Chapter 24: Tension Runs High

"What?" Erik roared. Everyone else looked over at him their eyes wide. "There is no way I will let that man run my theatre. He fears me, yes, but if I was to leave any note he would come and destroy me before even thinking of fulfilling the demand." His eyes seemed to wonder for a minute. "Maybe I'll just drop the new chandelier on him when the time comes," he thought to himself.

"Erik, you better not be thinking what I think you're thinking," Christine said sternly.

"What you're not thinking that you're the most beautiful women I have ever seen in my entire life?" he lied.

"No, you're planning a way to kill Raoul aren't you? That will just make the situation worse and I'm sure Lotte will despise you for killing off her papa. Did you ever think of that?"

He had totally forgotten that. He gave a low growl and took a deep breath trying to calm his nerves. There was no way he was going to stand for this. He turned away from them and slammed his hand against the wall.

Christine went up to him and took his hand into hers before he could do it again. "Erik we'll figure it out. Don't let your anger get in the way of your duties. Think about Lotte and Pierre. Both of themwant to help you, don't go turning your back on them now."

"But Raoul…"

"Don't you worry about Raoul anymore," she said moving closer to him. They were almost touching. "Worry now about us." And right there in front of everyone she gave Erik the most passionate kiss full on the lips.

Meg let out a little gasp, but Lotte and Pierre smiled before embracing each other and sharing their own kiss. Erik pulled back and just stood there his mouth hanging open. "Well…I…um…" he tried to say, but was so dazed he could only look at her. Lotte had pulled back from Pierre and looked longingly into his eyes. Then she noticed her father making a complete fool of himself. She let a chuckle slip.

Erik and Christine blushed. "I think we should continue this later," Erik suggested.

"You're not locking me in the study again," Meg shouted.

Erik and Pierre shared sly glances at one another before Lotte and Christine smacked them. Pierre was more surprised than Erik and gave a disappointed sigh. Meg glared at the both of them, then turned away and went to go sit in a chair.

"Now if you two are finished thinking of ways to torture poor Meg, we have more important things to discuss," Christine said tugging on Erik's arm.

"The Vicomte isn't still here is he?" Erik asked as he sat down on the organ bench and motioned for Christine to join him. Pierre and Lotte seated themselves on a couch near them.

"No, Raoul went home. He said he had some paperwork to go through first before the building process can begin, and he also said that if anyone else wanted to be a manager they would have to come to him and discuss it with him."

"Then I'll go. I'll make that man give me the Opera House out of fear," Erik said standing.

Christine pulled him back down. "No, you will not. Raoul still thinks you're in the Paris countryside. If you just waltz in there he'll be outraged that you're there and that Lotte isn't with you. He wants her back just as much as I do."

Lotte didn't seem the least bit moved by this. Raoul was usually very busy and only took her to school and picked her up at the end of the day. Then when they would get home he would talk about business at the dinner table, and then go into the study to work on more paperwork, while her mother had helped her get cleaned up and get into bed. Only when he wasn't busy from work or talking about it he would come in and kiss her good-night.

Erik however had always kissed her goodnight and even though he took time to work on his operas he never once ignored her or forgot she existed. But then Lotte realized how happy her Papa was when he saw her after all those years. That love had turned to anger the minute his eyes rested on Erik. Lotte's pleas hadn't been enough to save him from Raoul's rants and raves.

She stood up and went down to the lake staring at her reflection in the water. As she watched her image dance along the water's surface she saw images of her parents standing behind her. Then the water went black were Raoul had been standing and was replaced with the images of Erik and Pierre. She knelt down and touched the face of Erik's image. Then a strange thing happened. The water went black once again and the image was replaced with Erik, Christine, and Pierre standing there with her.

Remembering the story about the candle Erik had told her earlier images of candles appeared in the images in the water. Hers and Pierre's were burning brightly like her mothers, but Erik's was close to going out. Angered she thrust her fist into the water distorting the images. "Why did it have to be this way? Why wasn't Erik her rightful father? At least he loved me. He was always there for me and would kiss me goodnight. Papa never did that," she thought her mind swimming with "what ifs" and it should have been this way.

