Watching
Moulin Rouge
By:
AvitarGirl
Disclamier:
I only own the character of Amy, nothing else.
"I was a fool to believe" sang Nicole Kidman's voice on the screen of Sarah's television. She had started off watching Moulin Rouge but had somehow found her way back in the kitchen doing the dishes. She couldn't watch this part. It always made her sad. You'd think by now she would have forgotten it. Most people would have, but not Sarah. She was constantly reminded of that day twelve years ago. Sarah had finally given into her misery and put on Moulin Rouge. After all, Satine did something that Sarah had done herself. She had deceived herself.
"Yes it all ends today" the courtesan on the television sang out. "Today's the day when dreaming ends."
Sarah felt a tear trickle down her cheek as she watched from the kitchen. Unlike the woman on the screen, deception, in Sarah's case, had not been to save anyone other than herself. Oh it was true that she had been trying to save Toby, but by the time the Escher room had fallen apart, Sarah had been so high on adrenaline that Toby hadn't been a thought in her mind until after she had returned to her living room. She had been acting…and her talent had hurt that Goblin King, just as Satine had hurt Christian.
"The show must go on" Yes, those had been her thoughts as well. Sarah had been in character, not thinking of reality at that time. Only of the story.
"Why" she berated herself. "Why couldn't I have just kept my mouth shut? Had I never said those words…." She was angry now. There was no doubt about it. She pounded her wet hands on the counter beside the sink. It was so unfair.
Twelve years, and she was still hurting. She had done it to herself. But whose fault is it really, a voice whispered in her head. After all he had frightened her, taken her brother away.
"Only because I expected him to be cruel and I expected him to take Toby." She moved away from the counter and sat in the lone wooden chair at the table. "The fault is my own."
Just then, Sarah heard the sound of a key in the front door. "Great" she muttered. "Just what I need. Miss Bubbly is home."
The door opened and woman, about Sarah's age, with deep red hair and green eyes entered the apartment. She was tall and slender, like Sarah, but she was smiling. Something Sarah only did for show now-a-days.
"Sarah? Oh there you are!" the girl said taking off her sunglasses.
"Yes, Amy, here I am" Sarah said with slight sarcasm in her tone. "How did it go?"
"Oh the photo shoot went wonderfully. You wouldn't believe it but the photographer said I should get a job in modeling. I'm so excited. He said he'd help me out if I wanted to find a modeling job. Can you believe it?"
Sarah smiled slightly. She was happy for her friend. "That's great Ams" she turned showing her smiling approval. "I'm happy for you."
"Yet you stay here at home, moping about?" Amy said giving Sarah a knowing look.
"I'm not moping about anything!" Sarah lied. "I was watching Moulin Rouge. It was at the sad part."
"Oh?" Amy said suddenly excited. She ran to the living room and threw her things on the couch. "Mind if I back it up a few scenes? I want to see the song part."
"Which song, Amy? There are a bunch of songs." Sarah asked slightly irritated. All she had wanted was to get to the ending, and get it over with.
"The Come What May song" Amy called to her. "I love that song."
"Then get the soundtrack" Sarah muttered to herself quietly.
"Come on Sarah." Amy called. "Come watch this part with me."
Sarah sighed. She didn't want to see this part…not again.
"Are you coming?" Amy asked.
"Yeah give me a second." Sarah called back to her.
"Alright I'll pause the movie"
Darn, she had hoped Amy would just watch it without her. Oh well, might as well get out there, she told herself.
Amy patted the seat on the couch beside her and Sarah sat down. She took the movie off pause and soon the sound of Ewan McGregor's singing filled the air.
"Never Knew I could feel like this
Like I've never seen the sky before
Want to Vanish Inside your kiss…"
Sarah sighed and leaned her head back on the couch and closed her eyes. Yes it was a pretty song, and the sound of Ewan McGregor's voice was wonderful…but it wasn't the song she heard. It wasn't the song that haunted her dreams. It wasn't the voice that was filled with magic and enchantment that she wanted to hear.
