South of Nowhere 1. Chapter 1

Moulin Rouge, A Spashley Story

Chapter 1 :

**The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love, and be loved in return****.**

The Moulin Rouge. A night club, a dance hall, and a bordello. Ruled over by Harold Zidler. A kingdom of night time pleasures, where the rich and powerful came to play with the young and beautiful creatures of the underworld. The most beautiful of all these was the woman I loved. Spencer. A courtesan, she sold her love to men. They called her the 'Sparkling Diamond', and she was the star of the Moulin Rouge.

The woman I loved is…dead.

I first came to Paris one year ago, the summer of love. I knew nothing of the Moulin Rouge, Harold Ziddler, or Spencer. The world had been swept up in the Bohemian revolution and I had traveled to London to be a part of it. Up on the hill was the village, Montmartre, a village of sin as my mother would say, but it was the center of the Bohemian world. Painters, writers, all known as the children of the revolution.

I had to come to live a penniless existence. I had come to write about truth, beauty, freedom, and above all things I believed in: love. My mother would constantly remind me of my "ridiculous obsession with love", but she knew she'd never stop me. Love was the one thing I knew every one person should not have to live without.

There was only one problem, I had never been in love.

And as I was sitting in front of my just-out-of-the-box typewriter, trying to think of a way to explain something that I had in fact never felt before in my life, an unconscious Argentinean suddenly fell through my ceiling. I didn't have time to register what was happening when a tiny man with a strange French accent entered my room without warning, "How do you do? My name is Henri Marie Raymond Toulouse-Lautrec Monfa." he explained that they were actually just rehearsing for a musical titled "Spectacular, Spectacular." Apparently the man who fell through the ceiling suffered from a disease called narcolepsy. Just then an angry voice form the whole in the ceiling made itself known.

"Oh! Wonderful! Now who will play the role of the young, sensitive Swiss poet!?" As I looked up I was met with what I thought to be a man adorning a wig and an unexceptional amount of make-up and a bald skinny fellow wearing a top hat and glasses. I felt like I had entered a different universe within minutes of me being here. And after a moment of pondering, all of they're eyes seemed to end up on me.

Somehow I had agreed to fill in the role for the time being and got myself tied into to this horrible atrocity they were calling a musical. The music was all over the place, the lines were jumbled, the story had no meaning, I knew something had to change quick. So as the three conscious men I had just met, bickered over what line to put where, it hit me like nothing ever had before, and I couldn't hold back.

"The hills are alive, with the sound of music!"

They stopped at once at my singing words, and the bald man claims that it fits perfectly with the chosen music piece, so I chose to continue.

"With songs they have sung for a thousand years!"

My smooth voice had apparently put them all into a daze as they stood wide-eyed, mouths hung open.

Toulouse approaches me with a shocked expression and asks, "Ashley, have you ever written a musical before?"

I think for a moment and realize I've never atually tried writing a musical before, which is odd seeing as how i've written everything else.

"Um, no, never a musical. Many stories but, no musicals."

"Well you should write ours!" exclaims Toulouse, and at that moment the Narcoleptic Argentinean sprang to life and agreed enthusiastically with Toulouse's suggestion.

"Well fine! I can see my work is no longer needed here!" the man with the make-up and the wig states and marches out with an angry step.

I began to panic, I had no idea where they had gotten the idea that I would even be nearly qualified to write a musical, of all things!

"Wait! I can't write a musical, I mean I haven't even begun to write my own story, let alone someone else's!" I began to quickly ascend the ladder we had previously placed in the relatively new whole in the ceiling.

"Ashley! Just answer me this!" I paused looking at Toulouse, waiting for him to continue.

"Do you believe in truth?"

I nodded in response.

"Beauty?"

"Yes."

"Freedom?"

"Yes, of course."

By this time they were all crowded around me and the ladder I resided on when Toulouse asked me one final question.

"And what about love Ashley, do you believe in love?"

At this I knew that I had been hooked. My heart grew and my mind began to swim with thoughts of love.

"Yes! Above all things I believe in love. Love is like oxygen, love is a many splendored thing, love lifts us up where we belong! All you need is love!"