A rose was sitting beside her on the water's edge. She pulled off the flower and set it out on the water watching it float and seated itself in her image's hair. Her tears were beginning to blur her vision, because she thought she saw Erik standing behind her again. A hand touched her shoulder.

"Lotte, what is it child?" his strong voice asked her.

In an instant she had stood and turned towards him. She embraced him and completely lost it. In between sobs and sniffling she managed to tell him what she had seen in the water and how she felt towards Raoul.

"I'm so angry at him," she said chocking on her tears.

"Shhh. Lotte it's all right now. Calm down."

She lowered her eyes, but he lifted her chin so she faced him. He smiled calmly and petted her cheek with his finger. She was scared and he could read it in her eyes. Yet, as she looked at him it finally hit her. She had been with her father the whole time. The Phantom of the Opera was indeed her father. "You are my real father. I know it deep within my heart. And I'm your daughter," she whispered.

Pierre stood hoping he could be of some help, but Christine motioned for him to sit down. "This is a moment for father to truly bond with his daughter."

Pierre looked at her, then back to Lotte. "Did I just hear you correctly? Lotte is…"

"Yes, Erik is really Lotte's biological father. I couldn't leave Paris after fleeing the Opera House, because I knew I was going to have a baby. Raoul and I were married and I told him the baby was his to hide the real truth. I was going to tell Erik, but I was so afraid that he or Raoul would be upset that I had kept it a secret for so long. That's why when Lotte would ask about Erik I would cry, because I realized I was keeping her away from her father. When she ran away I knew she would go looking for him. I was worried yes, but I knew she would be safe. When we went searching for her Erik had made us aware that Lotte's "fake" was in the canal, which was where we found it. I pretended to be mad at Erik, so to keep Raoul at bay, but now as I watch them hugging one another I'm glad we're all together again."

"No, wonder they got along so well," Pierre said watching them.

"But, Christine he told her to call him Father. Did he know about her after all?" Meg asked.

"Erik?" Christine called down to them.

He looked up at them, and then turned back to Lotte. "I guess it's time for us to tell them what we discovered," he said pushing back some of her hair.

She nodded and they stood up. Holding hands they came back to the organ and Lotte ran to Christine. "Why didn't you just tell me the Phantom was my father?"

"I was afraid that Raoul or Erik would be upset for me lying to both of them about the whole thing. I'm so sorry Lotte. I wanted to tell you, but my first instinct was to protect you and have you with me as long as I could before you sought out the truth." Then she turned to Erik. "However it seems like you knew all along, because you told her to call you Father."

"You can't hide things from me Christine I was there the day she was born. I know the signs of pregnancy better than any man. But I too Lotte was afraid to tell you the truth for how could a girl of your beauty be the daughter of someone like me? I wanted you to get the idea of being around me before you knew the truth."

"So both of you lied to me for 18 years? Just two days ago you told me it wasn't true," She said to Christine.

"I was upset Lotte. Seeing you after all this time had sparked anger in me and I had to let it out. NowI realize what a fool I was for not telling the truth yet again," Christine confessed.

ThenLotte turned to lookat Erik. "I trusted you. How could you do this to me?"

Erik felt hurt. "To be honest Lotte I was so used to you calling me Father already that I didn't think I needed to explain it. Where else do you think you got your artistic talents from? Raoul surely didn't have any. From your mother you got your beauty, your voice, and your graceful movements. It all matches up."

"But what are we to do about Raoul?" Meg asked. "I have no doubt that he's going to be very unhappy about all this."

They all looked at each other and realized she was right. No one had an idea on what to do, but Erik kept thinking about the effects of a chandelier crashing into someone's head.

Okay I know people said don't put Christine and Erik together, but let's see a show of hands to who saw this coming. I just don't think Raoul makes a good father and Lotte deserves someone who will love her and who better then the Phantom? I promise the chapters will get better. Please continue to give me your thoughts.