Pearl Morin skipped happily down a back alleyway to the opera theatre. She had very good reasons to be happy; not only had she succeeded in seducing Erik for the fifth time, even though he wasn't as enthusiastic as usual, but she also managed to steal more things from him without his realizing it.

Yes, life was good. So good, she had bought herself a little treat with Erik's money. It wasn't much, just a little ruby and gold necklace with matching earrings and bracelets. Not too bad, right? Not as much as she had gotten when married to her second husband. She went a little too overboard with the shopping when married to him. Of course, she did end up having to sell half of it back, so no harm done. To him, at least.

Pearl took a slight detour, not exactly anxious to return to her current lover. She didn't want to see him and his deformed face more than necessary. Hey, she wasn't sticking with him because of his…ahem, wonderful personality.

One more turn, and she stopped short. A thin woman sat on a barrel with her arms wrapped around her knees. Her long black hair covered her face, preventing Pearl from telling if she knew the person.

"Um…excuse me."

The woman whipped her head around and glared. There were tear trails down her face, as if she had been crying hard. "What do you want?"

Pearl frowned. She recognized the woman, even though she hadn't met her. Erik had at least of hundred pictures of her hanging in sewers. "You're Amme, aren't you?"

"Yes," Amme said coldly. "And you are…?"

"My name's Pearl Morin."

"Oh." Amme's eyes narrowed. "Yes, I've heard of you. You've been quite busy with Erik lately, haven't you?"

"Yes. He's mentioned you quite a lot, too." Pearl's frown deepened.

"Really?" Amme tried to pretend she wasn't interested. "What did he say about me? Something good, I hope?"

"Not at all," Pearl lied. She was an excellent liar; she had to be. "Mostly about how unfaithful you are, and how you betrayed him. He said he hated you, too. More than anything else, actually."

Amme slid off the barrel. She was a full nine inches taller than Pearl. "Well, that's wonderful. I suppose you could sent him a message from me?"

"Depends on the message," Pearl replied lazily. She was remarkably calm for having a six foot four, slightly unbalanced, extremely dangerous stranger towering over her.

"Tell him I am hope he is very happy with you, and I think you two deserve each other. Would you like me to write it down, so you'll remember?"

"I think I'll remember it," Pearl said, slightly miffed with the "deserve each other" comment. She couldn't tell if it was meant as an insult to her or Erik, but she took it as the former.

"Good. Then I guess I'll see you later."

"Perhaps." Pearl was reluctant to let Amme go so quickly. After all, the woman had one-up on her. "I'll try and fit some room in my schedule. After all, Erik and I have been so busy lately. You said it yourself. But I'll see what I can do."

Amme stiffened. Pearl smirked, but wasn't done yet.

"Have you ever seen him with his shirt off? It's actually gorgeous, something you wouldn't expect on such a hideous person."

If Pearl could have seen Amme's face, she would have left it right then and there while she still could.

"But, I suppose you wouldn't really care about someone's sexual appeal. After all, from what Erik implies, you're quite a prude. I might be able to understand why you don't want to go all the way with Erik, I mean, he is a monster, but what about that Joshua Eddison? He's quite good looking, and seems to like you. I don't know why," she added spitefully.

At the word "monster", Amme had begun searching around for something to throw. But at the last sentence, she had given up the hunt, and turned slowly. Moving like a sleepwalker, she came right in front of Pearl, and then stopped. She tilted her head, and eyed the shorter woman speculatively. And just as Pearl was wondering if she had lost all traces of sanity, Amme's fist came crashing against her cheek.

Pearl flew back, and collided heavily with the barrels. "Ow!" She shrieked. "What the hell was that for, you little murderess!"

"I haven't killed you!" Amme snapped, her arms raised threateningly. "Yet! Just try to call me that again!"

Pearl was not a total idiot. "You can't hit me!"

"I think I did!" Amme snarled. "And I'll do it again!"

"You little…"

"What's going on here?"

The Phantom's voice cut across the alleyway like a knife. Pearl got up and ran to his side, tears streaming down her face. Only Amme's eyes moved, following Pearl's every movement.

