Chapter 16
Thenardier and the other men entered the sewer, unaware of the night's events that had occurred. They only knew that by morning, they would be wealthy men once again. They walked for a few minutes, and finally came upon a pipe way that extended in four directions.
"Right. Claquesous, you take that one; Brujon, the one next to it; Babet and Montparnasse, this one 'ere. I'll take the last one," he said moving his extended finger from left to right. "Find a way out when all is said and done. Madame will be waiting."
Each man took off down the filthy, putrid passages. Thenardier stooped as he tried to crawl through the narrow tunnel he had chosen for himself. He finally reached an opening and stared. His eyes widened and his toothless smile began to show. Dozens upon dozens of lifeless carcasses lay floating in blood stained water. He wasted no time, sticking his hands in pockets and in bags that hung loosely at the sides of the deceased. He felt his happiness bubble over with every new item that he discovered.
After a lengthy amount of time, Thenardier overturned a young man, who had the look of one of the students he had seen before. His thoughts suddenly vanished when he saw a gold band encircling the student's finger. Thenardier quickly pulled it off, and pushed the boy aside as he moved to another body. He heard, however, the jingle of metal, and turned to see a watch slip from the boy's pocket.
'Pitiful fool. Marching into battle with all 'is beauties on 'im.'
He snickered to himself as he capsized the next cadaver. He leapt back in fright, and scrambled backwards. He picked up his bag as he tripped over scores of corpses, searching for the way to get out. It was not the man's staggered breathing or slight movement, but his face, which sent Thenardier running. For he was the man Thenardier knew that he could never ever face alone. This man was Jean Valjean.
**************************************************************************
Valjean felt his body rotate over and be released. He felt water splash as someone took off. By the time his eyes were open, no one alive was anywhere to be seen. He had taken Marius as far as he could before his weakness gave way. He knew he was probably extremely far away from the barricade, yet the thought pressed that he wasn't far enough. He pulled himself to Marius and picked him up.
Over the next hour, Valjean dragged, carried, and supported Marius in any way he could. He had passed several sewer drains, yet pressed on. He finally decided that he couldn't go on, and would have to get out at the next one he saw. He saw light shining beyond the next corner, and he stumbled about to get there as fast as he could.
"I knew you would be here. Just took you longer then I expected."
Valjean picked up his head wearily. "Javert, why do you torment me so?"
"I promised you that I would get you again. You didn't think that little 'heart to heart' we had would soften me up, did you?"
"Give me another hour!"
"The story of my life!"
"Then kill me now, but then you will have another dead man on your conscience. This boy, near death, can be saved if I bring him to a doctor. I will then return to you. Name your time and place."
Valjean saw Javert study Marius. "I want no life but yours. Take him away. I shall be at the River Seine at dawn. You're most lucky; we're right below your house."
Valjean climbed up to the street and pushed Marius up before him. "I will meet you there."
He closed the sewer and looked around. Sure enough, his house was right before them. He ran to the gate and saw lights shining within the house.
"Isabella! Cosette! Hurry! If you're awake, come outside to the gate! Cosette!"
"Papa!"
"Monsieur!"
Both women, fully dressed, came running from the house. As Isabella unlocked the gate, Cosette's gaze dropped to the man beside her father. "Marius! Papa! He isn't!"
"No, no he's not. But only just alive." He tried to pull Marius along with him as he spoke. "Isabella, get the doctor. And for God's sake, tell him to run!" She ran down the block as Cosette opened the gate further to let her father inside.
"Cosette," moaned Marius, suddenly waking.
"Cosette, prepare my bed for him. Go! Quickly!"
By the time Marius was situated in the bed in Valjean's room, and Valjean himself had taken a chair, the doctor had arrived.
"What happened?" he asked breathlessly.
"From what I saw," Valjean began to lie. "He took a bullet to the leg and passed out after that." Cosette gasped from her spot next to Marius.
"The barricade?"
"Yes. I was a bystander. He was the only rebel who survived. I climbed over after the battle to salvage who I could."
"Well, I'll just clean and dress the wound and give him something to help him sleep. He will need a lot of rest, though. And what about you, Monsieur? You look a little..."
"A little weak. I'm just tired and hungry, to an extent."
"Rest for you as well. They are not to leave this house, do you understand?"
