A few days later, Gabriel was sitting at his desk when a lieutenant burst in with an urgent message.

"Sir, I have news."

"What is it?"

The young lieutenant looked anxious, as if he was afraid of what Gabriel would say. He shuffled his feet a bit before finally saying, "General Lamarque is dead."

"He is."

"Yes, sir."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I shall tend to this matter immediately."

The soldier saluted and left. Gabriel sat down and put his head in his hands. Lamarque was the speaker for the poor and destitute of France. This would surely be the catalyst for any sort of uprising from the students.

That night, Gabriel told Mercedes the news. The funeral was two days away, and he would have to ride in the procession.

"I want you to stay home with the children. Lock the doors. Don't unlock them until I get home. No matter what you hear. Do you understand me?"

"Yes."

The next day, the day before the funeral, Gabriel instructed his troops on what they were to do in case the uprising did happen. He went home early. And when he got there, he sent the children to bed directly after supper.

"Papa, will you be home tomorrow?"

"I'll be here when you wake up. I don't know if I'll be home after work."

"Why?"

He looked at Mercédes to try to find the words.

"Papa has some very important business to take care of tomorrow."

"What kind of business?"

"No more questions, Amélie." He kissed his daughter on the head. "Good night."

"Good night, Papa. I love you."

"I love you too, children."

He blew out the candles and closed the door. He leaned in to kiss Mercédes, but the baby woke up.

"She must be hungry. I'll only be a minute."

"I'll come with you." They went to the nursery, and Mercédes began to nurse Madeleine. As Gabriel watched her, sitting there in the rocker he had bought for her when they learned that Victor was on the way, feeding their child, he couldn't help but let a few tears roll down his cheeks. He thought about when Madeleine came into the world, and how he had almost lost both of them.

"Gabriel? I think it's time." Mercédes was shaking him awake, and then grasped his arm when a wave of pain hit her. Gabriel sat straight up and put his hand on her back.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Please go and get the midwife."

He flew out of the bed and got just dressed enough to look decent on the streets. He ran from the house and got Chanel, the midwife.

"How long have you been hurting, Mercédes?"

"A couple of hours."

Chanel looked over Mercédes, and when she was finished, she looked worried. "General Dejardin, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to step outside."

"What? Why? What's the matter?"

"Please, leave the room."

"Tell me what's wrong!"

"My love," Mercédes spoke barely above a whisper. Some of her hair had come loose from its braid and was matted to her forehead with sweat. "Please do as she says. Go and sit with the children."

He crossed to his wife and held her hand. "I'll just be outside." He kissed her white knuckles and damp forehead. When he reached the door, he took one last look at her and went out to sit on the floor in the hall. For the next four hours, it was silent, save a few wails. He wished the the wails would go on, because every time the room was silent, he worried that he had lost her. The other children woke up at dawn.

"Papa? What is the matter?"

Gabriel looked up through tired and tearstained eyes at Amélie and Victor. He pulled the little girl onto his lap and Victor sat on the floor beside him. "Mama is having the baby."

"Why are you sad?" Amélie put her tiny hands on either side of his face.

"Because, my angel. Mama is very sick."

"Sick?" Victor said.

"Yes."

"Would she feel better if we sang to her? That always makes me feel better when I'm sick."

Gabriel looked at his son, and smiled the best he could. He hugged his children close to him. "I don't think so, son. Maybe when we can go in and see her. But for now, why don't you go back to your room and play for awhile?"

They did so. A scream came from the room. He heard Chanel telling Mercédes to push. The screams coming from his wife made Gabriel sick. Finally, he heard the sound of a weak babe crying. Chanel came out into the hall, bloodied sheets in her hands. Gabriel was up in a second.

"How is she?"

"She's...she's asking for you."

Realization hit him. "No."

"Nothing is for certain. But she lost a lot of blood. The babe is weak as well; water on her little lungs." Chanel looked down at the sheets in her hands and hurried down the stairs. Gabriel screwed his courage to the sticking place and walked into the bedroom. Mercédes was holding the baby, but she didn't seem completely conscious.

"Mercédes?" He called out, but his voice wouldn't work properly. He walked over to the bed. She looked up at him, her eyes fluttering for a moment, and then down at the baby.

"It's a girl. I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for? She's beautiful."

"You wanted another boy."

"No. I love her. What shall we call her?"

"The midwife said it doesn't matter." Sobs emitted from Mercédes' white lips.

"It does matter. She's going to live and so are you." He leaned down and kissed his wife, and then kissed the baby's forehead. "What shall we name her?"

"Madeleine."

"Madeleine Dejardin. Hello, Madeleine." The baby was bluish, but she was awake. She began to cry. "I think she's hungry."

"I..." Mercédes slipped out of consciousness. Chanel had fetched the doctor, and he came to examine her.

"She is very weak. She is young; she might pull through. But she needs to rest. And you must take care of the baby yourself, for as long as..." He trailed off.

"She will live. My wife and my daughter will live a long time, Doctor."

Gabriel thought back on that day often, and the miracle that was bestowed on him. Against all odds, Mercédes had come through, and so had Madeleine. He walked over to the rocker and stroked the little girl's hair. "Have I told you how grateful I am to you?"

"For what?"

"For this. For our three babies. For the life we've built together. For taking a chance on me, instead of marrying one of your millionaires."

"They weren't my millionaires." She smiled and put Madeleine back in the bassinet. Gabriel hugged her. She hugged back, and when she tried to let go, he wouldn't. "What is it, my love?"

"I'm afraid I won't come back tomorrow." He buried his face in her neck.

"You will." She pulled away to look at his face. "You're coming back to me and your children. Do you understand?"

He nodded, and she took him in her arms again, grasping at the hair on the back of his head. His fingers dug into her back. "I need you, Mercédes."