Elsa felt herself grow weaker and weaker, though she continued on, and never gave up on her true love for Jack.
"The magical sitar falls from the roof and says, 'The greatest thing you'll ever learn . . . is just to love and be loved in return.'" Jack said so passionately as Hans watched them rehearsing. Jack and Elsa were stealing glimpses at each other as Esmeralda neared Hans.
"This ending is silly. Why would a courtesan go for the penniless writer? Whoops. I mean, sitar player." Esmeralda mocked as Hans noticed the way Elsa and Jack looked at one another and she strolled back to where The Queen of Hearts and Merida were sitting.
"Come what may.~" Wiggins sang.
"I will love you.~" Phoebus sang as he looked deep into Elsa's eyes.
"Come what may.~" The cast sang along together, arms outstretched.
"Yes, I will love you.~" Elsa and Phoebus sang together, holding each other's hands.
"Come what may. I will love you till my dying day.~" They all sang together as they all made their final pose.
"I don't like this ending." Hans said aloud. Everyone stopped dead in their tracks, Elsa crossed her arms, careful not to ruin her beautiful Indian dress, her ruby and gold headdress sparkled with every step. Jack grasped his paper, he wore a simple hat and scarf, making a sour face.
"Don't like the ending? Why don't you?" Oaken asked, no longer playing the part of the crying, evil maharajah and looking rather somber.
"Why would the courtesan choose . . . a penniless sitar player over the maharajah . . . who is offering a lifetime of security? That's real love. Once the sitar player has satisfied his lust . . . he will leave the courtesan with nothing. I suggest that in the end, the courtesan chose the maharajah." Hans stood and walked closer to the stage.
"But, but . . . sorry. But that ending does not uphold the Bohemian ideals of . . . truth, beauty, freedom . . . and love." Wiggins cut in, managing to balance himself in his sitar costume as he approached Hans.
"I don't care about your ridiculous dogma! Why shouldn't the courtesan choose the maharajah!?" Hans shouted, his face turning red as he stepped closer towards the stage.
"Because she doesn't love you! Him. Him. She doesn't love . . . she doesn't love him." Jack shouted the former, all realizing what he had just confessed, though he tried to cover up his mistake with the latter, but Hans was finally realizing what what happening right before his very eyes.
"Now I see. Monsieur Oaken, this ending will be rewritten . . . with the courtesan choosing the maharajah . . . and without the lovers' secret song. It will be rehearsed in the morning, ready for the opening night tomorrow night." Hans stated matter-of-factly.
"My dear Duke, that will be quite impossible." Oaken swallowed, his face filled with worry.
"Oaken, the poor Duke is being treated appallingly. These silly writers let their imaginations run away with them. Why don't you and I . . . have a little supper? Then afterwards . . . we can let Monsieur Oaken know how we would prefer the story to end." Elsa neared Hans, swaying her hips, walking with confidence. Her voice was like a sweet purring, every word dipped in honey as her lips came in contact with Hans' ear as he stood there motionless, Jack felt miniscule as rehearsal was over and Gerda helped Elsa get ready for dinner.
"I don't want you to sleep with him." Jack pleaded with Elsa as he held his hat in his hands, bending the brim.
"He could destroy everything. It's for us, you promised. You promised me you wouldn't be jealous. It will be alright. Yes, it will." Elsa's eyes looked so sad as she tried to convince Jack that she was only looking out for the best. She kissed his temple as Jack felt himself falling to pieces.
"He's waiting." Elsa began walking away, until Jack grabbed her wrist, the threat of tears burning his eyes.
"No. No." Jack couldn't let go, though Elsa knew she had to do what was best for not only Oaken and the Moulin Rouge, but also for Jack and herself.
"Come . . . what may. Come what may.~" She sang sweetly in his eye as a single tear escaped Jack, but she would not falter.
"Come what may." Jack responded as he walked away. Elsa was bound and determined to save them all, and all everyone could do in return was wait.
"My dear Duke, I hope I have not kept you waiting." Elsa wore a black tightly fitted dress, black lace gloves, along with a black veil, she pulled it back as the blue lighting brought out her creamy skin, bold red lips, bright azure eyes and platinum blonde hair curled and elegantly pinned back. Hans licked his lips as he neared her and the bed.
Meanwhile, the rest of the cast sat in the bar, eating and drinking in silence, until Esmeralda walked up to Jack, who had just downed another beer.
"Don't worry, Shakespeare, you'll get your ending. Once the Duke gets his . . . end in." Esmeralda sat on Jack's lap as he looked nearly wasted, but he was still able to throw her off of him as Phoebus immediately stood up.
"Esmeralda. No, no." Phoebus protested, holding her away from him.
"Keep your hands off me!" Esmeralda pushed against Phoebus, but he wouldn't let her go; he simply tried to calm her. Everyone stood in silence, waiting to see what would happen next, then Phoebus approached Jack once Esmeralda calmed down.
