I practiced at home with Harold everyday. Peter would come over one a week to inform me of things that were going on in the play, changes he made, and other stuff. It was soon time for dress rehearsal something I needed to show up for. Peter didn't tell Christian when this was. So I was able to rehearse without him finding out. Peter filled the rest of the cast in about my absence. Everybody thought it was sweet of me to spend time with my little girl and didn't say much more about it.

Amazingly enough Harold didn't have to get Christian drunk on the night of the production. Christian said he couldn't show up for the production, that the memories were haunting to him. I didn't realize how much the memories would haunt me either. Even in the happier parts of the play I was ready to cry. The tears came freely when John (The guy who was playing Christian, who is gay) told me he didn't love me. Everybody said my roll as Satine was my most convincing yet. Well duh, I wonder why? The whole week it was showing there was a full house, and at the end you could hear sobbing and nose blowing from the ladies. 5 out of 7 times John and I got an encore to perform "Come what May" at the end. This production made the most money in the history of the studio. And in Honor of the success Peter decided to host.

"A party! Let it be a new tradition! I want you all to dress up. It will be on Saturday next week, starting at 7:00. Bring your families and friends and food." He smiled and everybody laughed. He congratulated everyone and presented me with a dozen of red roses and a check, which was undoubtedly more than anybody else's.

~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~* *~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~**~

I woke the next morning to my child running into my room, and bouncing on the bed. I picked my head up to look at her smiling face, lighted by the sun penetrating in through the curtains.

"Good morning mummy."

"Good morning love." I smiled at her. She cocked her head to the side and smiled back then crawled over into my arms.

"Mummy, will you sing to me?"

"What do you want me to sing?" She was quiet in thought until she said,

"Anything."

"Okay. Never knew I could feel like this It's like I've never seen the sky before Want to vanish inside your kiss Everyday I'm loving you more and more Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing Tellin' me to give you everything! Seasons may change, winter to spring But I love you, until the end of time.

Come what may, come what may, I will love you until my dying day!

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace. Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste It all revolves around you And there's no mountain to high No river to wide Sing out this song and I'll be there by your side Storm clouds may gather and storms may collide But I love you, until the end of time

Come what may, come what may I will love you Until my dying day!

I finished the last note with a tear in my eye. It was the first time that Clare had heard the song. She looked at me kind of dazed as if there was something about it.

"That was pretty Mummy."

"You liked that?" I asked. She nodded a smiled at me. "I'm glad. Your father used to sing it to me when I was feeling bad. And I would sing it to him when he was feeling bad. " There was silence until I remembered about the party.

"Clare there is a party next week at the studio. And Peter invited you."

"I'm going to a party?!"

"Mhm." I nodded. Clare clapped her hands in delight.

"Can I stay up as long as I want?"

"Yes."

"Yay! Will Christian be there?"

"I guess. I'm not sure." Totally switching gears she asked excitedly,

"Can we go pick out a dress now?"

"Of course! Let's get dressed and eat." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Saturday came, and I was thankful that was the day the Duke left. Clare was bouncing off the walls the whole day. Every hour she asked if she could put the dress on. Finally I relented two hours before it was time to go. Once totally done up, she looked like a doll. The dress was satin in a dark blue color. Pearls and diamonds were embedded into lace roses on the bodice and around the flared out into the dress with the help of the very fluffy petticoat. She had white designed stockings, with white (slightly) healed boots. (Which she was very proud of) She had decorative gloves that went up her arms. I put a blue satin choker at her neck that had a single pearl hanging down. Her hair was done up high with dozens of small red curls that sat atop her head, a pearl clip holding it all in place. I let her put some blush and a light colored lipstick on, which made her very happy. After she looked at herself in the mirror, the rest of the night she was dancing around, twirling and curtseying. She only stopped to admire my dress, which was a midnight blue. The bodice was covered with diamonds especially around my bosom. It hardly flared out, but fell dramatically down the floor with a long train following me. I put on matching gloves that ran all the way up my arm and were again held by diamond cuffs. My hair was put half up, half down. The half that was up was braided into a bun with little curls falling down around it, and was held in place by a large diamond clip and by my veil. I put only a simple diamond necklace at my throat.

Clare couldn't keep still in the carriage. She tapped her toes, bobbed her head, squirmed in her seat, but being ever careful not to wrinkle her dress. I smiled to myself how cute she was and I couldn't help but notice how the blue flattered her eyes and her red hair. When we arrived, Clare was first to stand up and had her hand on the door handle ready to burst from the carriage as soon as it stopped. Harold, Marie, and I chuckled lightly.

As soon as Clare was in the studio she scoped the whole place looking for Christian. I saw him come up behind her with out he noticing and swoop her off her feet. She giggled and laughed smiling up at him. My heart about broke in two when I saw father and daughter gazing into each other's eyes. I sighed wanting to be the family we should be. and yet couldn't be.

"Mommy I found Christian!" He said looking over his shoulder.

"Yes you did darling, but I think what you mean is he found you." Christian laughed at this and Clare did too, which caused me to laugh.

"Come on Christian let's go dance." She tugged at his shirt and he picked her up at the waste swinging her to the lively music. Every one from the production was there, plus their families. The whole place had a warm gay feeling to it. And I'm sure I would have enjoyed myself better, if not for the constant pattering of my heart when Christian neared. If not for the way he smiled so that my knees went week. If not for the constant voice in my head that seemed to scream "Show him you care, love him, tell him." If not for the thought of becoming the Dukes. forever.

