Chapter 5 - Bournemoth

A/N - Sorry it took so long to post! I hope you like this chapter. :) Once again, I own nothing Moulin Rouge-ish and Bournemoth, obviously isn't mine. Please read and review when you've finished!

Christian walked down the stairs and pushed open the door to the dining room as he straightened his shirt . It had been three days since Satine had fainted and that had been enough time to talk with the close family friends, the Smith's. They had been more than willing to lend them their summer home in Bournemoth as long as needed.

Today was the day Christian, Satine and Olivier were moving and they had wakened up early so they could get to Bournemoth at a reasonable time. Their things had been moved the day before.

"Look at Daddy!" Olivier shrieked as Christian walked into the room, dissolving into a fit of giggles. "He shaved his beard!"

Christian grinned widely as he sat down at the kitchen table in between Satine and Olivier. Elizabeth, Samantha and Victoria were sitting on the other side of the table.

"My goodness," Satine commented, a smile playing at her lips as she stroked Christian's cheek.

"You don't like it?" Christian took Satine's hand and kissed it.

"You look so much younger!" Samantha said as she ate her scrambled eggs. Victoria nodded in agreement.

"I think you look wonderful," Satine said and kissed Christian's cheek.

Samantha looked down back at her plate, blushing furiously. Christian laughed and patted her leg underneath the table.

"Mummy, when are we going to leave?" Olivier asked.

"Well, the train leaves at 10:30," she said. "So we've got about two hours. Is that right, Christian?"

Christian nodded, his mouth full of toast.

"Christian."

He looked up and saw his brother, Frederick standing in the doorway of the dining room. "Yes?"

"I'd like to speak with you," his blue eyes were staring straight at Christian.

"Oh, sure," Christian said, hastily getting out of his chair. He followed Frederick out of the room and down the hallway, into the guest room. "What is it?"

"Here," Frederick said, holding out a fat envelope. "Take this."

Christian opened the envelope and gasped. Inside was the largest amount of money he had seen in the longest time. "I-I can't take this, Frederick!"

He nodded firmly. "Take it."

"But, Frederick!" Christian looked at him. This was very unlike him. "Why?"

"Because I know you're going through a hard time and since you're moving, I thought this would be best..." His voice faltered, but his sharp, blue eyes were still looking straight at Christian.

Christian studied Frederick. He had never been close to his brother. Frederick was always falling under his father's power and followed him around while Christian would be at the creek, dangling his feet in the water, writing poetry and daydreaming.

"I've seen you and Satine together…" Frederick said slowly. "You too really love each other and… Well, Satine doesn't have much longer and I just thought this would help."

Christian blinked back tears that were forming behind his eyes as he wrapped his arms around his brother. "Thank you, Frederick. Thank you."

~*~

Satine walked through the living room where she had first met Christian's family. She knew she would never see this place again, she thought, sitting on the couch and taking everything in.

Satine's life was ending rapidly and she just wasn't ready. She had just found Christian and she had a young son… Why did she have to leave them now?

Yes, she did have a few more months with them, but as she left Christian's home it felt as if she was being led straight to the cemetery right now.

"Satine?"

Satine looked up at the doorway and saw Christian with Olivier clinging onto his leg. "It's time to go," he said quietly.

"Mummy, I don't what to move!" Olivier cried, running over to his mother. "I like our house right now."

"And so do I!" she said. "And we'll be able to move back once I - once I get better…"

"So we're not moving forever?" he said, his green eyes lighting up.

"No!" Satine exclaimed. "Of course not!"

"Good," he said, looking very relieved.

"The carriage is here to take us to the train station," Christian said, looking extremely sad.

"We're going on a train?" Olivier cried.

"How do you think we're going to get there?" Satine laughed. "Walk?"

"No!" Olivier giggled.

"Well, then let's go!" Satine stood up and took Olivier's hand.

"Are you all right?" Christian asked as Satine walked by. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Yes," Satine said, nodding. "I'll be fine."

As they walked outside they found the Elizabeth, Samantha and Victoria waiting out by the carriage that was at the end of the driveway.

Christian gave them all a hug and a kiss and Olivier waved good-bye as he explored the carriage.

Knowing she would never see Satine again, Victoria flung her arms around her neck, fighting back tears. "I'm so glad to have met you, Satine!"