Cosette and Isabella murmured 'yes' and the doctor moved to take care of Marius. Marius began to stir and moved his eyes to Cosette. Valjean snuck out of the room to clean and change himself. He would leave the house; he had an appointment to keep.
**************************************************************************
Marius tried to sit up, but the pain that shot through his leg was intense, and he moaned in agony.
"Don't move," Cosette whispered stroking his forehead.
"Cosette. I was shot. I could have died."
"Hush."
"I willingly, willingly, put myself at risk!"
"Hush."
"I was the only survivor, wasn't I?" He saw Cosette look at the doctor, and he nodded.
"Yes, Marius. Everyone else died."
"But, then we..."
"You mustn't think about it. You are here with me, and that's all that matters." She placed a soft kiss on his forehead.
He leaned back, and fell asleep.
**************************************************************************
Javert paced back and forth wondering what he should do. He must have been insane to agree to meet Valjean here. Valjean, for all he knew, could bring a weapon, whereas Javert was left unarmed. He quickly abandoned the thought, for he knew that all the years had softened the old man up.
He knew that they would never be able to coexist now that all this had happened. Javert was furious with himself. He had let Valjean slip past him too many times when it could have been all too easy to capture him.
It wouldn't be satisfying to kill Jean Valjean, not today and not ever. Not after the opportunity came so many times and Javert willingly let him go. He hung his head as footsteps came near.
"I'm giving you a clear shot, Javert. I'm feeling rather generous."
Javert looked at Valjean and laughed. "You say I torment you?"
"You do. I have had to change my life around to, to avoid you."
"You aren't the only one tormented. You think that it's easy to let the only criminal you ever really cared about getting go free so many times? I hate you! You destroyed my life and my work!" He climbed on top of the railing of the bridge and stood with his hand pressed against the beam.
"What are you doing?"
Javert turned and glanced at his sworn enemy. "See you in Hell, Valjean." With that, he let go of the bar and descended below.
Valjean ran to the side of the bridge and saw Javert plunge beneath the murky water below. He never emerged.
**************************************************************************
Valjean returned to his room where Marius was. He saw his daughter fast asleep in a chair by the window, and Marius looking longingly at her. Valjean cleared his throat and Marius' head turned.
"Monsieur."
"May I?" asked Valjean, gesturing to a chair next to the bed.
"Please." He looked back at Cosette.
"She sleeps like an angel. She always has."
"She is an angel. Monsieur, I haven't properly thanked you for your hospitality. I don't know where I might have ended up were it not for you."
"My dear boy, you are most welcome. For anyone who has won my daughter's heart, has surely made me glad." He smiled at Marius.
"I'm sure we met by fate. We were and are destined to be with each other for eternity."
"Then perhaps I shall make things easy for you both. I do give you Cosette's hand in marriage. One you are well and ready, of course."
"Marriage! Monsieur, you read my mind! I would be honored, for I love your daughter in such a way that no words can express."
Cosette aroused in her chair and opened her eyes. Both men turned to look at her.
"Oh, Papa," she yawned. "Are you feeling better?"
"I'm feeling just fine, Cosette. But if you'll excuse me, I'll leave you two alone." He placed a kiss on her forehead, and moved towards the door. He smiled gaily to himself as he made his way to the guestroom.
**************************************************************************
As light began to shine over Paris, a man ran frantically through the streets. He came to the barricade and stood baffled. He had heard rumors, but not believed them to be true. He slowly climbed over the barricade, and saw men and women like himself searching through bodies.
He walked into the cafe to escape the gloom of the previous night before pressing on with the task he dreaded, when he saw more bodies lying upon tables in the cafe. He began walking up and down, until he stopped in front of one. Tears began to well up in his eyes and he fell upon the corpse.
"Eponine! Eponine! No! You will not leave me! We were to be married! To have our child! No, 'Ponine! No..."
His voice trailed off with sorrow as his tears began to fall upon the body of his beloved.
**************************************************************************
Hello! I know this chapter was short and broken up, but I had to condense the different events of that night, (which incidentally I'm told that 'Barricade Day' was celebrated June 6. It's a reliable source. *Dana*), within a short amount of time. And I'm winding down to the end of the story. I want the really BIG events to take up whole chapters while all the really small ones condensed into one.
