Thank you for R&R and just generally being awesome - this is so much fun! And as suggested he is not saving her again ;)
He whipped around in time to see a young boy, no more than three, dart out into the path of the carriage. His mother had been the one who screamed, she was on her knees with her hands pressed to her mouth as the carriage lurched violently and tipped. It crashed to the ground and the carriages smashed into thousands of pieces.
Javert felt his mouth go dry and his chest contract. Her ran across to the overturned carriage. The horses were stamping and champing. The woman was sobbing in a pile at the sound of the road. He knew the child had been crushed. He gritted his teeth together and braced himself to walk around the carriage, stepping over the scattered piles of wood.
He could not believe his eyes. A young woman was holding the child in her arms and using her body as a shield, kneeling just inches away from the wreckage. She held the little boy out in front of her.
"Are you alright?" He heard her ask as she wiped away the tears streaming down his baby cheeks. He nodded before racing into the open embrace of his rejoicing mother.
"Thank you, thank you, oh thank you so much!" she cried, holding her child to her bosom and then bundling him into a nearby house.
"That was a commendable thing to do." Javert said gruffly, approaching the young woman. She got to her feet and brushed down her scruffy dress.
"Why thank you Inspector, I'm glad you approve." She turned her ocean-blue eyes on him and he nearly fell down in shock.
"You?" He yelled in disbelief.
"Me." Nicolette replied. Her voice had returned to normal. As had her appearance.
"You're bleeding." A few shards of splinter had grazed her face. She shrugged without taking her eyes off his face.
"Could be much worse."
Javert had to conduct his police business and sorted out the carriage driver. He arranged for the horses to be kept in a nearby stable and the shattered carcass of the carriage was dragged off to the side of the street. The debris could stay there for all he cared. Nicolette stood in the shadows watching him the entire time. And he was well aware of her. He told the carriage diver to file an official report on the morning and bid him a goodnight.
"Good night Inspector." He muttered as he hurried away in the night.
"Do you have nothing better to do?" He growled, setting off towards the police station, nearly an hour later.
"No." she said simply as she resumed step beside him. He saw that she was barefoot and had no shawl.
"Do you have not shoes or coat?" He demanded.
"I did" She admitted. "But I gave them to someone who needed them more." Javert was silent in shock; he had been right, she was insane. He stole a glance at her sideways. She was all dirty again but her hair was still braided.
"You are still bleeding!" He snarled. He grabbed her cold arm and spun her towards him forcefully. He tipped her face towards the streetlamp and frowned down at her, ignoring her shivering as he examined the cuts. She wrenched herself out of his grip.
"I'm fine." She snapped as she marched onwards. Javert hissed and soon caught up with the infuriating girl.
"It's a cold night." He said, watching her. She looked about, as though it had just occurred to her, and nodded.
"The coldest it has been this year." He pressed. She shrugged her thin shoulders.
"You could die." He said bluntly. She sighed and glanced at the heavens.
"It is a possibility. Comes with the lifestyle I'm afraid."
"More like a probability." He sneered. "Do you not have anywhere to go?" She glared at him as they crossed the street.
"You know I don't!"