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~~

Jude set Satine on the couch in her living room. He got a cup of cold water and set it on the little couch side table. He sat down, putting Satine's head on his lap. He lightly slapped her cheeks, "Sara, Sara, are you alright? Wake up!"

Satine woke up and shot up looking around, "What, what happened?"

"You went out like a narcoleptic!" Jude said. "What happened? Someone called out something and you looked their way, it looked like you had seen a ghost! You passed out!"

"Oh, I must, I must have just been seeing things," Satine said. Jude looked a little concern.

"What was it?" Jude asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Satine said walking near the window. Jude really wanted to know, but he knew not to go past anything when Sara said she didn't want to talk about it.

"Well, alright," Jude said, "but if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here to talk to."

"I know," Satine said. She picked up a script, and smiled. "Let's work!"

"Alright, uh, should we do the motions too?" Jude asked. Satine nodded.

"It may help," Satine said.

"Where should we start from?"

"We'll start from, 'Will the lovers be meeting in the Penniless writer's humble flat?' scene," Satine said flipping a few pages. Jude looked through the book and found it.

"Alright! Okay," Jude cleared his voice. "Miss Satine, I haven't quite finished that new scene, the uh, 'Will the lovers be meeting the Penniless sitar's humble abode?' scene and I was wondering if I could work on it with you later tonight."

"Who'll play the Duke?" Satine asked.

"I will," Jude said. Then he put on an annoying high voice, "But my dear, I arranged a magnificent supper for us in the gothic tower tonight!" Jude switched voices, "Well it's not that important we can work on it tomorrow."

Satine looked as if she were insulted, "Oh how dare you! 'The Lover Will Be Meeting in the Sitar's Humble Abode scene is the most important in the production! We will work on it tonight until I am completely satisfied!"

Jude smiled, he really like Sara's acting, and he put on the Duke's voice, "B-but my dear!"

"My dear Duke, excuse me," Satine said and made as if she were walking away.

"I'm sorry," Jude said in the lead character's voice and walked off.

"Alright, good job," Satine said. She patted Jude on the back, "See you can act!"

"I'm just afraid what'll happen when we're performing front of an audience," Jude said. Satine laughed lightly.

"Don't worry, with the lights on brightly, you won't even see them that well; it'll be like they're not eve there!" Satine said.

"Really?" Jude asked. Satine nodded. "Okay."

~~In the Theatre~~

Christian sat in the front row thinking that night, in the middle of the night. He tried to get the image out of his mind, but he couldn't, it looked so much like her. But her hair was in her face, he wasn't sure. He eagerly waited for the day to break to go see her, he had to know.

It wasn't unusual for him to be up at nights, he had really never been able to sleep after Satine's death. 'It's not like I got much sleep with her anyway,' he thought to himself and grinned.

Sadie woke up in the middle of night and got up. She got dressed in regular clothes; she couldn't sleep for some reason that night. It was unusual for her; she usually got great nights of sleep. Tonight she decided to just walk around until she got tired.

She walked down from the flats in the theatre and onto the stage. She saw Christian in the front row, grinning slightly and a glazed look over his face. He obviously hadn't heard her. She walked down the stage and sat next to Christian and shook him. He snapped back to reality and looked at her.

"Huh?" he asked.

"It looked like you were sleeping with your eyes open," Sadie said.

"Well, sometimes that happens, but I'm just going back into memories," Christian said. "For some reason, that woman that man was carrying, she looked familiar."

"Like Satine?" Sadie asked. Christian looked at her.

"Yes."

"I'd like to know more about Satine, I thought she was a fictional character," Sadie said. Christian looked up and stretched his back.

"No, not truthfully, she was real," Christian said. "She was a courtesan; she sold her love to men. But she had my love, and I had hers in return. She had my heart, and our love was real. She died with my heart, and so my heart can't be with anyone else, not even you Sadie."

Sadie looked at him, "What?"

"I'm depressed, not blind," Christian said silently. "I know you had an infatuation with me, but I can't feel the same way about you. My heart is only with Satine."

