Never Say Die: The Life of Élodie Thénardier (Les Misérables Fan Fiction)

Chapter 1 - Suddenly a Stowaway

"That would quite fit the bill if she hadn't so often been ill," my wretched step mother argued with the mysterious customer who was haggling for Cosette. Her voice was even more high pitched and annoying than usual and I could see that the man didn't believe their tale of love about Cosette to be true. Cosette finally pulled herself out of Madame Thenardier's grip and ran behind the man's long legs.

As the adults spoke further Cosette peeked out from behind the man's legs and spotted me watching from beneath the large heavy wooden table. She smiled softly at me, her pick lips dead and dry, and gave a subtle, weak wave. Her dirty blond hair fell in her eyes and her clothes had gotten even more ripped in the woods. Though she looked less off she was much luckier than I was. She was finally getting out of this hell of a home. This man had come to take her away and I would be left alone with the horrible Madame Thenardier and her daughter, my half sister, Éponine.

There was one person who made me happy, my father. I loved him and he loved me too. He was the only person here who made me happy apart from Cosette who was my best friend. I got along with 'Ponine too and loved her dearly but her mother was the problem in our friendship. Madame Thenardier hated every single fibre in my body and the feeling was mutual. I just thought she was a crafty old cow. I believed that she was purely jealous of how much my father loved me and how much he had adored my mother before she passed away. I didn't even believe she loved my father at all. I constantly saw her flirting with other men as she stole their money.

My father was different. I saw a side to him that most others didn't. Everyone else saw him as a thieving inn owner. Though he was that, he was so much more to me. He cared for 'Ponine and I though not for Cosette. This made me think. A true good man would care for all whether they were his children or not. Already I could see that the man at the door cared for Cosette. How could he? He didn't even know her. To me that made him a truly good man. He didn't look down on Cosette because of her wealth or the way she looked or behaved. I'd never seen this before. It was all very new to me.

"Élodie my darling," my father called suddenly yet softly. He always seemed to know when I was around though I kept myself to myself and was always here and there. "Come say goodbye to little Colette." I crawled out from beneath the table and ran to him. I wrapped my arms around his left leg and stared up at the man who was saving Cosette. He smiled down at me but there was a trace of pity in his eyes. He understood. How without knowing my situation, I don't know.

"It's Cosette, Papa," I pointed out before hugging the frail, beautiful girl one last time. "Goodbye Mademoiselle Cosette."

"Goodbye Mademoiselle Élodie," she whispered in her musical gentle voice before letting go and taking the man's hand. My mind worked and worked to come up with a stall. I needed more time to plan an escape. They were leaving without me. Then it came to me in a blur and before I even fully understood it I was already talking.

"Will you stay a moment more so that I may give Cosette a parting gift?" I asked the gentleman. "Why not have a drink Monsieur? Surely you must be tired from your travels."

I could just feel my father's approval as I pulled in some more money for him. Madame Thenardier gave a grunt of approval but didn't smile.

"Yes Monsieur," Papa agreed. "We have a fine selection of wine." The man took an unsure look at Cosette, who nodded back, and then followed my father to a table.

"Just one," he stated and pulled Cosette along with him. She stood close by him.

I took this opportunity to make my way upstairs and into the room I shared with Éponine. I pulled a sack, about my size, out from beneath my bed and started to fill it with all of my things. When it was full of clothes and personal items I pulled up a loose floorboard where Éponine and I hid our expensive things and our money. I took a necklace that was my mothers, my diary and all of both mine and Éponine's savings. I felt a slight twinge of guilt taking what belonged to my sister but desperate times call for desperate measures and I didn't have time to take from the till.