London Theatre!

Disclaimer: yes, again I still do not own Moulin Rouge, except on VHS and I hope to get the DVD soon though so I can watch it on my laptop.

Pre-A/N: Well, I find that Tork is actually "The Doctor." Well, I will continue calling him Tork as a name, and we'll call the Unconscious Argentinean Narky (short for Narcoleptic Argentinean lol.)

A/N: Words in italics with no quote marks ("" or '') around them are the thoughts of Satine.

Words in bold italics with single quote marks ('') around them are the thoughts of Christian.

Words in italics with single quote marks ('') around them are the thoughts of Harold Zidler.

Words in italics with double quote marks ("") around them are past quotes from the last chapter(s) or from the movie.

~~Begin chapter~~

"Christian?! You're alive!" Toulouse shouted. He started laughing a little then calmed a bit down. "But how? We heard the gunshot ring from your room!"

Christian still hadn't answered the door he yelled to them, "GO AWAY!"

"Christian, open the door! We're your friends, we can help you!" Narky said. They could hear the growl from Christian and then a crash against the door. They backed up a little bit.

"This coming from the same Argentinean who told me not to love Satine? Swallow your words, and choke on them!" Christian yelled and threw the other chair at the door. "NOW GO AWAY!"

The four backed away silently but did not leave. Toulouse took a bottle of Absinthe from his coat and set it in front of the door.

"Have some Absinthe, Christian, feel better," Toulouse said. Christian opened the door snatched the bottle and looked at the four bohemians. His eyes were a little puffy from his crying and they were full of enough sorrow for a whole army. He then averted his gaze mumbling a little "thank you" and went back in his room.

His friends looked woeful for him. Narky scratched the back of his neck, now regretting that he ever told Christian to never fall in love with a woman who sells herself.

"Perhaps you were right, Narky," came Christian's voice. "If I had never fallen in love with her, I would never have had this much sorrow."

"No, Christian, it is good you fell in love with her, you experienced the one thing we all wish we could, Love," Narky said. "She was all ready to give up the life as the star of the Moulin Rouge to be with you."

They got no reply, but a crashing of the absinthe bottle against the door. Christian had drunk all of it in little time. For some reason, the Absinthe seemed to be taking longer to work. But when it did, there was no green fairy, no alcoholic bliss; there were just tears, cries, headaches, and pain. He saw dancing guns and knives, all tempting him to take them and use it on himself for death. Christian couldn't take them though to kill himself or inflict any type of pain to himself, the sorrow was already causing it.

Christian flopped on his bed, a killing headache over taking him. He moaned from the pain on his head, but at least his mind had shut up. That was a good thing.

The four Bohemians still remained outside. Toulouse set another bottle in front of the door. Christian heard the glass touch the floor, but didn't make an attempt to get it. Then he realized he needed to get his typewriter back.

'No, I'll get it tomorrow,' he thought to himself. He checked his pocket for the money, but it wasn't there. 'Shit, now I have to get a job to pay for it back.'

Christian walked out of his room locked the door behind him and went to go find a job an hour after the Bohemians had visited him. He decided to work at the liquor store. It was good pay, and he got free Absinthe. He got two bottles if he worked overtime, and when new shipments came in of stronger Absinthe, he got a free bottle of them. Soon his cabinets were lined with Absinthe.

~~With Satine~~

Satine had arrived in a medium sized town on the northern shore of France. She and Jude boarded the ship that would take them to London, England. It was very late, and they had just boarded the last ship ride for the day.

They stood on the deck looking up at the stars. They were far from the blizzard in Paris, but it was still freezing cold on the ship. Satine sighed; she remembered when she first met Christian. He sang and they dance, and when they danced, it was like they were dancing in the stars.

Jude started to tell her of the constellations. She listened slightly, but her attention slipped. Finally she was pulled back from memory lane when Jude said, "We're here."

Satine looked over and saw the lights of London, she gasped little, it was like a gold gem in the sea. "This is London? It looks so beautiful."

"Yes, but it is better when there aren't many people around," Jude said. "London, I hear, is starting to be affected by the bohemian revolution."

"Interesting," Satine said. "There isn't any place like the Moulin Rouge here, is there?"

"Actually, there are a few whore houses, but none as brightly lit and colorful as the Moulin Rouge."

Jude helped Satine down the plank. Satine looked around at the busy docks and the people coming and going. She saw a few women standing in the corners; she could tell they were prostitutes.

