The Barricade Girl (A Les Miserables FanFiction)

Chapter Ninety-One

I take her hand in mine, and quickly lead her to the door before she has a chance to speak. I hold the door open for her, and upon seeing her Father in such a frail state, she flings herself across the room and sits at his feet. Enjolras, with Gavroche under his arm, places a strong, supportive arm around me as my eyes fill with tears that threaten to fall at any moment. I try to choke them back, for the sake of being strong for everyone else. As if to appear unshaken.

"Papa, Papa, I do not understand", she says as she clings to him. "Are you alright? Why did you go away?"

"Cosette, my child! Am I forgiven now?" His voice trembles as he gently strokes her hair. He looks heavenward, closing his eyes. "Thank God, thank God I've lived to see this day!"

"It's you who must forgive a thoughtless fool", Marius respectfully kneels before his new father-in-law. "It's you who must forgive a thankless man. It's thanks to you that I am living, and again I lay down my life at your feet". Cosette looks lifts her head from where she had been crying facedown into his hands and looks from Marius to her father, and from her father to Marius in a state of confusion. She goes to speak, but Marius answers before she has a chance. He rushes around Valjean's chair, tenderly placing his hands on the man's shoulders, as if he might break him if he leaned too hard. "Cosette, your father is a saint. When they wounded me, he took me from the barricade carried like a babe and brought my home to you". Marius once again kneels in front of Valjean, bowing his head in grateful reverence. Valjean tightly squeezes Cosette's hand, and waves me over with the other. Part of me is hesitant to go, not wanting to intrude on this moment between father and daughter, but something in me tells me I must go, prompting me to move or I'll regret it.

Valjean he reaches for my hand, and Cosette and I both kneel at either side of him, and then I know. From the way Monsieur Valjean holds my hand, and the way he speaks to us both, I know that he considers me a daughter too. I had yearned for a father for so long...and here, I had one. And I was about to lose him. I feel a hand on my shoulder as I stroke Valjean's hand. Enjolras steady hand rests there. Gavroche clings to Enjolras, his face wet with tears. He is heartbroken. Why, why when everything has fallen so perfectly back into place, did we have to lose something else? Have we not lost enough? My thoughts are disturbed again when Valjean speaks again.

"Now you are here", he looks between Cosette and I. "Again, beside me. Now I can die in peace, for now my life is blessed". I choke back a sob and Enjolras grips my shoulder even tighter. I raise my free hand to meet his, linking my fingers with his, while still keeping a tight hold of Valjean's trembling hand in mine. Tears stream down my face, and I'm unable to speak.

"You will live, Papa, you're going to live", Cosette manages to say through her sobs. "It's too soon, too soon to say goodbye!"

"Yes, Cosette, forbid me now to die", he smiles. "I'll obey..." He winces. "I will try". He releases our hands for a moment, reaching to the inside of his chair. With shaking hands, he passes a piece of paper to Cosette. "On this page, I write my last confession. Read it well. When I, at last, am sleeping. It's the story, of one who always loved you. Her mother gave her life for you and gave you to my keeping". He retakes both of our hands, and Cosette weeps into his hand wrapped around her own. Marius envelops her in his arms. In the distance, the sound of a woman's voice singing travels through the walls of the Abbey.

"Come with me where chains will never bind you", the angelic voice sings.

"It's her..." Valjean's eyes light up, looking to the corner of the room as if he's seen something. There's nothing there, but his face looks convinced of it. He looks in a trance.

"All your grief at last, at last behind you. Lord in Heaven, look down on him in mercy", the voice carries on.

"Forgive me all my trespasses and take me to your glory", Valjean prays fervently. His takes one last breath. And then his hand goes limp and cold. Cosette lets out an almighty scream.

"NO!" She cries. Marius holds her even tighter. I reach my hand out to his face with one hand and check his pulse with the other. He's gone.

"...No..." I whisper to Valjean as I stroke his cheek. Through a veil of tears, I gently reach over and close his eyes with my hand. I gently kiss his forehead, and the sound of an almost heavenly chorus resumes their song, the haunting voices filling the Abbey.

"Take my hand. I'll lead you to salvation", they sing. Enjolras wraps his arms around me and I turn to him, crying into his shoulder. Gavroche holds on to us just as tightly, and I run my fingers through his hair. "Take my love, for love is everlasting", they continue. I crouch to Gavroche's level and wipe his tears with my hands.

"It's going to be okay..." I whisper to him. I take Enjolras' hand in mine and lead him to the cradle our children lie in.

"And remember, the truth that once was spoken..." the voices raise up. Enjolras looks into the cradle and exhales loudly, a look of pure love on his face. His heart has been broken and filled in the space of a minute. And the fearless leader withstood it all.

"Jean, Arielle...meet your Daddy..." I whisper lightly, tears still streaming down my face. I lift Jean, and place him into Enjolras' arms, followed by Arielle. "How about that, Burgundy Boy?"

"Look what you did, Barricade Girl..." He replies.

"No..." I smile. "Look what God did..."

And the heavenly voices finish their haunting chorus as Cosette and Marius stay interlocked in each other's embrace, as Gavroche's little hands wrap themselves around mine, and as Enjolras stares into his children's eyes for the first time.

"To love another person is to see the face of God".