"I understand," Sadie said. She really wasn't hurt by this, she did just have an infatuation with Christian, and it wouldn't last long at all. But when she saw that man carrying that woman, she seemed attracted to him. But she shook the feelings; she wanted to get to know the man before she made any true judgments of her feelings on him.

"I'm glad," Christian said. "Now I think you should get some sleep. We still have a lot of work to do tomorrow."

"What about you?" Sadie asked. Christian had a hover of a smile on his lips but it vanished.

"I never truly sleep," Christian said. "I'll be just fine."

"Alright," Sadie said and she walked off back to her room.

~~Next Day~~

There was much work to be done during the day; so much that Cephus and Christian didn't get the time to go see Satine and Jude during the early or mid day hours. They had to go see them near the end of the day, around sundown.

Cephus knocked on the door to Satine's flat, and Jude answered…in just a button up shirt and under pants, "Yes?"

"Hello, Mr. Latter, is Sara in?" Cephus asked trying not to ask why Jude was scantily clad. Jude nodded.

"Yes hold on," He turned around. "Sara, hey Sara, Director Cephus is here with another gentleman."

"I'll be right out!" Satine called from the bathroom. Jude wandered into the dining hall and got his pants that were torn to near shreds.

"Stupid dogs…" he muttered as he tied to sew it all back together. Christian was a little shaky; the voice was all too familiar.

"Yes?" the voice said. Christian looked up, they locked eyes, they both felt faint, very faint. They couldn't believe their eyes.

"Sa-Satine?!" Christian gasped. Satine couldn't find her voice. Jude got up a confused look on his face.

"Sir, her name isn't Satine, it's Sara Christian," Jude said. Satine just nodded, she couldn't let her past be caught up with her. She had to remain Sara Christian.

Christian couldn't believe it. It was Satine, but she agreed to being Sara Christian! 'Nice name she picked though,' his mind said.

"I'm Sara Christian," Satine said, "What do you want?"

"You," Christian unintentionally said. Satine backed up a little bit and Jude stepped in front of her.

"Excuse me?!" Jude said.

"I didn't say anything," Christian said. Jude stepped up a hard scowl on his face.

"No, you did, you said you what? Wanted her?" Jude said. "Well, I'm sorry, but you can't have her."

"What?" Christian said a look of confusion plastered on his face.

"You can't have her!" Jude nearly shouted.

"Who are you to make that decision? Her husband?" Christian shot back. Jude stepped back a bit, he was faulted a bit when it came to insults, and he wasn't sure to take that as an insult or not.

Christian misinterpreted that look on Jude's face, his eyes went wide. A look of hurt and confusion plastered on his face, he turned around and walked out.

Director Cephus and Jude had no idea what was going on. Cephus said, "You still have the parts."

He walked out after Christian.

Jude turned to Satine, but she wasn't there. He looked around and found her in the bedroom, "What's the matter Satine? Who was that?"

"It was Christian," Satine said. "I thought he was dead."

"Why did he call you Satine?" Jude asked. Satine looked up at him with a tear stained face. Jude immediately got more concerned and sat down next to Satine and pulled her into a hug. "What is it?"

"Jude," Satine said breaking from his hug, "I haven't been completely honest with you."

Jude looked confused. Satine started to explain everything.

~~West End Theatre~~

Christian was yelling in frustration on the stage and kicking a few things over. He yelled, "NO! NO! God, please no!"

Toulouse, Narky, Tork and Satie looked at him with concern. Christian saw them backstage through tear filled eyes. He sobbed a little, "Satine's alive!"

They looked shocked, they couldn't believe it. Toulouse walked forward, "Are you sure?"

Christian nodded, he sat down against a wall, his head in his arms, "I saw her, Toulouse! She's even married!"

"No, it can't be her," Toulouse said. "If she was alive she would be with you! She loves you and I know it!"

"Shut-up Toulouse!" Christian sobbed. "She doesn't love me, if she did, then she would be with me!"

Toulouse didn't know what to say. He looked at the others for some help. He then walked over to the others and said in a whisper, "We will go see her ourselves; we have to get to the bottom of this."

