"May I speak?"

Alanna eyed him warily, but nodded curtly. She folded her arms under her breasts, sitting on a stool as she waited for him to speak. Erik couldn't help but notice how much she was beginning to show now. He wanted to hold her, to make her forgive him, but for now he just wanted her to listen.

"I'm so sorry, and no amount of saying it will change anything I've done." He wrung his hands, looking down at the floor. "I like to believe I changed. That you've changed me for the better, and I don't want to throw that away. I can't let you go so easily. I've given you your space and time to think, now I need you to hear me out. I never meant to hurt you or our baby,"

Alanna actually looked at him now, her grey eyes softening.

"I should never have hit you, and this is now excuse but... I was scared. Still am. I am scared as hell. But I should never have reacted the way I did. And I'm so sorry, and if you'll have me back, I will show you everyday how sorry I am." He sucked in a shaky breath as he willed himself to go on.

"Alanna, I don't know about children, but I know that if I were to have them with anyone, I would want to have them with you. You would be a wonderful mother and an even better teacher. You could teach me. I'm not going to abandon you or our child if I can help it. I want to be with you. Because I love you." He knew that with all of his heart, and he would die if he lost her.

"That's all I can say." He said meekly. "I hope you can find it within you to forgive me, but I would not blame you if you didn't." And with that he was gone.

()

I saddled my horse, mist rising from my mouth as I tightened the leather straps. The stables were freezing, but I needed an escape.

"I know what your father would say," I murmured, speaking to my unborn child. "Don't go riding off into the snow, not in your condition," I said in my best 'Erik' voice.

"Condition?" I spun and saw a woman standing in the entrance of the stables. Agatha Belle was a tall, imposing woman with her gray hair pulled into a high bun that did not allow any hair to come loose. Her severe jawline and chiseled cheeks were enough to make any child balk in fear. Despite her harsh features, like Amethyst, her eyes were as soft blue.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I snapped.

"That's no way to greet your mother." She said cooly, adjusting her cloak around her shoulders. "And what's this about your 'condition'?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you," I snapped. I wanted to mount my horse, but in doing so my cloak would pull back just enough for my mother to know exactly what I had meant by 'condition'.

"Alanna Terra Belle." She snapped.

"I forgave Am for what happened," I said, grabbing the reins of my mare. "I never said I forgave you too."

My mother sighed heavily through her nose. I decided to risk it. I swung up onto my horse and missed. I slipped out of the stirrups and I managed to finally get up on the fourth attempt. My hips were not where they should be. Just as as I feared, I wasn't able to pull my cloak back into place in time. She raised her eyebrows.

"So... You are pregnant." She murmured.

"Don't pretend like you suddenly care." I snapped.

"I'm your mother." She said softly. "Of course I care."

I scoffed, gripping the reins in my gloved hands. "Where were you ten years ago, Agatha?"

"What happened between your father and I was complicated," she muttered.

"Cheating isn't complicated, mother. You left him and you left me."

"I had no choice!" Agatha snapped. "You wouldn't even look at me and insisted on staying with your father. You made that choice."

"I was a child!" I yelled.

"I sent letters," she said earnestly.

My cheeks pinked slightly. I had burned each if them without opening them.

"Whatever," I murmured. I tried to push past her on my horse, but she blocked the exit with her body.

"I'm not letting you go out into the snow. Not with you pregnant."

"I never confirmed that." I muttered.

"You didn't deny it, either." She pointed out. "How far along are you?" She seemed to be attempting civilized conversation, but I wasn't having any of it.

"If you're such an expert, you figure it out," I snapped.

"From your size, about six months," she guessed.

"Wrong. Four."

She looked taken aback. "Really?" She shook her head. "I didn't know you were married."

"I'm not." I said bitterly. Her face remained blank for a few moments which gave me the chance to ride out into the snow.

"Alanna!" She yelled. I ignored her. I shifted in the saddle, trying to sit comfortably. I heard galloping hooves behind me.

"I was speaking to you." My mother said as she pulled up beside me on an unrecognized horse.

"Oh for the love of god." I said through gritted teeth.

"Where is the father?" She asked, the tone voice obviously suggesting she was judging me.

"Don't know, don't care." I said blandly. "I do know who he is, if you were under the impression I'm a whore."

"I never said that," Agatha said indignantly.

"You didn't deny it."

Agatha was silent for a time.

"Didn't expect to come find your youngest daughter only to discover she was some raging slut?" I said. "Pregnant with no husband to cheat on."

"That's enough, young lady!"

"Yeah, enough of you." I jerked on the reins of my mare, performing a quick 180 as I wheeled her around in the opposite direction.

"Alanna!"

I ignored my mother as I headed back to the opera house.