"Let me give you a ride to your place," Jude said enthusiastically. Satine then realized she had no place to stay. She didn't know where to go to live for a while. She shrugged.

"I don't have a place to live," Satine said.

Jude thought for moment then said shyly, "You can live in my old flat. I lived there before I went to Paris; I have never gotten the time to sell it, nor had my father. You can have it for free."

"But where would you be living?"

"My father's mansion." Jude said sliding on the seat a little as the cab took a turn. "I'll give the key… when I find it… If I can remember where I put it away..."

Satine laughed a little at the expression of confusion on Jude's face.  Satine hailed them a cab. The cabby helped Jude load the luggage and opened the door for Satine. He grinned at them.

"Just coming from a Honeymoon?" he asked. Satine and Jude's eye went wide and they shook their heads both saying "no."

"No, we just met, we're just friends," Satine said. Jude nodded in agreement. The cab driver apologized and blushed with embarrassment.

"Where to?" he asked.

Jude gave him the address, "And please hurry, it's rather late. With a stalker on the streets of London, I don't think any woman is safe."

Jude read the headlines of a murder of a new prostitute. They believed it connected with the other several murders taking place in the same vicinity and surrounding. He showed it to Satine.

Oh dear, she thought. I guess I'm not that safe here after all. But then again, if Jude didn't notice this guy probably won't either.

After a half hour, they finally reached the flat that Jude was giving to Satine. He grabbed Satine's two bags and led her to the door.

"Sir, what of the rest of your bags?" The cabby said. Jude turned to him and held his up in a motion to say 'Hold on.'

"I'm not staying here, I'm not staying here, so just wait there please," Jude said. He looked around the plants and under the door mat then remembered. He turned behind and said, "Uh, please avert your eyes."

Satine and the cabby gave him a strange look but did as they were told. Jude turned back to the wall near the door. He grunted and heaved at a large stone from the wall. The stone was tall and heavy and hard to loosen from its spot on the wall without the other stones collapsing in. Jude kept grunting and gasping for air as he put his feet to the wall to help in pulling, "Just a little bit more, it's almost out! YOWCH!!"

Jude sucked his thumbed as he removed it from between the stones.

Behind him, Satine and the Cabby's eyes were huge. They were wondering what in heaven's name he was doing.

Finally Jude pulled the stone back far enough to reach in a nook and grab the key. He pushed the stone back in its place, but it snagged at the back of his pants and tore it a little, letting some of the moist dirt in. Jude gasped and tried to mend the tear but to no use.

"Uh you can turn around now," Jude said mistakenly as he was still close the tear in his pants in the rear. Satine and the Cabby's eyes went huge as they saw him and they quickly turned around again.

"I wouldn't trust this feller, he seems a bit off his head," the cabby said to Satine. Satine didn't reply.

"Uh oh, I'm sorry; it's not what you think!" Jude said finally giving up on the pants. "Seriously, just a rock tore it and muddied it…ah never mind…"

He turned around, embarrassed beyond belief and put the key in the lock and opened the door. He stepped in carrying Satine's bags and put them on the floor of the empty flat. Satine walked in leaving the cabby outside on his cart.

"Let me switch on the lights," Jude said fumbling through the darkness searching for the light chain of the ceiling lamp. He finally found it and pulled it. The light filled the hallway with light that poured into the living room and some of the stairway and into the dining hall. The chandelier was made of crystal and made beautiful patterns on the walls and floors.

"Oh, wow, this a beautiful apartment, Jude!" Satine said. She walked into the living room, it was rather spacious and had two doors near the end, one to the bedroom the other a bathroom. She switched on the lights of the living room. It had white soft carpet and white walls. She explored the bedroom, it was large and was also all white same with the spacious bathroom. The faucets were gold though. In the dining hall and kitchen it was white, and upstairs was another room smaller than the one down stairs and then there was a small simple bathroom. Satine loved it.

"I love it!" Satine said. "But I can't afford to live in such a place like this!"

"Don't worry; I'll take care of the bill!" Jude said.

"But, this is so much, I can't possibly-"

"It's alright," Jude said grinning, "you can have it! You don't have to pay me back; I don't mind just giving it to you, not at all."

"Thank you," Satine said. "But no one I've met has ever been this generous and not want something in return."

Whoa, stop right there, Satine! Her mind yelled at her. Don't go there, you're not a courtesan, he's giving it to you freely you don't have to pay him back that way!

