*I don't own A Monster in Paris or its characters

To get this far is something I'm proud of since I usually write short stories. To whoever is reading, thank you for reading and don't be afraid to review or pm me. Please enjoy!

Chapter 6: 69 days left

Drinking her cafe au lait, she was happily enjoying her quiet morning until there was a knock on the door. Guests usually used the front entrance, so she assumed it was either the kids, or commissioner Pâté. Primping herself up, she put on her best smile and opened the door. "Commissioner Pâté, what a surprise, it is so nice to see you"

Pulling at his collar, he cleared his throat. "Good morning Madame Carlotta, is Lucille and Monsieur Francoeur available?"

"I'm sorry, but they're running a few errands for me. Is there anything else I can do for you? Perhaps a nice stroll around town"

"Forgive me Carlotta, anytime, but for now I must go. Just tell them to see me when they return, for now it's nothing to be concerned about"

"Alright but don't be a stranger"

"I'll call you later, good day"

The seamstress was more or less satisfied with her work, but to get a perfect fit for Francoeur was no simple task. After a few visits, it was finally finished. "You look very fine in this color, and I do hope you'll come back"

Paying the shop owner, Francoeur pressed a kiss on her hand, and they were on their way.

"See Francoeur, that was not so bad." She smiled

He chirped, enjoying the fit of his suit. It was a warm morning, and the streets of Paris was blooming. The couples taking strolls were a thing to envy, a bit inspiring as well. The gentleman would tip their hats, the young ladies blush shyly at the sight of Francoeur. He had become quite an icon as well, his voice winning most at the first note. The duo were hard not to notice, and a common sight for them to be seen together.

On his way to drop off a few chickens, Raoul spotted Francoeur and his white suit. Honking his horn, he waved as he passed them. "Hey" he yelled from the window

A chill ran down Lucille's back, her nose wrinkled in annoyance. Tugging on his arm, she urged Francoeur to move faster. "Just ignore him, we are far too busy"

It was funny thing really the things humans did. Why did people act so strangely to those they considered friends? Who knows, but Lucille was always miffed when Raoul was around.

It was an especially busy day for Raoul, and he knew he shouldn't be wasting time, but he was on a mission and also anytime he could get under Lucille's skin meant a few minutes well spent. Parking down the street, he jumped out, and checked his hair to make sure he wasn't a mess.

Francoeur paused as he saw Raoul running, and a quick thought flashed in his head. He thought about grabbing her hand, and to hold her close as to show that Raoul had no right to pester her, but Francoeur also knew that woman had a way of saying one thing when they really meant another. Perhaps Raoul knew about this and took advantage of it while Francoeur was left in the dark. Strange feelings weighed heavily on Francoeur's mind when Raoul was around, similar to the feelings he had when Lucille kissed him for no good reason. He had no time to think about it since Raoul ran up and snatched his hat.

Raoul laughed, flashing a wink at Lucille. "Looks nice on me don't you think?"

The look they shared made Francoeur queasy, as though they were sharing a secret. Lucille saw the concern on his face, and took back Francoeur's hat. "Don't you dare tease him" she reprimanded

Dusting off his hat, she replaced it, giving him that look that he liked, but it didn't last long. With a snap of his fingers, Raoul had her attention again. "Do you know you two are hard to miss"

"Had enough time in your schedule to miss us I see. What about your deliveries?"

"I was just over at the cabaret delivering the champagne as usual. By the way, your aunt told me to tell you to go see the commissioner"

The word commissioner still made Francoeur shiver a bit. Lucille's annoyance dissolved, fear taking its place. "Did something happen?"

"I don't think so, she didn't look distressed about anything. Perhaps they just want a free show, but I'll give you a lift if you want"

"Thanks, we would appreciate it"

Buckling his seat belt, he asked "Is that a new suit? Nice work"

"Just drive"

"Alright, alright"

Looking at Lucille then at Francoeur, he asked "By the way, I've been meaning to ask, is something going on between you two? It seems you two are inseparable, and I don't want to jump to conclusions, but are you two dating?"

