In The Rain

Jean Valjean

Jean Valjean watched the little boy from the barricade begin his journey back down the stairs. He felt a stab of pity in his heart as he thought what the boy must have been through to need to be a part of the revolution.

"Boy. You stay away from there, you understand?" He wasn't sure what made him say it. The stab of pity? The heroic streak that had been inside him since he helped Fauchelevant from under that cart all those years ago? Whatever it was, he couldn't let this boy die.

He did not read the name on the front before opening the letter, and realised too late that it was not for him. Nevertheless, the word "love" made him stop and read.

The more he read, the wider his eyes grew, and the more his heart broke. This "Marius" boy was going to come and take away the treasure of his Autumn days to be his wife! This boy was going to, in one movement (involving a ring presumably), cause Valjean's world to crumble around him. It was almost more than he could take.

Yet the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. Hadn't he just said that day that if there was anything he could do to make Cosette happy, he would try and do it? And from the looks of this letter, the one thing that would make his daughter happy would be to be reunited with Marius.

"I must find this boy!" Valjean said to no one in particular, before grabbing his coat and sprinting down the stairs.

-/\-\/-/\-\/-/\-

THUD!

The French soldier collapsed to the ground after Valjean punched him, allowing the old man to "borrow" his clothes and gun. He carefully walked towards the barricade, jumping as someone yelled, "who's there?"

"Drop your guns, I come as a volunteer!" Valjean begged.

A tall man with blonde curls and a red jacket laughed. "See that prisoner over there? He's a volunteer like you. You can bet he'll get it too!"

Valjean glanced over at the prisoner and his jaw dropped. It was Javert. He could not believe his eyes. There he was, hands tied, neck tied, painful-looking wounds. And yet Valjean stood, in soldier's uniform, towering above his now defenceless pursuer. What a role-reversal.

Valjean almost laughed as he looked back towards the blonde man. His eyes landed, however, on the barrel of a gun and the top of a French soldier's hat, peeking out from behind the chimney of L'ABC Café.

"Enemy marksman!" He roared, causing everyone else to yell too. In the chaos, Valjean turned his own gun towards the soldier and aimed a perfect shot at him before any of the revolutionaries could get hurt.

"Thank you, Monsieur." The blonde man nodded gratefully at Valjean. "If there's anything we can do...?"

"There is one thing," the old man said suddenly, "give me the spy Javert, let me take care of him."

The blonde nodded and Valjean headed for the Café.

"You've hungered for this all your life..." Javert muttered. He was trying to hide the fear in his eyes, but Valjean did not miss it.

He felt sorry for the inspector. He had only been doing his duty when he was spying on the revolution, and when he had been chasing Valjean. He did not blame him for anything.

He walked slowly towards Javert. He raised the knife, and swiped downwards on the ropes around the inspector's hands. He then freed the man's neck too, grabbed his arm and pushed him towards the back entrance.

"Get out of here." The inspector looked up at him, looking confused.

"Don't understand..." He said.

"Clear our of here!"

Javert scoffed and warned him that he would still come after him even if Valjean let him go. But Valjean didn't care. He had finally realised what truly mattered in his life. All he cared about, all he wanted to do in his remaining days, was to make sure Cosette was safe and happy.