Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunchback of Notre Dame or anything to do with it. I hope Disney doesn't sue. I do own Persephone Martian and her family and William Par. I also own the members of Clopin's family. The title comes from the deleted song from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Note: All right, so not as long of a delay as last time. Here is chapter four, which is the last chapter that would take place in the movie-time. After this, time is askew and skips a bit. This marks the halfway point for the story. No worries though, because I may write another Clopin story after.
Reviews:
Noir The Cat: Thanks. I loved that line as well. Thanks for reviewing!
Ellenlome: Thanks, I need luck with some of it! Thanks for reviewing!
Chapter Four Coffee, preferably alcoholic
Persephone let out a high-pitched squeak as she was thrown into a gold plated cage. She had fallen on top of Clopin who let out a groan. "Sorry!" She exclaimed as she used her now free hands to elevate herself and she pushed herself to the side.
"It's alright," Clopin responded dully and he moved to sit next to her. They were currently in a cage with eight other gypsies, all of whom seemed to know what was going on.
The cell door slammed behind them and Persephone jumped up. "Sir!" She said to a large guard. "Excuse me!"
The guard looked at his friend oddly before walking up to the cell door. "What, gypsy?" He spat, causing Persephone to back up a little.
"Er, you see, that's the thing. I'm not a gypsy. I am merely staying with them for the time being. My name is Persephone Victoria Martin and I am from Portsmouth." Persephone told the two men.
"And?" Squeaked the high-pitched voice of the smaller guard. "Since when do we care the name of a gypsy?"
"She's not a gypsy," Clopin said dully from where he still sat.
"Quiet!" The larger guard shouted, slamming his nightstick down on the metal of the gate. He looked quite disappointed when all Clopin did was turn his black eyes towards him and raise an eyebrow. Persephone, however, had leaped back with a high-pitched shriek. "It doesn't matter what you are, you'll be dead in a matter of hours."
Persephone's eyes widened as she looked back at Clopin, who had since bent his head and was staring at his shoes. "On what grounds am I to be executed, sir?" She asked as she bent down to look the guard in the eye.
"Being a gypsy is enough for the Judge." The guard responded before turning his back to her.
Persephone's eyes darted around. People were starting to get restless and were beginning to rush the stage. "Don't I have some sort of diplomatic immunity? I'm from England! You'll start another war!" She said shrilly. She felt Clopin lay a hand on her shoulder as he pulled her back.
"It's of no use, chérie," he told her softly. Clopin sighed and looked over the crowd. People were already starting to flock to the scene, pitchforks and torches in hand. Clopin gave a weak smile to his people - his friends.
Persephone pressed her hands violently against her eyes until she saw lights dance behind her eyelids. Her breathing began to come out in short; labored breaths and she bit her lip until she tasted copper. She was not going to cry. She felt Clopin wrap his surprisingly strong arms around her shoulders. She was going to die and no one was going to save her.
"I never should have left England." She muttered into Clopin's shoulder. "This isn't supposed to happen."
"Persephone Martin?" She heard a voice call up to her. She glanced over her hands and almost dove to the floor, pushing Clopin away in the process.
"William?" She asked as she reached her hand out to stroke his long, brown hair. She could spend the rest of her life with him. That would be no problem! "Is that really you?"
William backed away from her touch, causing her to cry out in fear. She needed him. "Why are you in there?" He asked her as he pulled his brown horse beside him. "What did you do?" He glared at her coldly.
"Nothing!" She exclaimed as she felt Clopin kneel down beside her. She looked to Clopin for support.
"She's telling the truth. It is all just one big misunderstanding." He insisted as he glanced at the sky.
Sunrise would happen in any second. All of the cages were placed around a stage where someone was starting to tie a white robed Esmeralda to a pole on top of some hay. She was fighting the men every step of the way, causing Clopin to swell with pride. If Esmeralda was going to go down, it would be fighting. Clopin jumped up and walked toward the front of the cage. He gripped the bars so tightly; he thought his hands would be cut in two. The dark skin was becoming a shocking shade of white.
Persephone tore her eyes away from Clopin and she looked back to the intense, honest, ocean blue eyes of William. He would be a good husband, give her everything she could possibly want. They would have extremely attractive children, if awfully pale.
"William," she started, feeling as if a piece of her soul was breaking off and her spirit was fading. "I have a deal to pitch to you," she said as she leaned forward a bit.
"No deals," he began, shaking his head. "We are already promised to each other. Our parents shook on it." He said with a firm nod. Okay, so perhaps he was a little too earnest. That could be changed.
