Night arose, the battle was said and done with the revolutionary's dead and gone. All but two.
Jean was Marius's only reason for even clinging to life. Without him, the boy would be lying in the blood stained street with the rest of them who had tried but failed. Jean would've and did go to the ends of the earth for him that night, just to get him to a hospital on time.
Javert came looking for him at the misfortunate hour, and as much as it killed him, Jean had to shove the man out of his life at the time.
He'd just won the officer over, finally, and yet he had to push him away, all for the sake of the man his daughter would some day come to marry.
Her happiness, it ment more to him than his own. She's who he'd truly walk through the pits of hell bare foot for.
Risking his own life for some boy? Javert had it in his right mind to turn around, take this man in for his past.
Was he jealous? Maybe. A man wants what he wants though, when he wants it. That's just one of the many things of which brings downfall to human kind.
Marius was a foolish boy anyway, someone who wanted him dead. Why must Jean worry over someone who is nothing? Javert would've ended the young man's misery upon first spotting the wound.
Then again, they were from two separate worlds. One made up of a heart full of love and the other with brutality and force being the only thing ever known.
Javert didn't like one moment to be put off, not for that brat. Yet he was. It devastated him. To the point of even contiplating his life.
That night, after letting Jean slip by to get to the hospital before death took hold of Marius, Javert went to one of the cities bridges. He stared down into the rushing water, thinking on it all. This, what his life had come to.
What was to happen? When would he ever be granted what he wished for? All God was doing was playing tricks on him for sick amusement, or maybe even to drive him to the point of rethinking his life.
With both feet just upon the edge, he was done. He didn't see no reason to go on. He wanted these thoughts and feelings to disappear and never return.
"Officer!" Suddenly, he heard a females voice call out of the darkness. He gazed over at the young woman running his way.
"Please, I need your help!" She pleaded, falling down to her knees just when she had come to the middle of the bridge, where the moonlight shined strongest.
"Cosette?" He asked himself, upon getting better view of her. He knew who the woman was. She was always with Jean when he was out in public, the only one with him. That, and he very well did ask around. He still hunted Jean, in secret. He found out his information from afar.
Cosette took a deep breath. "My father, he isn't back yet. I'm terribly worried about him! The last time he was out this late, he ended up in the hospital.." She frowned, looking up to him.
That proved further who she was. Damnit! What was this? Another sign God gave him to keep going and live in misery just to give another good laugh to a higher up power?
"I assure you miss, your father is alright. There was a job to be done and he was the only one who could carry it through." Javert replied, turning to step down off the ledge.
"You know him?" Cosette asked, taking the hand that now reached out to her. She allowed Javert to help her back onto her feet.
"Yes, I do. Your father is a good man, the most worthy of them. You have nothing to fear Cosette, he is alright, he is off helping someone elses life tonight." He smiled slight.
"If you know all this, if you know him then you must be Javert."
Javert gave a nod. "That is me."
"He's talked about you quiet a lot, even though he thinks I have not heard, even though he thinks I have forgot.. But I remember from a very young age, he spoke of you. A man who seemed all but kind and true. But here you stand, you have helped me back to my feet, you have helped me off of this rainy street.. You must not be as bad as I thought.."
"He spoke of me in the past?" Javert questioned more to himself than her, letting his gaze fall to the ground.
"Yes. To himself when he thought I wasn't around. But I always heard and saw." She answered.
Javert said nothing. He didn't know what to say.
"You love him no?" She asked suddenly.
"Not a chance I do!" Javert answered quickly, taking a glance around just to make sure there was no one else near by to hear her question of stupidity.
"I believe you not." Cosette replied. "My father would not have waited and moped over a man who claims to be nothing."
"What do you mean?" Javert was clueless on how Jean reacted all those years of no involvement with him.
"He watched every moment we went out.. He scanned the streets of people in hopes of spotting you. He tried to hide it with his seemingly calm smiles but I knew. A woman always knows when there's love within the air between two people. He tried to hide the signs but, every time he saw you, I could feel him just wanting to jerk away from me and chase after you.. Yet, he waited for you to come speak to him.. You always ran." She looked down. "Why?" She asked.
"I done what I had to do, you must understand that. If he'd been caught, if anyone would've known.. He would've been sentenced to death, me too. I was protecting him by keeping my distance." Javert answered.