"Never fall in love with a woman who sells herself. It always ends bad!" Phoebus shouted the latter as someone dropped a tin cup, Jack recoiled as he looked around, the entire room was tense now.
"The boy has a ridiculous obsession with me. I indulge his fantasy because he's talented. We need him . . . but only until tomorrow night." Elsa stood by the fire as Hans admired her, she was simply waving off .
"There is a dance . . . in the brothels of Buenos Aires. It tells the story . . . (Mickey and his band begin playing tango music) of a prostitute . . . and a man . . . who falls in love . . . with her. First . . . there is desire! Then . . . passion! Then suspicion! Jealousy! Anger! Betrayal! When love is for the highest bidder, there is no trust. Without trust, there is no love! Jealousy . . .. Yes, jealousy . . . will drive you mad!" Phoebus begins speaking passionately as Esmeralda plays the role of a prostitute. She walks close to him as they begin to dance the tango, both stomping the ground as Elsa and Hans have dinner, she takes off her gloves, seating across from him. Esmeralda dances passionately with Phoebus as several men look at her and dance with her, Jack knew Elsa and Hans were together.
"Roxanne
You don't have to put on that red light
Walk the streets for money
You don't care if it's wrong or if it is right
Roxanne
You don't have to wear that dress tonight
Roxanne
You don't have to sell your body to the night.~"
Phoebus sings as Esmeralda is passed off from man-to-man, her face filled with lure and lust.
"His eyes upon your face
His hand upon your hand
His lips caress your skin
It's more than I can stand.~"
Jack began to sing as he pictured Elsa and Hans together whilst the rest of the Diamond Dogs began to dance with the other cast members. Esmeralda gazes at Phoebus as he glides a hand along her chest, until she walks away, teasing and looking at him through the iron bars on the other side of the room.
"Roxanne.~" Phoebus sang again as he watched Esmeralda with another man.
"Why does my heart cry?~" Jack sang on as he gripped his chest.
"Roxanne.~" Phoebus sang again, his voice husky and filled with passion.
"Feelings I can't fight
You're free to leave me, but just don't deceive me
And please believe me when I say I love you.~"
Jack sang in a sorrowful yet melodious voice. Meanwhile, Elsa was luring the Duke, though wishing she was with Jack.
"Roxanne.~" Phoebus echoed again as Esmeralda flung herself at another man.
"Why does my heart cry?~"
Jack sang as he walked amongst the couples, only thinking of Elsa and Hans.
"Roxanne.~"
Phoebus paced about the room, always on the opposite side of Esmeralda, clearly lust and jealousy were in his eyes.
"Feelings I can't fight
You're free to leave me
But just don't deceive me
And please believe me
When I say
I love you.~"
Jack sang as his somber blue eyes caught sight of Mickey and Wiggins becoming drunk as they waited impatiently for Elsa.
"When this production succeeds . . . you will no longer be a cancan dancer . . . but an actress. I will make you a star." Hans approached Elsa, who was sitting on the other side of the table, one of his servants was following him, holding a large black velvet box. Hans drew ever closer with each word, lust in his eyes as his skin turned somewhat flushed from the alcohol he'd consumed.
"Accept it . . . as a gift from his maharajah to his courtesan." The servant opened up the box as Hans pulled out an elegant diamond necklace adorned with sapphires, they complemented each other in swirling designs, covering her neck and collarbone.
"And . . . and the ending?" Elsa wasn't drinking at all and found herself regretting it as she watched Hans near her. A part of her was disgusted, though she knew she was the only one who could control him.
"Let Oaken keep his fairy-tale ending." Hans kissed Elsa shoulder as she tried her best not to cringe.
"Roxanne.~" Phoebus sang aloud.
"Why does my heart cry?
Feelings I can't fight
You're free to leave me
But just don't deceive me
And please believe me
When I say
I love you.~"
Jack felt his heart breaking.
"Roxanne
You don't have to put on that red light
Roxanne
You don't have to put on that dress tonight
Roxanne
Roxanne.~"
Both Phoebus and Jack finished their songs as they echoed over one another as Jack made his way out of the Moulin Rouge, walking under the tower were Elsa and Hans were. Elsa and Hans were on the balcony now as she looked out into the night. She felt her heart breaking as she thought of Jack.
"Come what may . . . I will love you till my dying day.~" She sang to herself quietly as she spotted Jack. Their eyes met as she felt Hans' breath on her back; Jack thought she was singing to Hans and felt a rage bursting inside him as he walked back toward his apartment.
"No." Elsa said firmly as she pulled away from Hans.
"No? Oh I see. It's our very own penniless sitar player." Hans spotted Jack as Elsa walked back inside, Hans closed the doors as he felt hatred and betrayal built up inside him.