"Well, I guess I'm the first of a kind then," Jude said shrugging.

"I hope so," Satine said.

"Well, I'll give you a tour of London tomorrow," Jude said. "Here's your key, Sara."

Jude gave her the key and then left. Satine almost forgot her name was Sara, but then, hearing address her as such made her feel now, that she was Sara Christian, and she would make a good life in London. No more Satine the Sparkling Diamond of the Moulin Rouge. She was no longer the courtesan playing the Hindu Courtesan, she was no longer the star of the Moulin Rouge that sold her love to men; her loved already belonged to a man for no fee. She was Sara Christian, and she would always cherish the memory of Christian in her mind.

~~A year later~~

Zidler walked along the sidewalk in front of the former Moulin Rouge, he looked up at the once vibrantly colored and brightly lit windmill. Harold frowned, he had used the diamonds to repay the Duke, after that though, he was still in debt. He then had to give up the Moulin Rouge, but suddenly, the Duke was murdered, there were suspects, and then the policed ruled it as a suicide. But Harold knew that the Duke wouldn't commit suicide, he was humiliated, yes, but as revenge he'd kill the people that annoyed him the most, and he would have destroyed the Moulin Rouge. As a result to his death, all the deeds were given back to Harold Zidler, but he decided not to remake the Moulin Rouge into another night club, he feared that now the Moulin Rouge was cursed for all the sins that had been committed in its walls. He decided to just have it be a house for him and the other players of the Moulin Rouge to keep them out of the rain.

Harold looked up at the window to Christian's flat. 'The poor boy,' he thought, 'to be living in such sorrow, and not know that his true love was alive still.' Harold wanted to tell him, but he couldn't. Even though the Duke was dead, his older and more powerful brother was still alive, and mad with sorrow, wanting to kill everyone who made the Duke in such sorrow to kill himself. Harold knew that The Duke's brother knew of Satine's existence, or former existence, and would kill her as well. Satine thought Christian was dead as did the Duke's older brother, and to keep them both safe, was to keep them separated, and hidden. The Duke's older brother was out to get the people of the Moulin Rouge. And Harold knew, it was only a matter of time before the Duke's brother would gain knowledge of their living, and Harold worried. He knew that if The Duke's older brother were to find out, he'd abandon trying to kill everyone at the Moulin Rouge and kill Christian and Satine. He would especially want to kill the one who killed his brother, and for that, Zidler had to keep Christian in hiding.

It was a shock to Harold that Christian was alive. He went to see him only a few days after Toulouse and the others went to collect his dead body. Christian was sick looking from grief. Zidler told him to not worry over the rent that he'd take of it.

For the last year, Christian never seemed to recover. After he had gotten enough money to buy back his typewriter, he quit his job and stayed cooped up in his room. He'd walk the streets at night, not acknowledging anyone, he walked as if he were dead, but his eyes showed all the emotion he had; grief, sorrow, and pain. Not a tinge of guilt in his eyes for what he did.

During the daylight hours, he'd stay in his room, and close all the shades and curtains, making himself his own night. He drank absinthe, only a bottle a day to preserve his supply. He had made many attempts to tell their story like Satine made him promise to do, but he couldn't. He didn't know where to start; he had never known such trouble in writing.

Then one day, as he looked over the old, wilting script of "Spectacular! Spectacular!" it came to him. He sat down to his typewriter, hearing Toulouse's singing outside on the Windmill. ("There was a boy, a very strange enchanted boy…") He started crying, as the memories flooded back to him like a waterfall, in vivid rapid motion, he remembered every move made, every thought he had, every word spoken. He set his Absinthe bottle to the side and started to type:

The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.

The Moulin Rouge, a nightclub, dance hall and bordello, ruled over by Harold Zidler, a place where the rich and powerful came to play with the young beautiful and creatures of the underworld. The most beautiful of all these, was the woman I loved, Satine. They called her the Sparkling Diamond, and she was the star of the Moulin Rouge.

Christian continued to write, everything he remembered and he began from:

I first came to Paris, one year ago. The year was 1899, it was the summer of love. The world had been swept up in the Bohemian revolution, and I had traveled from London to be apart of it. I knew nothing of the Moulin Rouge, Harold Zidler or Satine.

On a hill near Paris was the village of Montmarte, and it was not like my father said, "A village of sin!" but the center of the Bohemian world! Musicians, painters, and writers they were known as "The Children of the Revolution."