Note: Please read the chapter before you review :)
Another Note: Upon the conclusion of this story, keep an eye out for two or three new stories by yours truly. :D
Thenardier and the other men entered the sewer, unaware of the night's events that had occurred. They only knew that by morning, they would be wealthy men once again. They walked for a few minutes, and finally came upon a pipe way that extended in four directions.
"Right. Claquesous, you take that one; Brujon, the one next to it; Babet and Montparnasse, this one 'ere. I'll take the last one," he said moving his extended finger from left to right. "Find a way out when all is said and done. Madame will be waiting."
Each man took off down the filthy, putrid passages. Thenardier stooped as he tried to crawl through the narrow tunnel he had chosen for himself. He finally reached an opening and stared. His eyes widened and his toothless smile began to show. Dozens upon dozens of lifeless carcasses lay floating in blood stained water. He wasted no time, sticking his hands in pockets and in bags that hung loosely at the sides of the deceased. He felt his happiness bubble over with every new item that he discovered.
After a lengthy amount of time, Thenardier overturned a young man, who had the look of one of the students he had seen before. His thoughts suddenly vanished when he saw a gold band encircling the student's finger. Thenardier quickly pulled it off, and pushed the boy aside as he moved to another body. He heard, however, the jingle of metal, and turned to see a watch slip from the boy's pocket.
'Pitiful fool. Marching into battle with all 'is beauties on 'im.'
He snickered to himself as he capsized the next cadaver. He leapt back in fright, and scrambled backwards. He picked up his bag as he tripped over scores of corpses, searching for the way to get out. It was not the man's staggered breathing or slight movement, but his face, which sent Thenardier running. For he was the man Thenardier knew that he could never ever face alone. This man was Jean Valjean.
**************************************************************************
Valjean felt his body rotate over and be released. He felt water splash as someone took off. By the time his eyes were open, no one alive was anywhere to be seen. He had taken Marius as far as he could before his weakness gave way. He knew he was probably extremely far away from the barricade, yet the thought pressed that he wasn't far enough. He pulled himself to Marius and picked him up.
Over the next hour, Valjean dragged, carried, and supported Marius in any way he could. He had passed several sewer drains, yet pressed on. He finally decided that he couldn't go on, and would have to get out at the next one he saw. He saw light shining beyond the next corner, and he stumbled about to get there as fast as he could.
"I knew you would be here. Just took you longer then I expected."
Valjean picked up his head wearily. "Javert, why do you torment me so?"
"I promised you that I would get you again. You didn't think that little 'heart to heart' we had would soften me up, did you?"
"Give me another hour!"
"The story of my life!"
"Then kill me now, but then you will have another dead man on your conscience. This boy, near death, can be saved if I bring him to a doctor. I will then return to you. Name your time and place."
Valjean saw Javert study Marius. "I want no life but yours. Take him away. I shall be at the River Seine at dawn. You're most lucky; we're right below your house."
Valjean climbed up to the street and pushed Marius up before him. "I will meet you there."
He closed the sewer and looked around. Sure enough, his house was right before them. He ran to the gate and saw lights shining within the house.
"Isabella! Cosette! Hurry! If you're awake, come outside to the gate! Cosette!"
"Papa!"
"Monsieur!"
Both women, fully dressed, came running from the house. As Isabella unlocked the gate, Cosette's gaze dropped to the man beside her father. "Marius! Papa! He isn't!"
"No, no he's not. But only just alive." He tried to pull Marius along with him as he spoke. "Isabella, get the doctor. And for God's sake, tell him to run!" She ran down the block as Cosette opened the gate further to let her father inside.
"Cosette," moaned Marius, suddenly waking.
"Cosette, prepare my bed for him. Go! Quickly!"
By the time Marius was situated in the bed in Valjean's room, and Valjean himself had taken a chair, the doctor had arrived.
"What happened?" he asked breathlessly.
"From what I saw," Valjean began to lie. "He took a bullet to the leg and passed out after that." Cosette gasped from her spot next to Marius.
"The barricade?"
"Yes. I was a bystander. He was the only rebel who survived. I climbed over after the battle to salvage who I could."
"Well, I'll just clean and dress the wound and give him something to help him sleep. He will need a lot of rest, though. And what about you, Monsieur? You look a little..."
"A little weak. I'm just tired and hungry, to an extent."
"Rest for you as well. They are not to leave this house, do you understand?"
