The first thing that registered in his mind was the pounding of hammers inside his skull. The pain reverberated through his entire being and he groaned, thinking he had hit the Absinthe a little too hard last night.
"Chwistian?" called Toulouse from outside his door. A quick knock then the lisping dwarf came into his view, clothes disheveled from an all-nighter. "Awe you awake?"
"I'm awake," he groaned, sitting up and wincing as the sunlight hit him. "Could you close the shutters?"
"But it's so nice outside—"
"Do it!" Christian snapped before frowning apologetically. "I'm sorry, Toulouse it's just that I have this huge headache and the light's bothering my eyes."
Toulouse nodded understandingly and went to do as Christian had asked. "I undewstand, Chwistian. You came in wate wast night." He came back to stand at the foot of the bed. "Don't wet the Argentinean get to you…I know Satine woves you, not that Duke."
Christian nodded and reached to rub his temples. "Did Satine ever leave the tower?" no answer from Toulouse. Christian repeated the question again.
But Toulouse wasn't paying attention to the question. He was staring quizzically at Christians' shirt. "Where did you get that?"
"What?" Christian grasped the material and pulled it so he could see. "Oh…god." A huge dark stain was pooled right underneath his collar.
"Chwistian?"
"I, uh, got it during my walk…I got mugged by a drunk." He explained hastily, hating to lie to his friend but having no choice.
"Awe you awight?"
"A few scratches, nothing to worry about Toulouse. I came back here afterwards and drank…"
Toulouse sniffed and glanced around the apartment but nothing smelled or looked like alcohol had been opened near anything. "Weheawsal stwats in an hour, we'll find out if the Duke awowed us the ending."
Nini's cruel remark stung at Christian for a moment but he brushed it aside and smiled bitterly. "Hopefully, he does."
"I'm sowwy Chwistian." Toulouse said again and Christian nodded before grimacing. "What is it?"
"A headache, if you don't mind Toulouse. I'd like to sleep a bit longer." Toulouse consented and walked to the door. Giving one last look to Christian he smiled with reassurance and went out.
"Damn," Christian cursed as soon as the door clicked shut. He tore the shirt off and threw it against the far wall. Last night was coming back to him. The warning spiced with mockery the Argentinean and Nini danced to, the rage that filled his heart when he looked up and saw the two on the Gothic Towers balcony, the wandering through Monmatres' streets, the mysterious stranger, the pain, the hunger, the kill…he had killed last night. That thought ran through his mind, pleasing one part of it while disgusting another. He threw a glance to the shirt and felt a twinge of hunger run down his throat as his eyes locked onto that horrible stain.
Soon the body would be found he knew that the police, as little as they cared about this area would be on it like flies because of the unusual cause of death.
He shot straight up and went over to the shirt, staring at it for any solutions to his problem to magically appear. "Come on Christian, think!" he placed all focus onto finding a solution, he almost didn't catch the soft footfalls beyond his door.
They belonged to her.
"Come in Satine," he greeted wearily to the door, grabbing the shirt and stuffing it under the mattress. As soon as it was hidden, the door opened and Satine did walk in, befuddled expression upon her face. But it quickly vanished and her eyes hardened softly.
"I'm going to stay with the Duke after opening night." The words were whispered, but Christian heard every syllable like they had been shouted.
"What?"
"The Duke and I talked last night. He said he could make me a star, Christian. You have to understand…he's giving me everything I've ever wanted."
"No, he can't." Christian spat, glaring at her and coming closer. "He can't give you love."
"Christian, please." Satine averted her gaze to the windows and went to them, avoiding the hand Christian reached out with. She made to pull back the shutters.
"Don't do that!" he shouted, grasping her wrist and tossing it away from the wood. "Don't, just…don't."
"Love means nothing to a courtesan, Christian."
"So, you'd rather be a bought whore. Lusted for your body and discarded when you cannot provide the activities you were meant to serve." He sneered, hating the way she visibly cringed with each word. "You'll toy with men's emotions, not caring if one of them does love you."
"I'm choosing the Duke, Christian, that's it. Goodbye." She went to the door and gasped when his hand again wrapped around her wrist. A jolt of coldness shot up from where his skin touched hers and she tried not to meet his eyes when he spoke again.
"There's something else…tell me what's wrong."
"I came to my senses!"
"Tell me!"
"What? You actually believed that I loved you?!" she barked, wrenching free.
He looked shocked but recovered quickly enough. Something inside of him took over and to Satines fear his face changed to look more predatory. His eyes shone with arousal mixed with hunger and they stared at Satine. "No, I forget that a whore like yourself only goes for the diamonds. Nini was right in saying that." He shrugged and then turned partially around. "Thank you for saving the true ending of the play. But I think it should be changed…don't you?"
Satine bit her lips to keep from speaking and pushed her way to the door when she turned around again and glared daggers at his backside. "You'd listen to Nini over me? I told you, if I stay the Moulin Rouge would be closed! You'll be killed…and even if the damned Duke gets me he won't have me for long."
"Meaning another man with more money buys you off? You are a greedy little thing aren't you."