The three mens faces grew with smiles as I finished my last sentenced knowing I would not, and could not, turn the offer down.

And it was settled. We were to visit the Moulin Rouge that night and pitch our idea to the most beautiful, Spencer Carlin, a woman I had never before heard of, who happened to be the very woman that would soon change my life forever.


	2. Chapter 2

The Moulin Rouge, A Spashley Story

**Sorry, I switched point of views. Enjoy : )**

Chapter 2

Toulouse was able to get his hands on a nice enough dress for Ashley to wear that night, seeing as how she had nothing but slacks and t-shirts in her possession. I guess you could say she was not a very "fashion forward" type of girl. They were celebrating the fact that Ashley had agreed, with a little persuading, to become the new writer for "Spectacular, Spectacular." It was then Ashley had her very first shot of Absinth, given to her by the Narcoleptic Argentinean, who's name she learned to be Aiden. And off they went, to the Moulin Rouge.

"Okay Ashwey," Toulouse began in his unmistakable French accent, "I've managed to set up an appointment with Ziddler. Now it may not be easy but I believe you can do it. All you have to do is use your wit and that big smile and I think we may have ourselves a deal." she nodded, way to nervous to do anything else.

Just then the club lights dimmed, the noise was silenced, everyone stopped what they were doing. From the ceiling, a woman was being slowly lowered in on a swing. That was the moment, from where Ashley was sitting at the booth over looking the dance floor and where Spencer was being lowered in the air, their eyes locked for the very first time and Ashley just knew in that instant, that she was different, she was it.

"Simply magnificent wouldn't you say Ashley?" asked Aiden in his deep, Argentinean voice with a slick smile plastered on his face.

"The most magnificent." she responded, not once daring to take her eyes off the angel ascending from the ceiling.

And she was just that, the most magnificent creature she had ever laid her eyes on. Spencer's fiercely strong blue eyes, delicately sexy figure, and her golden hair that draped perfectly on her shoulders took Ashley by storm. She had never in her life seen anything so simply breathtaking. It was as if time did not exist as she continued to stare in awe at the woman she thought to be flawless.

Spencer once again looked her way and it was when she locked her eyes on Ashley's, she knew exactly where they were the entire time, that everything in both of their lives had definitely changed forever.

Spencer finally made it to the ground and the music picked back up as she began to perform her famous opening act. You could see that every person in The Moulin Rouge was just as captivated as the next. She was beautiful to say the least.

"Who's that?" Ashley asked leaning over to where Toulouse was singing and dancing along like every other man in the place.

"That, my dear, is The Sparkling Diamond, or also known as Spencer Carlin. She's the most beautiful girl in all the land and she just so happens to be the main act of this here Moulin Rouge. Men come from all over just to catch a glimpse of her."

"She's…perfect."

"Ah, but no one is perfect as you may already know Ashley." But Toulouse was wrong for the first time since I'd met him many hours ago. She indeed, was perfect.

Across the room Spencer and Ziddler were now performing their trick where many of the Diamond Dogs surrounded them with their dresses held high while she and Ziddler changed quickly into different outfits.

"My dear Spencer, it's all set, the Duchess from Spain is here and it's all up to you to convince her to invest."

"Invest?" asked Spencer, looking up from her dress.

"Yes, invest pumkin! And then you can become a real actress, like you've always dreamed to be."

Spencer's baby blue eyes bulged with excitement as a heartwarming smile washed over her face.

"A real actress Harold?" she said not necessarily wanting an answer.

Before she could think about it more, it was time for her and Ziddler to pop back up and wow the crowd once again.

Toulouse was way past drunk as he clumsily moved about trying to keep up with the dancers. Walking over to Ashley he tripped on and unknown foot effectively spilling the entire contents of his drink on none other than _the_ Carmen Martinez, the Duchess of Spain.

"Oh my! I'm so sorry miss, I was just dancing here…" he spews out an apology and takes a napkin off the table trying to somehow make the liquid disappear from the Duchess' dress.

"Which one is she Harold?" Spencer asks while dancing with Ziddler.

"Let me have a peak." He saw Toulouse waving a napkin around like a buffoon in front of the Duchess and her body guards.

