Twin Lights... Panic
Christian awoke with a start. He'd had the most horrible dream; something had happened to the children he adored. Yawning, he rose and stretched lazily, looking outside the bedroom window. The sun was unusually high; he must have slept in later than the boys normally let him.
Suddenly, something caught his eye. Satine was still in bed! She was always up before him since the bond she had with the twins was so strong that she'd wake up when they did. He stood silently, hardly breathing, trying to hear the sound of his sons' laughter in their crib in the other room. Nothing.
**Maybe they slept late...** Christian tried to convince himself that was the reason the garret was so silent. He forced his legs to walk normally and his heart to beat steadily. Finally, he reached the twin's room and swung the door open quickly. The room was empty.
His legs gave out and he crumbled to the ground. He thought his heart would burst. He started shaking violently, tears flowing from his eyes like waterfalls; he couldn't breathe.
Somehow he found the strength to stand, sucking for air like a fish out of the water. The room spun. He reached the crib. His children should have been there, happily babbling nonsense. When they saw him, they would have cried, "Dada!" and Christian would have picked them up, kissed them both and bid them good morning. But they weren't there. Christian grabbed Jared's blanket and held it tightly against himself, forcing himself not to cry loudly. He would wake Satine, and he didn't know how to tell her...
"Your father was in love with Marie when Harold opened the Moulin Rouge," Satine's voice came from the doorway. Christian shook his head. Didn't she realize that it didn't matter anymore?
"They courted for a while until Marie fell in love with Harold. Your father was investing in the Moulin until it got on its feet, then they would share the profit. Your father found out about Marie's affair and became insanely jealous and tried to kill her. He failed and eventually left, with the deeds of the Moulin in his pockets. Harold had to start over and finally succeeded." Satine continued her explanation. Christian still had her back facing her, clutching the only thing left of their children, silently crying. How didn't she feel what he was feeling?
Satine must have took his silence for continued anger against her, because she kept going, "I remember when he came back, I'd just started working as the Sparkling Diamond. He was surprised as to how much I resembled my mother, and became obsessed with the thought that I was Marie when she was younger. He tried to kill me too, and almost succeeded if it weren't for Marie. She didn't want me to tell you because she knew about us, and was afraid the duke would get the same idea... she was afraid history would repeat itself..." Her voice trailed off.
**Christian? Why are you shaking?**
He didn't turn. He couldn't face her... This was his fault. His father was gone, and so were their children. It wasn't just a coincidence.
"Hey..." she spoke, slowly walking towards him. "What's-" Satine stopped short, realizing Christian was standing over the twin's crib. "Is there something wrong with the twins?!?" She was behind him in the blink of an eye.
"No!" he screamed, grabbing her by the shoulders and stopping her from seeing into the crib. She couldn't see... Not right yet...
"Shh! You'll wake them up! Sleepy little buggers aren't they this morning?" Satine whispered, smiling. It soon faded as more tears sprung from Christian's eyes. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?" she said as she wiped them away.
Christian tore his gaze away from her concerned face. He took one shuddery breath before speaking, "The twins are gone."
Satine blanched slightly, but raised and eyebrow at him, undecided between panic and amusement. Maybe he was overreacting? She prayed to God he was.
"So is my father."
"Maybe he took them for a morning stroll," she suggested, half smiling. Her heart was beginning to beat faster.
Christian met her eyes again. **No.** He couldn't speak anymore; only a loud sob sprang from his throat. His legs felt weak once again; he thought he would faint. Satine helped him sit on the ground. Immediately his head buried itself in his hands as he cried loudly.
Satine simply stood numb, staring at him with wide eyes. She was rooted to that spot, unable to move, to think or speak. Her heart was thumping so hard against her chest it hurt. Slowly, her gaze moved from Christian to the empty crib. For a split second, she could have sworn she saw Ian, his arms outstretched at her, screaming, "Mama!", as if he was begging her to help him. She could have sworn she saw Jared crying loudly for the first time. The whole image was like the icy blanket of fear wrapping around her, shilling her to the bone.
