Hey guys! So I've got to be honest, I'm really not loving life right now. It just feels like one of those times where everything seems to go wrong. School sucks, dating sucks, my health sucks, yada yada. I'm not telling you this to garner sympathy; I'm only telling you to ask that if I somehow screwed the romance up, PLEASE do not give me a hard time about it! I'm so unused to writing romance, and this chapter did not come easy. Plus it's a bit of a transition chapter. But seriously, right now one of the few great things I have going are you guys and your incredible reviews, so please keep the encouragement coming! I hope you enjoy it, at least a little bit!

Valjean awoke to the sound of a clanging pot and the smell of cooking eggs. He smiled as he stretched his arms above his head and got out of bed to begin preparing for the day. He could remember a time not so long ago when he had been the first in his little house to awake and begin to prepare breakfast. But as the years had passed, the routine of the Fauchelevant family had changed.

Valjean could hardly believe that this Christmas Eve would mark the 8th year he had spent as a father to his two precious daughters. Every night, he got down on his knees and said a grateful prayer to the Lord, thanking Him for allowing each day to pass peacefully and uneventfully. Well, for the most part, anyway. He was still the father of two spirited girls, who had passed through childhood to puberty and were now on the verge of womanhood. Needless to say, there had been a few exceptions when the days had been downright chaotic.

As Valjean walked down the hallway, he was met by the sight of Cosette, who was just coming in from outside. She had not yet prepared herself for the day; she was wearing only a simple cotton frock with her hair flowing freely down her back. Valjean could hardly blame her as the summer days were becoming quite hot.

"Bonjour Papa!" Cosette said gaily, skipping down the foyer and greeting him with a kiss on his cheek.

"Bonjour, ma petite Cosette!" Valjean said fondly. No matter how old his daughters became, he could not bring himself to cease the use of his childhood pet names for them. Neither Eponine nor Cosette minded, they just laughed at their Papa. "What were you doing outside at such an early hour?"

"I thought it might be nice to have some flowers to brighten up the house," Cosette replied, showing him the large bouquet of daises she had picked. "Besides, I don't think Eponine wanted my help in the kitchen," she added, flushing slightly.

Valjean gave a hearty laugh and returned her kiss. Although Cosette had become slightly less of a hindrance in the kitchen over the years, Eponine was still the head chef of Rue Plumet. As she had grown older, she had become a bit bossier about it, only allowing her father and sister to aid her when there were menial tasks to be done, such as chopping vegetables. "There is no need to be embarrassed, Cosette," Valjean said, taking her by the arm and leading her toward the kitchen. "The sight of the flowers will be just as inviting as the taste of breakfast."

Father and daughter entered the kitchen just as Eponine was beginning to divide the eggs onto three china plates. "Bonjour, ma petite Eponine," Valjean said, helping Cosette to her seat before giving his other child a kiss on the cheek. "Everything smells delicious."

"Thank you Papa," Eponine replied, returning his kiss and adding a warm embrace, much to Valjean's appreciation. As the girls had grown older, Eponine had become slightly more rebellious than her sister. She was more prone to arguing with him over things than Cosette was. However, despite her free spirited nature, she remained the more physically affectionate of the two. She still loved to sit with him in the evenings and listen to him read aloud. Cosette did too, but she would often sit next to him and work on her knitting or sewing, while Eponine would lie with her head in his lap or rested against his shoulder.

"Well mes filles, the weather is looking quite lovely today," Valjean commented as he took a sip of his tea. "Perhaps we should take a walk into town? Maybe take a stroll through Jardin de Luxembourg?"

"That sounds wonderful, Papa!" Cosette said happily. She never turned down an opportunity to go into town.

"May we stop at the dress shop on the way home, Papa?" Eponine asked him. "I accidentally ripped my violet sash last night. It got caught on the fence while I was pulling weeds."

"Of course we can, Eponine," Valjean promised. "Anything for mes anges."

Several hours later, Valjean watched from a shaded bench as his daughters strolled down one of the garden paths. He felt an unbidden tear come to his eye as he thought, not for the first time, about how beautiful they were becoming. They had always been lovely young girls, even when they were dressed in rags and covered in soot. But the years had been very kind to both of them.

Cosette's eyes appeared to grow larger and bluer every time Valjean looked at her. Her hair had grown into shiny, thick waves that fell down her waist, and her smile was dazzling. She carried herself with a grace that was remarkable when one considered she had never known a mother's care, yet she still maintained her childhood sweetness. The mint green gown she had chosen to wear to Luxembourg offset her creamy skin perfectly, and the sound of her laugh was musical as Eponine made some witty comment.

Eponine, too, had become quite the beauty. Her skin was not nearly as fair as her sister's, but she had her mother's dark brown locks and luscious brown eyes, which complimented her canary yellow gown to perfection. Her dimples had grown deeper as the years had passed, and it warmed Valjean's heart each time he saw her smile. Fortunately, Eponine smiled often, as she was incredibly lively and warm-hearted. Except, of course, when she was questioning something she had read or something her father had said. Then she could develop a fearsome temper. Valjean knew he was lucky that she had never defied him in any major way, not since she was a child.

