Chapter Text
Javert coughed harshly as he entered the home that he and ValJean shared. He leaned, exhausted against the wall for a moment, thankful that the other man was away in town on business for a few days. He could feel his fever rising and thanked his lucky stars that he was not expected back to work until Monday evening.
He rubbed a doe skin gloved hand over his forehead, pinching the area just above his nose. He knew that he should have told Cosette that he was unwell, but he could not imagine how little rest he would have gotten in that house.
It was true that the house was quieter and a bit darker now that Cosette was with Marius. Her children had been born quite a few years before, but it didn’t matter. Every day that he came home and she wasn’t there to greet him, he felt her absence. Especially now, as he felt the weight of illness press upon him did he feel her absence. Her care and warmth had meant the world to him – even though he was horrid at showing it.
“Heeeh-Choo-huh!” he sneezed awkwardly, having tried to bite it back as he remembered when he first felt it coming on.
He had decided to visit Cosette in her new home. He and ValJean were there so often that Marius had often offered them a wing of their own. With her father out of town, he wanted to be certain that she was properly looked in on.
But, he had been accosted outside of their estate. Her children decided that pegging him with snowballs was far more fun and begged him to do the same. After a bit of begging he relented, if only to see their smiles and hear their giggles as he threatened to arrest them if they did not slow down.
Slowly he had felt the dull achiness of illness close over him. With a hug and a kiss he wished them all be safe and warm. He told the oldest to tell Cosette that he had been there, but had some paperwork to attend to. He promised he would be back in the morning.
At present, however, he was not certain that he would be able to keep such a promise.
** LES MIS**
“Get in here, you little scamps!” Cosette called, as the dinner table was being set. She kissed each of her children’s cold cheeks and ushered them up to their rooms to change before supper.
“It’s too bad grand-pere Javert was not able to join us for dinner,” her oldest said, as he sat down.
She looked at the boy serious. “Oh? Did you see him?” She was curious to know if this was a serious thought or one of childhood fancy.
“Yes, he had a snowball fight with us, but left after his nose started running. I offered him my handkerchief, mama, but he said that he would be back tomorrow.”
“Oh dear,” she whispered, casting a look at Marius. While Javert had certainly learned to relax and even have a nip of fun in his old age, he was still very prideful. He never missed checking up on her when her papa was away. It was apparent to her that for him to return home, sniffling, while not actually having checked in on her, that the man was rather ill.
“I’ll drive you there after dinner,” Marius said, before smiling at the children and asking them about their adventures of the day.
** LES MIS**
“Javert, are you in?” Cosette called into the house. The only room the lights were lit in were the living room. She quickly made her way there and smiled warmly as she saw him dozing, covered in blankets, in front of the fire. She knocked on the wall to wake him, but did not get close enough to startle him. He was a police officer, through and through. He had earned the rank of Senior Inspector for the City of Paris, but the years had not been kind to him and she knew that he often slept with a pistol.
Bleary brown eyes opened slowly and then squinted as though he was uncertain of his location. “Cosette?” he rasped. The warmth of the fire had dried out the air in the room.
She frowned, her brow furrowing in concern. This was more than merely a sniffle as her eldest had indicated. She drew some water from the pump in the kitchen and set the kettle on for tea. She had long since stopped telling them that they needed a house keeper, but she believed it none the less. The two of them were aging and while they were not in their graves yet, she would feel better knowing that there was a woman looking in on them.
She brought him a glass of water and stood nearby, trying not to hover as he drank it down.
“Cosette, you shouldn’t be here,” he said. The raspiness had gone from his voice, but he was still extremely exhausted.
“Where else would I be? I hear you were threatening my children with imprisonment. I had to check in and make certain that they had not strayed too far from the path.” Her voice was light and held an air of humor about it. She had never dreamed that he would be so doting on her children. In fact, she recalled how fearful she had been to tell him she was pregnant in the beginning. She was afraid that he would pull away – leave the grandparenting to her papa. And when they were small, he had. But, as they grew up, he seemed to form a kinship with them.
“Heh,” he laugh. “Little snitches.” He rubbed at his eyes and nose with the back of his hand.
“Well they learned from the best – or at least are well paid,” she teased.
“Heh,” he laughed again. He blinked hard, furrowing his brown against some unknown problem. Then he blinked hard again. “Heh-EKKessssshhhh!” he sneezed wetly, capturing it in his hands. He withdrew his handkerchief and set to relieving his nose and cleaning off his mustache. “Do forgive me, Cosette.”
“Of course,” she said, noticing how exhausted he was. “Would you care for a cup of tea?” she asked, unwilling to coddle him. He did not respond well to such things and she trusted him enough to let her know when he had enough of the surroundings.
