"Please Lord; if I die, let me die! But let him live. Bring him home to her…" the
stranger whispered beseechingly. Lynette watched as he made the sign of the cross
once more, then sat down on a crate, looking up at the sky. "Are you alright,
Monsieur?" she asked, approaching him. He looked up at her, surprised, but then
smiled politely. "Quite, my dear. Just saying my nightly prayers."
She laughed weakly. "It seems like prayers are what we need now. God doesn't
usually hand out more than one miracle at a time."
"You'd be surprised, Mademoiselle. God can be very generous, should your
faith be strong enough." The man replied, smiling gently.
"That's a very prudent statement." She commended, smiling back.
"Well, I've had quite a while to perfect such sayings." He chuckled. "What's
your name, my girl?"
"Lynette." She answered simply, sticking out her hand. He shook it, saying,
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Lynette. My name is Monsieur Fauch—no, it is no
use lying anymore. Monsieur Valjean." He told her.
"Well, it's nice to meet you Monsieur… Valjean." She nodded graciously,
trying to ignore the bizarre falter.
"Lynette, forgive me for asking, but, what's a lovely girl like you doing tangled
up in this frenetic revolution?" he questioned.
"I thought you might ask that. Well, I'm leading it, actually." She blushed. His
eyes widened in surprise. "Leading it? But what about that blonde fellow?" he
inquired.
"Oh, that's Enjolras. I should have been more specific. I'm co-leading it." She
explained.
"That is still quite the…" he trailed off, searching for the right word.
"It's alright Monsieur, speak your mind. I understand if you think it is a
reckless action." She laughed, surprisingly not irritated with the unspoken
accusation. There was just something about this man's presence… something so
passive and generous that you couldn't possibly be angry with him. "Well, I do admit,
it does unease me slightly, but not for the reason you think." He told her, looking
into her eyes.
"Not because I am of the fairer sex then?" she guessed, puzzled.
"No. You remind me a bit of my daughter; she has the same exultant eyes and
bright smile." He conveyed, smiling warmly at her. She grinned back, "I'm honored
sir, and sorry to worry you with my safety. But justice is my passion, freedom my
goal, and Patria my love. The least I can do for her is fight for veneration." She stated.
"What judicious words you have for one so young!" he exclaimed in
admiration.
"Speech has always been my specialty, Monsieur. Without it, I don't know
where I'd be." She said, shaking her head before looking up at him again.
"Now I see why they follow you. A well-spoken man… or, woman, should I
say, usually comes hand in hand with a natural born leader." He affirmed.
"Much obliged, Monsieur, I'm glad you think so." She thanked him.
"Speaking of their listening to you, I suppose I should be thanking you. One
word from you and your friend… Enjolras? backed off and handed me a gun." He
itemized.
"Oh! There's no need to thank me, I honestly got lucky. When he's that
vehement, there's usually no stopping him." she replied honestly.
"And yet you did. He must esteem you very highly." He commented
thoughtfully.
"Oh, I don't know about that. We certainly hold each other's respect but…"
she trailed off, realizing she was red-faced and babbling. Why?
"I'm certain he does. It took but a second after you stepped in front of him for
him to go from livid to pacified." He said.
"Oh, well…" she began, unsure of what to say.
"Just, thank you. I appreciate your trust." He cut in, and she shot him a
grateful smile. For a moment it was silent, and Lynette looked up at the stars,
listening to the faint singing and talking coming from the main camp. Suddenly, she
thought of something that didn't make sense. "Monsieur Valjean, if you have a loving
daughter, why are you not home with her? Why have you come to fight in this battle
when the risk is so high that…" she gulped, forcing out the words she'd avoided
saying out loud until now, "you might not come home?" He was silent for a moment,
but she waited expectantly for his answer. Feuilly was an orphan, the others with
family issues of their own, and she was mistreated, left undefended by her own
mother. When he had such a welcoming home, how could he bear to leave it? He
sighed, finally answering, "You seem like a trustworthy girl. You see, the reason I am
here is out of love for my daughter." Her confusion must've showed clearly on her
face, because he continued, "You see, she fell in love with one of your recruits, and I
know if he falls here she will never recover. I came to protect him, to make sure he
returns to her safely." He finished. Lynette's eyebrows shot up. "You're her father?