"This is a better deal," she assured him. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I will go back to England with you and I will marry you." She said, digging her long nails into the palm of her hands. She could already feel small crescent moon shapes being scarred into her hands. "I am not going to promise to love you and I will never be a trophy wife for you to cart around to your little parties. I will have your children and I will be happy." She knew she was assuring herself more than him.
"If I get you out?" William asked her as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"If you get us all out." She concluded as she crossed her own arms and stood up, mirroring his own stance. She glared down at him and tapped her foot.
Clopin's head shot up when he heard her and he ran over. "You don't need to do this." He said softly in her ear, causing William to glare at him. "You can get yourself out."
"I know what I'm doing," she informed Clopin before pulling away from him. She looked down at William coldly. "Time is a factor here, William. I'd hate for you to tell my daddy how you let his oldest daughter and her only friends die." She asked him as she batted her eyelashes innocently.
William gazed at her in disbelief, mouth slightly open revealing his horribly crooked front teeth. He let out a sigh and tied his horse to the cage. Persephone smiled to herself as William walked over and started to speak to the guard.
She looked over at Clopin who stood beside her. His black eyes were glazed over as he watched Frollo speak to the audience about Esmeralda's "crime". Disgust ran through him as he watched Frollo speak in hushed tones to Esmeralda. Judging from the look on her face, he knew what was being asked of her. To become Frollo's whore. His breathing began to come out in short huffs. His thin face was turning a deep shade of red and his eyes were almost closed. Persephone had slipped her arm though his and he felt her nails digging into him through the thin fabric of his shirt. He watched as Esmeralda spat in his face and the fury on Frollo's face was twisted sickly with satisfaction and happiness. She may not become his whore but he could sure as hell kill her.
Protests were being shouted from the cages as well as the hundreds of townspeople as Frollo brought down the torch and the hay shot up in violent flames. Charcoal gray smoke began to circle the girl who had been his sister for fourteen years. He didn't feel anything around him. He couldn't feel Persephone's nails in his arm and head buried in his chest. He couldn't feel his old friend Christian's large hand on his shoulder. The only thing he could feel was pain.
Esmeralda's emerald eyes began to close as her head fell on her chest as she passed out. When his father died, he never had to see it. He had never seen anyone die before, at least not someone he loved. The pain was unbearable.
Gasps started to rise from the crowd as people pointed to the sky. Clopin's eyes widened as Quasimodo began to swing down from a tower of Notre Dame on a rope. He landed with practiced precision on the stage. Clopin nudged Persephone off of him before he ran to the front of the cage. He watched as Quasimodo threw Esmeralda over one shoulder and knocked off the Guards with the pole that once held Esmeralda. Quasimodo threw the blazing pole at them and grabbed his rope. He slowly made his way up the large cathedral, glancing over his shoulder only once. He lifted Esmeralda high over his head and looked below him.
"Sanctuary!" He screamed at the top of his lungs as the audience cheered. "Sanctuary!"
Clopin let a smile cross his face for the first time since they had been captured. "She's going to be okay!" He exclaimed as he grabbed Persephone and Christian in a hug. "The bell ringer will protect her!"
"Quasimodo," Persephone corrected him as the captain, Phoebus, who had got himself free climbed onto the top of his cage.
"Citizen's of Paris!" He bellowed as people began to crowd around him. "Frollo's persecuted our people, ransacked our city and now he's declared war on Notre Dame herself. Will we allow it?" He bellowed as he raised a pole above his head.
"No!" Came the rousing chorus of every single person in the square. Townspeople smashed their axes down on the hinges of the cages, freeing the gypsies, who promptly circled around the now free Clopin.
"Frollo spent the last twenty-five years making sure our people were mistreated and killed for crimes we didn't commit… not all the time, anyway. Now he has gone so far as to attempt to kill our own La Esmeralda for protecting the bell ringer!" Clopin exclaimed as his people began to get angrier by the second as they recalled the wrongs they had suffered at the hands of Frollo. "I say kill him!"
With their king giving his word, the gypsies began to flock toward Notre Dame. They worked along side the people who very often accused them of stealing and kidnapping.
Persephone stood beside Clopin as he surveyed the area. "Is there anything I could do?" She asked frantically.
"Go find the children!" Clopin demanded as he grabbed her by the shoulders. "Frollo was keeping them in a different cage by the Palace of Justice. To be given to foster homes." Clopin gave her one last smile before turning around and starting towards the crowd.
