Gavroche's Tale
A/N: for FictionalCharacter and Gavroche T I will add two more chapters.
Marius and Cosette's father sat in a small room. Marius turned to face the older man.
"I can't thank you enough for giving me Cosette" He said, smiling. "Your home shall be with us. We shall call you a father to us all" Monsiuer Fechelevant sighed.
"Not another word, my son. There's something now that must be done..." He paused and looked away out the window. "There lived a man whose name was
Jean Valjean. He stole some bread to save his sister's son. For nineteen winters served his time. In sweat he washed away his crime" He said this slowly and Marius listened, with a look of shock upon his face. Fechelevant continued. "Years ago, He broke parole and lived a life apart..." At this he paused and looked Marius square in the eye. "How could he tell Cosette and break her heart? This must be faced" His voice broke and Marius seemed disturbed by what he was hearing.
"Jean Valjean" He whispered, eying the older man. Fechelevant nodded.
"The time has come to journey on" He replied. "I must go, for if I am caught, she will be disgraced" Marius thought back to when Valjean had offered to do away with Inspector Javert. But he hadn't. Marius wondered why?
"Monsieur, you cannot leave! Whatever I tell my beloved Cosette she will never believe!" Marius protested. He knew that Valjean was doing it for Cosette's sake, but he thought she deserved the truth, from Valjean himself.
"Make her believe I have gone on a journey far away. Tell her my heart was too full for farewells..." Valjean said quietly. "It is better this way" He gripped Marius by the shoulders. "Promise me, Monsieur, Cosette will never know..." Marius didn't want to, but he knew that it was for the best.
"I give my word" He said quietly. Valjean nodded.
"Thank you, Marius" He said. He quickly exited the room. Marius was startled when Gavroche poked his head out of the closet. He tried to look stern, but he was too upset about what had just happened.
Valjean left the modest lodging house and got in to a waiting cab. The cab rattled away down the street.
"Are you just going to let him go?" Gavroche asked.
"What else can I do?" Marius asked. "He's right. It's better this way" Gavroche shook his head.
"You don't mean that" He said. "Jean Valjean is not a bad man. He helped us at the barricade. He said it himself, he stole bread. I've done that, you know I have" Marius sighed and knew that Gavroche was right. He looked out the window.
"I don't think we'll find him" He said quietly. He left the room to tell his beloved that her father was gone. Cosette was completely bewildered.
"Where's he gone without a word?" She asked, tears in her eyes.
"All he asked for me to say he's on a journey, far away. Perhaps he will return some day" Marius said. Gavroche looked on sadly.
"He can't leave us now. What's our wedding day without him giving me away?" Cosette cried and Marius held her.
It was soon the wedding day and Marius and Cosette, newly married, were dancing at the wedding reception. As the dance proceeded, two extraordinary figures enter, and started helping themselves to the drink and the food. They were Thenardier and his wife, dressed up for high society.
"The Baron and Baroness du Thenard" They were announced. Gavroche saw them and recognized them immediately. He tapped Marius on the shoulder and pointed. Marius frowned and made his way to the couple. He grabbed each by the elbow and began pushing them out of the room.
"Go away, Thenardier! Do you think I don't know who you are? He asked angrily.
"He's not fooled!" Madame Thenardier snapped at her husband. Told you so! Show M'Sieur what you've come here to show. Tell the boy what you know!
"Hate to disturb you at a feast like this but 500 francs surely wouldn't come amiss" Thenardier said, raising an eyebrow. Marius frowned.
"In God's name say what you have to say" He snapped.
"He speaks. You pay!" Madame Thenardier said firmly. Marius rolled his eyes. He had no intention of paying them anything.
"What I saw, clear as light, Jean Valjean in the sewers that night" Marius was shocked that Thenardier knew Cosette's father's true identity and realized he might have to pay for them to keep quiet. "Had this corpse on his back, Some boy he'd killed in a viscious attack" Marius frowned. He couldn't believe the man was capable of killing anyone. Afterall, he let Javert go. "I was there, never fear! Even found me this fine souvenir!" He showed Marius a ring and Marius was shocked.
"I know this!" He said, grabbing the ring. "This was mine!" The Thenardiers looked at eachother, shocked. "This is surely some heavenly sign!" Thenardier snatched the ring back.
"And there's more! Mark this well. It was the night that the barricades fell" He said. Marius nodded.
"Then it's true! Then I'm right! Jean Valjean was my saviour that night!" Marius whispered. Thenardier looked past Marius to where Cosette stood among their friends. He lowered his voice.
"Jean Valjean - the old con. You pay up and I'll say where he's gone" Marius glared at Thenardier and punched him in the face. "Where is he?"
"The convent" Thenardier whispered. Marius rushed over to Cosette and Gavroche.
"Come on. I know where your father is" He said. Cosette and and Gavroche followed him, while the Thenardiers were thrown out of the the party.