~ * ~ 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
~ * ~ E I G H T : N O W * Y O U ' R E * I N * T H E * W O R L D ~ * ~
by Karadarlin and She's a Star
~*~
"Must you leave?" Satine asked her 'parents'. They had been at Claremont for a week and
won almost everyone over. Harold's charm and charisma had Victoria following him about like
a puppy and Daisy giggling like a little girl at his compliments.
"Darling pet, the Moulin needs us." Harold tugged gently on a red lock of hair. "You'll see us
again soon."
"It's so…dull here. And Edward hates me."
"He seems to hate everyone, choux."
"If he was gone, it would be a much happier place. I don't want my child born into his world.
I miss Montmartre. I want to go back."
"You can't!" Marie cried. "You can't go back there!"
"Why not?"
"Because, darling, the Duke is still lurking. He demands his property…you."
"Harold, why did you do that to me? Why did you put your precious Moulin in place of ME?"
Suddenly, the tears began to stream down Satine's cheeks and she sobbed in frustration.
"After your stupid deal, I've lived in fear that the Duke will find me and disrupt the happy life
I have with Christian!" She took a shaky breath before murmuring softly, "I hate you for
that, Harold."
His eyes were sad when he spoke. "I'm sorry, chickpea."
"Sorry doesn't cut it anymore!" Satine cried, wiping away the tears. "All my life, after every
mistake you made, every frightening thing I've had to go through, it's been a simple 'sorry.' I
used to be satisfied with that, but now I'm not! 'Sorry' doesn't heal the wounds I have to
bear. 'Sorry' doesn't mend this situation. 'Sorry' won't save Christian and it won't save me
and our child!" She turned around and headed towards the door. "Goodbye."
"Goodbye, pumpkin."
~*~
Christian found her there, sobbing on their bed.
"Marie and Harold have left," he whispered. "What happened?"
"I…I don't know. I lost control. Christian, we can't go back to Montmartre. The Duke…"
Satine swallowed hard. "The Duke is still there. He wants me back."
Christian didn't speak. He grasped Satine's shoulders firmly and forced her to look at him.
"We will go back, Satine. And we will win. I promise you. Nothing can defeat love, Satine."
"Christian! It's not love that makes the world go 'round! It's MONEY, Christian! That's what
the Duke has. And money can make us or break us."
"We'll wait. Just until the baby is born. And then we'll leave. We'll go back to 'that village of
sin' and we'll be happy, Satine."
~*~
Another two slow, agonizing months passed. Satine was irritable and uncomfortable most of
the time, waiting impatiently for the birth of her child.
Aunt Sarah was beginning to frighten Satine. When she'd go up to speak to Christian's aunt,
the old woman would be transfixed on the baby, asking when it would be born, how she was
feeling, what were they naming the child?
"Christian," Satine said one night, voicing her fears. "I'm afraid of what Aunt Sarah is going
to do to the baby."
Christian almost laughed. "Satine, darling, she's a little old lady. She wouldn't hurt a fly."
"But…the past…"
Christian's arms went around her shoulders comfortingly. "Don't worry, Satine. It'll be okay."
Satine hoped his words were true.
~*~
Satine hated to sew. It was tedious and boring. She sat alone in the breakfast room, lit up by the bright sun, working on some handkerchiefs that Lenora had given her. There was little else she could do in her condition. While her hands deftly brought the needle through cloth, embroidering small purple and red flowers, a huge, sharp pain shot through her body. Satine cried out and tried to call for someone.
Anyone.
"Christian!" She yelped, feeling as though she was being stabbed. "Christian!"
It was Victoria who found her, lying crumpled on the floor, breathing heavily. The little girl
whimpered, "Are you all right?"
"Please, Vicky, go get someone." Satine moaned. "It's the baby."
With one last glance at the very pale Satine, Victoria turned and fled from the room,
searching frantically for someone to help.
~*~
"Satine!" It was Christian, followed closely by Lavinia and Lenora. "Oh, God, Satine, what
happened?"
