December 24, 2014

Éponine glanced out the window, tucking at the turtleneck collar of her dress. Outside the Valjean family home, snow fell gracefully to the Parisian street below. To her, the snowflakes looked like tiny ballerinas twirling through the air.

Tugging at the collar again, the seventeen year old turned away from the window to try and adjust the collar on the dress her sister, Cosette, made her. "Ugh! Why did I agree to a turtleneck?"

"Because you trust my fashion judgment?" A soft voice asked. Éponine saw her older sister, a blonde-haired and blue-eyed beauty, Cosette putting on the finishing touches to her hand-made dress.

Cosette always made the best outfits. It was her thing, sewing, fashion design, etc. She could turn anything into a fabulous outfit. Everyone at school loved her, Éponine sometimes felt jealous of that.

But now was not the time to dwell on that, it was Christmas Eve! Their parents' party was already underway, but all kids agreed making a grand entrance was the way to go.

"How are the twins and Gavroche?" Éponine asked her older sister.

"Gavroche only complained about the tie this year and then he helped me convince Peter to get in a suit."

"What about Francis?"

"I just promised him an extra piece of mom's Christmas cake and he hopped right to it!" The girls shared a quick laugh at their youngest brother's antics as Cosette applied the last of her make-up. "How do I look?"

Éponine smiled softly. "Gorgeous… As always…" Éponine glanced at her own dark brown hair and eyes in the window. She heard loud laughter from outside. Leaning out, she saw more guests arriving at their front door. Smiling hopefully, Éponine leaned out even more to try and spot more people.

Cosette saw the whole thing and joined her sister at the window. "Is he here yet? Do you see him?"

"No, do you?"

"No, I don't."

A creak of the bedroom door alerted the girls to their sister Azelma's presence before her voice did. "Who are you guys looking for?"

"Uncle Nicholai. Do you think all the snow will slow him down?"

Azelma rolled her eyes. "You know he doesn't come 'til the party's almost over. Speaking of party, our parents want us all down there now. Oh, and I saw the girls come a few minutes ago! Grrl Power is set to perform."

(Grrl Power. The name of the Valjean sister's band, which they formed with a few of their friends at school)

Casting once glance at the window, Éponine smiled. "I'll go get the boys and meet you two down there."

"Sound check in ten." Were the sixteen-year-old's parting words as Éponine left to find her brothers.

She found them in the den. She cast a glance at the tree tucked towards the wall before smiling at the sight. Her younger brothers, dressed in suits, sprawled across the floor, playing with their toy soldier collection that Gavroche started when he was three.

Now twelve, Gavroche seemed to always be in charge. Giving orders to not only his toy soldiers, but there four-year-old twins, Peter and Francis.

"President 'Roche! The Soviet Army is a-approaching across the river and General… um… General Mabeuf is being held… um… held hostage! What do we do?" Peter, trying to remember his role in the little games.

Gavroche knelt down next to two soldiers, one with painted dark hair and the other with yellow-brown. "Lieutenant Combeferre, Sergeant Courfeyrac, you shall have to lead the army. Are they ready for deployment?"

"Yes sir, Mr. President, sir!" Francis added in a strange voice.

Smiling at her brothers' childhood innocence, Éponine walked over to them. "Sorry lieutenant, sergeant, but Mr. President Presence is requested in the dining hall. It's a matter of national security. I'm sure you all understand."

"But 'Ponine—I mean, Madame President," Gavroche corrected himself, "we're in the middle of a war! We can't just leave General Mabeuf out there like that!"

"Well, then I guess you'll miss their peace offering…"

"Peace offering?" Peter asked.

"Oh yes, didn't you hear? The enemy has sent over a certain… Three-level, tie-died Christmas cake as a peace offering. Wouldn't want that to go to waste, would you?"

The twins are already racing out of the room when Gavroche calls after them, telling them they have to help him clean. Knowing they wouldn't be back until after the party, Éponine kneels down and gently picks up the wooden and ceramic soldiers, knowing to well how easily the break (she's had to fix a better half of them).

"I think I saw yours and the girls' gifts earlier." Gavroche tells Éponine as they place the soldiers back in the cabinet.

"Under the tree?" Éponine asks.

"No, the ones from Uncle. They're in the family room, and there's one for each of you!"

"Gavroche Auguste Valjean, you know you shouldn't be spying on what goes on in there before the party starts. Lord knows how many times mama and papa have told you to do the opposite…"

"You and 'Sette did. So did Azelma!" Gavroche pointed out.

