AN: Okay, I admit it: I have joined the fan group for this amazing movie. Seriously, such a good movie and Francœur is so freaking adorable. And so, after the plot bunnies tracked me down, I wrote this little fic. Basically this was inspired from me watching Disney's Lady and the Tramp. Francœur's curiosity reminded me of the scene where Lady wants to know about Jim Dear and Darling's new baby. So I thought, how would Francœur act around a baby? My first attempt at A Monster in Paris. Hope you like it.
Disclaimer: A Monster in Paris and all its characters are property of EuropaCorp Distribution. If I owned it, Lucille and Francœur would have been another Cannon pairing. Honestly, I think the Raoul/Lucille pairing at the end was rather rushed. Sadly, I do not because, as I said before, I do not own this movie or its characters. Also, picture used above is a pencil-sketch from Lady and the Tramp, so it's not mine either.
What is a Baby?
Francœur sighed as he walked up the stairs to the apartment. He was exhausted. Madame Carlotta had been working him harder than usual these last few nights. It was the tourist season, and with the absence of the cabaret's star performer, Carlotta had made Francœur her new solo act to bring in more money. His fingers ached from plucking guitar strings and playing piano keys, and his feet were sore from all the dancing. His throat hurt just a little, but that wasn't bothering him as much. All he wanted now was to go home and sleep. Luckily, tonight had been his last solo performance.
Two weeks. That's how long it had been since he had last seen his dear friend Lucille. She had received a letter from her friends asking her for a visit. Apparently she hadn't seen them since before the "Monster in Paris" fiasco. However, their location was outside the city so Lucille had requested to use her saved time off to visit them. While Carlotta had been hesitant about letting her star performer go, she was content to cash in on Francœur's natural musical talent. Every night he would take the stage and perform with the new songs he had been working on as of late. Though the songs seemed only half done, as they were mainly written for his duets with Lucille. Sure he could make minor changes so he could perform them by himself, but he longed to share them with Lucille.
Luckily, Lucille was due back tomorrow. Francœur couldn't wait to see her. The apartment had been so lonely without her warm presence there, and singing at the L'Oiseau Rare seemed wrong without her melodious voice to accompany his own. Their other friends would pay him a visit now and then, but Lucille was the only one he could truly feel happiest with. He sighed. Just one more day.
Francœur took out his spare key from his jacket pocket and entered the apartment. Locking the door behind him, he placed his hat on the coat rack, while his mask was set on the side table. Then he slipped off his shoes and made his way upstairs. He was too tired from the night's performance, and simply wished for the comfort of his bed. Besides, the sooner he went to sleep, the quicker tomorrow would come, and the sooner he could see Lucille.
As he walked up the stairs, Francœur pondered what adventures Lucille might have had. She had said she had gone to visit her friend, Jolie Colette, a friend from something Lucille had called her "school days." Apparently whatever this "school" was had been fun. Francœur remembered the day Lucille had gone to ask Carlotta for the time off. Lucille had to beg her aunt to let her visit them, promising to be back soon. Finally Carlotta had relented—mostly because Lucille and Francœur were about to perform—with Lucille's promise to return within the week. After the show, Lucille called the number enclosed in the letter, and in two days she was gone.
The day before Lucille was to return there had been a terrible storm. The roads were blocked and Lucille had to stay for another week. During that time, Lucille called to apologize for the delay, but something else had come up that would require her to stay even longer. She promised to explain everything when she returned. Recalling the look on Madame Carlotta's face as she spoke with her niece, Francœur had noted something had seemed to upset the elderly woman. After she hung up, she was trying to brush tears out of her eyes. He had tried to ask what was wrong, but Carlotta brushed it off, saying it was nothing and then went back to work. Still, what could have caused her such grief? Later on he noticed his other friends seemed sad as well, but when he tried to ask them, they also said it was nothing. Perhaps he could ask Lucille when she returned.
Francœur's thoughts were put on hold as he reached the top of the stairs. A small light was coming from beneath Lucille's bedroom door. Francœur was puzzled. He knew there shouldn't be a light in there. Lucille's bedroom had been closed off since she left, and Francœur never entered her room without Lucille's permission.
Hesitantly, he approached the door. Opening it just a crack, Francœur peered into the room. The soft glow came from a lamp sitting on the nightstand near the bed. Not sure how it had been lit, Francœur decided it would be all right to enter if he was just shutting off the lamp. He took one step inside when a soft sigh stopped him. He looked around until his large eyes fell upon the bed.
