Come What May

Satine's heart was breaking. She was all set to take off with Christian, to leave Moulin Rogue, the life of a courtesan, and the Duke. Despite her earlier misgivings, she was really beginning to believe in Christian's idea of 'All you need is love', that they would be able to live on love and love alone. Christian had really swept her away.

Now that was all ending. Zidler told her about the Duke's ultimatum: if she did not choose him and his ending to Spectacular Spectacular, he would have Christian killed. And from the looks of his manservant, he probably would too. Oh Satine didn't believe it at first—she thought that Zidler was just trying to scare her into staying like he had before. He even told her that she was dying. She thought that was a trick too, but it wasn't. She really was dying.

She hated every minute of it, having to tell Christian that she didn't love him, that she was a courtesan who was paid to make men believe anything they wanted to. She had to put on this act when she felt that she just could not do it anymore.

Satine was ready for the final act of Spectacular Spectacular before the love-less existance of the rest of her life (such as that may be) when Christian somehow managed to get into the Moulin Rouge to confront her. She saw the Duke's manservant over Christian's shoulder and knew what it meant. She tried to get rid of him before he was killed, but they wound up on stage together. Quickly, Zidler covered for them by telling the audience that Christian was really the penniless sitar player in a disguise induced by madness, and the audience brought it. Seeing that 'the show must go on', Christian turned bitter, 'played the part' claiming that he understood that she was just a courtesan, threw some money at her and stalked down the aisle.

Watching him walk away like that, in anger, in desolation, Satine couldn't stand it. She started singing their song, their 'secret' song "Come What May". It was a gamble, but it worked. Satine got through to Christian, convinced him that she did really love him. They had a spectacular finale to Spectacular Spectacular that not even the Duke could mar. And, just after the curtain closed, it happened.

She started coughing and felt faint, collapsing into Christian's arms. Dear Christian, he tried to reassure her that everything would be all right, calling for a doctor, but she knew it wouldn't. She could feel herself slipping away as she heard Christian sobbing. Slipping away...............