"She's the one Toulouse is waving his napkin at."

And at the very moment, Toulouse stepped over to where Ashley was sitting, grabbing the napkin from off of her lap and giving it a wiggle saying he had a spill. Of course at this point in time Spencer was seeing a woman who didn't necessarily look like your typical Duchess. She was simple but flawless in her black dress and clipped up curly auburn hair. In fact, she was more beautiful than any Duchess she had ever seen.

"Are you sure?"

Ziddler spun them around once more so he could have another look. And by this time Toulouse had made his way back over to the Duchess and was once again wiping her down in a frenzy.

"Positive pumkin. Now, go work your magic darling."

The music softened as Spencer raised her voice so everyone could hear.

"I believe tonight, it is lady's choice!" The crowd hoots and hollers at the very thought of dancing with The Sparkling Diamond.

Spencer swiftly moved through the crowd as they made her a path, and she soon found herself standing in front of who she thought was the Duchess of Spain, but it in fact was Ashley Davies, the penniless writer.

"May I have this dance?" Spencer's eyes peered into Ashley's dark chestnuts and Spencer felt a shot of something ignite within her that she had never felt before.

Ashley was speechless she heard everyone around her telling her to go and dance but it was like she was glued to that very spot.

For entertainment purposes Spencer made a whining noise and faced the crowd like she was a little girl who had had her doll stolen. The crowd made a collective "aw" and Ashley finally got to her feet. And before she knew what was happening she was being pulled to the floor and the music once again roared to life.

"I'm so glad you agreed to meet with me!" Ashley unsteadily yelled.

"It's my pleasure." Spencer said in the most seductive voice she could conjure up.

"Um Toulouse said that we could maybe go somewhere and have a private, p-poetry reading." Ashley couldn't control herself with Spencer's flush body pressed up against hers.

They were skillfully making their way around the dance floor, one body pressed tightly against another. Both girls new something big was happening, but only one of them really wanted to acknowledge it.

"Ah Toulouse, what a crazy little man. And I think a private poetry reading is in order, up in my room of course." Spencer said in her sultry, raspy voice, raising an eyebrow at how different the Duchess was turning out to be.

"Ladies and Gentleman of the Moulin Rouge! I'm afraid the time has come for one last dance with our Sparkling Diamond!" The lights dimmed as a spotlight was aimed on Spencer.

Spencer winked at Ashley and proceeded to the swing she had first arrived on, the song began and just as Spencer was about to hit a long high note, she took a deep breathe in, but couldn't get one back out. Her chest constricted and a wave of pain entered her chest and throat. But before anything could happen she blacked out and her limp body began to fall off the swing that was now 30 feet above the ground.

"No!" shouted Ziddler from his position on the stage.

And before she could hit the ground a burly man, who is part of the show, caught Spencer and instantly rushed her to her dressing room.

The room was silent with fear for what felt like years, but Ziddler knew he couldn't let the people know what was really happening.

"Maybe if you cheer she will return!" and the crowd instantly sprang to life chanting the name Spencer over and over.

Ziddler looked to where the man was who had caught Spencer was now standing and saw him shake his head negatively.

"Oh! Now you've scared her away! But, the question is…can you cancan!?" quickly adverting attention off of the incident and entertaining once again.

Ashley let out a sigh of relief as a knot in her chest quickly loosened, and quickly exited the club with the other's in tow.

In the dressing room, dancers and crew member's all gathered as the doctor made his way through.

"Coming through! Give her space people! What seems to be the problem Margie?" he asked.

An oversize woman responded, "She just fainted is all."

"Right then nothing to see get back to work."

"Serve's her right," states a fiery looking Latina woman, Madison. Everyone knew all the she felt towards The Sparkling Diamond was pure jealousy. So she soon stormed off knowing that everything would soon go back to normal and her dream of becoming the star, once again crushed.

And soon everyone was gone and as Spencer woke up and was informed of what had happened, she was a little uneasy, but was soon calmed with thoughts of the beautiful brown-eyed Duchess in her mind. She couldn't wait for later that night.


End file.

South of Nowhere