Well, this is it; the final chapter! Next is my "credits" page. I'm just listing off all the songs I used so I don't get sued or something. Better safe than sorry, eh?

After I get back from my vacation, then I will start the editing progress of this story. Gotta get rid of those super cheesy moments somehow :D

Thank so much for sticking with me, especially when I wouldn't post for months on end. And for making sure at least one review was left on every chapter. You have no idea how much they make me happy and fuel my energy to write. Thanks a bunch!

All my love,

~MisticLight

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Things changed after that….drastically changed.

My life has been filled with agony and darkness ever since the unexpected death of my sister. My mind is almost as bare as my heart. Daily activities have suddenly become strenuous, and nothing seems to make sense anymore. I just feel so unaccustomed to the outside world. As a result, I've been crawling farther inside myself.

The only one who seems to relatively understand this pain is Christian. We could spend hours on end either chatting about experiences with Satine—even if I usually did most of the talking since he hasn't known her as long as I have—or just sitting in silence, respecting the others thoughts. Christian is the only one I can talk to about Satine. Perhaps that's why I bought the vacant room underneath his.

Or perhaps it's because I couldn't stand living in the Moulin Rouge anymore. Whenever I walked down a hallway, my mind would fill with memories I thought were long forgotten. I found myself avoiding every window on the western wall. I didn't want to look at the elephant that still sat in the middle of the square. I didn't want to be reminded of all the secrets we shared. I didn't want the tears to fall when my mind to drifted back to the night she died; the way her eyes flickered from life to death right before my own eyes.

Not only was the wretched place filled with reminiscences of Satine, but it was also filled with Alex. Every word whispered, every feeling proclaimed; all of that lied within the Moulin Rouge. It felt as though a knife had wedged itself into my heart, and the long I stayed there, the deeper it went. So I had to leave the once glimmering Moulin Rouge.

Harold was too grief ridden with his star performer dying to truly notice my absence. But when I finally told him I was leaving, I couldn't help but notice a small glimmer of sadness added to his already depressed eyes. Perhaps he'd miss me after all.

Satine's death resulted in the fate of the show. It was never the same without her, and so business stopped within a couple of months. Harold didn't even try to stop the closure of his beloved Moulin Rouge. In his eyes, just as it was in mine, it would never be the same without Satine.

So when I'm not with Christian, I sit and just watch the destruction of my home. The windmill was the first to go. The first time its rotation was halted nearly broke my heart. It had long been a symbol of the Moulin Rouge, and even though I hated that place, I was still saddened by this loss. And then came the lights. One by one they'd flicker off, or some child would throw a pebble at it in hopes of causing an explosion. I'd have to position myself away from elephant as I watched the light bulbs fade. I don't think I'll ever be able to look at that thing, not even if it became a crumbled pile of scrap metal. The pain would still be fresh.

But recently Christian's been locking me out of his room. He says he has to do something "that's been pulling at my heart this whole time." I can't even begin to comprehend what that means, but I do know that it involves that old typewriter he's repurchased. The clinking of the machine lasted from the early morning to late at the night, but I'm not complaining. It's actually a calming noise and helps my mind focus on sleep rather than the terrible images that stay afloat in my head.

Then morning night, there was no typing. For the first time in two week I awoke to a silent filled world. Concerned with the wellbeing of Christian, I quickly changed and rushed up the stairs. "Christian?" I softly questioned as I tapped on his door. Slowly, the door swung open revealing a drained Christian.

He lifted his eyebrows up, acknowledging my presence, and forced his body off the bed. "Sorry if I've kept you awake." No eye contact was made as he passed by me and advanced towards a stack of papers by his typewriter. He snatched the pile and thrust it out towards me. "Read this." My grey eyes analyzed his disheveled features, but I gently took the papers without a moment's hesitation.

I was then sent on a journey into the past; a time when, life was perfect and full of happiness. Everything had a purpose and was full of life and color, making the whole world seem much brighter than what it actually was. I was both pained and thankful for these memories that didn't revolve around Satine. The memories of a time which now seemed like a fairytale because of its hard to believe perfection. It was the one time in my life when I remembered being truly happy.

With my reddened eyes and sniffling nose, I read the final paragraph aloud. "Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months. And then, one not-s-very special day, I went to my typewriter, I sat down, and I wrote our story. A story about a time, a story about a place, a story about the people. But above all things, a story about love. A love that will live forever." I looked up at Christian, fully aware of the tears running down my face. "The end." A saddened laugh bubbled from my throat, followed by a sniffle. "Christian that was beautiful."

He was leaning again the door, his eyes planted on the hallway outside. "I had to do it." Was all he muttered with just a sideways glance.

"Whatever do you mean?" I asked, wiping the tears from my cheeks with my hands.

"For Satine."

I felt my heart fall from my chest. "Wha….what?"

"You were there when I made the promise to Satine. I swore I'd tell our story." Finally, Christian's eyes finally met mine. "And just as she said, I feel her with me."

