"Amme, I can talk to you?"

Amme turned from her mirror in her dressing room. The Phantom stared anxiously back at her.

"Can I stop you?" Amme asked slowly.

"You could attack me again."

She bit her lip.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "But I really think it's important we talk."

"I don't have anything to say to you."

"Perhaps, but there's something I need to say to you." He reached out his hand before thinking better of it. "Amme, I know why you're angry with him. I understand that. But I wish you'd try and understand me sometimes."

"I don't know what you mean," she said frostily. "You left me for someone else; there's nothing more to understand."

"Amme, I thought you weren't coming back."

"And I told you…"

He covered her mouth with one hand. "Let me finish. There is a reason why I didn't think you'd return. It's not a logical reason, but still true." He lowered his hand. "Would you like to hear it?"

Amme flung herself into her chair and waited.

"Everyone in my life has…disappointed me, or…hurt me, or tried…their very best to make me miserable in some way. Everyone, Amme, absolutely everyone. I know, I know, you aren't that type of person, but when you left, I…I couldn't convince myself that anymore. It was…easier to…to be with someone I know didn't care about me, because…because when she leaves me, I…I just…won't be…surprised." He was close to losing it; he shut up.

"Does…" She hesitated. "Does she…love you?"

"Love me?" He gave a hollow laugh. "Nobody loves me, Amme. Nobody ever, ever has. It's just…something I've learned to live with."

Something changed in Amme's face, though Erik couldn't quite pinpoint what it is. "Can you try to understand me, Amme?"

Absentmindedly, she stroked her necklace. "I could try."

Erik smiled faintly. "I gave you that necklace, remember?

"It's pretty." She sounded rather defensive. "It doesn't have anything to do with who gave it to me."

"So you'd wear any jewelry, even if Eddison gave it to you." The thought was insulting.

"Only if it was pretty. I wouldn't wear something ugly, no matter who gave it to me."

"Really."

Amme frowned at him. "Don't try reading too far into this. A necklace is a necklace; I judge people by their actions, not their looks."

He raised an eyebrow. "Sometimes you shouldn't even do that. Sometimes, you should judge someone on the purpose for their actions, instead of just the actions themselves."

-

Madame Giry cornered Amme almost the second the later stepped out of her dressing room.

"So! There you are!"

"What?" Amme asked nervously.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Um…is this a trick question?" One could never be sure with Madame Giry.

"It's the day before opening night of our new opera!" She snarled.

"Oh…." That would explain why she had been so tense lately.

"'Oh'? You've been slacking off so much lately, and all you can say is 'oh?'"

"Well, what do you want me to say?" Amme snapped. "I'm sorry, okay? I've had a lot on my mind!"

"That's no excuse!" Madame Giry retorted. "I expect total dedication from everyone, no matter what's been on their mind. Sing me your solo in act two."

Amme sighed, but began singing.

"Love—soft as the feathers on an eagle's wings

Love—joyful as the feeling a rainbow brings

Bright as the moon at night when the stars shine

Please promise me you are mine

Love—pure as snow falling on the mountainside

Love—dries the tears that will no longer be cried

Free as the mighty sea that breaks the shores

I promise you I am yours

You and I and I and you

Leaving each other never

I don't care what anyone says because I know it's not true

Come rain, sun or snow fall I want us to be always together

Me and you and you and me

That's how I want it to stay

The kind of love I'm feeling will endure through eternity

There's nothing left to fear as long as you are here with me each day

Love—warm as the rain's promise there will be sun

Love—like going to sleep when the day is done

No change except to grow or to renew

That much I can promise you"

When she was done, she looked at Madame Giry expectedly.

"Alright," the older woman said grudgingly. "You've been slacking off, but you're still doing very well. Don't make me talk with you about this again."

"I'll try not to." Amme replied slightly sarcastically.

"And don't talk to me in that tone, either," the older woman commanded sternly. "Now, run along to rehearsal, will you? And don't slack off anymore."

