The Barricade Girl (A Les Miserables FanFiction)

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Dawn breaks, and the sun begins to rise over Paris. Our brief wedding celebration is forced to come swiftly to an end, our "honeymoon period" barely hours long, and rudely awoken. I could have laid looking at Enjolras forever. I want to have laid looking at Enjolras forever. But I can't. And my heart breaks wondering if this might be the first and only night we'll spend together as man and wife. A feeling of grief and mourning comes over me as I change back into my regular clothes. I pick up Enjolras' jacket, draped over a chair in the corner of the room, and hold it out to put on him. He turns his back to me and slips his arms into the jacket, and then turns back around to face me. I lift his cravat from the bedframe, and fix it around his neck. Tears start to prick my eyes.

"Hey hey hey", Enjolras places his hands on my arms. "We're going to be okay".

"I know..." I say, forcing back the tears. I leave his cravat undone, just fixing it around the neckline left by the few buttons he'd decided to leave undone.

"What? You're not going to tell me to fasten up my cravat?" Enjolras jokes, trying to lighten the mood.

"No..." I smile a weak smile as I pat it down. "It's perfect the way it is".

Taking my hand tightly in his, we make our way back to our friends as they stir from the few hours of slumber they were able to steal. Enjolras looks around at the dawn breaking over our barricade. It's eerily silent. No-one has come to join us and add to our number. The flimsy promises made by the enthusiastic crowds who had rallied around us in protest before now pointless and broken. This isn't what we thought would happen. But Enjolras remains determined and hopeful nonetheless.

"The people have not stirred", he thinks aloud – talking to himself, but loud enough for our group to hear. "We are abandoned by those who still live in fear". He takes a breath, almost rallying himself up to do what he needs to do. "The people have not heard, yet we will not abandon those who cannot hear". And then Enjolras says the words I never thought I would hear him say "Let us not waste lives...Let all who wish to go from here". Reading between the lines, I sense that Enjolras is slowing giving up hope, with his talk of not wasting lives. If we're going to lose, we might as well be small in number. Enjolras looks around, expecting everyone to leave and save themselves. But no-one moves an inch. No-one leaves. No-one runs. There's silence. And they stay. A small voice breaks the silence.

"Do you hear the people sing", Gavroche beams from his perch atop the barricade.

"Singing the song of angry men", Courfeyrac joins him.

"It is the music of the people who will not be slaves again", everyone else soon adds their voice, joining in a mighty chorus, a show of strength and solidarity. "When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums, there is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!" The boys jump into action, preparing their weapons, rallying one another and spurring each other in.

"Ammunition's short", Feuilly informs.

"Juliette", Enjolras turns me to face him as I watch the flurry of activity around me. "I want you to go".

"What?" I ask in disbelief as I stare into his eyes. "No".

"I will go into the streets. There are bodies all around. Ammunition to be had. Lots of bullets to be found", Marius responds to Feuilly's announcement.

"Please, Juliette", Enjolras pleads with me. "As your husband, I'm telling you to go away from here".

"And as your wife, I'm telling you I'm not". I reply.

"No, Marius! Let me go!" Valjean tries to stop him. "You're no more than a boy. I am old. I have nothing to fear".

"My place is with you!" I tell Enjolras earnestly. "I'm not going anywhere".

"But Juliette –" He begins to protest, and then senses something is amiss. "Where'd Gavroche go?"

"What?" I ask confused, as Enjolras pulls away from me.

"Where did Gavroche go?" He looks around for him. "Everyone quiet!" He silences our group. "He was just here a second ago – Gavroche!" He calls. And then I see Courfeyrac at the top of the barricade, trying to keep cover, but also reaching out.

"Gavroche, come back here!" Courfeyrac shouts, but in a loud whisper. Before I know it, I'm climbing as quickly as I can to the top of the barricade to go after Gavroche.

"Juliette!" Enjolras calls after me, but I take no heed. As I reach the top, I see Gavroche collecting ammunition from the corpses of the deceased army officers, and I can hear him Gavroche quietly singing to himself, his small voice quivering in fear.

"And little people know, when little people fight", he sings. I climb over the top of the barricade and start climbing down the other side to get to Gavroche.

"Juliette, don't you dare!" Courfeyrac tries to grab me, but I escape his grip.

"I'm not leaving him! I have to take care of him!" I respond.

"We may look easy pickings", Gavroche continues. "But we've got some bite". A gunshot rings out, made me shudder to the core. They missed Gavroche.

"Gavroche", I try to get his attention with a loud whisper. "Come back here!"

"So never kick a dog", he carries on regardless, "because he's just a pup!" Another gunshot escapes, this time wounding Gavroche who yelps in. My feet hit the ground, and I duck, trying to get closer to Gavroche.

"Gavroche. I'm right here. Come and take my hand", I plead, reaching out to him.

"We'll fight like twenty armies and we won't give up", I can hear the pain, but sheer determination, in his voice. Gavroche begins to weep, holding his arm in pain. I crawl towards him, mere feet away from him, reaching out my hand to him. He turns to look at me, fear and terror in his eyes, tears streaming down his face.

"It's okay...I'm here..." I say as I get closer, and he reaches his hand out toward my outstretched one. "We're almost there..."

"So you better run for cover when the pup grows –" Just as Gavroche's tiny hand reaches mine, a final musket shot rings out, and Gavroche falls to the ground.