"Love is friendship that has caught fire. It is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses."

― Ann Landers

Karma chokes back the sob that wants to escape.

"Something changed the moment we kissed /I never knew it could feel like this," she sings, the lights blinding her.

After posting the YouTube video, her popularity soared and now she's doing gigs all over the place, in this bar and that. The crowd is cheering her on but she doesn't hear them, not really. Her mind is far away. Her mind is in the past with a certain blonde Russian that could make her heartbeat pick up in an instant.

She misses her. Even after all these months, she misses her. Karma never really knew, never really understood how you could connect with someone so quickly but now she does and god, god doesn't it feel so good. Even though it hurts, she wouldn't trade those few precious moments for anything.

If absence makes the heart grow fonder, then her heart is the fondest. The Russian had been gone most of her life.

After they parted, Karma locked herself away, focusing on music to ease the pain. Her parents were a little worried but she got up, went to work and came home so they didn't say anything, just hoped she'd snap out of it and she has, kind of. She still locks herself away most of the time but music has helped, the fact other people enjoy it is a bonus.

Hush, Hush was one of the first songs she'd written after the Russian had left her and it was the last one she revealed to the world. She never really planned to share it but after a particularly bad dream of Amy that left her with far too many tears and fist full of heartbreak, Karma decided to play it for the world. What did she have to lose? Maybe somebody out there could get comfort from her pain, maybe sharing this could be her therapy.

It is…kind of. It helps and hurts her all at once, like her body's turning inside out, not knowing what to do. Not knowing whether to love or loathe the memories, that beautiful face, that perfect shade of green.

The song comes to the end and she zones back in. She takes a deep breath as the song comes to a close. The crowd cheers and she smiles, imagining Amy smiling back and sitting just by the bar watching her. She shakes off the thought before taking in the crowd. There's not use in wishing to see Amy. She hopes she never has to see her again. Karma's heart couldn't take her being married to somebody else.

She coughs to empty her throat and clear away her thoughts.

"Thanks for coming out and listening to me play. I hope you've had a good evening and I hope to see you guys again." She waves before tucking her guitar under her arm and leaving the stage, leaving her therapy behind.

She fights her way out of the bar and throws her guitar in the trunk after dealing with the bar manager. Now she can go home, crawl into bed and sleep. Now she can go home and try to forget, try to move on.

It's when she's finishing up her gig a few days later that she really begins to worry.

There's Amy again, sitting by the bar and watching her. She thinks Amy might be crying but she can't see from this far away and the lights hurt her eyes a little.

She's crazy. Amy has made her go crazy.

She closes her eyes and focuses on singing, on hitting these last notes so that she can finish her set and go home. Go to her safe place where she can fall into madness on her own.

It's as she's throwing her guitar onto her shoulder and preparing to leave that she really thinks she's gone completely crazy.

"Hey, golubushka."

"A-Aims-Amy. I'm going crazy, aren't I?" Amy chuckles until she notices Karma nearly crying.

"Hey, hey. Don't cry. It's me, I'm here, and you're not crazy. Well, maybe you're crazy for me but that's it." Amy winks and Karma looks away, sad look still in place.

"Lastochka, what's wrong?"

"How's-How's your husband?" Karma asks, composing herself and squaring her shoulders. Amy looks down and shrugs.

"I wouldn't know. I-I don't have one."

"What?" Karma's eyes go wide and she nearly drops her guitar before taking it off and leaning it against the wall. "I mean-No…what?"

"I didn't get married."

"Why?"

"Because?"

"Because?"

"You."

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

"What did I do?" Karma says, indignant at being blamed. Amy laughs, the line of her lips tilting upwards.

"You, golubushka, you made me fall in love with you."

"In love with me?"

"Yes, now will you stop repeating me?"

"Stop repeating you? I mean, yeah. Sorry."

"It's okay."

"Hey, where were you a few days ago?" Karma asks, curious frown in place.

"Watching you."

"That's creepy."

"Not if you were doing a show. Your voice-You sing so beautifully. You're so expressive, so open and honest when you sing. It's-it's amazing. I tried to find you after but you had left." Karma blushes and looks down. "Hey." Amy steps forwards and stands in front of Karma. She cradles her head and forces Karma to look up. "Don't put your head down, don't be embarrassed by your talent."

"You're-You're here," Karma whispers.

"Yes, I am here."

"And you're not married."

"No, I am not."

"What did you tell your parents?"

"The truth."

"Which is?"

"That I am in love with a beautiful, talented, sexy…woman."

"Oh."

"Yes."

"I see."

"Good. Now, is that woman in love with me?" Amy says, stepping back and letting her arms fall to her sides.

"Oh, I-yes."

"Good."

"Is it?"

"Yes. Now, come here." Karma looks up, frown in place. "Come here." Amy points to the spot in front of her and Karma steps into it. "Golubushka?"

"Yes?"

"Can I kiss you?"

"Yes?" Amy frowns. "I mean yes, yes." Amy leans forwards. "But wait," Karma says, pushing Amy away. "What about your family?"

"What about them?" Amy shrugs and looks away. "They told me to get over it, to forget it but I couldn't. I need to be here, to be with you." She turns to face Karma, eyes watery and voice soft.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Promise?"

"Don't you want me?"

"Of course I do, my love but I don't want you to regret this, to hate me. You can still pick them." Karma reaches out to stroke Amy's cheek.

"I don't want to. It hurts too much and I still have Lauren."

"Lauren? Your sister?"

"Yeah. She-She, er, told my parents that they are idiots for trying to make me live a lie, to think that I could just get over this. We live in the beach house together." Amy shrugs. "I think-I think my mother wants to get over this but my father, he's so stubborn." She shrugs again. "But I choose you."

"You do?"

"Yes."

"Then you better kiss me quick."

Amy steps forward.

Finis

A/N: Sorry it's so short but this is how I'm ending the piece. I may occasionally post a new one-shot but I don't know. I need to finish my other story! This one is already longer than I anticipated it to be and this ending it a bit rubbish -.- I might re-write it when I get the chance. Sorry to have left you down with this ending, guys. And sorry for taking so long…I'm just sorry.