“Where is Marius?” Javert asked, deftly avoiding her offer of tea. He was not a fool. Knowing her, she already had water boiling and would bring him tea whether he asked for it or not. Time was precious, he had found in his old age, and he didn’t wish to waste any of it on pleasantries that were unnecessary. He barely wished to waste the energy on pleasantries that were necessary, but he did that out of respect for ValJean and Cosette.
She shrugged. “Somewhere between here and home, I’d imagine.”
He nodded once. She would be staying over. Of course. How could he think otherwise? “You have children to take care of,” he admonished.
“They have a governess and she does just fine,” she retorted gently. She couldn’t tell if he was making pleasant talk or actually wished her to leave. In either case, she was staying.
“You can stay in your room, of course,” he said, with a nod. A few gentle coughs puffed out and he raised a fist to his lips.
She nodded once, noting the gentle flush that was starting to rise into his cheeks.
He looked perplexed for a moment and she wondered if he was going to sneeze again. “I’m not certain if there are linens on the bed,” he said, quietly.
She smiled at him. “Don’t you worry about that. I know where they’re kept. And, I still know how to make a bed.”
“Oh?” he teased. “Even with your governess and maid and cook? You know how to –.” His banter was cut off by another wet sneeze. “Oh, ugh…” he said, bringing his hand to his head and rubbing just above his eyes.
“Rest,” she said, gently. “I’ll get you some tea.”
He watched her leave the room and realized that she had yet to sit down. He hadn’t asked her to do so because he didn’t feel that he should have to. No matter how many years she was married to Marius, this was still her home. Obviously, she had forgotten – or she no longer viewed it as such.
She returned shortly and he smiled as he sipped the spearmint tea with honey. He felt the soothing effects on his raw throat. “You remembered,” he whispered. He sniffed a bit, feeling the steam relieve the building congestion.
“Of course,” she said, sipping her own tea of chamomile and honey, standing near the doorway.
“Cosette, please. Come in. Make yourself comfortable,” he urged. Her discomfort was starting to worry him.
She took a seat caddy-corner to him. “So, tell me about work, Senior Inspector of Paris.”
“Heh,” he laughed. “Paris is as Paris always is.”
“A seedy underground of demons and debauchery?” He had called it such one night when she was visiting and the two men over drank a bit.
“You were never supposed to hear that,” he said, seriously, though his tone indicated that he was a bit embarrassed about it.
She rolled her eyes. “I’ve heard worse. I assure you.”
Brown eyes narrowed in a most protective way. “You never should have,” he stated.
She put her hand up as if to stay his emotions. “It’s all right. Nothing I couldn’t handle. Although…,” she smiled at him mischievously, “I have heard a bit of a rumor about you.”
He stiffened. The rumors of society never ceased to amaze him. What bothered him, though, was how often they were correct. In her own way, she had a spy network that rivaled his own.
She noticed his discomfort immediately. She had forgotten how self conscious he was. The higher she rose in society, the less she minded what people said. Gossip was a part of her life, just as law was a part of his. “Nothing bad,” she promised.
He released a breath that he did not realize he was holding. “Heh-Ssshhkkkeww!” He caught the sneeze in his handkerchief, hastily picked up as soon as he felt the familiar tickle. He was wearing out as he relaxed, but he knew she would know that. She had a calming effect of him and she knew it.
“Bless,” she said gently. “I’ve heard that you are considering retirement.” It was years too late, really. He was considered a relic, but highly respected for his knowledge and service.
“Hm, yes,” he responded. “In the spring.” He shouldn’t have been surprised. Although he had only discussed it with ValJean and the prefecture, she had always kept her ear low to the ground where he was concerned. He recalled a promise that he asked her to make when she and Marius were courting: that she would tell him anything that she found out regarding the Revolution. He had never dreamed that she would have carried her promise through the rest of her life – telling him all the little things she thought he could be interested in, or interested in her knowing.
“Marius and I have discussed it. We’re going to hold a ball in your honor.”
“No, Cosette, please…” He hated to be the center of attention. The prefecture already said that they would throw him a ball. He didn’t know if he could handle two.
“It’s settled,” she said, not hearing his retorts. “We’ll do it in the early summer, so that you have some time to rest and recuperate and get used to being retired.” Although she wouldn’t say it, she was worried about him. The fact of the matter was that he always had his work and that kept him sane. She wondered how stir-crazy he would go without having that outlet.
He yawned deeply, too tired to have the argument.
“Come, Javert,” she said, placing her cup on the table. “Let’s get you to bed. No, no, leave your cup. I’ll come down once your settled.”
“You know, Cosette. It’s merely a cold. I don’t need you to- Heh-T-HEH-SHH!” The force of the sneeze nearly made him lose his footing.