Amme forced herself not to roll her eyes as she 'ran off to rehearsal.'

"Ah, there you are, Amme."

Lots of people seemed to be looking for her today. "Oui, monsieur?"

Andre shifted slightly. "Well, I was simply wondering…you see, you've seemed rather distracted lately, and I was wondering if you can manage opening night tomorrow. If not, Carlotta can sing your part instead."

Amme had never suspected this happening before. "I can do this. I just had this…almost exact same conversation with Madame Giry, and I can do this. I'm not distracted—at least, not anymore. I'll be fine."

"Well…." Andre wasn't convinced. "Unless you change your mind…"

"I'll be fine," Amme repeated.

Andre gave in. "Very well, then. If you're sure, Amme, then I won't argue with you. I wasn't very keen on giving Carlotta the part, anyways," he added to himself. "Not when the Opera Ghost was very specific about who got…." His voice trailed off. Straightening out, he said louder, "I'll see you later, then, Mademoiselle."

Amme watched him walk off with some uneasiness. How come everyone seemed to think she couldn't do this? She had been working so hard…why hadn't they noticed that? She had had a lot on her mind, obviously, but she thought it hadn't shown in her performance.

"Amme!"

The elf's uneasiness turned into angry and irritation when she saw who called her name.

"There you are!" Pearl Morin literally skipped up next to her. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Why, pray tell?" Amme asked coldly.

"Well, you understand me and Erik, don't you?" Pearl began mischievously.

Was the human girl trying to get herself killed? Amme could only hold onto her temper for so long, and the stupid human saw before what happened when she completely lost it. "What about you and Erik?"

"I was afraid," Pearl said slyly. "That when he broke my wrist," she held up a cast. "That meant things were over between us…."

"He broke your wrist?" Amme had to admit, she was surprised, and rather impressed. "Why? And When?"

Pearl did not want to answer those questions, so she didn't. "But I'm sure you'll be happy to know that we had sex only last night. So everything's going just wonderful again, and you can now forget all about him. He doesn't need you," she added spitefully. "He has me now."

Amme felt as if she had just been rammed in the stomach by an iron fist. She couldn't think of anything to say; what was there to say, anyways? For the first time since she was seventeen, she had lost an actual battle. She knew it was a battle; over what, though? Had she been defending her honor, her pride, or was it over the Phantom himself? Whatever the cause had been, though, Amme would not have expected to lose to such a delicate looking human girl.

Pearl delightedly watched her words' effect on Amme. "And that's all." The human girl skipped off, just as happy leaving as she had been coming.

Amme walked as though in a daze. She had just realized something, something important, something now impossible. Why did she always realize important things when it was too late to do anything about them?

"Amme!"

"What?" Amme snarled, jerking around to face a very confused Joshua Eddison.

"Oh! Um…are you alright?"

She sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm alright. What is it?'

"Well," he began. "I've heard you've been having a tough time lately, and I just wanted you to know that if you ever need someone to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on, or anything like that, I'm here for you." He had rehearsed that speech several times before, but Amme didn't know.

"Thanks, Josh," she said softly. "And I am really sorry I snapped at you."

"Ah, it's okay," he replied forgivingly. "Don't worry about it."

Amme smiled weakly. And then she leaned forward, and kissed him lightly on the lips.

-

Amme didn't want to go. She could have stayed in bed the whole day, and would have preferred it to facing the world. Starlight had to scratch her several times before she got up.

"Blasted cat," she muttered.

What's the matter with you? Starlight scolded. Just because you've had a rough few days, you've never given up like this before.

"Things haven't been like this before," Amme retorted.

What things? What's going on, Amme?

Amme didn't responded. She knew what was wrong, but that didn't mean she'd admit them to anyone.

Well, Starlight concluded. If you're not going to tell me, it can't be that bad. Now, march!

Amme did not enjoy taking orders from a cat, but ,after all, she had learned long ago it was impossible to argue with one.