There, nestled among the blankets and pillows, Lucille slept peacefully without a worry or care.
Francœur wasn't sure if he was breathing. He quickly shut his eyes, hoping to chase the vision away, but upon opening them he was astonished to find he wasn't dreaming. Lucille was really there, sleeping in her bed. Francœur took a step back and leaned against the doorframe. Even in her sleep, Lucille looked like an angel, the way loose tendrils of hair delicately framed her face. A small smile graced her lips as she dreamed some happy dream. Though he was happy to have her back, he was sure she was not due back until tomorrow. Still, what did it matter? She was back home. Francœur smiled as he watched her sleep.
Francœur was about to enter to turn off the lamp again, when he heard another sound. He paused and listened for it again. It was a small whimpering sort of sound. Looking around, Francœur noticed an odd looking basket sitting on the other side of Lucille's bed. It had a wooden wicker frame, a silk covering with a ruffled band, and two large side bows. As he listened for the odd sound again, he realized it was coming from the basket.
Lucille began to stir as the whimpering persisted, beginning to grow louder. From the look on her face, Francœur could tell she was exhausted. Despite his feeling of discomfort about entering without Lucille's permission—especially now that she was in her room—Francœur knew he had to silence the noise before it woke her. Very quietly, Francœur stepped into the room, careful to ensure he wouldn't utter a sound as he padded his way over to the other side of the bed. He stopped just in front of the basket, checking to make sure he hadn't woken Lucille. The Angel of Montmartre continued to sleep on.
Seeing he was in the clear, Francœur drew his gaze to the basket. He certainly was curious why Lucille would place such a thing at her bedside. As he peered inside, he saw soft looking blankets, a comfortable mattress, and a decorative pillow. But it was the tiny form beneath the blackest that caught his eye. Carefully he reached into the basket and drew back the blanket to reveal the smallest human he'd ever seen, even smaller than Emile and Maud.
The little creature was just so tiny, no bigger than a doll. If it hadn't been breathing, Francœur might have thought it was a doll. He could tell it was human, but it was just so small. The tiny thing was pale with rosy cheeks, and long rustic curls covered its head. Its tiny hands were balled into fists and its face, while innocent and sweet, was turned to a frown. As it opened its mouth, it began to whimper again, this time much louder.
Francœur knew he needed to quiet the little one, but he was unsure what to do. He desperately wanted to wake Lucille and ask what her, but that would be unfair. Looking back down, the little human continued to fuss. He panicked and desperately tried to think of a way to quiet it back to sleep. Suddenly he got an idea. Leaning over the basket, Francœur began to hum a little tune. The tune was something he had thought up one night. The song had no words, but the tune itself was very calming, and had even lulled Lucille to sleep as they sat by the fireplace. The notes were soft and melodic, and as he reached the chorus, the tiny human had ceased its fussing. It turned its head towards Francœur and opened its eyes. Delicate hazel orbs gazed back into Francœur's fiery golden eyes.
At first, he thought it might cry at the sight of him. He had left his mask downstairs, so the tiny human had full view of his face. Instead, the little one smiled and raised its hands up, gurgling slightly. Francœur's song came to an end, and he stood there, observing the tiny being. Its thin pink lips were now curved into a sweet smile, showing four tiny teeth. Francœur couldn't help but smile back with a small, toothy grin of his own.
"I think she likes you."
Francœur jumped, nearly hitting his head on the ceiling. He looked up to see Lucille had woken. She was sitting up and her eyes were bright, though carried a hint of fatigue. Her hair was down out of its usual messy bun and slightly tousled from sleep. The blanket had been kicked off, revealing Lucille in a white cotton nightgown with lace straps and a draped neckline. With the glow of the lamp behind her, she truly had the appearance of an angel. Francœur bowed his head. He was ashamed he had been caught in Lucille's room without her permission.
Shaking her head, Lucille moved from her bed and walked to Francœur's side. She placed a hand on his arm, prompting him to look at her. His sad eyes tugged at her heart.
"It's alright, Francœur. You did nothing wrong," Lucille assured him. She removed her hand and bent down to the basket. Francœur watched as Lucille then picked the tiny human up, cradling it in her arms. The little thing wore a light green cotton nightdress with a laced collar and sleeves, embroidered with little white flowers. It was adorable and it looked at Lucille with a big smile. Lucille smiled back and started tickling under its chin. This caused the little one to giggle and coo. The sight made Francœur smile.