"We learned how to be sneaky with it." Éponine huffs as she places Lieutenant Combeferre in his place, front of the line. "And what do you mean 'one for each of us'?"

Gavroche smirked to himself, knowing his sister's curiosity would get the better of her. "One for you, one for Cosette, and one for Azelma. They're dolls. Big ones too! One's got a lot of dots on his face, one's got really dark hair, and the other one is blonde and mean looking."

Éponine shakes her head as she places the last of the soldiers in the cabinet. "Uncle knows we're too old for dolls… Besides, a mean looking doll, why would he send us that?"

Before Gavroche can answer, the clock in the den strikes eight. "We better get going, they're probably wondering what kept us so long." Éponine nodded her assent before the two shut the cabinet door and made their way down to the party.

Later…

"Cake, M'seiur?" Éponine asks.

"Of course, thank you, dear!" The old man replies, taking a piece of their mother's famous Tie-Die, Christmas cake off the tray.

Éponine glances back at her mother, Fantine, momentarily, seeing her arm-in-arm with her father, Jean. She catches glimpses of her brothers, running around with the other children. Her sisters are helping pass out cakes as well. Cosette is chatting politely talking to Monsieur Fauchelevent when her blue eyes spot something on the table. Éponine has to squint her eyes, but then she sees it, a nutcracker. Handsomely crafted, with a sprinkling of dots (meant to look like freckles).

So that's what he meant, Éponine smiles as she remembers hers and Gavroche's earlier conversation. He said there were others…

After taking the old man's empty plate, Éponine slowly wanders the living room. She spots Azelma talking idly to one of her father's business associates, the former looking for an escape route. The red-head and Éponine spot it at the same time. A second nutcracker, this one with darker hair, supposedly painted to look like curls.

Not even bothering to excuse herself, Éponine noticed, Azelma made her way over to the nutcracker and eyed it warily. Deciding to leave her sister to it, Éponine made to go to the kitchen, but then a flash of yellow caught her eye.

Turning her head, she saw the third nutcracker. In her opinion, this one was the best crafted one of all. Deep blue eyes, a strong jaw, and yellow hair resembling curls. Sneaking through the crowd, Éponine approached the nutcracker and traced a finger across its face, hat, and then she traced the pattern on his painted red jacket.

Wait, what was that? Éponine paused as she jerked her finger back. Tentatively, she placed her finger back over the chest. There it was again! She could've sworn that she felt something akin to a heartbeat. It was so odd.

She would've contemplated it further, but her parents were telling her and her sisters and their friends that it was time for the band to perform.

Ten Minutes later…

With their friend Angeline (Drummer), Yvonne (2nd guitar), and Marguerite (Trumpet) with them, the girls were ready. Azelma strapped on her bass guitar and Cosette took her place at the keyboard and Éponine as lead singer. They had been rehearsing some songs for the past three weeks now, and were finally glad to be able to showcase such their hard work.

The Valjean family was front and center, with the other girl's family not too far from them.

After a short introduction (courtesy of Gavroche), the girls announced that they would be starting with a jazzy twist to an old classic. The same time Éponine started to sing was when Angeline started to play the drums.

"Ba do ba do bow bow-bow ba dow, ba do be do bow bow-bow ba dum! I'm dreaming of a white Christmas. Just like the ones I used to know, where the tree tops glisten… and children listen. To hear sleigh bells in the snow, the snow."

Cosette took the next verse, "Said I'm dreaming of a white Christmas! With every Christmas card I write… May your days, May your days, may your days be merry and bright…And may all your Christmases be white. Woah-woah!"

Azelma took the next one, "I-I-I-I'm dreaming of a white Christmas. Just like the ones I used to know. Where the tree tops glisten… and children listen… to hear sleigh bells in the snow!"

As Azelma sand her, "Woah!" Yvonne entered with a "Bow be do be do!"

All girls sang, "I-I-I-I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, with every Christmas card I write—" "Ooh!" "—May your days, May your days, may your days be merry and bright—!" "Oh let them be bright!" "And may all your Christmases be white…"

With a few enthusiastic shouts from Angeline of "Oh! Woo! Come on! Ooh yeah! Oh yeah." The band launched into an instrumental section of music where the girls played their instruments and Éponine danced with Peter (who joined her at the microphone). As Cosette sang "White Christmas…" echoed by Azelma's "Ooh yeah. Woah…" Éponine picked up her brother—who squealed in delight—before continuing with the song.