Yes, I had come to live a penniless existence, to write in the ideals of Truth, Freedom, Beauty and that in which I believed in above all things, Love! There was only one problem; I had never been in love!

Luckily right at the moment an unconscious Argentinean fell through my roof; he was quickly joined by a dwarf dressed as a nun.

For a few days, only a few, Christian sat only in front of his typewriter, a pile of papers next to him on his right, and on his left were the used papers. Finally he finished the story in these words:

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. And then one not so special day, I sat down, and I wrote our story; a story about a place, and story about a time, and story about the people, but above all a story about love; a love that which will last forever. The end.

After completing the story, Christian put the last paper on the pile of papers that were used and put them in his drawer. He took another Absinthe bottle and lay on the bed, his eyes full of tears from writing of a great time in life. Even after a year, he hadn't shed all his tears, they would continue forever.

~~In London~~

Over the last year, Satine and Jude had grown close, very close. A few months ago they tried to date, but it just put a strain on their good friendship, so they agreed to just be friends. (All you reviewers who hate stories where Christian and Satine go with different people and release that held breathe of yours!)

They were good friends and could rely on each other for comfort and support. They knew that their relationship could not reach past a brotherly and sisterly relationship. Satine's heart was still for Christian only and Jude could sense that she loved someone else, and so he only wanted her to be happy so he let her go. He didn't want to stand in the way.

One day, a year after they had met they went out for lunch. Satine had just been having a horrible day and Jude could sense it when he picked her up.

"What is it, Sara?" he asked.

"It's nothing," Satine said, "just a bad day at work."

"Tell me," Jude said. "You know you can always talk to me."

"Yes, but I'd prefer keeping this to myself."

"Did someone hurt you? If someone did, Sara, I swear, I'll do all in my power to make them pay! No one hurts my adopted sister," Jude said. Jude had definitely become like a brother to Satine. But even sisters kept secrets from their brothers.

Satine had seen who she thought was Christian, but it wasn't him, and the distraction of thinking of him made her screw up her performance, and she was fired. That was her third theatre performance she had had fired from for the same reason. Many London Theatres were left though, for her to try out at.

Jude didn't try to pry anymore from what he saw in his adopted sister's eyes. He could tell it was from something of her past. Though he knew her general past, it was still a bit of a mystery to him.

Lunch was rather an informal matter, and they loved to just talk about their day, while eating some lamb's meat. Today was no different; Satine was back to her usual happy self by lunch. Well, as happy as she usually put on, inside, Satine had not truly gotten over Christian and that was party why she and Jude just didn't work out.

"Well, today," Jude said, "Mr. Gerald, the shoe press worker at the Shoe Factory in the country side went on strike! He's claiming they he doesn't get enough pay so he doesn't want to work anymore. The Factory Manager then fired him saying," Jude put on a deep rough angry voice, " 'If you don't think you get enough pay, then try to work by yourself and see what pay you get staying at home!'"

Satine laughed, "Nice impression of Factory Manager Justin!"

"Thank you," Jude said bowing like he had won an award. "Thank you, thank you."

"Well, what did you say to what Factory Manager Justin did?"

"I told him that if he wanted to dispense anyone who complains about their pay then he can. I over pay them anyway. Mr. Gerald is much of an atheist. He doesn't believe in anything, not even in God. He lives to work; I'm amazed the he just decides to now protest against his wages. I am giving them higher wages than my father did!"

"People are rather greedy, you give them an inch and they'll demand a mile," Satine said. Jude nodded in agreement.

"I hear that, and it is very true," Jude said. Jude was tempted to ask about why she seemed so sad but didn't ask.

Satine could he wanted to ask her, so she just said, "I was sad because I lost my job today."

"What? Why would they let you go? I've seen you rehearse before, you're a wonderful actress, how could they let you out?" Jude asked his voice full of disbelief.

"I was too distracted from my work. I could act properly. I just got too distracted by other things to work," Satine said.

"What distracted you?" Jude asked.

"Just things, personal things I don't want to talk about," Satine said. Jude didn't pry anymore, he knew when to not go any further into the detail of Satine's past life.

The waiter came back with the bill, Jude took care of it as he usually did and then gave Satine a ride back to her flat. Before she left the carriage he said, "If you ever want to talk about it, Sara, I'm always willing to lend an ear."

"I know, thank you, Jude," Satine said the walked up into her flat. She had lost many of her acting gigs only because she got distracted when she thought she saw Christian, or any of old friends, and she then was thrusted into old memories of Moulin Rouge one year ago.