"Well, what do you think of my surprise?" Lucille asked, not taking her eyes from her small bundle.
Francœur looked at her puzzled. Then his eyes shifted to the creature in her arms. He chirped and pointed at it.
Lucille nodded. "Francœur, I would like you to meet Odetta. She's my goddaughter. Odetta, say hello to Francœur." The tiny girl looked up at the flea. Francœur gave her a nervous smile and chirped a hello.
Odetta smiled back and gurgled. Apparently this little human was unable to speak, just like him. Then he remembered Raoul and Emile had once talked about tiny humans before. It had been a "Guy's Night" as he recalled, and the discussion lead to Raoul joking with Emile about the topic of children and babies. Francœur did not know what those words meant until Emile explained they were names given to younger humans. Francœur had always wanted to see such tiny humans, as not many came to the cabaret. Now he could see that what Lucille held in her hand was a baby. But Francœur still did not understand why she was here. He looked to Lucille, hoping she could understand his confusion.
Seeing his plight, Lucille adjusted her arms to a more comfortable position before she explained. "Odetta is the daughter of my friends I went to visit, Jolie and Darell. The last time I saw her she was no bigger than a loaf of bread. Hard to believe she's six months old now."
Odetta started to fuss again, and Lucille patted the little girl on her bottom. "I think someone needs a change," she cooed.
Puzzled, Francœur watched as Lucille took Odetta over to a small table. Odd assortments of items were spread out as Lucille laid Odetta on the table. She cooed over the little girl, making her laugh. She then stripped Odetta of her nightclothes and a strange cloth fastened to her bottom. Francœur was not sure what Lucille was up too as she began using the items around the table, all while playing with Odetta. Finally, Lucille took out a new cloth and placed it on Odetta, fastening it together with two pins. Once she had her nightdress back on, Lucille held Odetta with one arm on her shoulder, and disposed of the used materials on the table. Once done, her attention was back on the baby.
"There now, all dry." Lucille began to bounce Odetta in her arms. Francœur smiled as he watched them. The slight action seemed to come second nature to Lucille. And he liked the idea of Lucille with the baby. She seemed so happy and Odetta was a sweet little girl. Still, he did not understand why Lucille had brought the baby back with her. When Lucille stopped bouncing her arms, he gave Lucille a questioning chirp and pointed to Odetta.
Understanding his meaning, Lucille's smile began to fade. She held Odetta a little tighter and kissed the small girl on her temple. Francœur was concerned. Why was she so sad all of a sudden? Had he done something to upset her? Francœur softly chirped, wishing he could ask her in words what was troubling her.
Gathering herself, Lucille turned back and saw Francœur's worried expression. She took a deep breath and tried her best to smile. "Francœur, do you remember the storm that occurred while I was away?"
He nodded, remembering how it had caused a lot of damage. Raoul read in one of the newspapers that roads had to be blocked off and that, in some towns, there had been a few accidents where some people had been very badly hurt, or worse. It was a few days after that they had received a call from Lucille, stating she needed to remain with her friends until the roads had been cleared.
Francœur nodded his head again for Lucille to continue.
"The night of the storm, Jolie and Darell had gone out for the night. It was the last night showing for a play they'd been waiting to see, and they invited me to come along. As tempting as the offer was, I knew I had to leave early in the morning, so I declined and offered to look after Odetta for them." Her eyes were beginning to water, and she struggled with her next words. "I…In the morning… I-I was surprised they hadn't come home. Then… Then I received a call from the local hospital. I was t-told Jolie and Darell had been in a…a terrible accident." Lucille had to pause as the tears started to run down her cheek. Francœur recognized this emotion. He had scene it on Lucille when she thought Maynott had shot him.
Francœur pulled the handkerchief Lucille had given him out of his pocket. He held it out and she took it, drying her tears. When she could speak, Lucille's voice was still shaky. "They… T-They died before they could get to the hospital."
Francœur gasped. He wanted to offer her comfort, but his condolences came out in a series of pitiful chirps and clicks.