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas… with every Christmas card I write!" "Yeah, yeah, yeah…"
"May your days be merry and bright…And may all your Christmases'… be white!"

That's when the Valjean kids saw the front door open, silent compared to the blaring music of the band. They saw a familiar blue coat covering up a familiar brown-grey hair. Then, the figure turned to reveal stern blue eyes that softened when they spotted the Valjean kids.

Nicholai Javert, their Uncle/Godfather, had finally arrived.

"I'm dreaming of a white Christmas! Doom beam doom-doom-doom-doom be do-do!" The girls finished.

Not even bothering to take off his coat, Javert maneuvered through the living room, picked up a few items before stopping at the table with the yellow-haired nutcracker and placing the other nutcrackers on the table and positioned them so they were watching the girls.

Neither of the girls felt disturbed by how real the glances of the nutcrackers seem.

Ten o'clock PM…

The Valjean children had made a considerable hall that Christmas Eve. New Pajama's from their mother, Fantine (Reindeer and Snowmen footsies for the twins, multi-colored presents on black patterned flannels for Gavroche, Grinch patterned pajama pants and matching black top for Azelma, baby blue and white snowflake patterned flannels for Cosette, and a purple and teal, Christmas-candied patterned pajama pants with matching teal top for Éponine) and new toys and such from their father, Jean.

Jean had given Cosette more sewing needles and threads, Azelma a new set of paints for her art set, Gavroche a toy pop gun, Peter and Francis teddy bears (Peter's had a green ribbon around its neck and Francis's had a red one), and Éponine a new pair of ballet slippers, for her old pair was beyond saving.

"Thank you all so much! These are wonderful gifts!" Cosette thanked her parents in honor of all her younger sibilings. "Really, we couldn't ask for better!"

"Then, I suppose you wouldn't want mine then?" Javert's voice in the doorway alerted the family to his presence.

Jean Valjean and Nicholai Javert had been college roommates, both studying law and business. Jean had went onto be a successful business manager and family man while Javert had become a government agent. While he never really met anyone or settled down, he always remembered every single important date of each of his nieces and nephews.

Also with his profession, Javert got to travel the world. So, when he did return home for Christmas, he often brought the most intriguing gifts for the Valjean children.

The children rushed to greet their Uncle properly, for after he arrived, the band had to play three more songs and an encore before being rushed upstairs to change into Fantine's gift.

Javert was nearly thrown to the ground by the force of his nieces and nephews tackling him with hugs and was then bombarded with questions.

"We missed you! Did you miss us?"

"Where'd you go this time?"

"What'd you bring us?"

"Where do babies come from?"

"I missed you all terribly, I traveled to Russia, Germany, America, and Spain, I brought you each wonderful gifts, and Peter I'll leave your question and its answer to your parents."

Sending a playful glare at her husband's best friend, Fantine hugged Javert in greeting. "We missed you, Nicholai."

"Yeah, you hardly wrote us this year." Jean said as he hugged his oldest friend.

"Apologies, but duty calls." Javert told him before setting a large paper bag down. "Now, what were you kids saying about presents?"

The kids smiled excitedly, by some unspoken agreement, they all knew that Uncle Javert's gifts were the best. Javert's eyes twinkled as he pulled out a wooden box and handed it to Gavroche. "For the boys," he said simply.

"Awesome! New soldiers!" Gavroche exclaimed as he and Peter ran to place them with the others, Peter instructing General Mabeuf to begin training as soon as possible.

"Thanks, Uncle." Francis hugged his Uncle shyly before running to join his brothers.

Javert smiled at the youngest member of the family before digging three thin, long boxes out. "For the girls." The three exchanged glances and carefully tore at the paper, trying to preserve the paper in case need for it arose next year. After un-wrapping, they found the usual jewelry box. The girls opened them at the same time.

All three gasped. Inside the boxes were gold chain necklaces. Each had exactly one pendant that match the girls' birthstones. For Cosette, a heart-shaped diamond. For Azelma, a flower-shaped sapphire. For Éponine, a teardrop-shaped ruby.

"Uncle… These… These are beautiful…" Éponine smiled fondly at her new treasure.

"Oh, Nicholai, these must have cost you a fortune!" Fantine admonished.

"Money is not an issue for my beloved nieces." Javert told them, a hint of a smile on his face. "I found them in Russia. Crafted by one of the finest jewelers in all of St. Petersburg."

