To everyone, who doesn't know a fedora is a type of hat that Erik wears in the play and original book. I thought it to be an awesome design, so I'll let him where one for this chapter. Also I know the name Sasha is the name of the cocker spaniel in Susan Kay's novel. But the name is such a good name I reused it for this dog.

As promised here is part 2 of Ch. 68

Chapter 69: Family Rivalries and New Friends

"Do you still love me?" Jacqueline repeated when her grandfather didn't answer.

"It's not enough to just say those simple words Jacqueline, the best way to prove to you that I love you is to show you," he said holding out the completed music box.

"Grandpa you finished it. It's beautiful," she said taking it gently into her hands. "Thank you."

"I do what I can Princess. But seeing as I'm finished; how would you like to go outside with me and walk about town?"

"But didn't grandma say it wasn't safe outside?"

"You're safe with me. Go get your coat."

Jacqueline went to her room surprised to find the music room empty and placed the music box on a high shelf out of Joshua's reach. Then she picked up her coat from the chair and pulled it on. When she came back into the music room her grandfather had left a note on the organ and was waiting for her dressed in his cloak and fedora.

She followed him up a back section of corridors and passageways to a trapdoor that opened into the warm air. He advanced first making sure it was safe before helping her out.

For awhile they walked along a dark alley. Jacqueline held her grandfather's hand tightly as he held hers keeping her safe from the Paris bums that sat in the alley way in hopes of blocking out any wind that blew by.

They soon left the alley much to Jacqueline's relief and headed towards the park, but even though it was dusk Jacqueline had a bad feeling deep within the pit of her stomach.

"Grandpa, maybe we should go back. I don't like it out here," she said tugging at his cloak.

Erik turned and got down on one knee, so the two of them were at the same level. "Tell me what's bothering you."

"It just doesn't feel safe out here. You always taught me to trust my feelings and they say to go home."

He pulled her close and smoothed back her hair. "Let's walk for a bit and if you still feel bad we'll go home okay? The night is still young and I wish for you to enjoy it with me."

She nodded and he took hold of her hand and led her through the park. They came to a small playground and both of them sat down upon a swing. Jacqueline had never gotten a chance on the swing before, because when she went to the park with her mother the swings were always taken and she would have to play in the sandbox or on the monkey bars.

Erik watched her as she sat awkwardly on the swing. "Would you like me to push you?"

"Won't I fall off?"

He stood up from his own swing and came up behind her. "You won't if you hold on tight."

Holding the chains until she said she was ready he started to push very gently on them making the swing go slowly back and forth. He did this for awhile before he started to push a bit harder allowing her to adjust to the feel of the swing.

Jacqueline watched the grass below her move back and forth. She looked around in confusion before her eyes rested on her grandfather. He smiled down at her. "It may feel a bit strange at first, but trust me. Swinging on a swing is so much fun," he told her.

"When did you get to swing on a swing before?"

"Well okay a rope doesn't count as a swing, but it's the same basic principal. Now I'm going to let go and if you want to keep going all you have to do it stretch your legs out as you go forward then tuck them under you as you come back."

Jacqueline tried doing what he said and found it to not be so difficult. So she swung for a little longer until she decided she wanted to do something else, but there was one tiny problem. "Grandpa, how do I stop?"

Erik reached out and grabbed the chains of the swing bringing Jacqueline to a full and complete stop. "That's one way to do it, but eventually when you get a bit taller you'll be able to dig your feet into the dirt and stop yourself."

Jacqueline jumped off the swing and looked around the park. She spotted the slide and raced over to it eager to have a go. She climbed to the top while her grandfather watched her from the ground. She sat at the top, the cold metal against her legs unlike the heat it gave off during the day. With a push she sailed down and landed in the sand pile at the bottom laughing.

"Give it a try Grandpa. Its fun," she said standing up and brushing off her skirt.

"I'd rather not if it's all right with you."

"Aw, come on. Just do it once for me."

Erik noticed the disappointment in her face and sighed. "I'm only going to do this once."

"Yay!" Jacqueline exclaimed as he headed up the ladder. She watched as he sat down and with a small push came down the slide and ended up on his feet in the sand pile.

"Well that was certainly more entertaining then I thought it was."

"I told you you'd have fun."

"I suppose you did."

They shared a much needed laugh before Erik noticed how late it was. He took Jacqueline's hand and together they headed out of the park following the little path. For awhile all was quiet until cruel laughter and the sound of tin cans rattling against the ground caught their attention.

