The Barricade Girl (A Les Miserables FanFiction)

Chapter Eighty-One

"I don't think I have the energy to do this!" Courfeyrac wheezes, close to hyperventilating at the thought of having to do this all again.

"You say that one more time", Madame challenges him.

"I think I'm ready", he nods decisively, taking a deep breath.

"Good then!" Madame replies sarcastically. "Okay, darlin'", she says, turning her attention back to me, retaking her position at the foot of the bed. "When I tell you, I need you to do one big push for me, just like before".

"I can't", I cry, leaning my head next to Courfeyrac's, the unbearable pain throbbing like before.

"Yes, you can", Courfeyrac says, placing his mouth by my ear. "You've got this! You are fearless!" It's like Courfeyrac's attitude has done a flip, his own weakness disappearing and being replaced by bravery.

"No, I'm not", I wail.

"Yes, you are! You're the most fearless person I know!" He says adamantly. "You can do this!" Madame gives him a nod, giving him the go ahead. "Now...push!" He instructs. I do as he says. "That's it!"

"You clever, clever girl!" Madame beams. "Take a breath, and then I want another push!" I obey, pushing as hard as I can, gripping on to Courfeyrac's hands with all my might. Courfeyrac has been such a loyal friend, right from childhood, and here he is, by my side, at the birth of my children. I don't think our past selves would have ever had imagined this. I take another breath, before taking one final push. Madame lets out a pleased gasp of delight, holding another baby in her arms.

"Gross..." A stunned Gavroche mumbles as he, having accidentally seen the whole thing, faints backwards, being caught by Valjean.

"It's a girl!" Tears of happiness stream down Madame's face. "You have a girl and a boy!" The baby begins to cry, and tears of relief fall down my own face as I let my head fall backwards, gasping for breath. Courfeyrac wipes the sweat from my forehead, unsticking the strands of hair that have fixed themselves to my face.

"You're incredible..." He whispers.

"No, you are. Thank you for being there", I whisper back.

"Oh, you couldn't have been more perfect, Juliette!" Madame beams. "One of each! Who'd have thought it?"

"I don't have anymore hiding up there do I?" I joke, but also slightly worried that there is in fact more waiting to make their entrance.

"No. No more", she laughs. "Just the two. That explains why your stomach was so big so early on".

"I thought I'd done something wrong! But I was just carrying two instead of one", I smile as I try to get my breath back to normal.

"You didn't do anything wrong, you did everything just right", Madame assures me. I smile contentedly, as the pain fades away, and I lean my head against Courfeyrac. "We'll get you both cleaned up. But first, would you like to meet your children?"

"I would", I reply, the words getting stuck in my throat. She gently places them in my arms, and I stare at them, falling instantly in love. Immediately, all the pain feels worth it. All the sacrifice feels worth it. Everything feels worth it.

And at the very same moment that Juliette first held her children in her arms, unbeknownst to her, in a hospital at the other side of Paris, for the first time since the barricade fell, Enjolras opened his eyes...