There's such a sad love
Deep in your eyes…
No, she couldn't. She wouldn't think about it. She couldn't think of the time she spend there…Searching for him. He had eluded her. Saw when she was coming his way and went in a direction that she hadn't thought to look. He had watched her, keeping her searching. Then finally, she had been in his arms, dancing as he sang to her. No she wouldn't think of such things. She had given them up as soon as she had said those six little words. You have no power over me. She just couldn't.
Sarah whipped a tear from her eyes and stood.
"Hey where are you going?" Amy asked.
"I was going to go to my room for a little while" Sarah told her quietly.
Amy stood up beside Sarah. She saw the tears in her friend's eyes. Who did this to her? She wondered for years, but was too afraid to pry. If Sarah wanted to tell her, she would.
"How about you stay out here and watch the movie?" Amy asked gently. "I have to finish my science essay anyway."
Sarah nodded without a word. She was grateful to Amy. Somehow the girl knew she wanted to be alone, lost in her misery.
"Alright, if you need anything…" Amy told her as she walked to her room.
"I'll call" Sarah said, a small smile played at her lips. If you need us…
Amy smiled and nodded at Sarah, then disappeared around the corner into her room. Sighing, Sarah pulled the blanket off the back of the couch, wrapped it around herself, and picked up the remote. She put the movie back to the scene she had been on. On with the show, she mused.
She watched as Christian was miserable at the loss of Satine. She knew inside that the Goblin King was probably hurt from her rejection of him, but she doubted he was suffering as much as Christian. But how do you know? After all, did you not see the look in his eyes after you said the words?
"I saw" she whispered. "God knows I saw."
Again, denial. It was a driving force in her life. She had denied that the look on the Fae King's face had been because of her rejection. He had lost; she told herself years ago, he was upset he had lost a would-be goblin, nothing more than that.
"You shouldn't be here, Christian." Satine spoke on screen again.
"No he shouldn't" Sarah sighed speaking at the screen. "But you want him to be there. You don't want to loose him."
Oh the pain she had put him through, Sarah thought. What if I'm wrong and I put Jareth through the same thing, the same pain? Jareth…
Sarah placed her head in her hands. Oh God, what have I done? "Jareth, I'm sorry" She whispered. "I'm so sorry."
Sarah rubbed her temples. Ugh, why her? Why had she been the one to fall in love with a magical king from a magical world that supposedly didn't exsist? Why did she have to be the one that would hurt inside, knowing that on some level she had hurt someone she had been to frightened to admit that she cared for? Why, why, why?
"What are you watching, Sarah?" came a voice behind her.
Sarah froze. Her eyes widened. Crap. She turned to see the King of the Goblins sitting on the arm of her couch curiously watching the movie.
Jareth glanced at her, an amused smirk on his face. "Well?"
"Ummm…it's called Moulin Rouge. What?..hh..how?"
The Goblin King was smiling now and he turned his attention back to the movie. "So what is this 'movie' as you put it, what is it about?"
Sarah folded her arms in confusion. She hadn't called him. Why was he here? Best to play it by ear, Sarah decided.
"It's about a man, a writer, who falls in love with a courtesan. Their love is forbidden, and she has to lie to him to save him because there is a man who wants to kill him."
Jareth raised an eyebrow, and glanced at Sarah, waiting for more.
"The woman, Satine, is not allowed to fall in love. The writer, Christian, believes in love and wants to show Satine what she's missing. They fall in love, but there's a problem. The Duke, is obsessed with Satine. He doesn't want to share her with anyone. So Satine and Christian hide their love from the Duke…until he finds out."
"How does he find out?" Jareth asked quietly staring at the screen.
"Christian writes a secret song for Satine." Sarah said quietly.
Jareth smiled sadly but did not look at Sarah. "Go on."
