This chapter dedicated to Phantom because I haven't received an email from her in a *very* long time and I'm attempting to make her feel guilty. :)
Enjoy!
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Satine pulled Chris down the darkened street outside, humming happily to herself. He caught the tune of some Marilyn Munroe song and smiled briefly. She was still holding tightly to his hand and Chris prayed it didn't begin to sweat any time soon. He hadn't known Satine would be so lovely, he felt as if his heart might burst if he didn't tell her how beautiful she was.
"S-Satine?" he stammered, feeling like a complete fool.
"Yes my dear?" she asked, turning to look at him.
"Well . . . it's just that, Ray told me that you needed a-"
"Truce on the streets?" Satine asked, flipping her long ponytail over one shoulder. "Of course we do. And Zidler is sure you are just the man to give it to us."
"He is?" Chris asked.
She glanced at him before beginning to walk again. "Yes, of course he is. I've heard wonderful things about you already."
Chris smiled. "Yes, I'm one of the finest, I assure you."
She giggled and gripped his hand tighter. "If Zidler thinks so then you really must be. Ray had told us both so much about you." She paused and frowned slightly. "Of course, he didn't seem to like you very much, but he must have been mistaken."
Chris frowned as well, trying not to be hurt at the news that Ray didn't like him. They had met each other only hours ago and he had already decided he didn't like Chris? With a huff of hot air, Chris rolled the insult off his shoulders and decided to concentrate on the beautiful woman by his side.
"You really think this will keep our streets safe?" Satine asked.
Chris nodded. "I do. Ray assured me that my job would be very easy and that if you approved of me we'd be able to monitor everything for Zidler. Keep everyone safe."
Satine giggled again. "If I approve?"
Chris ducked his head and blushed slightly. "That was the general idea."
"Well, I'm quite sure I approve," she purred, moving toward him.
"I-I'm glad," Chris stuttered, blushing more furiously as Satine's hands snaked up his chest.
"Of course, I thought you'd need to hear a little bit about what I can do," Chris interrupted, turning away slightly.
Satine shrugged and turned with him. "I'm sure what you do is just lovely."
"But I haven't even told you," Chris protested.
"Show me then tiger," Satine said.
His eyes widened slightly and Chris turned away from her, breaking their contact. Show her how he could be a street spy? Well, if he had to, then he would. Without a second thought as to how he would look on this empty street, Chris darted over to a building and pressed himself flat against the wall. His eyes whipped back and forth, staring into the shadows. With a fluid movement, he slipped around the corner and into a dark alley.
Chris leaned against the wall in the alley, trying to regulate his breathing. He had to be absolutely silent. Forcing himself into the role, Chris held his hands together in the shape of a gun and leapt from the alley, sprinting across the street to press himself against another building. He forced his breathing down for a second time, but in this silence he heard musical laughter coming from the street.
A quick glance up proved that it was indeed Satine and she was definitely laughing at him. His shoulders fell slightly and his hands broke apart as he walked back toward her.
"Not what you expected?" he asked.
Satine shook her head, still laughing and wiped the tears from her eyes. "That was perfect! You're so funny!"
Chris sighed. So that's all he was to her; he was funny.
"Oh, don't take it the wrong way darling. You have to admit your show was wonderfully entertaining." Satine took his hand again. "It was lovely, really."
Chris forgot that she had been laughing at him only moment ago as he stared into her eyes. She was more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen and with a painful tug back to reality, he realized that he had fallen in love with her. In only a few short minutes he had fallen completely, head over heels in love with her.
"What else can you do?" Satine asked, tilting her head to one side.
Chris glance away slightly, suddenly shy again.
"What?" she asked.
"I write a little," he answered.
"Poetry?"
"Yes."
Satine smiled. "Recite some for me."
Chris cleared his throat and attempted to begin, "The sky is, uh, no. The um, well . . . uh. Oh! It's a little bit funny."
"What is?" Satine asked. "You? Because we've already covered that you're funny and-"
"This feeling inside," Chris interrupted her. "I'm not one of those who can easily hide."
"It's nice, but it would be nicer as a song," Satine told him.
"I can sing," Chris whispered.