"You were hurting him!" Cosette exclaimed, having a fierce glare on him. "You slaughtered his heart and his hope."
"He has forgiven me.."
"Then is that why you were about to jump? You still have your doubts! Your fears! From talk of him, you seemed like such a brave and courageous man.. Yet, here I find you, one step closer to the edge of death. That's taking the cowardly way out! And it'll only leave my father with a heart that could never mend.."
"What would you know? You're just a child yet. You know nothing of love, of the hardship it brings.. The task it would give us. The risk."
"That's a lie!" She stayed persistent, earning a flinch from Javert. Jean's headstrong personality had rubbed off on her. It was as if, she truly were his child. "The person I love is out there somewhere, dead or dying as we speak, alone! We never got to see each other but once, just a moment.. I'm young yes, but I know how the heart feels.. And such a feeling is always worth the fight if there's something to fight for."
Wise enough. Javert saw her point clear as the stars in the darkened sky.
"Please, don't give up on him. Don't give up on yourself, Javert. What awaits you in the afterlife is nothing compared to what you can have here. You'll just be going on in darkness with regret. You and my father both... He deserves happiness after all these years.. You deserve happiness too.." She trailed off, her body starting to tremble from the tears she was desperately trying to hold back.
"He's done so much for me, given me all I could hope for.. He's put himself aside, to make me happy... I won't let his happiness slip through his fingers again without a fight! So if you feel as if taking your life is right, as if this is what needs to be done, do it in front of me for I'am not leaving this bridge tonight."
Javert took a look back at the rushing waters below, within that short second of his glance, Cosette lost herself.
He was a harsh man but even the tears of this girl and how much bringing her father happiness ment woke something up in him he thought would never be. The guilt weighed like a bag of bricks on his couldn't do it. Not just for the fact that she was standing there, but also for the fact he couldn't bear to leave Jean alone, again.
Whatever storm they had to face, they would face it together.
"Come, Cosette. I know where your father and the soldier you think has passed is at. I'll take you to them." He offered.
"Marius? He's alive!?" She asked, wide-eyed.
"Yes. He had been shot, but your father took him out of the line of fire. I suspect they're at the hospital this very moment."
"Take me to them, please!" She stumbled further towards him.
"As you wish." Javert took her arm in his, leading her to the post where he had tied his horse.
He helped Cosette onto the beast, before climbing into the saddle himself.
Cosette wrapped her arms firmly around the lawman's waist, before the horse was rushed into a canter.
The dark bay was stopped outside of the hospital and no sooner, was Javert off and helping Cosette down.
Upon the second her feet touched the ground, she ran out of his grip, into the building. She gave no regard of the time or whether a visit was welcomed or not. She had to see him. she had to see them both.
"Madam!" The nurse of the hospital called as the woman rushed in.
Cosette ignored her, making her way down the rows of beds.
"Papa!" She stopped in front of the room that was occupied by two people.
"Cosette?" Jean stood from the chair he sat in. "What are you doing here?" He asked surprised.
"I came looking for you.. You never returned home and I went in search of you.. Then, I heard Marius was here.." She trailed off, looking over Jean's shoulder to the young man unconscious in the bed. "He's alive..?"
"Yes, he is. The doctor said he got lucky though. Two inches more to the left and he would've been done for." Jean answered, with a frown. Marius had a way to go, he still wasn't out of the woods yet but he wouldn't weigh Cosette's mind down with that.
"Thank God." She breathed a sigh of relief. "May I?" She asked, looking between Jean and the nurse.
Jean glanced over at the care taker, who gave a nod. "You may." He answered, taking hold of the chair and moving it closer to the bed side.
"Thank you." Cosette spoke, taking a seat. "For what you've done for him." She added, taking Marius's hand in hers.
"You're welcome my child." Jean gave a smile. "Say, how did you arrive here?" He asked suddenly.
"Javert. He brung me." She answered simply.
"J-Javert? Is he still here?" Jean asked as calmly as he could manage.
"Yes, he's waiting outside."
The mayor swallowed deeply, refusing the urge to run out of the building to where Javert awaited. He didn't wish to be rude and leave his daughter here on her own.
"If you want to go see him, I understand. I'll be alright here on my own." Cosette spoke, sensing his want to leave.
"Are you sure?" Jean still felt he would be in the wrong.
