~ * ~ E S C A P I N G * T H E * U N D E R W O R L D ~ * ~



by Karadarlin and She's a Star



~ * ~ S E V E N : F R O M * D R E A M * T O * D R E A M ~ * ~



by She's a Star







Being at Claremont grew worse and worse for Satine as the days passed by. She kept finding herself missing the Moulin Rouge without realizing it...the colors, the lights, the sense that anything could happen.

To think she'd thought herself trapped there.

But being here...actually living in the real world instead of the fantasy that had been her life for so long, was different than Satine had expected. It felt as though she was living in black and white. Tension was high. Mr. Claremont was even more irritable than usual, now that his son had married a whore and 'ruined the family name'.

And then, without warning, it came.

The Fight.

Satine had never in her wildest dreams thought that she and Christian, of all couples, would have to deal with fighting. They just...couldn't. They were something else, above all of the rest.

Or at least, that was what she'd thought.

But Claremont was slowly seeming to drain the magic out of being in love.

It happened on a cloudy, dismal morning...Satine awoke to the sounds of faint yelling coming from downstairs. Though she couldn't hear the voices distinctly, she was positive one of them belonged to Edward.

Turning around in Christian's bed (after they'd been married, she'd moved out of that awful Lilac Room) she discovered that he wasn't there and concluded that he must be the other voice.

Silently so as not to wake anyone else, she tiptoed down the stairs and stopped in front of the door to Mr. Claremont's study. Sinking down onto the floor, she wrapped her arms around her knees and listened.

"HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO FIND A RESPECTABLE WIFE, BOY?" Mr. Claremont shouted. "I KNOW YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE GONE TO MONTMARTRE! BUT NOOO, YOUR MOTHER HAD TO ALLOW YOU AND NOW LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DRAGGED BACK!"

"FATHER!" Christian's voice replied angrily. "Why can't you just LEAVE her alone? She's done with all that, she doesn't want to go back there!"

Satine felt her stomach do a few flip-flops.

"AND NOW YOU TELL ME THAT SHE'S GOING TO HAVE A CHILD?!" Mr. Claremont continued, tone full of rage.

Oh, Christian, why did you tell him, you idiot? Satine thought desperately.

"We're married," Christian replied evenly. "There's nothing wrong with it."

"You've been married for TWO DAYS, boy!" Mr. Claremont yelled. "And it's pretty damn obvious that she's farther along than that!"

"Father-"

"How do you know if the child's even yours, then?"

"It IS, Father-"

"I won't have you raising some unknown man's child and calling it your own!"

"It's OUR child, Father," Christian shouted. "Satine's and mine."

"You mean Satan," Mr. Claremont corrected furiously.

A silence, a dangerous silence, filled the air, and Satine felt a shiver run up and down her spine.

Don't do this Christian, Satine pleaded silently. Don't explode at him, not again, it'll be the last straw...

"You're acting like a child," Christian finally said coldly. "SATINE is the most amazing person I've ever met, and I love her more than anything. Why can't you just accept that??"

Mr. Claremont took a deep breath.

"Because," he finally replied, "I never thought that a son of mine would sink so low."

The silence returned, and Satine felt tears well up in her eyes. She was completely destroying the relationship between Christian and his father.

"Go to hell," Christian finally responded before swinging the door open. He looked down at Satine, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"'Morning," she said meekly.

"Good morning," Christian replied, his voice still holding the slightest trace of anger as he closed the door behind him.

"So..." Satine said uncomfortably. This was strange...she'd never been uncomfortable around him before. Not since the first time they'd met. "You told him."

"Yeah," Christian said, turning around and glaring at the door to his father's study.

"Why?"

"Well....we needed to tell him, didn't we?" Christian asked weakly. "I mean, we had to tell him sometime, and-"

"We should go back," Satine interrupted.

"What?!"

"We should go back," Satine repeated, working at keeping her voice steady. "To Montmartre."

"But...the Duke...why?"

"Because I'm destroying your relationship with your father," Satine said with a sigh. "You need the family fortune, you can't stay a penniless poet forever-"

"He would have given most of it to Colin, anyway," Christian said, taking her hand. "Why do you sound like you're regretting this?"

"Because..." Satine started, not sure how to put it into words.

Christian's eyes immediately filled with hurt. "You do regret it, don't you?"

