Author's note: So this was spawned from a series of Brick!club threads about how nice it would be if Fantine had actual friends that split off into an AU where Fantine went to Favourite upon being dumped and was given directions to Digne instead of M-sur-M because if anyone was going to take care of her it would be the Bishop. The underlying premise of the AU is that Fantine and Cosette deserve to be happy, dammit (and also that seeing Baptistine interact with Cosette would be adorable.)
Disclaimer: Les Miserables is the property of the estate of Victor Hugo. No money is being made from this project.
Digne, April 1821
Despite the advanced age of its permanent inhabitants, it was not uncommon to hear shouts of laugher ringing through Monseigneur Bienvenu's humble home. Children had always flocked to Mademoiselle Baptistine, drawn in by her gentle nature and quiet smiles of encouragement. Madame Magloire too attracted the younger members of the Bishop's flock; under her stern exterior resided a woman who could easily be persuaded to part with small treats or pieces of worldly wisdom. When Monseigneur Bienvenu was away on his rounds people flocked to the small stone house for help or company or to offer their own gifts to the women. Mademoiselle Baptistine received each and every visitor with a smile and greeted them by name, while Madame Magloire was kept busy chasing small boys from her kitchen and preventing them from trampling the Bishop's flowers.
On this particular day in late spring, the Episcopal residence was louder and more joyful than ever. Madame Magloire and Monseigneur Bienvenu had brought all the usable chairs into the dining room and decorated the table festively with freshly-cut flowers from the garden. Mademoiselle Baptistine had recently received, from her friend the Vicomptesse, a lovely lace handkerchief of pure whites and delicate pinks. It hung gracefully over the mantelpiece, held in place by a sturdily bound treatise on law, serving as decoration until it could be sold to help the poor. The breeze coming in through the open door caused the end of the handkerchief to flutter delicately. The table had been set for four people but there were far more than that currently enjoying the hospitality of Monseigneur Bienvenu.
In the center of the room the cause of all this excitement spun rapidly in place to show off her new dress. Euphraisie, called Cosette by nearly everyone, laughed as she spun, gasping joyfully for air until she lost her balance and tumbled to the floor in a whirl of cotton skirts and chestnut-colored hair. She stayed sitting down only as long as it took to recover her breath, eyes alight with exertion and excitement.
Sitting quietly in Monseigneur Bienvenu's best chair Cosette's mother watched her child's antics fondly, a rare smile playing across her lips. Fantine had grown more melancholy than ever with time and heartbreak. Her habitual solemnity lent her an air of gravity and wisdom far greater than her age would suggest, sign of that spiritual maturity gained through experience rather than years. Only when she laughed did one remember the tenderness of her youth, and the sight of that usually grave countenance consumed with joy and exuberant mirth transfixed all who saw it. When Fantine laughed it was as though the clouds parted at last to reveal a beam of radiant sunlight. Her large blue eyes sparkled with life and her white teeth existed in exquisite counterpoint to the pinkness of her lips and cheeks. She laughed now, a quiet sound that nevertheless pierced the underlying hubbub of the room, and all eyes turned towards her. Cosette darted over and threw her arms around Fantine's slender shoulders, planting a childish kiss on her mother's cheek.
Madame Magloire entered the room at that moment carrying a large platter on which sat an assortment of friandises. She had been working tirelessly on their creation for the past two days, the ingredient purchased with the help of her modest salary and Mademoiselle Baptistine's pension. She set the tray down on the table with a slight flourish. Cosette pulled away from her mother and ran over to Madame Magloire, mouth partly open in delight. She cast an amazed eye over the assortment on the tray, never having seen anything so fine in her life.
"It's so beautiful," she breathed. "Can I have one?"
"Cosette," her mother reprimanded gently. The girl's hand, which had risen in anticipation even as she asked her question, dropped back to her side. She backed up half a step, eyes still fixed longingly on the pastries. Monseigneur Bienvenu laughed.
"You must be patient only a little while longer," he assured Cosette. "But first there are some who would like to offer you their congratulations."
He placed his hands on Cosette's shoulders and turned her to face the assembled people. As though called by some silent signal everyone rose and came up in turn to congratulate her. The adults inclined their heads as they spoke, some more patronizingly than others, while the children had to be encouraged with sharp looks from their parents to come inside and pay their respects. Cosette accepted all of these with a grave expression, one that should have been foreign on her young face. At last the Bishop himself bowed before her, movements nearly as graceful as they had been during his youth, and kissed her hand quite properly. "May God's blessings shine down on you for many years to come," he said. "Happy Birthday, Mademoiselle Euphraisie."
Despite the solemnity of his words Monseigneur Bienvenu's eyes twinkled and Cosette could not stifle a giggle. He released her hand and turned towards Madame Magloire.
"I think our young guest has waited long enough to enjoy her gift, do you not?"
Madame Magloire picked up the tray once again and offered it to Cosette. The girl hesitated over it, eyes traversing the assorted delicacies carefully, before finally selecting a plump éclair and lifting it off the tray. Instead of eating it she crossed the room and clambered onto her mother's lap, offering the pastry to her.
"For you," she said firmly.
Fantine shook her head. "It is all yours to enjoy," she said.
Cosette did not move to eat the pastry, though around her other children had chosen theirs and were happily cramming them into their mouths, fingers sticky with sugar. Instead she continued offering the éclair to Fantine, lips pursed obstinately together.
"I believe sharing would be an acceptable solution," Monseigneur Bienvenu said, having watched the exchange from a little ways away. "With your permission, ladies, I shall divide it in two and you shall both taste Madame Magloire's hard work."
Cosette frowned, desire for the éclair warring with love for her mother on her small face, then nodded. "Maman gets the bigger half," she said firmly.
"Ah, but there is no bigger half," Monseigneur Bienvenu said, deftly taking the éclair and breaking it exactly in two. "For otherwise they would no longer be equal parts." He offered one part to each of the two. Cosette waited until Fantine took the first nibble then practically devoured her half, chocolate coating her plump lips and fingers as she ate. Her eyes closed in utter bliss and Monseigneur Bienvenu laughed.
"We should all strive to be made so content by such small things," he said, laying a hand on Fantine's shoulder. "Truly we are blessed to have her in our presence to serve as a reminder."
Fantine, éclair forgotten in the face of her child's joy, nodded. "I give thanks every day, Monseigneur," she murmured.
"And she is blessed to have a mother such as you," Monseigneur Bienvenu said. "Your arrival in our humble town has done all of us good."
Fantine smiled, reaching down to smooth one of Cosette's curls away from her face. "You and your people come from God Himself," she said. "I can never repay the dept I owe to you."
"Teach your child to love as you do," Monseigneur Bienvenu said. "And you will have repaid your debt one hundred times over." He smiled. "Eat your éclair Madame. Today is a day of celebration." With that he walked away and Fantine, eyes still fixed on Cosette's radiant and chocolate-smeared smile, took another bite.