crowd and headed towards the jail house.

xxxxxx

At the same time Christine got it into her head to see if the mask was still at the jail house. With all the recent events she wondered if she had made the wrong choice all those years ago. No matter how manytimes she had kissed Raoul it could never cover Erik's kiss. That had been much too special to forget.

Meg Giry had walked with her to the jail house and patted her back as they walked inside. "Ah, Mrs. De Changey. You called earlier," one of the officers addressed her.

"Do you still have it?"

"Yes, we still have the mask of the Phantom of the Opera. He hasn't come back to clam it yet. How much will you pay for it?"

"I'll pay anything for it. Just let me have it."

The officers talked to one another and they finally came up with an amount. "It will be at least 500 francs. Something like this doesn't come up everyday."

Christine opened her bag and dropped a coin bag on the table. One of the officers picked it up and counted the contents. He smiled and pulled out the white half of mask. He handed it to her and she looked at it longingly. "Thank you for your time Monsieur."

"No, thank you," the officer said looking into the bag and drooling.

When they got outside Christine put the mask into her basket and looked out into the street. Meg broke her concentration. "Why did you give in and pay all that money for that thing?"

"Meg, are you blind? Do you have any idea what this is?" Meg nodded. "This is Erik's mask. Even though I love Raoul I still love Erik. He haunts my dreams and when I'm alone I swear I can hear him singing to me. If I could see him once again I would tell him how I feel."

Just at that minute Lotte, Erik, and Pierre came hurrying past. Seeing her mother's face Lotte became as still as a statue. Pierre grabbed hold of her trying to get her to move. Erik had gotten ahead and ran back, but then he noticed his mask sticking out of Christine's basket.

Christine had seen them too and whipped around startled by their sudden appearance. Meg was confused and turned around almost fainting at what she saw. Christine was just about to say Erik's name when he took her hand and motioned for Pierre to bring Lotte over to the nearby alleyway.

"Mother!"

"Lotte!"

"Christine!"

"Erik!"

"Phantom!"

"Meg Giry!"

They all said to one another once they were in the safety of the alleyway. Pierre stood aside surprised no one had noticed him, but Christine had looked at him. "And who the heck is this?"

Pierre raised an eyebrow in disgust, but before he could say anything Lotte grabbed his hand. "Mother this is my boyfriend, Pierre."

"Boyfriend? What I want to know is what you're doing back with the Phantom? I was worried sick when you ran away again. I can't believe you went back to him."

"I can't believe you betrayed him after all he did for you," Lotte said stepping forward.

Christine was shocked, but she wasn't going to lose the fight. "Lotte you're coming back home with me. Your father is rather upset…"

Lotte went over to Erik and took his hand. "This…" she said confidently. "…is my Father."

For the first time Christine got a good look at Erik's face and stared in disbelief. "Erik what happened to your face? The scar it's gone," she said coming over to him. It felt like she was dreaming. Here was her own daughter choosing Erik over her own father and Erik's skin defect was somehow gone. She reached up and touched where it had been removing a clump of the makeup revealing the infected skin.

"Just couldn't leave well enough could you Christine?" Erik said coldly. Then in a flash he had reached into the basket, grabbed the mask, and put it back on his face. The cold porcelain seemed to remind him of the power he had and he looked upon Christine with that famous glare of his.

"Give me my daughter back. You have no right to take her from me."

"I never took her from you Christine. She came to me on her own free will. She can tell you herself. Lotte?"

Lotte looked up at him her eyes beginning to wet with tears. He brushed her cheek with his fingers and then looked at Christine. "Mother I sought out the Phantom, because I wanted my questions answered, but you never gave me an answer. Hoping to get my answers I let him teach me the ways of music. It didn't take me long to realize that he loved me like a daughter and I loved him as a father. He protected me and made sure I was safe," Lotte said no longer able to control her tears.

Erik collected Lotte in his arms. "Did you think hiding the past from her was going to make me go away forever Christine? I know there's something you're hiding, why else would you have my mask?"

Christine's lip was quivering and the sight of Lotte clinging to Erik's chest was angering her. She reached for Lotte, but Erik glared at her, his golden eyes digging into her soul.

"What do I have to do to get her back Erik? Don't tell me I have to choose between you and keeping the one I love alive again? I can't believe you'd be so heartless."

"I haven't harmed a hair on this child's head. I have no reason to kill her. What kind of mad man do you take me for? I've left that path not long after you left me. There was little reason to keep going with my life, but that kiss Christine. That one kiss kept me going. Now I have Lotte with me and that's all that matters. If you take her back you'll be ruining something wonderful. I warn you."

Meg and Pierre watched this progress and soon Lotte came over to Pierre crying softly into his shoulder while Erik and Christine went as it like an old married couple. Suddenly Meg spoke up. "I really think we should find a better place to talk. People are starting to wonder what's going on."

"Fine, then let's make for the Opera House. We'll be safe there," Erik said reaching out for Christine's hand.

She looked around at them before taking it and together they made their way into the streets trying to pick less populated ones making their way back to the Opera House and sneaking inside. Erik took two trips to get everyone into the lair. Then so that he and Christine could talk alone he made Meg, Pierre, and Lotte wait in the study.

Ha, I love cliffhangers. The next chapter will be more in depth on Christine and Erik's conversation and maybe some feelings will finally be shared. Hope you guys liked this chapter and continue to read. Thanks for all the sweet reviews.