Not Too Hardened

by Marie S Zachary

Javert has a younger sister who he dearly loved who he hasn't seen in years. When she is imprisoned he makes a decision that will go against ALL he believes in and yet it is the only thing he can do.

Disclaimer: I don't own Les Miserables nor do I own Tale Of Two Cities

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00124.

That was the number that in a few hours would be burned into her skin. She was innocent. But there was no conviencing the jury of that.

00124.

She wasn't always a number. A few days ago she was a person. She had been a good person. She always did what her parents had taught her. She had an older brother and 4 younger sisters. She also had an older sister but she had died before her brother was even born. She and her brother had been seperated years ago. He was her best friend. But she had no idea what became of him or of his sisters

00124.

She watched on the line to be branded every prisioner down the row. She was becoming frightened but she promised herself she would be brave. Her only crime had been trusting her creep of an ex friend. He got away with it and she was framed. She could hear the screams of the prisioner. She could smell their burning flesh. Just moments from now it would be her flesh burning.

00124.

Javert knew a lot of prisioners were not so horrible as they are treated but he was too hardened by the law and too hardened by seperation from his sister to give a care. It was just too bad for them. Sometimes life sucked. Too bad so sad poor you boo hoo. He finished branding 09760 and then he called for the next one

"00124."

She stepped foward. Her head was down.

"LIFT UP YOUR HEAD," he barked at her.

She did so and he gasped. He knew this girl. She wasn't a hardened criminal. There was no way she had done what she was accused of. This was his younger sister, Therese. She did not belong here.

00124

He was shaking as he picked up the branding iron. He had been too hardened by the law. He had to do it. But he couldn't. This was his sister. Therese would never commit a crime. He had read her case file but it identified her by her number not her name.

"00124," he asked, "Have you a home?"

She nodded.

"Have you work," he asked her.

She nodded again honestly.

"I work in a little wineshop," she told him, "and I was engaged to the owner of the wineshop"

"Is he good to you," Javert asked.

"Quite," Therese replied tears filling her eyes. She wouldn't see Ernest for a long time.

"00124," he told her, "You have been released"

As he looked into her eyes she knew that he was her brother. She kissed him hugged him and was ecorted out. Javert it would seem was not too hardened by the law.