Decided to write some drabbles about R and Dr. D that will tie them into the main story a bit more. They kinda focus on Grantaire's musical talent, but there's still a lot of goofiness with him and his new-found family. Hobey-ho, let's go!


Grantaire awoke to the whole building shaking, and Doofenshmirtz yelling at someone. Quickly, the young man leaped out of bed and ran out to the living room. What he saw didn't surprise him as much as it angered and annoyed him. "Perry, what the blazes are you doing here so bloody early?!"

"Oh, Grantaire. You're awake."

"Don't get distracted, idiot. If you insist on fighting so early, do it right! Watch it!" Grantaire growled, just as the teal platypus was aiming a kick at the doctor's head. Thanks to the warning, he was able to block it and land a counter-attack that sent the secret agent sailing across the room. Fuming, the former revolutionary strode over to him. "And you. Do you not realize that there are other people who live here and are trying to sleep?! What kind of 'Inator' is so important that you just have to bust in and start a fight at five in the morning?!" Perry just looked up at him and grumbled apologetically. "Oui, you'd better be sorry. Get out. Now." A bit sheepish, the agent got up and started for the door, but Grantaire had something else to tell him. "And I expect you to come back at a reasonable hour and help us clean up this mess!" He nodded and quickly left.

"Seriously, R?"

"Don't even start, Heinz. You know what I told you about trying to take over the tri-state area before nine!"

"Eh...not to?"

"Exactly! Now go back to bed. You'll need all your energy to help Perry clean up the disaster area. Next time, I'm not going to persuade Vanessa to keep her mouth shut, got it? You're lucky she's a heavy sleeper." With that, Grantaire spun on his heel and started back to his room, only to run into a very groggy Vanessa. He cursed under his breath in French.

"W-wa's goin' on...? R...?"

"Nothing you need to worry about, Nessie," he said softly, gently turning her around before she could see the destruction. "Just go back to sleep."

"I can't...will you sing for me?"

"Of course, mon cher. Just let me get my guitar." He did so, and came to sit on the corner of her bed. "Any requests?" he asked. She shook her head, so he began to play Brahms' Lullaby, changing the lyrics only slightly. "Lullaby, and good night, in the sky stars are bright. May the moon's silvery beams bring you sweet dreams. Close your eyes, now, and rest. May these hours be blessed, 'til the sky's bright with dawn, when you wake with a yawn. Lullaby, and good night. You are my delight. I'll protect you from harm. You'll be safe in my arms." By the time he finished the first chorus, she was already sleeping peacefully. Grantaire smiled, and quietly left her room.

***DRABBLE***

Later that day, while Perry and Dr. Doofenshmirtz were cleaning up the disaster area that was once the living room, Grantaire went out to the local mall with his guitar. Throughout his time in Danville, he'd seen many musicians get discovered within its shops and corridors, many of them not much younger than himself. He had wanted to play there for quite a while, but never found the time.

Today, however, was perfect. He needed to get out of the apartment, and Vanessa said she wanted to go shopping, so they took Heinz's car and headed out. As soon as they got inside the mall, Vanessa took off toward her favorite store, and Grantaire looked around. Finally finding a bench, he sat down, took his guitar out of its case, and began to play. In that moment, everything and everyone else disappeared. It was just him and his instrument. He played and sang his heart out, not even noticing when he drew a crowd. People came from all over the place to watch and listen. They walked out of stores, left the food court, and abandoned kiosks just to see him perform, but he payed no attention. Suddenly, a woman dropped a ten-dollar-bill in his open guitar case, and he finally looked up at her. "Th-there's no need to do that, ma'am. I'm not necessarily here for money..."

"Please, you've earned it," she said, cutting him off and smiling. She was followed by several others as Grantaire continued to play. With every song, her smile grew wider, and she kept watching him throughout the day. After awhile, she approached him again, this time with a request. "Can you play the happiest song you know?" she asked. He thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Indeed I can." And with that, he began to pick out a simple but familiar tune. It was Beethoven's "Ode to Joy." She continued listening as the soft melody became more intense, and Grantaire began to sing. "Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love; hearts unfold like flow'rs before Thee, op'ning to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away; giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!" The arrangement he chose wasn't by any means traditional, but it fit the lyrics with its upbeat mood and somewhat fast tempo. It really did sound like the happiest song anyone could ever know, and he belted out every lyric he could without making his performance too over the top. Grantaire had learned the song in the streets of Paris. As a boy, he would sit on the steps of the famed cathedral, Notre Dame, and listen to the choir as they practiced for Sunday mass. Because of this, he had learned many hymns; some in Latin, most in French and/or English. He would practice these over and over again whenever he was alone, as his father did not approve of singing or religion. Grantaire, however, loved both as a child. The hymns lead him to take a closer walk with God, which made him extremely happy.