Lenora, taking command, said calmly, "Get her upstairs, Christian."
With Lavinia's help, Christian carried his almost delirious love up to their room, where he laid
her gently on the bed. "Call the doctor, Vin."
"There's no time," Lenora cut in, holding her daughter back. "We'll have to deliver the baby
ourselves. Victoria," she continued, "run downstairs and get some water, soap, some towels,
and a nice warm blanket. Tell Cook to heat some plates."
"Yes, Mummy." Victoria, looking frightened and unsure of what else she should do, ran
downstairs to do as she was told.
~*~
Satine hadn't ever been in this much pain before. Searing, hot spasms terrified her. Lenora, unlike her nervous and shaking son, was calm and collected, giving out commands and easing their fears. "Take deep breaths. That's a good girl, Satine. There. It's almost over."
~*~
Christian wasn't sure how to act. There was Satine, lying on the bed in terrible pain, her
eyes smudged with purple, looking like a small pale child. She grasped his hands tightly when
her body contracted, her eyes bleary with the pain.
"Push, darling girl." Lenora gently wiped Satine's forehead that was sticky with sweat.
"Christian, I think you should leave now."
Christian gave Satine a soft kiss and squeezed her hand before leaving the room, hating to
see her in such pain.
~*~
Christian was pacing outside the door, trembling with fright. Satine was not strong. She'd never fully recovered from her consumption. Having a child could kill her! She might already be dead. There was no noise coming from her room. He jiggled the doorknob nervously but it was locked.
"Oh God," he murmured.
"Christian?" Victoria stood in the doorway, holding her worn pink blanket and a doll. "How is
she?"
"I don't know, Vicky."
Christian sat down in a chair and Victoria came to sit on his knee.
"You're shaking." She said. "Why are you shaking, Christian?"
"Because I'm scared, munchkin."
"Is she going to die?"
"I hope not."
"I don't want Satine to die. I love her."
"So do I, Vicky. So do I."
Then they heard a loud, pitiful scream coming from the bedroom. The little girl tensed and looked up at her brother, whose eyes were fixed on the door.
"What's happening?" she asked.
"I don't know."
"I brought this for the baby." Christian's sister held out her blanket. "Mummy said to get a
nice warm blanket."
Christian smiled. "But it's your favorite blanket, Little Queen."
"I want the baby to have it too."
Another wail followed the first and both were silent.
~*~
Several hours later, Lavinia opened the bedroom door, completely exhausted.
"I will NEVER have children," she declared to the brother she found was sleeping in his chair
with Victoria on his lap. "Christian?" Lightly, Lavinia shook him awake.
"Satine!" He jumped out of his seat, waking Victoria in the process. "How is Satine?"
"She's fine," Lavinia smiled.
Christian breathed a huge sigh of relief. "And…the baby?"
"It's a girl. A beautiful, healthy girl with red hair like her mamma's."
"Can I go in?"
"Of course."
"And me too, Vinnie?" Victoria piped. "I'm an auntie!"
"Not yet, Vicky. Just let Satine and Christian be alone for awhile, all right?"
The little girl pouted while Lavinia led her away, followed closely by Lenora.
~*~
She didn't look like herself. Satine's long, shining, rich auburn hair hung limply on the pillows.
Her skin was even paler than usual, but her eyes were shining like lamps. "Christian…" she
whispered weakly.
"Satine. How are you feeling, darling?"
"Exhausted." She smiled. "Look what we got."
She lifted her hand only several inches from the bed, wincing as if the motion pained her
enormously.
In the basket by the bed, nestled in soft blankets that had been heated with the hot plates,
lay a tiny baby girl. Christian wasn't sure if he could hold her; she looked like china and he'd
probably break her.
"Satine…" was all he could say.
"She's beautiful, Christian." Noticing how he was gazing at their newborn child, Satine
laughed. "You can pick her up. She won't break."