Christian sobbed against the wall, he didn't want to believe it, but he did. He thought she loved him, so why wasn't she with him? Why wasn't she beside him, hugging him and kissing him? Christian could only sob now; this pain was worse than when she "died."

Sadie sat in the back row; she saw all that took place. She had to find out about Satine. So she went to go see Satine, by herself.

~~In Satine's Flat~~

Jude was struck dumb by Satine's story. He was a little mad that she kept this from him, but he was more sad for her, because she was told a lie, and she was made to leave.

"I'm so sorry to have kept this from you for a year and a half," Satine said.

"And when were you going to tell me?" Jude asked over his shoulder. He was behind her now on the bed.

"Never," Satine said quietly.

"Why not? Sara-"

"Satine," Satine corrected.

"Satine," Jude said, "I'm your friend aren't I?"

"Yes."

"You could've told me, I would've thought none the less of you," Jude said.

"You said you didn't like the cancan dancers at the Moulin Rouge," Satine said, sobbing a little. "I was worse than them, though. I was the major courtesan; I sold my love to men."

"You didn't sell your love to Christian though," Jude said. "You loved him, truly madly and deeply yes?"

"Yes," Satine said not so quietly.

"Then, that love would surely forgive you of your sins," Jude said. "I can tell, you two had, no you two have, a love that is strong and will last forever."

"No, not anymore," Satine said.

"Why not?" Jude asked.

"When you paused after he asked if you were my husband," Satine said. Jude already realized it.

"Oh no, Satine, I'm sorry, I ruined everything!" Jude said.

"No, you didn't," Satine said. "I should have put things straight then and there."

"No, you were shocked, speechless, the love of your life was back from the dead and you didn't know what to say! It's not your fault Satine!" Jude turned to her and turned her around. He pulled her into a hug, "It's not your fault."

Outside it was raining, like heaven wept as well for Satine and Christian's situation, but someone wasn't weeping. Outside Sadie watched she wasn't sure what was going on inside when she saw Jude pull Satine into a caring hug. Not wanting to witness anything wrong, she made her way back to the West End Theatre hailing a cab.

~~At the Theatre~~

"Toulouse, the rain is really picking up, I don't think we can cross half way London to see if this woman really is Satine," Satie said looking from the window to Toulouse. Toulouse looked a little crestfallen.

"Then we will go tomorrow," Toulouse said. "But whenever, we have to see if it is truly Satine!"

"Look, a carriage is coming through that wall of falling water!" Narky said pointing to a cab being pulled quickly along by two large horses. It stopped out in front of the theatre. Sadie stepped out of it and walked hurriedly to the doors of the theatre after paying the cabby.

Toulouse, Narky, Tork and Satie greeted her at the door. Toulouse looked up at her, "What were you doing out in that beginnings of a flood?"

"I went to see this Satine," Sadie said.

"You saw her?!" Tork said.

"What did she look like?" Narky asked.

"She looked pale, and tired, she had red hair. She looked beautiful, and-" Sadie wasn't sure to go on.

"And?" Toulouse said in anticipation.

"And she was hugging someone in a caring embrace," Sadie said. "I'm not sure what was going on."

"The description sounds like the Sparkling Diamond," Narky said.

"But that description could fit hundreds of women in the world and in London," Toulouse said, not wanting to believe Satine was alive and with someone else and not with Christian.

"Toulouse, the first rehearsal is the day after tomorrow, we could just wait until then," Satie said quietly. Toulouse nodded.

"We will just wait until then. And until then we'll have to make sure that Christian doesn't do anything irrational," Toulouse said making a motion like he was going to kill himself. They all nodded.

~~On Friday~~

The past two days, Jude stayed with Satine comforting her, and they rehearsed a little. Then Friday came and they caught a cab to the West End Theatre.

They walked in with each other and went to the director.

"Welcome to the first day of rehearsal!" Cephus bellowed to everyone so they could hear him in the rafters. "Today we'll rehearse 'The Elephant Meeting' scene. Positions you two," Cephus said to Jude and Satine. "We'll start from your line Sara."

"Her name is Satine!" Christian said not even looking up, his eyes were tear filled.

"Whatever! Just pick it up from your line, Satine."

