A/N: Thanks for the reviews! And thanks to Hiyas again for helping me thresh out some ideas for funny things in this chapter.

38: Get Me to the Church in Time

I

The chapel of Saint Karol is the sort of quiet church on a hill that serves as a sanctuary to pilgrims and world-weary souls seeking clarity on the heights. 'It would be the very sort of place to calm down in any other circumstances,' Fantine frets silently as she paces the vestibule of the church. The afternoon sunlight streaming through the long windows lends a warm golden glow to the chapel nave and makes the various statues in this church seem far less forbidding. 'Like they do have actual halos,' Fantine muses as she stops in front of an image of the Virgin Mary. She wrings her hands as she looks up at the grand clock on the church's wall and finds the time to be half past three. "It's a Saturday, Jean! I thought people would actually get away from work earlier and be here on time!" she complains to her husband when she hears him walk in through a side door.

Jean Valjean merely smiles as he puts a hand on her arm. "The wedding is at five, and Cosette is already here with Eponine and Musichetta. There is still a lot of time yet, my dear."

Fantine sighs as she takes a seat at one of the pews. "Don't you remember how hard it was to have our wedding all those years ago? We almost had to postpone the ceremony!"

"We got to the church on time, the priest still agreed to officiate, and Cosette was still part of everything like we planned," Jean Valjean reminds her. "To be honest I never really cared for too much mocha even on a wedding cake."

"I still remember you frowning about it," Fantine says with a rueful laugh. She glances up at the clock and crosses her arms. "Shouldn't we call the boys now?"

"Give them fifteen minutes more," Jean Valjean replies. "I'm sure one of the girls would know by now if the boys were going to be late."

Fantine shakes her head as she gets to her feet and hurries over to a room just adjoining the church foyer. "Have any of you called up Marius and the groomsmen yet?" she asks worriedly.

Elodie hops out of the room. "Uncle Courfeyrac told Doc Eponine that they're having trouble with the map!" she reports.

It is all that Fantine can do to hold back a sigh of frustration, if only for Elodie's sake. 'I can't have her worrying on her parents' wedding day,' she decides as she watches her adoptive granddaughter twirl about in a pink dress trimmed with lace and ribbons. 'I could almost forget that she was ever in crutches or braces,' she realizes even as she sees Elodie suddenly turn and run up to where Eponine and Musichetta are emerging from the side room. "Any luck yet?" Fantine asks. .

"I called Florence. She and Combeferre aren't far off but they'll meet the guys at the gas station so they can get here by convoy," Eponine says, holding up her phone. Both she and Musichetta are dressed in the same delicate shade of purple, only that Eponine has chosen a simple v-neck dress while Musichetta has opted for a more daring off-shoulder gown.

Musichetta rolls her eyes. "I wish they'd thought of that earlier," she remarks as she helps Elodie straighten out her headband, which has gotten askew thanks to all her dancing around.

Fantine nods slightly, allowing herself to feel just a little relief. "I hope that when you girls have your weddings that things will go more smoothly." She almost regrets this when she sees Musichetta merely shrug, but this allows her to catch the thoughtful look that crosses Eponine's face. "You know I've always wanted to see you settled and happy, Eponine," she finally says.

"I don't think I can put both adjectives in the same sentence and mean it," Eponine quips. She grins as she checks her phone. "They've met up. They're on their way."

"Good." Fantine quickly rises and steps into the next room, where she can hear Cosette humming the way she does when she's daydreaming. She has to pause at the sight of her daughter in a flowing dress of pure white lace, with delicate purple orchids in her golden hair. "Are you ready yet, my darling?" she asks gently.

Cosette practically beams at this question. "I can't wait. Is it fine to be a little nervous though?"

"It is. I'd worry if you were perfectly calm," Fantine says as she places her hands on her child's shoulders.

Cosette looks up at her mother. "You were so perfectly sure when you married Papa!"

"Yes but of course I wondered how would we go about things, if we could last, if it would truly be till death do us part," Fantine says. She smiles as images of that tranquil church in the middle of the city now surface before her memory. "That was till I saw your father waiting for me at the other end of the aisle. Then I knew that he would always wait, that I would always want him to wait..."

Cosette nods as she hands a tissue to Fantine. "Your mascara might run, Maman," she whispers.

Fantine manages a laugh as she dabs at her eyes. "Silly me. Why am I crying? It's your wedding day and I'm supposed to be happy. You and Marius will still be living at home-"

"It's all going to be different though, Maman," Cosette finishes as she takes Fantine's trembling hands in hers. "What's not going to change is that we'll still be a family. Marius looks to you and Papa as his parents too." She smiles on hearing voices and footsteps in the church vestibule. "That must be everyone now!"

Fantine races out of the room in time to see first Eponine and Elodie, followed shortly after by Musichetta, Florence, and Azelma with Alexandra in tow. Up near the sanctuary, Courfeyrac and Marius are talking; one look at the groom's flushed face is enough for anyone to guess the substance of their conversation. The rest of their friends as well as Marius' relatives and other guests are finding seats all throughout the church. "Was there a traffic jam or some roadblock?" Fantine asks the other ladies incredulously.

"A container van had a flat tire," Florence explains. She grins widely at Cosette. "You look gorgeous. Marius is going to be floored."