"Are you a gossip columnist now? Only immature buffoons like you would jump to conclusions. We are fellow performers, and though things might look one way, things are not always what they seem"

"Whatever you say princess, but that onstage kiss looked pretty real to me"

"It was a bit improvised, but the audience seemed to like it"

Raoul wondered who she was fooling, though it hardly made sense. She was a singer and Francoeur a freak of nature, but then all scientists/inventors were open to new ideas. If the rumors were true, then it was a dent to his chances.

Stopping in front of the commissioners office, she winked "Thanks for your concern, but I enjoy my freedom"

"We can't be free birds forever princess, see you two later"

"Can you believe the nerve of that man? Insufferable man"

Through the double doors, they entered the office, a quaint space full of mismatched police officers and their patrons. Everyone in the office smiled at the duo, proud of the famous pair. Right around the corner was the commissioners office, and upon entering the office, they were happy to see its new occupant. "Good day commissioner, you were expecting us?"

"Please, sit down."

"Is something the matter?"

"You two have been getting really famous as of late, even foreign newspapers are starting to mention the famous duo. I feel that with your growing popularity, that you should consider your security and safety. And I just wanted to let you two know that we may need your cooperation in the future"

"No problem, we would be happy to do all we can"

"Miss Lucille, if you could, would you wait in the lobby for a few minutes? I'd like to talk to Francoeur a bit"

She looked a bit hesitant, but Francoeur didn't looked bothered by it. "I suppose you could. Francoeur, is that alright with you?"

Shaking his head yes, he flashed her a smile. At the door she looked back. "I'll be in the lobby, take your time"

Waiting for the doors to close, Paté cleared his throat before he continued. "Thank you for coming to see me. You two caused a little stir yesterday when you jumped upon the nearby rooftops. You don't have anything to worry about, though you might want to be more cautious in the older part of town. This however was not want I wanted to talk to you about. A few people in the audience the other night expressed concern over that onstage kiss. I don't have anything against you or your relationship, but you might want to realistic. By no means do I judge you, but I just wanted to advise you if you will. I don't know how long you will be with us, but if it's not long, then don't forget how your actions affect those around you"

Shaking his head, the commissioner continued. "But by far, I think you're sincere. I'll come by the cabaret soon, and don't forgot to think about what I said"

He met back up with her in the lobby, though he didn't look so happy. Hooking his arm, she smiled "That wasn't so bad was it?"

The air in the room felt thin, and the walls were closing in. He had to get out of there, everything just didn't feel right. Tugging her arm, he led her outside, and let her to an empty alley. After a couple of deep breaths, he let her go, unsure of what had occurred.

"What is the matter?"

Pointing up, he removed his gloves and shoes, and he scooped her up. "Where are we going?" she asked

Pointing up, he cried, unsure of what else to do. Holding her close, his singing voice trembled. "I... We need... To go"

He shivered as though it were the coldest day on earth, and it disturbed her. Perhaps while she was away he heard something he didn't want to hear, but it would do no good to push him any further. "If there is somewhere you need to go, then I'll go too"

With a light purr, he jumped, bouncing off countless rooftops before Lucille had time to breath. His face looked determined, with a faraway look in his eyes. Her heart raced with excitement at the possibility that she could fall, but that wouldn't happen, would it?

They stopped outside of the greenhouse before her mind could answer, and she knew instantly what he was planning. "Do you need to see the professor?"

Shaking his head yes, he took her hands and cried. He felt so cold without a fur to hide in, and her hands were always so warm and inviting, that it was hard to not hold them. His exoskeleton felt cold to the touch, like a reverse fever. Wrapping her scarf around him, she cooed, her voice laced with concern. "Do you feel sick Francoeur? If only you could tell me what's the matter"

Taking her inside his coat, her warmth was like a balm to his wounds. "I feel so cold, and I don't know why

My heart is burning like a terrible cry

"I have so much to say, but cannot tell"

So keep me warm till my heart can swell"

Only time can really tell"

"The commissioner said something didn't he?"

