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 XXXVII: Everything's Alright ~
By Mariclair

~*~

Christian awoke the next morning to a soft knock on the door. He squinted and balled his hand into a fist then rubbed his eyes. Once his surroundings came into focus, he checked the clock. It just so happened that their visitor wasn't all that early, it was nearly noon.

He gently removed Satine's hands from his chest and both unconsciously let out a small groan when their bodies lost contact. Christian waited a moment for Satine to settle back into the warmth of the bed before tucking the soft, white sheets across her naked skin. As he put on his robe, another quiet knock reached his ears.

"Lord," he muttered under his breath, hurrying down the stairs. He peeked out the window and gave out a sigh when he saw who it was, holding a fresh plate of sweets.

Christian opened the door and strained his eyes against the bright sun. "Hello Sophia," he said with as much cheerfulness as he could muster after just rolling out of bed.

"Hello Christian," Sophia said brightly. She let out an amused squeal of a laugh and continued, "Do you ever get dressed? Or did you put on that robe just for me?"

Christian flushed bright pink and tried to explain, "Well, I just woke up."

Sophia's smile faded. "Oh dear, I had no idea that you were in such need of sleep. Would you like me to come back later?"

Deciding that he might as well let the woman say what she came here to, he opened the door a bit wider and said, "Don't be silly. Come in."

She handed Christian the plate of sweets as she walked in, saying "I baked those cookies this morning. My own special recipe," she said with a wink. "I know that you two are adults, but even I like some fresh baked cookies sometimes."

Christian broke off a piece of chocolate cookie and popped it in his mouth. As soon as the sweet taste registered, he closed his eyes in bliss and gently sucked his finger, getting the last remnants of cookie crumbs off.

As Sophia took a seat in the living room, Christian grabbed the rest of the cookie like a naughty school boy and rushed over to the couch.

With a sparkle in her eye Sophia said, "I see you got into those cookies."

"Mmm…yes, thank you," he muffled.

"So, how is Satine?" Sophia asked.

Christian let out an involuntary shiver as his memories drifted back to the night before, when he and Satine had made love for the first time in almost three weeks. As wonderful as it had been, he still wasn't sure if it had been the best for Satine.

"Oh…she's doing alright. As well as can be expected, I suppose."

Sophia noticed the glazed look of worry over Christian's eyes. "It will be all right." She promised. "You just keep taking care of her like I know you're doing."

A pang of guilt hit Christian, making him feel even worse about the night before. He should have been gentler, more careful. He shouldn't have let it happen at all.

"It's perfectly all right for you two to make love, you know."

Christian stared at the old woman incredulously, blushing fiercer than ever with his mouth wide open. "Well, I-I…but the doctor said…" He stammered, still confused as to how she had so easily read his mind.

Sophia let out her bright laugh that Christian had come to endear. "Dear boy, those stuffy English doctors will insist that you lie in bed all day with as little as a slight headache. Satine is a smart girl, she knows what she can and can not handle."

"But if something were to happen to her because of me, I would never be able to forgive myself," Christian murmured.

With her gentle, motherly nature, Sophia took Christian's hands and tenderly patted them. "Satine is lucky to have you, Christian. You can give her love, and that is stronger than any medicine. Be there for her; never let her forget how much you love her."

Suddenly, Christian had an intense need to hold Satine's warm, soft body against his and brush his lips against her ear, whispering words of undying love. "Thank you for coming," Christian said. "I can't begin to let you know how welcome you've made me and Satine feel."

A smile that radiated warmth appeared on Sophia's wrinkled face, "It's nothing, my dear. Like I said, I am here whenever you need me." She stood and walked towards the door. "I can show myself out. You just get upstairs to that wife of yours."

As Sophia was about to close the door behind her Christian called, "When should Satine and I be expecting you again? Maybe we could be dressed!"

"Oh, you'll be seeing me soon. I'll be sure not to make a stranger of myself." And with that, she was out the door and making her way through their grassy front lawn and down the hill back to her quaint cottage.

Christian stared out the window for a moment, in awe of the woman's whimsical nature, before he remembered her words and realized how very desperately he needed his wife in his arms.

Bounding up the staircase, he shook off his robe and didn't even notice the fact that he was stark naked. With soft, fleeting steps he reached their room and slid beneath the blankets that Satine was snuggled under. He caressed the warm curve of her hip and gently cupped her bottom and pulled her so that her head rested on his chest.

Christian could feel her breath against his skin and the strong, steady beat of her heart in time with his and to him she had never seemed more alive. It was almost unthinkable that the reason they were here was because the life that seemed so strong was in danger of leaving her body.

The nightmarish thoughts left him when he felt Satine's slender finger tracing patterns across his chest. "Mmm, you're up," Christian muffled into her hair.

Satine gave a yawn and stretched her lithe body before curling up against Christian again. "You feel so nice." She gave a small purr when he began to comb his fingers through her hair.

He caressed her flowing tresses until he felt Satine's tongue flick across his chest and her hands become daring in a most sinuous way. "Oh-oh my…" he stuttered.

Satine gave a delicious smirk of satisfaction when Christian buried his face in her neck and kissed her throat again and again. "I love you…I love you so very much," he said, every ounce of sense intended for poetry lost at that moment.

Christian straddled Satine's waist when she placed a finger on his swollen lips. Startled by the interference with his seduction, he looked down at Satine with wide, frantic eyes.

"I thought the doctor said that this was 'bad' for me," she said evilly.

Christian shuddered as her hands caressed his chest. Hovering above her he panted, "From now on, you can tell me what you're ready for."

He lowered his body to claim her before Satine reached his torso and said, "And you will trust it from now on?"

She knew that she was driving him mad, especially when his reply came out in the form of a choked sob. "Oh…God…yes…"

Satine kissed his temple and craned her neck to meet his lips. But before she let him progress any further, she reached down, causing him to let out a high pitched noise and clench his eyes shut before Satine breathed, "Darling?"

"Y-yes?" he whimpered, praying that he would be able to maintain control.

Stroking his neck and soft, brown hair, she pulled his ear to her lips and said with a giggle, "You taste like cookies."