Christian made his way slowly up the steps of his building. When he'd left the elephant, he'd been so sure of himself, of what he wanted to say, but now that he was almost there, his courage was disappearing. It had been too long since he'd allowed himself to be completely open with anyone, and his already shaky confidence was dwindling with every step he took.

What if Alyse told him to leave again? What if he bared his soul to her, and she still wanted nothing more to do with him? Of course, considering how he'd pushed her away, he wouldn't blame her if she did that. In fact, it was probably useless for him to even try…

He reached the landing of their floor and looked at her door--it was shut, but a faint light escaped through the cracks. Christian hesitated, then knocked softly. He waited a moment and heard no answer, so he opened the door and stepped into her room.

She had lit a few candles, just enough to shed some light against the darkness of the evening. Even so, he had a hard time finding her. The illumination from a flash of lightning finally showed him that she was sitting in a chair at the window, her head pillowed in her arms and resting on the frame. She was wearing a robe, and he could see that her dress had been dropped on the floor, almost as if she hadn't had the strength to finish undressing. She didn't acknowledge him, though she had to know that he was there. She just kept staring out into the night. The weather was odd--it had been bitingly cold of late, yet tonight it was all thunder and rain. Christian stared at her a moment and realized every word he'd so carefully planned as he'd crossed the street had fled his brain. He went with the first words that came to him.

"I don't want you to leave."

Alyse couldn't be surprised that he knew she was planning on leaving. Nothing could surprise her anymore, she thought, after having spent the afternoon with a ghost. She didn't look at him as she answered. "I can't stay here, Christian."

"But you can't leave, you have a home here, a future at the Rouge--"

She closed her eyes against another flash of lightning. "Christian, I don't want to talk about this right now. I'm very tired. Please, just…let's talk about it later."

Christian nodded to himself. He could understand that. It had been a bad day for her--a bad few weeks, for both of them, really. He told himself to go, to wait to speak with her until tomorrow, but his nerves took over and he found himself saying, "I'll leave, then. I'll leave Paris."

Once the words were out, he could have kicked himself. What had made him say that? That wasn't what he'd wanted to say! He opened his mouth to take the words back, but Alyse had finally lifted her head to look at him.

"Don't be absurd, Christian, this is your home, not mine," she said tiredly. "If anyone is leaving, it will be me."

"Alyse--"

"Christian, honestly, please. I don't want to talk about this right now. I just want to be alone. Can you at least do that for me?" Her voice was so empty that he thought it would be cruel of him to push the conversation further. He turned to leave the room--he didn't have far to go, as he hadn't stepped much past the door, but was stopped by a clap of thunder.

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return…

Christian paused by the door. No, he wasn't going to put this off any longer. He was going to tell her how he felt, he was going to find some way to make this right. Even though he didn't know if he had the words, he was going to do this now. He knew if he didn't, he could lose his nerve completely, and then he would lose her completely. He turned back to Alyse and said again, slowly and clearly, "I don't want you to leave."

She glanced up once more, trying to squelch the irritation that wanted to rise up inside of her. All she wanted was some peace, and he just kept talking. "Christian--" she started, then she saw the look on his face. Determined was the only way to describe it, and she closed her mouth as he started walking towards her again.

"No, Alyse, I don't want you to leave. And I don't want to leave, either. It's not…it's not something we're even going to discuss, because it's--it's ridiculous, because I want…I want…" Oh, where were the words when he needed them? He thought desperately. He was standing in front of her now, and she was staring up at him with those terribly sad, red-rimmed eyes. He had to say this to her…he had to find the right way…

Suddenly, it came to him in a flash, with the lightning in the sky outside. "I'm falling even more in love with you, letting go of all I've held onto. I'm standing here until you make me move, I'm hanging by a moment here with you," he sang, reaching down and taking one of her hands.

"Love me, love me, say that you love me," Alyse sang back, her eyes disbelieving. "Fool me, fool me, go on and fool me. Love me, love me, pretend that you love me. Leave me, leave me, just say that you need me."

