Good news to CoolGirlEmily I would love to join the Raoul Haters United Club. I would be honored to be a part of it for as you can tell I'm all for Erik and Christine. I know right now that this story will not end at 40 chapters, but I'm not sure the exact number yet. So don't worry about it ending anytime soon.

Chapter 37: Letting Go

Erik awoke the next morning to someone whispering his name into his ear. Opening his eyes hoping to see Christine leaning over him he was disappointed to see just the top of the bed. Christine was still asleep nuzzled against the curve of his neck. Did last night really happen or was it a dream? They were both here in the bed together, but had they really done it. He lifted the blanket a tad, but put it back down realizing right away that it hadn't been a dream.

He kissed her. No one had taken her from him, not yet. She had stayed just as she had promised before sleep took her. He lifted up her head and gently placed it down on the pillows. She was beautiful even in sleep. He had things he needed to do, but it was too early for his angel to rise. Tucking last nights clothes into a corner to be dealt with later Erik dressed and went into the music room leaving the mask at Christine's side.

Lotte soon came out of her room yawning. "Morning, Father," she said kissing his cheek.

"Good morning, Lotte. Did you sleep well?"

"I felt like I was sleeping on a cloud. Pierre held me all night long," she said. "But I'm sure you and Mother had a great time last night seeing as I couldn't keep you two off each other at my wedding."

"You're not upset with us are you?"

"No, actually I was really happy for both of you. I'd much rather see her kiss you than Raoul any day. I was sometimes afraid he would eat her the way he would kiss her."

Erik chuckled. Then a cry came from his bedroom made both of them jump. "Excuse me for a minute would you Lotte?"

He ran into the bedroom and threw back the curtain. Christine had the blanket pulled up around her and she was crying as she clutched the mask to her breast. She looked up at him and threw her arms around his neck. "I was afraid you left me," she sobbed.

"Oh, darling I'm sorry. It's all right I'm here now. You were still asleep and I thought it best to let you be. I didn't mean to frighten you. I wouldn't leave you if I didn't believe it to safe."

"You tell me not to leave and I don't, but all of a sudden you up and leave. It's not fair to play games Erik. I finally have you back it would kill me inside to lose you again."

He held her close and ran his fingers through her hair. "I'm sorry. No harm has been done and we're both still here. Just calm down and then we'll get you something to eat. Calm down, Christine, I will always be here for you."

She let out a few more sobs before pushing back from him a bit. She took his face in her hands and rested her lips on his kissing him deeply. If he hadn't been holding onto the bed post she would have pulled him down onto the bed. When she let go he took up the mask and put it back on. Then he let down the curtain and went over to the wardrobe. Pulling out a sky blue dress he disappeared under the curtain again and helped Christine into it.

"Let's get you something to eat."

She took his hand and he led her into the music room. He had her sit on the couch while he disappeared into the kitchen. Lotte sat down beside her mother and smiled at her. "Is everything all right?" she asked sweetly.

"It is now. For a moment I thought I had lost your Father again. We didn't keep you up last night did we?"

"What? No of course not. I had a pretty good idea what was to come, because it was hard enough keeping him off you at the wedding. I know he loves you very much."

"Do you now?"

"Uh huh, Father talks about you all the time. Sometimes he bores me to death with it."

"Oh really; I wouldn't doubt it in the least that he misses me. Now if I could just get Raoul out of the picture everything would be perfect here for us."

Pierre came out of the bedroom dressed for the journey back home. "Lotte, darling are you ready yet?"

"I will be in a moment." She turned back to Christine. "I need to go and finish packing."

"All right; make sure you don't forget anything."

"I won't."

Erik came out of the kitchen with two cups of tea and some toast. He placed the tray on the table and sat down besides Christine. She took up her piece of toast and nibbled at it. Erik began sipping at his tea. Pierre was looking through his bag for the twelfth time that morning making sure he wasn't forgetting anything.

Lotte soon came out with her bag packed. "Honey if you dig through that bag one more time you will forget something. I'll get us some breakfast and then we'll get going all right?"

"Yes dear," Pierre said throwing his stuff back into his bag.

"You seem rather nervous," Erik said as Lotte went into the kitchen.

