My Lovelies... I just love you guys SOO much for sticking with me even though I've been awful with updates lately... Between school and a tech week and lack of muse, I struggled... but here I have it! Chapter 29! I hope you all enjoy! Reviews have been a little slow... :'( I would LOVE to hear your feedback! It always motivates me to write faster!

So without further ado, here's chapter 29!

Warning: ... i'll tell you at the end

Disclaimer: Nope... tried and failed...


Chapter 29: Lead up

"Hey," He called, bringing her injured hand to his lips before letting her go. "No matter what happens today, I'll always love you."

She flashed him a brilliant smile before going to retrieve the babies.

"Are you sure you don't want us to be there?" Enjolras's voice came through the phone for the fiftieth time since they'd set out for the prison hospital. Combeferre at the wheel rolled his eyes, checking the rearview mirror to see his two sleeping children and Azelma tucked in the back. (Thénardier requested both his children and grandchildren come to visit him. The group feared he'd also ask for Gavroche, but were relieved when he failed to remember he had taken care of a third child when asked if there was anyone else he'd like to see.) He heard an annoyed sigh come from his right and looked over to Éponine who held his phone out in front of her, the group on speaker.

"For the millionth time Enj, it's fine. First off the waiting room isn't big enough for our whole crew and second it's just going to be me, Zel, and the twins in there. Ferre's got to wait outside."

At this Combeferre shuddered a bit. He didn't care that the man was suffering from a bullet wound to the gut or that he didn't have much time left anyway. He didn't like the idea of his fiancé, "baby sister", and his children alone in a room with him, even if guards were posted at every door.

Éponine, noticing his movements, absentmindedly rubbed his shoulder.

"Listen, guys, I know it's gonna be a little worrisome, but the best thing you guys can do is wait at the café." Several audible complaints were heard on the other end.

"I know, it's torture, but you'll live." She deadpanned.

"Besides, it'll be hard to catch up with us now, seeing as we're pulling off the exit."

This brought a whole new round of exclamations seeing as they thought the little family was leaving at noon and not nine-thirty in the morning.

"Oi, go yell at Feuilly and Rel, they knew I left this early." Azelma put in, smirking deviously in the back. Combeferre quirked an eyebrow, but she waved him, mouthing, watch this.

As if she had psychic ability, Courfeyac asked, "How would both of them know?"

"Well, I had to climb over them when I crawled out of bed this morning." She answered matter-o-factly, relishing in the silence that followed.

"None of you have bothered to mention to anyone else of your arrangement?" Éponine asked tiredly, rubbing the bridge of her nose, sighing as Azelma shook her head maniacally.

The silence was over as soon as it came and the other end exploded with questions and shouts of victory and defeat and the clang of coins.

"They bet on it?" Azelma shrieked, suddenly very red.

"They bet on everything." Combeferre mused, trying to decipher the thousand and one conversations on the other end.

"Well, we'll let you lot settle this, we're here!" Éponine cried over the ruckus. She vaguely heard Musichetta shout, "Good luck Sweetie!" before she closed the call.

"Zel, why?" It was a simple question coming from a very tired and nervous Éponine.

"Well, it got them distracted didn't it? They weren't bugging to come with us anymore." She replied nonchalantly, turning away to make faces at Sarah, who'd just let out a big yawn.

Tearing her gaze away from her babies and baby sister, Éponine let her mind wander for the thousandth time that morning. What would happen in those moments in the hospital room? Would her father reveal another deep dark secret? Was he not even her father? No, she'd ruled that one out a long time ago. For one, she shared his eyes and Azelma his hair. For another, once upon a time that is, they shared the same sense of adventure and joyous look on life. He'd lost it when he'd lost the inn, she'd lost it when he beat her for the first time. Only she was lucky enough to get it back in her salvation of Combeferre and the boys.

So if it wasn't deep dark family secrets, was it want of redemption? She couldn't remember a time when her father was all that religious, but maybe, in these fragile weeks, he'd seen God? In the days leading up to this Jean, Cosette's father, had taken her aside and told her what an old bishop had told him in his darker days.

"Dear Éponine, I know this must be hard to face your father, but perhaps he has changed. You know I was once a hateful man. I had paid for a meager crime for far too long and I hated the world, but then an old bishop who saved me from more time, he told me something. Something I learned and cherish with Cosset and with Javert." Éponine knew her eyes bugged at this, but Valjean simply chuckled as if he hadn't revealed anything.

