Chapter 6

It was October. Cosette was a bit better, through a rather terrible process of trial and error it was discovered that plain bread and vegetable broth agreed with her sensitive stomach. Marius hadn't found a new doctor. He had looked, but he hadn't found a physician who had given him a guarantee that they could ensure Cosette's life. Marius, although not accepting this, had made a promise with himself that these would be the best four months of he and Cosette's marriage. He had been excused from his incident in Toulouse, and it was agreed that he would have reduced hours for the next six months to take care of his family matters.

The couple was lying in bed. Cosette hadn't been able to sleep and Marius had taken it upon himself to stay up with her. It was about two o'clock in the morning. The couple was cuddled together against the cold; her head was on his chest, his arms were wrapped around her: one around her shoulders and his hand holding hers. "I think it'll be a girl," she said, looking up at him and smiling. "Mhmmm." "And I want her to look like you." "Mhmmm." "And I'm having an affair with Monsieur DeLiese." "WHAT?" She began giggling uncontrollably. "Well I had to get your attention somehow!" "By telling me that you're having an affair?" "If our baby didn't get your attention, I knew I'd have to think of something creative." He kissed the top of her head. "I don't care what it is or who it looks like. I will love it no matter what. Now try, for all three of us, to get some sleep." She nuzzled her head his neck and within minutes the insomnia that had plagued her dissipated.

"Pontmercy!" Marius turned, slightly reluctantly. He had finished a rather long day and was eager to return home to his wife (who was doing markedly better). He saw his fellow lawyer, Luc DeLalonde running toward him. They had entered the firm at the same time, and although they weren't as close as Marius was with the Les Amis, he knew DeLalonde enough to call him a friend. "Monsieur! How are you?" Marius asked, eager for he had not seen the young man for a while. "Fine, fine. I should be asking you the same question! I heard about your….wife. Terribly sorry." "Oh, uhh, thank you." Marius said, beginning to feel rather uncomfortable. "How would you like to join a couple of us for some drinks? Nothing wild of course, just a quick spot over at the pub." "I should get home…" "Come on Marius, we miss you. We haven't seen you, talked to you, in ages, mate. Just one round." Marius thought for a minute. Cosette was doing better, she hadn't had a fever in ages. And Marius could certainly use a night out with his coworkers. "One round wouldn't hurt," Marius said, peering up at the firm's clock.

Cosette was sitting on the sofa in the parlor, embroidering yellow baby socks she had knitted. She was eager for her husband to come home; she hadn't been well enough for her friends to come over so Marius acted as her only friend as of late. There was a sharp knock on the door. "He must have forgotten his key," she murmured. She very slowly and carefully stood from the sofa and went to open the front door. But when the door was opened, Marius wasn't there. A burly police officer stood where her husband should be. "Are you the daughter of Valjean?" "Why, yes, yes I am. Whatever is the matter?" "Your father's body….his grave…dug up and gone."

Marius was on his way home somewhat later than he had anticipated. He wasn't worried, Cosette had been doing markedly better, perhaps she'd even invited a friend over for dinner in his absence. He turned his key in the door of his home and opened the great wooden mass. What he saw wasn't in the least what he expected. Men in uniforms, officers of the law, three of them, stood in his parlor surrounding his wife on the sofa. "What's going on?" he thundered. Cosette's head turned then, showing to him her frightened and tearstained face. "Oh, Marius, Papa's grave…it's been dug up…his body is gone!" Marius stood motionless for a solid two minutes. "Er…Marius?" He snapped back to reality, "Ex-excuse me, what?" "Oh, Marius please don't make me say it again," she said, putting her head in her hands. He gained enough sense to finally make his way across the parlor and over to his wife. An police offer spoke. "Monsieur Pontmercy, we have the information we need. We are terribly sorry for the intrusion. We will be contacting you if we have any information, though I must warn you, these cases are often unsolved. Medical students…..can never quite to find themselves enough bodies these days…" Marius shook the man's hand. "Thank you officer. For your time."

When the men left, Marius turned his attention back to Cosette. She was still sitting on the loveseat, head in hands. "Cosette… I didn't mean to…not be here." There was a silent pause, in which neither person moved. "It's fine, Marius." When she looked up, he could tell the stress had been exactly what her already weak system didn't need. Her eyes had the feverish, glossy look he had come to know. "Cosette…" "Marius, I'm fine." And with that, she, albeit rather slowly, made her way upstairs. The last noise he heard was the closing of a door.

"Damn, Marius. Damn, Damn, Damn." He had gone out for one night. And not really gone out, but he had stayed late. And what had happened? His wife had had to handle a disturbing blow, all alone. He sat on the loveseat Cosette had sat on. Her father's body, stolen. Gone. And the police had come to the house. And she had been alone. He was lucky they had been gentlemen, the least that would happen would be that she had been terrified. When he got upstairs, she wasn't in bed, she had taken refuge in the guest room.

Marius couldn't sleep that night. Just over a year ago he had been annoyed at Courfeyac's presence in their bedroom. Now, he simply couldn't find a way to sleep alone. He was simply staring at the ceiling. He was a terrible husband. He had let his wife down. And while she was sick at that! And to be quite technical, he had let down his child as well!

Cosette couldn't sleep. The bed was empty, cold. She so desperately wanted his warmth and comfort. Her father's body was gone. Possibly to never be recovered. She knew his spirit was at rest. She knew he was with God. But she didn't understand how a person could be so cruel. Her tears were falling uncontrollably.

It was two in the morning. And neither spouse had slept. Cosette continued to weep, albeit much lighter. At two oh three, she heard floorboards creak. She wasn't sure if it was her sleepy imagination or if it was Marius. She desperately hoped it was the latter, but she was far too exhausted to sit up to look. Hot breath tickled her ear. "I'm sorry love. Let's be over with this argument, shall we?" Cosette simply nodded. Strong arms circled around her, one just under her breast and another curving protectively just above her head. Their fight was over