"That or forget to breathe, so Maurice keeps saying," Azelma chimes in approvingly. She glances back towards the sanctuary. "Looks like the priest is here."

Cosette emerges, now carrying her bouquet in one hand and a basket in the other. "Can we start the wedding now?" she asks, nearly breathless with excitement even as she hands the basket to Elodie.

'This is it,' Fantine realizes even as she manages a nod. She steps aside to allow Jean Valjean to give Cosette a hug, and has to turn away even as she feels a lump growing in her throat. "Take my arm, please," she says to Combeferre, who has now made his appearance with Bossuet and Jehan.

Combeferre nods gallantly. "Tell me if we're walking too fast."

'I won't have to,' Fantine decides. She knows that she cannot retain her composure for too long, more so when she hears the first strains of the wedding march. She watches as Elodie walks down the aisle, tossing white and purple petals all along the aisle. Following shortly after are Musichetta and Bossuet, then Eponine and Jehan. It is then that Fantine feels Combeferre's hand tighten on her arm, a signal for her to also walk down the aisle. She glances back to where Cosette has taken Jean Valjean's arm. 'God bless you,' she prays silently as she and Combeferre step out of the side room.

It seems like an eternity till she hears a murmur throughout the congregation, a sure sign that Cosette is now walking down the aisle. She sees Marius' eyes widen and glisten with tears even as an incredulous smile spreads across his face. "You'd better take care of her, Marius," she whispers as she takes her place to the side of the aisle with the other ladies.

The priest looks from Marius to Cosette and Jean Valjean. "Who gives this woman to this man?"

"I do," Jean Valjean answers. He smiles at Cosette. "You go to him with all our blessings, my daughter."

"Thank you Papa," Cosette says, laying her hand in Marius' own.

By now Fantine cannot hold back the tears stinging her eyes. "That was beautiful, Jean," she murmurs when her husband goes to her side.

"They deserve only the best," Jean Valjean replies, squeezing Fantine's hand as the ceremony continues.

II

Gavroche already knows that despite all concessions to propriety, the Pontmercys' wedding will be poles apart from the reception. "We can't be behaved all day," he tells Navet as they go for yet another round of drinks at the bar in a nook of a garden cafe. Nearly everyone else is on the dance floor, the only exceptions being Cosette's parents and Marius' older relations, who are apparently content to watch all this revelry.

"The question is, what's a wedding without a little trouble?" Navet quips before passing a bottle of beer to Gavroche.

"A divorce in the making," Gavroche mutters as he clinks his beer bottle with Navet's. He takes a sip even as he watches the rest of the guests gather around where Marius and Cosette are about to release several doves from a large wicker cage hanging from the ceiling. 'You can't fool with physics,' he can't help thinking, only to be proven right when the cage door swings open and nearly hit Marius square in his face. Gavroche looks to Navet, who is fighting back his laughter. "Fancy getting back to work a little bit early?'

"No, no, a thousand times no," Navet pronounces before guzzling nearly half of his drink. He lets out a hearty belch and wipes his mouth. "Look, it's time for the bouquet toss."

Gavroche smirks at the sight of all the single lady guests now crowding the middle of the dance floor while Cosette climbs onto the small stage where the band has stopped playing. The bride grins as she turns her back on the group and throws her bouquet into the air. Everyone jumps and reaches out for the bouquet, all except for Eponine, who actually ducks as the flowers sail past her only to land right in Grantaire's lap.

"Ponine, seriously?" Musichetta sputters as she shoves Eponine's shoulder playfully. "You know who that was meant for!"

Eponine rolls her eyes. "Cosette just doesn't know her own strength."

"Enjolras, it looks like you're in trouble!" Courfeyrac shouts over everyone's laughter as Grantaire dances around the room and sweeps Prouvaire into a hug.

"That isn't enough evidence," Enjolras says smugly. He brings out his phone and taps the screen. "Excuse me I have to take this call," he adds as he steps out of the room.

"You're going miss the garter toss!"Feuilly protests but his colleague still quits the dance floor in favor of the garden. He whistles to Gavroche and Navet. "Come on and join us?"

Navet elbows Gavroche. "Care to tempt fate?"

"It wouldn't hurt," Gavroche says. It is at least worth seeing Marius turn as red as a beet when he retrieves the sky blue garter from under Cosette's skirt. All the men are jostling each other in jest until Marius throws the garter like he's making a baseball pitch. The flimsy accessory spins twice in the air before landing squarely on Bahorel's head.

Bahorel chuckles as he holds up the garter. "With your permission?" he asks Grantaire and Prouvaire.

Prouvaire nods before shoving Grantaire forward. "I don't own him anyway."

Grantaire grins before gamely taking the garter and putting it on his arm all the way to his elbow. "Shall we dance?"

Bahorel bows gallantly. "Certainly."

Now even Gavroche can't help laughing, more so when he hears his two friends humming the tune to that famous stage classic. He waits for Navet to find a partner from among one of Marius' cousins before going over to discreetly elbow Enjolras. "Seriously, no plans?"

Enjolras eyes him seriously. "I'll let you know if there are."

"You're a cool guy. I'm not worried a mite," Gavroche drawls. He smirks as he watches the rest of their friends continue to dance. "Just don't do anything this silly when it's your turn."

"You have my word," Enjolras says with a mirthful smile tugging on his lips before he excuses himself to join the rest of their friends to see the newlyweds off.