A/N: I got the French conceptual album of Les Miz for Christmas today and
noted in there the spelling of Les Amis...so I'm changing it! Heh..
Before the chappie, to my reviewers! Snogging: *wipes brow* Whew, that's a relief. Just kind of threw together the ending with Gavroche because the one I had was so horrible.....maybe to humor myself I'll put it up here one day. Pamplemousse: Aaagh, the aaaagonny...j/k. I think I'm the exact opposite of you; I happen to like Eponine, which is why I spent so much time on that chapter...I'm also a hopeless romantic, so that would explain why!
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**Les Amis de l'A.B.C.**
The students sat in relatively tense silence for almost another hour. The Garde Nationale was biding its time, apparently. Perhaps the spy, Javert, had been telling the truth-perhaps they were going to wait through the night.
Joly was still on watch, his musket in his lap. He had his chin in his palms, elbows on his knees as he watched the street adjacent.
Marius was sitting on the curbside rather dejectedly. Gavroche had fallen asleep with his head against Marius's shoulder.
The barricade was quiet.
Suddenly Joly stood up, cocking back his musket. "There's a man in uniform coming near!" he shouted.
Everyone looked at him, picking up their own guns. Marius stayed seated where he was, putting an arm around Gavroche.
A man appeared at the top of the barricade near Joly, his arms up in a signal of peace. He was wearing the same red and blue coat as the soldiers of the Garde Nationale wore. Marius recognized him faintly-the students all called him Monsieur Leblanc, whom they always saw sitting in the park with his daughter.
He was Cosette's father.
"What brings you here?" Joly asked, not lowering his gun.
"I come here as a volunteer." The old man replied calmly, watching Joly and wisely not putting down his arms, as if to show that he was not armed.
"Approach and show your face!" Enjolras called from the ground. Monsieur Leblanc did as he was told, and made his way slowly to the bottom of the barricade.
"You wear an army uniform," noted Feuilly.
"That's why they let me through." Said the old man.
"You've got some years behind you." Grantaire muttered.
"And there is much that I can do to help."
Enjolras studied the man for a moment and then took his shoulder and led him toward the tavern. Grantaire and the others followed, eager to see if he was really telling the truth. Enjolras pointed in the open door at Inspector Javert, who was still tied to the chair with his back to the door.
"You see that man in there?" Enjolras said. Monsieur Leblanc nodded serenely.
"A volunteer, so he said, like you!" Grantaire said threateningly.
"But he's a spy. Calls himself Javert!" Combeffere added. The old man studied the prisoner, a look of familiarity coming over his face.
"He's in for it, too." Said Grantaire.
Enjolras had opened his mouth to reply when suddenly Joly gave a yell.
"They're getting ready to attack!"
The students all rushed to their weapons. Enjolras stayed behind and retrieved a musket for the old man, and shoved it into his hands. "Take this, use it as you will. If you shoot us in the back, you'll not live to tell." He said. The old man nodded, and together they ran toward the barricade.
**Marius**
I had barely enough time to load my gun and cock it back when the first shots rang out from across the street.
"Platoon of sappers advancing on us!" Joly said as he took cover himself.
"Everyone behind the barricade!" Enjolras shouted, finding a place to put the muzzle of his carbine in. I was intent on watching the street adjacent. The Garde Nationale was lining up; I could see the muzzles of their guns all in a straight row on the top of their smaller blockade.
/"Fire!"/ Enjolras yelled even as he pulled his own trigger.
I pulled the trigger and felt my eardrums nearly explode with the blast of gunfire around me. The sound was deafening. The air was instantly filled with smoke and smelled faintly of sulfur. I was aware of the Garde Nationale firing back, but none of their bullets made it through the towering fortification we had built.
I had just ducked aside to reload my musket when, seemingly from out of nowhere, a bullet came screaming down and smashed into a wooden table next to me, sending splinters of wood into the air. I flinched, pulling up an arm to protect my face from the debris. Next to me, Monsieur Leblanc also jumped aside, whirling around to find the location of the hidden assailant.
The gunfire was still going on all around us. Searching the buildings around us, I ran for little Gavroche and pulled him down. "Sniper!" I yelled, hoping to be loud enough that the others would hear me and take cover as well.
Another bullet came out from the sky, this one hitting close to Monsieur Leblanc. He did not flinch, though, only gazed through the smoky sky and lifted up his musket. He took a few moments in gazing around, searching still for the sniper.
Before he could fire, yet another bullet came. Enjolras, standing next to Monsieur Leblanc, jumped back suddenly and dropped his carbine, pulling a bloodied hand towards his body. The old man fired towards a deserted building across the street. It was within plain view; we had not built up the barricade on that side of the street. I watched over my shoulder as first a musket toppled out of a window, followed shortly by a limp body.
The gunfire started to die down.
**Les Amis de l'A.B.C.**
Lesgles gave up a jubilant cheer. "See how they run away, the cowards!" he shouted. The other students all lifted up their muskets in victory. The Garde Nationale retreated behind their blockade, not bothering to bring their dead with them.
