::Marius::
Marius followed Cosette out the door, running to keep up with her. At the moment, he had no idea who to feel sorry for. Cosette waved a coach to come pick them up, and he squeezed into the seat next to her.
"How long do you think we'll be in Paris?" He asked her.
She frowned. "I don't want to come back here, Marius. I want to take care of everything with my father's death and continue living in his house. Do you think we could send for the others later?"
The way she said it made him nod without thought. She sounded so sad and alone, helpless almost. The rest of the ride was in silence, and eventually Marius fell asleep, his arm over Cosette's shoulder. When they finally returned to Paris, Marius climbed out of the cab.
"Cosette, would you mind if I took a walk for a few minutes? I'll meet you at the funeral home shortly." She shook her head and he walked away, heading towards the café. The place lay in shambles. All the windows had shattered, and there was an enormous hole in the left side. Marius stared, his mouth parted in shock. He had left selfishly, while all his friends fought for other people's lives, and now it was for nothing. The obviousness of their loss was almost painful.
Marius ventured inside. The floor had a covering of dust on it, and there were no footprints anywhere. No one had walked there for weeks. He walked out the back door, the same door that he had fled out of earlier and saw what he had dreaded all this time. Protruding from the ground were small wooden crosses, each about six feet apart. Marius dropped to his knees, staring blankly at the graves of all his friends. Someone had had the kindness in them to burry all the brave young men who had lost their lives in battle.
Marius slowly rose to his feet and walked back through the café. Everyone had died, veryone except he and Enjolras. He hung his head as a wave of guilt washed over him. Marius walked outside and found a garden. He picked a handful of white flowers and went out to the back again, spreading the petals over the graves. On his walk to the funeral home, he hummed a sad march over and over again.
"Adieu mes ami." He whispered, meeting up with Cosette moments later.
"We have to go to his house and get rid of some old possessions that aren't in the will." Cosette whispered. Marius said nothing, but followed her out of the funeral home and to her father's house. It was quiet, and didn't have the same warmth that it usually had. Cosette dried her eyes and sat down at the dining room table, Marius following.
"He wasn't even my real father." She said softly, breaking the sad silence. Marius looked up, forgetting his grief for his friends. He stood silently, holding out his hand. Cosette took it, rising up and standing in front of him. He pulled her into a tight hug, and they just stood there, lost for words. The world seemed to stop, and all their worries didn't matter. But then the moment was over, and Cosette stepped back.
"We should probably start packing." She said sadly, giving Marius a miserable look. He nodded and they walked off into her father's room, glancing around before beginning their work.
Marius followed Cosette out the door, running to keep up with her. At the moment, he had no idea who to feel sorry for. Cosette waved a coach to come pick them up, and he squeezed into the seat next to her.
"How long do you think we'll be in Paris?" He asked her.
She frowned. "I don't want to come back here, Marius. I want to take care of everything with my father's death and continue living in his house. Do you think we could send for the others later?"
The way she said it made him nod without thought. She sounded so sad and alone, helpless almost. The rest of the ride was in silence, and eventually Marius fell asleep, his arm over Cosette's shoulder. When they finally returned to Paris, Marius climbed out of the cab.
"Cosette, would you mind if I took a walk for a few minutes? I'll meet you at the funeral home shortly." She shook her head and he walked away, heading towards the café. The place lay in shambles. All the windows had shattered, and there was an enormous hole in the left side. Marius stared, his mouth parted in shock. He had left selfishly, while all his friends fought for other people's lives, and now it was for nothing. The obviousness of their loss was almost painful.
Marius ventured inside. The floor had a covering of dust on it, and there were no footprints anywhere. No one had walked there for weeks. He walked out the back door, the same door that he had fled out of earlier and saw what he had dreaded all this time. Protruding from the ground were small wooden crosses, each about six feet apart. Marius dropped to his knees, staring blankly at the graves of all his friends. Someone had had the kindness in them to burry all the brave young men who had lost their lives in battle.
Marius slowly rose to his feet and walked back through the café. Everyone had died, veryone except he and Enjolras. He hung his head as a wave of guilt washed over him. Marius walked outside and found a garden. He picked a handful of white flowers and went out to the back again, spreading the petals over the graves. On his walk to the funeral home, he hummed a sad march over and over again.
"Adieu mes ami." He whispered, meeting up with Cosette moments later.
"We have to go to his house and get rid of some old possessions that aren't in the will." Cosette whispered. Marius said nothing, but followed her out of the funeral home and to her father's house. It was quiet, and didn't have the same warmth that it usually had. Cosette dried her eyes and sat down at the dining room table, Marius following.
"He wasn't even my real father." She said softly, breaking the sad silence. Marius looked up, forgetting his grief for his friends. He stood silently, holding out his hand. Cosette took it, rising up and standing in front of him. He pulled her into a tight hug, and they just stood there, lost for words. The world seemed to stop, and all their worries didn't matter. But then the moment was over, and Cosette stepped back.
"We should probably start packing." She said sadly, giving Marius a miserable look. He nodded and they walked off into her father's room, glancing around before beginning their work.