Odette || Les Misérables {Marius P.} ✔

♤8 - Empty Chairs at Empty Tables♤

1832

Upon waking up, Marius had tried to let Odette sleep, but the moment he tried to move so he could help Enjolras, Odette awoke and sat up immediately. Wincing as she did, she chuckled at the fact she forgot she got stabbed, then winced again for laughing.

"I didn't realise stabbing was something so easily forgotten." Odette sighed, resting her hand on her stomach.

"As long as you're not in excruciating pain, I'm going to go help out around the barricade. Is that okay?" Marius inquired, standing up.

Odette nodded, before looking around to see if her uncle had stayed the night. Instantly feeling much less anxious, Odette caught eyes of her uncle and smiled at him, him nodding his head back at her. Odette had no idea how seriously the situation was due to escalate. Nought to one hundred in mere moments.

"Little people know
When little people fight
We may look easy pickings
But we've got some bite!" Odette overheard someone sing.

"Gavroche!" Grantaire hissed.

Odette instantly stood up, because Grantaire was calling for Gavroche outside of the barricade. Marius caught glance of Odette getting worked up, so he slowly edged towards her, just in case.

"Gavroche?" Courfeyrac questioned, climbing the barricade, "Gavroche! Come back!"

Odette started forward, only to be grabbed by Marius around the chest.

"Gavroche!" Odette exclaimed.

"So never kick a dog
When he's just a pup -
We'll fight like twenty armies
And we won't give up!" Gavroche continued, making his way towards whatever was out there.

Courfeyrac began to scramble over the barricade, but Enjolras, Joly and Grantaire were quick to pull him down and back onto the cobbles. Odette tried fighting against Marius, but Marius was determined to keep her out of the line of fire. Marius knew that Gavroche was wandering towards the army, and Marius knew there was less hope than more. Odette, however, was optimistic. Or maybe she was just desperate to keep one of the little Thénardiers alive. Either way, she wouldn't stop pushing away from Marius.

"So you'd better run for cover
When the pup grows -" Gavroche exclaimed before being cut off by the crack of a gunshot.

Courfeyrac had broken out of the barricade and Odette could hear his sobs. Valjean had followed Courfeyrac out of the barricade so he didn't see his niece fight even harder against Marius' grasp. Discretely, Marius shifted his foot in front of Odette's right leg and he swiftly kicked it under her so she fell to the floor. Marius knelt down behind her and just held her. Whatever comfort it was, it seemed to help a bit until Courfeyrac carried Gavroche's dead body back inside the barricade. Odette crawled forwards on her knees to her boy where she began to hold his face and stroke his hair and cheeks, crying like a heartbroken mother. His skin was still warm and there was still some colour in his face. He looked more alive than Odette, with her sticky and sweaty skin, pale complexion, dull eyes, dark under eyes. There was still gloss in Gavroche's eyes and they weren't scared, but Odette watched as the shine turned matte and the life slipped away.

And that was it.

Gavroche was a memory. Every moment the two of them shared, turned from history to a haunting present as they flickered before Odette's eyes. Tauntingly, she could still hear Gavroche's voice, still feel the hugs he gave her, still see his scrunched up face from when he drank her drink. One part of her thought Gavroche was going to get back up again and start to laugh, but the rest of her knew that was not to be.