"And you, Victoria," Satine said, patting her back.

Samantha, who didn't really know what was going on, gave Satine a hug and walked back to her mother.

"Good-bye, Elizabeth," Satine said. "Thank you so much for letting us stay here."

"Oh, it was my pleasure, dear," she said, giving Satine a hug. "It was my pleasure."

With the help of Christian, Satine stepped into the carriage, gave one last wave and they were off.

Christian looked up at the house and saw Victoria, Samantha and Elizabeth still at the gate, waving at them. His father could be seen at the upstairs window, but Frederick was no where in sight.

~*~

Olivier sat on the train, a pad of paper in his lap. He began to draw as his mother and father talked quietly to one another on the other side of their compartment. It had begun to rain once they got onto the train but it was thinning out as they got farther and farther from London.

Olivier turned away as his parents kissed and started to draw some more on his pad of paper. He didn't understand; his mother and father were so nervous about moving to this summer home. Why? It was just so Mummy could get better and she said herself that she wouldn't die… what was the big deal?

~*~

Satine slowly walked up the steps that led to a large deck connected to the Smith's summer home. They had finally made it to Bournemoth. The rain had stopped a few minutes ago and the purple clouds were parting, exposing twinkling stars. You could hear the water hitting against the rocks from nearby and you could smell the faint scent of salt from the ocean.

"Mummy! Look!' Olivier cried. He had raced up to the deck ahead of Satine and Christian. "It's the ocean!"

As Satine stepped up on the deck she gasped. The sun was setting in the horizon, casting a glow on the endless ocean, and reflecting colors of gold and purple everywhere.

"Oh, my," Christian said, walking over to Satine.

"It's beautiful…" Satine breathed.

"How wonderful life is now you're in the world…" Christian sang under his breath, reminiscing about the night they first met.

Satine sighed dreamily as she laid her head down on his shoulder.

"Well, are you guys comin' or not?" Olivier blurted out and walked to a pair of French doors leading into the house behind them. "It's locked!" he said, jiggling the handle.

"Oh, that's right," Christian muttered fishing around in his pocket. He walked over to the door to unlock it.

"Let me do it!" Olivier said irritably, taking the key from his hand. He struggled to fit the key in the lock.

"No, darling," Satine said gently, taking his hand and turning the key right side up. "You open it this way."

Christian opened the door to reveal a large sitting area with three different doors leading to the rest of the house. A box of their clothing and a few belongings were in the middle of the room. "This can't be everything in our house, is it, Mummy?" Olivier asked, noticing the box.

"No, it's just a few things we need here at this house," Satine said, switching on a lamp.

"Where are we going to sleep?" he asked, walking through one of the door into the hallway.

"Well, let's see…" Christian picked up the box and followed him down the hallway. "This looks like the nursery; you could sleep there, Olivier. And this room looks nice," he commented, pushing open a door across the hall. "This is where you and I could sleep, Satine."

"But I want to sleep with Mummy!" Olivier exclaimed.

"No, you need to sleep in your room, Olivier," Satine said joining them in the hallway.

"But, Mummy!" Olivier whined.

"But nothing!" she said sternly. "You're obviously tired and need your sleep!"

"Hmph!" Olivier crossed his arms and stomped into his room.

"Oh, he must be so tired," Satine muttered, massaging her forehead as she walked into the room across the hall.

"And his life has practically been turned around." Christian said. "In a few days he'll get used to the house and he'll be fine."

"Yes, I sure hope so," Satine replied, digging around in the box and pulling out a nightgown along with a few other things. She slipped on her nightgown before walking out of the room and gently knocking on Olivier's door.

"Who is it?" he grumbled.

"It's Mummy," she replied as she turned the doorknob and walked into the room.

"Here you go," Satine said, to Olivier who was sitting on the bed, his arms still crossed. "Here's your pajamas and your elephant." She handed him his clothes and his stuffed elephant.

He just sat there, looking at his lap and his arms still crossed.

"Good night, Olivier," she said, walking out of the room.

Satine walked over to their room across the hall and with a sigh collapsed onto their bed. Christian lay down on the bed next to her and turned off the light on the bedside table causing the moonlight to flood into their room and cast an eerie glow on them both. Satine wrapped the thick blankets around them and kissed Christian deeply. And as they lay there, their hearts beating as one, they fell into a long awaited, deep sleep.