"Oh Ponine, it's so hot!" Cosette complained as they strolled. "Perhaps we should have stayed home so we wouldn't have had to wear our nicer dresses and bonnets."

Eponine raised a surprised eyebrow at her sister. "You must really be quite hot if you're complaining about dressing up," she said with good humor. Eponine cared about how she looked, but she was not nearly as concerned with her appearance as Cosette was. Cosette enjoyed buying new dresses and primping until she looked as perfect as a porcelain doll. Eponine tended to wear her beauty carelessly, like a wild rose, though Cosette would never let her leave the house until she looked presentable. Eponine teased her about it, but secretly she was glad that Cosette was there to help her with things like choosing dresses. Just as Cosette was happy to have Eponine around to help her with more practical things like cooking.

"Try loosening your bonnets ribbons," Eponine recommended. "Maybe if it's not so tight across your head, you will feel a bit less warm." Eponine, for her part, had chosen to go bareheaded for that very reason.

Cosette took her sister's suggestion, and was relieved to find that it was cooler to not have her bonnet tied so tightly. But she and Eponine had barely taken a dozen steps before a sudden gust of wind came and blew Cosette's bonnet straight off of her head.

"Oh no!" Cosette gasped, dropping Eponine's arm and scurrying after her wayward bonnet. She was so anxious to grab it that she did not notice the chivalrous gentleman leaning down to pick it up for her.

"Oof!" the young man grunted, falling as Cosette crashed headfirst into him. Cosette skidded to a halt and her hands flew to her face in embarrassment.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry!" she apologized, her face turning bright red as she stared at the young man. He rose to his feet and dusted himself off with one hand while using the other to return her bonnet.

"No need for apologies, Mademoiselle. There was no harm done," the boy said, straightening his jacket and raising his eyes to look at her. As he did, he could feel his breath catch in his throat. The creature who had displayed the strength of a young filly when she slammed into him seconds before was actually a delicate, beautiful young girl, with eyes the color of a robin's egg and hair like spun gold. Her skin was an immaculate shade of cream, save for the two spots of pink that were present from her embarrassment.

The boy gaped at her in silence, completely forgetting his manners as he took in every detail of her lovely face. Fortunately for him, Cosette had forgotten her manners as well. She was just as taken with his slim face and hazel eyes as he was with her features. He had a smattering of freckles across his nose that gave him a certain boyish charm, but he had strong, sturdy shoulders, and carried himself like a confident man.

"Erm…are you alright, Mademoiselle?" the boy asked awkwardly, finally shaking himself out of his stupor. "I hope you were not hurt when you ran into me."

"Oh…no!" Cosette said quickly. "I mean…no, I wasn't hurt. Thank you, Monsiuer…um…"

"Marius," the young man interjected. "My name is Marius. Marius Pontmercy."

Cosette gave him a shy smile, which he instantly returned, much to Cosette's delight. Never before had she seen such a charming, carefree grin. "Marius," she repeated, savoring the name as it fell over her tongue. "And mine's Cosette."

Eponine was standing and watching the whole exchange take place with interest when she felt a strong hand grasp her shoulder. "Eponine, what is going on? Who is Cosette talking to?" Valjean asked concernedly.

"Nothing Papa," Eponine said quickly, trying to catch her sister's eye so she would cease her conversation. Papa was surely not going to be happy that Cosette was speaking to a stranger on her own. "Cosette lost her bonnet and the gentleman picked it up for her. She is only thanking him."

Valjean's eyebrows furrowed deeply. Cosette seemed to be taking a great deal of time to thank this young man. He watched as the boy said something to his daughter which caused her to blush and giggle. Valjean felt his hackles raise slightly as he sharply called out, "Cosette!"

The smile instantly dropped from Cosette's face as she glanced over her shoulder in alarm. "Coming Papa!" she said nervously. "I'm so sorry, my Papa…I must go," she apologized to Marius.

"Wait!" Marius said anxiously, placing a hand on her wrist. "Do you…I mean, do you come by Luxembourg often?"

"Well, we try…"

"Cosette!" Valjean called more insistently. Cosette could hear the warning tone in his voice, and she nodded her head at Marius before hurrying off to join her family.

"Forgive me Papa," Cosette panted, slightly out of breath from her short run. "I only wished to thank Monsieur Marius for retrieving my bonnet."

Valjean raised his eyebrow in surprise. In the brief time his daughter had spent talking to the young man, she had already learned his name. "Cosette, you know the rules about speaking to strangers, especially on your own," he said sternly. "It was alright to thank him, but you should have called for me to come with you."

"Yes, Papa," Cosette said, lowering her eyes to her shoes. Valjean's gaze softened at her contrite look, and he decided there was no need to scold her further. "It is getting far too warm out here, mes filles," he said gently. "Why don't we stop at the little patisserie next to dress shop for dinner, and then we can go replace Eponine's sash?"

