Vive la France! (Working Title) *Les Miserables FanFiction*

Chloé Le Sueur

The dawn light glows on a massive Elephant. The monument made of wood and plaster, now ruined and crumbling, stands on a plinth on one side of the wide open square. On the far side the remains of Bastille, which once was a great fortress. In the middle of the square was a half-built column, which is being erected to celebrate the new regime.

Paris, 1832.

Chloé jumped on to the plinth her thin shoes doing nothing to protect her feet from the morning cold. She brushed down her thick burgundy skirt before knocking loudly on the Elephant monument caucusing small bits of plaster to fall to the floor. A small blonde head popped out of the Elephants many holes. "All right Chloe! I'm coming!" Gavroch jumped to the ground agile as a monkey. "You're the one who wanted to go today Gav. We were supposed to leave ages ago." With a shrill whistle one dozen more street urchins show themselves, from the cracks in the Elephants skin. "Sure, Coz I'm the only reason you're going." He said with a smirk. Gavroch grabed Chloé's hand and raced down the grand boulevard, followed by Gavroch's band. They dodged the crowds of strolling bourgeoisie and beggars, weaving in and out of the lines of carriages attempting to make their way in either direction. These are the transport of the rich, fine coaches with clean and groomed horses and footmen on the back. Virtually at a standstill, they act as platforms for Chloé and Gavroch to leap from coach to coach, a woman of the night and an urchin dancing on the heads of the elite.

As they go, the poor on the cold cobble pavement sing to the stone-faced rich in their golden carriages.

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!

Look down, look down,

Upon your fellow man!

The fine ladies and grand gentlemen in there carriages avert their eyes, or raise the blinds of their carriage windows shutting out the sight of the beggars beneath their feet. Gavroche and Chloé tried to avoid the swipes from the footmen. Gavroche jumped down to land on the running board on one particularly grand carriage, Chloé decided to follow his lead jumping down on the other side.

'Ow do you do? My name's

Gavroche!

These are my people, here's my

patch.

Not much to look at - nothing

posh!

Nothing that you'd call up to

scratch.

This is my school, my high

society!

Here in the slums of St Michel.

We live on crumbs of humble piety

Tough on the teeth - but what the

hell!

Think you're poor? Think you're

free?

Follow me! Follow me!

As Gavroche taunt the rich occupants, Chloé held the gaze of the male teasing him with flirtations looks and smirks. He was so caught up in her gaze that he didn't notice Chloé slip her hand into his pocket and slip out a full coin poach. Both Gavroche and Chloé jumped of the carriage and Gavroche hoped onto the back of another very grand carriage, the traffic now moving at last. Chloé jumped on the back with him, Gavroche's gang running after them.

There was a time we killed the

King

We tried to change the world too

fast.

Now we have got another King,

He is no better than the last.

This is the land that fought for

liberty -

Now when we fight we fight for

bread!

Here is the thing about equality -

Everyone's equal when they're

dead.

Take your place!

Take your chance!

Vive la France!

"Vive la France!" Chloé shouted along with Gavroche as the carriage reached an arch into a courtyard where a chord of a couple of hundred were gathered outside a house of sickness. The carriage stops as its occupant want to watch what is going on. The street padded with straw. Many eyes gaze up at the draped windows. People cross themselves. A priest is seen hurrying into the house, accompanied by two altar boys.

Chloé and Gavroche jumped off as the carriage stopped and joined the crowd, made up of the citizens of Paris, student revolutionaries, the poor and beggars. The students handed out printed leaflets to try to excite the crowd. Chloé scanned the crowd for someone she recognised a young street girl, Eponine. Holding tightly to Gavroche's hand she zig-zagged through the crowd till they were by her side. "Chloé! You made it!" Eponine had to shout over the cries from the crowd. "Of course! I wouldn't miss it, manly cos I had this one!" Chloé also shouted gesturing at Gavroche.

Look down and show some mercy if

you can!

Look down, look down, upon your

fellow man!

The sea of people sang as one. "When's it gonna end?" Chloé herd Courfeyrac's voice pipe up. "When we gonna live?" Chloé decided to shout out to the people causing others to shout back.

Something's gotta happen now!

Something's gotta give!

"It'll come, it'll come, it'll come... It'll come, it'll come, it'll come..." The people sang. A student, Enjolras, Stood on a raised step. Making an impassioned speech with fellow student Marius. Chloé caught Enjolras's eye, but only for a second as he continued his speech. "Where are the leaders of the land? Where are the swells who run this show?" Chloé listened intensely until she felt Gavroche's small hand slip from hers. She looked around the sea of people but couldn't see a thing. "Gavroche! Gavroche!" Chloé shouted repeatedly until a mounted policeman steped in front of her blocking the way.

Look down, look down, don't look us in the eye!

Look down, look down, stay here and you die!

The crowd started to break up. People rushing in different directions. Chloé keep looking around trying to see if she could see Gavroche anywhere but it was to no avail. She felt a sharp sting in her neck, only to be followed by a policeman grabbing her by her dark brown hair and pulling her towards himself. "I've seen you in the docks. You hussy." The man spat in her face and caused her to fall to the cold cobble pavement. Chloé looked up at the man with a smirk. "I'm glad you recognised me Monsieur. I can really make an impression." She stood up and with a swift movement with her leg kicked him in the crotch and ran as fast as her sore legs would carry her towards Café Musain. The safest place she knew.