"Christian," she said weakly. "I...you..."

"What?" Christian asked softly. "You can tell me."

"It's just..." Satine took a deep breath. "Christian, you deserve to shine, and here, you just...can't. It's my fault you had to come back, tail in between your legs, and face your father again. If I had just stayed...with the Duke...you would have made money from the play, you would have succeeded-"

"Don't talk like that!" Christian exclaimed, his tone harsh. "I would rather DIE than let you stay with the Duke-"

"But I ruined everything!" Satine protested. "You could have been great-"

"Why are you making this all about me?" Christian asked, his voice quiet. "I don't care about writing."

"That's not true."

"Well, I care about you more, then," Christian said stubbornly. "And we aren't going back."

"I miss it," Satine finally said weakly.

"What?"

"I...I miss the Moulin Rouge," Satine admitted, staring down at her bare feet.

"But...I thought you wanted to get away," Christian said, confused.

"So did I," Satine sighed. "But now...I can't live like this."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm never going to be one of the proper little ladies who sit around sipping tea and...I don't know, knitting or whatever it is they do," Satine exclaimed. "I'm not like that at all-"

"No one's asking you to be like that!" Christian cut in.

"Yes, they are!" Satine cried. "This...this PLACE is! They're trying to force me to be this lady that I always thought I could be, but now I know I can't, and I don't want to be her, Christian!" She paused. "I'm always going to be the Sparkling Diamond. I'm always going to be a whore...your father is right."

Christian looked at her in an expression that even Satine, who had been sure she understood him better than anyone else, couldn't begin to read.

"Don't do this," he finally said.

"Do what?"

"Don't give into him," Christian's voice grew louder. "Don't start believing what he says!"

"I'm NOT, Christian!" Satine exclaimed. "It's just true, and I'm starting to realize it-"

"NO!" Christian shouted. "You aren't like that, you-"

"You know what, how can you be sure?" Satine asked coldly. "Because you keep saying that, but you don't really know me, do you, Christian?"

As soon as the words escaped from her lips, she would have given anything to take them back. He looked at her as though his heart had just been broken, his world had shattered around him....as though he'd just been told everything he'd ever believed was a lie.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," he finally said when he regained the ability to speak. His voice was so cold and distant that Satine could barely believe it was coming from his lips. "I don't know you at all."

And with that, he turned and walked quickly down the hall, his footsteps echoing throughout Satine's head. She had no idea that Christian could ever sound so unfeeling....

Tears were begging to fall from her eyes, and with a sigh, she held her head in her hands and sobbed. Christian....her Christian....had never spoken to her like that. She studied the expensive paintings on the walls, the intricately woven rugs, and couldn't help but loathe Claremont. It was so...everything she'd wanted.

Now that she had it, she realized that there were so many things she'd rather have. But above all, what she yearned for was the magic that had once been so strong between herself and Christian. She sighed as she remembered that first night she'd met him....the way he'd stared up at her in awe as she breathed, 'I believe you were expecting me.'

She'd felt something then. Her heart had begun to race when he looked up at her, and instead of laughing inwardly at his stupefied expression, she'd felt...

Love.

Satine hadn't known what it was then, and she hadn't liked it at all. But now....now she lived for love, and the one person she loved most was angry at her.

Why wasn't the magic here? It had been so strong, back at the Moulin Rouge. Satine slowly painted a mental picture of Christian in her mind, back when he'd sung when she'd thought he was the Duke.

"How wonderful life is," Satine sang softly, her voice shaking with sobs. "Now you're in the world."

As soon as the last word escaped her mouth, Satine's sobs grew even more violent. Would they ever dance across the sky again?

"Love lifts us up where we belong," she continued shakily.

Would they ever see fireworks again when they kissed?

"I will love you," she sang, her voice barely above a whisper. "Until the end of time."

Satine inhaled shakily...would she and Christian's love last until the end of time? Somehow, she thought that if they stayed at Claremont, it would eventually die.

And a love like theirs didn't deserve to die.

"Satine?"

Satine sat up and turned around to see Lenora standing behind her. Christian's mother's eyes were full of concern.

"Are you all right, dear?" she asked softly, coming over next to Satine and sitting on the floor next to her.

"Yes," Satine said softly. "I'm...I'm fine."

