A/N: Hey guys! This isn't a new story, I got a request on the tumblr for a drabble, I just had some time on my hands and found this half-written on my computer so I thought I'd put it up! If anyone has questions or wants more drabbles, let me know in the reviews or on the Tumblr! Let me know especially if you'd want a specific theme (a holiday, a birthday, a situation, etc) for it, I'd be happy to write it up! :) If there's anyone who still might follow this story- enjoy! (PS: this one fits around the events of chapters 15/16)

Montreuil-sur-Mer, 1823

The throng of people- women and beggars, mostly- that crowded the markets were by no means unusual, but that did not mean it was any more comfortable for Javert or his horse to ride by on that hot, summery Tuesday. It seemed as if everything from the shoppers to the very ground were reflecting the heat of the early afternoon sun.

He hated when his patrols took him through the center of town, but that did not make him any less ready for the job. The law was not there to convenience him. His horse kept making small noises of discomfort, and Javert almost felt bad for it- he would tip the stable boy to give it an extra apple when he returned.

He scanned the crowd periodically to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary, his experienced senses managing to look only passively but take in enough detail to become familiar with certain faces. In such a small area, it was not uncommon.

It was therefore not uncommon for his eyes to stop for half a second on a mane of honey-brown locks, looking more honey than brown from the sunlight. He watched her for long enough to see her stick the handle of her basket in her mouth and use her hands to ribbon her hair into a messy up-do of sorts and take out her handkerchief and wipe her warm face for everyone to see.

Regrettably, the slight drop his stomach took when he saw the girl was not uncommon either. It had been happening for the past two weeks, ever since the incident with the urchin girl.

Ever since he calmed her down from near-hysteria, ever since she allowed herself to fall asleep on him with tears still in her eyes. He told himself it was because of his promotion letter- two weeks until he was to relocate, how would he broach the subject? At first, he sought her out a few times in an effort to tell her professionally, but each time he faltered. It felt inappropriate. So, he started distancing himself. Javert did not go to the church on Wednesdays anymore, and he never approached her. But when she approached him, particularly when he was off-duty, what could he do? She always seemed happy.

And you do as well, a small voice in the back of his head said.

And it was a small town.

All of this happened in the span of maybe a second, and she did not see him. In thirty more he would pass her by, and he was clear from that freckled, slightly sun-burnt face for another day.

"Lilybet, dear, happy birthday!"

Javert managed to only shift his widened eyes as he looked sideways at the girl he was now passing as her fair haired friend approached with open arms.

"Thank you, Gretchen, thank you!"

They embraced, their voices now carrying clearly over the crowd.

"What will you do today?"

"Well, I'm yours for now, then later I'll probably be at the park until nightfall. Father should be home later in the evening so I expect he'll want me there."

"Oh! There, what about-"

"-let's café. Do you want to go? I want to go." she laughed airily as she cut her friend off. Javert looked once more in passing as he scanned the crowd and locked eyes with her briefly before she turned rapidly away.

Did he really forget that it was her birthday? How did he manage that? Each time he had seen her for nearly a month, she found ways of reminding him.

"The summer holiday is starting. My birthday is coming up."

"Did you see the beautiful cakes at the bakery? I hope they have ones like that on my birthday soon."

"I think I've read all of my interesting books. I hope I get sent some new ones for my birthday next week."

Really, it was almost impressive that he managed to forget with her consistency.

Javert wondered if the bookstore was closing before the end of his shift-

No, that would be terribly improper. He was leaving, the last thing the girl needed was a memento to remember him by.

He did, however, need to walk through the park on his way home. Whether or not that was when she would be there (or, moreover, if she knew that), he reasoned, would not make a difference.

If she was, it would be an excellent opportunity to tell her.

…...

Elisabet walked slowly through the park, past couples taking pre-supper walks and nannies taking children home to their parents. Soon, she and Gretchen sat down at a bench as the crowd began to thin.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss classes. I have much too much time." Elisabet complained, wiping her forehead once again in the heat.

"I prefer doing nothing out in the sun to our academics," Gretchen teased, "but I did not have a friend who met me outside of my classes."

"Shut it," Elisabet muttered, elbowing her friend playfully, "at least I don't doze off in class with the excuse 'oh, my French is not much good, excuse me, Seester-"

"-you stop!" Gretchen said before they both burst out laughing. When they subsided, she continued, "You are not seeing your Inspector friend on your birthday?"

Elisabet sighed, trying to maintain a cool exterior as her insides felt prickly. "No, I don't know, he hasn't said a thing. He's a police officer, why should he have time for something like that?"

Even so, Elisabet had not seen Javert for the past week, except once. But each time, she had been guilty of mentioning her birthday and he had kept the conversation going. He wasn't even at the church this week.

Why should he be? It's not like you plan to meet there, he can do whatever he pleases, a voice chided her.

Gretchen sighed, "I should be going home now. Will you walk with me?"

"No, I think I'll stay until the sun really starts setting. I'm not a far walk from here."

"Alright. I am hoping it works well for you." As usual, she smiled a bit too knowingly for Elisabet's liking before hugging her and walking away.

