/It's going to end soon! Don't worry, though! Another Les Musicals Crossover is coming your way! I'll also be updating B&B tonight so watch out for that bad boy... The Importance of Being Marius is very hard to type up, guys, like honestly. It's gonna take a while for each chapter to make it to you lot. The musicals are so much easier. Uhm, if you can't tell I get a bit lazier around here because the Sound of Music film (which is what I'm basing this off of because it's so much easier) and even the musical are just incredibly slow and in pieces after intermission. This may just be a me thing but I stop enjoying myself after intermission... Anywhoodles, I'm very excited about the new Les Musicals Crossover and hope you will be, too! I love the reviews and you guys have been the best ever! So patient... Concerning these not being in the crossover section, a crossover usually means that characters from both universe interact, and I can't do that. That isn't a thing here. It's so not going to happen. Like, this is like FETCH. Not gonna happen. Evar.

"Two."

"Three."

"Four."

"Five."

"Six."

"Seven."

"Eight."

In the garden the children stood in a circle, the Baroness oddly shoved between them. A rubber ball was thrown to each, and the person counted out their number while catching it. Gavroche, using all of his muscle, tosse

Baroness1enjolras2cos3ep4cour5comb6jeh7gav8

d the ball over to Eponine. "Four."

Eponine tossed it to Enjolras. "Two."

Enjolras to Jehan. "Seven."

Jehan threw it to Courfeyrac. "Five."

Five to Two.

Two to Six.

Six to One.

"Isn't this fun?" asked the Baroness shakily after missing the ball. She walked over to it and grabbed it with uncertainty. "Four."

"I'm number five," Courfeyrac corrected her, handing the ball to the real number four, Eponine.

"Oh, right!"

They all rolled their eyes and continued throwing the ball about.

"Eight."

"Two."

"Four."

"Six." The ball was thrown to the Baroness again, who missed it (again), and had to chase after it (again).

"Baroness de Thenard, do you mind if we stop now? We're tired."

"Whatever you want, dear," she replied. "We'll do it again tomorrow."

All seven children walked away, looking bored and annoyed. Wiping her grin away, de Thenard sighed and clomped up to the deck. Thenardier smirked at her. "The country's so restful, isn't it?" he teased. "Have some lemonade."

She took a glass and downed it in one gulp. "There must be an easier way."

"I get a fiendish delight thinking of you as the mother of seven," Thenardier laughed. "How do you plan to do it?"

"Darling, haven't you ever heard," replied de Thenard, giggling mischievously , "of a delightful little thing called boarding school?"

The children came out once again and stood before the pair. If you squinted, one would probably see a dark rain cloud above their heads. Jehan lolled his head sadly, and Thenardier noted that there were no flowers woven into the little boy's hair.

"Uncle Felix, where's Papa?" he asked.

"I think he's in the house," the uncle answered. "What's the matter with all you gloomy pussies?"

"Nothing."

"I know!" exclaimed Thenardier. "Let's have a reheasl!"

"What for?" asked Cosette.

"Let's make believe we're on-stage at the festival!" said their Uncle.

"I don't feel like singing," whined Combeferre.

"Not without Mademoiselle Fantine," continued Gavroche.

"Enjolras, go get the guitar," Felix commanded softly. "Come now, Courfeyrac. Everybody into the group. Get in your places."

All seven gloomy faces organized into a sad little clump. Their heads hung and frowns sagged. Uncle Felix bit his lip, puffing out his cheeks in concern. Concern for what he was going to do at festival with seven unhappy children, really.

"Now be cheerful, right?" said he. "Give us the key, Enjolras. Now, impress me!"

Six of seven sang. The song was pretty, yes, but off key and off tune. A song about happiness had been made into a song about sadness without even changing the lyrics. Annoyed, Thenarder shushed them and called over Gavroche, who had not sung at all.

"Gavroche, why don't you sing?" he asked the boy.

"I can't!" Gav answered, showing the small bandage wrapped about his index finger. "I've got a sore finger!"

