The Raven and the Rose.

Summary: When Eponine's protective nature demands that she treat Cosette with kindness rather than cruelty she unwitting changes the course of not only Cosette's life but her own as well. In the care of Jean Valjean Eponine grows to become a protector of the poor and a beacon of rebellion, she is both the Raven and the Rose but can she play these two rolls and live to tell the tale.

Authors note: ok so, my plan to go back to shorter chapters with this instalment apparently fell through, so did my plan to post this on a Sunday but there was nothing I could do about that as storm Ciara blew my internet connection away. Well, that might not be what she technically did but my connection was gone because of her so that how I'm going to explain it. Not that I am complaining because honestly huge parts of the country had it far worse, we are talking floods and roofs being blown off houses worse, so I'm fine with losing my internet for a while. Anyway, now that my tangent about the British weather is over, here is chapter 4, it's another long one but I hope you enjoy it, as it was fun to write.


Chapter 4

A family takes its flight

With it being Christmas Eve Valjean decided the first order of business should be precuring Christmas gifts for the girls and he knew just what to get them. He instructed them to remain in the carriage with their eyes tightly shut, then he disappeared into the toy shop that had so captivated the girls on their walk to the Inn.

"And open" he said both to announce his return and to let them know they could open their eyes now.

Valjean proudly held the grandly beautiful doll out to Cosette an the softer more simply beautiful bear to Eponine. Cosette almost pounced on the doll babbling her thanks over and over again. Eponine was wearier of the gifts, as seemed to be her way but she did reach out to stroke the animal's soft fur.

"Go on, take it" Valjean encouraged her quietly "it's for you" Eponine quickly grabbed the bear pulled it to her chest and hugged it tight.

"Thank you, Monsieur," she whispered and Valjean couldn't help but feel like he had won something by gaining just some small part of her trust.

"I know your lives have been hard" the man said "but you are both safe now" he promised the girls as he climbed into the carriage along with them. "Where I go you will be" he swore, his Lark and Raven would never face the world alone again.

"Will you be like a Papa to us?" it was Cosette that asked the question, oh so innocently but Valjean could see that Eponine wanted to hear the answer just as much as her friend turned Sister did.

"Yes Cosette, this is true, I'll be Mother and Father to both of you" Valjean replied honestly, he gave each girl a warm smile and was pleasantly surprised when Eponine returned it just as readily as Cosette.

The journey to Paris was a long one and the hour was already late, it didn't take long for the girls to fall asleep. They had nestled themselves up on the seat opposite Valjean, Eponine was leaning against the carriages padded side while Cosette had curled up on the seat and had her head resting in the other girl's lap. Neither of them released their hold on their Christmas gifts, they held on to them tight, even as they slept.

Watching his Daughters sleep Valjean was stuck again by just how much he loved them already, they were like two parts of himself that he didn't know he was missing until now. Their very existence changed the world, it suddenly became a much more beautiful and somehow scarier place.

The girls bought a burst of hope and light into Valjean's life but did he deserve it? Could he really do what he had promised? He already knew he would lay his life down to protect them but was that enough? Could he keep them safe from the shadows of his own past?

They could never know who he had once been or about the life he used to live, that would be a secret he could never speak of, he would lie to them if he had to but he would never leave them alone.

He had been alone in the world too long and the girls had relied on no on but each other for too many years, now the three of them would face life and its challenges together. Jean Valjean would do what he must, he would make any sacrifices he needed to so long as his Daughters were safe and happy it would all be worth it.

Upon leaving Paris in search of Cosette, Valjean had assumed that finding her would be the hardest part of his task. It hadn't occurred to him just how difficult and dangerous actually getting her to safety could be, when he noticed guards searching every carriage at the gates, he cursed his lack of foresight.

Of course, Javert would not make returning to Paris easy for Valjean and now he had two children in his care instead of the one he had planned on.

Taking a last look at the girls in their restful state Valjean gently shook them awake. He hated to disturb them but there was no time for sentimentality or regrets, they needed to move, now.

"Cosette, Eponine" he whispered their names urgently. Cosette was slow to stir but Eponine was up and alert almost as soon as her name was uttered. Valjean reached out to take both the doll and the bear from the girls but he only got the doll. Eponine had already tucked her bear safely into the basket that she still carried with her. Valjean hid the doll inside his jacket and with and encouraging smile he hurried the two girls out of the carriage.

