Laetitia wouldn't talk to Pearl. She wouldn't talk about Pearl, nor would she talk in front of Pearl. Her conversations with Erik usually would at some point include him being called a complete and total idiot who seriously needed to rethink his life before someone shot him. Then she would dive back underwater, and not reappear for two days.

One day, Laetitia popped up looking slightly smug. "Hey, bossman!"

Pearl shrieked. "What is that?!" It was, obviously, the first time she had seen Laetitia.

Instead of answering, Erik asked, in Mermish, "What is it, Laetitia?"

"You are in ginormous trouble!" She cackled and disappeared.

Erik frowned. Turning to Pearl, he said, "I'll be right back."

She nodded, pulling her shirt back on. Laetitia had clearly left her without words.

Getting in the boat, he began rowing over to the other side. Once he reached it, he fully realized just how true Laetitia's words were; he was in ginormous trouble.

"Amme!" He leapt out. "What…how…when…"

Amme tilted her head, but didn't answer. Her eyes were flashing dangerously.

"When…did you get back?" He finally asked.

"Ten minutes ago." Her voice was as cold as ice.

"Oh…." He couldn't look at her. "Did…um…did…Laetitia tell you…?"

"Don't worry," She assured him. She didn't seem anxious to look at him, either. "She told me plenty."

"Wonderful," Erik muttered. Louder, he said, "I thought…you weren't coming back, so…"

"But," Amme interrupted. "I told you, quite clearly, that I was." She took a deep breath. "But that isn't all I'm upset about."

"There's more?" He asked in disbelief. "What else did I do?"

"It's more of what you didn't do." Her eyes narrowed. "How come you never bothered to tell me your real name?"

"That's it?" Erik snorted. "That's what your upset about?"

"And this girl, this human, Pearl Morin, does know what your name is."

Erik flinched at hearing Pearl's name. "It's not that big a deal, Amme. I mean, we were getting along fine without…"

"I thought you hadn't told anyone your name!" She nearly shrieked. "Am I the only one who doesn't know?"

"No!" He denied. "Of course not! Amme, listen. She knew me before I became…before I came here, so that was…the only…well, not the only thing I was called, but still…"

"But still, you could have told me."

"Alright." Erik sighed deeply. "I'm extremely sorry I didn't tell you my real name, and that I thought you weren't coming back. But you were gone so long!"

Amme pursed her lips, before answering. "It did take longer than I expected. There was quite a lot I needed to get sorted out before I returned, and there were complications I hadn't foreseen."

The Phantom waited; Amme simply stared down at her linked fingers. "So," he ventured. "Am I forgiven?"

"There's a little more," She told her hands. "Laetitia said…something about…you and this…Pearl. What you were…doing…last night…and the night before that…and…" Amme stopped suddenly.

Erik felt his heart sink. "And?"

"Is it true?" She whispered, still refusing to meet his eyes. Erik was very grateful for this; he didn't want to see hers.

"Is what true?" She'd have to say it before he'd admit it.

Amme, however, wanted him to admit it before she's say it. "You know what I'm talking about." Now she looked at him straight in the eye. Her face was full of hope, but at the same time, she knew it was false hope.

Erik bit his lip. Then he ran a hand through his hair. Finally, he said, "Pearl and I…have…had sex."

Amme looked away, nodding. "Alright, then. I suppose, if that's…I mean…well, yes…I mean, Laetitia mentioned…once or twice…I'm not sure, she wasn't sure. How many times…no, don't answer. It's not my business." She tossed her hair around suddenly. "Is she pretty?"

Erik was unprepared for this question. He answered without thinking. "Yes, she's beautiful."

Again, Amme nodded. "Okay. I see…. I'll go, I guess…." She turned and began walking away.

"Amme," he said gently. When she didn't turn around, or even stop, his voice got more and more desperate. "Amme! Wait, Amme! Amme, please wait! Stop!" He screamed the last word, but Amme kept right on going. She didn't turn so he wouldn't see her tears, and, in doing so, missed his.

-

"Amme!" Meg squealed. "You're back!"

Amme tried to answer, but suddenly found the breath knocked out of her as Meg hugged her tightly.

"Meg," Madame Giry said, slightly amused. "You're killing her."

Meg let go, and beamed, unabashed. "I'm just happy to see you again," she explained.

Amme messaged her ribs. "Thanks," she managed to croak out.

"You're welcome," both Girys said at the exact same time.

"Are you staying, Amme?" Madame Giry asked.

"I think so," Amme replied vaguely. "For now."

"That's good!" Meg looked like she was going to hug her again, so Amme retreated several paces.

"Did you hear, Amme?" She continued. "Christine had twins!"

Amme's eyebrows shot up. "Really? When?"

"A little over a week ago. Louise and Roselle."

"Oh." Her face looked strangely wistful. "Those are pretty names. What are they like?"

"Louise is the quieter one. Christine said she doesn't cry nearly as much as any of the other children did. Her eyes are exactly the same as Raoul's. The exact shade, the exact shape, everything. It's almost scary.

"Roselle is much more lively. And much louder." Here, Meg giggled. "But she's going to look just like Christine when she gets older."

Amme sighed. "I wish I had a baby."

Both Madame Giry and Meg stared at her. "You?" The former asked disbelievingly. "Want a baby?"

"Yes!" Amme replied defensively. "Why is that so strange? I've wanted one for a long time. The problem," she added, suddenly amused. "Is that I can't find any man I want to be father."

"That is a problem, isn't it?" Meg laughed.

"It's true, though."

"You can't think of one man?" Madame Giry said skeptically.

Once again, Amme's face changed; it looked rather far away. Lightly, she touched the sapphire necklace that hung at the base of her neck. "Not a single one."

-

"Amme!"

"Josh!" Amme smiled weakly but sincerely. "Did you miss me?"

"Very much." He beamed back at her. "Where have you been?"

"Home, in Ahsela."

"Oh, yeah. I heard something like that." Josh tilted his head. "What happened?" When Amme hesitated, he said quickly, "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"Thank you, but people lately have been telling me, quite a lot, that I shouldn't keep everything bottled up inside of me." She twirled a lock of hair around her slender fingers. "My father passed away," she admitted in a rush.

"Oh." Joshua touched her back tenderly. "Amme, I'm so sorry."

"I had to go home," she continued, seemingly without any notice of what he said. "I had to get…a few things sorted out before I could come back."

"Were there a few…irregularities with his will?"

"Not exactly," Amme replied uncertainly.

"But you've got it sorted now?"

"Very much so."

"And you'll never have to leave again?"

Amme hesitated again. "Not if I don't want to…."

"That's great!" Josh frowned. "Amme…have you…you know…forgiven me for what I did before? You know, hiring that man to take off the Phantom's mask?"

Amme sighed, but smiled gently. Looking him straight in the eye, she said, "You don't have to worry about proving to me how horrible the Phantom is. There will be no more contact between him and me. You're a better man than he is, and I have no doubt you always will be."

Back up in the rafters, the Phantom was fuming like crazy. How could she even consider saying that idiot was a better man than him?

"That son of a bitch," Erik whispered, so softly, even Amme with her elvish ears couldn't hear him. "I'm going to kill him. I don't know when, I don't know how, but he will die…soon."