(no subject)

[lark_in_flight]

Marius has ducked into the hall to call for hot drinks. So it's Cosette and her father, alone at last in his Milliways room.

Part of her wants to weep once more for joy. Part of her wants to shout at him. She turns away abruptly to grab a quilt from his bed.

"Here," she says, "put this quilt over your lap, Father. It's winter here. You must take care of yourself! I tell you, we will be here often. You will grow quite sick of us! And then in Paris you will come to live with us. I have a room all ready. I won't hear a word against it. You will be with us, we will all be together, you will be a father to your little Cosette again, and we will all be very happy."

As she chatters she tucks the quilt around him, and pulls a footstool near. If he wants, he can put his feet onto it. Otherwise, she'll settle onto it, to sit at his feet like a confiding child.

Comments

[lark_in_flight]

"Then you see, Papa, you are forgiven! You can leave those wrongs behind. It's very proud to consider your sins greater than God's forgiveness, you know, you mustn't do such a thing."

She's laughing a little, but her eyes are wet too, as she pleads. To her this is obvious truth.

"God has forgiven you the sins you repented, Father. So you must be good, and listen to him, and come and live with your children who love you so, and be happy with them."

[road_to_calvary]

He is quiet again.

And then again, he smiles, and nods.

'Yes. Of course, I will come. I will not refuse either of you.'



You can leave those wrongs behind. He will not tell her that it is not so easy, that he wishes it were, and that he has tried. But concealing the truth from Marius would not be leaving it behind, it would only keep it with him longer. Leaving Champmatheiu to his fate would not have been leaving it behind, it would only make it worse. Allowing Javert to be killed would not have been any kind of freedom. Conscience is a strange thing. Strange, and harsh, and it twists everything into what it should not be. He can be forgiven by any person but himself.

But he will not let any of this show, because he has no way to explain it. He tried once, to Marius, and could not make himself understood then.

[heartbeneathastone]

Marius grabs hold of Cosette's hand, then reaches for Valjean's.

"Good," he says. "Good. I am so very glad."

And he is, and not only because Valjean's acceptance has lightened some small portion of the great guilt pressing on him.

[lark_in_flight]

"Oh, Father!"

She clutches Marius's hand tightly, and her father's too. For a moment her heart is too full to do anything else. Then, with a teary little laugh, she darts up from her footstool without releasing either of their hands, just enough to press a kiss to her father's aged forehead.

"Oh, I thank God, I do. He has given you back to me."

[road_to_calvary]

'And He has given you both to me.'

He will never not be thankful. No matter what else, Cosette has been worth everything and now Marius makes her happy. He wants nothing more. And now he will live with them! He does not know what to do with such happiness, and can only clasp their hands, his chest tight with joy.

[lark_in_flight]

For a few moments more she only clings to both of them, her heart full of an overflowing desperate joy.

At last she finds other words. As so often, she takes refuge in fussing over one of them: "But there, Father, you must regain your strength. You must get well again! Here, I will bring you tea. And Bar has sent some good soft bread. Look how white it is! You will have some, I insist." And she chatters on, as she brings him tea and a small plate, and tucks the blanket close around him, and pours tea for Marius and herself too.

But instead of drinking hers right away, she settles down to rest her head on Marius's shoulder, and shed a few quiet tears of joy, and smile to see her father -- her dear father, who will live with them as she always wanted, and be well and happy -- sitting before her, alive and better after yesterday's horrors.