Gingerly, Christian picked up the infant who wore a tiny eyelet dress and held her close. He
sat down next to Satine on their bed and looked at the child. She was small, as all newborns
are. Her skin, where other babies' is red, was white as though she'd been born days ago. The
dark tufts of hair on her head glinted red in the dim lighting.
"How can you love someone so much that you just met?" he asked.
Satine's eyes glistened with tears. "She looks like me, but her eyes…Christian, her eyes are
like yours." Tenderly, Satine's fingers grazed the sleeping baby's cheek. "What are we going
to call her? Your mother suggested Sarah, but I'm not sure…"
"Scarlett," Christian blurted. "Scarlett Marie Lenora Claremont."
"That's a long name for such a tiny girl," Satine laughed. "But it's perfect. Hello, Scarlett.
Welcome to the world."
As if on cue, Scarlett opened her eyes and screamed.
"What did I do?" Christian asked, panic immediately seizing him.
Satine smiled. "Christian, you adorable darling, you've had babies in your house before. I
haven't. You should know what to do, silly." She took the baby from him and cooed softly.
"How wonderful life is, now you're in the world."
Christian loved the picture that his wife and child made. Satine was holding Scarlett to her,
singing his song to their baby. The tiny girl had stopped crying and now lay contentedly in
her mother's arms, looking up towards Satine.
~*~
Scarlett grew more and more perfect with each day. She was adored by all in the house.
Even Edward was under her spell. "When are you bringing this child into the House of God?"
"When she's of the proper age." Satine lifted her daughter from her bassinet and kissed the
sweet pink cheeks.
~*~
"Good morning, Princess," Satine cooed happily as Scarlett opened her eyes, so like Christian's, and stared up at her mother in wonder.
"How is my baby girl today?" Satine continued, lifting the child out of her bassinet and planting a kiss on one soft, smooth cheek.
Scarlett made a happy, gurgling sound in reply, and Satine laughed merrily.
"Oh, my little girl is trying to talk already," Satine said, delighted as she cradled her beloved daughter in her arms. Scarlett removed one teeny finger from her mouth and began to fumble with the curtains, then let out a tiny cry of annoyance when they wouldn't open.
"You want to see the world, don't you, sweetheart?" Satine asked softly, expertly pulling open the curtains with one arm. Warm, brilliant sunlight immediately filled the room, and Scarlett cooed in wonder.
"It's lovely, isn't it?" Satine asked, holding her daughter up so she could admire the sunrise with her mother. "You just want to go out there, don't you? Dance in the sky?" As an afterthought, she added happily, "I did that once."
Scarlett reached out towards the sun with her tiny hand, desperate to hold it.
"Oh, darling, it looks so inviting, doesn't it?" Satine asked with a happy sigh. "But I'm not sure I want my little girl ever going out into the world."
Scarlett looked up at her questioningly, and Satine found it very hard to believe that her daughter couldn't understand a word she was saying.
"It's not all sunshine," Satine continued, stroking her baby's soft hair. "It can be very cold...I almost lost the sun once. I almost went through, living my whole life in the rain."
Scarlett cooed again, sounding almost sympathetic.
"But then, do you know what happened?" Satine continued, widening her eyes and grinning at her baby. Scarlett gave her a toothless grin in return.
"Your daddy came!" Satine exclaimed. "And he saved me, like knights save fair princesses in fairy tales. And we came here...but darling, here is so dim. When you're older, we're going to take you back to Mummy's home, and we're going to show you how lovely it can be. I always thought that my home was an icky place, but really...really you just need the right person, and then anything can be beautiful."
Scarlett cooed yet again, looking very interested in her mother's words.
"What was it like there?" Satine repeated the question that her expression seemed to ask. "Well, it was very colorful, and full of life and singing and dancing. My parents died when I was a little girl, but Uncle Harry and Auntie Marie are like my parents. Ooh, you're going to love them, darling! Now," she advised her daughter, "Harry might seem a little big and scary, but really he's just the sweetest man in the world, like a teddy bear."