"By God, we've won the day!" Grantaire said.
Enjolras shook his head, wrapping a handkerchief around his wounded hand. "They'll be back again to attack once more." He muttered. He looked over at Monsieur Leblanc and approached, humbled. "For what you have done for all of us, I will thank you, Monsieur, when this battle is finally won."
The old man shook his head. "Give me no thanks. There is something that you can do."
Enjolras nodded slowly. "If it is in my power."
"Let me take care of the spy for you. I will ensure he will not get away."
"Do what you will with him. He belongs to you." Said Enjolras, patting Monsieur Leblanc on the shoulder with his good hand. The older man turned back to the tavern and Enjolras returned to the students. "The enemy may be regrouping and will be ready to attack again by morning. Hold yourselves in readiness."
From the silence behind the tavern there was the sudden sound of a gunshot.
"The prisoner," Enjolras remarked. "Worry not about him now." A round of dulled, somber applause went through the crowd of students. Enjolras nodded. "Courfeyrac, you take the watch for Joly. They shouldn't attack until it's light again. Everyone else, stay awake. We must be alert and ready for the final battle. No one is to sleep this night!"
The crowd started to disperse and Enjolras caught the gaze of Marius, who had returned to his glum post on the curbside. He sighed. "Marius, rest."
Grantaire and Feuilly went into the tavern just as Monsieur Leblanc returned. The other students started to settle down for the night, their guns close by. Grantaire and Feuilly returned with a tray of glasses and a bottle of wine from within the tavern. The students crowded together in a circle, passing around glasses and the wine. Even Gavroche was allowed a drink. Only Enjolras, Marius and Monsieur Leblanc refrained from joining in the somber festivities. Feuilly held up his glass and started up a drinking song.
"Drink with me, to days gone by.
Sing with me, the songs we knew!" Prouvaire added the next verse, holding up his own glass.
"Here's to pretty girls who went to our heads." Joly took a swig of his and sang,
"Here's to witty girls who went to our beds!" He winked and everyone had a well-deserved laugh. They all joined in then.
"Here's to them,
And here's to us."
Grantaire had already downed half of his glass.
"Drink with me, to days gone by
Can it be you fear to die?
Will the world remember you when you fall?
Could it be your death
means nothing at all?
Is your life just one more lie?" The students toasted each other and sang all together:
"Drink with me, to days gone by,
to the life that used to be.
At the shrine of friendship,
never say die!
Let the wind of friendship never run dry!
Here's to you,
and here's to me."
Before the chappie, to my reviewers! Snogging: *wipes brow* Whew, that's a relief. Just kind of threw together the ending with Gavroche because the one I had was so horrible.....maybe to humor myself I'll put it up here one day. Pamplemousse: Aaagh, the aaaagonny...j/k. I think I'm the exact opposite of you; I happen to like Eponine, which is why I spent so much time on that chapter...I'm also a hopeless romantic, so that would explain why!
=========
**Les Amis de l'A.B.C.**
The students sat in relatively tense silence for almost another hour. The Garde Nationale was biding its time, apparently. Perhaps the spy, Javert, had been telling the truth-perhaps they were going to wait through the night.
Joly was still on watch, his musket in his lap. He had his chin in his palms, elbows on his knees as he watched the street adjacent.
Marius was sitting on the curbside rather dejectedly. Gavroche had fallen asleep with his head against Marius's shoulder.
The barricade was quiet.
Suddenly Joly stood up, cocking back his musket. "There's a man in uniform coming near!" he shouted.
Everyone looked at him, picking up their own guns. Marius stayed seated where he was, putting an arm around Gavroche.
A man appeared at the top of the barricade near Joly, his arms up in a signal of peace. He was wearing the same red and blue coat as the soldiers of the Garde Nationale wore. Marius recognized him faintly-the students all called him Monsieur Leblanc, whom they always saw sitting in the park with his daughter.
He was Cosette's father.
"What brings you here?" Joly asked, not lowering his gun.
"I come here as a volunteer." The old man replied calmly, watching Joly and wisely not putting down his arms, as if to show that he was not armed.
"Approach and show your face!" Enjolras called from the ground. Monsieur Leblanc did as he was told, and made his way slowly to the bottom of the barricade.
"You wear an army uniform," noted Feuilly.
"That's why they let me through." Said the old man.
"You've got some years behind you." Grantaire muttered.
"And there is much that I can do to help."
Enjolras studied the man for a moment and then took his shoulder and led him toward the tavern. Grantaire and the others followed, eager to see if he was really telling the truth. Enjolras pointed in the open door at Inspector Javert, who was still tied to the chair with his back to the door.
"You see that man in there?" Enjolras said. Monsieur Leblanc nodded serenely.
"A volunteer, so he said, like you!" Grantaire said threateningly.
"But he's a spy. Calls himself Javert!" Combeffere added. The old man studied the prisoner, a look of familiarity coming over his face.