"This is a perfect place for a poetry reading, don't you think?" Satine said her line acting very sexy. Jude turned to her, a nervous look on his face for his part. "Poetic enough for you?"

"Y-yes," Jude said.

"How about some dinner, maybe some champagne?" Satine acted like she was getting a bottle.

"I'd prefer to just get all over and done with."

"Oh," Satine walked over a little bit. "Then why don't you come down here and we'll get it all over and done with."

"I'd prefer to do it standing."

"Oh..."

"You don't have to stand I mean," they continued the scene, all the time Christian glared up at Jude. All the hate and anger in his eyes, if looks could kill, Jude would've died fifty times over.

"I can't believe it," Satine recited her line, "I'm in love. I'm in love with a young, handsome, talented duke."

Jude chuckled, "Duke?"

"Mm, not that the title matters of course," Satine smiled.

"I'm not a duke," Jude said.

"Not a duke?"

"I'm a writer."

"mm..a writer?"

"Yes a writer."

"No!"

"Toulouse..."

"Toulouse? Oh no! You're not another one of Toulouse's oh-so-talented, charmingly bohemian, tragically impoverished protégés?"

"Well you might say that," Jude smiled a bit.

"Oh no!"

"Stop!" Christian yelled. Cephus looked at him with confusion.

"Why? They were doing so well," Cephus said. Christian got up and walked on stage.

"I do not believe you!" he said to Jude. "You need to put more feeling into your song!"

Satine didn't like the way this was going. Jude seemed a little insulted but a little more irritated. He looked at Christian with annoyance and said, "Well then, why don't you show me?"

"Gladly," Christian said. He didn't even pick up a script. "We'll take it from the song." Christian cleared his throat and then began. "My gift is my song! And this one's for you and you can tell everybody that this is your song." He took Satine's hands in his. "It maybe quite simple but now that it's done. I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind, that I put down in words, how wonderful life is now you're in the world." He started to dance with her. "Sat on the roof, and I kicked off the moss, for some of these verses well they, they got me quite cross. But the sun's been kind, while I wrote this song. It's for people like you that keep it turned on." He dipped her. "So excuse for getting, but these thing I do. You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue!" He quickly kissed the top of her eyes. "Well the thing is, what I really mean, yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen! And you can tell everybody this is your song! It maybe quite simple but, now that it's done. I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind, that I put down in words, how wonderful life is now you're in the world. I hope you don't mind, oh I hope you don't mind that I put down in words how wonderful life is now you're in the world!"

When they finished everyone was in awe, especially Satine, but it was quickly gone when he stood up and tore away from her practically.

"That's how you should do it, Jude," Christian spat. "A good actor leaves their opposite in awe."

He looked at Satine with some anger, 'Just like you kept me in awe, acting like you loved me.'

It was just an act, Satine thought herself. He's become quite the actor.

Jude walked up to her, he could tell she was a little hurt to find that Christian was just acting like he loved her in that scene. They performed the scene, and Jude did as well as Christian in the scene. Cephus applauded.

"This is great! I love it! Now, we'll start from the beginning! Places people! Jude, the desk," Cephus said pointing to the desk Toulouse set in the middle of the stage with a type writer on it with some paper. Jude set his script on the other side of the Typewriter that wasn't in view of the audience. He sat down and he started to type while saying, "The Moulin Rouge, a nightclub. A dancehall and bordello, ruled over by Harold Zidler, where the rich and powerful came to play with the young and beautiful 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."

As Christian listened, tears rimmed his eyes, he glared up at Jude. Jealousy was rekindled, and the spark was in his heart near the dead dry brushes.  Christian looked around and didn't see Satine anywhere. Even as mad as he was seeing her brought a calm to his heart, but at the same time, it brought pain to think she was with Jude.

Behind Christian, just a few seats was Satine, she sat looking not at Jude, but Christian. Tears flowed freely from her eyes, to think Christian may not love her anymore. It was more than she could stand. But what she saw next sent her over the edge, Sadie walked up and Christian hugged her and kissed her! Sure, it was only on the cheek, but the sparks of jealousy started working in Satine. She got up and left, without warning.

