~ * ~ E S C A P I N G * T H E * U N D E R W O R L D ~ * ~

by She's a Star and Karadarlin

Disclaimer: Moulin Rouge belongs to the absolutely brilliant Baz Luhrmann.

A/N: All righty...here it is. The *takes a deep breath* "Alternate-universe-Satine-leaves-with-Christian-doesn't-die-and-goes-back-with-him-to-London-to-live-with-his-family-only-to-discover-something-revolutionary" epic fanfiction. *hehe* We've been working on this for a loooong time, way before the "Satine Lives" fic outbreak on ff.net...hopefully, you'll enjoy it :)

~ * ~ O N E : F L Y * F L Y * A W A Y ~ * ~

by She's a Star

"Good bye, Harold."

Satine couldn't help shivering as she rushed out of her dressing room. She'd never talked to Harold like that.

Ever.

She'd always just gone along with whatever he wanted, She'd been his little puppet, his marketing toy. But she wasn't going to do that anymore. She was leaving.

With Christian.

Satine couldn't help but smile a bit at the prospect.

Suddenly her future seemed to glow with opportunities and possibilities and things she'd never even dreamed of having before. She'd always seen herself performing at the Moulin Rouge until she finally got too old, and then she'd become another Marie, always behind the scenes, just...there. Watching the new Sparkling Diamond with the knowledge that she had been that good, perhaps even better. And she would be all alone.

And then she would die, without ever truly living.

That's how it had been, until she'd met Christian, and yet she hadn't even realized it. But now...living was being with Christian, thoughts of Christian, his sweet love songs constantly singing softly in the back of her mind.

The air was cold and crisp as Satine stepped outside, still dressed only in a corset and overcoat. She realized that she hadn't even taken another dress with her, but didn't turn around. She wasn't going back. And she had money with her...enough to buy quite a few dresses, and not cheap ones either. She wouldn't dare let Christian spend any of his money on her.

"Goin' somewhere?"

Satine turned around to see Nini standing in the shadows, smoking a cigarette. They'd never gotten along, and she could safely say that of all the people at the Moulin Rouge, she'd miss her the least.

"Yes," she replied shortly, then continued to walk.

"With the writer, eh?" Nini cackled...Satine couldn't think of any other word for it. She sounded just like she'd always imagined the witches to sound when her mother had told her fairy tales so long ago.

"None of your business."

"You realize you'll never be an actress now. Not without the Duke. And you and that writer will elope, and it will be so romantic and perfect for a while, and then he'll find some other whore."

Satine stopped walking and turned around, so full of anger she felt like she was about to burst.

"Ahhh, don't pretend it's not gonna happen," Nini said, giving Satine a sickly sweet smile. "It already has once before."

Satine wanted nothing more than to punch Nini in the face, slam her onto the ground, and scream some VERY un-ladylike obscenities. However, she kept my composure and said in her most calm, even tone, "You don't hide jealousy well."

"What?" Nini asked. She stepped closer and exhaled, causing smoke to linger around Satine's face.

Satine stifled a cough and continued. "Well, it's obvious that you're never going to fall in love with someone as wonderful as Christian and get the opportunity to leave. You'll just be here forever, until you get too old and the men don't gawk at you anymore, and then Harold will throw you out on the streets. But I get to leave, and I'm doing so right now. Good bye, Nini."

She turned triumphantly and continued walking. She'd gone a good twenty steps before Nini called, "There will be no Moulin Rouge if you leave, you know. The Duke will close it down if you don't sleep with him after the play. We'll all be out on the streets then, Princess, and we'll have you to thank for it."

Satine stopped, her blood suddenly running cold. Nini spoke the truth-she wasn't lying to get her to stay, to ruin Satine's only chance at happiness. It was true. She would be betraying Harold and Marie and the girls...they'd all be out on the streets, because of her. Because she wasn't willing to give up her life to the Duke, the Moulin Rouge would fall.

Thoughts flew through Satine's head, almost dizzying her with their speed. Go and let everyone down, or stay, ruin all her dreams, and be forced to spend life with the most awful man alive? A man who valued money over everything, a man who wanted her for nothing more than sex and a pretty face next to his at parties, a man who had just tried to rape her....

She couldn't do it. She couldn't stay with him.

"I'm sorry," Satine said, her voice small and weak. Then she turned and ran, faster than she'd ever run before. She had to run, because if she didn't, the guilt would catch up with her, and she'd force herself to stay.

And then she was out of the Moulin Rouge courtyard. Satine couldn't help but stop one last time to stare. This was where she'd spent the majority of her life. Things had been awful, but they'd been beautiful sometimes too. She stared at the elephant, then up at the sky. The moon seemed to smile down at her.

She was meant to be with Christian.

Satine closed her eyes, said a whispered good bye, and turned towards his apartment.

She'd dreamed forever of flying away from the Moulin Rouge.

Never once had she expected that it would be so painful.