Behind the Curtain: A Moulin Rouge Fanfic.

Chapter 23: Harold Tells Christian

Suddenly the Duke's threatening letter felt red hot in his hand. He jumped and it fell onto his desk. Without a second glance Harold was out his office, shutting the door behind him, as he went off to find Christian.

On his way he saw Marie, "Oh, Marie. Have to by any chance seen Christian?"

"Yeah, I have. He mentioned something about taking Sapphire for a walk around the grounds whilst her mother slept." Before Marie could finish Harold was off like a shot.

"Thank you" He called behind him.

Out in the courtyard Christian was singing a sweet lullaby to his daughter when he saw Harold approaching. "What's wrong?" Christian could see the sweat glistening on Harold's worried brow before he got close.

"It's the Duke!" Harold didn't know howelse to phrase it.

"What does that bastard want now?" Christian wasn't usually one for cursing, but after all the trouble that man caused the very mention of his name sent Christian through the roof.

"He wants Satine..." Harold edges his way over to the bench, where Sapphire and Christian were sat. He glanced down at the baby sparrow and smiled. Tears formed in his eyes and his lip began to quiver.

"Christian, you've got to run!" He said, without taking his eyes off Sapphire.

"Run? What are you talking about?" Christian surpressed a mocking laugh.

"The Duke will kill you this time, my dear boy. Don't you remember how insane he acted last time? You need to take precautions. You can't let him get Satine. You've worked too hard to have your future destroyed by this menace. I'll try and hold him off as long as I can whilst he arrives here. Take a boat, to England, you can find work over there. You'll be happy, but most importantly Satine and Sapphire will be safe."

Christian mulled the idea over in his brain. He needed to keep his girls safe, at whatever cost. "Okay, we'll do it. We'll run, but what am I going to tell Satine? I don't want her to worry and become franctic again..." Christian nibbled at his bottom lip whilst trying to come up with an answer to his problem.

"Don't tell her." Harold exclaimed. His eyes glowed with the kindling of an plan. "Just say you're taking them on a holiday to England. Say it's just the thing you think Satine needs. It'll help her relax and feel more at ease. Just don't, under any circumstance, mention the Duke."

Harold sighed and Christian glanced his way. In the natural lighting of the day and the added burden of the Duke's arrival Harold looked old. He looked defeated and worn. It broke Christian, slightly, to see the man like this. They'd become alot closer recently and he began to see this man as more of a father figure then his own dad was.

"I don't know if Satine ever told you this..." The older ginger began, sighing again "but around the time the Duke started taking a fancy to her, shall we say, she began to have nightmares. Horrible ones. She'd wake up screaming and crying and it'd take hours before she'd eventually sleep again. Christian, please, I beg of you... Don't tell Satine-"

"Don't tell Satine what?" Just then Satine emerged from the double doors that led out onto the courtyard. Both men froze on the spot, there eyes widened with fear and anxiety.

A/N: Hey, guys! Guess who's back. I think I need to start off with an apology. So, I've been away from this fanfic for about a year. Whoops. I basically lost inspiration for it. Then today, after rewatching Moulin Rouge, the old fanfic fire began to burn in my brain and volá: a new chapter was born. I hope you enjoy it. I think I'm gonna try and bring this fanfic to a close sometime soon. I haven't completely been away. I mean I've join some new fandoms and written some new fanfics, but this one was just put on the back burner for the longest time. Oh well, now I'm back and I hope you enjoy!! I'd love the feedback :)