Valjean took each of his Daughters by the hand and as quickly and quietly as he could he led them back the way the carriage had come. He was impressed by how well the girls kept pace with him and they soon reached a hole in the city wall.

Eponine scampered through the hole without any encouragement, Valjean was just lifting Cosette through when Javert's voice rang out calling his name and prisoner number, they had been seen.

Once they were on the other side of the wall Valjean caught hold of both girls hands again and took off running. His Daughters were quick and sure footed for their age but they still struggled to keep up with Valjean when he ran at full pelt. Eponine's basket flailed in the wind nearly throwing her already beloved bear out of it while Cosette lost first one shoe then the other as she tried to keep up.

The hooves of Javert's horse could be heard clattering behind them as he got ever closer to catching them. Valjean dreaded to think what would become of his girls if he was apprehended, he couldn't let that happen, he had to remain free for their sake if for no other reason.

"Come girl's, quickly" he urged them on, desperate to see them safe.

Jumping from a raised walkway to the lower streets of Paris was not the route of escape that Valjean wanted to take with his newly acquired children in tow but it was the only one open to them and he was left with little choice.

Climbing over the low wall of the walkway the hunted man risked a glance back to see just how close Javert had gotten and he wished he hadn't. with no time for hesitation he scooped both girls into his arms and jumped.

Cosette clung to him desperately while Eponine gave a small scream off fright, it was the first sign of fear he had seen from the braver of the two girls since the chase had begun.

Valjean had to carry Cosette now as she was shoeless but Eponine made no comment as he placed her down on the ground. Carrying one child and leading the other by the hand Valjean crept quietly through the streets, he sacrificed speed for discretion, hoping to avoid the ever-watchful gaze of Inspector Javert.

He found a rope hanging from a lamp and silently praised The Lord as it might just be what he needed to get himself and his charges to safety.

Reaching the outer walls of the Convent that he prayed would provide then all with sanctuary, Valjean knew he had to move quickly. He felt terrible placing the bear footed Cosette down on the cold ground but he had no choice if he was going to save both her and Eponine.

Even as he scaled the Convents wall Valjean felt a swell of fatherly pride as he witnessed Eponine pulling Cosette close to herself in an effort to provide any warmth and comfort that she could.

Once he reached the top of the wall Valjean threw down the rope with whispered instructions to the girls. He told them to tie it around both of their waists so he could pull them up.

Valjean was displeased but not surprised when Eponine disobeyed him. he got the feeling that if their little family made it through the night, she would be the more rebellious of his two children.

Eponine tied the rope firmly around Cosette then handed her basket off to the girl, telling her to hold onto it tight. Then she followed in her Father's footsteps and began to climb the wall herself, the stones of the Convent wall were smoother than the ones of the Inn had ever been making the task more difficult than Eponine had expected but she could do it, she knew she could.

Valjean called out to Eponine to stop her accent, he was a strong man and he could pull both girls up easily but she would not hear of it and continued her climb. If she regretted her choice when Cosette, still clutching the basket sailed effortlessly past her she would never admit it.

Eponine reached the top of the wall only moments after her Sister, she grinned triumphantly at her Father but her pride, as it so often does came before a fall. Just as she was pulling herself up over the edge of the thick wall, Eponine's hand slipped and she almost went plummeting back down to the ground.

Her Father's hand shot out and caught Eponine an instant before she disappeared from his sight. Despite the urgency of their escape, Valjean took a moment to hold both of his girls close and reassure them that all was well, even if that wasn't strictly true.

Javert was on foot now due to the narrow streets, Valjean could hear him running about below them, calling out both his name and that accursed number he had been forced to live under for so many years. There was no time for him to get himself and the girls down into the Convent's gardens, so he lay them down on top of the wall, in hopes they would not be seen.

"You must be quiet and still" he ordered softly as he pulled the two of them to his chest and held them there comfortingly. Thankfully both of them listened to him this time, even when the wind began to pick up and blow fiercely around them, neither girl let out so much as a whimper.

When the wind blew even harder and ripped the basket from Cosette's hand, sending it and its contents tumbling down into the garden of the Convent Eponine's grip tightened on her Father but still she didn't make a peep.