Marius's sweetheart?" He chuckled, eyes dancing amusedly, then responded, "Yes, I
believe that was the boy's name. You see, my daughter has a habit of talking to
herself when she is troubled, and I happened to hear her doing just that as she was
packing up her things, going on and on about her Marius, who was to fight at the
barricades, whom she might never see again, whom she loved with all of her heart. I
knew she'd never forgive me if he died and she never even got to say goodbye, so I
decided to watch over him myself." He elucidated to her.
"That's… wonderful. She's lucky to have such a generous father." Lynette said
shyly. He smiled cordially at her. "Thank you, Lynette. But please, this needs to
remain between us. Neither the boy nor my daughter can know that I was at the
barricade." Lynette nodded at his plea, though she wished she knew why this was so
essential. She told herself he was just a humble man who didn't need to show off his
liberal deeds to quench her curiosity, and pushed it to the back of her mind. "The
truth is, I am quite distraught on the inside. When they are reunited, I'm sure they
will plan to be married, and before long, she'll be gone, leaving her Papa behind." He
whispered, looking down at the cobblestones. Lynette was saddened just watching
him. For the first time since he'd arrived at the barricade, this gentle, protective man
looked heartbreakingly vulnerable. And yet, through the power of love, he was going
to protect the very man who would whisk his daughter away from him, all to ensure
her happiness. It was incredibly fascinating to Lynette, how one could be so fiercely
loyal to another that they haphazardly toss aside their own happiness to guarantee
the other's. She felt a pang of remorse as she realized how she wished someone
would love her that way; for even her brother, whom she was closer to than anyone
else, was not as unconditional. "I know how hard losing someone is, and I know that
change is something more alarmingly fear-provoking than anything else in this
world, but Monsieur Valjean, you are not alone. One of my favorite quotes of all time
is, 'Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting their own battle.' I adore this quote
because it is relatable to every human being on this planet we call home, and it is so
real. Everyone goes through hardships, everyone faces the unknown, potential
terrors of variation. So, as I always try to when something I'm going through is hard,
just remember that no matter how alone you feel, there are thousands of others who
feel the exact same way. Just till through it, think of the brighter times that lie ahead!
You know that you are her father, and will always hold a special place in her heart.
You will not be left behind or forgotten just because she grew up." she finished,
looking over to him with a blush. "I'm sorry, I went off on a rant, didn't I?" Monsieur
Valjean shook his head sharply as if trying to awaken from a trance, then replied,
"Oh, no! You were— you—it was perfectly fine. My, Miss Lynette, let me once again
reiterate how intoxicating your words are. It… gives me great solace when you bring
forth such facts. Your philosophical lecture has left me feeling much better about
what is to come, as well as a few powerful truths. I will try to think of those when I
begin to worry; Cosette's happiness, not parting pains." He said, nodding gratefully.
"So thank you very much, Mademoiselle."
"My pleasure, glad to have helped." She smiled temperately back at him.
Suddenly, they heard a faint, "Lynette!" from what sounded like the opposite end to
this isolated part of the barricade Monsieur Valjean had found, and she immediately
recognized Enjolras's voice. "Well, it seems I am needed elsewhere." She sighed,
standing up.
"Ah, well good luck in whatever the task may be. It really has been a pleasure
talking with you, Miss Lynette." He bowed his head, smiling.
"And the same goes to you, Monsieur Valjean." She replied, turning on her
heel and walking off. She stopped only once more, shouting back, "He really is a
good, sweet boy, Monsieur. He'll take good care of her." And with that, she was off to
meet Enjolras, who had not yet ceased calling her name. There was an urgent tone
to his voice, and she quickened her pace when she recognized it, frowning. "What
could be going on?" she thought.
A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but I simply wanted to end the suspense. ;) Plus I got a review from the lovely strukkfirst, and wanted to thank her with an early update. I actually really liked your theories, m'dear; even if they weren't the happiest! They were very well thought out and would have been an interesting twist in the plot.
What will happen next? Will the battle take a turn for the worst? Will DonJuana update again on Sunday? Would you be so kind as to drop me a review if you've been enjoying this? ;) ~DonJuana