I drifted my gaze towards the papers in my hands, new tears threatening to form. "I miss Satine." If I thought about her for too long, I found myself fighting back tears. Pathetic….I know.

Warm hands enfolded around me, making me feel safe. Christian has definitely been acting like a brother towards me. We were both in a state of depression, and I needed someone just as much as he did. Because of Satine, we had created a small family.

Christian held me at arms length away. When I looked up, he forced a small smile to try and ease my pain a little. Even though I could tell it was forced, the smile helped. "I've kept my promise, Laila," Christian gently said as the sound of footsteps entered the room. "Now it's your turn."

My eyes flickered to the side, only slightly startled to see Alex. Buried deep within my heart, underneath all the sorrow and agony, I knew I'd see him again. He never was one to run off knowing that someone was troubled with him.

"Hello." He smiled over his subtle voice. I quickly dash my eyes back to Christian.

"Why is he here?" I calmly asked. Truth was I wasn't at all enraged with Christian for bringing Alex here. I just felt a little lost.

With no emotion playing on his face, Christian stared back at me. "I think you know the reason why." Before I could even protest, Christian walked out of the room in a stupor. Now I was alone.

I stayed in my seated position on the bed and looked out the window, keeping Alex in my peripheral vision. So I saw Alex's head nervously looking around the room in an attempt to form the right words. When the words wouldn't come, Alex edged his way to a chair near the window. With his hands clasped over his knees, he tried to make eye contact with me. But I wouldn't have it. I kept my eyes focused on the window behind him, even if the only thing there was a part of the windmill.

"I heard you, Laila." He finally sighed, causing my puzzled eyes to shift away from the window. I still wouldn't allow myself to look into his eyes, so instead I focused on his nose. Alex waited for a response to match my confused expression. Seeing how there wasn't going to be one, he continued on. "Backstage….after I was an idiot and left you."

I sharply looked at him as an unexpected anger filled inside me. "If this is some sort of apology…." I warned.

"It is." He blatantly replied, calming my venomous stare. "I wasn't listening that night. I was only focused on my thoughts and was fully unaware of how Satine needed you. I was hurt, but not as much as you. I can't believe that didn't register earlier….and then later you apologized even though I deserved that slap. I shouldn't have forced that on you, especially with the ongoing situation." Alex's eyes scanned my unemotional face. His brows furrowed before shooting out of his seat in a sudden fit of anger. "I don't even know why I'm here telling you all this. Christian told me to come, so I did. But why?" He proceeded towards the door. "Sorry to disturb you. Goodbye."

"Alex, wait!" I practically leapt off the bed after Alex, snatching his hand so he'd have to stop. He spun around and met my gaze. I saw how his agitated gaze slowly began its transition into tranquility. "You came because you still love me."

"I….didn't say that." Alex replied, suddenly having difficulty looking into my eyes.

"You didn't have to. It's not very often you hear a man admit his faults. Especially after the uneasy path I've created for us." I smirked up at him once his eyes seemed to double in size. It's the first smile I've felt on my face for a while now. "I left you three times, and yet here you stand before me."

Alex dropped his eyes for a brief moment, but quickly brought them up with a childish smile on his face. A new emotion was playing amongst the blueness of them. "I've thought everything over, and we've both made mistakes. Can't we just leave it at that?"

"Fine." I rolled my eyes and released the smile from the cage it has been held in for the past year. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed the simple action of smiling.

"Laila," His voice dropped to a more serous tone and it grabbed my attention immediately. "I love you."

I'd forgotten how it felt to have my heart skip a beat and feel as though it were pounding out of my chest. Alex had never said that to me before. Ever. Not even why I confessed my love towards him. But what if it was all al lie again? "How do I know you're telling the truth?"

"Because everyday for the past year you've lingered in my thoughts. I missed the laugh that filled my ears, and short regret you'd have in your face after making a decision. Every memory would flood into my head right before I fell asleep, and I'd find myself missing all of them; even the bad ones."

I searched his face for a sign of doubt, but found none. Sure, it was a little weird that I'd fill his head that much. But wasn't I doing the same with Satine? I missed her. And I knew that I'd never truly be happy without her, but that was just a burden I'd carry for the rest of my life.

"I made a promise to Satine before she died." I squeezed his hand as the pain reentered my heart with the same impact it had a year ago. "I promised to not toss you aside. She knew you were special just as much as I did. And now that you're here, I find myself not wanting ever to give you up promise or no promise….because I still love you."

Alex's shoulders drooped from the stress being released from his body. He leaned forward, but stopped halfway and smiled. "If I kiss you, will you slap me? Because it's happened twice now, and I really-"

"Oh shut up." I teased before bringing my head the rest of the way so our lips could finally meet. My hands wrapped around his neck and just let the worries drift off me. For once, the pain was gone and I felt like I belonged somewhere. I was filled with this warmth I thought never existed. Love once again filled me: Love for my sister, and love for Alex. Two separate loves that would travel with me for a life time.

Hearts can mend, but they can never forget. Pain can sting, but it can be eased. Love can fade, but it can never die.