Come on, woman! You don't have all day!

They were also so damn unsympathetic.

-

Everything that could have gone wrong on opening night did go wrong.

First, one of dancers sprained his ankle during rehearsal, and obviously couldn't perform. Then, one of the singers didn't show up to either rehearsal or the performance. She had a small role, but that didn't mean people weren't extremely annoyed with her. Carlotta then had a sudden fit of brattiness, and complained loudly how she didn't see why Amme got the lead when she, Carlotta, was such a better singer, and prettier, too. Amme ignored all her insults, even though they were shouted right in her ear, and Carlotta ended up going to whine to Andre, who was a much more sympathetic listener.

But everything finally came crashing down halfway through act two of the performance.

Amme was just getting ready to go onstage and sing her solo, when she spied Christine talking frantically to Madame Giry. She didn't think much of it, until she heard her name.

"…think we should tell Amme?" Christine asked worriedly.

"Tell me what?" Amme asked, frowning.

"Nothing," Madame Giry lied quickly and obviously.

"If something's going on that concerns me, I'd like to know."

"It…doesn't directly concern you," Christine said slowly.

Amme glared at them. "What. Is. Going. On?"

Christine gave in fairly quickly. "You know that girl who didn't show up tonight? Catherine Roy?"

Amme nodded, not seeing where this was going.

"Well, I went to investigate why she didn't come, and…it turns out, she's a few months pregnant."

"What does this have to do with me?"

Christine now looked a little scared. "Not directly, remember. And I'm not even sure…." She sighed. "Mademoiselle Roy claims the father is Joshua Eddison."

Amme's eyes widened, but before she could say anything, Madame Giry cut in. "It doesn't matter! Forget about this for now, you need to sing! Go on, get onstage!"

She literally pushed Amme out.

Amme stood, center stage, her legs shaking like a newborn filly's. Her mouth opened, but, for what seemed like eternity, no sound came out. Just as everyone began to think she would be sick, her voice came warbling out.

"Love—soft as the feathers on an eagle's wings

Love—joyful as the feeling a rainbow brings…"

'The father is Joshua Eddison…'

"Bright as the moon at night when the stars shine…"

'A few months pregnant' A few months…

"Please promise me you are mine…"

Pregnant? He left me too.

"Love—pure as snow falling on the mountainside…"

'Pure?' Yeah, right. If love is pure, why is this happening to me?

"Love—dries the tears that will no longer be cried…"

And destroys everything it meets. Why do men do this? They're all the same—Joshua, the Phantom…

"Free as the mighty sea that breaks the shores

I promise you I am yours…"

The Phantom?

"You and I and I and You…"

Erik…?

"Leaving each…other…never…"

Can't even count all the damn times he said he loved me.

"I don't care what anyone says because I know it's not true…"

'Anyone?' 'Not true?' That is true…no one's ever honest with me…

"Come rain, sun or snow fall I want us to be always together…"

At least Erik had the decency to leave me before he starting sleeping with another woman.

"Me and you and you and me…"

Michel…I left him for Michel…he left me for Pearl…

"That's how I…I want it to stay…"

I left him for Erik and he left me for Catherine Roy…

"The kind of l-love I'm feeling…"

Am I as bad as them? Am I worse?

"…will…endure through e-eternity…"

'…judge someone on the purpose for their actions.' What did he mean by that?

"There's nothing left…to fear…"

'Forget about this for now!' '…forget all about him.'

"…As long as…y-y-you are here…"

'He doesn't need you.'

"…with…with me each day…"

Phantom…'he doesn't need you…'

"Love…"

Erik…

"Love—warm as the rain's p-promise…"

Erik…

"…rain's…rain's…promise…there…"

Erik!

"…there…sun…

Love…

Love…

L…"

Amme's eyes rolled back, and her shaking legs collapsed beneath her.

-

Special thanks to my brother for writing the song/poem. I tried to write one, but nothing would come --I'm not that much of a poet/composer.