Disclaimer: I don't own Moulin Rouge, or the characters or the setting or
any other part of all that cool junk.
A/N: Muahahahahaha! I got to write that suspense that I wanted. Don't get me wrong, mushiness is great, but snags in the happy parts of the plot are just plain fun. Enjoy!
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A fog swept along the ground, around the buildings and the people of Montmartre. The fresh mist created a stark contrast between its own natural beauty and the bright lights of the village. Christian sat watching it, entranced, on the balcony of his garret. The night was new, it was only around eleven, but already everyone in the village was engulfed in sleep; everyone in the village, except for him. Christian was nervous. Nervous about Satine, nervous about himself, nervous about Satine and himself. But most of all, he was nervous about the wedding. The wedding was to take place the next morning; it was to be simple, not much decoration or many people but he was still nervous. Doubts crept around Christian's brain like the fog that crept around the city.
'What if she realizes that I truly am not good enough for her, that she deserves better. What if we can't leave Paris in time, and what if I can't keep her safe.' At the last thought, Christian involuntarily shivered. All he really wanted was to love Satine the best he could and keep her safe; what if he failed? If he failed in protecting Satine, he knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself. Something broke his gaze of the dark city. Christian's attention snapped back to the village.
Something moved in the shadowy mist outside. Something moved quickly in the night, creating swirls of mist that followed them. Slowly, the figure stepped out where the light from the street lamps could find him and then he darted back into the darkness as quick as he had come in. The figure had been in the light for only a second, but Christian had no doubt of whom he had seen. He looked back quickly at Satine, asleep soundly in their bed. Christian's heart began to beat faster as his breathing sped up; the Duke. He had found them, and his worst fears suddenly became valid.
Christian fought two impulses in his body; to keep Satine safe, and hide under the covers with her, and to watch the figure, making sure he was really coming for them. But as much as he wanted to run to protect Satine, Christian was glued to the window. He watched as the figure stepped into one light after another, slowly bringing his path toward the building Christian currently resided in. The Duke came closer and closer and finally looked up into the window where Christian sat. He ducked his head behind the shutters to keep from being seen, but wasn't altogether sure if he had been successful. Christian paused for a moment, his mind frozen. Reality finally smacked him upside the head and Christian got up to dart over to Satine. Somehow, he had been beaten; the Duke now stood in front of the door to the garret, between Satine and himself. Satine was still sleeping peacefully, despite the danger that loomed directly over her.
'Probably better', Christian thought. He stared straight at the Duke, and shouted. "Stay away from her! Satine is not yours, she'll never be yours! She loves me!" The Duke said nothing, but his hand moved towards his jacket in response. Quickly, he pulled out a gun and pointed it straight at Christian. Christian glanced down at the peaceful Satine, she hadn't even been woken up.
"It won't do you any good. You can shoot me if you want, but Satine will always love me." Christian spoke in a calm, steady voice, despite the shakiness he felt inside. The Duke only smirked at Christian and turned his gun towards Satine.
"You are right, you know. It wouldn't do much good to shoot you because for some reason she would still have some attachment towards you. The question is, will you always be able to love her?" In a quick motion, the Duke pulled the trigger on the gun aimed at Satine's head. Despite his attempts, Christian could do nothing to save her now, it was hopeless. He openly cried out, not caring how he sounded or appeared.
"Now for the final touch. I am glad I could be here to do this myself." Christian saw the Duke turn towards him and pull the trigger again, not that he cared; he was happy to join Satine. Christian felt himself fall forward as the bullet hit him and he saw the floor coming towards him...
"Ooof!" Christian hit the floor with a loud smack and began rolling. He kept his eyes closed, for fear of the sight that might greet him, if he opened his eyes. Strange, he didn't feel pain anywhere, but death often did that to people, he assumed. Christian lay there on the ground for several minutes, afraid to move.