"He's in for it, too." Said Grantaire.
Enjolras had opened his mouth to reply when suddenly Joly gave a yell.
"They're getting ready to attack!"
The students all rushed to their weapons. Enjolras stayed behind and retrieved a musket for the old man, and shoved it into his hands. "Take this, use it as you will. If you shoot us in the back, you'll not live to tell." He said. The old man nodded, and together they ran toward the barricade.
**Marius**
I had barely enough time to load my gun and cock it back when the first shots rang out from across the street.
"Platoon of sappers advancing on us!" Joly said as he took cover himself.
"Everyone behind the barricade!" Enjolras shouted, finding a place to put the muzzle of his carbine in. I was intent on watching the street adjacent. The Garde Nationale was lining up; I could see the muzzles of their guns all in a straight row on the top of their smaller blockade.
/"Fire!"/ Enjolras yelled even as he pulled his own trigger.
I pulled the trigger and felt my eardrums nearly explode with the blast of gunfire around me. The sound was deafening. The air was instantly filled with smoke and smelled faintly of sulfur. I was aware of the Garde Nationale firing back, but none of their bullets made it through the towering fortification we had built.
I had just ducked aside to reload my musket when, seemingly from out of nowhere, a bullet came screaming down and smashed into a wooden table next to me, sending splinters of wood into the air. I flinched, pulling up an arm to protect my face from the debris. Next to me, Monsieur Leblanc also jumped aside, whirling around to find the location of the hidden assailant.
The gunfire was still going on all around us. Searching the buildings around us, I ran for little Gavroche and pulled him down. "Sniper!" I yelled, hoping to be loud enough that the others would hear me and take cover as well.
Another bullet came out from the sky, this one hitting close to Monsieur Leblanc. He did not flinch, though, only gazed through the smoky sky and lifted up his musket. He took a few moments in gazing around, searching still for the sniper.
Before he could fire, yet another bullet came. Enjolras, standing next to Monsieur Leblanc, jumped back suddenly and dropped his carbine, pulling a bloodied hand towards his body. The old man fired towards a deserted building across the street. It was within plain view; we had not built up the barricade on that side of the street. I watched over my shoulder as first a musket toppled out of a window, followed shortly by a limp body.
The gunfire started to die down.
**Les Amis de l'A.B.C.**
Lesgles gave up a jubilant cheer. "See how they run away, the cowards!" he shouted. The other students all lifted up their muskets in victory. The Garde Nationale retreated behind their blockade, not bothering to bring their dead with them.
"By God, we've won the day!" Grantaire said.
Enjolras shook his head, wrapping a handkerchief around his wounded hand. "They'll be back again to attack once more." He muttered. He looked over at Monsieur Leblanc and approached, humbled. "For what you have done for all of us, I will thank you, Monsieur, when this battle is finally won."
The old man shook his head. "Give me no thanks. There is something that you can do."
Enjolras nodded slowly. "If it is in my power."
"Let me take care of the spy for you. I will ensure he will not get away."
"Do what you will with him. He belongs to you." Said Enjolras, patting Monsieur Leblanc on the shoulder with his good hand. The older man turned back to the tavern and Enjolras returned to the students. "The enemy may be regrouping and will be ready to attack again by morning. Hold yourselves in readiness."
From the silence behind the tavern there was the sudden sound of a gunshot.
"The prisoner," Enjolras remarked. "Worry not about him now." A round of dulled, somber applause went through the crowd of students. Enjolras nodded. "Courfeyrac, you take the watch for Joly. They shouldn't attack until it's light again. Everyone else, stay awake. We must be alert and ready for the final battle. No one is to sleep this night!"
The crowd started to disperse and Enjolras caught the gaze of Marius, who had returned to his glum post on the curbside. He sighed. "Marius, rest."
Grantaire and Feuilly went into the tavern just as Monsieur Leblanc returned. The other students started to settle down for the night, their guns close by. Grantaire and Feuilly returned with a tray of glasses and a bottle of wine from within the tavern. The students crowded together in a circle, passing around glasses and the wine. Even Gavroche was allowed a drink. Only Enjolras, Marius and Monsieur Leblanc refrained from joining in the somber festivities. Feuilly held up his glass and started up a drinking song.
"Drink with me, to days gone by.
Sing with me, the songs we knew!" Prouvaire added the next verse, holding up his own glass.
"Here's to pretty girls who went to our heads." Joly took a swig of his and sang,
"Here's to witty girls who went to our beds!" He winked and everyone had a well-deserved laugh. They all joined in then.
"Here's to them,
And here's to us."
Grantaire had already downed half of his glass.
"Drink with me, to days gone by
Can it be you fear to die?
Will the world remember you when you fall?
Could it be your death
means nothing at all?
Is your life just one more lie?" The students toasted each other and sang all together:
"Drink with me, to days gone by,
to the life that used to be.
At the shrine of friendship,
never say die!
Let the wind of friendship never run dry!
Here's to you,
and here's to me."