Disclaimer - I, do not own the rights to the "Sparkling Diamond[s]" of a movie, "Moulin Rouge" (If I did I would be a genius going by the name of Baz Luhrmann). I am simply one of the "Children of the Revolution" (Although one of "Elephant [Melody]" proportions) that writes fanfiction "Because We Can". "Come What May", but please do not sue me or I will be a "Sad Hindi Diamond". May this be "Your Song" and may you say "Some Day I'll Fly Away"! (I do not own the songs used in this story or in the titles of the chapters either.)

*A Bohemian Storm Is Brewing*

Truth * Beauty * Freedom * Love

~Casidy

§=Þ

~*~

"Quoi Qu'il Arrive"

~ Part XXXIII: A Whole New World ~
By Mariclair

~*~

After traveling for many long, tiring days, Satine was utterly drained. When the carriage taking them to Green Sky rolled to a halt in front of the bright, airy villa, Christian scooped his sleeping Satine into his arms and carried her up the walkway and towards the front door.

Satine was awakened by the warm sun kissing her cheeks. Her eyes fluttered open as she gazed into Christian's tired ones.

When he noticed that she was awake, he whispered, "We're here."

Satine nodded, her head still clouded with sleep. She looked in the direction they were going to see where she and Christian would call home. Upon seeing it, her jaw dropped. "Christian! It's beautiful!" she said, her voice still hoarse from continuous coughing.

Christian smiled weakly at Satine's peaked face. Even though she was horribly sick, he still loved the way her face lit up whenever something pleased her. "I'm glad you like it, darling. We can stay here as long as you like."

Satine snuggled deeper in Christian's arms as they approached the front door. The carriage driver, with their bags in tow, set the suitcases down and took the brass key from his coat pocket and unlocked the door and opened it for the two lovers.

Once inside, Satine was struck even further with pure awe. Every room had enormous windows, giving the room a bright, airy feel. Soft, pastel colors were everywhere to be seen. Light blues, dusty yellows and pale pinks were obviously the color scheme in this lovely Italian villa. Satine imagined that Christian's mother must have decorated.

Christian paid the carriage driver and made Satine comfortable in an overstuffed armchair. "So, you like it?" he asked impishly, his lips curving into that boyish smile that Satine had come to hold so dear.

"Oh! It's positively lovely!" Satine replied, her eyes wandering from Christian to the ocean view from the large, bay window in the nearby kitchen. Then she added sadly, "I just wish that I was well enough to enjoy it."

Christian's smile faded and he kneeled in front of Satine and took her delicate hands in his. Placing a light kiss on one palm, then the other, he said, "Darling, you will enjoy it. We can take walks along the beach, eat candlelit dinners with our own private view," he paused and nuzzled her nose. "And while you get all the rest you need, in the most comfortable bed you've ever slept in," he added with a wink. "I will write poetry about how perfect my angel is."

Satine sighed dreamily, her sweet poet could bring out the beauty in even this holiday that they were, on for such a dark purpose. She leaned forward and wrapped her long arms around Christian once again and grinned as she felt his comforting hands caressing her back.

After a few moments of silence, Christian spoke up, "Sweetheart, we've been traveling for so long and you haven't had a chance to take a decent bath. Let's go upstairs and I'll show you the bathroom," he said with a smile.

Satine nodded then giggled as Christian picked her up from the chair and lead her up the stairs. Satine noticed the family pictures lining the walls of the staircase as they continued on. She made a mental note to study the pictures, in delicately carved frames, more closely later on.

Christian rounded a corner and entered a beautifully decorated bathroom. An enormous bathtub was located directly under a window that gave yet another breathtaking view of the sea. He sat Satine down on the edge of the tub and released the gauzy curtains from their small hooks. The light fabric fluttered like angel's wings as it came to rest at the windowsill.

When Christian came back to face Satine, his eyes widened. She had already stripped off her dress and was fumbling innocently with the hooks of her corset. She finally was able to get it undone and the soft, pale skin of her chest was shown uninhibited. Christian gulped and handed her a robe, so as to rid himself of the temptation.

Satine took a seat on the edge of the tub, behind Christian and kissed his cheek. He started, "I'll draw you a hot bath, shouldn't take too long-" his voice rose to a high pitch when he felt Satine's hands un-tucking his shirt and sensuously sliding his suspenders off his shoulders.

"S-Satine," he breathed. "We shouldn't…I mean, we can't," his breath caught in his throat when Satine's fingers found the button of his trousers. She unbuttoned them and traced the path of his waist.

Christian wrenched his eyes closed, trying to think of a way to tell Satine that they simply couldn't make love when she was this sick. The doctor had said no intense physical activity and…Dear God!

Her hands were wandering all over his rear and to his thighs. He was so aroused, it was all he could do not to give into his physical needs as he gently took her hands and kissed them as he turned around to face her.

"Satine," he started, not wanting to hurt her. "We just-can't do this. I mean, God knows I want to, but it's too much of a risk."

Satine nodded as she noticed the tub had been filled. She reached over and turned off the tap and whispered, "I understand."

