Part Five

The next week passed quietly as the wounded revolutionaries healed, mostly on the outside. Enjolras' father had left the day after his arrival, his determination vanishing after being informed that it would be weeks more before Enjolras could travel safely. Valjean sat in his sunroom enjoying the warm evening. He was alone downstairs, but he could hear soft movement from above him. It was peaceful in the house, but in the streets it was a nightmare. The fallout from the attack had been massive, and the common public had suffered. But it had been quiet for them, Valjean thought. Too quiet, and he knew more than anyone that all good things come to an end.

Javert had left them alone, surprising to the old convict. He'd fully expected for the officer to come rushing after them as soon as he'd managed to find his way from the sewers. A bump to the head and being turned around in darkened places would not put Inspector Javert off of the scent for long, knowing him. And yet he had not come. That alone as enough to make Valjean uneasy.

He watched Cosette and Marius, both looking lovingly at each other and blushing when realizing that they'd been caught in it. Valjean merely smiled and ducked his head away. 'A grown woman now,' he continuously reminded himself. 'And he's a good man.'

It was late in the afternoon when everything fell to shambles. The sun was high, very few people had passed before the house and its wild gardens during the day, and the heat of the summer was in full swing. The knock on the front door caused the aging man to jump slightly and a trapped feeling grasping him as he moved past the housekeeper and to the door. Javert stood there, his blue eyes intense, per the usual.

"Aren't you too old for this? Shouldn't you have retired by now?" Valjean asked by way of greeting.

"After you." Javert replied, pushing his way inside. "So kind of you to invite me in."

"Where are your men?"

"I don't need them, do I, Valjean?" the inspector asked icily. His eyes flickered to his long time nemesis and then to the house. "Beautiful abode. I'm sure you and Cosette have been very happy."

"Oh, you know. Just an old man and his daughter, living happily together. In peace. Oh, and the occasional quiet. Nothing extraordinary, I assure you." Valjean returned cheerfully. "I hope you recovered all right from our little...incident in the sewers. It was so dark in there, I was afraid you'd bumped your head."

"Afraid... yes, I'm sure you were. Surely you didn't hurt your hand when it connected with my skull, hmm?"

"You don't have that hard of a skull, my friend. Or maybe I have exceptionally strong fingers. We'll go with the latter, hmm?"

"To buisness, Valjean," Javert said abruptly.

"Should I ask so much as to be able to bid my daughter farewell?"

"If you must, but I dare to ask where you're going. I'm not here for you." He paused, something passing through those keen eyes and he waved his hand as if waving it all off as nothing. "As far as the Paris police are concerned, Jean Valjean was one of the many dead in the attack a week ago."

Valjean actually felt his jaw slacken. "What?"

Cosette came into the foyer, her eyes downcast, not realizing who was there. "Papa? I think that Mar-" she glanced up and gasped. "Inspector Javert!"

Joly had been at the head of the staircase when the Inspector had come in, and he slipped into the hallway and forced himself not to run to Eponine's room, where he was sure he would find Enjolras. Sure enough, Eponine was sitting up in bed, and Enjolras was sitting next to the bed, reading out of a small book. "Enjolras," he gasped. "It's Javert, he's here!"

"Javert?" the blond echoed.

"The man... the inspector! From the barricades! That Gavroche spotted. The one that followed us into the sewers..."

Enjolras' eyes darkened as he stood, the book laid gently on the bedside. "For Monsieur Valjean?"

"No."

"For us?"

"I don't know!" the panicked med student half screamed, covering his own mouth in horror.

Eponine cursed softly and slid her legs over the side of the bed, smoothing her skirt as she did so. "You've got to hide yourselves." She hissed. "Have we got any weapons?" she asked.

Grantaire came into the room and eased the door shut behind him. "No time. He's on his way up the stairs." he glared at Joly. "I don't think they heard you down at the police station. A little louder next time, if you please."

Joly paled considerably and Enjolras placed a hand on his shoulder to steady him. "All of you, stay here," he said simply and moved past Grantaire and opened the door. "You're not here, do you understand? Not a peep." The last comment was directed at poor, shaking Joly.

Eponine stood unsteadily, but she kept her balance. "Enjolras," she whispered, "what are you doing?"

"What I have to do," he murmured. "Stay here, Eponine. Please." He glanced back at her once more before slipping out of the room to be met face-to-face by Javert.

Eponine moved forward as soon as the door shut, but Grantaire grabbed her shoulder and shook his head. She hesitated, and stayed where she was, but gave him a glare for good measure.

Javert smirked. "Well, well. If it isn't the gallant leader of the doomed. You're looking better. Have you rested well?"

"If I go quietly, will you leave Monsieur Valjean alone?" Enjolras asked. He held his head high, ever proud as he had always been, but his voice held a secret fear.

Javert gave a half glance over his shoulder. "As of now, Jean Valjean is dead to me...to the police. He and his family will not be harmed."

"And no one else?"

Javert sighed. "No one else in this house. But you must not resist."

"Then I am yours, inspector," Enjolras said through clenched teeth. "And I shall hold you to your word."

"Excellent." Javert turned the younger man around and placed handcuffs on him. "Let's be off then." He led his prisoner downstairs. Marius stood at the doorway, arms at his sides, his fists clenched.

In Eponine's room, Grantaire cursed and sat heavily on the floor where he and Eponine had been listening by the keyhole. She covered her mouth with her hand, and Joly sat on the bed. They were silent for a long moment before Eponine asked, "What will they do to him?" she asked in a horrified whisper.

"Kill him," Grantaire murmured. He ran a hand through his tangled hair. "They're going to kill him... That idiot. Single minded, bloody imbecile."

"Can't we do something?" Eponine demanded.

Grantaire shrugged, any fight he might have had in him seeming to flood out. His voice was flat as he spoke."What is there to be done? He does it for us."

"Marius, get out of the way." Enjolras said firmly before the young man could even open his mouth.

"Enjolras..." Marius said, striken. He knew what this meant for his friend.

"Get out of the way." Enjolras repeated, more softly this time. Marius reluctantly stepped to one side, his heart twisting painfully as Javert pushed his friend out the door.

The revolutionary stumbled, but caught himself before falling to the hard ground outside. Men suddenly swarmed him and tough hands shoved him into an awaiting carriage. "I'm not fighting," he murmured when one of the officers jerked him to one side harsher than the others.

"Sure." the officer sneered. "Never 'ad a fighting chance, either."

Valjean grabbed Javert's shoulder before the inspector stepped off the porch. "Javert...is there no recourse for him? No way to save him?" he asked quietly.

Javert shrugged him off, a look of disgust written across his face at the idea. "Hardly."

"He's no more than a boy," Valjean murmured, watching them roughhandle the revolutionary into the carriage, the blond student doing nothing to fight back.

"He's old enough to be responsible for his actions." Javert replied, and not looking back, the inspector climbed onto the carriage and sat with the driver.

Caligirl-HPLVR: Thanks very much :) Glad you like it!

TS and AM