A/N: Happy Barricade Day! RIP to everyone who lost their lives today and tomorrow in 1832, in the novel as well in real life.
Monsieur Fauchelevent was sitting down at tea, when someone knocked on the door. Sighing, he got up and opened it.
"Cosette? Are you back from helping the poor already?" Fauchelevent frowned. He wasn't expecting Cosette back for another hour.
Cosette glanced behind her. Fauchelevent looked and saw two young men, and another girl around Cosette's age.
"Cosette, who are they?" Fauchelevent asked.
"Friends…I'll explain once we're inside," Cosette said quickly.
Fauchelevent nodded and let them all inside, albeit wearily. He led them to the parlor. Cosette and one of the men sat down on the couch. The other man sat on the chair, with the girl perched on the armrest. Fauchelevent sat in the remaining chair.
Cosette took a deep breath, "Father, do you remember when you picked me up from the Thénardiers?"
Fauchelevent nodded, "yes."
"Well, remember how they said my brother had died," Cosette said, and Fauchelevent nodded again. "He didn't die. He ran away. There was this baby, called Gavroche, and he had to protect him. I wasn't alone though! There was another girl my age, who looked after me."
Fauchelevent observed the three mystery people. "So?"
"So, that man over there is my brother, Courfeyrac," Cosette said, gesturing to the man in the armchair. He was in his mid-twenties, and looked well-groomed.
"Courfeyrac," Fauchelevent and Courfeyrac exchanged nods.
"And the girl is the girl who helped look after me, Éponine," Cosette continued.
Fauchelevent surveyed the Thénardier child. She was dressed in rags and was very dirty, although her jaw was firm and she looked determined. He nodded his head at her, and she nodded stiffly back.
"So, who is the other boy?" Fauchelevent asked. The boy was around Cosette's age…and seemed to be sitting very close to her. Cosette blushed, and looked desperately to Courfeyrac.
Courfeyrac sighed, "Marius Pontmercy. From what I've gathered, those two have been lovers for a while now. However, I am good friends with Marius and he does deserve Cosette. He may not be the brightest, but he's certainly one of the most loyal."
Fauchelevent seemed a bit less stressed when Courfeyrac explained it. He turned to Cosette. "Is this true?"
"Yes father," Cosette said, looking at her hands.
Fauchelevent sighed, "How long?"
"A while," Cosette mumbled.
"Well, I would like to get to know Marius a bit more. Perhaps Marius, Courfeyrac, and Éponine will join us for dinner?" Fauchelevent said. Marius, Éponine, and Courfeyrac agreed.
"Now I must speak to Courfeyrac privately," Fauchelevent said. Cosette, Marius, and Éponine got up and left.
Courfeyrac cleared his throat, "I assume you've been taking good care of Cosette?"
Fauchelevent nodded, "yes, I have."
"Thank you," Courfeyrac smiled. "Thank you for watching out for her."
"I did promise her mother…you seem to be well-off for a run-away," Fauchelevent remarked.
Courfeyrac laughed, "I was on the streets with little Gavroche for a year. I met Enjolras and Combeferre, and they took me and Gavroche in. Gavroche still loves the streets though, so I don't try to force him to behave properly. And then, I was given an allowance, and I got a job. I became fluent in English and German. Years later, I went back for Cosette, but everyone had vanished."
Fauchelevent nodded, "from what I heard, Thénardier's inn ran out of business. Now, how old are you?"
"25," Courfeyrac said.
"You're old enough," Fauchelevent seemed to be talking to himself. "You should know what happened with your mother. There are holes in the story, though, holes that will hopefully be patched up now. I assume you know the beginning, since you were eight when Cosette was born."
Courfeyrac nodded, looking solemn. His early childhood was a place where he never wanted to enter again. But he had to. He sighed, "My father abandoned my family. He told me that he didn't like being tied down. So, he just left. No one takes in a single mother of two. I was naïve back then, and I didn't know why. Yet, those women didn't know the whole story. If they knew…they might have treated my mother better. In order to find a job, she had to drop us off at an inn. The Thénardier's inn. Madame Thénardier pretended to be nice, but right when my mother left, she turned into a witch. We were slaves in that house. The only thing I could do is help Cosette get through it. I kept saying 'she'll come back, she'll come back' but she never did."