"But you sang so beautifully the night of the party," Felix insisted. "Come on, all of you. Try something you know. Enjoy it. Be cheerful!"

"The hills are alive,
With the sound of music
With songs they have sung
For a thousand years

The hills fill my heart,
With the sound of music
…"

Captain Valjean, who looked as disappointed as his children were but was doing a terrific job of masking it, walked out. He smiled at the Baroness who had blew him a kiss. The children started at the sight of their father. His eyebrows joined in confusion.

"Oh!" exclaimed Uncle Felix. "They wanted to sing for me, bless their hearts."

"That's lovely, lovely," said the Captain in a dazed voice. "Don't stop."

"Father?" Combeferre squeaked.

"Yes, Combeferre?" replied Valjean.

"Is it true Mademoiselle Fantine isn't coming back?" he asked.

Valjean nodded and made chore of becoming preoccupied with the pitcher before Thénardier and the Baroness. "Yes, I suppose it's true," he said. "What have we got here?"

"Pink lemonade," Thenardier answered, grinning deviously. "Laced with lemonade."

"I don't believe it, Papa," protested Cosette, crossing her arms and cocking a hip.

"What?" the Captain replied, missing her meaning completely.

"About Mademoiselle Fantine!" Cosette cried.

"Oh, Mademoiselle Fantine!" parroted Valjean. "Didn't I tell you what her note said? I'm sure I did. She said she missed her life at the abbey. She had to leave us. And that's all there is to it."

"She didn't even say goodbye," Jehan whimpered.

"She did in her note."

"That isn't the same thing."

Combeferre pushed his glasses up his nose and stepped forward. "Papa, who is our new governess going to be?" he asked.

"Well…" replied Valjean, a smile plastering itself across his face. "You are not going to have a governess anymore."

"We're not?" Courfeyrac gasped.

"No. You're going to have a new mother."

The children all immediately shifted their gaze to the Baroness. She was pink cheeked and giggling embarrassingly in the chair with a smug expression. "A new mother?" their tiny voices questioned together, provoking tiny heartbreak.

"We talked about it last night," said the Captain. "It's all settled. And we're all going to be very happy."

They continued to stare at him. It seemed they were waiting for something. Perhaps for their father to begin laughing and say it was all a joke. Or even Baroness de Thenard to drop dead right then and there. Any of the two would've been acceptable. Only, none of that happened. The Captain only looked uncomfortable, and the Baroness was still breathing and slurping pink lemonade.

"Well, all right, all right. Run off and play."

… Enjolras's knuckles beat against the big wooden door of the abbey. The Valjean children heard the patter of feet against cobblestone, and soon enough a Sister had opened the door. She smiled softly and looked over them all. "Yes, my children?" she hummed.

"My name is Enjolras," announced the boy.

"Yes, Enjolras?"

"We, my brothers and sister, want to see Mademoiselle Fantine," said Enjolras. Behind him, the other Valjean brood nodded in agreement.

"Mademoiselle Fantine?" questioned the sister, as if she had never heard of the person. "Oh, Fantine. Come in, please."

With trembling fingers and aching hearts, the children struggled to keep composure as the sister brought them into the abbey and told them to wait. Jehan bounced about, the flowers he'd picked for Fantine falling around his body. The sister left, then returned soon after with another woman of greater age.

"I'm Sister Fauchelevent," said the nun with a smile. "I understand you inquired about Fantine."

"We have to see her," insisted Cosette. "Will you tell her we're here?"

Sister Fauchelevent shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid I can't do that."

"But you got to!" cried Gavroche.

"She's our governess," said Courfeyrac.

"We want her back," added Combeferre.

"She didn't even say goodbye," Eponine murmured sadly.

Enjolras looked at the sister with those big eyes of his, hope shaking through his veins. "All we want to do is talk to her," he said.

"I'm very sorry, but Fantine is in seclusion," the nun told them.

"She hasn't been seeing anyone," the second one pointed out.

"She'll see us!" Jehan wailed, wiping a small tear from his eye.

