Disclaimer – I own nothing of Les Miserables. It belongs to its respected owner. I do own my original characters and the plot. 'Nuff said.
Italics are thoughts and flashbacks.
A/N: I completed Les MiserPotter and decided to write a Les Miserables fic. This will be my 174th story! Whoo! Cosette is Amanda Seyfried, Marius is Eddie Redmayne, Enjolras is Aaron Tviet, Eponine is Samantha Barks and Ella is Isabelle Allen.
Summary: AU: Modern-Day Les Miserables story. Retired racehorse, Hope For Tomorrow, is on the auction block, wanting a permanent home. Marius and Cosette decide to buy their ten-year-old daughter Ella, a horse for her birthday. Marius takes Ella to a horse auction and she falls in love with Hope For Tomorrow. Rated T because I'm paranoid.
Genre: General/None
Rating: T
CHAPTER ONE
(chapter title – A Beautiful Friendship is Formed)
"Mom! Have you seen my favorite T-shirt?" Ella Pontmercy called into the house. Cosette was in the laundry room, putting some lights into the washing machine.
"Yes, dear. It's right here," Cosette told her daughter, handing her daughter her favorite T-shirt before kissing the top of her daughter's head. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?"
"Dad said he would take me to a horse auction." Ella answered as she sat at the breakfast table. She quickly ate breakfast and grabbed her cane. Two years ago, Ella had taken a tumble off the balance beam at school and shattered her ankle. It was slowly healing, but Ella was encouraged to take her cane everywhere and use it as often as she could.
Marius kissed the top of Ella's head as he sat down next to her. Ella looked almost exactly like Cosette, but had Marius' nose, eyes and chin.
"I got you this, birthday girl." Marius said, handing his daughter an auction booklet. Together, she and Marius looked through the booklet.
"Thanks, dad," Ella thanked Marius, kissing his cheek, "This is an interesting name – Hope For Tomorrow."
"Let me see that for a second, sweetie." Marius said, taking the booklet for a moment. He looked at the picture next to the horse's name and studied it for a moment. It was a full-page picture, so Marius and Ella could see the horse better.
She was silvery-gray and had a dark mane and tail. She had two back socks and a blaze that took up most of her face.
"She's perfect!" Ella breathed, running a hand over the picture.
Cosette packed lunches for her husband and daughter. While they were at the auction, Cosette would throw a surprise party for Ella. She and Marius had already gotten her a halter, lead rope, brushes and a leopard-print English saddle pad. Marius had a friend who owned horses and the friend said that he would let Marius borrow his horse trailer.
"I cannot wait to meet Hope! I hope she likes me!" Ella said.
"Who wouldn't like you, Ella? You're kind, compassionate, funny, smart and extremely pretty." Marius praised his daughter. Ella blushed at the compliment.
"Do you think Eponine would let us board Hope at her barn?" Ella asked, changing the subject.
"I was thinking my friend, Joly, would be better." Marius answered.
"Okay, dad." Ella said, staring out the window.
The two of them found where the auction was going to be and stepped out of the car. Marius held Ella's hand as they entered the barn.
"Ella, let me talk to you for a minute," Marius started, looking into Ella's beautiful green eyes, "I'm not exactly sure if we're going to get Hope, so do you want to look at other horses? What's wrong?"
"I know that Hope will be mine, dad!" Ella stated as her eyes welled up with tears.
"But what if someone else wants her?" Marius questioned. Ella shrugged her shoulders and looked at each stall, hoping to catch a glimpse of Hope.
Seven-year-old Thoroughbred mare Hope For Tomorrow, stood in the tiny, cramped auction stall. Someone had glued a number to her hip, which she didn't like, but she didn't have a choice.
"There she is!" Ella called, making Hope's ears prick up. She pricked her ears and turned around in the tiny stall. A ten-year-old blond-haired, green eyed little girl walked up to the stall. Hope let out a nicker and walked forward a step, remembering her leg.
