I don't own Les Miz.


"Fantine had taken to Tholymes as a husband, and the poor girl had had his child."

-Victor Hugo, Les Miserables

1. The News

Favourite skipped up the narrow stairs of the small apartment, the wood floor creaking under her. Bursting into the small second bedroom, she cried, "Zephine! Dalia! You will never believe this."

"What is it, Favourite?" Zephine asked. She was dressing her hair in front of the mirror while Dahlia tied her dress.

"Fantine is expecting a baby."

"She is what?" Dahlia and Zephine cried at the same time. Zephine stared, open-mouthed, while Dahlia blushed and giggled with her hand over her mouth.

"And who is the father?" Zephine asked.

Favourite rolled her eyes delicately. "Why, Felix Tholymes, of course! Who else?"

"Does he know?" Dahlia asked.

"I don't think so. What a nightmare Fantine must be living!"

"You think that?" Zephine said.

"Yes! The shame, the embarrassment, the pain! And she was such a naive creature, poor thing. And the poor child! How will it live? In darkness, in shame, in poverty, like the mother. I just hope this doesn't affect us."

"How would it?" Dahlia wondered.

"Dahlia, simple creature, can thou not understand? There's a great chance Tholymes will abandon Fantine, and if Tholymes leaves, then the rest of the men leave. You know they'll do anything he does, stupid creatures."

Dahlia looked frightened.

Zephine clucked. "Dahlia, thou should know better. Don't act so naive, you're exactly like Fantine!"

"I am not!" She protested, as Favourite helped her into her dress.

Zephine and Favourite exchanged an exasperated look.


Fantine sat on the bed in her small room downstairs. How wretched her happy life now seemed. She bit her lip in annoyance and embarrassment as she listened to the girls giggling upstairs. Favourite was telling them all about Fantine's pregnancy, no doubt. Fantine laid her head on the pillow as a tear streaked down her face. She did not want a child. She did not know how to take care of one, and she certainly did not want to tell Tholymes the news.

There was a knock on the door. Fantine sat up, dried her eyes, and said, "Yes?"

"Fantine, we had better leave. The men will be expecting us," said Favourite's brisk voice.

"Yes, I will be out in just a moment," Fantine said. When she emerged from the room, Favourite gasped then burst into a fit of giggles. "You are not going to wear that to dinner, are you?"

"Yes, I am," Fantine said, raising her eyebrows in confusion. "What is wrong with it?"

"Your plain working clothes are not exactly a ball gown."

"I cannot afford a ball gown," Fantine said stubbornly, as her excuse for forgetting to change clothes. "Come, let us go."


At the dinner, Fantine sat quiet the entire time. The other girls giggled while the men told jokes, but Fantine sat, staring into space. This was not unusual for this daydreamer of a girl, but it was different this time. It was as if a dark cloud hung over her head, and she was thinking sad and worrisome thoughts instead of happy ones of birds and flowers and pretty dresses.

Zephine reached for the wine bottle. "No, my girl," Fameuil said wisely, "Thou must not have more wine. Proper young ladies do not drink any more than they should."

"No, sir," Zephine said in her defiant but charming manner which had won Fameuil's heart. "I will do what I like, if thou pleases."

"I do not please," Fameuil said, but he did not object when his sweetheart poured herself another glass of wine.

"Damn it, Fantine, what is wrong?" Tholymes demanded. "You have been so quiet all evening."

"Don't mind her," Favourite said. "She is just dreaming. I cannot imagine there would be anything at all going on in that small head if she did not have her little dreams and fantasies."

"Favourite, you have had too much to drink," Blachevelle said.

Fantine laughed along with the others, but she was secretly hurt by Favourite's comment. She was not having one of her "little fantasies". Soon, she would have to tell Tholymes about the baby. No, she was having one of her "little nightmares".

Thank you for reading the first chapter! I appreciate reviews, so I can know if readers like my story or not. And I appreciate polite suggestions. The next chapter will have Fantine breaking the news to Tholymes.

Thank you for reading,

AzureOtter