She laughed again and swatted at his chest. "You cannot! How am I supposed to believe all this? Well respected, handsome, funny and a singer? You're lying, aren't you? Prove you're not lying because-"
"My gift is my song," Chris belted out suddenly, taking them both off guard. "And this one's for you. And you can tell everybody that this is your song. It may quite simple but now that it's done, hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words how wonderful life is, now you're in the world."
Satine's hand flew to her mouth. "My God, that's beautiful."
Chris grinned and spun away from her, "Sat on the roof and I kicked off the moss, but some of these verses well, they got me quite cross. But the sun's been kind while I wrote this song. It's for people like you that keep it turned on."
He grasped Satine's hand tightly and pulled her to him, dancing across the street with her in his arms as he continued to sing.
"So excuse my forgetting, but these things I do. You see I've forgotten if they're green or if they're blue. And well, the thing is, what I really mean, yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen." He leaned close to her with this line and Satine felt his hot breath on her face. She trembled in his arms, but continued dancing in the empty street.
"And you can tell everybody; this is your song," Chris sang. "It may be quite simple but now that it's done, I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words how wonderful life is now you're in the world."
Their foreheads pressed together in the dark as Chris sang the last line to Satine, "Hope you don't, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words how wonderful life is now you're in the world."
Their lips met, briefly for a chaste kiss, then Satine leaned her head back and smiled.
"I can't believe it," she whispered. "I'm in love with a handsome, funny, talented gang leader." She laughed. "A gang leader; and I always claimed to have standards."
Chris frowned, but said nothing as she flung her arms around his neck.
"What shall I call you then? Harrison or just 'the Duke'?"
"What?" Chris separated himself from Satine and stared at her. "The Duke? But I'm not the Duke."
Satine's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. "Oh no, don't tell me . . ."
"Ray said that-"
"Ray!" she shrieked. "Oh please not another one of Ray's, oh-so-mysterious street spies."
Chris smiled and nodded. "Yes."
"No!" Satine screamed. "I have to find the Duke! If he knows that I've been out here with an other one of Ray's street spies he'll absolutely flip."
The door of the house across the street spilled open and people began to leave the party. The Duke came out first, followed by a large, bald, dangerous looking man.
"That's the Duke," Chris said, pointing at him.
Satine's eyes widened even further. "The Duke!" she hissed furiously. "Hide!"
She shoved him into the nearby alley and unprepared for her strength, Chris slipped and tumbled to the wet ground. He growled deeply in his throat, then brushed off his pants and stood, watching discreetly as Satine approached the Duke.
"You may go Warner," the Duke said and Chris had to wince at the nasal voice.
"So good to finally meet you," Satine said, smiling flirtatiously as the Duke kissed her hand. He was a very scrawny man, with greasy blonde hair and a cigarette glowing in one hand. His mouth attempted to turn up into a smile beneath his pencil thin excuse for a moustache and Chris had to stifle the laughter in the palm of his hand.
Satine grabbed the Duke's hand as he glanced toward the alley. She began to pull him away, letting his hands roam over her body.
"We'll all live in peace," the Duke promised, kissing her neck.
Chris watched, absolutely livid that Satine was letting that disgusting man touch her. He kicked angrily at a can and Satine jumped, just as the Duke turned toward the sound again.
"We should go," she said.
The Duke nodded, "All right then. We'll go."
Chris kicked a garbage can next and he heard Satine sigh in exasperation.
"You know, my dear Duke, Zidler thought it would be best that you and I waited until it was a sure thing that the streets were safe," Satine said, throwing an angry glare in the direction of Chris' hiding place. "I do hope you agree."
The Duke grunted, then nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I suppose that would be all right." He grinned at her and brushed a dirty finger over her face. "I'll have them safe within a month sweet thing." He kissed her hand again, then waved and walk off into the night.
Satine turned and stalked toward the alley in which Christian was hiding.
"Are you insane?" she nearly screamed at him. "He would have killed us both if he had found you here. Just because you're jealous-"
"Jealous?" Chris asked. "You're the one who said you were in love with me."
"I lied," Satine replied. "I thought you were the Duke. But you're nothing but another one of Ray's cowards . . . I don't even know your name."
"Chris," he told her. "Not that it matters."
"You have to leave," Satine said. "The Duke might come back and then we'd be finished for sure. You have to go."
Someone coughed behind her and Satine whirled around, staring at the Duke.
"Who has to go?" he asked, staring into the darkened alley. "Who has to go Satine?"