"Could we see this horse, please?" Marius asked a nearby groom. The groom nodded and entered the stall, clipping a lead rope to Hope's halter. He patted her shoulder as they exited the stall. Marius noticed that Hope walked with a limp.
"How old is she?" Ella asked, her eyes growing to the size of half-dollars.
"Seven years old." The groom answered, walking Hope up and down the aisle.
"Why does she walk with a limp?" Ella asked.
"She has the beginning stages of arthritis. With lots of love and caring, she should live to be well into her thirties." The groom responded, giving a gentle tug on the lead rope. Marius had the groom stop so he could pet her.
"She's so gentle and calm," Marius told the groom. He then turned to Hope, "you're such a pretty girl, aren't you?"
"She knows she is." The groom said, smiling. He continued walking Hope up and down the aisle.
"Did she race at all?" Ella questioned as the beautiful horse walked one more time in front of her.
"She ran in the Kentucky Derby when she was younger. She didn't win, but she did win the Preakness and Belmont." The groom answered.
"Does she have any babies?" Ella questioned.
"She has a colt – he's four-years-old and his name is Quimby." The groom answered as he put Hope in her stall. Ella smiled at Hope and stroked her neck. She placed a kiss on her velvety muzzle and followed Marius to the auction ring.
"Doll, we'll keep an eye on her." Marius told his daughter.
"I really, really, really, really, really want her, dad." Ella said as the two of them took seats towards the front of the ring so that they could see the horses for auction. Marius found the lunch that Cosette had packed for them. He ate his tuna fish sandwich while Ella ate her peanut butter and banana sandwich.
"Are you sure you don't want a pony?" Marius asked, taking a bite of his sandwich. Ella shook her head. "Why do you want Hope?"
"Because of her leg." Ella said, indicating to her own leg.
"Honey, her leg is like that because she's old." Marius explained.
"There's something special about her that I really like." Ella answered.
By the two of them finished their lunches, the bidding began. The first horses were mothers and their babies, followed by stallions, geldings, yearlings and retired racers.
"How much do you have to spend, dad?" Ella asked as she looked at their bidding number – 736.
"I took out $900 to spend." Marius answered.
"What if the bidding goes higher than that?" Ella questioned.
"This is a sale for retired horses. I doubt that the bidding will go higher than $10,000 at most." Marius answered. He looked around the ring to see a handful of people sitting on the bleachers. Ella was the youngest one there.
The last yearling was led out of the ring. He was bought for $570. Ella smiled and hoped she didn't have anything to worry about.
The first horse was led into the ring. She was sold for $800. The next horse sold for $599. Hope was up next.
"This one's a beauty, folks," the auctioneer started, "this is Hope For Tomorrow. She's by Tiny Tim and out of Minerva's Ginerva. Half-sister to Rocket Man."
The bidding went on for a while, but Marius and Ella ended up getting Hope. Ella cried as she hugged Marius. He kissed her temple and the two of them exited the auction ring.
"I can't believe it! I own a horse!" Ella shrieked as she went to see Hope. Hope nickered and nudged Ella's shoulder. "Dad, she likes me!"
"All right, Ella, let's get her in the trailer. C'mon." Marius said, taking the lead rope from the groom. Hope balked and tossed her elegant head. "It's all right, pretty one. Let's go."
Two men sitting on a picnic table saw what was going on and came over.
"Need a hand?" one of them asked, getting another lead rope.
"That'd be great, thanks." Marius thanked the men. One put the lead rope around Hope's flanks and the other took the lead rope from Marius.
It took them five tries, but Hope was now in the trailer, eating a carrot that Ella had found at the bottom of her lunch bag.
"Cosette?...Hi, it's me….Yeah, Ella's fine….We got a horse….She's beautiful….What?...Okay….Okay…..Yeah, that'd be fine….Uh huh…Okay, we'll drop off Hope at Joly's place then we'll be on our way….Love you too, darling….Bye." Marius said. He then called Joly. Ella was listening to her portable music player and was mouthing the words to some song.
