A/N- This is a random idea I had when I was thinking about another random idea I had... okay, yeah. This one's supposed to be serious. Cyber-cookies and a cyber-sock handknitted by Alouette for both of my reviewers. I'm considering abandoning the collection idea and putting all these and future ficlets as separate stories. Any thoughts?

nebulia- It makes you think what everyone would have said to that. Marius would be... confused... Cosette would be surprised, and Fantine would be so happy she'd probably suffocate Cosette with hugs. Hehehe... there's a ficlet right there.

Elyse3- Random and, as both of you said, interesting. Heh... Have you noticed that in All I Ask of You and AHFOL they keep interrupting each other?

L'Alouette et L'Enfant

Cosette drew her knees up to her chest as Madame stormed into the room.

"Cosette! Where are you, you good-for-nothing toad? Cosette!"

She desperately wanted to stay where she was but was sure that Madame would beat her if she did not respond. Chewing apprehensively on her lip, Cosette emerged from underneath the table.

"In your hole, were you? Good, we don't stumble over you when you're in there."

Cosette bowed her head meekly.

"It's late, and the fire died down. Go out to the woodpile in the barn and bring me a few logs."

The little girl took a nervous step toward the door.

"What are you waiting for? Go!"

That was all the encouragement Cosette needed. She fled out the door and to the barn, focusing on her goal and not the darkness around her or the snow under her feet. Throwing open the barn door, the child dashed to the woodpile, pulled three heavy logs down, and began the trip back to the tavern. The logs were thick and slowed her down, as they probably weighed more than she did.

As she was coming into the kitchen, Cosette tripped over the doorjamb and fell into the room. The wood rolled out of her arms and into the path of little Azelma, who tumbled over it and knocked her forehead against the corner of the table as she was falling. She began to scream in pain, and the baby upstairs started wailing at the sound.

Cosette jumped to her feet, lifted the nearest log, ran into the next room, threw it onto the smoldering fire, and ducked into the shadowy corner by the fireplace. She heard the Thénardiess cooing gruffly in the kitchen as Azelma's screams began to subside. Then the door swung open and the huge woman stormed into the room.

"Cosette!"

Again the child fought the irresistible impulse to show herself, but her efforts were useless. She stepped out of the corner and Madame stamped over, grabbed her wrist, and literally dragged her back into the kitchen.

Eponine had joined her little sister, and the two were whispering together delightedly. Azelma's forehead showed signs of bruising. As their mother dragged little Cosette into the room, Eponine and Azelma looked up, a vicious excitement glowing in their eyes.

"She trip 'Zelma, Maman?" asked Eponine.

"Azelma, dear," the Thénardiess corrected.

"She trip Azelma?"

Madame nodded.

"You gonna beat her?"

Another nod.

Cosette saw the woman looking for the cane and closed her eyes. A second passed, and Madame swore loudly.

"What's wrong, Maman?"

"The cane ain't here. Guess I left it in the other room."

Azelma sniffled.

Cosette was about to open her eyes again when she felt the back of Madame's hand collide with her cheek. The pain exploded in red and yellow, and the little girl couldn't help but give a whimper.

She heard a door open, and Monsieur Thénardier's voice asked, "What's going on back here?"

"Just beating the girl."

"Well, don't. We've got a rich man here, and I don't want him to get the wrong impression of our place. We need his money to come back here as often as it can." He started back into the other room, calling over his shoulder, "Bring your girls out so you can show off to him."

The Thénardiess finally released Cosette's wrist and lifted Azelma up onto her hip. "What're we doin', Maman?" Eponine frowned.

"There's a rich man here."

"Oh," the girl nodded. She grabbed Madame's skirt and trailed along as the three Thénardier women left the room, sticking her tongue out at Cosette before the door swung shut.

Cosette sighed and wandered back over to her place under the table, where she picked up her knitting. Poking the right needle carefully through the first loop, she frowned at the yarn, then dropped the needles. She didn't feel much like knitting. Her cheek hurt too badly to concentrate.

A man from the next room laughed loudly, and the Thénardier family began to laugh along with him. The noise they made woke the baby again, and he screamed.

Cosette got up and began to climb the staircase. She found the Thénardiers' room and tiptoed over to the little cradle. The boy was lying on his back, his little face scrunched up in a wail. The child watched him for a second, then, taking a furtive glance at the door, reached into the cradle and lifted the baby into her arms.

He was heavier than she would have expected, but not quite as heavy as the logs she had been carrying a half an hour earlier. She sat on the floor and held the boy in her lap. He had stopped crying and was gazing at her with large, wet eyes.

"Hello, baby."

He stared at her. She laughed and tried to make her eyes as wide as his. The boy giggled.

"Hasn't Madame fed you today? You poor thing. I wish I could take care of you, but Madame doesn't even let me have a doll, so I don't know what I can do."

The baby smiled and reached for Cosette's face. He grabbed a lock of her hair and began to tug on it. The little girl laughed again.

"We're the same, me and you. They don't want us. 'Zelma and 'Ponine just want me around so they can watch Madame hit me, you know. Does she hit you? Oh, but she's your mother. I don't have a mother, you know. My mother, I don't think she hit me. I wonder who she hit when she was mad. Look, baby, you have a tooth coming in! No wonder you've been crying so much lately. I bet that hurts."

She stopped to help him disentangle his tiny fingers from her matted hair.

"When I get big enough, I'm going to get away from here. I'm going to go find a nice lady who'll take care of me. Do you want to come with me, baby? I'll bring you. I'll carry you all the way there, and the lady will open the door and say, 'Come in, my dears. I love you both.' And she'll give us food when we're hungry and let us have toys. If I had a doll, baby, I'd give you my little sword so you could have something to play with."

The boy began to yawn.

"Don't worry, baby. Madame won't hit you. You're hers. If she's mad at you, she'll hit me. You know, I don't think I mind so much her hitting me instead of you. I'd really rather her hit 'Zelma and 'Ponine when they're bad, but not you. You aren't the mean one."

Cosette watched the baby sleep for a few minutes, then slowly set him back in his crib. "Goodnight, baby," she whispered. "Don't cry again, or Madame will hit me."