Miss Mercury

Loss

*Warning this is a sad one*

Amelia settled very quickly into her new home. The first week she found a bit lonely but she had plenty of visitors to see the new flat and eventually, she's glad to have a place of her own.

With the end of June brought the end of her contract with Mamma Mia but she's okay with that. It was a good experience for her but she's not a big fan of ABBA and she's had enough of the love story.

She was offered a new role after she auditioned for two roles, one as Nancy in Oliver, which she knew she'd never get and the other as Liesl in the Sound of Music. But she didn't get either of the roles in the end.

Brian and Roger had called asking her to take the role of Scaramouche from the end of August through to November.

Hannah Jane Fox who usually plays her had broken her leg and can't perform, luckily the production was on a short break at the time so she started rehearsals the 1st of August and the show reopened night is the 29th of August and her last night is the 30th of November.

That, however, is the least of her concerns at the moment, Jer had informed her just two days ago that Bomi is unwell. She feels guilty to admit it but Amelia hasn't seen as much of her grandparents and aunt as she should of, she visits them a few times throughout the year but with this news, she is round there on the next day she has off.

It's the end of October and Amelia just pulled up outside her grandparent's house, locking the car she walks up the path and is met at the door by Jer, "Hello Grandma," She smiles hugging her.

Returning the hugging Jer leads her granddaughter inside, "Oh we've missed you and you've grown so much. You look just like your father. Tea?"

"Coffee, please," Amelia follows her to the kitchen and takes over making the drinks.

"Such a good girl," Jer praises but it causes Amelia's face to drop, "What the matter dear?"

"I'm sorry I haven't been around much, I..."

Jer halts her words, "Nonsense. You've been busy over the past couple of years. Finishing school, three different musicals and now your own place. I'm sorry I couldn't see you in Beauty and the Beast but I've seen you in Mamma Mia and We Will Rock You, you were born to be on stage just like your father."

She'd always given Jer and Kash the dates for her performances but she thought they hadn't come, "You never said you'd come to see them?"

"Kash and I came to see them, I've never seen a proper stage musical before but I have to say I've found a new interest. I can't wait to see what you do next," Jer sips her tea quietly both of them enjoying a comfortable silence for a time.

Amelia broke the silence though, "How's Grandpa?"

The older woman's face drops, "I won't lie to you dear, he's getting weaker by the day."

"Is there anything the doctors can do?" She may not see them often but she still loves them and once upon a time she was a real Granddads girl.

"No," Jer bows her head hiding her tears, "It's old age, dear. It comes for us all eventually, it's just a time of waiting now. Come up, he'd love to see you." She follows her upstairs leaving her mug on the countertop.

------

Pulling into her car parking space Amelia wipes away the tears that had fallen on the journey home and when she opened the door to the flat she got a bad feeling.

She knows Romeo is in the flat because he doesn't go outside when she isn't there but it's quiet, no sound of the bell on his collar, he doesn't come to the door like he does sometimes and there's just silences throughout the entire flat.

"Romeo?" She calls out for him and nothing, no meow or sound of him moving. She checks the living room, her room and lastly the spare bedroom and he's fast asleep on the bed, "There you are, lazy boy."

Cooing at him she worryingly gets no response, "Romeo?" She coos again and it's only as she gets closer that she can hear his wheezing, laboured breathing.

Grabbing the carry case she gently puts him in and races back down to the car calling Brian on the way asking him to meet her at the emergency vets.

She pretty sure she broke a few speed limits but she doesn't care, the vet takes him straight away asking her questions, "Has he been okay the past few days? Any changes in his eating habits or behaviour?"

"Um... he's slept more than usual and been very cuddly but he can be like that sometimes. As for food, he was eating okay yesterday but not so much today now that I think about it."

"Alright we'll check him over, the nurse will take you to the waiting area," He informs. Amelia follows the nurse and waits.

She watched the door waiting to see who would come through it first, Brian or the vet. Moving her gaze from the door she goes into her own little world and doesn't notice Brian come through the door,

"Milly?" He whispers resting a hand on her shoulder. Looking up she doesn't know what to say, "What happened?"

"I don't know. I got back found him curled up on the spare bed wheezing and laboured breathing, the vet hasn't come back out yet."

Before Brian can say anything the nurse comes back and leads them to the vet's office, "Is he alright?" She asks the man, Romeo nowhere in sight.

"I've looked him over, he has a twisted stomach..."

Amelia sits heavily in the empty chair, "What does that mean for his chances?"

"A twisted stomach is very common in a cat of his age. We can operate but because of his age the chances of him making it through the surgery are slim and if he does make it through the chances are it will happen again. The humane thing to do would be to put him down but I'll leave the decision to you."

Romeo's been her buddy since she was a baby and she's surprised he's lived this long, Oscar had passed away at the beginning of the year. She can't imagine life without Romeo but she doesn't want him to be in pain so she nods, "Okay. Can I see him first?" She couldn't stop her sobs and Brian holds her hand.

"You can be with him when we do it?" The vet offers.

He leads her through to the work station where Romeo is curled up on the table a nurse fussing him. The nurse steps aside and Amelia crouches next to the work table stroking his soft fur, "Hey buddy."

She wasn't sure if he would react but did his best to meow though it sounds more like a squeak and the tears flow down her face.

As the vet started the procedure Amelia talks to her buddy, "Your gonna be okay. You're gonna see all your other cat brothers and sisters and dad too, he'll be there to take care of you again."

His eyes start to droop and she kisses his head, "You're a good boy." When the vet confirms he's gone she cries into his fur.

The vet left room and Brian came in holding her tight, she hadn't felt this much pain since losing her dad, she hasn't cried so much since then.

When she calmed down she removes Romeo's collar and signs the paperwork before driving back to the flat to pack a bag. Brian offered her to come home for the night and she accepted it not wanting to be alone.

------

Amelia pushed on through the last few weeks in We Will Rock You and once she finished she decided to have a break until after Christmas taking the time to heal.

Slowly she did start to heal, the bright Christmas lights, Christmas shops and music brightened her spirits. Christmas day had been lovely she went home of course but boxing day brought the news she knew was coming.

Jer rang that afternoon to inform her that her Granddad had passed away, she attended the funeral just four days later but her healing heart broke once again. It ended up a rubbish end to what had been a rather good year.

Sorry, it was such a sad one. It broke my heart to write Romeo out but he was getting old, I was crying as I wrote it.

I am aware that there would have been an understudy for Scaramouche but I wanted Amelia to be in We Will Rock You at some point for a short time at least. Time jump ahead.