"Christian?" A silky voice called, "Christian, where are you?" He immediately recognized the voice as Satine's and opened his eyes. Christian looked down and saw absolutely nothing but down; he saw the street below him, with people and carriages moving by. If he was afraid to move before, this time he was terrified.
"Christian!" The voice called again. "Oh my...Christian!" Hands grabbed him from behind and pulled him away from the air below him. "Satine!" He said, glancing at her face. "Satine, you're alive." She looked at him concerned. "Yes, but you almost weren't going to be, for a moment." "What are you talking about..." he began. Satine silenced him by pointing to where he had been laying a moment ago. Christian looked around and saw what had happened. The whole event had been a dream; just a dream. He had fallen asleep, on his windowsill and dreamt he was shot. He had actually fallen out onto the narrow ledge and rolled to the complete edge of it, where his head hung off the side. Christian took in a sharp breath when he realized how close a call it had actually been. In reality, he had almost died.
"I'm so sorry Satine...I'm sorry...I fell asleep next to the window...I dreamt that...." Satine put a finger over his lips, then removed her hand and put her lips where it had been. "Shhh...."she whispered, "it's all right. You're all right now, it's not your fault." Each hugged the other tightly.
Realizing how silly they must look standing out on a ledge in the dark, they both moved inside. Both were shaking from the event that had just occurred and from the cold outside. Satine went through the window first, but before he followed, Christian looked out at his surroundings. Christian saw that it was early morning, the sun was just beginning to start its journey into the sky. Carefully, Christian climbed back inside, through the window. Satine pulled him towards the bed and wrapped herself up in the covers. He was about to follow her, but something pulled his gaze back outside. Christian could have sworn that he had seen a man, moving among the newly created shadows, around the buildings; then again, mabie it was just his imagination. Shivering slightly, he closed the shutters and climbed in bed next to Satine.
"We'd better get back to sleep," he murmured, kissing her hair, "we both have a busy day today."
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A/N: Muahahahahaha! I got to write that suspense that I wanted. Don't get me wrong, mushiness is great, but snags in the happy parts of the plot are just plain fun. Enjoy!
~~~~~*~~~~~ ~~~~~*~~~~~ ~~~~~*~~~~~ ~~~~~*~~~~~ ~~~~~*~~~~~ ~~~~~*~~~~~
A fog swept along the ground, around the buildings and the people of Montmartre. The fresh mist created a stark contrast between its own natural beauty and the bright lights of the village. Christian sat watching it, entranced, on the balcony of his garret. The night was new, it was only around eleven, but already everyone in the village was engulfed in sleep; everyone in the village, except for him. Christian was nervous. Nervous about Satine, nervous about himself, nervous about Satine and himself. But most of all, he was nervous about the wedding. The wedding was to take place the next morning; it was to be simple, not much decoration or many people but he was still nervous. Doubts crept around Christian's brain like the fog that crept around the city.
'What if she realizes that I truly am not good enough for her, that she deserves better. What if we can't leave Paris in time, and what if I can't keep her safe.' At the last thought, Christian involuntarily shivered. All he really wanted was to love Satine the best he could and keep her safe; what if he failed? If he failed in protecting Satine, he knew he wouldn't be able to live with himself. Something broke his gaze of the dark city. Christian's attention snapped back to the village.
Something moved in the shadowy mist outside. Something moved quickly in the night, creating swirls of mist that followed them. Slowly, the figure stepped out where the light from the street lamps could find him and then he darted back into the darkness as quick as he had come in. The figure had been in the light for only a second, but Christian had no doubt of whom he had seen. He looked back quickly at Satine, asleep soundly in their bed. Christian's heart began to beat faster as his breathing sped up; the Duke. He had found them, and his worst fears suddenly became valid.
