Summary: Toulouse's actions come back to haunt him as the un-experienced bohos attempt to raise an 'accidental' child.
Disclaimer: I do not take credit for the characters and story of the Moulin Rouge.
Note: This is my first MR fiction. Please feel free to comment or give constructive criticism. Enjoy!
It was the 'freedom' that had drawn him to be a part of the Bohemian Revolution in Paris. Though the life was without boundaries and rules, actions still had consequences. In short 'freedom' along with its devious cohort 'love' had come back to bite Toulouse in the behind. A year ago, there was an incident of sorts. The infamous alcoholic was drunk yet again as he stumbled off to his date with a can-can dancer. Words were thrown around, things happened, and when it was all said and done, the dwarf woke up with no memory of the night's events. This was all followed by the mysterious disappearance of his date and the silent treatment he received from the girls at the Moulin Rouge. Thinking nothing of it, he overlooked the occasion's importance…until now.
Toulouse and his boho friends were just celebrating their last show with a few, well maybe more than a few, glasses of the green fairy when a furious banging came from the door of their garret.
"Hahaha! I'll get it!" Toulouse laughed maniacally as he toddled to the entrance. With his cane tucked under an arm and his drink firmly clutched in his fist, the bohemian swung the door open. "Hello?" He greeted while trying very hard to suppress the laughter.
"Toulouse-Lautrec!" An angry voice shouted, causing the smiling midget to drop his glass in shock. Diving after goblet, he kneeled face to face with the ground desperately trying to lick up a few droplets of the drink.
"May I help you mademoiselle?" He said dithering over the shattered cup and its spilled contents. The scantily dressed woman forced her way into the loft and put her high heels down further crushing the glass. Toulouse looked up sheepishly at his fuming guest.
"You most certainly can!" She snapped.
"I'm sorry, you are?" He asked pushing up his glasses for a better look.
"Who am I?" the girl restated bitterly "I'll tell you. I'm the mother of your child! That's who I am!"
"Perhaps I heard wrong. Did you say child?" Toulouse said in disbelief.
"Yes." The strange woman said on the edge of her patience.
"What child?" He chuckled at the 'joke'
"This one!" She said shoving a bundle into his arms. The bohemians still in the back of the room stood up in unison to try and catch a glimpse of the baby. Eye wide open, Toulouse stared at the infant nestled in the blankets.
"Sorry?" It was the only think he could think to say.
"I didn't think you'd remember!" the girl shouted. "A year ago, that one night stand! You thought it was all a game didn't you? And look at what happened? I lost my job!" Furrowing his brow Toulouse strained to remember what had happened a year ago. Since then, he'd had a few more one-nighters and a couple more drinks. What didn't happen in the past year? Suddenly it hit him.
"That's right! Where'd you go? You disappeared the next week." He said curiously.
"I went to 'visit my sick mother'! When everyone found out about this…this…thing!" She screeched pointing at the baby "I was fired, out on the streets!" Toulouse tried to speak but no words came out. He had no idea that something that had lasted for a mere hour at the most could've come back to hit him in the face.
"We're through! If we were ever together. Goodbye!" The can-can dancer yelled as she stormed out the door and slammed it shut. It was completely silent for an entire minute, which was rare in the house of five energetic bohemians. The group had gathered around the dazed dwarf in awe. Finally, Audrey the writer broke the silence.
"What just happened?" He asked. It was an odd moment; Toulouse had no idea what had just happened either.