Slowly she lifted her head from the empty stage,

"How was I?"

"Perfect," Christian smiled down at the woman he loved, then "Everything is arranged. We leave first thing tomorrow," Satine smiled, sitting up and catching his face in her hands, kissing him hard just because she was so relieved that they were finally free to be together. He smiled, kissing her lightly on the nose and then pulled her onto her feet,

"We better get back before someone sees you," Satine nodded, looking around at where, just an hour before, she had fallen to her 'death'. She blinked, remembering lying in Christian's arms, plotting how to get away from the Duke.

"It's too difficult, Christian. He'll never let me get away,"

"Satine, I –"

"Christian, you know that I love you and I would do anything to be with you I just ... I don't think it's possible,"

"Anything is possible –"

"If I'm not in that play he'll have you killed!"

"That is why you're going to be on that stage, being the best actress you can be. We have to put on a show, my darling,"

"... Christian, I'm fully aware there will be a show, I –"

"Listen to me," and she lay back while he stroked her hair and explained his master plan. Satine watched him talk of a great argument, ending with a beautiful reconciliation before she would fall to her death, and realised that she'd never felt this much love for someone in all of her days. He was such a romantic, so full of ideas and inspiration that she almost wanted to cry.

"Christian ..."

"You think I've missed something?"

"I do love you, more than anything," He smiled, stroking a blonde curl away from her face and placing a soft kiss on her lips.

* * * *

"You want me to what?"

"We need you to tell Harold Zidler that Satine is dying,"

"But ... She isn't! We've been seeing vast improvements with her health; the fainting is just a side effect of her ... Erm ... lavish lifestyle,"

"Mousier Zidler needs to believe that she is about to die,"

"Christian, it will break his heart," Satine whispered into his shoulder, but he tightened his grip on her knee and continued,

"Doctor, please,"

"I ... Satine, are you sure about this?"

"It's the only way," she sniffed, trying to ignore the tears flooding down her pale cheeks. She tried to hand him her bulging purse but he put up his hand,

"Go, quickly. Before I change my mind," he turned to Christian, gripping his hand firmly, "good luck."

* * * *

"Satine?" Christian turned back,

"Sorry, I'm coming now. She reached out for his hand, grasping it tightly and kissing his cheek. He put an arm around her, pulling her into him. They left the stage like that, finding Toulouse-Lautrec just inside the door onto the street holding a shawl.

"We don't want our plans scuppered now!" He giggled, flinging it over her. She kissed him softly on the cheek before leaving Christian to embrace his good friend.

"I hate to say farewell," Christian sighed as he walked with Satine to his humble abode, clutching her tightly all the way as if the Duke were about to swoop down from the sky and steal her away.

"You'll see him again," She promised, as she did not intend to stay away from Paris for too long. Harold and Marie were the closest thing she had to parents, and she could not bear to think that she would never set eyes on their proud faces ever again. No, they would return to the Moulin Rouge, one day. At last, Satine and Christian found themselves curled up in his small bed, completely each others.

"I love you, Christian."

"Until my dying day."

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