Cosette and Isabella murmured 'yes' and the doctor moved to take care of Marius. Marius began to stir and moved his eyes to Cosette. Valjean snuck out of the room to clean and change himself. He would leave the house; he had an appointment to keep.
**************************************************************************
Marius tried to sit up, but the pain that shot through his leg was intense, and he moaned in agony.
"Don't move," Cosette whispered stroking his forehead.
"Cosette. I was shot. I could have died."
"Hush."
"I willingly, willingly, put myself at risk!"
"Hush."
"I was the only survivor, wasn't I?" He saw Cosette look at the doctor, and he nodded.
"Yes, Marius. Everyone else died."
"But, then we..."
"You mustn't think about it. You are here with me, and that's all that matters." She placed a soft kiss on his forehead.
He leaned back, and fell asleep.
**************************************************************************
Javert paced back and forth wondering what he should do. He must have been insane to agree to meet Valjean here. Valjean, for all he knew, could bring a weapon, whereas Javert was left unarmed. He quickly abandoned the thought, for he knew that all the years had softened the old man up.
He knew that they would never be able to coexist now that all this had happened. Javert was furious with himself. He had let Valjean slip past him too many times when it could have been all too easy to capture him.
It wouldn't be satisfying to kill Jean Valjean, not today and not ever. Not after the opportunity came so many times and Javert willingly let him go. He hung his head as footsteps came near.
"I'm giving you a clear shot, Javert. I'm feeling rather generous."
Javert looked at Valjean and laughed. "You say I torment you?"
"You do. I have had to change my life around to, to avoid you."
"You aren't the only one tormented. You think that it's easy to let the only criminal you ever really cared about getting go free so many times? I hate you! You destroyed my life and my work!" He climbed on top of the railing of the bridge and stood with his hand pressed against the beam.
"What are you doing?"
Javert turned and glanced at his sworn enemy. "See you in Hell, Valjean." With that, he let go of the bar and descended below.
Valjean ran to the side of the bridge and saw Javert plunge beneath the murky water below. He never emerged.
**************************************************************************
Valjean returned to his room where Marius was. He saw his daughter fast asleep in a chair by the window, and Marius looking longingly at her. Valjean cleared his throat and Marius' head turned.
"Monsieur."
"May I?" asked Valjean, gesturing to a chair next to the bed.
"Please." He looked back at Cosette.
"She sleeps like an angel. She always has."
"She is an angel. Monsieur, I haven't properly thanked you for your hospitality. I don't know where I might have ended up were it not for you."
"My dear boy, you are most welcome. For anyone who has won my daughter's heart, has surely made me glad." He smiled at Marius.
"I'm sure we met by fate. We were and are destined to be with each other for eternity."
"Then perhaps I shall make things easy for you both. I do give you Cosette's hand in marriage. One you are well and ready, of course."
"Marriage! Monsieur, you read my mind! I would be honored, for I love your daughter in such a way that no words can express."
Cosette aroused in her chair and opened her eyes. Both men turned to look at her.
"Oh, Papa," she yawned. "Are you feeling better?"
"I'm feeling just fine, Cosette. But if you'll excuse me, I'll leave you two alone." He placed a kiss on her forehead, and moved towards the door. He smiled gaily to himself as he made his way to the guestroom.
**************************************************************************
As light began to shine over Paris, a man ran frantically through the streets. He came to the barricade and stood baffled. He had heard rumors, but not believed them to be true. He slowly climbed over the barricade, and saw men and women like himself searching through bodies.
He walked into the cafe to escape the gloom of the previous night before pressing on with the task he dreaded, when he saw more bodies lying upon tables in the cafe. He began walking up and down, until he stopped in front of one. Tears began to well up in his eyes and he fell upon the corpse.
"Eponine! Eponine! No! You will not leave me! We were to be married! To have our child! No, 'Ponine! No..."
His voice trailed off with sorrow as his tears began to fall upon the body of his beloved.
**************************************************************************
Hello! I know this chapter was short and broken up, but I had to condense the different events of that night, (which incidentally I'm told that 'Barricade Day' was celebrated June 6. It's a reliable source. *Dana*), within a short amount of time. And I'm winding down to the end of the story. I want the really BIG events to take up whole chapters while all the really small ones condensed into one.
Note: Please read the chapter before you review :)
Another Note: Upon the conclusion of this story, keep an eye out for two or three new stories by yours truly. :D