Unfortunately, he lost his faith somewhere between childhood and adulthood, and became very bitter. This and his father contributed to him developing a drinking habit, which attracted criticism from his family and friends. The criticism only made his problem even worse, and he began a downward spiral that turned him into the drunk cynic that Enjolras, Prouvaire, and his other friends had come to know. They had no idea that he had once been a faithful, joyful, sober boy who enjoyed singing praises, even if in complete solitude. Then, he hadn't really been alone.

Only now did he realize that he had never been alone. On all of the drunken and violent nights when he could barely stumble home, God was with him, helping him take every step. He had brought Grantaire to this strange new world and given him a second chance. Because of this, the young skeptic truly was joyful, and remembered his favorite hymn. As he finished, he grinned at his audience, then bowed his head to thank God for leading him through the darkest times in his life. When he next looked up, everyone was applauding him, including Vanessa and the strange woman, who had the biggest grin he'd ever seen.

"What's your name, young man?"

"Grantaire," he answered politely.

"Well, Grantaire, what would you say if I called my boss right now, and told him to give you a recording contract? You would have your first gig in a matter of days, and-"

"Don't fall for it, R," Vanessa interrupted. "She's trying to trick you into a so-called 'deal' so she can leech money off of you for her label. That's how all of them work."

"And how do you know that?" the woman snarled. Vanessa seemed unfazed, but Grantaire's face fell. He was seeing the woman's true colors, and he didn't like them, at all.

"A friend of mine got roped into a recording contract with some big wig a while back. He and his band backed out as soon as they could, but the company is still making money off of their one huge hit. He gets none of it. Trust me, R, you'd be better off working on your own to get gigs." With this, several people stepped forward out of the crowd and offered to pay him for a performance at whatever venue they owned. The ones he could make time for, he accepted, and those that he couldn't, he made a note to perform later on in the year if possible.

The next month was a busy one. Between performances, trips to technology stores to browse for recording equipment, and the occasional fight with Perry, Grantaire was exhausted. Dr. Doofenshmirtz's phone was ringing off the hook, so he had to go out and buy a cellphone. Thanks to Vanessa, he had gotten an iPhone 5, and was still learning how to use it. The data usage bill was more of an inconvenience than an actual problem, but it still didn't help relieve any of his stress. Vanessa and Heinz were doing their best to lighten his load, and he was extremely grateful to them for that. His caretaker and mentor had put his technical expertise to use by crafting better recording equipment than even the best stores carried, at little cost. Vanessa had used her influence at school and in social media to spread the word about his talent. At one point, he was even in the news. But something still didn't feel quite right. Even though he was beginning to make his mark on the world, he still felt a gaping hole in his heart. Not being able to bear it anymore, he slung his headset off one cool March night. Amazingly, it didn't break. He hardly noticed, though, and laid his head in his hands. "Lord, why am I still feeling so empty?!" he moaned. "I have a loving family, a budding career, adoring fans...My life is finally looking up. I'm finally back on the right path. I've let you back into my life, but still, I feel this cold, dark void! Please, tell me how to fill it..." he sighed. "I'm giving it to you, Lord. I'm leaving my life in your hands, because I still have no idea what to do. In your holy name I pray, amen." Still weary, he got up from his desk and flopped onto his bed. Within minutes, he was asleep.

While he slept, he dreamed of the gamins and gamines that used to line the streets of Paris. Dirt and grime streaked their faces, and they were far too thin. Their clothes draped over them in rags, barely covering the various cuts and bruises on each of their bodies. His heart nearly broke at the memory, but it was made even more horrific when he realized they were no longer in Paris. Now they were lining the streets in California, all over America, and all over the world. Tears streamed down his face as he fought to wake up. He couldn't. Instead, he saw a face he most certainly recognized, but didn't want to see. "G-Gavroche...!" The young gamin's face was devoid of happiness, as he mouthed one word, over and over again: Change. Grantaire snapped out of his panic for a moment, and looked at the boy in wonder. "But...I have. I've changed so much, you wouldn't believe it's even still me!" But Gavroche shook his head, and mouthed three more words: Change the world. "I can't...That was always Enjolras's thing. He'd be better suited to it than me..." Again, Gavroche mouthed the words, slowly becoming angry. "I-I don't know how!" Once more, the words were mouthed, but this time there was a voice with them.

