A/N: Oh! Did I forget to answer one of Erik's questions? Silly me! LOL Again—I own nothing but Phantomess!
A week after she woke up, Erik was still waiting on her hand-and-foot, repaying her for all the times she cared for him. At one point, when he brought her a mug of soup, he found her sitting up and turning her mask over in her hands. He took his usual seat next to her bed, gently taking the mask and replacing it with the soup. Studying the mask himself, he wondered aloud, "What was your reason for wearing this mask?" At this, she dropped her spoon into the mug.
"I…was wondering when you'd ask that…" She smiled a bit. "Part of it…was…a symbol of my past…how I'd go about my daily chores as usual, but inside I was screaming to escape. The other part was because of how…how my face makes me look far younger, far more naïve, than I actually am. I figured the mask would…cause people to take me more seriously."
"What people? Your family?"
"No…I didn't have that mask until I had seen you…" Her face changed to a sheepish grin. "I…borrowed…some of your plaster materials…"
"That's quite alright, Marie. I was done with them anyway." He smiled reassuringly. "Now…what people are you talking about?"
"You…" she looked him in the eyes.
"I see…" He studied the mask a bit more. "I do see what you mean about your face…but I'm not sure as to whether or not I would have reacted the same had you not worn it. You are a beautiful mademoiselle…there's no doubt about that. I think the mask did help when you argued with me…it was like arguing with a female version of myself…far more logical than I was." Setting the mask aside, he smiled and leaned forward to stroke her forehead and cheek. "But you do not need it anymore. What you struggled with on the inside is no longer hidden. And you need not prove to me that you are far from being naïve."
"Thank you, Erik…"
"No, thank you." He looked deep into her eyes then, brushing the back of his hand across her forehead once more before sitting back. "Now…best to eat that soup now…it will be no good to you cold."
A/N: Now the story is done! Thanks for reading!