Summary: A memory stirs in Cosette as her children play in the Christmas snow

"Oh look children, it's snowing!" Cosette said happily as she looked out the parlour window on a jolly Christmas Eve.

The children hadn't noticed the snow yet, but they all raced up to one of the big windows to see it, the younger ones being blocked by the bigger ones.

"Let me see!" 5 year old Leon exclaimed "It's not fair, just because I'm smaller than you" he said to the deaf ears of his brothers.

"Come here little man" Marius said as he came up behind the children and lifted Leon into his arms so he could get a better view outside the window.

"It looks so beautiful" Marie said. "Maman can we go and play in it?" she asked

"Oh please maman can we" Isabel said as well as the other children who pleaded with her too.

"Yes you may" Cosette told them. "Go and put your coats on, and gloves, and scarves please. I don't want you all to get pneumonia".

Once the children were all wrapped up they were allowed into the vast back garden of their home to play in the thick blanket of snow that covered it. It was quite beautiful to look at, so white and clear and peaceful, it reminded Cosette of the first time she really experienced the joy of snow as a child.

Cosette used to hate the snow, before she lived with her father all snow meant to her was that it was cold, she remembered how her feet used to hurt so badly from walking barefoot in the snow to fetch water, she would get painful chilblains that made her cry during the night and she couldn't stand knowing that she would have to suffer endless winters in this torture.

It wasn't until she lived with her beloved papa that her mind was changed about snow, it didn't happen right away though, in fact a whole year passed until she had a change of heart about it.

It was during her first Christmas Eve in the convent, which she had been allowed to spend with her father, she awoke that morning to her father stoking a roaring fire in his cosy gardeners hut.

"Good morning Cosette" her father said happily as Cosette looked sleepily around.

"Good morning papa" she replied as she shivered and sat upright

"It'll warm up soon, I just got the fire started" he said with a smile as Cosette wrapped the blanket from the bed around tightly around her.

It did warm up soon enough, but Cosette still kept the blanket clamped around her for extra heat, even though her life had become a better world the past year the coldness still brought back bad memories.

Her father had walked over to one of the windows and was looking out of it with a smile, "Cosette, come here" he said, reaching out a hand to her. "I want you to see this".

"What is it?" she asked curiously as she joined her father at the window.

"Look how beautiful it is outside" he said as he showed her the thick snowfall that had covered the convent gardens in pure white.

Cosette didn't share her fathers sentiments at that moment as all she had to say about it was "it's nice papa".

Valjean realised at that moment that the poor child had never been allowed to enjoy snowfall like a proper child should, she had never been allowed to experience the beauty and serenity of seeing the outside world covered in a blanket of snow, all it had meant to her before now was cold and pain, well he decided it was time to change that.

"Come, let's get you dressed". He told her.

After Valjean had helped her get dressed that day he took her by the hand and said "Come with me" as he led her to the door.

"Where are we going?" Cosette asked

"I just want to show you how beautiful the snow is" he told her

And he did that Christmas Eve, he picked her up into his arms and let her stretch out her hands to catch the snowflakes, she giggled as some of them tickled her neck as they brushed past her scarf and onto her skin. Valjean spun her around in his arms that day as he let her enjoy snow for the first time in her life; it was a moment Cosette knew she would never forget.

Both of them knew it that day, but neither of them said anything about it, but they both knew they had been together for a year, they both knew he had rescued her one year ago and this was their first Christmas together in the convent. Valjean kissed her gently on the forehead as he held her that day and looked at her with the most love a father can give.

"Merry Christmas Cosette" he simply said

"Merry Christmas Papa" she replied happily

Cosette watched her older children that day as they built a snowman together, Marius gave them one of his older top hats to dress him and Jean volunteered his scarf as well, along with a carrot from the kitchen, some pieces of coal and one of grandfathers pipes he looked a proper gentleman and the children were very pleased with him. Her youngest child Victoire, who was only three, spent most of that time in her mothers arms, Cosette had lifted her up into the air so she could experience to snowfall like her papa had let her experience it, Victoire giggled as the snowflakes tickled her neck and landed on her nose and Cosette smiled enormously as the little girl stretched out her hand to catch the snowflakes in her hand just as she had when she was a child.

"Isn't it beautiful Victoire?" she said softly to her little girl, who replied only by giggling in her own toddler way as the snowflakes kept tickling her

"I knew you'd agree" Cosette said with a smile, and then she kissed her daughters forehead gently.

Marius and the other children had added the finishing touches to the snowman when Cosette brought Victoire over to join her siblings, "Well done children" he said proudly. "He looks marvellous".

"Yes he does" Cosette added. "He's the most perfect snowman I've ever seen. Well done. Oh and children….." she began as they all looked at her to hear what she had to say.

"Merry Christmas" she said with a smile

"Merry Christmas maman" they each replied in turn.

Thanks to all my readers for your support and reviews this year. I really need ideas though if I'm to continue with my goal of a new chapter each month, I'm totally out of inspiration so please let me know what you want to see next. xxxx