"Satine has to sleep with the Duke in order to save the play, but when she goes to him, she sees Christian from the balcony, and sings the words to herself..."
"And the Duke finds out." Jareth finished.
"Yes. She manages to escape the Duke and run back to Christian; but in the morning she finds out that because of the Duke's anger and jealously, he will kill Christian if he returns to the Moulin Rouge."
Sarah felt a tear run down her cheek. She stared at the screen, watching as the man tried to kill Christian, and continued to fail. She smiled slightly and continued her story. "So she lies to him, tells him that she doesn't love him because she wants to protect him. It devastates him…."
"He doesn't look devastated to me" Jareth mused.
Sarah smiled slightly. "Christian goes back to the Moulin Rouge, unsure if he believes what Satine has told him about her not loving him. He's angry with her, furious even; but Satine sings their song out to him just as he is about to walk out, and he forgives her."
"I see" Jareth said quietly.
"Unfortunately, the fairytale doesn't have a happy ending." Sarah sighed.
Jareth looked at her confused.
"Just watch" Sarah said.
Everyone was celebrating, until suddenly Satine fell back in Christian's arms.
"Satine, Satine! What's the matter?" Christian asked
She coughed and coughed, without a word.
"Somebody get some help!" he screamed.
"I'm sorry Christian…I'm so sorry." Satine spoke weakly
"You'll be alright." Christian told her gently
"Hold me, hold me." She asked weakly
Christian held her close, tears in his eyes as he whispers, "I love you."
Satine smiled gently. "You've got to go on, Christian."
"Can't go on without you though." He says her sadly.
"You've got so much to give" Satine whispers reaching up to touch his cheek gently. "Tell our story, Christian. Promise me, promise me…"
Christian nodded unable to speak as he cried.
With her last words, Satine promised him…"I'll always be with you."
Sarah wipped away a few fallen tears and turned to see Jareth staring at her, his face sad, yet at the same time, unreadable.
"Not all fairytales have a happy ending" She whispered.
For a moment both Sarah and Jareth were silent. Sarah wondered what he was thinking. Was it about her? Was it about what she had told him? Or was it something else entirely?
After a long moment, Jareth spoke. "Sarah" he said gently, moving back to stand behind the couch. "I know you are wondering why I came."
Sarah nodded, sat up and moved so that she sat on the couch facing his direction.
"I heard you earlier." He said quietly. "I came to apologize …and to say I forgive you."
Sarah looked at him surprised. What had he to apologize for?
Jareth moved to look out the window beside the couch. "How could you fall for someone when despite their generosity, that someone has made you fear them so much that you can't possibly love them?"
Sarah felt a pang in her heart. Yes he made sense with his words, but so had he made sense all those years ago. She wasn't going to play games with him, not now.
Sarah moved and walked over standing in front of him. Taking his gloved hands in her own she looked up into his mismatched eyes. "I forgive you, Jareth."
Before the fae king could respond, Sarah moved close to him and wrapped her arms around him. Jareth was surprised at first, but then wrapped his arms around her, small frame. They stood like that for a long time. Not moving, just standing; each content to just be in the presence of the other.
Finally Jareth moved and placed a gentle kiss on Sarah's forehead. "I have to go now" he whispered.
Sarah looked up at him, her question evident on her face.
Jareth chuckled seeing her expression. "I'll be back, Sarah. I give my word."
Sarah felt a blush rise up in her cheeks and looked away, attempting to hide her embarrassment. "When will you be back?"
The Goblin King smiled and moved towards the window. "Soon"
With that, Jareth transformed into a white owl and flew off into the night. Sarah stood by the window and watched as the King of the Goblins returned to the Underground.
"Come back soon, Jareth" she whispered into the night. "Please come back soon."
fin
So what do you think? Should this be one that i continue? it's supposed to be a oneshot but when i was done writing it i kinda wanted to keep going. Let me know whatcha think, cuz i need some decision making help guys:-)