He chirped in reply.

"Did he scold you? If he did I sure he didn't mean harm"

"No, but he spoke truth and the truth hurts more then lies"

Hugging her tighter, she felt herself crying too, empathetic to his situation. And he held tightly as though he were looking for a place to hide. "Things are always complicated aren't they, especially if you don't want them to be. I really don't know what to tell you"

Letting out a chirp, he let her go and led her by the hand to see the professor. If anyone would know what to do, it would have to be him. The professor was right in the middle of lunch when he spotted the pair. "If it isn't the famous pair? What can I do for you?"

"I think Francoeur wanted to speak with you. He has been really distressed and I guess only you could help him now"

"No problem Miss Lucille. If you would Charles, why don't you show Miss Lucille the botanical gardens"

Leading the way, the professor until they were out of sight. "I don't have to guess how you got here, but tell me, what is the matter?"

Taking pen and paper, Francoeur illustrated what occurred and asked when he was done. "What can I do?"

"Are you in trouble?"

Drawing the lovely Lucille, and a few of the events that occurred, the professor was starting to get the idea. With each event, Francoeur's face grew more warm and kind, a bit more human then the professor expected. "It's worse than I expected, you're in love aren't you?"

Dropping the pen, Francoeur froze, it felt much more shocking then he thought it would.

"I see, well that is a problem. It seems you're becoming more human by the day, which explains a great many things about you Francoeur. And not only that, you are maturing so it's only natural that you'd want to find a mate. Right now, if you were to count your time in human years, I'd say you were in your early twenties. I could give you something to help you relax, but I don't think that's the problem is it"

Taking out a little comb, he smiled as he fiddled around with it. "I know I will die, since my parents only lived about three months. What can I do?"

"I'm not Frankenstein, so I will not make a monster out of you. But did you stop to consider that perhaps with proper treatment you might live longer?'

"Perhaps, but I'm off blood now"

"You are only hurting yourself you know. Alright, I'll come up with something, but in the meantime, take a drop of this everyday. This elixir will speed up your digestion, so you'll have to eat more often, but it might improve your vitality. I can't tell you how to live, but why try so hard? Why not go back to being a flea?"

Pointing to the lovely Lucille, he smiled. The professor couldn't be anymore proud nor could he be anymore willing. "It's because of things like this that give me a reason to work harder. I'll get on it right away. Charles, bring miss Lucille back"

Holding a red rose, she tucked it in Francoeur's pocket, shivering in delight. "I wish you could have seen it, the garden was extraordinary. Professor, I would love to see it again"

The future looked like it was going to be an interesting development, and the professor smiled. "Of course young lady, come over whenever you'd like"

Waving goodbye, Francoeur smiled down at her. It was nice to have friends, and even better to have someone to care about. Lucille made it easy to like her, and she felt the same about him.

"I'm glad you're feeling better"

He purred, and looked at her warmly. The breeze that followed soon after was a bit chilly, and he held her close to keep her warm, thinking she would feel as cold as he did. Lucille wondered at times how he could be so amiable, and kind in a way that could cause misunderstanding. Her heart acted deceptively, beating fast at such kindness, as though a man, a very attractive man held her close. He was maturing, and it felt nice to be with him, but it was wrong, she couldn't, she shouldn't feel something he couldn't understand she thought.

Moving away, she said "Come on, we should get going."

He was slightly disappointed, but they had a show to prepare for. Scooping her up, he sang lightly. "Whatever you wish"

Her cheeks glowed brightly like bleeding color, and the picture of her at the moment was like a beautiful stain that couldn't be removed. And he was sure that the memory of her was something he intended on never removing.