Scarlett giggled in delight, clapping her tiny hands together.
"And Marie," Satine continued, "Marie doesn't talk much, but she's so nice, and she keeps everything together at the Moulin Rouge. It would have fallen apart long ago without her. She'll absolutely love you."
Satine sat back in rocking chair and began to tilt slowly back and forth.
"And then there's the girls," Satine said. "Now, there's Arabia...she was my very best friend back when I first came to the Rouge, but then I became the Sparkling Diamond, and she and the other girls got a bit jealous. And then there's China Doll, who comes off tough, but she's just a sweetie at heart. And Mome Fromage, who is absolutely the nicest lady in the world. You'll adore her. And Petite Princess, who you'll be taller than in no time! And Chocolat...now, he doesn't say much, but he's a darling, and he's always taken care of me. And then there's Nini."
Satine stuck out her tongue in distaste, and Scarlett laughed merrily.
"Now, Nini's just a witch," Satine said, "But I'm sure even she'll love you. After all, my little angel, who couldn't?"
"That's a good question," Satine heard Christian say. She turned around to see him standing in the doorway, a broad grin on his face.
"Eww!" Satine exclaimed teasingly, wrinkling up her nose at Scarlett. "It's Daddy!"
Scarlett laughed, the sweet sound filling Satine's heart with joy.
"Oh, that Mummy's just crazy," Christian proclaimed as he took his daughter from his wife's lap. "Everybody loves Daddy!"
"Maybe that's just what they TELL him," Satine suggested evilly.
Christian stuck his tongue out at her, and Satine crossed her eyes at him in reply. Scarlett eyed them both with a mixture of amusement and confusion, and Satine said sympathetically, "How did our lovely girl get stuck with two crazy fools like us?"
"Crazy?" Christian asked after picking up a blanket and tossing it over his head, "Us? NEVER!"
Scarlett clapped her hands in delight as Satine pulled her from Christian's arms, then pecked her husband (or, the blanket covering his head, rather) on the cheek.
Life was truly perfect.
~*~
"Vic? Have you seen Scarlett?" Lavinia asked. "Satine doesn't know where she is, and Nanny
Kelly doesn't have her."
"Is she with Mummy?" The little girl looked up from the book she was paging through.
"No. Vicky, has Aunt Sarah been down today?"
"I don't think so."
"Well where's the baby? Satine is distraught, Victoria!"
"I don't know!"
"Come help us look."
~*~
"Where is my child?" Satine's nerves were steadily growing with each step she took towards
Aunt Sarah's room. To her relief, the old woman was sleeping. Tatiana told her she hadn't
seen the baby all day. "Thank you, Tatiana."
The housewide search of Claremont was unsuccessful. Scarlett was nowhere to be found.
Satine bit her fingernails nervously, trying not to cry. She stepped outside for a moment,
trying to calm her nerves, and she heard Christian singing. But Christian was in town!
"Look at the stars," he was singing. "Look how they shine for you."
"Christian!" Satine yelped, running towards the balcony he was standing on. She looked up
and saw him cradling Scarlett. All of her fears were gone. Scarlett was safe with her father.
"I swam across, I swam across for you and you were all yellow." He continued singing.
Satine left the two out on the balcony and went inside.
~*~
"There's something wrong with the baby." Victoria shook Satine and Christian awake, her
eyes wide with fear. "She's not waking up."
Both flew from their bed. "What did you say, Vicky?"
"Scarlett isn't waking up."
Christian's eyes met with Satine's and they ran towards the nursery, where Nanny Kelly was
rocking, her eyes wide.
"What happened to my baby?" Satine asked, voice frantic. Nanny Kelly didn't answer. "WHAT
HAPPENED TO MY BABY? WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY BABY?"
"She's dead." Christian said, eyes empty and full of disbelief, holding the infant in his arms.
"Satine…she's dead."
Giving one small cry in shock, Satine crumbled to the floor in a dead faint.