"You don't look fine," Lenora said gently.

Satine sighed. "It's just...."

"Yes?"

"Christian," Satine whispered. "We...fought."

"All couples fight," Lenora replied softly.

"But we don't," Satine replied, hating how naive she sounded. "We're different..."

"That's what all couples think," Lenora said with a smile. Satine forced a smile back.

"But...it was so much better in Montmartre."

Lenora raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.

"Oh, it's been lovely staying here and all," Satine lied quickly. "But...back in Montmartre, things seemed so magical, and here they just....don't. And it seems like....with the baby-"

"Baby?" Lenora interrupted.

Oops, Satine thought weakly. But then again, why shouldn't Lenora know? Everyone else does.

Satine nodded. "We're going to have a baby."

"Ohh!" Lenora exclaimed in delight. "I'm going to have a little grandchild?"

Satine nodded again, laughing at Lenora's joyful expression.

"I can't believe it!" Lenora enveloped Satine into a huge hug, and Satine patted her on the back lightly. It was easy to see where Christian got his nature.

"Well," Lenora continued excitedly. "We're going to have to go baby shopping soon...we'll need clothes and bottles and a bassinet and-"

"I'm not sure I'm going to be able to afford all that," Satine cut in softly. Sure, she had diamonds galore....but did she want to spend the things she'd earned from being the Moulin Rouge's highest paid courtesan on her baby??

It seemed so wrong somehow.

"Oh, darling, you're not going to be buying a thing," Lenora said firmly. "I'll get some money from Edward and we can go...us and the girls, it'll be lovely!"

"If you're sure Mr. Claremont would agree..." Satine said unsurely. She couldn't exactly see Mr. Claremont gladly handing over the money.

'Of course, Lenora! You go spend as much as you want on that darling baby of our son and his wonderful wife's!'

If only.

"Oh, I can get Edward to agree," Lenora said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "After you're married to the man for forty years, you know how to pull all the right strings."

"If you're sure..." Satine repeated, trying to smile and clear the mental image of Christian, staring at her looking so crestfallen, from her head.

Lenora stared at her in concern for a moment before saying, "Now, why don't you go and make up with my son?" she smiled. "I know this must be something special, if you can't even stay mad at him for ten minutes."

Satine laughed. "Could anyone?"

"Well, Edward," Lenora said with a smile. "But not most people."

She stood up, and Satine did the same.

"I'll see you at breakfast, dear," Lenora said, then knocked on the door and, after Mr. Claremont barked, 'What is it?', stepped inside.

Sighing, Satine brushed off her nightdress and walked back upstairs. She had a penniless poet to apologize to.



~*~



"Christian?" Satine whispered softly as she entered their room. It appeared to be empty.

"Christian?" she repeated, a bit louder. Still, there was no reply. Sighing, she sank down into the chair in front of his typewriter and studied the keys. They were free of the dust that had covered them the last time she'd looked at it.

I hope he's not too angry, Satine thought nervously as she rose from the chair and sat down on the bed. But he has a right to be, after what I said to him....

As she was about to collapse onto the bed and begin another round of crying, Satine discovered an envelope on her pillow. Her name was written across it in neat cursive. She slit open the envelope with a fingernail, then unfolded the piece of paper inside and began to read.

'To lead a better life, I need my love to be here.
Here, making each day of the year,
Changing my life with a wave of her hand.
Nobody can deny that there's something there.'

Smiling to herself, Satine felt relief take over her body as she continued to read.

'There, running my hands through her hair,
Both of us thinking how good it can be.
Someone in speaking but she doesn't know he's there.'

Suddenly from behind her, Christian's voice began to sing out the words as she read them.

"I want her ev'rywhere, and if she's beside me I know I need never care," Satine turned around to see him standing behind her with a smile on his face. "But to love her is to meet her ev'rywhere, knowing that my love is to share, each one believing that love never dies, watching her eyes and hoping I'm always there."

Sighing in happiness, Satine wrapped her arms around Christian and rested her head on his shoulder.

"To be there and ev'rywhere," Christian sang softly, then kissed the top of her head.

Satine opened her mouth and finished with him.

"Here, there and ev'rywhere."

Satine stared up into Christian's sparkling blue green eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"So am I," he replied, leaning closer to her. Mouths only inches apart, she whispered, "Those were the worst ten minutes of my life."

