Saving Satine - Revised 10/25/07 - Lady M & Queen Rosemarie

authors note - this is a complete revision of the original fic. We had to delete the original chapters, thus all the reviews were lost. Our apologies to the original reviewers who took the time to praise or blame, and our thanks to the fans who have stuck with us while the story was on hiatus and have encouraged us to continue. All three of you. You know who you are.

Prologue - Collaboration

"Christian?" Satine rose from the narrow bed in her lover's garret and laid the latest draft of Act Two next to his typewriter. Christian leaned forward in the room's single, rickety chair besides the writing table. "In the end, the courtesan and the sitar player are going to end up together, aren't they?"

"Of course they do, darling! And triumph over all obstacles!" He gestured expansively before curling one hand around her forearm and pulling her into down into his lap. The chair beneath them creaked only slightly from the additional burden, but it was a sound the poet and the courtesan were well-accustomed to.

"Very well, but then what happens?"

"They live happily ever after."

"Yes, but that's the fairy tale." She looked him in the eye and captured his hand in hers, "But what happens for real?" She spoke softly, but with deadly seriousness in her voice.

He swallowed, and started to look away. Then, suddenly, inspiration came: "Why don't you tell me what happens to them?"

"What? I'm not a writer?" She gasped, taken aback.

Christian chuckled and blushed slightly. "But you have a very vivid…imagination." His eyes strayed to the rumpled sheets and his blush deepened even as a wicked grin stole across his face.

Satine mock-slapped at him. "Why, young M'sieur James! What a scandalous thing to say!" She laughed and shook her head, but her eyes were suddenly bright with the fire of creativity. Christian felt rather pleased with himself for having avoided giving her an answer, as well as planting the germ of an idea in her head. His mind immediately painted the picture of the two of them, years into the future: he at the typewriter, she circling him slowly as they bounced ideas back and forth between them…

Christian wondered if one's heart could truly burst from happiness – if so, it wouldn't be a bad way to go.