The girls immediately attempted to put on their necklaces, but they did need assistance with the clasp. So, Javert, Gavroche, and Jean each helped the girls with their necklaces. Now, the moment those clasps were sealed, something strange happened.

A surge of warmth flowed through the girls and their pendants seemed to glow for the slightest nano-second. Éponine, Cosette, and Azelma noticed this and blinked in surprise. Gavroche noticed and rubbed his eyes, not believing his own eyes. And from across the room, Peter and Francis stood by the cabinet, mouths hanging open at the sight.

Neither Jean nor Fantine noticed. Javert thought he saw something, but merely labeled it as a trick of the light.

"Thank you, Uncle." Azelma smiled. "These are some of the best presents we've ever gotten."

"It doesn't end there, I found these in Versailles and I knew they were meant for my special nieces." Javert smiled as he grabbed the paper bag.

The girls rolled their eyes fondly at their Uncle's praises of them, but stopped short when he pulled out a nutcracker with dots (meant to be freckles) covering his face and handed it to Cosette. He pulled out the dark-haired nutcracker and handed it to Azelma. Then, gently, he handed Éponine the yellow-haired nutcracker.

Gavroche walked up to Éponine, smirking, and whispered in her ear "Told ya," before plopping on the floor by her feet. Followed by the twins.

"Nutcrackers?" Jean asked.

"They're… They're beautiful…" Cosette whispered as she traced her nutcracker's face. His hair was painted a light brown and his eyes were the same green of the Christmas tree. This nutcracker was painted to have a boyish charm to him, and Cosette found it adorable.

Éponine studies her more intently than she did earlier at the party. He wasn't as mean looking as Gavroche thought he was, he just looked stern to her. Stern, but handsome in a weird wooden-toy kind of way.

Azelma's nutcracker, when being compared to her sister's, wasn't exactly as handsome. His ear almost looked elfish, he had a sort of five-o'clock-shadow painted on his face, and his hair was painted to look unkempt. But there was something about his blue-green eyes that Azelma found intriguing.

As each girl traced there nutcrackers, they each swore they felt something akin to a faint heartbeat within the nutcrackers.

"You know, there was story behind these three nutcrackers. A sort of legend, I suppose," Javert told the girls. "The story goes was that this one," Javert tapped the hat of Cosette's nutcracker, "was a prince of a faraway kingdom, called the Sugar Plum Kingdom, while the other two," he tapped the other nutcracker's hats, "were his best friends and most trusted advisors. Now, the prince had a little sister, who he loved dearly. One day, she professed her love for not one, but two men! Two other friends of the Prince. So, thrilled that his sister was in love and his friends loved her back, he organized a wedding. But, in an underground kingdom, there lived a Rat King. He always wanted the kingdom for himself, so one day, he struck. He kidnapped the princess's fiancés and locked them somewhere far away from the princess. The prince and his advisors tried to stop him, but the Rat King then cursed them and turned them into wooden nutcrackers. He now has the princess locked away in the Palace, with no intent of letting her go any time soon…"

While Peter and Francis gasped in shock at such an unhappy ending to a fairytale, the four older kids rolled their eyes.

Honestly, three nutcracker, being supposedly alive (one of them a prince) was a pretty tall tale. Something the four of them couldn't believe.

11:05 o'clock PM

After chatting for another hour or so, the adults had gone to bed. Thus began the Valjean children's second favorite (second only to opening Christmas presents) tradition.

The Late-Night Party.

It would always go the same way. The girls (being older, sneakier, and far more experienced then the boys) would slip on some slippers before silently making their way down to the kitchen to grab some left over cake before heading back upstairs. One of them would make a pit-stop at their shared room and grab their secret stash of holiday sweets they had been saving up.

Then, while gorging on Swiss chocolate and butterscotch candies, gingersnaps, ginger bread men, candy canes, no-bake cookies, and leftover cake they would turn the TV on and watch back-to-back Christmas's movies (Ranging from animated classics such as Frosty the Snowman and A Charlie Brown Christmas to modern-day funnies such as Elf and Arthur Christmas). The girls were usually able to stay up later than the boys and usually tucked them in before going to bed themselves. Once or twice they found themselves awake in den Christmas morning.

This year was shaping up to be no different than the years before. Azelma was simultaneously Facebooking on her iPhone and watching the movies on TV, Cosette and Gavroche were having a grand time playing with General Mabeuf, Lieutenant Combeferre, and Sergeant Courfeyrac and one or two other tin soldiers (Gavroche brought out his pop-gun, but under Cosette's instruction, only pretended to shoot it for the sake of their parents sleep), and Éponine was busy reading The Nutcracker to Peter and Francis (who snuggled up to her with their teddy bears tucked under their arms).