A small dog ran down the street with tin cans tied to its tail as it desperately tried to get away from the three boys chasing after it. Jacqueline looked on in horror before she tore away from her grandfather's grasp and raced off after them in attempts to save the dog.

"Jacqueline!" Erik called after her as he also picked up the chase.

The boys now had the dog cornered in a back alley and were chucking rocks at it. Jacqueline came up behind them and tapped the boy in the middle on the shoulder. He turned and faced her. "Yeah, what do you want; little miss Prima Donna?"

"Leave that dog alone you bully. It probably hasn't done anything wrong to deserve such treatment."

"Why do you care? It isn't your dog. Now go back from where ever it was you came from and let us get to work," the boy said turning away from her.

Jacqueline was furious at this point and tapped the boy on the shoulder again. As he turned to yell at her again she punched him squarely in the face making him fall back in pain. Blood ran from his nose and his two friends looked at Jacqueline in confusion.

"Anthony, you just got beat up by a girl."

"Shut up!"Anthony shouted. "What are you waiting for? Beat her up!"

"You know the rules boys. It's not polite to beat up girls," a dark sinister voice sneered.

Jacqueline smiled as the boys all looked at one other in utter fear as Erik stepped out of the shadows and came to her defense. Anthony shouted at his friends to help him off the ground, but neither one wanted to move. Erik moved closer and the boys all let out terrified yelps as they hurried out of the alley and down the street.

Erik watched them as Jacqueline moved towards the dog, which was huddled in a corner. It was a brown cocker spaniel with soft, brown eyes that glanced back up at her. It let out a whimper as she let it sniff her hand. When the dog was comfortable with her she moved around the dog's backside and untied the strings from the dog's tail.

"Were those rotten boys hurting you? Well no one will hurt you anymore. You're free to go now," Jacqueline said standing and allowing the dog to go on its way, but it just stood there and wagged its tail.

"I think you found a friend," Erik laughed as the dog jumped up into Jacqueline's arms.

"Can I keep her? She looks just like Sasha!" Jacqueline asked happily. "She doesn't have a collar. Do you suppose she's a stray?"

"Looks like it. Poor thing hasn't had a bath in weeks. Let's take her back to the Opera House and get her some warm food and a bath, then we'll take her to the vet tomorrow and have her checked out. Plus we'll have to have her registered."

"Seeing as your making a long list of things to do; does that mean I get to keep her?"

"I have no problem with it, but the final decision is up to your parents."

Jacqueline pouted and hugged the dog tight. "Do you think they'll give in?"

"I'm not sure, but they might; though she will need a name."

Jacqueline thought long and hard about a good name as they walked down the street. "How about we name her Sasha after your old dog?"

"Sounds like a good name to me."

They finally arrived back at the lair where Christine was awaiting them. "Thank goodness you're both back safely. We were beginning to wonder if you were ever going to come back."

"Why would I not want to return to this place?"

"You tell me," Christine teased him.

Jacqueline tried to sneak past with Sasha tucked within her arms when Lotte came out of the bedroom and stood before her. "What are you hiding Jacqueline?"

"Mama you know that drawing I showed you when Joshua was born; the one of the cocker spaniel that looked like Sasha?" Lotte nodded. "Well Grandpa and I found her," Jacqueline said holding the dog up, so Lotte could get a good look at it.

"Where did you find it?"

"I had to beat up a guy, who had tied tin cans to her tails and was chasing her down the street."

"You hit someone? Jacqueline what have I told you about using violence to solve your problems?"

Jacqueline set Sasha down on the floor and watched as the dog curled up into a tiny ball behind her. "I'm sorry Mama, but I wasn't about to let them hurt her anymore. She's an innocent stray and deserves the kindness everyone has the right to receive."

Erik smiled at her. Jacqueline had so much kindness she was willing to share with the world and it pleased him to think that maybe someday she would be able to change the minds of people all over the world. It was possible.

Lotte sighed and looked down at the dog. Slowly she got to her knees and held out her hand allowing for Sasha to creep forward and sniff it. There was a calm feeling between them as Sasha licked Lotte's fingertips with her tongue. "She's such a sweet dog, but I'm afraid the Opera House isn't the place for a dog…"

"But Carlotta had those annoying poodles from what I heard," Jacqueline interrupted. "Plus, so many people have said living under the Opera House isn't healthy, but look at the six of us. We live down here everyday of the year and we're just fine."