"He said, to love another person is to see the face of God. Perhaps your father has remembered the love of a father to a daughter from all those years ago and that has changed him for the better."

She thought on those words from Jean, and maybe he was right, maybe that was why her father flew off the handle when he heard of Montparnasse's murder attempt. Perhaps he had once again found the love he once held for his daughter's and it had grown enough to include his grandchildren. Maybe he'd cared all along?

They did share blood after all. He did love her once upon a time, and they always say parental love can skip a generation… or was that cooking skills? Either way maybe there was some pull towards his unknown grandchildren, some grandfatherly essence that rained over him when they were born… maybe on that cool autumn day in October he was visited by God, an angel, some holy being… Who knows, but what ever it was, it had changed him… or at least she hoped.

She was snapped out of her reverie by the harsh rap on the glass window. Jumping slightly she looked over to see a guard standing by their car, looking sternly through the glass. Combeferre rolled down his window and brought the guard's judgmental stare away from her and towards him.

"What's your business here today?" His voice was starch and curt. It would've reminded her of Javert years ago, before he softened.

"We're here to visit Rémy Thénardier."

The guard stared at them for a few more moments, scrutinizing their every feature.

"Was this a planned visit?"

"Yes," Éponine spoke up, her patience wearing thin.

"He's under strict confinement, I'd need to see identification and proof of this visit before I let anyone it."

"Identification? Do you not recognize our faces?" Azelma piped up in the back, leaning over the armrest, causing both the twins to start to fuss.

"I mean, she's a ringer for the old man and how many other French gingers come in demanding to see a dying criminal?"

The officer's eyes narrowed, stepping down towards the car he leaned in slightly, causing Éponine to stiffen, Combeferre to move to protest, and Azelma to glare. The twin's fussing was slowly progressing and turning into whimpers as Éponine attempted to get Azelma to shut it.

"I don't care who you think you are, but I suggest you take your daycare center far away, or I'll be inclined to let you visit your supposed father in a matching jump suit."

"Now that's uncalled for." Combeferre protested, moving to step out of the car.

"MAXIMUS!" There was a harsh shout from the guard shack causing the officer to stiffen.

"What do you think you're doing?" Éponine craned her neck to see the powerful figure clad in his official uniform complete with medals (well, all except for the one closest to his heart with the most honor…that one hung on Gavroche's lamp at home.) appear from behind the gates.

"Inspector Javert." The officer, Maximus breathed, all the color draining from his already pale face. He fixed his posture to stand at attention, one hand raised to his forehead in a salute.

Javert regarded him with a cold glare before switching his view to the car in front of him.

"Maximus, why are you interrogating these visitors?" His voice was stern, an interesting mix of fatigue and annoyance also spiced the edges.

"They said they're here to visit Thénardier, but that's impossible because…."

Javert raised one stiff hand to silence him.

"Maximus, do you realize who's in this car?"

Maximus shook his head, his face becoming an hot shade of red.

"The driver and passenger are two of the twelve members of the group that handed us the Patron-Minette. They're also the two members that suffered the most when, under your orders officer, Christopher Montparnasse escaped. They have a scheduled visitation with Thénardier seeing as the passenger, the back seat passenger and the two infants are all blood related to the dying man."

Maximus took an audible gulp as he nodded slowly, mumbling a pathetic "Yes sir."

Javert regarded him once more before delivering the final scold.

"Maximus, you were demoted to gate duty for your careless errors that led to direct harm of this family, watch your manners and don't overstep your place to be demoted to a status lower than this now, understand officer?"

Maximus nodded slowly, his face a tart tomato red, his fists clenched.

"Yes, sir." He almost spat, unable to deal with the ridicule. He nearly ran back to the guard shack in order to open the gates. Once he was gone, Javert's shoulder's slumped and he let out a long sigh. Rubbing his face with one hand, he was torn from his recouping phase by a slow clapping.

"Braaa-vo Inspector Javert." Azelma applauded, her eyes lit in awe but her voice tainted with shocked sarcasm.

"I don't know what Enjolras was on to piss you off back in uni." Combeferre breathed. Javert cracked a tired smile before waving them through the gate, trailing slowly behind the car. Once they had parked and quieted the squirming children they began to walk towards the prison.

Éponine, carrying a very curious Sarah in her arms fell back to walk with Javert. Combeferre, noticing this shrugged and moved ahead to make sure Azelma didn't drop Ben.

"That was really necessary back there, but thank you." She spoke, keeping her line of sight on the prison, but tilting her head slightly to catch the Inspector's reaction.