Fauchelevent was sympathetic towards Courfeyrac. Fantine's children had been through a lot. "She did eventually find a job. I was mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mur, where we have factories. Unfortunately, word got out that she had children. The forewoman sent her out. I was preoccupied that day, and didn't save her. I could have, but I was too busy…running from my past, shall we say? From what I heard, Fantine still had to pay money for her children. She sold her hair and her two front teeth. Eventually, she was forced to become a prostitute. When a civilian disrespected her, she got mad and hit him. She was going to be locked up, but that time I was able to save her. She was sick with tuberculosis, and I took her to the hospital. She died of her sickness, and asked me to take care of her son and daughter. I traveled to Montfermeil to adopt you two. I only succeeded in getting Cosette, since you weren't there. I raised Cosette like my own daughter."
Courfeyrac had his head in his hands. His mother…his beautiful, self-respecting mother was forced to turn into a prostitute, all because of those lousy Thénardiers!
"I want to kill them. Monsieur and Madame Thénardier," Courfeyrac growled.
"No," Fauchelevent said sternly. "I understand you are beyond angry right now, but you must let your anger go. Do not stop to their level. Instead, erase their damage. Become a good person, so their badness does not show."
"The least thing I can do is help Azelma. Or at least, make sure Éponine tells her sister to be a good person. Éponine has common sense, and I've raised Gavroche with good morals," Courfeyrac said.
"Thank you for your time, Courfeyrac," Fauchelevent said. "You are welcome here anytime."
Courfeyrac grinned, "I'll stop by once and a while, to see how Cosette's doing."
"Yes, and I don't think Cosette should know about her mother just yet," Fauchelevent said.
Courfeyrac nodded, grim again. "She's too young and innocent." He walked out the door, and into the garden. He smiled when he saw Éponine, watering some flowers.
"Mademoiselle Fairy?" Courfeyrac asked. Éponine whirled around and blushed.
"Toussaint, Cosette's maid, was going to do it, but I like watering flowers," she said.
"Do you? Wonderful," Courfeyrac grinned and hugged her. He frowned when Éponine flinched. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Éponine said quickly, but Courfeyrac knew she was lying. Sighing, he took her shirt, and slowly lifted it up to reveal her stomach and lower ribcage. Her skin was dotted with bruises, some new and old, and there were a few cuts there too.
"What's this?!" Courfeyrac screamed.
"Nothing!" Éponine quickly pulled her shirt down. "Courfeyrac, calm down!"
"It's your father, isn't it?" Courfeyrac asked.
"…it's only when he's really drunk or in a bad mood!" Éponine said, folding her arms around her stomach.
"How long has this been happening?" Courfeyrac demanded.
"S-since the inn ran out of business and we lived on the streets," Éponine admitted. "At least Azelma isn't getting hurt."
Courfeyrac nearly swore, as he had forgotten about Azelma. "She's fine," Éponine said. "She doesn't defy father, like I do. Honestly, Courfeyrac, it's not a problem."
"Yes, it is, Éponine," Courfeyrac said, urgently.
"Things like this happen all the time. You're doing enough just by planning your revolution. Besides, I can leave my house soon. I'll take Azelma and we'll live—" Éponine began.
"With me," Courfeyrac finished. "I'm taking you two in. Gavroche basically lives with me, I don't mind other people. "
Éponine sighed, "I don't want to be a burden, Courfeyrac."
"You're not!" Courfeyrac said. He took her hands in his. "I care about you; I really do 'Ponine."
Éponine smiled, "thank you," she said softly.
Courfeyrac gently hugged her and kissed her head.
Fauchelevent had done some thinking, and decided to let Marius still see Cosette. Courfeyrac was right about Marius, a nice young boy who didn't use his brain often. But, Cosette liked him, Courfeyrac approved of him, Éponine liked him, and Toussaint liked him. If Fantine had been there, she would have probably liked him too.