The three of them lay petrified atop the wall for far longer than they probably needed to but Valjean wanted to be sure that Javert really had gone before he risked moving his girls.

Once he had no droughts that the coast was clear he sat up slowly and made sure that the girls were steady on their perches before he made any moves to get them down. Valjean looped the rope that had formally held just Cosette around both of them and pulled it tight.

"Hold fast to each other" he told them firmly, he was glad when neither of them objected but he hoped that Eponine's close call hadn't broken to spirt that he had quickly come to admire in her.

"You will be safe on the ground soon" he promised them, pressing a kiss to each of their foreheads "just hold each other tight and trust me" he urged them, hoping that they could do as he asked.

Eponine clung to Cosette just as tightly as Cosette held her, for the first time in years she took as much comfort from the other girls embrace as she gave.

As soon as her feet touched down on the soft grass of what appeared to be the Convents cemetery Eponine threw off the rope and raced over to her fallen basket.

The bear had landed a short distance from the basket and his once pristine fur now sported some grass stains from his ruff landing but thankfully, he was otherwise undamaged.

"Eponine, I'm so sorry" Cosette whispered as she helped to gather the cloak and bonnet that had also fallen from the basket when she dropped it. "I tried to hold on to it, honestly I did" she swore.

"It's alright Cosette" Eponine assured the other girl "It was an accident and there was no harm done" she said holding up the bear for her Sister to see.

Cosette was just handing the basket back to Eponine when she noticed a small cluster of creamy, off white objects nestled in the grass. On closer inspection she was shocked to find she knew exactly what they were.

"Eponine, your roses" she gasped pointing to them. Eponine was confused for a moment but when she saw just what Cosette was trying to show her, understanding dawned.

There scattered across the grass were a handful of the paper roses that the boy in the carriage had made for her the day he had bought her home from Paris. She remembered hiding them away in an old basket so that her Mother wouldn't take them away from her, she hadn't even realised that she had grabbed the same basket to ferry Cosette's warm cloths down to her but she was immensely glad that she had.

Eponine gathered up her precious roses while Cosette pulled the warm clothes she had just put in the basket back out of it, sure enough beneath the cloak lay the rest of Eponine's roses. "I think there all here Eponine" she reassured the other girl.

Eponine's only response was a bright smile but that was enough for Cosette, it seemed to her that both she and Eponine had smiled more that night than they had in all the months that proceeded it.

The girls had just loaded the roses, cloak, bonnet and bear back into the basket when their Father reached the ground. They raced to his side and welcomed him with a hug, glad that he was safe.

Valjean quickly picked Cosette up and wrapped his free arm around Eponine's shoulders, the worst of the night might be over but they weren't safe yet, they still needed to find shelter.

Valjean could hear the Sisters of the Convent singing they're thanks to The Lord. He peered through a door and could see them knelt in prayer, as badly as he needed their help Valjean would not disturb the Nun's at such a time. Thankfully they were not the only occupants of the Convent still awake.

Valjean and the girls came across a man tending to some of the graves, he seemed familiar to Valjean but he couldn't place why. The man was clearly startled by hearing Valjean approach. He raised his shovel ready to weald it as a weapon if he needed to. "Who's there?" he demanded in a whisper.

"Please Monsieur, we need your help" Valjean pleaded as he, Eponine and Cosette came out of hiding. "Please, I need safety for my Daughter's" he implored when the man still appeared unsure.

It seemed God was smiling down on Jean Valjean that night as the man he encountered turned out to be Monsieur Fauchelevent, the same man he had saved from beneath his own cart just a short while ago. He remembered what Valjean had done for him and he was eager to help both him and his children.

Valjean swore that they would be grateful for anything Fauchelevent could do for them and they would except any and all help that the Sisters could offer with thankful hearts.

As Valjean followed Fauchelevent into the warmth of the Convent he held his two Daughters close one on his hip and the other at his side. "Here our lives can start again" he promised them.

Neither he nor the girls knew what the future held for them but they were all sure it had to be better than the past, at least they had each other now and that was more than any of them had ever had before.


Thank you for taking the time to read, I would love to know what you think so far. Thanks again Millie xXx