“I know,” she replied, as though it had not happened. “I’m sorry for coming by. I was just concerned. I’ll be gone in the morning.” Her voice was just as kind as it had ever been, but the words sent an icy chill through him.
Uncertain of what to say, he climbed the stairs and went into his room, leaving her downstairs with the cups.
Hours later, Javert was still tossing and turning. He had never been an exceedingly gentle man, although he had gotten better through the years. He had never been a very patient man, but with Cosette and ValJean, he was different - tight lipped if not down-right patient.
He heard her apology, kind and gentle, as though she was truly sorry she had come. He stared at the wall for a bit. He had called her his angel since she was very small. She wasn’t a child any longer, but it seemed… but she didn’t seem hurt… He couldn’t make heads nor tails of the apology. He recalled a time, nearly a decade before, when he had made her feel unwanted. He swallowed thickly and coughed against the roughness in his throat. He thought of that instance every now and again – it had been such a bad experience for all involved, it was better to ignore it. But, he wondered if some part of her still held on to it. He wondered if she was really apologizing for coming by or if she was merely saying what she thought he wanted to hear – what was polite.
Getting up, he pulled his robe on and put his aching feet into his slippers. He recalled a time when getting out of bed was not a painful experience. He would have loved to blame it on his cold, but he knew that he could not. He was aging. Unlike in his youth when he felt he had all the time in the world, he was suddenly aware of how precious life could be and how precious little time was held within it.
He knocked on her door, waiting for her permission to enter. A few seconds later, he heard her tell him to do so.
“Are you all right?” she asked as he entered the room. There was a clip to her words and he wondered about the origin therein.
He sighed deeply. Quick coughs puffed out of him.
“Come,” she said, her voice gentle as ever. She pat the bed beside her. “Sit by me. Tell me what’s troubling you.”
He was about to decline her generous offer when, “Heh-Tsschoo!” He sniffed a few time and noticed with some horror that he had left his handkerchief in his bedroom. Continuing to hold his hand over his nose and mouth another one barreled out of him. “Heh-Shhoo! Eh-Kesttchooo! Ugh.” He was relegated to breathing through his nose and he could feel the weight of dizziness blocking out his sight.
Gentle hands closed around his arms and lead him to the bed, where he plopped down quite unceremoniously.
“Bless you,” she said, placing a cool hand on his forehead and neck. “Are you chilled?” She handed him a handkerchief and waited patiently as he blew his nose.
“No, ma’am,” he whispered, as he slipped into an unfamiliar formality.
“Ma’am?” she asked incredulously. “Javert, are you all right? Care to tell me what’s on your mind?”
“I apologize for snapping at you,” he stated, looking at the floor. Apologies were still so foreign to him. But the apologies and her clipped words worried him deeply. He could not stand to lose her, to lose her children…
She thought about his apology for a moment. “When did you snap at me?” she asked, starting to worry about delirium.
“When I said you needen’t have come – that it’s only a cold.”
She shook her head. “I’m sorry, I don’t recall.”
He didn’t know if he could believe her – if he should believe her. He knew that being in a relationship taught a person to ignore the small hurts. But, their relationship was built on mutual trust, mutual respect, and a shared fear that at any moment the people they trust will stop loving them and give them back. The latter was never discussed, but Javert had done and seen enough in his lifetime to know it was there.
“You apologized,” he reminded her. He covered a deep yawn with the back of his hand. He was getting so tired that his concentration was starting to wane.
She smiled kindly at him. That kind smile that he couldn’t read. The one that could be her emotion or be hiding her emotion. “Perhaps I should have let Marius wait for me until I knew if you were all right or needed assistance. But, truly, were you that surprised that I came?”
“No,” he answered with a whisper and another yawn.
“Come, up you get,” she said, assisting him to his feet. “Let’s get you to bed. We’ll discuss this once you have rested – if you still feel it warrants discussion.”
As she tucked him into bed he grasped her hand in his. “You are not angry with me then?”
It was a combination of fever, sickness, and exhaustion that made him ask that question – that she knew. “Of course not,” she said graciously. “You have done nothing wrong, Javert. Please just get some rest and I’ll see you in the morning.” With that, she bent over and gave him a chaste kiss on the head.
** LES MIS**
Cosette smiled when she awoke. Gazing out her bedroom window she could tell that it snowed more during the night. The kids would build snowmen and she and Marius would have the afternoon to plan future activities after he picked her up.
Getting dressed she smiled pleasantly as she heard Javert’s snores emanating from the bedroom he shared with her father. He typically did not sleep deep enough to snore, especially not when her papa was out of town. Apparently much had changed since she had left.
The nip in the air made the hair on her arms stand on end and not for the first time, she wished they had a house keeper. They were getting on in years and she would feel better if they did not have to do so much on their own. She would speak to her papa about it when he got home.