Honestly, the only difference this year were the three nutcrackers standing under the tree.

"General Mabeuf," Cosette whispered. "Mr. President has order for a cease fire."

"What?!" Gavroche whispered in a thicker voice than his own. "But why would Mr. President order such a crazy thing?!"

"Because it's Christmas!"

"I dunno, 'Sette. Something feels missing." Gavroche told his eldest sister in his own voice. "We need more soldiers, I think."

"Well, we've got a wide selection in the cabinet over there—"

"No, I mean other soldiers." Gavroche pondered this for a moment before he glanced over at the tree. "How about your guys' nutcrackers?"

This got the girls' attention. Neither one of them felt it was right for their somewhat accident prone little brother to go anywhere near the nutcrackers, but they knew they were acting ridiculous, so…

"If you be careful, we'll let you." Éponine told him.
"Handle it gently, and I'll be ok with it." Cosette echoed.
"Break that nutcracker and your mincemeat, got it?" Azelma asked.

Gavroche nodded enthusiastically before shuffling over to the tree and grabbing all three nutcrackers in his arms. As he shuffled back over to where he and Cosette were playing his knee got caught on loose floor board, so he lost his balance and smacked right into the floor.

CRACK!

All the children gasped as Gavroche remained on the floor, the nutcrackers lay underneath him. He was just scared of what his sisters would do to him if he got up and they were broken.

"Gavroche?" Éponine asked calmly from her chair.

"Yeah?"

"Did you just fall onto the floor with our nutcrackers?"

"… What nutcrackers?" Gavroche chuckled nervously.

"Gavroche." Cosette added warningly. Frowning, Gavroche slowly pulled himself up.

Sure enough, the nutcrackers were, in fact, pinned underneath him, and as he picked himself up, Gavroche revealed the nutcrackers to be slightly damaged. Azelma's nutcracker had part of its hat broken off, Éponine's was missing part of a leg, and Cosette's was missing part of an arm.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean too!" Gavroche told his sisters.

"Oooh! Gavroche in trouble!" Francis pointed as Peter giggled.

"Let me see," Éponine told her brother as he joined them on the floor. She assessed the damage before giving her brother a reassuring smile. "It's not that bad. We can fix this with some glue."

As Éponine made her way over to the cabinet (where they kept quick drying, tacky glue), Azelma and Cosette combed the floor for their nutcrackers broken parts, finding them easily.

"What'cha going to do, 'Ponine?" Peter asked.

Éponine picked up her nutcracker and the glue. "Just watch, boys." Éponine then proceeded to carefully apply glue to her nutcrackers leg before gently sticking the broken part of the leg back on. Azelma and Cosette proceeded to do the same to their nutcrackers.

Once finished, the girls held them up to admire their handy work. "Well, the bottle says Quick Drying, but I think it's safer to just leave them alone until morning." Cosette observed as she stuck hers under the tree. Azelma placed hers next to Cosette's while Éponine laid hers on the floor, not trusting his newly glued leg, just yet.

The girls glanced at the time, 11:32. They realized that it was getting late and that they should probably all go to bed, but they also realized that Home Alone was on. They had also decided to wait until the movie was over to go to sleep.

Only, they ended up falling asleep half-way through the movie instead.

At precisely 11:49, footsteps were heard coming down the hall and toward the den. Javert peeked his head in and smiled softly at his nieces and nephews all sleeping together. Quietly, without making a sound, Javert moved into the den and shut the TV off and he also turned off the Christmas village the Valjean family kept at the corner table.

He then proceeded to 'tuck' his nieces and nephews in. Propping Gavroche's head up enough so he can slip a pillow under his head (so the boy won't be using Cosette as one) and then doing the same to Cosette. He rearranges Azelma on the chair so she won't have a crooked back when she wakes up. Then, he proceeds to cover them all in blankets. By the time he's done, all children are snuggled in, nice and cozy, in the den and the only light left in the room is from the Christmas tree.

Javert looks over at the clock, 11:59, and smiles knowingly. "Soon. It shall begin soon."

He exits the moment the clock strikes midnight. At the final chime of the clock, the pendants of the girl's necklaces begin to glow. The mix of red, white, and blue lights bathe the entire room.

Then, everything is eerily silent.