"I'm dying Christian!" as soon as the words left her mouth she collapsed into sobs on the floor. "I'm dying…"
The demon inside vanished for a moment and he instantly rushed to her side. Kneeling, he smoothed her hair from her face and pressed a kiss into her neck, ignoring the hunger rising inside. "Shh, it's alright…"
The sobs racked her body and she shook her head miserably. "No…it isn't." she looked up at him through tear-filled eyes and shook her head again. "I've completely destroyed whatever love we had…the last man to ever touch me will be the Duke and I'll never become the actress Marie said I could be!"
"You didn't…Satine, everything will be just fine."
"Consumption acts quickly in this line of work Christian. It's been getting worse every day."
"We'll find you a doctor then—"
"What's the use? All good doctors are over in America and I won't live til then."
iThere is a way.i Christians mind told himself. iNo, I won't do that to her!i
"Christian?"
"I'm just thinking Satine…" he pressed another kiss onto her shoulder and noticed a bruise forming there. "Did he do that to you?"
"It wasn't anything…I bumped myself last night." Her answer seemed too rushed and rehearsed to him. "Really, Christian."
"Tell me if he did this!"
"Why? So you can go get yourself killed? I don't need you dead!"
"…" Christian made to tell her he already was of the dead but wisely kept his mouth shut. "We have rehearsal soon."
"Don't do anything. Christian, act like you don't love me." Satine reached to cup his face. Tears had turned her eyes red but Christian still thought they pulled his own soul in to meet hers. "Please, it'll save the Moulin Rouge, it will please the Duke, and it will give us the ending we deserve."
Christian nodded in reluctant agreement. Satine was right. Hanging his head, he rose and reached to help her up. As she stood she wrapped herself in his embrace and whispered softly. "Come…what may."
He returned it. "Come what may."
She pulled away; giving him a tender kiss before disappearing into the hallway. Christian stared at the spot, letting the retreating footfalls echo into his mind.
"She's dying…"
"Chwistian?" Toulouse said from the doorway, Christian didn't register.
"Dying…"
"What in eawth awe you tawking about?" Toulouse walked into the room and stared curiously at the writer.
"She's dying!" he threw this one out to Toulouse who frowned until a connection formed in his brain.
"Oh Chwistian, I'm so sorry. Is thewe anything we can do? Take hew to a hospital?" Christian shook his head mournfully. "Thewe's nothing? But…youw wove! It can ovewcome anything!" Toulouse pressed on, tugging at Christian's hand to make the taller man look at him. "Anything…"
iYou could turn her…i Whispered that new voice in his mind. It sounded like a cat purring right before attacking a kill and it scared Christian. "I can't make her become—"
"What?"
iLife eternal with Satine? Isn't that something you've dreamed of? Life eternally filled of love? That's why your Sire promised…i the voice soothed, painting a mental picture.
It was of him and Satine looking out into a sunset on a large boat cruising the Mediterranean towards Egypt. Her hair shimmered as if gold were woven in with the copper strands and her eyes were filled with laughter. "That could never happen…"
Toulouse now had worry filling his thoughts as he watched his friend going through some sort of internal debate. He knew that the two were meant to be together, but why couldn't every one else? "Chwistian?"
Returning to reality, Christian felt that bloodlust creeping in his body and he mentally shoved it down. Would this be something Satine herself would go through? "I'm sorry Toulouse, I just need time to think." He went to his shabby closet and pulled out fresh clothes. Shrugging them on, he turned and grabbed the handful of papers that shown the final scene—the proper final scene. "Yes, lets' see if the Duke changed his mind." Brushing past Toulouse, Christian half-strode half-ran to the Moulin.
From his place by the gates, the Argentinean frowned as Christian went by. He watched as Toulouse entered the Moulin and went to fall into step with the dwarf. "So? Did he take my advice?"
"No…"
"He has that look on his face—"
"Darling! What on earth are you doing out here!" came the nasal pitch of Nini's voice.
"Not now, I'm in the middle of something." The Argentinean brushed her hands aside and continued walking with Toulouse.
Nini pouted, that usually got his attention, but this time it didn't. "If it's about Satine I'm going to—"
"Going to what?" Christian cut off from ahead of the Argentinean and Toulouse. He turned and allowed those two to pass before eyeing Nini. "Scream? Swear? Rat on her again?"
Nini was shocked that he could hear her mumbling but quickly threw it off. "So sorry that your fairytale was shattered Romeo…ah!" the hand gripping the base of her neck clamped like iron, making it hard for air. How did he get close so fast?
"You will be sorry Nini." His voice was low and threatening. She looked to his face and saw not the boyish naivety of yesterday but a cold calculating look. His eyes were darkened and a smile danced over his lips before he shoved her to the ground. "Believe me…you will."
**~~**~~**~~**~~**
(A/N) Here's that next part I promised, thanks you reviewers, however being only three! Don't worry, I won't take away that lovable Christian we all know and love.
K-Lie: I love Buffy and Angel to, but I'm more a fan of Spike then of our tormented souled vampie. I'm basing my little bloodsuckers on L.J Smiths' Nightworld. Where there is a demon in them but they have souls as well and fall in love…stuff like that.
Hindi Sad Diamonds: The normal routine Satine/Christian fics are a favorite of mine also. I'm praying this fic can stay with the best of those.