Disclaimer: I don't own any of this stuff! Except for.. er, William. Just reminding you that Baz still rules me, and the world for that matter. All hail King Baz. or something!

I'm sorry it took me so long to get this next chapter up. I've been sooo busy lately! So, yeah. Um. This chapter took me a while. I wasn't thinking too much when writing it.. and most of the time I was stumped, even though, I think I know where the story's going. Putting it down into words is sometimes hard, I've noticed! Ah! Enjoy!

Note: Thanks to E for STILL supporting me, as well as all you other fabulous reviewers! You guys keep the story going. You're all so sweet! THANK YOU!



A Love Suprême Chapter 4- A Love Once Lost

Satine whirled around to see a young-looking Christian. 'This has to be a dream!' was the first thing that popped into her head, as she remained speechless and shocked. She'd found what she was looking for. But this wasn't Christian. Christian had a tired-out, lonesome face, glazed eyes and a beard with the vibe of unhappiness tagging along with it.

"You were singing our-You have to be an allusion! You're dead!," He grabbed his head as if he were trying to wake himself up. "This is only a dream! You're not real!"

Satine almost stopped breathing completely when he said that she'd died. It was more like she had forgotten to breathe. How could this be a dream though, for her or for him? She still felt her cuts, so she couldn't be sleeping.

He stepped closer to her and touched her cheek as she tried not to scream out in pain, "Darling, wh-what happened to you?" He looked at her with much concern.

"Christian, is it really you?" She whispered as tears began to fall.

"Yes Darling, I'm here." He wanted to touch her, but he didn't want to hurt her.

She let out a slight laugh through her tears. "I'm sorry, I just can't believe that you're here! I thought. I thought you were gone forever. I didn't know what the Duke did to you!"

"I saw you laying on the floor of the train and I thought he had killed you! I seen your blood there, Satine, it was a million nightmares in one. I couldn't even see your face before everything went black." He paused, then looked down. "And I never saw you since. It's just been so hard living with myself. Through this all, I could never find the Duke; I wanted to kill him for everything he's done. I still do. He hurt you then, and I'll never let it go! But I haven't seen him since that night either. Knowing that he had laid even a finger on you though, makes me actually hate someone with such a passion, that I feel the craving to actually kill a man." He looked back up to her, seeing an odd expression.

"The Duke. I.," She found everything so hard to say. Her chest was pounding and painful. "I've been living with the Duke, ever since. that day."

Christian looked horrified. "This can't be! Satine, that man is dangerous. He-"

"I know. Christian, I know. But I couldn't do anything about it."

"He put you through torture! That's what happened to you! That's why you look that way. He's going to pay! WHERE IS HE?!"

Christian started to walk furiously past Satine before she grabbed his arm. "Christian, it's okay. I'm still here! That's all that matters!"

"He hurt you! He's going to pay for it! I'll-"

"Shhh." But Christian was soon once again speechless as Satine forced her lips against his, only to pull away a moment later in gasps, small coughs, and drops of blood.

He tried to calm her, but simply held her close when he couldn't. "Darling, you're still sick." He whispered into her hair, as Satine fell faint into Christians' embrace.

He soon carried Satine to his garret as it began raining once more. He wanted to be able to get her to change out of her now soaked clothing. But there wasn't a chance of that, knowing she was completely unconscious, So he took her dress off of her, not knowing what else to do to get her warm, laying her on the bed. He was successful after desperately trying to wrap her in a bathrobe. It was as if Satine were his beloved child. But this was his love. He wanted to marry her. Just never got the chance to get a ring and propose before. He did get the necklace though, as he remembered. He took it off the dresser where he always kept it, either in a reminder of the pain he'd suffered, or what he'd lost. Either way, Satine had it around her fair and milky-skinned neck at one point in time, a while back. Trying to put it back on her, her neck was scratched as well. It looked as if the Duke just beat her for the fun of it. Christian's tears were showing how his heart ached for her. She was so different. 'She'd been through way more extremes than I have' he thought. But through all of it, she was still just as beautiful to him as she'd ever been, everyday still, he loved her more and more, despite their separation. He still loved her more than life itself.

He eventually fell asleep hugging a blanket around him after watching Satine for hours. She hadn't moved much, cuddling into the covers. She was breathing steadily though. During the night, he woke up countless times to listen for her soft breaths over and over again. He could never be too cautious about the woman he loved. He could never let her go again. He opened his eyes now and kept them open, peaking through the window, it was still dark, but he knew the sun was to come up in less than an hour. He needed time.

"Satine, Darling. Wake up," He whispered, not wanting to touch any delicate spots. She slowly rose from the bed, still not opening her eyes, reaching around for a hairbrush. "Satine, Satine?"

"AHH!" She screamed, frightened, and loudly as she opened her eyes to find herself not at 'Home'. "No, no, no, no. No!" How could I have let this happen?! How could I have not gone home?!" She started to cry wildly, dropping to the floor.

"Satine, what's the matter!? Don't you want to be here with me? Satine, I think we should get you to my brother now. You can't go on like this. What's wrong!?"

"Christian, the Duke! That's what's wrong!"

"What?" He looked confused.

"The Duke's going to kill me!"

"Satine, it was just overnight! Say you fell asleep, in.. In the park! -"

"No, he's going to actually KILL me, and you if he finds us!"

"What?! No. No! You've got me; I'll protect you! I'll be the one killing him!"

"He'll do it. He can do it."

"Why on earth would he kill you?!"