The girl turned to face him, smiling. "Yes papa."
"Alright. Try to get some rest. He'll be just fine." Jean assured, putting her above the boy. Like any father would.
Cosette gave a nod. "I will."
Jean waited a moment, before giving his goodbye and making his way out. He in trusted the nurse to watch over and make sure Cosette was comfortable and had what she needed throughout the night spent there.
Jean shut the door quietly behind him upon exiting the hospital. He then took a look around in the darkness, seeing no one.
Javert must've left, he surely thought. Until, the sound of hooves clicking against the brick reached him.
Jean turned his head quickly to the alley way on his left, watching.
His heart rate was an instant increase as the bay horse stepped out of the shadows. "Javert.." He couldn't think of nothing else to say but yet his mind was racing with words.
"Look at you.. I must say, you're appearance and smell is nicer than earlier. I didn't enjoy the stench of sewer on you at all." Javert chuckled low, resting an arm against his horse's saddle as he leaned forward to get a better look at the man.
Jean ignored the comment. "I didn't think you'd actually come and find me after I just walked right by you.."
"I didn't plan on it at first." Javert answered, momentarily finding his coldness towards this man again.
"I see.." Jean didn't think he could feel anymore disappointed. Javert didn't think to come back for him? That was a bit of overreacting..
"But, then Cosette and me had ourselves a talk. She brung me back to the man I need to be.. She showed me my way again.. I'm starting to see why she means so much to you."
"Cosette? I thought you only came because she wanted to see the boy." Jean implied.
"No, after what I was told, I wanted to come see you. I wanted to make sure you were safe.. I wanted to make sure you didn't get caught or killed if you happened to be mistaken for a revolutionary." Saying such a thing gave Javert a warm feeling inside. He hasn't cared about a thing, this was all something he would have to adjust to.
"But I was one of them." Jean spoke.
"You were there only for the boy. You can't fool me Jean. You were merely protecting him, nothing more."
Jean gave a sigh. "I owed it to Cosette.. Regardless, if I was not there you would've been dead. I saved two lives tonight at the price of risking one. I regret nothing."
"I understand. I just didn't wish for any harm to come to you. There wasn't a soldier left. They're all dead. Marius is the only one who survived.. Because of you." Javert smiled light.
"Let's keep that fact between us for a little while, shall we? I don't think Marius needs to know he lost everyone the second he wakes up." Jean suggested.
"I won't say a word. I can't guarantee Cosette's silence however. She knows. I suppose she's seen during her search for you."
"Damnit!" Jean growled. "She didn't need to see such things."
"She's alright Jean. She's tougher than you make her out to be."
Jean took a deep breath. "I only want to protect her."
"I know, but she's in good hands and she'll be alright. It's time for you to get the rest you deserve now.." Javert trailed off. "Climb on, I'll take you back to your house."
"Wouldn't that be strange to anyone who might happen to see us?" Jean questioned, taking a look around.
"It's late at night, I don't think many people are out and even so, to them it's just the kindness of a human being helping another."
Jean didn't budge, still unsure.
"If you want, I'll get off and walk beside the horse." Javert threw his final option out there.
"No, that won't be necessary.." Jean stepped closer to the creature, taking Javert's hand as soon as it was offered to him to help him up on the back of the horse.
Jean cautiously wrapped his arms around the man's waist, giving the both of them an awkward but nonetheless pleasant feeling.
Once Jean was fully comfortable with himself, comfortable with being behind Javert, he leaned forward, resting his head against the man's shoulders.
Javert was thankful for the darkness, and for Jean being behind him because of the light blush on his face. That was odd of him, and he knew Jean would surely chuckle about it and make some joke remark of it if he ever got to see that from the lawman.
"Content back there?" Javert questioned.
Jean tightened the hold he had around the man. "Yes." He answered happily.
"Good." Javert gave a light kick to his horse to push the beast into a walk.
From then out, the ride was silent, aside from Jean giving directions back to his place.
Javert didn't need them, he knew exactly where the man lived. He always has. But, he enjoyed hearing that wonderous voice therefore he never shushed the mayor and hung onto every command directing him where to go.
I thought about making this my last chapter but decided not to. Inspiration hit me last night and I figured I'd continue it on. Plus, I detested (understood, but detested) Javert's suicide and I don't want to end his life so quickly in my story. :P