LES DÉSCENDANTS

~Chapter 6: Les Bagages Qu'il Portait (The Baggage He Carried)~

I slowly, softly rested my hand on Enjolras's arm, considering the weight of his words. "Me...related to General Lamarque. Enjolras...I think I would have felt a presence there. When I first bumped into Jean Prouvaire at the ABC rally...when I first saw you atop that platform...those were different connections than what I felt when meeting the General. A mentor, yes, a hero...absolutely. But an ancestor.." I shook my head. "It would have been brought up."

Enjolras produced the artifact from his pocket. "I've been safekeeping this while you've been sneaking out."

I looked up, not wanting to fight this now. "Only sneaking out to seek justice against your father, and for Jehan."

He placed the artifact in my hands, and cupped his hands under mine, looking into my eyes, anger replaced with desperation. "Prouvaire would not want justice sought through menacing Guardsmen. Prouvaire would want answers. Answers about your lineage-"

"Which he clearly knew."

"Then he would want you to discover it!" Enjolras exclaimed, placing the note in my hands. "Wasn't that made clear? Don't you want all your questions answered?"

I felt a sudden wave of exhaustion as I gazed back into Enjolras's anxious eyes. "Of course I do. But I'm tired, Enjolras. And I want to heal before being dealt another potential blow."

Enjolras's attitude shifted with that, and he squeezed my hands. "I know. Yet we said-"

"We said a lot of things, Enjolras. I left the house to escape our ghosts...we haven't sat and talked, really talked to process the barricades. To grieve. Since I've known you, it's all been talk of strategizing, quantifying how much ammunition we'd need, diagramming barricades..." I took a breath. "Enjolras, besides perhaps a few conversations, I don't think we've ever talked about something other than the barricades, my lineage, or the next strategy. I want to get to know you, Enjolras, I want to put the next ten steps aside and maybe, for just a moment, slow down and simply focus on rebuilding our life here." I put the artifact and the note back in my satchel, and shoved it into the bottom drawer.

Enjolras nodded, remembering his promises when our tempers were lessened, before the Patron Minette had ever been in the picture.

"I want to gain your trust back, Enjolras. I want us to rebuild, and I know just where to start." I squeezed his hand and stood. "Trust me." And I whistled the ABC whistle for Gavroche.

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It took the young lad all of twenty minutes to complete his task. Twenty minutes later, as the sun rose, Inspector Javert stood in our doorway.

Enjolras immediately stood, eyes wide, knowing what had happened but also feeling trapped.

"Inspector," I bowed, and Javert remained standing, but he looked twice as exhausted as Enjolras and myself combined. I quickly offered him a chair which he took, back rigid. "I had Gavroche ask you to come here because I have a feeling you, like the ABC, want to rebuild," I began. "And you can help us do so, if you can use your own allies within the police force...or elsewhere...to quiet down Jacques Enjolras, Metias Soult, and any remaining imminent threats to the ABC."

Javert inclined his head. "Elsewhere...?"

"Monsieur le Maire of Montreuil-sur-Mer has made quite a fortune for himself. Some officers within the Guard may prepare false leads to our most dangerous of enemies in exchange for...a hefty sum."

Javert immediately stood. "You would dare have me-"

I raised a hand. "Not you. I will get the funds from the mayor." I looked to Enjolras. "And I will retrieve in an honest manner. I need you, Inspector, to prepare the false leads and find your allies once I transfer the funds to you."