Elisabet ended things with Everett two and a half weeks ago. Her cousin left two weeks ago. Mona died two weeks ago.

It was so strange, how she could go from having so many people around her to just Gretchen and, sometimes, Javert. She still could not wrap her head around how a little girl could just cease to exist within the span of a few minutes.

Each time she thought of Mona, she found herself slipping into a dark trench. Most times she would be able to use one thought or another as a rope to throw over the ledge and catch herself, and she never fell to the bottom that Javert had seen her in two weeks before. But now, as she sat by herself and the light of day showed just the slightest signs of disappearing, her heart sped up as she felt her mind going down that slide.

Don't be sad, what do you have to be sad about? You're fine. You're healthy. At least not today. Please, it's your birthday, not today.

Her blank gaze into the distance focused suddenly on a black horse being led by a man in a navy blue uniform that she could recognize anywhere. The rope was thrown down and she grasped it with her head as her hands reached into the basket to pull out an apple. She threw it across the park to the main path where Javert was walking with his horse. It landed a meter short, but the stallion saw it and lunged towards the unexpected treat, throwing Javert off. His head snapped towards the offending direction and his face immediately assumed a look of what could only be called annoyed recognition.

Elisabet grinned and waved at Javert, smiling wide both for him and for herself. Her mind quieted down as she saw him walk towards her, and she looked down at the ground still smiling. So maybe he did hear her earlier today. What a strange friend she picked to be her best, Lilybet thought.

"Good evening, sir." she mock saluted once she heard the footsteps.

"Mademoiselle." Javert greeted with a nod. He looked at his horse sternly as he tied him to a post. "It has already eaten two apples today."

"Well, he ate this one, so he must've still been hungry."

Javert walked towards her and held out a small box at arm's length. "Happy birthday." he said somewhat awkwardly.

Lilybet's face once again broke out into a smile as she tore at the wrappings. Inside was a small, beautifully decorated cupcake.

"It is not much-"

"-it's wonderful. Thank you so much." Elisabet started to stick it in her mouth before taking it out once again and unceremoniously tearing it in half and sticking her hand out. "Here, share."

Javert looked down at the destroyed pastry. "Perhaps if you had asked before tasting it…"

"It didn't touch my mouth, I swear!"

"No, thank you."

Elisabet looked at him doubtfully before shrugging and eating both halves.

"How'd you even know I was here?"

"Did you not want me to know?"

"W-What?"

"You said very loudly you would be here. I assumed you still would be."

"When?!"

"At the market."

"You saw me at the market?!"

"You know I saw you at the market."

Elisabet felt her face grow hot. "No, I- I, no. Maybe- was that you? I might've seen-"

"-you are seventeen now." Javert said vaguely. She would've stopped to think about how random the comment seemed if it hadn't saved her from being a bumbling mess.

"I am." she agreed. "I'm getting old." When Javert only snorted, she looked at him. "Just because you think you're an aging bag of bones doesn't mean nobody else can."

"The comparison is hardly similar."

"Maybe more similar than you think, Monsieur Inspector."

Javert only huffed again and looked out across the park.

After a few minutes of silence, Elisabet looked down at her lap where she was fiddling with the cupcake box.

"If I had gone home earlier- if you hadn't seen me here, what would you have done with the cupcake?"

"I would have most likely given it to my house keeper if she was still in."

"And if she wasn't?"

"Then I would have eaten it before bed."

Elisabet thought for a moment, picturing Javert alone at a wooden dining table, dressed in uniform. She pictured him silently opening up the box and trying to figure out the best way to eat the small, delicate pastry with his thick hands, possibly trying his best to avoid harming the candy flowers as much as possible. The sudden, vivid image made her snicker to herself, rocking back and forth slightly.

"What?" he asked, his head immediately turning towards her.

"Nothing, nothing. Just thinking about something."

"Are you alright?" he asked out of nowhere.

But it wasn't out of nowhere, and Elisabet tried not to think about that.

"I'm fine," she dismissed quickly, before adding under her breath, "but you don't need to go asking."

"I am not a mind reader, child."

"You need to stop calling me that! I'm seventeen now."

"You are."

"Don't you forget it."

"Believe me, Mademoiselle, I will not."

"So you'll stop calling me child."

"Once you stop chortling to yourself and shouting across marketplaces."

"Low blow, my friend." She grinned up at him once again. Javert may not have been a mind reader, but he did understand her fairly well, and she was grateful he understood her now.

You weren't there on Wednesday. Are YOU alright? I haven't seen you in almost a week. I know we don't plan to meet, but you're always there. And you weren't there.

It was on the tip of her tongue, but she held it back. It was her birthday, and she did not want to get into any long discussion when she just now climbed back over the edge of the trench. Besides, it was time to be getting home soon.

And maybe, just maybe, she didn't really want to know his answer.

"The sun's really setting now. I think Father will be home soon, do you have any time to walk with me?"

"I thought you were able to walk in the dark by yourself now?"

"I am, but…" she trailed off with a shrug and looked up at the standing inspector.

Javert walked over to his horse and began to untie him. "Come, Mademoiselle. It is your birthday, after all."