Christian shook his head and took her other hand, pulling her up until she stood in front of him. "I'm living for the only thing I know, I'm running and not quite sure where to go, and I don't know what I'm diving into, just hanging by a moment here with you. There's nothing else to lose, there's nothing else to find, there's nothing in the world that could change my mind, there is nothing else…"

Alyse watched him for a moment, then finally managed to find her voice. "You know I'd fight for you, but how can I fight someone who isn't even there? I've had the rest of you, now I want the best of you, I don't care if that's not fair, 'cause I want it all, or nothing at all. There's nowhere left to fall, when you reach the bottom, it's now or never. Is it all, or are we just friends? Is this how it ends?"

He tightened his grasp on her hands and pulled her closer to him, so they were touching almost from head to toe. "I'd give up forever to touch you, 'cause I know that you feel me somehow. You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be, and I don't want to go home right now. And all I can taste is this moment, and all I can breathe is your life. When sooner or later it's over, I just don't want to miss you tonight. And I don't want the world to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am."

Alyse stared up at him, fighting off the hope that was bubbling up inside of her. She cleared her throat before she opened her mouth again. "You can't fight the tears that ain't coming, or the moment of truth in your lies, when everything feels like the movies, yeah, you'd bleed just to know you're alive…"

His voice joined in as he twined his fingers with hers. "And I don't want the world to see me, 'cause I don't think that they'd understand. When everything's made to be broken, I just want you to know who I am, I just want you to know who I am…"

Their voices faded into silence, and then Christian was cupping her face in his hands, frantically kissing her everywhere; her cheeks, her eyes, her forehead. "Don't tell me it's too late," he begged, looking into her eyes. "Don't tell me I've ruined everything. Darling, please…Alyse, tell me you still love me. Please tell me you still want me…"

She felt something give inside of her--a flood of warmth coming back into the cold spot that had been her heart. "Want you…how could you doubt it?" she whispered, her hands coming up to grasp his once again.

Christian shook his head, his fingers caressing her skin. "I've been so awful, turning you away, not letting you close, and all I've wanted…all I've wanted all along was you, all I need…oh, Alyse, I need you, I need you so much…"

Alyse gave a trembling smile as she fought, and lost, a war with her tears. They spilled down her cheeks and onto his hands, and he quickly wiped them away.

"Darling, please don't cry," he whispered, kissing her cheeks again, trying to erase the stains left by her tears. "I'll go, if that's what you want…"

"No," she said fiercely, her fingers squeezing his hands. "No, I'm not letting you get away, not so easily this time." She looked up into his eyes. So wonderfully deep and green, and the look in them--not something she'd ever seen before, in anyone's eyes, when looking at her. "Tell me, Christian, I need to hear you say it…"

He felt a little pinch of panic in his chest. Could he really say it--the words he hadn't said in years? Could he really lay his heart on the line again? Christian looked down into her face--the sweet, beautiful, familiar face that had been haunting his dreams for weeks. Why had he fought it for so long? This was right. With that thought, the panic slid away, and he was able to say the words. "Oh, Alyse," he said softly, pressing his forehead to hers. "I love you."

The tears kept coming--finally, tears of joy. Alyse let go of Christian's hands to slide her arms around him, and he wrapped his around her securely, hands tangling in her hair. Her words were muffled against his chest, but she knew he'd heard them when he pulled her closer. "I love you, Christian."

They stood like that, wrapped in the warmth of each other, for what seemed like ages. Christian kissed the crown of her head, and Alyse looked up at him with a smile as bright as the sun coming out from behind the clouds. It all felt so perfect--it was as if he'd suddenly remembered how to breath after holding his breath for so long. He couldn't stop saying it, now that he'd finally told her. "I love you…" he said again, then laughed at how good it felt. "I love you so much…"

She raised a hand and brushed the back of it over his cheek, rough with a day's worth of stubble. He caught her hand with his and brought it to his lips, kissing her fingers. He met her eyes and lowered his head until their lips met, gently, sweetly.

If she'd thought before that any of their other kisses had been perfect, she'd been wrong. Because this kiss was everything…love and passion and happiness all in one amazing, mind numbing kiss. She felt it into her toes, in every muscle of her body as she melted into his arms. This was him telling her without words what she'd been longing to hear. When they finally broke apart, she was breathless, and all she could do was hold onto him.

Christian buried his face in her hair. For the first time in a long time, he felt completely content. It was an odd feeling--something that he wasn't used to--but he knew he could easily grow accustomed to it, if it meant he could be with Alyse. His heart was so light now, he felt like a new person. "Dance with me," he said impulsively.

