(A/N: Well, *takes deep breath* this is my first Moulin Rouge fic!! Hope you like it! Satine and Christian don't belong to me. "Come What May" doesn't belong to me. "Your Song," belongs to Sir Elton John, and "A New Day Has Begun" belongs to Celine Dion. That song is PERFECT for my story! Trust me! Okay, enough of my babbling. On with the fic!) (Updated: 04-13- 02)

Christian kept his focus on the old, run-down Moulin Rouge. He was sitting at his desk staring dully out the window, a bottle dangling from his fingers. If he closed his eyes, he could almost picture the Moulin Rouge the way it was before. Almost.

The windmill was circling happily, the lights twinkling. The tremendous music was booming from inside the building. The courtyard was alive with activity. Voices everywhere.

And Christian loved it.

That's how it used to be. Before Satine died. The time when he could just sit there and feel happy because he knew Satine was there. Loving him.

That's what had made life worthwhile.

But that's not how it is anymore. The windmill doesn't spin, it doesn't twinkle. The music is muted permanently.

Christian sighed. It was still hard to believe that everything was gone. The Moulin Rouge. The excitement. Satine. Satine. Oh God, Satine. She was gone. Christian threw the bottle onto the floor.

"Chwistian?" Toulouse was at the door.

"Yes?" Christian said dully.

"Is evwything alwight?" All of Toulouse's friends had left, but Toulouse stayed. Christian was grateful for that. Sometimes it was nice to have the company. Other times, he was just a nuisance.

"Yes," Christian repeated.

Christian heard Toulouse sigh. "Alwight."

Later that night, while Christian was in bed, he thought of how life would be if Satine weren't dead. It seemed like a dream. The Duke, gone. Him and Satine, living in a house together. Christian almost laughed, remembering the little bit of a song that Satine and he would sing together. "I don't have much money, but boy, if I did, I'd buy a big house where we both could live."

That song had brought so much joy and happiness to him. But now he didn't want to hear it. It hurt too much. But still, as Christian drifted off to sleep, he was muttering the song under his breath.

"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..."

~ * ~

Christian woke up with a start. There was something different about his room. There was a sort of vibration. What was it? He looked out his window. Dark. Pitch black.

Then there was the light. A white blinding light. Christian's hand flew to his face to protect his eyes. Gradually, his room was filled with that blinding light. And suddenly, it subsided, like a gust of wind blowing at a candle.

Christian slowly moved his hand away from his eyes. The first thing he saw was red, shimmering hair and ivory skin. Satine.

He wanted to cheer, but the words were lost when he saw the expression on his beloved Satine's face. The aura of white light surrounding her didn't match her face.

She was looking around the room with a horrified look on her face. Her eyes moved from the crumpled pieces of paper to the broken bottles of liquor scattered along the floor of the room. "Christian," Satine spoke. "What have you done?"

"S-Satine!" Christian choked out.

"What have you done, Christian?" she repeated. Satine started to move towards him. It was like she was floating instead of walking.

"What do you mean?" he asked. He wished he could kiss her, hold her, sing to her, tell her he loved her..

"You should have moved on..." she said, her eyes filled with sorrow.

"Satine, I couldn't," Christian said. "I love you!"

The sorrow that was in Satine's expression died and her old sparkle that only Christian saw came to life in her eyes.

"I was waiting for so long. For a miracle to come," Christian started to sing. "Everyone told me to be strong. Hold on and don't shed a tear."

Satine's crimson lips formed into a smile.

"Through the darkness and good times," Christian continued. "I knew I'd make it through. And the world thought I had it all. But I was waiting for you." He stopped singing.

"Satine," he started to say

"Shh," she said. She put her fingers to his lips. "Hush, love,"

"Satine!" Christian said. "Why? Why did you leave me!" Tears started to roll down his face.

"I was dying, Christian," she said mournfully. "None of us could have helped that." Now tears were forming in her eyes. She turned away and looked out the window.

"Look at it now," Satine said. She was looking at the Moulin Rouge. "Why didn't they keep going?"

"The Duke closed it after you left. Everyone had to leave." Christian said.

Satine turned away from the window. A single tear was rolling down her cheek. She started looking around the room again and then turned to Christian. "Christian, what have you done to yourself? I can barely recognize you."

"I told you," Christian said. "My life was over once you died."

"No, Christian," Satine said, a certain sense of urgency now in her voice. "My life was over. You still have a life to live! I don't want you to waste it mourning over me!"

"But, I love you!" Christian said.

"And I love you too," Satine said with a smile. "But I don't want to see you like this. It hurts me."

She started moving towards Christian. They slowly reached out their hands, both of them shaking like mad.

Then their hands touched and every horrible thought that Christian had since Satine died was gone. It was pure bliss. He leaned forward and kissed Satine gently. No. This was pure bliss. It was like Satine had never died.

When they broke apart, Christian started to sing under his breath, "I see a light in the sky. Oh, it's almost blinding me. I can't believe I've been touched by an angel with love,"

Satine grinned, "Let the rain come down and wash away my tears. Let it fill my soul and drown my fears. Let it shatter the walls for a new, new sun."

"A new day has come," Christian joined in, feeling the best he had been for the longest time. "Where it was dark now there's light. Where there was pain now there's joy. Where there was weakness, I found my strength."

"All in the eyes of a boy," Satine sang.

Christian leaned in to kiss her.

"Satine," he said.

"Hush, love," Satine kept singing. When she stopped she looked at Christian with her piercing blue eyes.

"Christian," she said. "Please listen to me."

Christian nodded.

"Take care of yourself!" she said. She turned and gestured to the room. "This has to stop. Please stop mourning. Get on with you life." She saw the look of surprise on his face. "It may seem harsh, but please. Do it for me. It hurts me so much to see you like this." She let go of Christian's hand and walked over to his desk and started flipping through papers. "I see you have written our story."

"Yes," Christian said.

"Good," Satine said. "Now publish it. Show the world your wonderful talent!"

"But it's our story!" Christian said. "I don't want it to be anyone else's story."

Satine smiled and walked towards Christian. "Oh, Christian."

He leaned in and kissed her again. He loved that feeling of bliss when he touched her.

"Please," he said. "Take me with you. I need to be with you."

"Christian," Satine said. "No, your time will come. And I'll be the first thing you see when it comes."

"Well, that's something to look forward to," Christian said, taking Satine in his arms.

Satine giggled. Christian loved her laugh.

He took Satine in his arms and sang, "I see a light in the sky. Oh, it's almost blinding me. I can't believe I've been touched by angel with love."

Satine sighed. "A new day has begun.."

Many moments passed. It was just him, holding Satine. Christian never wanted it to end. He wanted to make up for the lost time. But her aura of white light was starting to fade.

"Satine!" he cried. "Please, don't leave."

"Christian," she said, looking as sad as Christian felt, "I have to. And remember, you have a life to live. Don't waste it mourning me."

Christian blinked away tears as he saw her start to fade. "I love you."

Satine smiled and her eyes sparkled. "I love you too."

And then a song that Christian hadn't heard for the longest time left her lips.

"Come what may..."

Her aura of white light was completely gone now and all that was left was the sparkle in her eyes. Then, she was gone.

And the first thing that Christian remembered when he woke up that morning was the sparkle in Satine's eyes.