The Darkest Night Will End

Outside General Lamarques Home, Paris, 3:35pm, June 1st, 1832

Outside General Lamarque's Home, Paris, 3:35pm, June 1st, 1832

The next morning the air had turned electric, as the rally that had already been planned seemed to become even more important with the news of Lamarque's illness worsening.

Crowds massed together around Lamarque's house, demanding more information, "Look down and see the beggars at your feet, look down and show some mercy if you can! Look down and see the sweepings of the street!"

The throngs pushed about carriages, begging for hand outs, "Look down! Look down! Upon your fellow man!"

Jacquelyn gripped Enjolras' hand as they pushed through the crowd toward where Combeferre and Courfeyrac had been setting up the makeshift stage.

Enjolras looked around, "Have you seen Gavroche?"

They shrugged, "He's around somewhere, terrorizing aristos."

"Shouldn't you go find him? You wouldn't want him to get caught in all the confusion if things take a turn for the worst." He said.

Jacquelyn shook their head, "Nah, let him have his fun. God knows not enough kids get to be kids anymore."

Even as they spoke Gavroche was shoving his way through the crowd and climbing up onto the riding board of a carriage, "Ow do you do my names Gavroche! These are my people here my patch!"

He pulled the pin from his jacket, waving it in the mans face as he continued, "Not much to look at, nothing posh, nothing that you'd up to scratch!"

"This is the land that fought for liberty, here in the slums of Saint Michelle, we live on crumbs of humble piety and now when we fight we fight for bread!" He climbed through the carriage, ignoring the startled yells of its occupants, and began to run down the street, calling to the other urchins. "Think you're poor? Think You're free? Follow me follow me!"

Grantaire chuckled as Gavroche came to a stop near him, "This is the thing about equality, everyone's equal when they're dead!"

The boy scowled at him, before dart forward as the crowd started again, "Whens it gonna end? Where are we gonna live? Somethings gotta happen now, somethings gotta give!"

"Where are the leaders of this land?" Enjolras yelled from the platform, "Where is the king who runs this show?"

"Only one man and that's Lamarque, speaks for the people here below!" Marius, who was only partially reading off the paper Jacquelyn had given him called.

"See our children fed! Help us in our shame! Something for a crust of bread in Holy Jesus name!" The crowd yelled.

"In the Lord's holy name!" Someone wailed.

"In his name, in his name, in his name..." They chanted.

"Lamarque is ill and fading fast," Jacquelyn sang, "Might not last the week, or so they say! With all the anger in the land, how long before the judgment day?"

"Before we cut the fat ones down to size!" Enjolras yelled.

"Before the barricades arise!" They cried.

The crowd cheered in agreement, the excited energy seeming to grow with every moment.

Jacquelyn was vibrating with energy as they stepped back on the platform, every forlorn feeling from the day before had melted away as the rally started, and grinned feverishly as Enjolras grasped their hand.

Over the chanting and the cheering, Bahorels yells "Police!" could barely be heard.

As soon as the people began to scatter the other members of the ABC began to yell, passing out pamphlets as they did, "We'll be back here tomorrow, come back tomorrow, in front of general Lamarque's house!"

Jacquelyn found themself being pulled along with the mob, their grip on Enjolras tightening as the chants of "Vive La France!" grew louder and the police, on horseback, pushed them out of the square. 

"Courf? Do you have Gav?" They yelled as soon as he was within shouting distance.

"I thought I just saw him!"

But then the crowd was shoving them apart, and Enjolras was tugging them into an alleyway to hide as the police rushed past.

Slowly, the streets returned to the almost calm they had held before, and the couple emerged from the alley, looking up and down the street.

"You should head back to the cafe, regroup and make sure everyone is okay." Jacquelyn sighed.

"What about you?" Enjolras asked.

They looked about the street, "I've got to find Gavroche. I doubt he'd go back to the cafe after something like that."

"Okay, be safe." He murmured, pressing a kiss to their knuckles before heading off.

Jacquelyn wandered through the streets, and it didn't take them long to find where Gavroche had hidden himself away between two market stalls.

"Hey there monsieur." They chuckled.

"Jack!" He exclaimed, jumping up.

"Lets head out to the cafe, everyone else is regrouping."

He nodded, "Crowd pushed me straight away from Courf, I tried ta stay with him, but I couldn't."

"Thats alright, come on."

They weaved through the market, dodging around people, with much success for the hurry they were in, until Gavroche bumped into a young woman with rich brown hair.

"Sorry about that." He said quickly.

"Oh thats alright," They turned to Gavroche, smiling sweetly as recognition flashed in their eyes chuckling, "Have we met before? You seem familiar."

Jacquelyn chuckled as he bowed, "How do you do? My name's Gavroche."

"Gavroche!" The girl exclaimed, "Oh Gavroche I don't know if you'd remember me- oh you could hardly walk when I left- it's me, Cosette!"

A wide grin split across Gavroches face, "Cosette!"

Cosette giggled, "You do remember me!"

"Jack this is Cosette! She was with Thenardier and Madame before they kicked me out!" He said urgently.

"It's good to meet you." Jacquelyn said, nodding.

"It's nice to meet you too," She smiled, "I knew Gavroche a long time ago, before my Papa adopted me."

"She was the only one nice to me in that place, Jack!" Gavroche grinned.

Jacquelyn chuckled again, ruffling his hair, "It's good to know someone was looking out for him, even then."

Cosette smiled, "Maybe we should go and get tea-"

Almost on cue, a man in a yellow overcoat appeared, taking her elbow, "Come along Cosette, we've got to go."

"Oh, papa, these are my friends, can't I take them to tea?"

Jacquelyn eyed the man, who looked back at them just as warily, "No, Cosette, I think we are to be late if we do."

She smiled apologetically at Jacquelyn and Gavroche, before allowing her father to lead her away, only pausing to look across the street, smiling at someone before moving on.

Gavroche laughed, pointing over to where Marius had been watching the interaction, and had clearly just gained her attention, looking dumbfounded.

Jacquelyn rolled their eyes, grabbing the boy's wrist to tug him along across the street to Marius, "You're both ridiculous, come on. Everyones waiting at the cafe."