That night Satine sat by her window on the second floor where she could actually see the moon through a sky light. She softly sang under breathe, "Never knew, I could feel like this…like I've never seen the sky before… want to vanish inside your kiss…"

~~Six months later in Paris~~

Christian waited patiently inside the lobby of Champlain Publishers. Christian was pale from grief, and his eyes were still moist with tears of old and yet to be shed. He had a shaved of his beard and mustache yesterday morning, had a bit of a trace of whiskers; a few little gray hairs of grief touching lightly at his temples. He kept sniffing a little; his grief had never lightened from the year and a half ago.

The other few people around kept giving him strange looks. Finally, down the stairs came Christian's editor, Sadie Carnell.

"Christian Adams?" Sadie asked as she looked at Christian. Christian looked up at Lily. Lily was a beautiful woman, medium height, slender nice face, green eyes straight black hair that went down to her shoulders. Christian nodded as he got up and shook her hand.

"Yes," he said barely above a whisper.

"I'm glad to finally have met you!" Sadie said merrily. "Now, follow me up to meet the rest of the editors of Champlain Publishers."

She took a cigarette out of her little purse. Sadie, for a strange reason, wasn't dressed like other woman would be. She was one of the very few women in a work force like this.

"Cigarette?" She asked he shook her head.

"No," he said. "I prefer Absinthe?"

"Don't have that here," Sadie seemed to shake a little.

"Are you cold?" Christian asked.

"No, just a little nervous," Sadie said. They finally reached nearly the top floor where the other editors were at. As they stepped out onto the floor another woman came up to Sadie and so did a man carrying a large piece of cardboard covered in brown paper.

"Ms. Carnell, here it is!" the other woman said pointing to the man holding the large cardboard.

"Hello, Darla, this is Christian Adams, the English writer I told you about. Christian, Darla, my secretary," Sadie introduced them, and they shook hands. "And this young man is my cousin, Montague LeBeau; he's from my mother's side."

Christian shook his hand and said hello. Then Monty stepped back said, "Ready for this!"

He tore off the cover of the cardboard revealing a picture of a heart with a browned ribbon on it that had "Love" printed on it and on the corners around the heart was Truth, Freedom and Beauty. On the top in a Gold was printed "A Love Which Will Last Forever." The background was a dark brown like an old leather book.

"It's your book cover!" LeBeau said happily. "What do you think?"

"I think it's nice," Christian said quietly, not really caring. Sadie gave Christian a pen.

"Sign it!" She said. Christian did so. Darla had left a little earlier and then just came back.

"Hey, they're ready for you in Old Champlain!" Darla said. Sadie shivered and took a drag on her cigarette.

"You sure you don't want a cigarette?" Sadie asked again.

"Absinthe is the only thing that calms my mind," Christian said; 'along with having Satine in my arms.'

"Well, we can't have a drunk author in a meeting!" Sadie said taking another nervous drag on her cigarette. She walked down the hall to the end where there were large doors. "Okay, ready? Good."

She walked in Christian right behind. There were eleven men seated at the table six on one side, five on the other, an empty chair on the side that had five, it belonged to Sadie but it looked unused. The elven men stood up.

"Hello, gentle men, this is Christian Adams, the English writer I've told you about for the last six months. Christian, the editors," Sadie said.

"Reginald."

"Harold."

"Leonard"

"Natchez."

"Michelangelo."

"Ken."

"Jonathan."

"Ronald."

"Joseph."

"Lester."

"Louis."

Christian just nodded to each of them.

"Our boss, Jerald, is eating breakfast now, so you won't see him here." Natchez said.

Christian didn't care.

"So then, Mr. Adams, what is your story about?" Joseph asked.

"It's about love," Christian said.

"Love?" Ken said skeptically.

"Yes, love, over overcoming most obstacles, and there's a courtesan, the most beautiful courtesan in all the world that works at the Moulin Rouge. But the Moulin Rouge is taken over by an evil Duke! To save the Mouin Rouge, she must seduce the Duke. But, on the night of the seduction, she mistakes a penniless writer, and falls in love with him! He wasn't trying to trick her or anything, but he was dressed as a duke because he was going to recite poetry to her hoping to become the writer of a play for the Moulin Rouge."

"Yes, well what happens next?"

