Disclaimer: I do not own Les Miz or Jane Eyre.

A/N: Rewritten and so much better.

"Christmas and the New Year had been celebrated at Gateshead with the usual festive cheer…witnessing the daily appareling of Eliza and Georgiana, and seeing them descend to the drawing-room, dressed out in thin muslin frocks and scarlet sashes, with hair elaborately ringleted…" –Jane Eyre, page thirty-one

Then, at Christmastime when I was about eight years old, my whole world changed. At first, it seemed that that particular Christmas wouldn't be any different than any of the others I'd spent with the Thernadiers. In fact, I really didn't know much about Christmas. The merry season, to me, was just a time when Eponine and Azelma would show me the candies the money that Saint Nicholas left their shoes. Saint Nicholas never left anything in my shoes, though I left them out faithfully each year. Azelma pointed out that it was because I was a bad girl.

"I sat there with my doll on my knee, till the fire got low, glancing round occasionally… To the crib I always took my doll…" –Jane Eyre, page thirty-two

The events of that Christmas Eve went by a blur- there not being enough water for the horses, a beautiful doll in a kiosk, fetching water in the dark, a helpful but strange traveler in a yellow coat, loosing the Thernadieress' money, and playing. All I know is that in the end the traveler in a yellow coat gave me the beautiful doll that I'd seen on display and told me to play. Of course, I'd never really played before, so I didn't know how to go about it. I named the doll Catherine and sang her to sleep, cradling it in my arms while Eponine and Azelma looked on in envy, until I could no longer keep my eyelids from drooping shut. The next morning, I woke to find a gold Louis tucked away in my clog.

" 'Who could want me?' I asked inwardly, as with both hands I turned the stiff door-handle which, for a second or two, resisted my efforts." –Jane Eyre, page thirty-six

Christmas morning, after joyously tucking the gold Louis into my apron pocket, silently thanking Saint Nicholas for his kindness, and making sure that Catherine was properly taken care of, I crept out of my corner to go about my chores. The last night had been a truly magical one indeed, like one of the fairy tales I'd heard Madame Thernadier telling Eponine and Azelma, but one could only suspect that life was going to go back to usual. It was disappointing, but I choked back the one, salty tear that dared to commence to fall, patted the Louis that resided in my apron pocket, and went out and watered the horses, making sure that I was not to meet the Thernadieress' whip, as I had almost done the previous night.

I went back into the inn and started whipping the tables clean when, by chance, I caught a peculiar conversation.

"Suppose you were relieved of her?" a voice asked.

"Who? Cosette?" the Thernadieress' voice rejoined.

"Yes."

Madame Thernadier's voice rose in jubilation, no doubt she was more than happy to give away such a "Little Miss Toad", as she called me. "Ah, monsieur! My good monsieur! Take her, keep her, take her away, carry her off, sugar her, stuff, drink, and feed her, and be blessed by the holy Virgin and all the saints in heaven!"

The other voice replied indifferently, "Agreed."

"Really? You will take her away?"

"I will."

"Immediately?"

"Immediately. Call the child."

"Cosette!" the Thernadieress screeched. For a few moments I stood frozen, not really know whether to feel fearful or blithe. I was to leave the wretched inn, but for what kind of life? Would I be set to work in some dirty factory? I'd never seen a factory before, but I'd heard some of the few female travelers who came through tell about their horrid foremen, how they could hardly breathe as they bent over machines, and how their pay wasn't near enough to support themselves.

I heard rustling and footsteps as Monsieur Thernadier and another man came into the room, and I ran to my corner. Little of what was said reached my ears aside from the word "francs" which definitely was said quite a bit, as I was still brooding over my fear of being forced to work in a factory. Several times, I tried to convince myself that whoever was going to take me away was a good person who would be good and kind to me and feed me sweets every one and a while. Unfortunately, I am one of those people who, once they convince themselves that one thing is going to happen; they can't open their mind to any other possibilities. So I clutched Catherine close to me and rocked back and forth in my little corner.

"Bring Cosette," one of the men said. I crouched down and hid under a table, hoping that I wouldn't be found. Eventually, though, Madame Thernadier's ugly face came into view. I braced myself for a sharp slap but none came.

"Cosette, come quick," she told me. I shivered. Her voice had been almost gentle. Cautiously, I crawled out and stood, my knees shaking. I turned around, and was met by the face of the mysterious traveler in a yellow coat from the previous night.

The traveler looked me in the eye, handed me the bundle which he had so dutifully carried all of last night and said kindly, "My dear, take this and go dress yourself quickly." I scurried off to the back room where I had reduced my pretty pink frock to a pile of rubbish when I first came to the inn. Inside was a proper outfit for a girl my age: a wool dress, apron, petticoat, scarf, stockings, and a little pair of lace-up ankle-boots. For a moment I was delighted, but then I noticed that the whole collection of clothing was black. Could it not be some other, pretty color? I sighed and dressed. At least it was some decent clothing. I had learned that it was best to take what one got and not whine or question. When my old apron dropped to the ground, I heard the clink of metal. Having realized that I'd almost forgotten the Louis, I fetched it from the dirty pocket dropped it into the pocket of the new apron. I compared the old apron to the new one, and seeing the starch differences between the two, for a moment, I allowed myself to feel like a fine lady. Fine ladies never visited the inn, but I knew a romanticized description of their life and expensive jewelry and clothing from none other than Madame Thernadier, Eponine, and Azelma.

I emerged from the back room, the man handed me Catherine, he grasped my little hand in his, and we walked out of the inn together. Somewhere, I heard a lark singing. The townsfolk had nicknamed me "the Lark". I had been one lark who had never sung, though. On this day, though, as I disembarked from Montfermeil, I sang along with the lark under my breath.

A/N: Please R&R!