Okay, people, there are TWO dukes. One is the duke from the movie and the other is Lula's cuz, Gary. Okay, so this chappy is gonna be weird, trust me, and well just tell me when you review. the 'club' is what the moulin rouge is, except it's in mexico and since I don't take Spanish, I can't really translate it over.

Disclaimer: again, not mine except Lula and Gary.

~Meet the Family~

Lula sighed, happy that it was all over. Grant, the Duke (a/n: the slimy ratty one), was still out there, waiting for Satine. Not that it did much good because Lula's cousin Gary, also a duke and of royal lineage, had helped fund the Club's production of Spectacular Spectacular, as Lula later found. She decided to make Gary go backstage rather than drag Satine out where the Duke was.

Lula crept up behind him, silent and moving smoothly between crowds of people there talking. She put her hands in front of Gary's eyes and said, in a low whisper, "Long time no see, eh milord?"

"Dear God! Is that you Lula?" Gary said turning and hugging Lula, who hugged back. Lula started to laugh and Gary begin to laugh, throwing his shoulders back with a good laugh. "I'm glad I volunteered to fund this. It was wonderful. Hat's off to you." He then did a mock bow which earned him a smack on his head.

"Come with me before I lose you again." Not that it was possible, because Gary's shocking streak of VERY dark brown hair and height made him stick out in crowds. Lula only teased him about it because most girls she knew thought that he was literally.

Tall.

Dark.

And absolutely Handsome.

"Satine, Christian, I want you to meet my cousin Gary. He's the one who funded our play. Gary, this is Satine, our star, and Christian, the writer." Lula said and turned back to Gary, but not before seeing the sudden change in Satine's eye. Her heart gave a gut wrenching jerk, but she made herself focus on her friends and cousin.

"Wonderfully written, Christian. And an absolutely superb job on your part, Miss Satine." Gary said, dropping an elegant bow and shaking Christian's hand.

"Come on Christian! Gary! Satine! I'm hungry even if you aren't and I think some coffee and food would do us some good, right?" Lula said, they nodded and Lula walked up front with Christian while Tina dropped back with Gary.

"No, my real name is Gareth, but please, I hate it ever so much. Just Gary if you don't mind." Lula shook her head and went on talking with Christian about possibly writing another play.

"Oh, then we'll stick with Gary then now won't we?" Lula heard Tina say nearly seductively. (a/n: note the word 'nearly'). "Can you sing? You have a lovely voice as it is and I'm sure that you would be wonderful at singing." Yet another shake of the head.

"Hear we are! Carlo, the regular and something extra for my cousin!" Lula said to the cook who grinned, waved and caused something to catch flame. Lula just grinned and showed the others to their seats.

"Well, if you insist." Gary cleared his throat, closed his eyes and begin singing like an angel. It was a French song, sung by the men and women of the village in England. Satine clapped when he was done, Lula smiled and Christian looked thoughtful. "Christian, could you come to my apartment? I'd like to go over some ideas and possibilities with you because I'm sure I could talk Harold into having another production, gods above knowing he loved this one." Lula said, noticing her cousin and her best friend.

"Oh, that would be absolutely wonderful!" Christian said, oblivious to the fact of the two people right next to them. After another 20 minutes, they got up and split.

"'Night Lula! Love ya Christian with all my heart!" this was followed by a long series of kisses and Lula hugging Gary. Satine and Gary then walked on their way.

"Well, how about something like a princess trapped and she falls in love with a servant and also in love with another man, a prince of a rivaling country? Or then again, maybe not." and they went on talking for hours late into the night, writing and scribbling things out.

Meanwhile~-~

"Satine, are you alright?" Gary asked, because the lady at his side began to look faint.

"Oh, it's just time for my medication." Satine said, smiling feebly.

Satine started to fall, but Gary, on instinct grabbed her arm gently, but firmly enough to right her. "Are you sure you're alright?" he got a nod.

When she kept falling, Gary swept her up into his arms and carried her the rest of the way. She went, took her medicine, and came back, looking much refreshed.

"Do you mind if I stay here because I believe it's too late to be going back to Lula's or go to a hotel." True, the hour was very late. Satine nodded, not minding in the least.

When Gary was taking his outer shirt off, Satine came in. They started to kiss and. (a/n: well, you know what happens so I'm not going to go into that because you don't need to know that.)

Over the next few weeks, it became obvious that Satine was enamored with Lula's cousin who was to leave soon. Christian was busy writing another production for the local theater, a book of love, and Lula's idea of the princess with two loves into a play.

"Lula, I'm going for a walk, is that alright?" Satine said.

"Sure." Lula said. Christian got up and grabbed his cloak.

"Do you mind if I accompany you?" he asked gently.

"No, not at all." They walked out. Five minutes after they left, Lula went into the room Gary was staying in, and saw the sheets tangled about him and his bare golden chest. His dark hair was mussed and his arm was thrown abroad. Lula got out her buckets of water.

Ten seconds later, Lula's shrieks of laughter could be heard throughout the whole street.

"What in the world is wrong with you?!?! What are you, some kind of crazy woman?!" Gary yelled after screaming louder than Lula for about a minute. "I've known women nicer than you and have cousins who would let a man sleep. I always heard that ladies were gentle creatures, but man, whoever told me that must have been drunk, as I must have been at that time."

"Well, if you didn't notice, they left for a walk. I need to talk to you about something, if you don't really mind me doing so, milord." Lula said, once Gary had stopped screaming as loud as he could for as long as he possibly was capable of doing.

"Sure, I guess. So, what's up?" Gary said, completely calm and composed unlike a few minutes before. (a/n: don't you just love having quick self composure?)

"I just want to know, does Satine seem any different to you? You know, like more hyper, but vague? And you cannot tell me that you haven't noticed that she's infatuated with you. Both you and her are very lucky that Christian has been too busy to notice." Lula said. Gary only stared. It was a few minutes before he actually responded.

"You know, you're right. The night we met, I was walking her back to her apartment and she kept collapsing on me. When we got to her place, she took her 'medication' and she seemed instantaneously revived. And yes I do know that she is in 'love' if you want to call it that. Besides, she keeps trying to get to me, but we all know that I love Mineverra. Do you know why?" Gary asked, shaking his head and running his wet hand through his even wetter and dark, unruly hair.

"No, but you know, many girls go after you. If I recall this correctly, I believe you went after Mineverra and you did something that was displeasing to her once she gave you a chance. You then acted like you didn't care and went out after the first girl who was crazy about you. When word got to you that she was in the hospital because of some freak storm accident, you went mad. Here's a scar from your nails digging into my arm while you were shaking me, asking me repeatedly why." Lula said, showing him her arm and hugging him. Gary was shaking in her arms.

"Don't remind me." He said slowly and quietly.

"When you return, please tell Evve I send my regards." She got up, wiping her hands on her pants. "And by the way, I want to ask a favor of you, but I want to tell it to both you and Christian. There's a rift being driven between me and Tine." The door clicked shut quietly behind her.

So, the plot thickens. What exactly DID Lula mean in that last statement? r/r, flames welcome