His breath tickled her skin, and she giggled. "But there's no music, Christian!"

He shook his head. "I can hear it--can't you? It's right here," he said, taking her hand and pressing it to his chest, so she could feel his heart beating. "That's the music I hear. Close your eyes and listen, and dance with me."

She did as he asked, closing her eyes and concentrating on the thudding of his heart. Their hands were clasped between their bodies, and the sound of their hearts beating blended in with the rain outside until finally she understood what he meant. This was the music of their hearts--nothing else was necessary. She opened her eyes and squeezed his fingers, and he smiled down at her as they began to dance to the music.

Space didn't allow for much movement, just simple turns and lots of closeness, but Christian still managed to spin her around and then pull her into his arms, lowering her back into a dip that had her hair brushing the floor. They both laughed as he pulled her up, and he framed her face in his hands, memorizing the joy in her eyes. "Have I told you lately that I love you?"

Alyse laughed again. "I think so…but I'm not opposed to hearing it again."

Christian smiled. "Love you," he murmured, brushing his lips against hers and holding her tightly. He never wanted to let her go, ever.

But she slipped out of his arms and moved to the window. "What are you doing?" he said curiously, as she stuck her head out into the rain.

"Don't you love the rain?" she asked, and before he could answer, she was climbing out onto the ledge. She peeked back at him, her hair already wet, and said, "Come on, Christian, live a little!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him outside.

The rain was cold and soaked through his coat quickly, but he couldn't care about that when Alyse was standing in front of him, head tipped back, eyes closed against the downpour, laughing at nothing and everything. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close. "You're crazy, did you know that?"

She stared up at him. His long hair was sopping wet, water streaming down his face and dripping off the tip of his nose onto her. She couldn't see his eyes very well, but could feel their loving gaze. She pushed wet hair out of his eyes and said, "For you. I'm crazy for you."

"L'amour fou," Christian said, eyes fixed on her.

Alyse smiled. "L'amour parfait," she replied, pulling his face down to hers. He kissed her deeply, as the rain poured down on them, but they were too caught up in each other to even notice. Only when he felt her shivering did Christian regretfully pull away.

"We'd better go back inside, you don't want to get cold," he said mock sternly, taking her hand and helping her back into the room. He followed her over the sill and stood in front of her. They were both dripping water all over the floor, and she just laughed at the two of them.

"That was fun," she said, running her fingers through her now tangled hair.

"Yes, it was," Christian agreed. "But look at you. You're soaked to the bone. You don't want to get sick again, not with the show tomorrow." He reached down and started pulling off her wet robe.

"Um, Christian…" Alyse began, but he already had the belt undone and was tugging the robe off. All she could do was stand and watch his face as he discovered she was only wearing a corset.

He could feel himself blush up to the roots of his hair. "Well, um…" he said, turning around quickly and hurrying over to her fireplace. She had a small fire going, but it was almost burnt out, so he added a few more logs and tended to the flames for a moment, trying to regain his composure. When the fire had come back to life, he stood up and pulled a chair over in front of it, laying her robe across the back, then taking off his coat and draping it over the seat. Then he turned to look at her. "You…need to dry your hair. Um, come over here, in front of the fire…"

Alyse tried to hold back a giggle as she crossed the room. He clearly had no idea how to handle seeing her like this. Not that she was an expert at this kind of thing, either, but it amused her to see him taking such pains to keep his gaze above her neck. She regarded him seriously once she was in front of the fire. "You should take this off, too," she said, reaching up and unwinding his blue scarf from around his neck. "I don't want you getting sick, either." She dropped it onto the chair with the other wet clothes.

Christian cleared his throat. "Yes, well, you're right…" he said, looking around the room for something to dry her hair with. He grabbed the first thing he could find--a blanket--and stepped closer to her, reaching behind her and rubbing her hair vigorously. She stared up at him as he dried her hair, and when she finally spoke, he could hear laughter in her voice.

"Are you nervous, Christian?"