"That sounds lovely, Papa," Eponine smiled, giving her sister a curious look. Cosette nodded her agreement and accepted her father's arm when he offered it to her. But as the trio strolled back down the path, she could not help glancing over her shoulder. Much to her delight, Monsieur Marius was standing exactly where she had left him, his eyes following her with a wistful gaze.

Later that evening, after the girls had retired for the night, Eponine glanced up from the book she was reading in bed. "Cosette?" she said questioningly. "You've been brushing your hair for nearly half an hour. Aren't you coming to bed?"

Cosette nearly dropped the hairbrush as her sister's voice pierced the dreamy silence she had enveloped herself in. "Oh…of course, 'Ponine," she said quickly. She grabbed a ribbon from the vanity and came over to the bed. Eponine could see that she was far too distracted to braid her own hair, so she gently extracted the ribbon from her hands and began to braid the golden locks herself.

"Cosette," Eponine said softly after a moment. "You've been wandering around like you've seen a ghost ever since we left Luxembourg. What in Heaven's name did that boy say to you?"

Cosette instantly turned bright red as she realized her sister had noticed her odd behavior. "Is it that obvious, 'Ponine?" she asked anxiously. "Oh goodness, do you think Papa noticed? I don't want to make him angry."

"Well, he wasn't happy that you were speaking to…what's his name, Marius? That's for certain," Eponine said, tying the ribbon in a pretty bow at the end of the braid. "But I don't think he's noticed your behavior. Or if he has, he's accounting it to the heat. You know in his eyes, we are still those little girls lost in the wood. I don't think he can fathom that either of us would ever be in love."

Cosette turned sharply and looked at her sister with wide eyes. "In love?" she squeaked, her face very nearly turning purple at the suggestion. "Eponine Fauchelevant, I am not in love! I spoke to Marius for less than two minutes! Goodness Eponine, people cannot fall in love so fast!"

"Alright then, you're not in love!" Eponine interjected, pressing a finger to her sister's lips as her anxious voice became shriller. It certainly wouldn't do to wake Papa and have him ask any questions. "But you were fond of him, were you not?"

Cosette took a deep breath and drew her knees to her chest. "I've never felt that way before, 'Ponine," she said quietly. "It was…I can't explain it. When he smiled it me it was like…a burst of light. I thought that only happened in storybooks."

"Well, writers have to get their ideas from somewhere, so I suppose it can happen in the real world as well," Eponine said, scooting over closer to her sister and wrapping her arm around her shoulders.

"I don't know why I'm even continuing to think about him," Cosette said, shaking her head sadly. "It's not as though I'll ever see him again. And even if I did, Papa would never allow me to speak to him."

"That is a problem," Eponine said thoughtfully. "I wonder if he goes to Luxembourg often. Perhaps we may see him again this summer?"

"He might," Cosette said, her face brightening a bit. "He did ask if I came frequently to Luxembourg."

"That must mean he wants to see you again as well!" Eponine said encouragingly.

"Do you really think so?" Cosette asked hopefully. But Eponine barely had time to nod before her sister's face fell once more. "Even if I see him every day, I'll never get a chance to talk to him. Papa will be watching me like a hawk."

Eponine stroked her sister's hair and contemplated for several minutes before an idea struck her. "Cosette," she said with a mischievous grin. "I have a plan."

The next day, as Valjean watched even more alertly from his bench, Cosette led Eponine slightly off their usual path through Luxembourg. She had already seen Monsieur Marius from a distance. He was seated upon another bench, pretending to be engrossed in a book, though both Cosette and Eponine could spot him peeking over the top of the pages and watching them intently. Fortunately, Valjean was so focused on his daughters that he did not notice the boy.

Cosette and Eponine stopped under a large tree and leaned against the trunk. They pretended to fan themselves so Papa would think they were just getting some shade. As Eponine leaned forward to block Cosette from Valjean's vision, Cosette reached into her sleeve and extracted a small piece of paper. Flashing it in Marius's direction so he was sure to see it, she slipped the paper into a large knot in the trunk of the tree. Giving him a quick, secret smile, she took Eponine's arm once more and led her away from the tree.

Marius waited for well over an hour until the two girls and their father had left before sprinting over to the tree, completely forgetting his book on the bench. Jamming his hand into the knot, he withdrew the piece of paper and eagerly read the simple message that was scrawled on it:

55 Rue Plumet

Seven O'clock

Cosette

So there you have it: Marius is officially in the building! Coming up next: Marius and Cosette begin their relationship through the garden gates of Rue Plumet. And yes, before you ask, Enjolras will be showing up next chapter. However, you won't get any Enjonine until the chapter after that. It's just the way it has to work unless I want to completely skip over Marius and Cosette, which doesn't seem fair to them. I hope I didn't butcher this too badly! Thanks for reading, and thanks in advance for awesome reviews!