It was becoming quite clear that Jacqueline was willing to fight for the well being of the dog and she brushed past them to the kitchen calling for Sasha, who followed her without a second thought.

"Looks like she won't allow me to say no," Lotte said standing up and straightening her skirts.

"It seems that way doesn't it?" Christine asked from Erik's side.

"I wasn't there when she punched the boy, but when I arrived he was already on the ground with a bloody nose. They ran the minute they saw me."

"You let yourself be seen? Oh, Erik what were you thinking? Those boys no doubt have fathers and I'm sure they told them what happened."

"Christine, don't fret. They only saw the mask and seeing as I hardly leave this building they never will track me down. They could try if they desperately wanted to, but the Phantom of the Opera will never be brought down. You can catch him, you can beat him, but he will never let himself be killed or slaughtered like an animal."

"He better not," Christine said grabbing him around the waist. "Or I'll have a few words to say about it."

Lotte rolled her eyes. Her parents always seemed to forget the topic at hand. "Um, excuse me, but we have another problem on our hands here. What are we to do about Jacqueline and her new pet?"

"Oh, Lotte let her keep Sasha. She's getting to the age where she could really use a friend and Sasha is the best thing that could have come along. And it seems that they have already brought out the best in each other," her father said letting go of her mother and coming over to her. "I'll help her out the best I can and I'm sure things will be just fine. You'll see."

"I guess I'll give it a try."

"That's the spirit," he said resting his hands on her shoulders.

"I want nothing more than to see my little girl be happy. And if it means we take in a stray dog then so be it."

Pierre came into the room dressed in some comfortable pants and a plain white shirt drying his hair after having a bath. "All right what did I miss?"

Lotte went over to him and kissed his cheek. "Nothing dear, except Lotte picked up a new pet this evening."

"What?"

Sasha raced out of the kitchen and collided into Pierre's legs knocking him off balance causing him to crash into the floor. He looked up to see Jacqueline standing there with a bar of soap in one hand and a scrub brush in the other. "Evening, Papa; I see you met my new pet, Sasha."

The dog had raced behind her and poked its head out slowly as Pierre stood up and dusted himself off. "Well I can surely see that. Now please explain why she ran at me like that?"

"I said the "b" word. Apparently she doesn't like those."

"What bath?"

Sasha let out a howl and sprinted across the lair.

"Thanks Papa, now I have to chase after her again. Sasha, come back here," Jacqueline called following after the now terrified dog.

"My apologies," Pierre said quietly.

Lotte reached her arms around him and held him close. "Just be patient darling. Jacqueline could use a friend and trust me no is not an answer. I was going to try and Jacqueline wouldn't let me get in a single word."

"Mental note," Erik brought up. "If we don't want a repeat of what happened; no one is to say the "b" word around that dog. By the way Pierre are you all right?"

"I'll be fine."

xxxxx

Meanwhile Jacqueline was on her hands and knees trying to coax Sasha out from behind the organ. "Come on girl will you come out of there please? I won't hurt you. You can trust me," she said calmly as Sasha would take tiny baby steps towards her.

She could hear the grown-ups discussing the idea of letting her keep Sasha. It was great to hear that her grandparents and her mother were very positive on the situation, but her father didn't seem too much for the idea seeing as there had been that collision earlier. Sasha hadn't meant to do what she did. How was she to know that her father had been standing there?

Finally Sasha crept into Jacqueline's arms and the girl pulled her close. "Sasha, you didn't mean to run into Papa did you? It's not entirely your fault. I was the one, who said the word, which is not to be said around you, and I should be in trouble not you."

She stood and carried Sasha off towards the bathroom looking once towards her father, who was sharing an embrace with her mother. They looked so happy together and she was glad to have them. Her grandfather looked over and gave her a smile. She was grateful to have him too.

In his own way he had shown her just how much he loved her and she would always have that to look back on. As their gazes was broken by her going into the bathroom to give Sasha her bath it didn't occur to anyone in the room that in the near future something they couldn't control would descend upon them and change their lives forever.

Sorry this took so long to write, but it's now done for you all to enjoy. I have sad news to share with you. There is one last chapter following this one and an epilogue. Plus after this story I already have a plan for the next installment which continues the story of our favorite characters. I've enjoyed the story thus far and all the success it's given me these past months. Thank you all for your positive comments and enthusiasm towards my work and I hope you all await the next chapter and story.