I was thankful that this party was more of a buffet than a sit down and eat thing. It might look odd that I was eating with my veil still in place. Though Peter would probably have a toast for the success of the production. I was lost in thought on how I could get Christian out of the room for when Peter asked me to sing Come what May in front of everybody, when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Christian standing Clare hanging off his arm.

"I was wondering if you cared to dance. it seems this little one is spoken for." I then noticed the little boy who was hiding behind Christian's back. Clare smiled toothily at me and turned jerking the little boy off his feet to the dance floor. I couldn't help but laugh. "So will you give me the pleasure of dancing with you?"

"I'd love to."

"I hate to be rude, but you know I've never seen you without a veil on. I mean that's fine with me, but I was just noticing that the other day. I've never seen your face."

"Well there isn't that much to see. I have eyes a nose and a mouth just the same as everyone else. I suppose I just prefer the veil so in public nobody knows its me." I said as if I was stating the obvious.

"I think your hiding something from me." He said grinning. Damn it he knows me to well!

"And what makes you think that?"

"The fact that everybody here knows you so there is no need to hide from anybody. are you hiding from somebody?"

"No of course not. But you see if I took down the veil than my hair would fall down and that would just be a mess."

"But you could just lift it up, you don't have to take the whole thing down." He pointed out.

"Yes but then the veil would cover up the clip that hold my hair in place. I do think it is lovely." I honestly couldn't think of a better excuse. I could care less about the damned diamond clip. I saw he was eyeing me trying to see through the veil. But all he could make out were the obvious facial features.

"I see." The next turn of events happened so fast, I could scarcely remember them. But I'll never forget the way I felt. Terror mixed with anxiety and throw in some relief with a little more terror. and that's about what I felt. I felt Clare hitting on my back trying to get my attention. I broke free from Christian's grasp on my waste and on my hand to turn around. But Clare was closer to me than I thought and I practically tripped over her, she lost her balance and grabbed for the first thing her little hands could reach; my veil. I felt the whole thing fall off and along with it the clip holding my hair in place. A wave of auburn fell into my face, I felt strong hands, Christians hands, pull back on my waste so I wouldn't topple over on top of her. When I had my balance Clare was on the floor gasping because the fall had caused her to lose her breath. I forgot everything and bent down to hold her, as did Christian. I looked to the side to see Christian staring straight at me. I felt that not only were his eyes trying to take me in but his mind and heart too. Here stood the woman he held in his arms while she died. Here she was in his face alive and well with a daughter. He said nothing, but his face said everything. I couldn't breath; I didn't want to breathe. I felt the tears brimming up. They felt like acid falling on my cheeks and I felt like I was going to choke on the lump that seemed to be growing in my throat. It was then, reality hit me. Stumbling I got up and ran out. I could hardly see as tears blinded me. I pushed the door open and felt the icy wind falling over me. I kept running until I found a small ally. There, I let everything out. Sobs wracked my body and my breathing came in gasps as I tried to gain control of myself. Over and over I played that haunting look on Christian's face. What had I done to him? How could I be such a fool!? I yelled at myself.

"I want the truth." I gasped and turned to see Christian standing there. His eyes were fiery. Like the time he had come to "pay his bill"

"What?" I asked tears streaming from my face.

"Who are you? Are you Gwen? Are you Satine? Are you a ghost come back from the dead to haunt me?"

"I am Satine." I cried to him. I wanted to run to him and jump into his arms and have him cuddle me love me like never before, but I stayed content with the brick wall behind me.

"How?" He asked, stepping closer.

"What do you want from me?" I asked not answering his question.

"I want only to be free of you, as you are obviously free of me." He said looking intently into my eyes.

"I will never be free of you, Christian. I love you more than life itself. I have loved you more deeply than imaginable. And that love will not weaken, it will not fail, and it will not stop."

"You were dead."

"I was dead to protect you!"

"What do you mean?" He asked, his eyes pleading.

"The Duke. he. he would have tried to kill you! He was going to kill you unless I slept with him after opening night. You would have tried to fight for me and I couldn't let you. I couldn't let you die."

"So you "died"?" He asked uncomprehendingly.

"It was all a big plan Harold and I had for me to become famous. When you walked away that night and you thought." I gasped trying to get a hold of myself, "You thought that I didn't love you." I trailed off looking at him. "I couldn't let you believe that. And When I realized that no matter what the Duke would still take revenge on you. So I went on with the plan Harold had. And I've been in London ever since under the alias Gwen Meire."

"And Clare?"

"She has her daddies eyes." I looked at him and forced a smile.

"Satine tell me right now, do you love me?" He looked at me slowly getting closer. I nodded closing my eyes as more tears slipped from them. "Have you always loved me?" I nodded again, he was now directly in front of me almost touching.

"Look at me and say it." He whispered. I looked at him with my azure eyes and I let the depth of his fall into mine.

"I love you Christian. I always have and I always will."

"Satine I love you. I always have and I always will." With that our lips locked together in a binding kiss. Poured with love and emotion. Passion radiated from out link. I felt his tears against my cheek and my tears were against his. He broke apart for one moment only to sing,

"Come what may."