"Change the world!" Gavroche yelled, but it was more like he was singing them. It wasn't even his voice, but rather a woman's. A very familiar woman. Grantaire was sure he recognized the voice, but couldn't place it. Then, finally, he woke up, only to find that his radio was playing. He didn't remember turning it on before he went to sleep. Then he recognized the voice on the radio as the same one from the dream. She was a popular country singer. Suddenly, the lyrics to her song made his blood run cold. "Don't listen to 'em when they say 'You're just fool, just a fool to believe you can change the world!'" Quickly, he looked up those lyrics on his computer(courtesy of Dr. Doofenshmirtz), and found the full song. It was called "Change," and it was basically a call to arms for anyone who felt that they couldn't make a difference in the world, telling them to give back to their communities, listen to the stories of everyone they meet, and do all they can to help those in need, especially children. Finally, Grantaire understood. He looked up the names and phone numbers of every orphanage and half-way home in California, and called every one of them. God had given him a plan. Now all he had to do was put it into action.

***DRABBLES***

"Good news, everybody!" Vanessa and her father looked up as Grantaire practically flew into the living room. "I know exactly how to make my career take off, while giving back to those who need it!"

"Really?" Vanessa asked. Grantaire answered with an enthusiastic nod.

"And how do you plan to do that?" Doofenshmirtz questioned, a bit skeptical.

"We'll hold a benefit concert, and donate the proceeds to orphanages and shelters throughout the state! I've already contacted some of the people who run them, and they've agreed to help! All we have to do is get a big enough venue, plus a few more headliner acts, and get the word out to as many people as possible!"

"Wow...and you came up with that all by yourself?" The scientist was stunned. He'd never seen his charge so convicted about anything.

"No. God gave it to me through a dream, plus some weird happenings with my radio and some internet research. It's absolutely brilliant, though!" The young man grinned brightly then either of them had seen him grin. "Vanessa, do you think you can convince any local bands to help out?"

"I can do better than that. The Newsboys heard about the new up-and-coming Christian artist in Danville, and they want to meet you as soon as possible! Should I tell them about this?"

"Definitely! We'll need all the help we can get, but I still want to try and get a bunch of local artists on the stage."

"Ferb's sister, Candace, has a great voice! I bet she'd love to help out!"

"Great! We'll keep looking for more. Dr. D, what's the biggest stadium we can afford to rent for one night?"

"Actually, I can pull some strings and get us the Danville Speedway. Does that sound big enough?"

"Yes, if you can get it legally."

"Well, of course, I can get it legally! I have a buddy who works there, and I'm sure he'd be willing to put a good word in for us if he knew the circumstances."

"Wonderful!" Grantaire exclaimed, his blue eyes gleaming with happiness. Vanessa was already on her phone with the Newsboys, and Dr. Doofenshmirtz set to work arranging the venue. Grantaire went to call some of the local bands he had performed with. He also called Danville High School to ask if their glee club and drama department would like to help with the concert. He got a yes from both, and quickly told the others. Vanessa was delighted, and told him that the Newsboys and Candace were both in.

"We've got the racetrack, too!" Heinz called out. "All they need to know is when we plan to have the benefit. Also, how are we going to get all of the orphans here? They're coming from all over the state..."

"Already taken care of. Not all of the kids will be able to attend personally, so we're giving them all free DVD's of it. The ones that can come will be on tour buses, courtesy of Greyhound. They heard about what we were doing and called a moment ago."

"Hey, R, Juliette Barnes just called! She wants to talk to you about the concert!" Grantaire's jaw dropped. He couldn't believe how quickly the news had gotten back to Nashville. Quickly, he rushed over to Vanessa and took the phone from her.

"Hello?"

"Grantaire?"

"Yes, I'm here, Miss Barnes."

"Aw, just call me Juliette. Anyway, I heard about your benefit concert. It's all over the internet! When I read about your cause, something resonated within me, and I knew I had to help out. What can I do?"

"Well, we still need a few performers, and I'm sure you would bring in plenty of fans and donations..."

"Great! I'll be there as soon as I can!"

"Thank you so much!" Grantaire grinned brightly as Juliette hung up on him. "She's in!" Vanessa and her dad cheered, and all three of them hugged. "Alright, as soon as all of our artists are here, we can set the date and start rehearsing and getting the stage ready. As of right now, because it's so late in the month, I'm thinking the show will probably end up being in April."

"A Spring Fling, huh? Sounds amazing! I'll tell the drama department to start designing floral stage decorations."

"Alright, but nothing too over-the-top."

