This is the second collaboration between Citizeness Feuilly and Miss Pontmercy- formerly Wendla Bergmann. We have a lot of these being tossed around, and this one is more of a whirlwind romance. Enjoy!

Marius would always remember that afternoon - when, in a haze of dejected misery over the fact that Cosette was "leaving him" for England with her father, a knock had suddenly sounded on the apartment door. Going to answer it, but not really caring who it was, Marius had been shocked to see Cosette standing there, breathless, pink-cheeked - and grasping two pieces of paper tightly in her right hand. She had thrust the papers at him and, before he had a chance to even read them, had started talking in the round-about, rapid way peculiar to Cosette.

"Look, Marius, we have some good luck. I found these, they were in my father's room, in his dressing table, next to "The Inseparable". But you wouldn't know what that is, would you. Anyways, I found these tickets - they are for tomorrow afternoon," she told Marius. "We can run away together, just the two of us, and be happy."

Marius' first instinct was to refuse, to demure on the basis that they were sure to be brought back in disgrace. But then, he had caught sight of Cosette's eyes, shining with trust and love - and he knew that he could no more refuse this opportunity than cut off his own right arm. He had agreed - but with one condition. They must be married.

There, they ran into a roadblock. To be married in France, they would need the signatures of both of their legal guardians, as they were both underage. And they simply could not obtain those signatures. Marius had nearly despaired of it all then - until Cosette, in her innocent, child-like way, had asked if they could simply marry in England, where no-one would have to know.

Marius had, after hardly a moment's thought, agreed.

After that, Cosette had gone home, before her father had even noticed her absence (he was out getting supplies for what he assumed to be their journey to England) and had gone to sleep. At four o'clock in the morning, Cosette got out of bed, pulled a suitcase from under her bed, and hurriedly packed. By five o'clock, Marius was outside the apartment waiting for her to go to the carriage to the port.

He'd told Courfeyrac he had an emergency, and asked for fifty francs for a passport and to pay their share of the carriage.

"I've scarcely asked anything from you," Marius pleaded. "I'll earn them back and send them to you as soon as I can."

Courfeyrac had lent him the money, told him not to bother giving it back- he would not need it. Marius embraced his friend goodbye, and he and Cosette were off to England.

My Dear Father,

Rest assured that I am safe. I am sorry; I could not go with you to England. I saw a way out, and I had to take it. I have married a man I love, a man who loves me too and who I will be safe with.
I know you must hate me for stealing the tickets; I've never done anything like that before. I've hurt you in more ways than one and I hope that you can one day forgive me.
This is not goodbye forever. I love you and I always will, and I will be back someday. But for now, I needed to follow my heart. I am safe and loved and cared for. You need not worry about me.

I am sorry I hurt you.

Your daughter,
Cosette

Valjean was speechless as he read the note.

Cosette could not have written it! It was in her hand, yes, but someone must have forced her. She would never run from him.

But her favorite clothes were gone. She had so few other belongings that it was almost hard to notice she was gone when one looked at the house, but gone she was.

She was in love. Valjean felt this, deep in his heart. He could try to deny it, but thinking back on the past few months, he knew it was true. She was different. She'd cried when he said they were leaving for England, and had excused herself to her room as soon as they came to this apartment. That was the last time he had seen her. He'd retired, resting easy, and woken up to an apartment without Cosette in it.

Had he frightened her into thinking he had no concept of her happiness? He must have! If she had come to him and said that no, she could absolutely not go to England and leave this boy, he would have made arrangements, wouldn't he?

Why did she not trust him?

Valjean was in her bedroom now, looking for something-anything!- that might tell him where she was going. There were no journals, no letters from this boy, no addresses. But the tickets were missing- they were on their way to England.

If he got in a carriage ride fast enough, he could get to port, couldn't he?

No, he knew he couldn't. It was eight o'clock in the morning, and the boat left at three. He would never make it in time. He would never get a horse in time.

Valjean sat on the floor of Cosette's room, her abandoned belongings strewn about due to his search, buried his face in her pillow, and began to sob.

A wide smile spread itself across Cosette's face, as she surveyed the seemingly endless expanse of sea stretching out before her. The sea air whipped around her, causing wisps of her hair to come out of its tight bun. She had never felt so alive; she'd taken her future into her own hands, and was about the embark on the adventure of her life.

And, there was the fact that Marius was with her, his arm protectively curved around her waist. Cosette couldn't see how it wasn't possible to be riotously happy when she was with Marius.

"Are you happy?" Marius asked, resting his cheek across the top of her head.

"I'm with you," she said, by way of explanation, snuggling closer into Marius' welcoming arms. They were quiet for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other's presence, before Marius spoke again.

"You know, I never thought I'd leave France," he said, looking out at the expanse of gray, steely sea. "But I've never been happier to see it go. Cosette, this is our chance. We can make a life together, where no one will ever keep up apart."

"And where we can be free to love each other," she said, pulling away from his grasp and turning to face him directly.

"If you like, as soon as we get settled, we can go to the country, where I can work and we can have a little cottage, just for us. There won't be people for miles- it will just be us, in our own world."

Cosette smiled, and settled herself back into his arms. A whole world for she and Marius- the prospect made her head whirl with possibility.

"That sounds perfect. It will be perfect."

As this is our very first chapter, we will be very pleased for feedback. Chapter 2 is coming soon!