"Hello?" Joly answered on the second ring.
"Joly? It's Marius. Can you do me a favor?"
"Sure. What do you need?"
"Ella just became a horse owner and I was wondering if we could board the horse at your place."
"Of course! I have a few extra stalls open. How far away are you?"
"We'll be there in half a hour."
"Okay. What kind of horse did Ella get?"
"A Thoroughbred. She's beautiful. Her name is Hope For Tomorrow."
"I love that name. How old is she?"
"She's seven-years-old, according to her papers."
"I cannot wait to meet the old girl. I'll put her next to Croissant and Dreamer's Beauty."
"They're nice horses, so I'm sure that the three of them will get along."
"I'm sure they will, too. Have you heard from Eponine at all?"
"The last I heard, she and Enjolras were doing shows with their Tennessee Walking Horses."
"She has to quit showing for a while."
"What? Why? Is she all right?"
"She's expecting her second baby. Enjolras tells me she's about six months along."
"Why hasn't Enjolras or Eponine spoken to me about this? We are still friends, aren't we? Enjolras was Best Man and Eponine was Maid of Honor at our wedding. Cosette and I filled those roles at their wedding. They're also godparents to Ella."
"You should talk to Enjolras about that, not me."
Joly and Marius talked for a while longer before Marius pulled into Joly's driveway. Ella opened her eyes and turned off her music player.
Joly came up the driveway, hand-in-hand with Courfrayac. Marius knew that the two of them were getting serious and had started planning their wedding after Courfrayac proposed and Joly said 'yes'.
"Marius! Ella! You're here!" Courfrayac called. Ella smiled and ran over to her uncle, hugging him. Marius smiled at his friends as both men hugged him.
"I got a horse, uncle Courfrayac! Wait until you see her!" Ella said, taking Courfrayac's hand and led him to the horse trailer, Joly and Marius not too far behind.
Courfrayac and Joly unlatched the trailer doors. Courfrayac went into the trailer and led Hope For Tomorrow down the ramp. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she let out an ear-splitting whinny. A few other horses answered her call as Courfrayac admired her from every angle.
"Wow! She's absolutely beautiful!" Courfrayac marveled. "Are you sure she's not for me?"
"No, uncle Courfrayac! She's my birthday present!" Ella said. Joly had disappeared into the barn and reappeared with a rake, shovel, hose and bath supplies.
"Happy birthday sweet girl." Joly and Courfrayac chorused. Ella squealed and thanked them profusely. Joly turned to Marius, "Can you two stay for a bit or do you have to go?"
"We probably should get going. Cosette is planning a surprise for Ella and I told her we would be home shortly." Marius answered.
Within minutes, they left Joly and Courfrayac's farm. Ella knew that Hope was in good hands.
"I cannot wait to tell uncle Enjolras, aunt Eponine and Sara about Hope!" Ella squealed. Sara was the same age as Ella and was her best friend.
She babbled all the way back to the house where the Pontmercy's lived. Ella stopped talking when she saw all her friends outside waiting for her.
There were six girls waiting, including Sara. Ella squealed and hugged Sara before Marius could stop the car.
The girls stayed for three hours, which was all right with Ella.
Eponine and Enjolras had come and were quietly talking with Marius and Cosette in a corner. Sara and Ella were playing with Ella's plastic Breyer horses in the other room. Ella's friends had left and Sara was the only one remaining.
"Here, let me help you 'Ponine." Marius offered, helping Eponine out of the chair she was in. Enjolras held Eponine's other arm as she was lifted from the chair.
"Thank you," Eponine thanked both men. She hugged Cosette and turned to Sara, "Love bug, we need to go."
"Happy birthday Ella." Enjolras told Ella, kissing the top of her head. Ella smiled, hugged Eponine, Enjolras and Sara, watching them exit the house.
"Okay, birthday girl, it's time for bed." Cosette said once the company left.
Ella said goodnight and thank you to her parents before doing her nightly routine.
As she fell asleep that night, she dreamed of Hope and their life together.