~*~
"My child is dead. My baby is dead." Christian repeated to himself. "My daughter will never
see the light of day again."
He hadn't cried. Tears simply wouldn't come. Satine was still unconscious on their bed, and
Christian was glad. She couldn't handle this grief. It was immense, shocking grief that had
numbed everyone at Claremont. Beautiful, healthy Scarlett was dead. She would never say
her first words, take her first steps. They'd never hear her call them "Mama" and "Daddy."
Lavinia came into his room and lit a light.
"How can you sit in the dark?" she whispered, voice choked.
"My child is dead," he responded tonelessly.
"Oh, Christian…" Lavinia took her brother's hand and squeezed it, leaning her head on his
shoulder. "Oh, God."
"Scarlett is dead," he repeated.
"Yes, I know, Christian. It's horrible."
A few tears ran down Lavinia's cheeks and she didn't bother to wipe them away.
~*~
One by one, his family came in to console him. They looked with pity upon the fainted Satine
and expressed their concerns. Their words only hurt Christian more. His baby was dead. Why
did she have to die? She hadn't done anything wrong. Why did she die? Had they done
something wrong? "Mama, why did she die?" He asked Lenora.
His mother sighed. "I don't know. It happens, Christian. It happened with my first child."
"You had a child before Colin?"
"Yes." She wiped away several of her tears. "Before Colin, Angelet was born. And just like
Scarlett, she died less than a month after her birth." Lenora began to sob, and Christian
found tears trickling down his stony face. The two held one another tightly and cried hard.
~*~
"I can't do this," Satine shivered. "I can't dress my daughter for her funeral."
"Should I do it?" Lenora asked, hating to see Satine and Christian like this. They were
walking about Claremont like a couple of zombies, barely eating and never sleeping.
"Please." Satine's eyes fell upon the tiny girl in her small coffin and she shuddered again
violently. "They don't know how she died."
~*~
It should always rain on the days of funerals, Christian mused. Underneath the black
umbrella, he clutched Satine's hand. They walked solemnly to the Claremont burial plot,
following the tiny casket that held their daughter. Both were soaking from the rain, but
neither cared.
The priest spoke a few words that were inaudible to Satine. Christian, Lavinia, and Victoria
threw handfuls of dirt into the ground on top of the baby's coffin, and that was when
Satine's knees gave out. She fell, overcome with grief, and sobbed. Christian and Colin pulled
her up and both men placed arms about her waist to brace her. This was reality, she assured
herself. This was no dream.
Behind them, Harold and Marie stood, hating to see Satine this way. They had never seen
the baby alive. How happy they were when Satine's letter had reached them, telling all
about how wonderful motherhood was. But it didn't last. Scarlett Marie Lenora Claremont had
been baptized and buried on the same day. They watched as Satine and Christian turned
away, flanked by Christian's mother and sisters. Satine's eyes met Harold's and she quickly
looked away for the tears were blinding.
~*~
People streamed through the halls of Claremont, giving their respects to the grieving family.
Their comments went unheard; Satine and Christian were both too grief-stricken to care.
When Harold and Marie reached them, Harold pulled Satine into an embrace. "Chickpea," he
whispered into her hair. "I'm sorry."
"I love you, Harold." She choked, sobbing into his jacket.
"I love you too, Kitten."
The grief seemed to be too much for her to bear, because at that moment, she went limp in
his arms. "She's fainted," Marie gasped. Christian looked at his wife and lifted her gently in
his arms as though she was a child.
"I'll handle the guests," Lenora said to her son. "Go upstairs."
~*~
When Satine awoke, old friends surrounded her. Her Diamond Dog "sisters", stripped of their
makeup and gaudy costumes, each wearing black, and several other Moulin Rouge friends
stood around the bed, each looking at her with sorrowful eyes.
"Nini," she whispered. "China Doll…Arabia…" Moving her eyes around the room, she greeted
others. "Chocolat…Mome. Oh, I missed you all!"
