Surviving the Revolution

A Family

"You'll be alright here?" Grantaire asked Jehan, anxious to get back to Enjolras.

"I'll be fine," Jehan said, "Go, let us know how he is."

Grantaire nodded and hurried out of the room.

"Enjolras needs to get better," Jehan said, turning to Courfeyrac who was sitting on the edge of the bed with Gavroche's head in his lap. "I don't know what R will do... I don't know what any of us will do..."

"Shhh," Courfeyrac said soothingly, reaching over and taking Jehan's hand, "Enjolras will be fine, he's far too stubborn to give up when there's still a fight to be won." He gently wiped away the tears that had made their way down Jehan's cheeks.

"Sorry," Jehan said quietly, looking to Cosette who was saw on the other side of the bed, holding Marius's hand.

"Don't apologize," she said, "I can see how much you all mean to each other and I know you have already lost some of your friends. I cannot imagine what I would do if..." She looked down at Marius again and smoothed his hair out of his eyes.

"Marius will be fine mademoiselle," Courfeyrac said. "He knows you are here waiting for him to wake up."

Cosette smiled slightly and nodded, wiping away her tears an taking a deep breath. "How old is he?" she asked Courfeyrac, gesturing to Gavroche.

"Six," Courfeyrac told her, "He was five when we first met him. Found him outside the cafe in the snow, freezing and starving."

"Joly said if Courf hadn't brought him in that day then Gavroche wouldn't have made it through the night," Jehan told her.

"How is it he came to live on the streets?" she asked.

"Me parents didn't want me," the little boy murmured and they looked at him in surprise.

"When did you wake up?" Courfeyrac asked.

"Jus' now," Gavroche replied, trying to sit up. Courfeyrac gently lifted the boy so he was sitting up and leaning against him still.

"I'm sorry Gavroche, I didn't mean to pry," Cosette said.

"It's alright," he said weakly, "It's what most people wanna know first when they meet someone on the streets. Me parents didn't want me. They threw me out on the streets when I was four. My father said I was too much trouble and that they didn't want me no more."

Cosette noticed Courfeyrac's hold on the boy seemed to tighten slightly.

"They don't matter now," the student said quietly and Gavroche looked up at him. "You never have to see them again and you never have to live on the streets again, remember?"

"But I thought that was only if we won," Gavroche said in confusion.

"No Gavroche," Courfeyrac smiled gently at him. "Whether we're free or on the run, I will keep you safe. No matter where we are, you are my son."

Cosette looked away, she felt like she was invading a very private moment. Then she saw Jehan was smiling at the pair and she looked back. Gavroche had his arms wrapped around Courfeyrac and his was buried in the older boy's chest, while Courfeyrac had his arms wrapped around the tiny boy as he pressed a kiss to 'roche's head.

"But Courf," the boy said, leaning back slightly, "If we're on the run, we can't do it properly like you said."

"We'll figure it un petit, don't worry," Courfeyrac smiled at him and the boy snuggled back into his side, quickly falling asleep. Courfeyrac looked up and saw Cosette watching them and he smiled.

"I promised him that after the revolution was over, we would go to the courts and I would file for adoption," Courfeyrac told her. "Even if we can't do it legally now, I'm going to make sure he knows he's loved every day."

"He knows," Jehan said, taking Courfeyrac's hand. "None of us will ever let him forget. Why don't you get some sleep."

Courfeyrac yawned and nodded, quickly falling asleep with one arm still wrapped protectively around the sleeping child.

"We all look after Gavroche," Jehan said quietly. "If he's sick, hungry, or in any kind of rouble, he knows he can come to us. Any of us, but Courfeyrac especially. He has loved that boy since day one. We all love Gavroche as a little brother, but Courfeyrac loves him as a son."

"It must have been hard on them at the barricade," Cosette said.

"When Gavroche got show we all thought that was it," Jehan said sadly. "We knew if he died then so would Courfeyrac, literally or not. They cannot live without each other. They're a family. We all are."

I know I haven't updated in quite a while. There's been some crazy stuff going on in my life lately which means I've kind of been neglecting all my writing.

I've managed to get a couple one-shots up, but any chapters for my weekly fanfics have basically been ignored lately. Same with my blog which I've kind of neglected these past few weeks as well.

I'm hoping to go back to weekly updates, but I don't want to make any promises I can't keep so for now I'll say the new chapter will be up soon.

Thank you so much for reading and all your patience! Let me know what you think!