Lucille dried her eyes again. Though she didn't quite understand what her friend was trying to say, she knew it was meant to comfort her. "Thank you, Francœur. It's still hard to think they're gone, but at least they were well prepared for Odetta's sake. After the funeral, their lawyer came to see me. Apparently Jolie and Darell had made a will, entrusting me as Odetta's guardian. I guess she and Darell believed I was the best person to take care of Odetta, since they had no other family and I was her godmother."
Lucille began to smile again. Then she thought about how worried her friends might have been. The only one who knew about Odetta was Carlotta.
"I'm sorry for not telling you, or the others, about Odetta sooner," she quickly apologized. "I asked Carlotta not to say anything at the time because I wasn't sure what would happen to Odetta. Jolie and Darell's death had been so sudden, I thought she would be placed in foster care. After all, I work in a cabaret so it's not really the ideal place to raise a child. Yet Jolie and Darell wanted Odetta to be raised by someone they considered family. So the courts gave me temporary custody until they settle the papers, but I'll need to go back in about two months receive full legal guardianship."
Francœur shook his head. She didn't need to apologize. He didn't understand much about humans yet, but Lucille was his friend. He trusted her. Besides, it might be fun to have this little one around. He reached out and brushed a gloved finger over Odetta's nose, making her laugh.
Seeing his curiosity, Lucille gestured to Odetta. "Would you like to hold her, Francœur?" she asked.
Francœur panicked. He wasn't sure about holding Odetta. One look at the tiny child and Francœur feared he might drop her. He took a step back, his hands raised in a defensive position.
Lucille laughed and stepped toward him. "Francœur, don't worry. Here, let me show you how to hold a baby." She kept her eyes on Odetta, but made sure to address Francœur. "See, you just hold her like so. Cradle her head in the crook of you arm, and wrap the other around her or your arm for support."
Francœur mimicked the hold with his arms. Once he felt he had the position right, he looked to Lucille. She could still see the apprehension in his eyes, but she smiled and placed Odetta into his arms before he could protest. The moment he had the baby, Francœur froze. He didn't move a muscle, fearing he might drop her if he even took a breath.
Odetta looked up at the giant flea with curious eyes. Unsure what else to do, Francœur slowly started to smile. He was surprised when Odetta began giggling. His smile grew more confident. Carefully freeing a lower forearm from his sleeve, he reached up to tickle Odetta under her chin just as Lucille had done. That made Odetta laugh more and her tiny hands reached up to him. Suddenly, Francœur was surprised as she grabbed on to one of his fingers. For such a small thing, Odetta had quite the grip. Francœur tried to remove his finger, but the little girl was determined to hold on tight. Odetta giggled at the new game. Not sure what to do, Francœur turned to Lucille and chirped for her assistance.
However, Lucille was too mesmerized by the sight before her. Francœur had been so gentle with Odetta. And when he began tickling her chin, something stirred in her heart. She wanted to imprint this image in her mind when Francœur's frantic chirps broke her spell. She blinked and looked to see Odetta trying to put Francœur's finger into her tiny mouth. Poor Francœur looked desperate, and Lucille felt a little guilty for laughing. She gently removed his finger from the tiny girl's grasp, and took Odetta from his arms.
"Now, now," Lucille cooed. "It's past your bedtime, young lady. Time for all little angels to go back to sleep."
However, Odetta did not agree with her guardian. She wanted to stay up and play with the strange man with big glowing eyes. Odetta began to fuss and reached out for Francœur. The little action made Lucille chuckle.
"Oh dear. I don't think she'll go to sleep. Francœur, could you hold her again? I'm going to make a warm bottle. That should put her to back to sleep."
Francœur nodded. He first removed his gloves, since his lower forearms were already freed from his sleeves. Placing them on the nightstand, he reached out with his upper arms and took Odetta from Lucille. Happily back where she wanted to be, Odetta tried grabbing for his fingers again. Seeing her intent, Lucille reached into the basket and withdrew a small teddy bear. She placed it in Odetta's eager hands. The distraction worked and Francœur chirped his thanks. He watched as Lucille nodded, then turned and grabbed her sheer aqua silk robe. She threw it over her shoulders, fastening the top few silk covered buttons down the front bodice before she left to fetch a bottle.
While he waited, Francœur looked down at the tiny girl in his arms. So far, she seemed wonderful and she had certainly made herself a comfortable place in the giant flea's heart. He began to wonder how things would change with this little one around. As he watched her play with her toy, Francœur began to hum again.
