I screamed as Zidler sprang out from behind one of the legs of the elephant.

"What do you think you're doing to me?!" I demanded, leaning against one of the legs for support. I had no doubt in my mind that I looked a mess with my black mascara running down my cheeks and my hair soaked from the still continuously pouring rain.

"Did you…?"

I sniffed, trying to hold my emotions back, but the tears fell down again, hidden in the darkness. I nod silently.

He grins his big grin. "Good to hear. Chickpea, what's wrong with you? Are you crying?"

I tried my best to laugh, but I'm afraid it came out more as a sob. "Oh course not, Harold. It's the rain," I whispered, turning away from him. "It's just the rain."

After being with him for so long, did he truly not know me at all? Satine is… dead. The Sparkling Diamond is the only thing left in this beautiful body.

I love him… how can you not understand that?

I can't stand another minute of being with Harold. "Goodbye."

I turn the knob on the door up to the red room, but Harold grabs me by the shoulders. "My little strawberry, I'm afraid it's not that easy," Harold said slowly.

"Wh-what do you mean?" I asked.

"The Duke…" My chest tightens at the mention of his name. I drag a sharp breath in, biting my nails to not let the tears continue. "Ending things with Christian was certainly the wise thing to do, but there is still the small matter of our patron…"

I turned away. I'm so tired. Let him hurt me, God. Give this body to him, he cares nothing else. It doesn't matter… nothing matters…

"What do you want?"

"An apology would be good to start with, for one," he said bitterly. "You never once said you were sorry for putting all of us in danger with your little fling."

A… fling?!

"The poor duke is being treated appallingly," he continued. "One minute you say you love him, and then you betray him."

Am I hearing this right?! "Harold, isn't it my job to pretend? To sell my love?" I spat. "To sell MYSELF?"

"What you did wasn't your job," he yelled, pointing a finger in front of my eyes. "It was for your own sick, twisted scheme to ruin me!"

"Ruin you?" I laughed. "Harold, you're a creature of the underworld, you were ruined when you stepped your foot in this hell."

"This hell keeps you alive, pays the bills…"

"Gets me pregnant," I whispered.

Harold grips my shoulder. "You remember my promise?" he asked. I nodded. "Tonight, it will happen. But you have to… tie up loose ends before."

I looked away from him, shaking. It was cold, but I hardly noticed that much – I was afraid. Tomorrow was always a new day – always wondering what would happen to you, what face you would have to wear, what man you would be in love with.

After years of it, I hated it, but it was something I grew used to. Without the Rouge walls … would the rest of the world accept a fallen devil? The hell you knew was better than the hell you didn't know.

"I'll go to him," I whispered. "Where is he?"

"The Gothic Tower," he said. "Just be glad I was able to get him here, or we both would be suffering."

'We're not already?' my mind whispers, but I nod silently to him, heading toward the tower. I rubbed my shoulders as I walked along the way. The rain fit perfectly with my heart, weeping with tears.

Soon, all this will end. It will… end.

"If I should die this very moment, I wouldn't fear. For I've never known completeness like being here. Wrapped in the warmth of you, loving… every breath of you. Why live from dream to dream? And dread the day, when dreaming… ends."

I climbed the stairs up to the tower slowly, not caring how long it took be to get up there – not caring if I got there at all. But the painting at the top of the stairs appeared in view and I pushed the curtain back.

"Duke…" I whisper, seeing him by the window.

He nods slightly. "What is it?"

"My dear… Can you ever forgive me for last night's behavior?" I cough out the words, none of it true. But Diamond has taken over every feeling, every emotion. It's like I'm just watching from a distance. "I was terrible to you. I have been working very hard at this play, and I simply was mistaken. The courtesan… does choose the maharaja."

I go to him, slipping my hands into his pockets. He gasps in a bit and I do my best to smile affectionately.

"I knew you'd see it my way," he whispered, leaning down.

I roll my eyes and press my lips against his. These lips… so dry, so cold. These kisses… so meaningless.

I hate you.

But the Diamond in me keeps my hatred at bay.

"Tonight's the big night. We've all been waiting for this," I say, looking away for a brief second toward the Elephant. Our first kiss… the first real kiss I had ever had, the first feeling of love I had ever known. "How… how should the ending go?"

"Why don't we make it a true story?" he says without a moment's thought. "The courtesan really does love the maharaja."

I stare into his rodent-like face. Can it really be that he is so dense? 'I don't love you!' I wanted to scream, but no words escaped my mouth. Christian… Christian, the penniless sitar player… the courtesan will always choose the sitar player.

"Yes, she does," I lie quietly. "I… I better… go and get ready for tonight…" I turn from him and walk out of the room.

On the other side of the curtain, I rest my head on the wall and sigh. Why was air so hard to take in?

The duke's laugh fills my ears and I wince. "She is mine…"

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Disclaimer: I do not own Moulin Rouge, not even Christian. ::sigh::

Author's Note: Alright then, I'm just simply not telling you how many more chapters there are. But it's almost over. A few left… oh drat, I'm not supposed to do that. Darn.

SONGS USED:

'Goreki' by Lamb. Thanks karadarlin