"My dear Duke-" Elsa tried to calm him once again, but Hans was not having it.
"Silence! You made me believe that you loved me!" Hans grabbed her wrists violently as Elsa felt herself shaking, she was scared and defenseless. For the first time in her life, Elsa could not control a man into doing as she pleased. She began recoiling at a man's touch as she felt the need to get as far away from Hans as possible, but alas, he would not let her escape that easily. Once he released her wrists, breaking the opulent necklace as diamonds scattered on the floor, Elsa stood and began to run from him, but still her persisted, chasing her around the table as Elsa flung the plates and glasses towards Hans as he managed to avoid them, grabbing Elsa and dragging her to the bed by her hair. His hand clasped around her breast as he ripped her dress off and began forcefully kissing her. Elsa screamed in protest as he began to pull off the buttons of her bodice, suddenly Le Chocolat appeared and knocked Hans out as he carried her to her quarters in a robe.
Jack was staring out his window, his mind run away with him. Suddenly his door burst open as Elsa ran toward him, her hair askew, she was wearing a robe over her undergarments as Le Chocolate stood in the doorway.
"I couldn't. I couldn't go through with it." Elsa gasped as she began crying, Jack embraced her as he tried to calm her down.
"I saw you there, and I felt differently and I couldn't pretend. And the Duke, he saw! He saw and he . . . Jack, I love you." Elsa managed to get out between sobs.
"It's ok." Jack's voice was calming, he gingerly stroked her head.
"I couldn't do it. I didn't want to pretend anymore. I didn't want to lie. I don't. And he knows. He knows and he . . ." Elsa sounded hysterical, yet she felt so free, as if the weight had been lifted off of her shoulders and she could at last tell the truth.
"You don't have to pretend anymore. We'll leave. We'll leave tonight." Jack suggested as Elsa looked up at him in surprise.
"Leave? But the show." Elsa looked a bit concerned, she finally had calmed down a bit.
"I don't care. I don't care about the show, we have each other, that's all that matters." Jack said as he shook his head, holding her close.
"Yes. As long as we have each other. We have each other." Elsa held Jack's face as she began kissing him lovingly, he grasped her waist and kissed her back.
"Chocolat, take miss Elsa to her dressing room to pack." Jack half requested, half demanded as Le Chocolat nodded in agreement, knowing this would be best.
"No one must see you. Do you understand?" Jack asked as he looked at the tall man standing like a statue in the doorway, his featured regal yet subdued.
"I understand." Le Chocolat nodded, as he knew this would be nearly an impossible task, but he would do anything for his dear friend.
"Darling, you go and pack. I'll be waiting." Jack kissed Elsa one more time as she walked out with Le Chocolat.
"It's the boy, he has bewitched her with words. I want her back Oaken, find her. Tell her that the show will end my way and she will come to me when the curtain falls, or I'll have the boy killed." Hans was sitting on the bed as one of his servants was tending to his head injury. Oaken was standing nearby, clearly worried.
"Killed?" Oaken looked stunned as Gaston appeared next to him, both Oaken and Hans looked at him.
"Killed." Hans whispered as Gaston nodded.
"Forgive the intrusion cherub." Oaken unexpectedly appeared in Elsa's room as she was packing as quickly as possible, Gerda turned on the light as Oaken's gloomy voice resonated throughout the room.
"You're wasting your time Oaken." Elsa glanced at Oaken, but still continued to pack.
"Poppet you don't understand; the Duke is going to kill Jack, he's insanely jealous. Do his ending and sleep with him tomorrow night, or the Duke will have Jack killed." Oaken said in a warning tone. Elsa's heart stopped beating as she went to change.
"He can't scare us." Elsa breathed, tears welling up in her eyes as she walked out and stared at Oaken.
"He's a powerful man, you know he can do it. What are you doing?" Oaken's voice was no longer patient and kind, but rather abrasive and callous.
"I don't need you anymore!" Elsa threw off her silk kimono she'd just put on and continued to pack.
"You always made me believe I was only worth what someone would pay for me! But Jack loves me. He loves me Oaken. He loves me. And that is worth everything." Elsa put on a heavy coat, at first yelling at him, but gradually finding a softer tone when she thought of Jack.
"We're going away from you, away from the Duke, away from the Moulin Rouge! Goodbye Oaken." Elsa yelled as she turned towards the door.
"You're dying Elsa. You're dying." Oaken's voice cut through her like a knife, stopping her in her tracks.
"Another trick Oaken?" Elsa coughed as she rested her hand on the door frame, she suddenly felt weak.
"No, my love. The doctor told us." Oaken said with a compassionate tone.
"Gerda?" Elsa turned to look at her with morose eyes as Gerda reflected the same expressive eyes filled with tears.