When Lucille returned, Francœur was still humming the tune. She smiled and walked over. "Come here and sit down." She gestured to the edge of her bed. "You must be tired of standing."
Francœur gladly sat on the bed, thankful to give his sore legs a break. The bed creaked up his weight, but it didn't seem to bother anyone. Lucille then offered him the bottle. Using a free arm, Francœur took the bottle and offered it to Odetta. Lucille laughed when Odetta just stared at it. He tried again, this time Odetta gabbed it and popped it into her mouth. As she drank, Lucille sat down next to Francœur. Seeing she was still wide-awake, Lucille began to hum her own song.
Francœur perked up, having never heard this song before.
Sleepy time, the young one sleeps,
The child will sleep very soon
Sleepy time, the young one sleeps,
The child will sleep oh, so soon.
A white hen
Is in the barn.
It'll make a small egg
For the child who goes to sleep.
Sleepy time, the young one sleeps,
The child will sleep very soon
Sleepy time, the young one sleeps,
The child will sleep oh, so soon.
Everyone is calm
All around
It's the time for all to sleep
Sleep will come soon.
When the song came to an end, Lucille opened her eyes to find Francœur watching her. She took a quick look at Odetta, smiling when she saw the girl's eyes were half lidded, trying to fight back sleep. Lucille turned her gaze back to Francœur.
"The song is called Dodo, l'enfant do," Lucille explained, smiling at the found memory the song held. "My mother used to sing it to me. I thought Odetta might like it. It always put me to sleep when I was little."
Francœur nodded his approval, for he liked the song as well. Odetta began to fuss again, pushing the bottle away. Francœur tried to give it back, but she kept continued rejecting it. Lucille then told him Odetta needed to be burped. She stood and grabbed a rag cloth from the table, and brought it over to drape across Francœur's shoulder. Then she instructed him to lean Odetta on the shoulder with the cloth, and wrap his arm around her bottom. Then she told him to use his free hand to gently pat her back. Francœur did as she said, holding her with two of his arms and used the third to carefully pat Odetta's back. After a few pats Odetta burped, then sighed and snuggled into Francœur's shoulder.
Francœur smiled and looked to Lucille. She smiled back and watched as he eased the tired girl back into his original hold. She was still awake but the signs were clear she would fall asleep very soon. Lucille sat back down and began to sing again, this time much slower. Francœur noticed and this time, he decided to join her.
Sleepy time, the young one sleeps,
The child will sleep very soon
Sleepy time, the young one sleeps,
The child will sleep oh, so soon.
A white hen
Is in the barn.
It'll make a small egg
For the child who goes to sleep.
Sleepy time, the young one sleeps,
The child will sleep very soon
Sleepy time, the young one sleeps,
The child will sleep oh, so soon.
Everyone is calm
All around
It's the time for all to sleep
Sleep will come soon.
As the song came to an end, Francœur looked down to see Odetta was sound asleep. He smiled and turned to show Lucille. He chirped in surprise to find Lucille leaning against his side, also sound asleep. Francœur smiled. He knew she must have been tired.
Quietly, he reached out with his right lower arm, and drew the basket closer to him. He set Odetta inside and drew the blankets over her, tucking them in tightly to the sides. Then he reached for the teddy bear she had discarded and placed it beside her. Odetta sighed as she cuddled her bear and stuck her thumb in her mouth. Seeing she was sound asleep, Francœur drew his attention to the sleeping women by his side.
He slowly stood, keeping one hand on Lucille's shoulder so she wouldn't fall. Then, just as he had done with Odetta, Francœur gently eased Lucille into his upper arms. She leaned her head against his chest, completely unaware of her surroundings as he cradled her in his arms. Francœur then walked to the other side of the bed, careful not to disturb his precious bundle. Using his lower arms, he pulled back the covers and straightened the pillows. Once he thought it suitable, he placed Lucille into her bed. He tucked the covers around her and turned off the lamp.
Taking one last look, Francœur silently wished them both a goodnight and pleasant dreams. He shut the door, then made his way back to his own room. Tomorrow would come soon, and when he woke, there would be two smiling faces waiting to start a new day.
The End
XXX
AN: Well, my first A Monster in Paris fic is done. I really hoped you all liked it. The song is an actual French lullaby I found on the Internet, but I decided to use the English translation. I'm considering adding more, but I'll wait to see how this turns out first. That and I have my NBC fic I still have to finish.