"Clopin!" She called back at him. He turned around and surveyed her curiously. "Be careful!" She called to him as she twisted her hands in front of her.
"No worries, chérie!" He said as he did a flip over a group of people and punched a guard in the mouth.
Persephone turned around and looked frantically around. She had to get to the Palace as soon as she could. Her eyes fell on William's horse and she ran forward, quickly untying him. She hoisted herself on top of him and pulled the reins. "Go!" She demanded. The horse began galloping quickly.
The Palace came into view and she jumped off her horse.
"'Sephone!" She heard Lucas's small voice pipe up. She gripped a hand to her chest and she ran forward. The children were being held in several cages. She attempted to pry the lock off with her nails. She let out a shriek of frustration. She glanced down an empty alley and saw a large beam. "That'll work," Persephone muttered to herself as she ran and retrieved it.
Persephone let out a small breath as she slammed the wood over the hinge, causing it to break off. She let out a small squeal, before moving to free the other children.
She rubbed her sore shoulder as the children hopped down and stood in front of her. They all looked fine, scared and scarred for life, but fine.
"What are we supposed to do now?" A boy who looked about seven piped up as he walked to stand in front of her.
Persephone shook her head and she wiped a piece of hair off her face. "Clopin just told me to free you guys," she admitted as she looked around, trying to come up with an idea.
"Oncle Clopin! Oncle Clopin!" Lucas chanted happily.
Persephone smiled at the small boy weakly before turning around. She had to get back to the square. She needed to know what was going on, but she couldn't let the children stand aimlessly in the street.
Persephone's eyes fell on the currently abandoned bakery. She gave a small shrug before picking up the abandoned stick. If she was going to go to prison, it would be helping the children and giving them a place to stay.
She started forward, already regretting what she was about to do. She held her breath as she hurled the heavy piece of a tree towards the window, much to the pleasure of the children.
"That was so cool!" Several of them exclaimed in unison.
"Great," Persephone muttered to herself as she dragged a crate to the window and hitched her skirt high around her thighs. "I've been around for less than a week and they already want to become juvenile delinquents because of me." She carefully stepped over the jagged glass and climbed onto a table. She jumped down and unlocked the door, throwing it open. "Get in here!" Persephone demanded, causing some children to jump and some chins to quiver. "Stay here and don't move!" She instructed as she moved out the door. "Watch the young ones closely!" She called back to the older children as she ran to the horse.
---
Clopin laughed merrily as he knocked out yet another guard. Most of the military had retreated after the molten rock began to fall from the towers of Notre Dame, splashing to the cobblestone streets.
He glanced around, seeing if he could find a new enemy. He turned around to, once again, find himself face to face with the brown horse. "Why is it every time we meet, something overly exciting is happening?" He joked lightly. He smiled as he heard Persephone let out a frustrated sound.
Persephone jumped down and ran towards Clopin. "The children are in the bakery." She informed him breathlessly. "They're fine and dandy."
"Well, if they're dandy!" Clopin said with a laugh as he reached out and ruffled Persephone's hair. "Excellent job, remind me to use your help more often!" He let out his trademark laugh, one that made her want to laugh along with him. It was good to hear, it was a sound she hadn't heard since the Festival of Fools. Hard to believe that it was only two days previous.
Persephone let out a small laugh before jumping back in shock. Rosa had grabbed her from behind and looked frantic. "Where's Lucas?" She demanded harshly.
"He's in the bakery by the Palace," Persephone said in a soothing tone before Rosa took off. She felt Clopin pull on her bare arm, pulling her forward and pointing up. On the highest tower of Notre Dame, Quasimodo was swinging from a gargoyle with Esmeralda clutched over his shoulder.
Clopin's eyes widened and the remaining happiness drained from his body. He shook his head and started forward, only to be pulled back by Persephone. He smashed into her, causing her to fall on the cobblestone. He threw a glare over his shoulder as he attempted to stand up, only to be pulled back down by Persephone.
"Let go of me!" He demanded as he stood up, dragging her with him. He attempted to get his arm free in a way that wouldn't cause him to fling her across the square. "I have to get up there!"
"If the fire doesn't get you, Clopin, Frollo sure as hell will!" She exclaimed as she pulled him back. She turned her attention back to Notre Dame. Esmeralda was safe and no longer hanging over the edge, but Quasimodo was still clinging to a gargoyle. Frollo was standing on the gargoyle beside him and held a sword high over Quasimodo's head.