He finished with her hair and dropped the blanket onto another chair. "No," he said defensively, crossing his arms over his chest and cringing at the wetness of his sweater. "It's just…you're not…you don't have any clothes on…" He felt himself blushing again, and wanted to kick himself. He was too old to be this uncomfortable about these types of things, yet here he was, embarrassed to even speak about it out loud. It was distracting, her being so close, and so very little between them…He realized his eyes had dropped from her face, and he quickly snapped them back up, meeting hers. God, but she was beautiful…Christian forgot all about clothing, or lack thereof, and slipped his arms around her, his lips seeking hers. His blood was burning all of a sudden--he could feel it flowing through his veins, hot like the fire behind them.

His hands were on her waist, holding her possessively, and she reveled in the feeling of belonging to him. His tongue traced the line of her lips, and she gave a little gasp, allowing his tongue to dart in oh so briefly, teasing her before he pulled back and moved on to her neck. His teeth nipped gently at her skin, and she sighed, winding her fingers into his still damp hair. His lips brushed over the swell of her breasts, just the lightest of kisses, then he was kissing her again, mouth warm and soft against hers. All reasonable thought flew out of her mind, and she pulled at his cardigan, fingers fumbling on the buttons. He broke the kiss and looked at her.

Alyse's hands stalled on the sweater as she stared into his eyes. They were dark…dark with desire. She recognized this now, and it sent a little thrill through her. She made her fingers work and said, "This is wet, too. You shouldn't be wearing it." She managed to get the buttons undone and he slipped the cardigan off, depositing it with the rest of their clothes. He pulled her tight against him, kissing her again and again until she was dizzy with the feelings he was awakening inside of her. She couldn't think, she could only rely on her feelings, and they were telling her that this was so right. "Make love to me, Christian," she breathed against his lips.

Christian shook his head quickly, more an instinct than an actual answer. "No, no…that's not what I came here for…"

She kissed him softly. "I know," she said. "You came here to tell me that you love me, and you did. I can't think of anything else that could make tonight more perfect."

He could feel his willpower weakening by the second. His hands trailed across her bare skin, and he had a fleeting thought of lying with her on her bed, loving her as no one else ever had and, if he had his way, no one else ever would. He made one more valiant, yet weak, attempt at telling her no, even though he was finding it difficult to piece his thoughts into coherent sentences. "A gentleman shouldn't…take advantage of…of a situation like this…"

"A gentleman should never tell a lady no," she replied, and smiled at him as he chuckled. "I love you, Christian. I want to be with you…you want to be with me, don't you?" Her voice trailed off uncertainly.

He felt himself give in--not that he'd been fighting hard--and rubbed a thumb across her cheek. "I do…if you're sure…"

Alyse smiled at him again. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life," she whispered.

Christian nodded and kissed her again. "Turn around," he said gently, and she did as he asked. He scooped her hair over her shoulder and focused his attention on undoing the laces of her corset. He remembered before, when she'd been sick and he'd had to do this for her, how uneasy he'd been--but this was something else entirely. This time, he wasn't fighting his feelings, and felt at ease with his task. His hands were steady, and soon all the laces were untied. He pulled the corset off and she took it from him, letting it drop onto one of the chairs. Like before, all she wore was a slip, and he slid the straps from her shoulders, one at a time, trailing kisses along the smooth skin he exposed. The garment slithered down her body and pooled at her feet, but neither of them paid it any attention as he turned her back around to face him. "So beautiful," he murmured, unable to stop himself from running a hand along her arm.

She'd never been completely naked in front of a man before, and Alyse thought that it should scare her now, to be so totally exposed. But the look on Christian's face wasn't leering, or crude--it was adoring and enraptured, and desire was still mixed in, making her heart start pounding all over again. She reached up and tugged at his suspenders, pulling the them down his arms much as he had her slip. They fell to his waist, and she couldn't resist sliding her hands under his shirt and brushing them along his skin before she pushed the shirt up. He pulled it over his head and dropped it as carelessly as the other clothing. Her hands fumbled at the waistband of his trousers, but she managed to undo them, and they fell to the floor. He stepped out of them and kicked them aside along with his underwear. They looked at each other for a long moment, then he pulled her against him. The feeling of his skin, so warm, so soft over firm muscles, made her shiver with anticipation and nerves. She could have stayed like this forever, held tightly in his arms, safe from anything life could throw at her.

Christian tipped her chin up. "Are you all right?" he asked. He'd felt her tremble and didn't know why, but he refused to let this happen if she wasn't completely comfortable.