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Enjoy!
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Satine pulled Chris down the darkened street outside, humming happily to herself. He caught the tune of some Marilyn Munroe song and smiled briefly. She was still holding tightly to his hand and Chris prayed it didn't begin to sweat any time soon. He hadn't known Satine would be so lovely, he felt as if his heart might burst if he didn't tell her how beautiful she was.
"S-Satine?" he stammered, feeling like a complete fool.
"Yes my dear?" she asked, turning to look at him.
"Well . . . it's just that, Ray told me that you needed a-"
"Truce on the streets?" Satine asked, flipping her long ponytail over one shoulder. "Of course we do. And Zidler is sure you are just the man to give it to us."
"He is?" Chris asked.
She glanced at him before beginning to walk again. "Yes, of course he is. I've heard wonderful things about you already."
Chris smiled. "Yes, I'm one of the finest, I assure you."
She giggled and gripped his hand tighter. "If Zidler thinks so then you really must be. Ray had told us both so much about you." She paused and frowned slightly. "Of course, he didn't seem to like you very much, but he must have been mistaken."
Chris frowned as well, trying not to be hurt at the news that Ray didn't like him. They had met each other only hours ago and he had already decided he didn't like Chris? With a huff of hot air, Chris rolled the insult off his shoulders and decided to concentrate on the beautiful woman by his side.
"You really think this will keep our streets safe?" Satine asked.
Chris nodded. "I do. Ray assured me that my job would be very easy and that if you approved of me we'd be able to monitor everything for Zidler. Keep everyone safe."
Satine giggled again. "If I approve?"
Chris ducked his head and blushed slightly. "That was the general idea."
"Well, I'm quite sure I approve," she purred, moving toward him.
"I-I'm glad," Chris stuttered, blushing more furiously as Satine's hands snaked up his chest.
"Of course, I thought you'd need to hear a little bit about what I can do," Chris interrupted, turning away slightly.
Satine shrugged and turned with him. "I'm sure what you do is just lovely."
"But I haven't even told you," Chris protested.
"Show me then tiger," Satine said.
His eyes widened slightly and Chris turned away from her, breaking their contact. Show her how he could be a street spy? Well, if he had to, then he would. Without a second thought as to how he would look on this empty street, Chris darted over to a building and pressed himself flat against the wall. His eyes whipped back and forth, staring into the shadows. With a fluid movement, he slipped around the corner and into a dark alley.
Chris leaned against the wall in the alley, trying to regulate his breathing. He had to be absolutely silent. Forcing himself into the role, Chris held his hands together in the shape of a gun and leapt from the alley, sprinting across the street to press himself against another building. He forced his breathing down for a second time, but in this silence he heard musical laughter coming from the street.
A quick glance up proved that it was indeed Satine and she was definitely laughing at him. His shoulders fell slightly and his hands broke apart as he walked back toward her.
"Not what you expected?" he asked.
Satine shook her head, still laughing and wiped the tears from her eyes. "That was perfect! You're so funny!"
Chris sighed. So that's all he was to her; he was funny.
"Oh, don't take it the wrong way darling. You have to admit your show was wonderfully entertaining." Satine took his hand again. "It was lovely, really."
Chris forgot that she had been laughing at him only moment ago as he stared into her eyes. She was more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen and with a painful tug back to reality, he realized that he had fallen in love with her. In only a few short minutes he had fallen completely, head over heels in love with her.
"What else can you do?" Satine asked, tilting her head to one side.
Chris glance away slightly, suddenly shy again.
"What?" she asked.
"I write a little," he answered.
"Poetry?"
"Yes."
Satine smiled. "Recite some for me."
Chris cleared his throat and attempted to begin, "The sky is, uh, no. The um, well . . . uh. Oh! It's a little bit funny."
"What is?" Satine asked. "You? Because we've already covered that you're funny and-"
"This feeling inside," Chris interrupted her. "I'm not one of those who can easily hide."
"It's nice, but it would be nicer as a song," Satine told him.
"I can sing," Chris whispered.
She laughed again and swatted at his chest. "You cannot! How am I supposed to believe all this? Well respected, handsome, funny and a singer? You're lying, aren't you? Prove you're not lying because-"
"My gift is my song," Chris belted out suddenly, taking them both off guard. "And this one's for you. And you can tell everybody that this is your song. It may quite simple but now that it's done, hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words how wonderful life is, now you're in the world."