"Satine." China Doll began, taking her hand. "We're all so sorry for you. How are you holding
up?"
Satine shook her head. "I want to leave. I can't be here anymore. Claremont will always
make me think of Scarlett."
Nini, in an uncharacteristic bout of tenderness, patted Satine's other hand and sat next to
her on the bed. "We know. That's why we came. Christian is taking you back to
Montmartre."
"He told us to pack your things," Petite Princess added.
Chocolat was holding a picture of baby Scarlett. In his exotic voice, he whispered, "She was
a beautiful baby."
"I know." Satine said, wiping away the tears that were cascading down her face again. "I
loved her so much."
"Satine?" Victoria and Lavinia opened the door and entered the room. All of the Rouge-folk
moved away so the two could sit.
"Christian said you're going away." Victoria began to cry. "I don't want you to go away!"
Satine stroked the little girl's hair comfortingly. "It's only for a little while," she said, knowing
that was probably a lie. "We'll come back."
"It's for the best, Queen." Lavinia added. "Satine and Christian are always going to feel
Scarlett here."
"But so am I! Can I go with you?"
"No, sweetheart, you can't. You need to stay here and take care of everyone."
"Will you come back?" She sniffled. "And have more babies?"
"I don't know." Satine said honestly. "I don't know."
"We're going to miss you," Lavinia said, throwing her arms around Satine. "We all love you so
much, Satine."
"Except your father."
"But that's Father. He hates everything." She laughed through her tears. "I'll write."
"I will too. Did you hear that, Vicky? I'll write you a letter every day."
The girl nodded. "Do you promise?"
"Yes. I promise."
~*~
They left Claremont the next day, a gray, rainy day. Their farewell to Lenora, Colin, Nanny
Kelly, and all the others was tearful.
"I'm sorry about the baby." Nanny said to Satine, holding her close.
"I know it wasn't your fault." Satine hugged the old woman and inhaled the scent of lilacs.
"You did everything you could."
"You must come back and give me many more babies to care for." Christian's old Nanny
hoped she hadn't been insensitive. The loss of Scarlett had wounded her almost as much as
it had Satine and Christian.
While Christian hugged his mother and brother goodbye, Satine exchanged a few words with
Edward. "I'm sorry things weren't better between us."
His blue-gray eyes were almost soft for a moment. "I am sorry too," was all he said before
turning away.
The group of Satine's Moulin friends stood uncomfortably by the door, holding her bags and
watching the tearful scene. Victoria was fascinated with Chocolat and when the man pulled
a flower from behind her ear, she was mystified. He laughed his deep, merry laugh and
tweaked her nose. Satine smiled broadly although she detected some other sadness among
the members of the group. She'd ask them about it on the train.
"Goodbye, Mother." Christian embraced Lenora, who was sobbing. "Don't cry, Mum. We'll
come back to visit."
"I know…" she sniffled. "I know you'll come back. But I'm going to miss you. I'll miss you too,
Satine. Come here." She enveloped Satine in a hug and kissed her cheek.
"You're the best mother-in-law I could have asked for." Satine whispered. "I'll write."
"So will I."
"Goodbye!" Christian called one last time, taking Satine's hand. They left Claremont, the
place that had been such paradise and such prison, taking all their memories with them.
Satine was glad to leave, but something in that grand house was going to call her back
forever.
~*~
"What's wrong?" Satine finally asked Arabia on the train. "There's something wrong."
The Diamond Dog exchanged a worried glance with Mome Fromage. "Satine…we didn't want
to tell you and Christian because of all you went through." Mome said gently.
"Toulouse died." Arabia finished.
Both Christian and Satine went numb. "He's dead?"
"He died several days before the funeral. We didn't want to say anything before it was
necessary." Chocolat said, his voice grave.
"Has he been buried?" Christian asked, face stony.
"It was taken care of by his family. We weren't allowed at the funeral."
"Oh God. Why has grief taken over our lives?"