He was silent for a moment.

"Maximus has always caused stress around the stations and it was his carelessness that brought almost fatal harm to you and your children. You all might have been the bane of my existence before the barricades, but now." He paused once again, contemplating his next words.

"Now I admire you and your group's work. Everything you stand for, but it's beyond that. Despite the boyish quips and jibes about me behind my back by some of your members, I do care Éponine. Perhaps it's because of a new found relationship, or perhaps it's because I've finally felt I've seen the face of God." He finished, leaving her speechless. There it was again, those words Jean imparted on her just days ago. That foreign idea of love and religion that her father might've found in the time of their last encounter to now.

"Javert, I" She was still struck with the words, unable to put her own together to respond.

He simply smiled, nodding, before nodding to someone and returning to his office.

"Good luck Éponine." He called before disappearing behind the desks.

Éponine hadn't realized they'd entered the prison, let alone made it to where her father's room was. Sarah was desperately trying to grab at anything and everything that passed by her grubby little hands. Because of Javert's confession she hadn't noticed the collection of two pens and several papers Sarah had managed to collect.

"Sacre Bleu ma fille, you are trouble." She whispered, prying the pens from her hands. Sarah, unusually, gurgled with a knowing baby smile.

"What did Javert say?" Combeferre asked, now at her side again, Ben dozing in his arms.

"I'm looking for the Mamseille's Thénardier?" A stout officer called, stepping out from behind two starch white doors. Above the alcove window of one of the doors, in blood red ink wrote Hospital and Confinement.

"Yes." Azelma spoke faster than Éponine could respond, her brain simply three steps behind today.

"You can visit your father now."

Éponine took an audible gulp, very similar if not louder than Maximus's only moments before. Nodding slightly she looked towards Combeferre.

After he handed Ben off to Azelma he walked over to his fiancé and gathered her into his arms.

Pressing a firm kiss to the crown of her head he spoke into her hair.

"No matter what he says in there, remember that time in your life is in the past. Whatever happens you will always walk out with a family who loves you more than anything waiting for you on the other side of the door." She nodded into his shirt, wishing to grab the soft cotton, only to be interrupted by a shrill cry from a squished Sarah between them.

"Sorry petite." Combeferre smiled, pressing two sloppy kisses to her cheeks, causing the little girl to gurgle in delight. He then pressed a gentle kiss on Ben's brow before giving Éponine a sweet peck on the lips.

"Nothing for me oh father and husband of the year?" Azelma drawled. Combeferre rolled his eyes, ruffling her curls.

"Hey hey watch it! I just redid them!" She complained.

The stout officer, who they frankly all forgot about cleared his throat.

"I'll take you down to your father's room."

The two girl's nodded and followed him through the starch white doors into a even starchier hallway, if that was even possible. Everything looked sterile and oddly clean. There were muffled cries coming from behind doors and the uncomfortable scratching of chairs against linoleum. Sarah wriggled nervously in her mother's arms, only finding comfort when Éponine shifted her position to curl her close to her chest, smiling when her little fingers pulled at the fabric of her shirt.

"It's alright princess." She whispered into the little girl's tuft, pressing a kiss to her forhead.

"It's going to be ok."

"Here we are." The stout officer had stopped at the door at the end of the hall. Unlocking the large turn lock that was on the door, he pushed open the large metal slab with an eerie creak.

"Ring the nurse button if you need anything. You have as much time as you need."

"Thank you." Éponine replied. The officer nodded and ushered the four in before shutting the door behind them.

The sisters and twins were enveloped in silence. Both women noticed the faint outline behind the curtain that separated the patient from the room. Azelma moved closer to her older sister, shifting Ben so she could grab part of Éponine's arm.

Suddenly a croaky hoarse voice shattered the once eerie silence.

"Nina? Zelly? Is that really you?"

The voice almost sounded relieved, hopeful. The two sisters shared a look. Azelma, for the first time in forever, looked frightened, but Éponine, freeing her hand from behind Sarah, squeezed her sister's free hand and nodded. Azelma looked towards the shadow once more and swallowed.

"Papa?"


Like it? The warning is that it was a bit of a filler chapter... but I promise the big hospital scene is the next chapter! I swear! (anyone catch my Frozen reference?)

Also random bit... Any olympic watchers out there? Charlie White part of the gold medalist US Ice Dancing team? Remind anyone of a certain blonde revolutionary? Maybe it's just me?

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Until next time Lovelies!