"Oh, I'm dying. I was a fool to believe. A fool to believe it all ends today. Yes it all ends today.~" Elsa began sweating as Gerda guided her to bed. She felt her body temperature rising as her energy level fell, if it weren't for Gerda, she surely would have collapsed.
"Send Jack away. Only you can save him." Oaken said in a tender tone.
"He'll fight for me." Elsa breathed out, coughing in between words.
"Yes, unless he believes you don't love him." Oaken said raising his eyebrows at her suggestively.
"What?" Elsa looked at Oaken, suddenly feeling a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"You're a great actress Elsa, make him believe you don't love him." Oaken knew what he was asking of Elsa, but for once he was not thinking of the Moulin Rouge, but of Elsa and Jack.
"No." Elsa shook her head, but that only made the room spin.
"Use your talent to save him. Hurt him. Hurt him to save him. There is no other way; the show must go on Elsa." With each word, Elsa felt herself slowly sinking into despair, she had only just been completely honest to herself and Jack about her true feelings, and know she must revert back to the way things were.
"We're creatures of the underworld, we can't afford to love." Oaken said so as Elsa felt deep down that he was right.
"Today's the day when dreaming ends.~" Elsa sang solemnly as she stopped crying.
"Another hero, another mindless crime
Behind the curtain, in the pantomime
On and on, does anybody know what we are living for
Whatever happens
We leave it all to chance
Another heartache, another failed romance
On and on, does anybody know what we are living for
The show must go on
The show must go on
Outside the dawn is breaking
On the stage
That holds our final destiny
The show must go on
The show must go on.~"
Oaken sang aloud as everyone worked to finished the costumes, the sets, and any last minute rehearsals.
"Inside my heart is breaking
My make-up may be flaking
But my smile still stays on.~"
Elsa sang as she readied herself, wearing all black, hair tied up and a black lace veil over her face.
"The show must go on
The show must go on.~"
Oaken continued as he walked through the theater, the curtains coming down, costumes and sets being moved into place as Elsa walked through the curtains.
"I'll top the bill,
I'll earn the kill
I have to find the will to carry
On with the
On with the
On with the show
The Show must go on!~"
Oaken and Elsa sang together as she made her way toward Jack, her eyes red from crying, her lipstick on perfectly and her bright azure eyes now becoming dull and dreary. Yet she continued on to see Jack as he gazed out at the Moulin Rouge, suddenly Elsa was walking through his door as she turned toward her.
"What's wrong?" Jack asked in a worried-some tone.
"I'm staying with the Duke." Elsa said so flatly and breathlessly, yet she held her composure and with each word she tried to convince not only Jack, but herself as well.
"After I left, the Duke came to see me and he offered me everything. Everything I've ever dreamed of. He has one condition; I must never see you again. I'm sorry." She finally sounded convincing as Jack looked at her in confusion.
"What are you talking about?" He approached her as she walked away from him, unable to look him in the eye when he was so close.
"You knew who I was." Elsa said so in a matter-of-fact tone as she continued to turn away from him.
"What about last night?" Jack reached out to her but Elsa refused to be held by him.
"I don't expect you to understand." Elsa tried to laugh off any human feelings as she pressed on, putting on her best performance.
"The difference between you and I is that you can leave any time you choose, but this is my home. The Moulin Rouge is my home." Elsa turned towards him and was beginning to feel breathless, trying not to cough.
"There must be something else, this can't be real. Something's wrong. Tell me what it is, tell me the truth." Jack pleaded as Elsa turned and walked towards the door, but he caught her by the arms and refused to let her go.
"Tell me the truth!" Jack pleaded again as Elsa tried to pull away, but he wouldn't allow it.
"The truth? The truth is, I am the Hindi courtesan and I choose the maharajah. That's how the story really ends." Elsa said so convincingly that she too was starting to believe it. Jealousy had driven Jack mad as he tried to run after her, yelling out her name, but she dragged herself to her room to change and Jack was pulled away from the entrance to the Moulin Rouge. It began to rain as Gaston and another burly man pulled Jack away and beat him in the streets until he lay there unable to move an inch, the taste of blood on his tongue as he felt utterly defeated. Phoebus and Mickey carried him back to his bed, managing to help him as best as they could.
"Things aren't always as they seem." Wiggins sat near Jack and tried to comfort him.
"Things are exactly as they seem Wiggins." Jack said in a down-trotted tone.
"Jack, you may see me only as a drunken, vice-ridden gnome whose friends are just pimps and girls from the brothels, but I know about art and love. If only because I long for it with every fiber of my being. She loves you, I know it. I know she loves you." Wiggins said so compassionately.
"Go away Wiggins, leave me alone. Go away. Go away!" Jack had shouted as Wiggins stood and put on his coat and hat. Jack had wanted to shut out what Wiggins had said, but he had filled Jack with doubt. There was only one way to be sure. He had to know, so he returned to the Moulin Rouge one last time.