"Yeah, I mean it's the first time being home after less than a year away. It's so strange. But I'm a married man I can't be afraid of such things anymore. I need to be strong for my wife."

"And don't forget to be strong for yourself."

xxxxx

Some time later on they were all standing in the stables as Erik and Pierre loaded the bags into the carriage. Lotte gave Christine a hug. "Don't worry Mother we'll be safe with Pierre's parents. I wish you could meet them. I think you and Charlotte would make great friends."

"I'm sure we would have, but my place is here. Do send her my regards though. I have a feeling the truth will be revealed eventually."

"I guess so." Lotte looked over at her Father, and then turned back to Christine. "Keep an eye on him. This is the first time in 8 years that he has let me out of his sight."

"I will. Don't worry too much about him. Your Father is pretty strong willed and we are well aware that you will return in a month's time. Plus he will be busy picking a new opera."

"I keep an eye out for suggestions. I love you Mother."

"I love you too Lotte. Have a good time."

Lotte went over to the wagon as Erik put the last bag inside. She looked up at him with her angelic eyes and he smiled at her. "So I guess I have to let you go huh?"

"Only for a month Father; I promise to return. You can trust me."

"Oh, can I? Eight years ago you were a timid and scared little girl and now you're a married woman. Those years went by so fast," he said sadly.

"Father no matter how old I am I'll always be your Little Lotte. I love you Father and take care of Mother while I'm gone okay?"

"You have my word Lotte. She's in good hands."

She came closer to him and hugged him. "I wouldn't leave her with anyone else," she whispered.

He helped her up into the carriage and smiled up at Pierre, who gave a slap of the reins and sent the wagon out into the street. Erik and Christine watched them go and waved when Lotte turned back.

"Our baby has grown up," Christine sniffed.

"That she has. But she has grown up into a well mannered young lady, though I will miss having her around the Opera House. Her very presence added warmth to the room."

"Erik it's only for a month."

"I know."

"By the way I was missing a stocking this morning. Did you see it?"

"You left it in my bed come and find it again," he said grinning at her.

She strode past him. "If you wanted me to come to your bed you only needed to ask, but I can't right now. I promised Meg I would help train some of the new ballet girls today. But will you come for me tonight?"

"For you I would fly."

"Keep your feet on the ground please. I need to get going, but I'll see you tonight." She kissed him before heading towards the stage. He watched her disappear before deciding to head back down to the lair.

Today was his day off and he was going to enjoy it no matter what. When he stepped off the boat Le Noir was there to greet him. She jumped into his arms and mewed happily her tail twitching. "Well at least some one loves me right now. Bet you miss, Lotte too huh?" he asked scratching behind Le Noir's ear.

She mewed and looked up at him with those yellow-green eyes of hers. Erik was pleased to have the cat's company, but soon Le Noir got bored and raced off towards Lotte's room. "They all leave with time," he said hopelessly.

The lair for the first time in years felt cold and empty. Since Lotte came to stay with him, Erik had gotten used to having her around and now with her gone he found it so hard to fall back into his own routine. There was once that time when he would have chased everyone away and enjoy the solitude that the lair provided, but right now he hated the silence.

He went over to the organ and sat down at the bench hoping that if he played a bit it would make him feel better. He played songs from every opera he knew, but as soon as he began to play "Think of Me" he broke down and sobbed into the keys. "It's hopeless. I can't work like this. I hate to say this, but I need to be around people."

He put on the make up Lotte had left on the table and went upstairs. As he walked into the house he noticed the ballet girls trying to get the steps Christine and Meg showed them right. He sat down in the house and took out his own sketchbook.

Christine had been doing a twirl and she expected the house to be empty, but when she saw Erik sitting there she stopped dead in her tracks causing Meg to twirl into her and throw the two of them to the stage floor. Erik saw this and couldn't help, but chuckle a bit. Christine stared at him wondering why on earth he was sitting there.

"Try to be a bit more careful ladies. I don't want any injured dancers in my operas."

Meg chuckled and Christine sighed. "We'll try to be more careful Monsieur, but you gave us quite a fright by just appearing in the house like that."

"I didn't mean too. I just wanted to see how things were going. I want my operas to be great."