"Yes, I'm…I'm just a little bit nervous," she said, suddenly feeling ridiculously shy. "I've never…been with anyone before…"

"Shh," he said, putting a finger to her lips. "I don't care about that."

"But…what if I'm…" Alyse bit her lip and then said in a rush, "I don't know what to do and you've been with other women…"

Christian smiled. "Alyse, I've only been with one woman in my entire life."

She blinked. "What?"

He had to laugh at the surprise on her face. "I don't know, I guess I'm a romantic at heart, but I've never thought that I could make love to someone without being in love with them. And until you, there was only one person that I loved…so only one person I've been with. Really…" He bent his head to kiss her, then said, "we're almost in the same boat…because it's been quite a while for me."

"No one in seven years?" she asked, amazed at what he was telling her.

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "I think I was waiting for the right woman."

Alyse took a moment to think about this, absently running her fingers through the light sprinkling of hair on his chest. She heard his breath catch, and she looked up at him. "And you think you've found her, then?"

The tips of her fingers were tickling him now, and he couldn't tell if it was on accident or on purpose. "Yes," he said, "I believe so."

"Well," she said, sliding her hands around his neck and pulling his face down to hers, "we shouldn't make you wait any longer, I don't think."

"No," Christian said, but the word was lost in her kiss. He broke away after a minute and said, "Wait here." He brought a few of the candles over by the bed, then pulled the blankets back. He walked to Alyse and surprised her by scooping her up in his arms and carrying her to the bed. She giggled, and he smiled at her before setting her down gently. Then all he could do was stare at her. She was so small, so fragile looking, so trusting…

She held out her hand to him. "I won't break, Christian," she said softly.

He took her hand and allowed her to pull him onto the bed, stretching his body across hers. Her arms came around his back and he held himself up on his elbows as he looked down into her eyes. "Love you," he whispered, but didn't give her a chance to respond before his lips captured hers.

Alyse was helpless to do anything but kiss him back. For someone who'd said he hadn't had a lover in years, he seemed to know exactly the right things to do to make her insides melt. Just the right spot to touch, the right place to kiss…his lips were magic as they trailed down her throat, over the curve of her breasts, to the smooth flatness of her belly. His hands never left her skin as he followed his own path back up her body, taking his time, his tongue teasing and tormenting until her hips moved about restlessly beneath his. She murmured his name as his lips met hers again, and she ran her hands along his body, over his stomach until her shaking fingers slipped between his legs. Christian gasped with surprise, and she pulled her hand away quickly. "No, no, don't stop," he managed, and she hesitantly put her hand back, watching his face as she touched him. His eyes were closed, his lips parted, as her unskilled fingers slid up and down the length of him. He felt like satin over steel, just like the rest of his body, and her touch became steadier as she grew comfortable with the feel of him. Then he turned the tables by dipping a finger inside of her, and she lost track of what she was doing. Her hands fell from him limply as her brain tried to comprehend this new sensation. His touch was soft but insistent, and she could do nothing more than writhe against his hand, finding his mouth with hers and wrapping her arms around him.

Christian raised himself up on his elbows again and gently nudged her legs apart with his knee. His eyes never left Alyse's as he sank into her slowly, carefully. There was a brief flicker of pain, but he was kissing her, focusing her attention on him until the pain was just a memory and all she could feel was him slipping further around her senses, deeper into the core of her, and everything went hazy around the edges. "Okay?" he asked in a ragged voice. All she could manage was a nod as instincts she hadn't known she had took control of her body. He began to move slowly, oh, so slowly, pulling out and then sliding back in, dragging a whimper from her with each movement. She'd never known she could feel like this--so incredibly complete, so shockingly close to someone. Her whole world was a mass of emotions and feelings and colours--she felt as though every nerve in her body was on edge, frayed into a million points of sensation, pricking her all over her body. She was so overwhelmed by it all…and yet she wanted more. Wanted to feel him as absolutely close as he could possibly be, wanted to give herself to him completely. She thought she would fly to pieces if he didn't give her more, thought that she just might die of this tension building inside of her. She hooked her legs around him, pulling him closer, deeper. "More," she breathed, arching her hips up to meet his thrusts.