"She…she…she hit me!" Pearl sobbed, clinging to his chest.

Slowly, very slowly, Amme lowered her arms.

Erik looked at the growing red mark on Pearl's face, and then turned back to Amme. "Really?"

"I attack your lover, and the best you can say is 'really?'" Amme taunted. "You can do better than that, Erik." She spat out his name is if it were a dirty word.

"I'm working up to it," he replied softly.

"You'll have to work hard, then!" She let out a slightly demented laugh. "If you want to reach my expectations! But then, you've never proven capable of reaching my expectations, so that isn't any surprise."

He waited calmly for her to finish her laughing. The laughter itself wasn't real—there was no humor in it whatsoever, only anger and humiliation.

"You had no right to attack her. You left me."

"You think this is over you!" She snarled. "It was…defending my honor! And I told you I'd come back!"

"But you didn't let me go with you!" Erik shouted. "You didn't even tell me why you left!"

"My father died!" Amme shrieked. "I…had to go home…so I could give Virginia the throne…so I didn't become queen…so I could come back! And stay back!"

"Say what?" Pearl frowned. The other two ignored her.

"Why…" Erik stammered. "Why…didn't you tell me?"

"Because…it's not what I do!" Amme was close to tears now. "And I trusted you! To wait for me! To trust me, too!"

"Amme…." Erik reached out slowly. She batted his hand away.

"Instead, you had to at like a…a…you're such a…a…bastard! And…and…"

"Actually," Pearl interrupted. "You're right. He can be a bastard."

"I wasn't talking to you!" Amme hissed, catlike.

Erik sighed. "Leave her alone, Amme."

Amme took a step back. "Sure!" She spat. "Take her side! The pretty one! One you can…can…"

"Amme…" Erik began, but, without warning, he was thrown back into the wall.

Amme was on top of him, clawing at his face, pounding his chest and shoulders. She was screaming like a demon, saying things in a language neither Pearl nor Erik could understand. But they could get the general gist.

"Stop it!" Pearl shouted. "Hey, get off him!" But she didn't dare go near the deranged elf.

Erik tried to shove her backwards, and instead, fell on hard on the ground. Before he could blink, Amme rammed her fist into his stomach, knocking the air out of him.

"Amme!" He gasped.

She didn't answer, just continued her attack. Erik managed to see, from beneath his now messed-up hair, that tears were falling down her face. That, more than anything, made him gather enough breath to yell.

"Amme! Amme! ENOUGH!"

Amme fell back, trembling. She blinked several times, and a new expression of horror filled her face.

The Phantom slowly got up. His clothing was torn, his mask had fallen off, his hands were bleeding where he landing on them, there were long gashes along his chest and back, and bruises were forming on his cheeks.

"I'm sorry!" Amme whispered. She stumbled back some more. "I'm so sorry! I…" she turned.

"No!" He shouted. "No, Amme! Wait! Come back! I…I still lo…"

It was too late; she was gone.

Pearl hovered uncertainly. "You alright, Erik?"

He rounded on her, glad to have someone he could scream at. "No! I'm not! What do you think, you little…"

"Don't insult me, monster!" She yelled back. "I didn't attack you!"

He reached out, grabbed her wrist, and snapped it.

"What the hell?" She gasped, trying to wretch away from him.

Very close to her, the Phantom whispered, "Don't you say one thing against Amme. I stood up for you, and this is what I got for it. From now on, Pearl Morin, you're on your own." He hurled her against the wall.

The truth was, though, Amme had scared him. Never had he considered her less human than now. If he hadn't managed to distract her, she might have actually killed him. It wasn't the dying that he was afraid of, but still….

He had never fully appreciated how different she was from humans. Never before had he stopped to think that he and Amme were actually different species. In some ways, Pearl would be better for him. At least she was human….

No. Erik's spine stiffened. He loved Amme Eledhwen, and that was the end of it. He didn't care what problems they would run into, if they weren't even the same species, he would have her, no matter what.

