Chapter Six: God's Mercy

"He's asleep." Combeferre's voice was harsh and clipped. His eyes narrowed as he glared at Bouvet, causing none of the discomfort that it was meant to.

"Lovely. Wake him."

"Obviously you didn't hear him well enough," Courfeyrac growled from the doorway exiting Enjolras' room. "He's sleeping."

"I heard quite well," Bouvet grumbled with a bored look on his features. "And quite frankly, I don't care. He's in my custody now."

Both Combeferre and Courfeyrac felt their jaws drop. "But-"

The National Guard shrugged. "This place has been deemed unsafe. There's too much unrest in the streets near here."

"And you wish to move him where?" Combeferre questioned, voice tight.

"To a safe location."

"We won't simply hand our leader over to the likes of you," Courfeyrac snapped, eyes blazing.

"Then you've condemned him to death," Bouvet said simply, his eyes serious. "If you wish him to die, you will leave him here. But I swear to you that it will not be long before those of the street swarm this little café. They know you still hold wounded National Guard that could not be moved."

Combeferre's eyes drifted to the door that led to a back room in which the said men were resting. "We should move everyone then," he said quietly. "Enjolras does not want anymore deaths."

Bouvet nodded, motioning to the men with him to go to the back room, front rooms, and to the upstairs. He turned back to the two young students before him. "I will put you two in charge of your own core group."

"It has to be done now?" Combeferre whispered.

"Now. Any delay will mean their deaths."

The student nodded his understanding and moved to his leader's room.

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It was a drug induced sleep in which Enjolras slept. His skin was pale and covered with a fever's sweat that beaded against him. A flush had crossed those snow-white cheeks for some time now and he cried out as Combeferre and Courfeyrac lifted him up and onto a stretcher to better carry him with.

"You're hurting him!" Grantaire cried from his place, struggling to get up.

"They can't help it," Bouvet said from behind him. "That boy's been through a lot. A body can only take so much."

"He won't die," the drunkard said stubbornly.

"I would wager a good fortune that he will not," the dark eyed man replied. "A body can only take so much, but a soul as strong as his can will it on. The question will be how long his soul lasts."

"What do you mean by that?"

Bouvet sighed, gazing out the window to the carriage in which they were taking Enjolras to. "This will not be easy and it will not turn out as he plans. The people… You know the people didn't rise up for you, don't you?"

"What?" Grantaire asked, his eyes wide. "Then how on earth….?"

"My superior officer did not want to see any more blood shed. The king will honour that decision, but not easily. It will be a fight against the Royalists ever step of the way and they will not wait until he has recovered. The people that have now decided to come flooding into the streets after the danger is over are overturning everything. They're looting stores and going after those with money. It will be another Reign of Terror if Enjolras does nothing. Perhaps if he does something it shall continue that way. It will not be an easy road, this path he has chosen."

"Will you help him?" Grantaire asked, watching Bouvet carefully.

"In what I can," the other answered. "Now come along lest we get caught up in something we don't want to see."

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"Is there someone else here?"

The question caught Cosette off her guard. She turned to look at Marius with questioning eyes. "How did you know?"

"I have little to do other than listen," he answered with a smile. "When you're not here, that is."

She smiled at him and leaned over. "Your fever is down," she announced.

"That's always a good sign. Who is it?"

"Who is who, my love?"

"Whoever is here."

"Oh. Someone Papa knows. I don't really know who he is. Monsieur Javert is his name, or at least that is what Papa calls him."

"Javert?" Marius echoed, recognizing the name. "Inspector Javert?"

"I really wouldn't know," Cosette answered. "Papa just calls him 'Javert.'"

The injured man nodded, settling into his pillows. "How long have I been here, Cosette?"

"Three days, I believe. Closer to four, though." She took his hand. "Does your shoulder pain you?"

"No," he lied.

She smiled. "I should let you rest, love." She leaned over and kissed his forehead, bringing a smile to his lips, and turned to leave.

Cosette closed the door quietly behind her and looked to the next room. Her papa's friend was there, though they didn't seem like old friends. Both had a wary look about them when close to each other. She peeked in to see her father sitting quietly in a chair next to the injured man's bedside. He had a book propped up to read and every once and a while he'd take a second to glance to at the sleeping man.

She smiled and moved past. There was plenty to be done and it was time to get with it.

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"I'm not a child," a voice said from the bed.

"Excuse me?" Valjean questioned.

Javert cracked a blue eye open to glare at him. "I said, 'I'm not a child.' I do not need to be watched over as one."

"Ah," the ex con acknowledged.

"So you may leave."