She lit the kitchen fire and set the water on to boil. She was no longer in the practice of making meals, but could do so if Javert needed. She rather doubted that he would have much of an appetite and opted to ply him with tea unless he requested food.
She heard the door open as she sat in the kitchen thinking on his comment the night before. How he was able to say something so small that upset her so much was simply beyond her. So many years after being rescued, being loved and raised, she still feared that his love was conditional. She had no illusions on how he did not like children – but she and her children seemed to be the exception. Even more than her father’s and husband’s and father in law’s acceptance and love, she worked for Javerts. Recalling years ago, when she had thought that he was secure in his place in the house and in her love – they had fought – and he had left and nearly died. Since then, she tried hard to be perfect – to be exactly what he wanted, lest she lose him again. She thought that she had found the balance, but was saddened by the reality of the situation.
She looked up and smiled to see her papa come into the kitchen. “Tea?” she asked, getting a cup.
“Cosette what are you doing here?” he asked, his voice showing the joy he felt at the surprise of seeing her. “Is Javert all right?”
She nodded. “Of course he is,” she said, standing to greet him warmly. “He caught a bit of a sniffle when he was playing in the snow with my children. I just came by last night to make certain that he was all right. Marius should be by to pick me up shortly.”
“Where is he?” ValJean asked, meaning Javert.
“Asleep,” she said, understanding his question was about Javert, not Marius. Were it up to her father, she would live their perpetually and not just visit once per week and when she was needed.
He nodded. “It’s good of you to take care of him,” he said, with a bit of a smile. He couldn’t imagine Javert ever using the word sniffle. But, from a mother of three children it sounded just right. “Playing in the snow, eh?” he asked as she handing him a cup of tea.
“Yes, but don’t tell him I told you. I’m sure he’ll simply insist that he does not play.” She smiled at him and took a sip of her own tea. “How was business?” she asked, politely.
“Bureaucratic,” he answered with a heavy sigh. Brown eyes looked at her tiredly and she realized it was likely he was working hard into the night and had to leave at dawn to arrive home so early.
She frowned. He hated bureaucracy. “Go take a rest with Javert,” she ordered lightly.
“Cosette, I enjoy visiting with you.” His voice was heavy with repressed exhaustion.
“Of course you do. But, Javert does not need extra care with you home. And, I’m sure Marius will have picked me up by the time you awake.” She kissed him lightly on the cheek. “I’ll see you in a few days for dinner. Marius and I are planning a retirement party for Javert and we want your input.”
He winced. He knew their hearts were in the right place, but Javert would not appreciate it.
“I’ve already told Javert. We’ll discuss it in a few days.” She gave his hand a gentle squeeze and smiled as he ascended the stairs.
When Javert awoke, he cleared his parched throat. Only then did he realize that he was being held tightly. He smiled and coughed lightly. “You’re home,” he rasped.
A sleepy kiss on his neck. “You’re ill.”
A sniff. “Just a cold. Cosette took care of me last night. Even though she didn’t need to.”
A low chuckle. “She does need to. You know that. I hope she wasn’t too bothersome.”
“Heh-eh-sssshhehh!” The sneeze was light but wet. “Not at all. Though goodness knows I wasn’t gracious.” He sniffed again, and tried to rub away the tickle in his nose.
“Bless.” Another low chuckle. “I doubt by now she expects you to be.” He felt the man sigh and deflate in his arms. “What is it?” he asked, pushing himself up on an arm.
“I told her that I didn’t need her to come. She took it so graciously. I can’t read her anymore, Jean. I can’t tell if she was hiding behind a mask of political acceptance or if she really was all right.” A shiver shook through him.
ValJean rolled his eyes. The only time Javert worried so much was when he was running a fever. He was so proud of his daughter to check on his companion. She always knew when they needed her. And she could bear the brunt of the worse times. “Did she say anything?” She almost never did. But, Javert had made his living on observing people. So sometimes he tended to read into things that weren’t really there.
A shaky sigh. “She apologized for coming by and promised she would be gone in the morning.”
Jean furrowed his brow. That worried him. She typically stayed at least until noon.
“Cosette!?” he called for her.
Silence.
“She had said that she expected Marius to have picked her up by the time we awoke. She must be gone.” He placed a gentle kiss on Javert’s cheek and pulled him close. “I’m sure she’s fine, Javert. She has a party to plan for you.”
“Ugh,” the younger man groaned. “I know she does it out of love, but I hate society gatherings.”
“Let her do it. It means the world to her to make you happy.”
A nod and a wet sniffle. “I know,” he whispered. “I don’t mean to be so ornery. What are you going to do with me being home, hm?”
“You do mean to be it. And we wouldn’t have you any other way.” He pressed a kiss to the side of Javert’s neck. “We love you.”
Javert winced as he swallowed. He hoped so.