"Got it. Nothing too hippie."

"Hey! There is nothing wrong with being a flower child!" The two younger ones looked at Dr. Doofenshmirtz like he had just sprouted another head. "What? I was part of an era. Everyone my age went through their hippie stage. Mine wasn't very long, though."

"Good," Vanessa said.

"Honestly, one try, and I was convinced that I didn't want to be a druggie. That being said, if I ever catch either of you trying drugs, you're going straight to the police station."

"I've no desire for it. I already spent years with one vice, and I don't need another," Grantaire snapped, though he hadn't meant to sound so angry. "In any case, back to the subject. We'll need plenty of sound equipment, lighting, an actual stage..."

"Oh, I can take care of the stage and equipment, but but I'm not sure about the lights."

"That's easy. We can just get a bunch of them from the hardware store," Vanessa piped up. Suddenly, the door broke down, and Perry the Platypus burst into the apartment.

"What?! I didn't even do anything bad, this time!" Doofenshmirtz yelled. "No -Inators, no evil plots, no monsters!" Perry made a strange noise in his throat that sounded almost like 'Really?' and Grantaire glared at him.

"No, if you must know, we're in the middle of planning a benefit concert for orphans and homeless children! Did you really have to bust down our door for that?"

Perry gargled apologetically, then took out what looked like a communicator watch. After a few more gargles, a tiny hologram of Major Monogram appeared out of the face of the watch. "We received reports of you contacting celebrities, orphanages, shelters, transportation services, and hardware stores all in the course of one morning, and we wanted to know what you were up to."

"Does that seriously sound like the makings of an evil plot? Oh no, someone's helping innocent children! Better go bust down their door and put a stop to it!" Grantaire exclaimed, feigning terror, then scowled back at the hologram. "Honestly. By the way, most of our communications with those people were via phone. You know wire-tapping is illegal, right? You should be the one arrested, not us!"

Taken aback, the Major countered with a brutally honest defense. "We didn't have to tap your phone lines. Ever heard of social media?" Grantaire calmed down when he remembered what Juliette had said about the news of the concert going viral.

"Oh...right."

"Anyway, it looks like you've got everything worked out, except security."

"You honestly think I'd trust you with that?"

"I think you should."

"And what if I don't?" The Major was silent, not knowing how to answer. The former revolutionary continued to glare at him.

"I can't force you to, I guess. All I can do is hope you accept my help as an apology for all of our past dealings. If it makes you feel better, I can send in someone else, outside of my organization."

"Who?"

"An old friend from my Navy days. He's in Miami, at the moment, but I'm sure I can convince him to come help you out. He and his friends specialize in this kind of work, or so he's told me."

"You still haven't told me who he is."

"Sam Axe." At the mention of the name, Dr. Doofenshmirtz spit out the coffee he had been drinking.

"Sam Axe?! The Navy SEAL, turned CIA informant, turned vigilante?!"

"You expect me to trust a vigilante with a security detail for a benefit concert?!" Grantaire was equally outraged at the suggestion.

"Not a vigilante. Five vigilantes. His entire team will be coming, provided I can pull the right strings to get them out of Miami."

"What?! You mean they're unable to leave...?"

"Only two of them. Both burned CIA operatives, one by the name of Michael Weston and the other by the name of Jesse Porter. My guess is, Sam and the rest of the team won't leave without them."

"Great. So, who else is on this 'elite team'?" Grantaire asked sarcastically.

"Glad you asked. Fiona Glenanne is Westen's girlfriend, an expert in anything involving guns, fire, or explosions, and an ex-IRA operative. Enjolras Westen is Michael's adoptive brother, and an expert marksman and strategist, but he only just joined their team several months back. Something wrong?" Grantaire's face had gone pale at the mention of Enjolras. He hadn't expected to hear the name mentioned in this day and age, especially not as a rookie vigilante.

"N-no, I'm fine. Do what you have to do to get them here safely."

"I will. You have my word." And with that, the hologram disappeared. Perry made some grumbling noises and left, making sure to fix the door. As soon as he did, Vanessa bounded over from her room.

"R! We just hired our final act!"

"Really? Who are they?"

"Austin, Ally, and Jehan! They heard about the benefit and wanted to help, so they're flying in from Miami tomorrow! All they have to do is make sure their guards can come along."

"That's great! Tell them I'll be there to meet them at the airport."

"Will do! Can I drive you?" Grantaire looked over at her father to see if it was alright.

"I don't mind if you go along, but I think it would be better for R to get some more experience behind the wheel. Just use the GPS so you don't get lost."

"Of course."