"Ah." He didn't move, but brought his book back up to eye level.

Javert made an exasperated sound. "Get out."

"Tell me what happened."

The inspector looked startled. "What do you mean?"

"Your injuries and that comment you made. 'The river wouldn't have me,' you said. What did you mean?"

"I thought it quite obvious." When Valjean said nothing and only stared, Javert sighed. "I'm tired, Valjean," he murmured very softly, letting his eyes flutter shut. "I'm tired of searching for something that is impossible to grasp a hold of."

"And what would that be?" his former nemesis asked gently.

"The truth, it would seem." Javert opened his eyes and looked straight at the larger man. "I threw myself into the Seine."

"You… Why?"

"Are you dense?" the inspector demanded. "Everything is upside down."

The law is inside out! The world is upside down! Valjean remembered the younger man's outcry at the barricades. Most of all he remembered the utter confusion at his release. "You were willing to take your own life because you couldn't grasp it," he murmured softly.

"And if I was?"

Valjean stood slowly, eyes never leaving Javert's. "Do you have family?"

"In a way."

An eyebrow lifted in question.

Javert waved his good hand as if waving it off. "Adoptive parents, in a way. Nothing official."

"You? Going about something in an unofficial manner?" Valjean questioned with a twinkle of mischief in his eye.

"I was thirteen and without much of a choice in the matter."

"If you'll give me the information I require, I'll contact them for you."

"Why?" Javert demanded, glaring at the other man. "Why all of this?"

"I told you-"

"Yes you said," the former inspector snapped. He closed his eyes in frustration for a moment and reopened them. "Everything is wrong. You are not supposed to be who you are. I am not supposed to be what I have become…"

"Compassionate towards your fellow human being?" Valjean ventured his guess to what the other meant.

"Lenient!"

"Why?"

"It's not how it's supposed to be!"

Valjean forced himself not to smile. Javert, in this state, reminded him of a confused child that was struggling to grasp something beyond his reach. "You speak of God's justice," he said very slowly, tasting the words as he said them, "but you do not think about God's mercy." This said he stood, putting down his book and left the room. Javert said nothing, but he did stare. He stared as his former enemy left him to rest. Stared as the man he had hated allowed him his request (demand) and stared as the words sunk in.

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A/N: Sorry for the long delay. School, school, school, you know. Tends to be all study for nothing… who knows? I AM thinking to changing to a writing degree, as you are my readers, what would you say to that? Anyway, I plan to at least begin the next chapter after posting this one, so yay! Maybe the next one won't take as long.

AmZ: Yes, I suppose it is an interesting image, but I'd fail to see how he could come out of it (trying to kill himself) alive and still well. I mean, I couldn't just let him die… He's Javert. He's my second favorite. But alas, something had to happen to him.

Melissa Brandybuck: Déjà vu scares me. I get it too often. That feeling when you're just sitting there and your mind whispers, 'you've been here before.' It's too unnerving for words.

Mizamour: Ah! I'm glad! I always worry about characterization. I think it frightens me most about fanfiction… In my own novels, I'm choosing the characters' personalities and there's no worries, but these have already been chosen….

Tay-kun: It wouldn't have him b/c he tried to kill himself and it wouldn't have him. It spit him back out, you could say. DuPont is just the name I chose. I thought of the professor's character and hadn't thought of a name until right before I wrote this chapter (ages ago, right?) and looked up surnames online and found DuPont. I think I might have used the name in one of my novels too… can't remember. It's just that good of a name, right :P

Caligirl-HPLVR: Thanks very much! I was hoping characters would be in character. Always scared of that….

A Little Fall of Rain: Wonderful name. Wonderful song. Thanks very much!

Budgie-loon: Come now, Enjolras was ready to give up his life for the people! No evil dictator Enjolrases! That would be terrible… Just ultra angsty Enjolrases. Those are more fun.

Anna Maxwell:glomps: Angel of Doom Enjolras…. Hmm… I should draw that. Couldn't you see it with the anime-style to it? A funny pic and a serious one to go with it… I mean… A serious (SIRIUS!) pic and a funny… yeah. I DO have a lot of characters don't I? More than usual. Much thanks that I'm handling them correctly. Hopefully I'll continue with that. Good things… Hmm… Depends on what you mean by good :P

Unseengenius: Hmm… Well, I haven't taken French yet. Plan to do that next semester, so I'll learn that then. But until then, thanks very much for the correction. I'll use that from now on. I like Eponine too… Such a sad fate, but it had to be done, I suppose… Yeah, good 'ol Javert. Gotta love him. :)

TBC

TS