A/N - Thank you all for the reviews and sticking with this story through all the ups and downs of FFnet!!

Thanks to Dreamy for beta-ing this for me and kicking my rear end until this was done. Cheesey plug here - if you haven't read "Cruel Misunderstandings" yet, ya need to. Here's the link: http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=839286
We'll be getting the sequel to Misunderstandings up as soon as we're done with it... and get it titled ~L~

And a BIG thank you to Giselle and Antonis for letting me know who sang "La Vie En Rose". I swear I had originally gotten it off of a Louis Armstrong lyrics site, but if Ms. Edith Piaf sang it originally, then I bow to their knowledge.

Another shameless plug - got another story I'm starting called "Original Sin." It's a UC FIC, of course. It'll be up tomorrow night.

Love you guys, love writing and love hearing what you think of my mad ramblings!!

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Back in her dressing room, Mandy stared in the mirror. She had refused the curtain calls as not feeling well after the performance. She had locked the door behind her and just slid slowly down into the chair.

"Miss Singer?! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine Antoine..." she whispered. "I'm always just fine." The unshed tears in her eyes quivered as she looked at her reflection, the white wedding gown that made up her costume for the last act of the musical. She wouldn't cry.. not now, not again. No more tears for him.

There was a pounding on the door. "MISS SINGER?!" Antoine was getting upset now. She hadn't answered him really. His concern was admirable, he took care of her when she didn't take care of herself. "I'm going to break down the door if you do not answer me Miss Singer!"

Amanda could hear the desperation in his voice. He truly was worried for her. What she would have given for it to be Frank pounding on the door. But it couldn't be, could it? The man couldn't let himself love her and be loved in return. He hadn't even tried to make her stay. Hook by hook she unfastened the back of her costume and slithered out of it.

"Amanda!" Alex jiggled the door knob to her sister's dressing room. Mr. Lefee had started babbling to her that Miss Singer wasn't answering him inside of her dressing room and that she had begged off of the curtain calls as not feeling well. He also told her that during the intermission and while waiting in the wings for her scenes, Amanda had looked pale and withdrawn.

Alex pounded on the door with the flat of her hand. "AMANDA OPEN UP!! C'mon, this is Alex! PLEASE baby girl, open up and talk to me!!"

"Alex?"

Alex spun around to see Frank holding a bouquet of two dozen white roses. "She's locked herself in her dressing room and isn't answering anyone. Mr. Lefee said that she looked pale and withdrawn, she was complaining of not feeling well and she refused the curtain calls. She's not even making any noise. Oh God Frank, I hope she hasn't done anything stupid!"

Frank looked at the door and then handed the bouquet to Alex. "Move back."

Alex pushed Antoine back and barked at everyone else to move back. Frank backed up and took a swift solid 'door-breaker' kick right above the lock.

Amanda didn't even move her head, the sound of the thudding door on it's hinges only meant they thought she'd done something stupid. She hadn't, of course, but she just didn't feel like talking to anyone. Why couldn't they leave her alone? Slowly she got up despite the repeated thumps against the door and the door shaking on it's hinges. She'd slid out of her costume and left it laying over the back of the chair in front of her mirror. She took off the chemise underneath the costume and reached for the silk robe that hung on a standing rack nearby.

Frank was getting desperate by now. The door wasn't budging and he'd heard no sound at all from inside the dressing room. He turned and threw his shoulder up against the door over and over. After the third or fourth hit, he felt it give a little. On the sixth hit, he felt the hinges rattle. Just one more would do it.

Amanda curled up on the chaise lounge in the far corner of the dressing room from the door. It wasn't well lit over in that corner and she'd used it on dual performance days to catch naps. She was about to slide down and close her eyes when the door gave way with a terrific crash.

Frank fell in through the door as it flew open. He bounced off of the floor, rolling up to his feet fluidly. Amanda jerked up with the crash, startled out of her own little world. The robe wasn't fastned or tied and fell open to her waist, exposing all of her feminine assets to Frank and ayone standing behind him. Alex's eyes widened, then she turned and shooed away everyone who was gawking in the corridor. Closing the door behind her, she left Frank and Amanda to themselves.

At first she didn't believe it was Frank. She chittered softly, a nervous giggle and curled back up in the chaise, turning her face into the thick and plump velvet cushions. He wouldn't be here, why would he be? The tears she'd held back flowed now. She hurt too much to care.

Frank stared at her exposed breasts and abdomen, then started towards her as she curled up. The sound of her tears slapped him across the face. "Starlet..." he whispered and crossed the short space between where he stood and the chaise. He sat down, reaching for her with the same breath.

Mandy felt herself pulled up and wrapped up in someone's embrace. She felt strong arms around her and someone's fingers pulling the pins out of her hair. She'd never needed a wig for the role, her own hair just had to be pinned up properly and the mic worked around.

"I'm sorry Starlet... for everything. Please, can you forgive me?" Frank whispered desperately in her ear as he threaded his fingers into her hair.

Amanda's tears calmed a bit and she pushed back out of Frank's embrace. She studied his face for a moment, her eyes locked onto his. 'But if you're really wise, the silence of his eyes will tell you love is only love...' she heard in her head as she stared into those eyes.

Frank was getting nervous again. Why wasn't she saying anything?

'and it's wonderful enough
without the shooting stars,
without the sound of bells,
without the violins,
love is wonderful enough'

"You're late Frank Donovan." she whispered right before her mouth closed over his in a tenderly sweet kiss.

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