She too began to shake, but still couldn't move, unable to cry for help. One last thought sprang in her head before it froze over. That thought was: **Where are my children?**
Christian awoke with a start. He'd had the most horrible dream; something had happened to the children he adored. Yawning, he rose and stretched lazily, looking outside the bedroom window. The sun was unusually high; he must have slept in later than the boys normally let him.
Suddenly, something caught his eye. Satine was still in bed! She was always up before him since the bond she had with the twins was so strong that she'd wake up when they did. He stood silently, hardly breathing, trying to hear the sound of his sons' laughter in their crib in the other room. Nothing.
**Maybe they slept late...** Christian tried to convince himself that was the reason the garret was so silent. He forced his legs to walk normally and his heart to beat steadily. Finally, he reached the twin's room and swung the door open quickly. The room was empty.
His legs gave out and he crumbled to the ground. He thought his heart would burst. He started shaking violently, tears flowing from his eyes like waterfalls; he couldn't breathe.
Somehow he found the strength to stand, sucking for air like a fish out of the water. The room spun. He reached the crib. His children should have been there, happily babbling nonsense. When they saw him, they would have cried, "Dada!" and Christian would have picked them up, kissed them both and bid them good morning. But they weren't there. Christian grabbed Jared's blanket and held it tightly against himself, forcing himself not to cry loudly. He would wake Satine, and he didn't know how to tell her...
"Your father was in love with Marie when Harold opened the Moulin Rouge," Satine's voice came from the doorway. Christian shook his head. Didn't she realize that it didn't matter anymore?
"They courted for a while until Marie fell in love with Harold. Your father was investing in the Moulin until it got on its feet, then they would share the profit. Your father found out about Marie's affair and became insanely jealous and tried to kill her. He failed and eventually left, with the deeds of the Moulin in his pockets. Harold had to start over and finally succeeded." Satine continued her explanation. Christian still had her back facing her, clutching the only thing left of their children, silently crying. How didn't she feel what he was feeling?
Satine must have took his silence for continued anger against her, because she kept going, "I remember when he came back, I'd just started working as the Sparkling Diamond. He was surprised as to how much I resembled my mother, and became obsessed with the thought that I was Marie when she was younger. He tried to kill me too, and almost succeeded if it weren't for Marie. She didn't want me to tell you because she knew about us, and was afraid the duke would get the same idea... she was afraid history would repeat itself..." Her voice trailed off.
**Christian? Why are you shaking?**
He didn't turn. He couldn't face her... This was his fault. His father was gone, and so were their children. It wasn't just a coincidence.
"Hey..." she spoke, slowly walking towards him. "What's-" Satine stopped short, realizing Christian was standing over the twin's crib. "Is there something wrong with the twins?!?" She was behind him in the blink of an eye.
"No!" he screamed, grabbing her by the shoulders and stopping her from seeing into the crib. She couldn't see... Not right yet...
"Shh! You'll wake them up! Sleepy little buggers aren't they this morning?" Satine whispered, smiling. It soon faded as more tears sprung from Christian's eyes. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?" she said as she wiped them away.
Christian tore his gaze away from her concerned face. He took one shuddery breath before speaking, "The twins are gone."
Satine blanched slightly, but raised and eyebrow at him, undecided between panic and amusement. Maybe he was overreacting? She prayed to God he was.
"So is my father."
"Maybe he took them for a morning stroll," she suggested, half smiling. Her heart was beginning to beat faster.
Christian met her eyes again. **No.** He couldn't speak anymore; only a loud sob sprang from his throat. His legs felt weak once again; he thought he would faint. Satine helped him sit on the ground. Immediately his head buried itself in his hands as he cried loudly.
Satine simply stood numb, staring at him with wide eyes. She was rooted to that spot, unable to move, to think or speak. Her heart was thumping so hard against her chest it hurt. Slowly, her gaze moved from Christian to the empty crib. For a split second, she could have sworn she saw Ian, his arms outstretched at her, screaming, "Mama!", as if he was begging her to help him. She could have sworn she saw Jared crying loudly for the first time. The whole image was like the icy blanket of fear wrapping around her, shilling her to the bone.
She too began to shake, but still couldn't move, unable to cry for help. One last thought sprang in her head before it froze over. That thought was: **Where are my children?**