He very nearly lost himself as her legs slid against him, as she skimmed hot fingertips up and down his back, tracing lines over his hips, her nails scratching him lightly. There was nothing else in the world but her. The smell of her, that seeped into his senses and made his head spin; the way her breath hitched every time their hips met; the breathless way she moaned his name, as if it were the only word she could remember. Her skin was flushed, eyes clouded with pleasure. He was dimly aware that they were both moving quicker now, skin slipping against skin, lips brushing against lips, fingers twining. He could feel every breath she took as if it were his own, could feel the quaking begin deep inside of her as she gave herself up to the swirl of emotion. He knew, because he was there too, right at the edge with her. Her legs tightened around him, her fingers fisted in his hair, he kissed her urgently as their bodies rocked together. And then her whole body stiffened, her head tipped back, and her breathless cry dragged him over as well. His moan mingled with hers as they lost themselves in each other, bodies and souls entwined so deeply now that he knew with no doubt that he would never be the same again.

Neither of them had any strength left to speak of, and before he could simply fall over, Alyse pulled Christian down on top of her, their arms tangling together as he buried his face in her neck. He could feel her heart pounding madly in his ear, and the sound of it lulled him into a dreamlike state. He pressed a kiss to her skin before finally rolling off of her and onto his side, curving his body around hers protectively. "Mine," he whispered, snaking an arm across her stomach. "My beautiful lover."

Alyse found his hand and held it tightly, giving him a smile she knew he couldn't see. She lay with her eyes closed for a few minutes, waiting for her breath to level out and her heartbeat to return to normal. Finally she found enough energy to turn onto her side so that she was facing Christian. She kissed the tip of his nose, and he opened sleepy green eyes. "I think I've figured out an ending for that song," he said softly, brushing a few stray hairs out of her face.

She was confused. "Song? What song?"

He pulled her tight against him and sang into her ear. "Sad eyes follow me, but I still believe there's something left for me. So please come stay with me, 'cause I still believe there's something left for you and me, for you and me…hold me now, I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking, maybe six feet ain't so far down…please come now, I think I'm falling, I'm holding onto all I think is safe…"

Alyse smiled at him. She knew what he meant now--the song he'd written the day he'd broken down at rehearsal over Satine, the day she'd told him about her family. "I like it," she said softly.

"All it needed was you. All I needed was you," Christian said.

She felt tears spring to her eyes and blinked them back, cupping her hand under his chin and drawing him close for a kiss. "I love you, Christian," she whispered, settling into his embrace.

"I love you, too," he murmured. He pulled the blankets up around them and soon, they were both asleep.

***

Alyse woke the next morning to the feeling of being watched. She opened her eyes slowly and saw Christian lying next to her, propped up on one elbow, gazing at her. He bent his head to kiss her lightly. "Good morning," he said, smiling.

"Good morning," she replied, yawning hugely. She was still so tired, but knew she had to get up. The sun was starting to rise, and it was to be a busy day.

"How are you feeling?"

For a minute she thought he was referring to the opening of the show that night, but quickly realized that he was talking about last night. She grinned and scooted closer to him--which didn't take much doing because her bed was small. "I feel wonderful," she said, winding an arm around his waist and pulling him down on top of her.

"Really?" Christian asked, his lips already at work on her neck, finding again with ease the sensitive spots he'd uncovered last night.

"Umm…yes," Alyse replied, a little breathless now. "Never…better…" It was amazing, the things his hands could do to her--she was already quivering in his arms, and he'd barely begun touching her.

Things were just starting to turn interesting when there was a knock at her door. "Ignore it," Christian advised, mouth clinging to hers as his fingers worked their magic.

"It's probably…just Toulouse…" she managed, "wondering where you are. If I answer it, he'll go away, and then we can…"

He pushed her out of the bed. "Hurry back," he said, and she turned to look at him as she pulled on her robe, which, thankfully, was now dry. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and she was giggling as she opened the door.

Christian could immediately tell, without seeing who it was, that it wasn't Toulouse. Alyse's entire body stiffened, and he could see her hastily tighten her robe and push her hair back out of her face. He didn't dare move, didn't dare try to see who was at the door. Then he heard her speak, her voice shocked and nervous.

"Father. Mother."

--------------------------

[songs used:
Hanging by a Moment-Lifehouse
Lovefool-The Cardigans
All or Nothing-O-Town
Iris-Goo Goo Dolls
One Last Breath-Creed]

[translations:
l'amour fou-crazy love
l'amour parfait-perfect love]