Satine's hand flew to her mouth. "My God, that's beautiful."
Chris grinned and spun away from her, "Sat on the roof and I kicked off the moss, but some of these verses well, they got me quite cross. But the sun's been kind while I wrote this song. It's for people like you that keep it turned on."
He grasped Satine's hand tightly and pulled her to him, dancing across the street with her in his arms as he continued to sing.
"So excuse my forgetting, but these things I do. You see I've forgotten if they're green or if they're blue. And well, the thing is, what I really mean, yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen." He leaned close to her with this line and Satine felt his hot breath on her face. She trembled in his arms, but continued dancing in the empty street.
"And you can tell everybody; this is your song," Chris sang. "It may be quite simple but now that it's done, I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words how wonderful life is now you're in the world."
Their foreheads pressed together in the dark as Chris sang the last line to Satine, "Hope you don't, I hope you don't mind that I put down in words how wonderful life is now you're in the world."
Their lips met, briefly for a chaste kiss, then Satine leaned her head back and smiled.
"I can't believe it," she whispered. "I'm in love with a handsome, funny, talented gang leader." She laughed. "A gang leader; and I always claimed to have standards."
Chris frowned, but said nothing as she flung her arms around his neck.
"What shall I call you then? Harrison or just 'the Duke'?"
"What?" Chris separated himself from Satine and stared at her. "The Duke? But I'm not the Duke."
Satine's jaw dropped and her eyes widened. "Oh no, don't tell me . . ."
"Ray said that-"
"Ray!" she shrieked. "Oh please not another one of Ray's, oh-so-mysterious street spies."
Chris smiled and nodded. "Yes."
"No!" Satine screamed. "I have to find the Duke! If he knows that I've been out here with an other one of Ray's street spies he'll absolutely flip."
The door of the house across the street spilled open and people began to leave the party. The Duke came out first, followed by a large, bald, dangerous looking man.
"That's the Duke," Chris said, pointing at him.
Satine's eyes widened even further. "The Duke!" she hissed furiously. "Hide!"
She shoved him into the nearby alley and unprepared for her strength, Chris slipped and tumbled to the wet ground. He growled deeply in his throat, then brushed off his pants and stood, watching discreetly as Satine approached the Duke.
"You may go Warner," the Duke said and Chris had to wince at the nasal voice.
"So good to finally meet you," Satine said, smiling flirtatiously as the Duke kissed her hand. He was a very scrawny man, with greasy blonde hair and a cigarette glowing in one hand. His mouth attempted to turn up into a smile beneath his pencil thin excuse for a moustache and Chris had to stifle the laughter in the palm of his hand.
Satine grabbed the Duke's hand as he glanced toward the alley. She began to pull him away, letting his hands roam over her body.
"We'll all live in peace," the Duke promised, kissing her neck.
Chris watched, absolutely livid that Satine was letting that disgusting man touch her. He kicked angrily at a can and Satine jumped, just as the Duke turned toward the sound again.
"We should go," she said.
The Duke nodded, "All right then. We'll go."
Chris kicked a garbage can next and he heard Satine sigh in exasperation.
"You know, my dear Duke, Zidler thought it would be best that you and I waited until it was a sure thing that the streets were safe," Satine said, throwing an angry glare in the direction of Chris' hiding place. "I do hope you agree."
The Duke grunted, then nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I suppose that would be all right." He grinned at her and brushed a dirty finger over her face. "I'll have them safe within a month sweet thing." He kissed her hand again, then waved and walk off into the night.
Satine turned and stalked toward the alley in which Christian was hiding.
"Are you insane?" she nearly screamed at him. "He would have killed us both if he had found you here. Just because you're jealous-"
"Jealous?" Chris asked. "You're the one who said you were in love with me."
"I lied," Satine replied. "I thought you were the Duke. But you're nothing but another one of Ray's cowards . . . I don't even know your name."
"Chris," he told her. "Not that it matters."
"You have to leave," Satine said. "The Duke might come back and then we'd be finished for sure. You have to go."
Someone coughed behind her and Satine whirled around, staring at the Duke.
"Who has to go?" he asked, staring into the darkened alley. "Who has to go Satine?"
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