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

A Light Amidst the Dark

Chloé walked through the cold streets heading towards Café Musain. The light from the Café acting like a lighthouse. Chloé always felt safer there, A light amidst the dark.

Chloé stepped in, the warmth from the blazing fire and the bodies of people causing her to loosen the woollen shawl she had hugged so tightly outside. "Chloé! Thank god!" Madame Houcheloup, the owner of Café Musain, Shouted as she ran over to her. Chloé prepared herself for a tight hug that she would usually get from Madame Houcheloup instead she got a sharp slap on her arm. "Oh! What the hell was that for!?" Chloé rubbed her thin and already bruised arm. "We were worried sick. You where go for hours." Madame Houcheloup was like a mother to Chloé, she had no idea what she did as a job since Chloé thought it would be better not to tell her. "I was just out. I can handle myself you know that." For Chloé lying came naturally sometimes she would do it without realising she had. Madame Houcheloup would never believe her though. "Sure, well anyway. Some of the boys where worried as well, so take this." Madame pasted Chloé a dish full of different types of drinks. Most of witch where for Grantire. "I'll pay for these." Before Madame could protest Chloé gave her the poach she stole with just the right amount to pay for the amount Grantire would drink in the average day.

Chloé walked carefully up the creaky steps to the back room of Café Musain. Here group of students where cleaning rifles and sharing their excitement at the up and coming revolution. "Angel!" Grantire shouted slurring his words. "I'm guessing these are all for you." Chloé said placing the trays of drinks on the table in front of Grantire. "We were worried you kno' Enjolras mostly." Grantire said picking up another drink and taking a large swig. "Well, know I know your drunk." Chloé said grabbing a drink and sitting next to the drunk. Enjolras was shouting commands at the students. "Well, Courfeyrac! Do we have all the guns? Joly, Prouvaire! Our time is running short!" Chloé took a large swig from the drink regretting it at the strong drink bitterly went down her throat. "The only thing Enjolras cares about is France, Not that I'm complaining." Grantire gave out a drunken laugh. "Grantaire, put the bottle down! Did we get the guns we need?" Enjolras's voice piped up. His eyes catching Chloé's now just realising that she was back. "Give me brandy on my breath and I'll breathe them all to death!" Chloé started to pretend to chock to death. Getting a laughs here and then but nothing from Enjolras.

After a short wile of Chloé and Grantire laughing and drinking together Marius arrived with a far off look on his face. Chloé called over to him a gestured for him to take the set next to her. She wasn't the only one who had noticed as Joly turned and went over to Marius. "Marius, wake up! What's wrong today? You look as if you've seen a ghost."

"Some wine, and say what's going on!" Grantire offered a wine bottle to Marius after taking a large swig himself. "A ghost, you say? A ghost maybe! She was like a ghost to me - One minute there - then she was gone!"

'Who was he talking about.' Chloé wondered. 'It can't be 'ponine, she's going to be hart broken.'"I am agog! I am aghast!" Grantaire started drunkenly singing. "Is Marius in love at last? I've never heard him Ooh and Aah. You talk of battles to be won And here he comes like Don Juan!" He nudged Chloé's arm to get her to join in. "It is better than an opera!" They sang together and burst into laughter but like before Enjolras didn't move a muscle.

"It is time for us all to decide who we are. Do we fight for the right to a night at the opera now? Have you asked yourselves what's the price you might pay? Is this simply a game for rich young boys to play? The colours of the world are changing day by day" Enjolras sang to the students trying to get their heads back to the revolution. "Red - the blood of angry men! Black - the dark of ages past! Red - a world about to dawn! Black - the night that ends at last!"

"Had you seen her today you might know how it feels to be struck to the bone by a moment of breathless delight!" Chloé knew exactly what Marius was talking about. She looked at Enjolras remembering the first time they had met. For a second Chloé could have sworn that sworn that a pair of crystal blue eyes. "Had you been there today you might also have known how the world may be changed in just one burst of light and what was right seems wrong and what was wrong seems right!"

"Red!" Chloé sung almost mocking Enjolras. "I feel my soul on fire!" Marius sung back catching on to what Chloé was doing. "Black!" Chloé sung again this time stepping on to the chair she was sat on. "My world if she's not there!"

"Red!" The students joined in. "The colour of desire!"

"Black!"

"The colour of despair!"

"Marius, you're no longer a child - I do not doubt you mean it well but now there is a higher call!" Enjolras sung. He lifted his arm out to Chloé to help her step of the old wooden chair. She gladly took it and gave him an over exaggerated curtsey once her feet touched the floor. "Who cares about your lonely soul? We strive towards a larger goal -Our little lives don't count at all!" The room was silent. They all knew that this was bigger than them. But that's the battles you need to fight.

"Red!" Enjolras sang out.

"The blood of angry men!" The students sung back stronger than ever but this only made Chloé feel weak. The rest of their shouts sounded like Chloé were under water. She felt like she was on a boat swaying from side to side never stopping. A scuffle at the door caused Chloé to snap out of her trance. "Hey! Don't worry he's with us." She shouted down the stairs after seeing Gavroche struggling with the barman. The man let the little boy through and he ran as fast as he could up the steps. "Where have you been?" Chloé bend down to eye level with Gavroche punching small blonde curls from the front of his face and placing them behind his ear. "I have something big to tell you all." Chloé looked questionly at the little boy. She got hold of his small hand and placed him on a table to make him slightly taller than the students. "Listen! Listen to me!" Gavroche tried to shout but wasn't loud enough to be hard. Chloé decided to take matters in to her own hands. Placing two fingers in her mouth Chloé made a high pitched whistle that made everyone's heads turn to look at them.

"General Lamarque is dead!"