A/N - I have destroyed the plot of Hugo's magnificent novel, but I did it
listening to the musical, so they cancel each other out. Pardonnez-moi,
mes amis.
Disclaimer - Don't own it, none of it but the Polish terrorists and random bystanders.
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When she arrived home, a letter awaited her from her elderly friend Monsieur Emmet Brown, an eccentric American:
Chère Cosette,
Meet me at the courtyard de Deux Arbres tonight. I have something to show you.
Doctor Emmet Brown
Cosette knew that her father would never approve her leaving the house at night. She would have to sneak out. She sighed. Perhaps if she had a mother to help raise her, her father would not be so overprotective.
At that, her father entered the room.
Cosette watched his face as he asked how the park was. He could not be as old as he looked. His hair was white, and he had care lines throughout his face. Ignoring his question, Cosette asked the one that had been on her mind for as long as she could remember.
"Papa, where is ma mère?"
Her father sighed. "Cosette, ma fille, I have told you not to mention her name. She was a saint."
Cosette did not really expect him to answer the question, but to refuse it so flatly was a surprise. To her shame, she felt tears gathering in her eyes. She looked down at the table and blinked, but her papa saw.
"Cosette-" he began, but at the moment a footstep was heard below the window.
With surprising agility, Ultime Fauchelevant dove to the ground, pulling Cosette with him. "Toussaint," he hissed, "go see who that is!"
"Y-yes, m'sieur."
A moment later Toussaint called from the door, "'Tis only a g-gamin, m'sieur. A little b-boy throwing rocks at p-p-passersby."
Fauchelevant slowly got to his feet. "I was afraid it was Javert come for me," he whispered.
"Who is this Javert, Papa? Please, tell me! I beg you!"
The tears came again, and this time Cosette made no attempt to stop them.
Fauchelevant was helplessly moved by her tears. "Cosette, please, ma biche, don't cry. Come now."
A/N - In case you aren't a Francophone or anything, "biche" means darling, not what it looks like.
But Cosette could not stop. "Just tell me, Papa! You have no reason not to! I am almost a woman now; I deserve to know what this is about. Who is Javert? Who was my mother? Who are you?"
Fauchelevant collapsed into a chair.
"I was afraid this day would come. I want to protect you, but I don't want you to be miserable."
"Papa, I am miserable. Just tell me!"
Fauchelevant paused. Finally, he sighed. "Alright Cosette, here it is. I won't tell you all, for it is still not safe to finish the story."
He sighed, then began:
"Your mother was a good woman, a saint. She did everything she could for you - and I mean everything. She was unjustly arrested by Javert, and I insisted that he release her. She was horribly sick, and her last wish was that I raise you like a proper girl. I have tried, but Javert never forgave me for freeing your mother. I have lived in fear of him these past years, thus your sheltered childhood. I will not say more now."
Cosette smiled. "I understand, Papa."
She kissed him on the cheek and headed upstairs to change for dinner.
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Whatcha think? Pleeeeease review!
Disclaimer - Don't own it, none of it but the Polish terrorists and random bystanders.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
When she arrived home, a letter awaited her from her elderly friend Monsieur Emmet Brown, an eccentric American:
Chère Cosette,
Meet me at the courtyard de Deux Arbres tonight. I have something to show you.
Doctor Emmet Brown
Cosette knew that her father would never approve her leaving the house at night. She would have to sneak out. She sighed. Perhaps if she had a mother to help raise her, her father would not be so overprotective.
At that, her father entered the room.
Cosette watched his face as he asked how the park was. He could not be as old as he looked. His hair was white, and he had care lines throughout his face. Ignoring his question, Cosette asked the one that had been on her mind for as long as she could remember.
"Papa, where is ma mère?"
Her father sighed. "Cosette, ma fille, I have told you not to mention her name. She was a saint."
Cosette did not really expect him to answer the question, but to refuse it so flatly was a surprise. To her shame, she felt tears gathering in her eyes. She looked down at the table and blinked, but her papa saw.
"Cosette-" he began, but at the moment a footstep was heard below the window.
With surprising agility, Ultime Fauchelevant dove to the ground, pulling Cosette with him. "Toussaint," he hissed, "go see who that is!"
"Y-yes, m'sieur."
A moment later Toussaint called from the door, "'Tis only a g-gamin, m'sieur. A little b-boy throwing rocks at p-p-passersby."
Fauchelevant slowly got to his feet. "I was afraid it was Javert come for me," he whispered.
"Who is this Javert, Papa? Please, tell me! I beg you!"
The tears came again, and this time Cosette made no attempt to stop them.
Fauchelevant was helplessly moved by her tears. "Cosette, please, ma biche, don't cry. Come now."
A/N - In case you aren't a Francophone or anything, "biche" means darling, not what it looks like.
But Cosette could not stop. "Just tell me, Papa! You have no reason not to! I am almost a woman now; I deserve to know what this is about. Who is Javert? Who was my mother? Who are you?"
Fauchelevant collapsed into a chair.
"I was afraid this day would come. I want to protect you, but I don't want you to be miserable."
"Papa, I am miserable. Just tell me!"
Fauchelevant paused. Finally, he sighed. "Alright Cosette, here it is. I won't tell you all, for it is still not safe to finish the story."
He sighed, then began:
"Your mother was a good woman, a saint. She did everything she could for you - and I mean everything. She was unjustly arrested by Javert, and I insisted that he release her. She was horribly sick, and her last wish was that I raise you like a proper girl. I have tried, but Javert never forgave me for freeing your mother. I have lived in fear of him these past years, thus your sheltered childhood. I will not say more now."
Cosette smiled. "I understand, Papa."
She kissed him on the cheek and headed upstairs to change for dinner.
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Whatcha think? Pleeeeease review!