"Well, the penniless writer and the courtesan have to hide their love from the evil Duke. And their four bohemian friends help in hiding their affair. They had a friend, a dwarf named Toulouse who believed in their love above all things. Well, the penniless writer gets to write the play called 'Spectacular! Spectacular!' But in time, the penniless writer and the courtesan are pulled apart by an evil plan. But in the end she hears his song, and their love is just too strong. The Penniless writer's secret song, helps them flee the evil one, though the Duke rants and rails, it is all to no avail. But then, when everything seems to be going in a happily ever after ending, it is revealed, that the courtesan has consumption. And on the night of the play, after the penniless writer and courtesan sing their secret song, declaring that they will each other until the end of time, when the curtain closes, the courtesan dies in the penniless writer's arms." There was a pause, and a sob from Sadie. The men were even a little taken with this story.

"Well, Mr. Adams, I'm not sure if this book will do well in a non-bohemian world," Reginald said.

"Well, Mr. Reginald, the bohemians of the world may like it very much," Christian said. "I don't care if it does well or not, I just want the story to be told."

"Well, Mr. Adams, if Old Champlain likes it, then we will take care of the promotion of the book," Harold said as he folded up a paper he had taken notes on and put it in his coat pocket.

"So you have no intentions to promote my book?" Christian asked. They all nodded.

"This is bull!" Sadie yelled. "Why publish a book if you aren't going to promote it?"

"Then do you suggest we just not publish it period, Ms. Carnell?" Reginald asked. Sadie shook her head. "Good, we'll publish it, that doesn't mean we have to promote such a Bohemian book!"

Christian didn't care. He just bowed a bit, "Thank you for your time."

Then he left. Sadie followed quickly.

"Christian! Christian, wait up!" she said. Christian slowed a little. Sadie caught up with him. "Listen, I'm sorry about the behavior of those editors. They don't like the English, even though some of them are English and they don't like anything Bohemian. But don't worry, I've heard talk that Champlain, the founder of this publishing company, is a bohemian himself. He just doesn't show it. So, if we get his approval, you're book will be reviewed by every book reviewer and an ad put in every paper in France!"

"Thank you, Sadie, but I really don't care if the book is promoted or not," Christian said. "I just care that it gets published and that the story is told."

"Well, okay, but I'll check up with Old Champlain himself anyway!" Sadie said letting Christian walk on. Sadie thought that Christian was rather cute, even in his pale state. She looked to her secretary. "Darla! Get me a piece of paper and pen!"

Darla grabbed a pen of a passerby's pocket and took a paper from someone else's office and gave it to Sadie. Sadie wrote something on it and gave it  back to Darla saying, "Take this to Christian Adams and tell him to be there!"

"Right away!" Darla said and did as she was told. She followed Christian down the stairs and finally caught up with him in the lobby. "Mr. Adams, Sadie wanted me to give this to you."

Christian took the paper and read it, "I can't go."

"She won't take no for an answer! For the love of God, man, go there, she is very sensitive right now. Her boyfriend left her for another woman three months ago," Darla said. "She's been having very violent mood swings from depression."

"Tell her to toughen up! The love of my life died a year and a half ago! Look at how I am!" Christian said. Darla eyed him a bit suspiciously and weirdly. Christian shook his head, "okay bad example.."

"Please, perhaps you should move on too," Darla said. "Go see other people and this is the perfect chance!"

"Don't talk to me like you've known my all my life!" Christian nearly yelled. "But fine, I'll go! Tell her this, next time, let me know a week ahead!"

Christian then left the Publishing building and caught a cab to go back to Montmarte. He decided then, he wouldn't drink that night as he prepared for dinner with his editor. He shaved what whiskers he had and brushed his teeth for an hour trying to get out the absinthe smell from his mouth, needless to say, he didn't totally succeed.

At seven-thirty o'clock P.M. (never again did he want to meet at eight o'clock in fear that the person might get Consumption) he was off to meet his editor for dinner. He didn't dare call it a date. And he didn't dare to tell Toulouse, he'd shoot off at how he was betraying Satine, but how could he betray the dead? He had succeeded in keeping his promise to tell their story, what else did he have to do anyway?

~~End Chapter~~

O.O Looks like those of you who hate stories where Christian goes with another woman have to hold your breath again! Maybe I'll change my idea and … uh…I'm not revealing my original idea!

Anyway, well, there y'go! Chapter Two! Don't expect Three anytime soon! I'm working on many other stories I have yet to do. Ta ta!

Jester