She slid off her robe and immersed herself in the hot water. Leaning her head against the tub she said, "Will you come in here with me, Christian?" When she saw his uncertain look, she sighed, "I know, I know. Nothing will happen. I just want to be with you."

Christian sighed deeply and stripped off the rest of his clothes that Satine had already partially rid him of, only minutes before. He stepped into the hot water and relaxed against her chest. She kissed his neck and cupped some of the hot water in her hands and placed it in his thick hair and watched as it fell in rivers down his neck.

"I love you so much, Christian," she whispered into his ear.

He craned his neck to see her better and saw that she had tears in her eyes. He completely turned his body around so he could kiss them away. "We'll get through this, Satine," he murmured gently. It broke his heart to see her looking so defeated.

Satine nodded and gently pressed him back against her chest. They sat like that for quite awhile, each thinking about what was to come in the next months of such uncertainty.

~*~

Later that evening, Satine and Christian sat in the living room with a large fire that he had built for them. She was wrapped in his strong arms and was mesmerized by the enchanting light of the dancing fire.

Both jumped when they heard a light knock at the door. "Who could that be?" Satine asked.

Christian was slightly worried about who was at the door this late in the evening, or who would be coming to visit them here at all, for that matter. "You stay here, darling. I'll go see who it is," he said, standing up and making sure that Satine was carefully propped up against several fluffy pillows.

A knock could be heard again. "Coming!" Christian called out. He made his way to the foyer and opened up the large door. Standing in front of him was a tiny old lady, maybe a few inches taller than Toulouse, holding a large pot in one hand and a silver ladle in the other.

"Hello?" Christian asked, a bit confused.

"Hello there," the old woman began in a thick Italian accent. "I noticed that you just moved in and thought you might like a hot meal. There aren't any good places to eat for miles, believe me, I've been living here since before you born." She proceeded to look inside the villa to see Satine curled up beside the fire. "Well isn't she a pretty thing? But she didn't look well. Not well at all. Is she sick?"

Christian was caught off guard by this tiny lady bombarding him with all these questions at once. Shaking his head, he asked, "Who…who are you?"

The old woman let out a noise that resembled that of a squeak and cried, "How terribly rude of me. I'm Sophia. I live in that cottage, right down the hill," she motioned with her eyes.

Rubbing his temples, Christian once again met the face of Sophia, her bright smile still beaming up at him. He had been through a lot lately, maybe he was losing his mind. "Listen, Sophia-is it?" he started. "You can't just come knocking on people's doors at this time of the evening. It certainly is a pleasure to meet you, but I'm hardly dressed!" he said, exasperated.

Sophia let out a light chuckle. "Oh, you silly boy. I almost forgot you were from England. We're like family here in Italy! Now, won't you take this pot of soup before it gets cold?" she said, handing him the pot. "Oh, and I don't mind you're lack of clothes, dear. I'm sure you look just fine in your birthday suit." Sophia let out another tiny giggle and made her way into the kitchen, leaving a bright red Christian shuffling behind her.

Satine heard shuffling in the kitchen and turned around to see a complete stranger. She gasped and winced, feeling a coughing fit coming on. Her coughs became harder and louder until when Christian was by her side and the ferocity of them was hurting his ears. He began to softly cry, as he always did when she was in this kind of pain and fished her medicine out of his pocket. He rocked her and held her close until her breathing was back to normal.

"Oh, you poor dear," Sophia cried out after several moments, waddling on her short legs over to Satine. "You have consumption, don't you?" Satine nodded weakly as Sophia took her hand. "I'm Sophia, I'm so terribly sorry I gave you a scare. I live down the hill and I'm here if you ever need help with anything."

Seeing the dark circles under the couple's eyes, she decided it was time for her to take her leave. "I just made that soup today and you just let that nice, warm feeling seep into your tired bones. I'll come check on you two tomorrow. Sleep well."

She turned to leave but Christian stood up and stopped her. "Thank you very much for all that you're doing, but you don't even know our names," he said, still quite puzzled.

"Oh, that's all right. You seem like good people," Sophia said with a wink.

Quickly, he blurted out, "Christian!"

"Excuse me?" Sophia grinned.

"My name, it's Christian. And my wife's name is Satine. Thank you, really. I wasn't sure how I was going to get her a decent meal tonight."

Sophia patted his hand and said, "Think nothing of it, Christian. I'm always here if you need me," she smiled.

Christian watched, with a slight grin on his face, as the tiny lady wrapped her shawl around her shoulders and made her way back down the hill and towards her cottage. Her long, gray hair was in a braid down her back that blew slightly in the breeze that came with dusk. Christian was brought out of his trance when the cold began nipping at his nose. He closed and latched the door and smiled when he found Satine in the kitchen. She was peering over the pot of soup, taking a small taste from the ladle.

"You know Christian, I do believe this is the best soup I have ever had."

Christian came up behind her and kissed her gently on the cheek before finding two bowls and filling them. He helped Satine take her seat and they dined together at the small table, feeling more satisfied than they had in weeks.