"Have you picked out a new one for us yet?" Meg asked hopefully.

Erik looked around and realized that all of them were watching him. "No, I haven't thought of one yet, but soon I will. I just need an idea to come to me."

Christine smiled. Erik must have a better reason for coming and sitting in the house, but she had all night to get the answers out of him.

xxxxx

Lotte and Pierre soon made it up the long drive towards the house. It had started snowing again and Lotte pulled her cape around her trying to shut out the cold.

"We're almost there darling, and then we'll get you inside and warmed up," Pierre said giving a slap with the reins across the horses' back.

"I'll like that. As much as I'm enjoying being outside again I hate the cold."

Pierre moved closer to her on the driver's seat. Lotte wondered what her parents were doing now; probably getting some much needed work done. But she couldn't help, but smile. The wagon finally made it up to the house and Charlotte ran out to greet them.

"Oh, Pierre, you're finally home," she cried hugging him as he ran up to her.

"Mother it's so good to see you again."

Lotte climbed out of the wagon and came up to them. "Hello Charlotte, it's wonderful to see you again."

"You can call me mother now darling." She pulled Lotte into a hug. "Oh, dear it's so good to see you again. How's your father?"

"He's doing very well. He owns the Opera House now."

"Does he now?" she asked happily. She turned to Pierre. "I was meaning to ask you about that. Many of those notes you sent us didn't make much sense; especially the whole thing with Erik using your father's name to buy the Opera House."

"Mother let's just say that we have a lot of explaining to do. I couldn't say much in my letters; in cause someone else was to read them. We're caught in the middle of a power struggle if that's what you'd like to call it."

"Well you have plenty of time to do that my dears, but let's get you inside. It's rather cold out here and I don't want poor Lotte to freeze to death." She reached out her hand and Lotte took it. "Now let's get your things."

They got everything into the house and set it in the living room. Charlotte decided to let them rest before lugging all that stuff upstairs. She offered to hang Lotte's cape for her. "Lotte this is beautiful. Was it a wedding present?"

"Yes, my father made it for me. I think he was tired of me taking his all the time," Lotte said with a chuckle.

Lotte helped Charlotte make supper while Pierre set the table. "Mother where's father? I haven't seen him since we arrived."

"Oh, well I told him yesterday that the two of you would be arriving today so what does he do? He stays up late producing the best wine possible and I couldn't get him up this morning. I sometimes don't remember why I married him sometimes."

"Because I swept you off your feet at the festival all those years ago, my love," Armand said as he came down the stairs.

"Look who finally decided to grace as with his presence," Charlotte said with a chuckle. "So did you come up with your winning combination?"

"Why yes I did. Thank you for asking. By the way Lotte how did your father like that wine I gave him?"

"Don't know he never got a chance to try it."

"What do you mean he never got to try it?"

"Sounds like there will be a lot of explaining going on at this dinner table. Come along everyone the meal is ready."

Grace was said, and then Lotte and Pierre began to explain what had happen since they left. Charlotte and Armand listened intently as they ate not wanting to miss a single bit of information. Lotte explained how her mother had found them again and was still stuck in a marriage with a man she did not love and instead loved her father. Pierre had explained the purchasing of the Opera House right from under Raoul's nose and Erik using Armand's name to hide is true identity.

"Well Pierre this is quite a tight spot you've gotten yourself into," Charlotte said pouring herself more tea.

"I enjoy ever minute of it except when that Raoul guy slapped me in the face. That was so uncalled for."

They talked for along time before finally cleaning off the table and moving the things up to Pierre's room where they were to stay. When everything was up Lotte went and stared out the window at the snow. It looked so peaceful and quiet out there. The snow across the planes was untouched and as white as the mask upon her father's face. She missed him terribly and a tear slid down her cheek. "I hope he misses me as much as I miss him," she whispered to no one in particular.

Okay I made a promise that there would be no more writing like in ch.36, so I'll let you use your own imaginations as how both couples' months were spent. Even Erik did find another opera, but I won't be making up anything for that sorry. The plot thickens in the following chapters, so I warn you now.

Erik tells me I'm babbling again, so I better stop talking. The next chapter will be up soon.