Gavroche held his finger up high. The bandage was falling apart and dirty, barely hanging onto the little boy's skin. "I want to show her my finger."

"Some other time, dear," Sister Fauchelevent told him, patting his head. "I'll tell her you were here. It was sweet of you to call."

"We have to speak to her!" shouted Enjolras.

But the sisters were already shoving them out the door, much like their father. "Run along, children. Run along home."

"I'm sure she'd like to see us," came Cosette, her eyes wet with tears. "Sister Fauchelevent, please."

"Goodbye, children!"

The big doors slammed shut and all that could be heard was the muffled cries from the other side. Sister Fauchelevent shook her head, then headed back towards the abbey. Hearing the muffled voices, the Reverend Mother appeared by her side. For a moment they walked, but then the Mother spoke:

"What was that about, Sister?"

"The Valjean children, Reverend Mother," Fauchelevent answered. "They want to see Fantine."

"Has she spoken yet?" asked the Mother. "Has she told you anything."

The Sister shook her head sadly. "She doesn't say a word, Reverend Mother, except in prayer."

"Poor child…"

"It's strange," continued the Sister. "She seems happy to be back here…"

"… and yet she's unhappy too," the Reverend Mother finished. "Perhaps I have been wrong in leaving her alone so long. Bring her to me, even if she's not ready."

"Yes, Reverend Mother."

… Fantine walked shyly towards the Reverend Mother, then hastily bent down to kiss her hand. She took a seat, and yet, even the most simple of actions looked sorrowful as she did them. The Mother frowned and analyzed the woman.

"You've been unhappy," she said. "I'm sorry."

"Reverend Mother…"

"Why did they send you back to us?"

Fantine frowned and stared at her feet. She ran her tongue over her teeth before admitting,"They didn't send me back. I left."

"Tell me what happened," commanded the Reverend Mother.

"I was frightened," whispered Fantine, shame ringing through her words.

"Frightened?" The Mother's brows came together in concern. "Were they unkind to you?"

"Oh, no!" shouted Fantine. She blushed at her outburst, then continued, "No, I was confused. I felt… I've never felt that way before. I couldn't stay. I knew that here I'd be away from it. I'd be safe."

"Fantine, our abbey is not to be used as an escape," The Mother told her sternly. Sternly, yet understandingly. "What is it you can't face?"

"I can't face him again!" croaked Fantine. Her voice broke and she hid her face in her palms.

"Him? Captain Valjean? Are you in love with him?" The Reverend Mother spaced her questions appropriately, but they still pierced Fantine like knives. She had done wrong. She was supposed to be the governess and help prepare the children for a new mother, yet she slipped up completely.

"I don't know!" Fantine snuffled. "I… The baroness said I was. She said that her was in love with me. But I didn't want to believe it. There were time we looked at each other… I could hardly breathe!"

"Did you let him see your feelings?" inquired the Mother further.

"I don't know! That's what's torturing me. I was on God's errand. To have asked for his love would have been wrong. I just couldn't stay… I'm ready at this moment to take my vows. Please help me."

"Fantine…" said the Reverend Mother, laughing affectionately. "The love of a man and a woman is holy. You have a great capacity to love. You must find out how God wants you to spend your love. You must find out how God wants you to spend your love."

"But I pledged my life to God," insisted Fantine, sniffling like a child. "I pledged my life to his service."

"My daughter, if you love this man, it doesn't mean you love God less."

"No."

"You must find out," demanded the Mother. "You must find out."

"You can't ask me to do that… Please let me stay! I beg…"

"Fantine!" she was shushed. "These walls were not built to shut out problems. You have to face them. You have to live the life you were born to live…"

"Climb every mountain,
Search high and low,
Follow every byway,
Every path you know.

Climb every mountain,
Ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow,
'Till you find your dream.

A dream that will need
All the love you can give,
Every day of your life
For as long as you live.

Climb every mountain,
Ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow,
Till you find your dream

A dream that will need
All the love you can give,
Every day of your life,
For as long as you live.

Climb every mountain,
Ford every stream,
Follow every rainbow,
Till you find your dream.
"