"Christian, I believe that sometimes, that's all he ever wanted to do. He just had me around to cook and clean for him, but even when I did that, he was still so angry! Even if I did something as humanly perfect as possible, it wasn't good enough., Christian. Last night, he came home and was mad about me going out to get his eggs and wine. He almost murdered me! The only reason he hadn't is because Warner stopped it! He'll do it, Christian. I swear, I know he will." She could hardly speak from the wild cries she made.

Christian put his arms around her, holding her close to him. "Shhh. It's okay Satine, everything's going to be alright. You just need to stick with me, all right? Now let's get you to a doctor. You can't hold off anymore. It's affecting you; we need to get you better. Right?"

Satine looked up at him, amazed that anyone cared that much about it. She wasn't used to it. "I love you so much, Christian." She held onto him tightly before he pulled away.

"Come along, Darling, we should be out of here before the Duke might come looking in this area. I'd take him now, but you're more important." He kissed her forehead and led her out of the small, yet lovely garret, pulling her hat with a veil over her face, in hopes to disguise her.

Walking quietly through the streets of London was lovely to Satine. Only because she was with her love, and not alone, or with the man who lived to torture her basically.

She smiled under her veil as Christian noticed, holding her hand.

"You like the looks of the sky this lovely morning too, huh?"

"Of course! It's just so beautiful. The most gorgeous artwork of anything really."

"Yeah. I haven't had much time to look at it lately. Every time I did, I just thought about you. You're as beautiful as the sky, Satine."

Satine was surprised. "You think I'm beautiful?"

Christian looked at her funny. "Satine, you were once a courtesan, you have to have looks. But that's not why I think you're beautiful. You have a beautiful personality as well, my love. Not to mention, a heart of gold. You're more amazing than any woman I could have dreamed of before I met you."

Satine smiled sweetly. "Thank you. I'm still amazed that you find me *that* attractive." She soon looked down. "Well, that was then."

Christian studied her. "What do you mean, then? You're just as beautiful as you ever were!"

"Christian, I feel like I've aged a thousand years. I see you last night; you still look so young and vibrant. And I., I don't know."

"Satine, I see that you've changed. But not for the worse, you've been put through so much. But you're just as beautiful as you ever were."

"Thank you, Christian, that makes me feel a lot better. I've been so insecure." She paused, still walking, while looking up at the sky, then to Christian. "I am curious though., was that you in the liqueur store, who saved me?"

Christian smiled full-heartedly "Yes Darling. I was half-tempted to find out who you were, but I thought of you as another allusion. I thought I was seeing things. You. It'd be too wrong of me to live off a person as if they were you," he sighed "I wish I would have recognized the Duke when I knocked him out. I would have killed him right then and there, with my own bare hands."

"It's alright Christian. You saved me, that is more than enough to do for me." She paused, anticipating the next questions' response. "One more thing.," she almost smirked giddily, knowing the answer. "Have you-?"

"Wrote a book of poetry? Yes. Yes, it about our love, and yes, it was in memory of our love. Does that answer your questions?"

"Very much so. I loved it."

The two lovers were still walking through the streets of London quietly as the sun began to brake over the horizon. Christian was still smiling happily, as was Satine, but she was slowing down in her step.

"Satine, do you want me to carry you?"

"No! Walking is fine!" She looked at Christian, smiling, yet assuringly. They pressed on, with Christian knowing he should be carrying her.

Satine felt her chest again, slowing even more dramatically. "Chris-" And without another word, he picked her up in his arms as she was too weak to do or say much of anything.

"Don't worry, my lovely, we're almost there."

-+--~*~--+--~*~--+--~*~--+-

Christian tried his best to cradle Satine in one arm, struggling to keep her up, while attempting to knock on the door of his brother Williams' home, in whom he hasn't seen in 4 years. It was a shame, because they lived so close. They used to have a great relationship. But before Christian could knock properly, the door flung open.

"Christian! Is that you?" Christian tried his best to speak and keep Satine balanced in his arms, but didn't get anything out.

"Let me help you with. Is this your.?"

"No. Not as of yet, at least."

"Oh, Christian. Where have you been all this time?" William showed his brother to a small office, as Christian set Satine down cautiously, on a narrow bed.

"Everywhere." Christian's brother stood near, looking very much like Christian, just older.

"And who is this young beauty?"

"This is. Satine. The woman I love," He paused and looked down at her, before returning his eyes to his beloved brother. "William, you've got to help her. She has consumption."

That wasn't a good thing to hear, even in an established doctor's eyes. ".I see. Not easy to cure, but it's not impossible. Nothing's impossible. Just not likely, maybe. Uh, how long has she had it?"

"Over a year now."

"Oh dear." William turned his head a moment, in thought. Then looked back at Christian. "Why didn't you bring her before? Do you know what a year can do?!"

"I've missed out on a year." Christian's eyes said it all.

"Oh." He felt so bad for his brother. He remembered Christian's setting out to Montemartre such a long while back. His brother was in love, like he's always dreamed of, but this? This was too much. "Well, I'll take a look at her. I think it'd be better if I'd do this alone, Christian. It'd be better for you as well." He seen the nothingness expression Christian had. "It- It's my job, Chris."

"Fine. Please don't make me wait long."

-+--~*~--+--~*~--+--~*~--+-

It seemed as if days passed as Christian waited outside of his brothers' office. He knew his brother was a good doctor - one of the best. But what would the outcome be?





A/N: This was a very hard chapter to write! Agh! Anyway, Chapter 5 is a making in process. Keep the reviews coming, please?? Oh, and sorry if this was a bit too sappy lovey-dovey. I'm just a fan of love, I guess! Scary enough, I have an ending in mind for sometime later in the story (I don't know how soon, depending on if I use it!)