Clopin watched with wide eyes as Frollo's gargoyle gave way under his weight and fell dozens of stories to his death. Clopin saw Esmeralda cling desperately to Quasimodo's hand. The crowd gasped as Esmeralda let go and cheered when Phoebus promptly caught him.
Clopin cheered and did a small flip. It seemed as if the fire and molten rock just flowed away as he pulled Persephone over towards Notre Dame. The clouds parted, letting the morning sun shine down on the crowd. Esmeralda and Phoebus walked hand in hand out of the broken doors of the otherwise untouched architecture of the cathedral. The crowd cheered loudly as Phoebus punched their clasped hands into the air. Clopin grabbed one of his nearby brothers in a headlock and he ruffled his hair. His brother looked at him ruefully before attempting to fix his hair.
Persephone smiled at the two as the crowd died down. Esmeralda had walked back to the cathedral and held out her hand. The crowd talked in hushed whispers as Quasimodo squinted against the sunlight.
Nobody seemed to know what to do. They stood awkwardly around, staring at the man who had saved Esmeralda. A small blonde girl who Clopin recognized as one of his regulars slowly walked up to Quasimodo. She reached up and felt his face slowly before wrapping both of her arms around him.
Clopin gave a small jump before running over to a near by pole and climbed to the top. "Three cheers for Quasimodo!" He called to the crowd, who did not disappoint him. He leaped down as the crowd carried Quasimodo through the streets of Paris.
Clopin smiled down at the young blonde girl who was standing beside him. He picked her up and rested her on his hip. "Now, here is a riddle to guess if you can sing the bells of Notre Dame." Clopin sang to the delight of the child. "What makes a monster and what makes a man? Sing the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells of Notre Dame!" The child playfully pawed at the small Frollo puppet on Clopin's hand.
Persephone stood nearby, smiling at the sight. She bowed her head slightly as she heard the loud clanking noise on the cobblestone behind her.
"So what should I do with that extra ticket back to jolly old England, Sephy?" William asked solemnly in his clear voice.
Persephone winced at the hated nickname and turned to face him. "You didn't really get us out of there, you know," she informed him as she took a step back. She was prepared to run if necessary.
"I knew you'd try to find a loop hole." William said with a small, sad smile as he looked down at her.
Persephone rocked awkwardly on her heels. "I am my father's daughter. Apple trees and gravity make a killer combination." She said with a small shrug as she looked away from him. "You can't keep me." She said in a low voice. "I'll run back here."
"You misunderstand me, Sephy. I'm giving you an out." He said slowly. He looked into her wide, brown eyes and lowered his shoulders. "You don't have to marry me."
Persephone put a hand to her chest and looked up at William before launching herself into his arms. She squealed loudly into his ear as she kicked her feet in a dreadfully unladylike way.
She lowered herself back to the ground as she looked up at him. "Thank you!" She said as she looked over at Clopin, who was standing out of earshot but was still staring at the pair. "I guess I have to give this back?" She said as she waved her left hand in his face.
William batted a hand and shook his head. "Naw," he said giving her a boyish grin. "Keep it, isn't like I paid for it, just never let my parents see it. Consider it my gift to you." He paused and looked at his horse. "That and this." He said as he placed the reins in her hand.
"I can't take your horse!" Persephone exclaimed as she tried to shove the reins back to him.
"It was never my horse, your father wanted you to have it. He knew that it was your favourite part about England. Consider it a bribe." William said with a shrug as he took a step towards her. He bent down and placed a slow kiss between her brows. "Take care, Sephy." He said slowly as he pulled away.
Persephone smiled sadly at him. "I'm sorry," she said softly.
"It's nothing," William said as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "No offense or anything, but I always rather fancied your sister." He gave her a sympathetic look and a salute. "Stop by the hotel sometime and pick up your stuff!" He called to her before walking down the street.
Persephone ran towards Clopin and launched herself at him. "This is the best day ever!" She said, feet dangling a few inches off the ground. She jumped down and beamed at him with white teeth. It was the first time he had ever really seen her beam.
Clopin raised an eyebrow and shook his head. He grabbed Persephone's hand and began to drag her with him down the street, brown horse trailing obediently behind. "I don't know about you, chérie, but I could really use some coffee, preferably alcoholic," he said. "And I want to hear all the details."
Please don't forget to review!
You know, I was thinking, maybe I should make the story have more chapters. So poll time! Do you think it should have fewer chapters and faster romance or many chapters and more awkwardness?
Nevermind... I'm gonna make it longer
