Disclaimer: Don't own and never will.

AN: Okay…I really don't know where this came from…needless to say my muse is weird and leave it at that.

AN2: Aurore is seventeen in this and was written before season 2, episode 3 was broadcast

With practised ease, the young blond slipped out of the room with barely a sound. With a familiarity born of many a day, she quietly left the house discretely through the back door, leaving no trace that she was ever there.

As expected, there was nobody there. The street was quiet and the morning sun was slowly poking its way over the horizon and she paused for a moment to admire the view. Paris was beautiful in the early morning sunrise. The Eiffel Tower stood tall as the world slowly awoke and the pigeons began to take to the skies, while the river Seine glistened in the morning sun.

"Aurore, can we talk?" a familiar voice asked and she was suddenly pulled out of her reverie. Aurore turned and glared at the owner of the voice.

"Mireille" she said a touch coldly. "What are you doing here?"

"I live in this part of Paris," Mireille replied equally coldly. "Have you forgotten that already? Or did your boyfriend not tell you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," sniffed Aurore, trying to pretend her face wasn't heating up with mortification. "We're merely…work colleagues."

"Work colleagues don't sneak in late at night and leave in the early hours of the morning," Mireille pointed out before sighing. "Look Aurore, I don't know what he's said to you or promised but-"

"But nothing Mireille!" Aurore snapped angrily as she glared at her classmate, who recoiled slightly. "It's none of your business what goes on between me and him! What do you care anyway? You already took away my victory, my prize, my big starring role! You've won! But I'm not letting you take away the man that I love!"

For a moment, there was a stunned silence as tears ran down Aurore's cheeks and Mireille stood there in slack jawed amazement.

"You…love him?" she asked almost timidly and Aurore nodded.

"Is it really so hard to believe that the girl who froze you in a lift can actually feel love? Yes, I love him!"

"Aurore…he's never going to leave his wife for you. You're just…a distraction," Mireille paused, trying to find the right words to say.

"I'm just sex. I know. Just a girl for him to shag on the side, to have fun with. I know, but…" she paused for a moment, tears rolling down her cheeks. Of all the people to see her like this, it had to be her! "But…God help me, I love him."

"But…I mean…"

"He's charming and funny and he really gets me and I know that he's a married man and he has a reputation for being a womaniser but…" Aurore paused and looked up at Mireille. "You can't tell anyone. Nobody else must know. Ever."

"What are you going to do?" Mireille asked, but Aurore kept her eyes glaring at her.

"Promise you won't say a word. Nobody can know," she said and Mireille sighed.

"This is going to blow up in your face and get you hurt you know," she said and Aurore kept glaring. She sighed and looked away. "Fine, I won't tell anyone. But you should talk to someone about this."

"Oh yeah, I can see that going down well with my parents," Aurore snorted with contempt. "Hi mum, hi dad. I'm in love with one of my fellow co-workers and I go to his house twice a week for dinner and sex. Oh and he's married and has a reputation for being a womaniser," she paused and stared at Mireille. "Yeah, I can imagine how that conversation would go."

"I didn't say it had to be your parents. Just…someone you trust. Someone to confide in," she paused and looked gently into Aurore's eyes. "You're not happy, that much is obvious. You need help."

"Help," Aurore sneered with far less venom than she wanted. "Help? Why would I need help?" Mireille opened her mouth to speak, but Aurore simply pressed on. "I'm finally starting my celebrity career, I'm having mind blowingly great sex with the man that I love and…" her voice trailed off.

"A man who doesn't love you back and will never be yours," Mireille finished sympathetically and Aurore glared once more. "A man who sees you as just another mistress, another sex toy. You don't have to do this. Please, I know we're not friends, but-"

"You're right, we aren't friends," Aurore hissed. "We're not friends, nor family. It's none of your business what goes on between me and Alec Cataldi. Just stay out of my life, Mireille Caquet, just stay out my way!"

And with that, Aurore stormed off as tears ran down her cheeks.

AN: Okay, I've largely improvised a lot of the background details for this fic in light of a lack of background details. Forgive me?