Christian laughed, and the sound caused joy to cascade throughout Satine's body. And then their lips met, and all was perfect...every problem flew out of her mind at once, sappy love songs played in the back of her head, and fireworks seemed to erupt around them.

Magic.



~*~

That night at dinner, Mr. Claremont announced that he wanted to meet Satine's parents and see what 'filth' his 'idiot son' had married into. Satine could see Christian looked about ready to stab his father with his dinner fork, and she hoped he restrained the urge...something told her Mr. Claremont wouldn't be too thrilled at having puncture wounds all over his body. She could just hear him now:

'That whore has possessed him! Possessed him, I tell you!'

"So, girl," Mr. Claremont snapped. "I suppose I'd be...willing to have your parents stay for a small amount of time, as long as they aren't more Moulin Rouge show folk-"

"No," Christian interrupted. "Satine had just gotten in touch with her mother again before we left...they're wonderful people, and I'm sure they'd be glad to stay-"

Christian was cut off when Satine stomped on his foot. He winced in pain, then glanced over at her, and she sent him a warning glare. Her parents had both been dead for quite sometime, and Satine doubted they'd be raising from their graves to suffer the company of Mr. Claremont anytime soon.

"What are you, boy, her spokesman?" Mr. Claremont asked angrily. He fixed his cold eyes on Satine again. "Will your parents be coming?"

Satine couldn't very well tell him that they were buried in a cemetery in Paris, so she nodded weakly and muttered, "I'll write my mother first thing after dinner."

Mr. Claremont nodded briskly, and silence fell over the table again. As soon as they finished eating, Satine grabbed a very surprised looking Christian's arm and dragged him up into their bedroom. As soon as the door was shut behind them, Satine demanded, "Why did you say my parents were coming? I told you they'd died, so your little plan might not work out so well!"

"Well," Christian said with a shrug. "I was thinking you'd just have Harold and Marie come...they'd do it, wouldn't they?"

Satine nodded after considering it for a moment. "Yes...they probably would."



~*~



"GOSLING!"

Satine laughed as soon as Harold burst through the door with Marie trailing behind him. They both held suitcases, and Harold immediately dropped his on the floor and enveloped her in a huge hug.

"Oh, Chickpea, it's wonderful to see you again!" he exclaimed.

"You too, Har...Daddy," Satine replied, planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Hello, Lovie," Marie greeted her warmly as soon as Satine pulled away from Harold.

"M...other," Satine said softly, wrapping her arms around Marie. As soon as she pulled away, Marie eyed her rounding stomach and smiled.

"Oh, our diamond having a baby," Marie said happily. "I never would have expected it."

"Me either," Satine said, her eyes happily shifting back from Marie to Harold. It really was wonderful to have them here...she'd missed them terribly. A few days before, she'd received a letter from Marie announcing that she and Harold would be there as soon as possible.

"And hello, Christian!" Harold continued, shaking Christian's hand jovially.

Christian smiled in return, "Hello, Mr. Zidler."

"Oh, it's Harold," Harold responded, as though being called 'Mr. Zidler' was the craziest thing he'd ever heard. "Now, where are these parents of yours?"

"They should be down any second," Christian replied, taking Satine's hand in his own and pulling her closer to him. Marie and Harold exchanged a brief 'isn't-that-sweet?' smile, which was quickly cut off when the Claremonts entered. Edward studied Harold and Marie for a moment, his eyes devoid of all emotion.

"I assume you are Ms. Satine's parents," he said after a moment.

"Correct you are!" Harold said with a jolly laugh. Satine felt her cheeks light up a bit...Harold was the anti-Edward, and she wasn't sure how well they would get along. "I'm Harold Zidler, and this is my wife, Marie."

Marie nodded briskly, and Mr. Claremont didn't even bother acknowledging her. Satine felt anger begin to pulsate through her veins.

"This is my wife Lenora," Mr. Claremont announced, tilting his head to the side where Lenora stood. "And I am Edward Claremont."

Marie's eyes suddenly widened in shock, and her gaze immediately left Mr. Claremont and fixed on Christian. Satine studied her 'mother', confused.

"What is it?" Satine mouthed at her.

Marie just shook her head and studied the ground.

She's not getting off that easily, Satine thought to herself. I'm going to find out what this is about.