Jude heard the heels of shoes clicking and receding, he couldn't help but to look and he saw Satine leaving. From her posture it looked like she was in grief. He shot up and down the aisle after her.

"What's going on?" Cephus asked, now starting to doubt he made the right casting choices. Christian looked where Jude was heading and he scowled. He got up and ran after him.

Out on the street Jude caught up with Satine, "Satine! Satine! What's the matter? Why'd you leave?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Satine said. Jude wouldn't give up this time, he had to know, he had to help his friend.

"No, Satine, tell me," Jude said stopping her. "Satine, I want to help you. I do want to help you get Christian back, just let me help!"

Christian saw Jude stop Satine, and it was a little too rough-looking for his taste. He ran up pulled Satine away as gently, yet hurriedly as possible and then punched Jude right in between the eyes with all his might.

Jude stumbled back holding his forehead, "What the hell?!"

Satine went to him, "Jude, are you alright?!'

"Ah! Yeah, I think he just managed to fracture my forehead," Jude said. Christian was a little shocked to see Satine go to Jude and not thank him for saving her.

"Can't you be a little grateful that I save you from him?" Christian asked his hands balled up into fists.

"Save me from him? SAVE ME FROM HIM?! He wasn't doing anything to me that required me to be saved!" Satine said. Christian was taken a back a little from her tone of voice.

"Then why did he grab you?"

"He was trying to make me talk, because he wanted to actually help me," Satine said.

"How does roughly grabbing your wrists qualify as helping you?!" Christian shook with rage.

"I don't want to talk about it with you," Satine said. By then Jude was starting to loose consciousness.

"No, Satine, talk," Jude said but he wasn't heard by either of them. Satine helped him up, putting his arm around her shoulder. She hailed a cab and him take them to her place.

Christian was left on the sidewalk, shaking with rage, jealousy, and a tinge of hate was starting to sprout. Sadie walked up to him.

"Christian, what happened?" she asked.

"She has chosen him," Christian said quietly and with grief flooding his voice. He walked back, wondering why Satine left in the first place. She had left right after… 'You kissed and hugged Sadie...' he thought to himself. Wait, did that mean that she still had feelings for him?

Christian paused a moment, perhaps there was a glimmer of a chance, but then why did she go with Jude? 'Because you unexpectedly punched him in between the eyes like a damned caveman,' his mind stated like it was so obvious, but then again, it kinda was.

"Why does my heart cry? Feelings I can't fight," Christian sang softly under his breath as he walked back to the theatre, Sadie right behind him. A light rain had started.

~~Satine's flat~~

With the help of the cabby driver, Satine got Jude inside her flat and on the couch. She got a patch of ice in a bag and applied it lightly to Jude's forehead where a bruise was starting to form.

"Oh, jeez, Jude are you alright?" Satine asked as Jude started to wake up.

"Un, yeah, a little headache throbs in my forehead though," Jude said putting his hand on Satine's to keep the ice on his head. Satine retracted her hand.

"I'm so sorry that Christian did that," Satine said unconsciously brushing her fingers through Jude's short spiky brown hair.

"Why didn't you discuss with him what was bothering you?" Jude asked. Satine shrugged.

"I didn't feel ready to discuss it with him," Satine said. Jude took her hand in his.

"Satine, my friend, you have to discuss this with him sooner or later, and it'd be much better if it was sooner," Jude said. "You were told he was dead a year and a half ago, if he was truly dead, you have gotten over it by now. But you held on to him, by your name and by your memory, he was alive, deep inside, I think you knew, but it just never reached your mind. Satine, stop thinking from your mind, and start thinking from here." Jude pointed to her heart, "You're heart tells the truth, not your mind."

Satine was just silent, his words were true, and she knew it, in her mind and in her heart.

~~End Chapter~~

**Gasps!!** Will they ever get back together?! Geez! Is it just me or do they just seem so clueless?? Don't ask me how it works, I'm just writing as it happens in my mind. Lol, I'm that kind of writer, the characters are there, I just write what they say happens from day to day.

Well, anyway, thanks for the reviews. Review more, I have Chapter Five written, more reviews I must receive before I post more.

Jester