Christian fought two impulses in his body; to keep Satine safe, and hide under the covers with her, and to watch the figure, making sure he was really coming for them. But as much as he wanted to run to protect Satine, Christian was glued to the window. He watched as the figure stepped into one light after another, slowly bringing his path toward the building Christian currently resided in. The Duke came closer and closer and finally looked up into the window where Christian sat. He ducked his head behind the shutters to keep from being seen, but wasn't altogether sure if he had been successful. Christian paused for a moment, his mind frozen. Reality finally smacked him upside the head and Christian got up to dart over to Satine. Somehow, he had been beaten; the Duke now stood in front of the door to the garret, between Satine and himself. Satine was still sleeping peacefully, despite the danger that loomed directly over her.
'Probably better', Christian thought. He stared straight at the Duke, and shouted. "Stay away from her! Satine is not yours, she'll never be yours! She loves me!" The Duke said nothing, but his hand moved towards his jacket in response. Quickly, he pulled out a gun and pointed it straight at Christian. Christian glanced down at the peaceful Satine, she hadn't even been woken up.
"It won't do you any good. You can shoot me if you want, but Satine will always love me." Christian spoke in a calm, steady voice, despite the shakiness he felt inside. The Duke only smirked at Christian and turned his gun towards Satine.
"You are right, you know. It wouldn't do much good to shoot you because for some reason she would still have some attachment towards you. The question is, will you always be able to love her?" In a quick motion, the Duke pulled the trigger on the gun aimed at Satine's head. Despite his attempts, Christian could do nothing to save her now, it was hopeless. He openly cried out, not caring how he sounded or appeared.
"Now for the final touch. I am glad I could be here to do this myself." Christian saw the Duke turn towards him and pull the trigger again, not that he cared; he was happy to join Satine. Christian felt himself fall forward as the bullet hit him and he saw the floor coming towards him...
"Ooof!" Christian hit the floor with a loud smack and began rolling. He kept his eyes closed, for fear of the sight that might greet him, if he opened his eyes. Strange, he didn't feel pain anywhere, but death often did that to people, he assumed. Christian lay there on the ground for several minutes, afraid to move.
"Christian?" A silky voice called, "Christian, where are you?" He immediately recognized the voice as Satine's and opened his eyes. Christian looked down and saw absolutely nothing but down; he saw the street below him, with people and carriages moving by. If he was afraid to move before, this time he was terrified.
"Christian!" The voice called again. "Oh my...Christian!" Hands grabbed him from behind and pulled him away from the air below him. "Satine!" He said, glancing at her face. "Satine, you're alive." She looked at him concerned. "Yes, but you almost weren't going to be, for a moment." "What are you talking about..." he began. Satine silenced him by pointing to where he had been laying a moment ago. Christian looked around and saw what had happened. The whole event had been a dream; just a dream. He had fallen asleep, on his windowsill and dreamt he was shot. He had actually fallen out onto the narrow ledge and rolled to the complete edge of it, where his head hung off the side. Christian took in a sharp breath when he realized how close a call it had actually been. In reality, he had almost died.
"I'm so sorry Satine...I'm sorry...I fell asleep next to the window...I dreamt that...." Satine put a finger over his lips, then removed her hand and put her lips where it had been. "Shhh...."she whispered, "it's all right. You're all right now, it's not your fault." Each hugged the other tightly.
Realizing how silly they must look standing out on a ledge in the dark, they both moved inside. Both were shaking from the event that had just occurred and from the cold outside. Satine went through the window first, but before he followed, Christian looked out at his surroundings. Christian saw that it was early morning, the sun was just beginning to start its journey into the sky. Carefully, Christian climbed back inside, through the window. Satine pulled him towards the bed and wrapped herself up in the covers. He was about to follow her, but something pulled his gaze back outside. Christian could have sworn that he had seen a man, moving among the newly created shadows, around the buildings; then again, mabie it was just his imagination. Shivering slightly, he closed the shutters and climbed in bed next to Satine.
"We'd better get back to sleep," he murmured, kissing her hair, "we both have a busy day today."
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