-

Joshua closed his door and grinned. Things had been going very, very well for him. Amme was back; she had forgiven him, and was talking to him again. All that combined put Josh in a very good mood.

Which was shortly to be ruined.

"Joshua Eddison."

Josh slipped off his chair in shock. "Who…who's there?"

"I'm right in front of you, genius. Open your eyes."

Much to his amazement, Josh realized his eyes had been closed. "Oh, right."

The Phantom shook his head. "'Were I like thee I'd throw away myself.'"

"What?"

He sighed, "Shakespeare, Timon of Athens, act four, scene three, line two hundred, thirty-one."

"Shakespeare," Josh frowned. "That name sounds familiar…."

"'Thou art some fool, I am loath to beat thee.' Which brings me to reason for this visit." The Phantom squared his shoulders. "Stay away from Amme. You have one last chance, otherwise I will not be 'loath to beat thee.'"

"What does that mean?"

The Ghost's mouth dropped open. "'Rouge, thou hast liv'd too long.'"

"Whatever you say. But honestly, I thought you that this…Pearl Morin. Can't you be happy with you, and let me have Amme?"

"Amme…is…mine!" He snarled. "Stay…away…from…her!"

Josh raised both his hands. "Okay, okay, calm down. I just don't think…"

"You never think," the Phantom snorted. "'You speak an infinite deal of nothing.'"

"Anyways," Josh pressed. "I don't think Amme would want to be the 'other woman.'"

Hmm. Clearly Eddison was smarter than Erik had supposed. Not much smarter, but a bit.

"She is not the 'other woman,' she is the only woman."

"What about Pearl, then?" Josh taunted.

"Why do you care?"

"You shouldn't leave one woman for anyone like that. Especially after you've had sex with them," he added slyly.

"You…I….'Go thou and fill another room in hell.'"

"Enough with the…whatever it is!"

"Shakespeare."

"Whatever! I don't care! You can't come here and expect to tell me what to do!" He stalked over to the door, and tried to yank it open.

"It's locked," said Erik unhelpfully.

Josh glared at him. "I can tell that!"

"Good." He paused. Once he realized where Josh was walking to next, he added, "The window's locked, too."

Josh jerked around. "Are you done yet? You've told me your message, now get out!"

"That's so creative, Joshua, but it doesn't induce me to leave the slightest bit."

"What are you going to do?" Josh snorted. "Quote more Shakestaff stuff?"

"Shakespeare," Erik correct, sighing. "And if that's what you want: thou art 'a most notable coward, an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise breaker, the owner of not one good quality.'"

Josh frowned. "Are you insulting me?"

The Phantom sniggered. "Have you just realized that? 'Pray you, stand farther from me.'"

"I would if you'd unlock the door."

"Not yet. I haven't had this much fun in a long time. 'You have as little honesty as honor.'"

"I could say the same about you."

"Oh, now we're getting somewhere. I wasn't aware you could fight back."

"I'm sure there's a lot you're not aware of."

"Well, at least I know who Shakespeare was."

Josh gritted his teeth together. "You know, you can insult me all you want, I'm not going to leave Amme. I have more claim to her than you."

"Excuse me?" Erik hissed.

"I'm not the one who betrayed her, and started going with another woman the second she left."

"I didn't…not the second she left!" He protested. "I didn't think…"

"Of course you didn't think!" Josh said triumphantly. "And you didn't trust her. I did, I waited. Even when she was with you, I didn't sleep with someone else. If you were her, who would you chose?"

Erik could only stare. He had never considered Eddison capable of making sense with so many sentences like that. Even more stunning, he hadn't supposed Eddison to point out something to him, something he hadn't thought of.

"I…well…you…I…"

"Can't you form a complete sentence, hm, Phantom man?"

Erik took a deep breath. "'Thou art as good a gentleman as the devil is, as Lucifer and Beelzebub himself.'"

"Huh?"

I decided to be different, and see how many times I could have Erik insult Josh, Shakespeare-style, in one conversation. I think I did pretty well, too, all things considering.