Therapy
Chapter One: Happiness at Last
Summary: Christian and Satine leave Paris, and finally find peace and happiness. But Satine's consumption wasn't her only problem
Disclaimer: I don't own Moulin Rouge.
Christian looked out the window of the carriage. It was raining, not a rare thing in London. His gaze shifted from the window to Satine, who was sound asleep on his lap. He didn't blame her for nodding off, as it had been a very long journey.
Six months earlier, the play Spectacular Spectacular had won over it's first audience. Unfortunately, it would be its only audience. Backstage, after the final curtain had come down, Satine had suffered the worst of what she called "episodes" that she had ever had. For about 45 minutes, there was doubt that she would live. Thankfully, Satine did survive, but she knew that she could no longer stay in Paris. She had been warned many times about the city air and how bad it was for her lungs. As much as she loved it, the smoke-filled village of Montmartre was doing very little to help her. The doctor who had treated her in Paris referred them to a colleague of his in a London suburb upon finding out that Christian had lived in the area. As sad as it was leaving the friendly group of Bohos, Christian said his goodbyes and he and Satine boarded a ship bound for England.
Christian and Satine had taken up residence in the small town of Derby. They shared an apartment that was only slightly bigger than Christian's old garret. It wasn't much, but it was all that a writer and a former courtesan could afford. The doctor they had been referred to turned out to be what Christian called a miracle worker. In four months, Satine's consumption was all but cured. The couple considered going back to Paris, but was warned against it. The smoky air could have caused Satine to relapse. They decided that it would be better for Satine's health if they stayed in Derby. So there they stayed, until about two weeks ago. Satine had been looking through the mail, and found a letter from Christian's family. It had been originally sent to Paris, but forwarded to Derby by Toulouse. Christian's father had passed away, and left Christian the family house in London. While his father's death was indeed a shock, Christian didn't spend a lot of time in the mourning process. He and his father never got along well. It surprised Christian that the house was left to him. As much as going back to London scared him, he knew that his family home would be a better place for Satine than their tiny apartment in Derby.
And so the writer and the former courtesan had packed once again and were moving to London. Christian felt the carriage jerk to a stop. The movement woke Satine. "Are we there?" she asked groggily. Christian nodded and he and Satine stepped out of the carriage. Satine timidly followed Christian to the front door of the house. "Welcome home" he said as he opened the front door.
Satine slowly walked into the house. It was beautifully decorated, and was a definite improvement upon any of her former living conditions. Christian gave Satine a tour of the house. It had three bedroom, three baths, a large living room, dining room, and kitchen. After unpacking, Satine was exhausted despite her nap on the way there. Christian was tired too, so the two of them went to bed, knowing that the worst was over. Satine was cured, and they had their own house. They were happy. At least for now.
