Fantine - An Adopted by Lin-Manuel Miranda Story

Chapter 12

I woke up in a cold sweat.  Tears streaming down my face, I looked around, seeing worried eyes staring at me.  Lin's warm hand was on my cold, shaking arm, trying to calm me down.  My breath was thick and quick.  Slowly, my breath steadied and my tears slowed.

As soon as I recovered from my fit, I looked up into Lin's dark, concerned eyes and said, "I'm sorry."  He pushed the hair on the top of my neck behind my ear with a finger and said, "Why is that?" and I hiccupped, the tears starting to well up in my eyes again.  I swallowed the lump in my throat and replied, "You looked so worried and I hate myself for that I made you stress!  Oh god, I'm so sorry."  His eyes somehow became darker, and just before he spoke, I realized why. "I hate myself"  played in my head repeatedly until he said, "I don't want you to worry about that, mi luchadora.  You're safe, you don't have to apologize, you don't have to be polite.  Let loose a bit and please, don't worry.  With us, you're in a consuelo.  A safe place.  It's okay."  I noticed warm tears rolling down the side of my face.  Without thinking, I attacked him in a hug.  After a few seconds, he hugged back.  Faintly, I felt a warm tear on my shirt.  He was crying too.

I nuzzled up against him and closed my eyes, leaning into his warm figure.  Against his hot flesh, my skin felt cold as ice.  Finally, I felt safe.

When we finally let go, he uncomfortably asked me, "What was the nightmare about?" and as soon as the words dropped out, I could see that he knew he had stepped into bad territory.  I winced and as my insides began to clench, I quickly said, "I thought I had gotten up and I could barely move so I tried to make my way over to the door.  While getting to it, I collapsed multiple times.  I heard two gunshots, so I rushed to your room.  You were fine.  Char and Sebastian, on the other hand, not so much."  I choked down tears and he hugged me tighter as my eyes revolted against my emotion-restraining choice, and finally, the tears spilled.  They flowed like rivers, Niagara Falls even.  His grey sleep shirt absorbed them, but eventually, they ended up falling to the side of my face, only because his shirt couldn't take any more.  He patted my beck, resting his head on the back of mine and said, "It's okay sweetie.  It's alright.  It was just a dream.  Everyone's here and safe.  Do you want to see Seb and Charlotte?  They're somehow still asleep."  I nodded against his chest, and then swung my legs over the side of the bed, making sure that I was fully adapted to sitting up before actually planting my feet on the ground.  Lin and who I assumed was his wife led me to Sebastian's room, and upon seeing that they were completely okay, I let out a relieved breath that I didn't know that I had been holding in.  I looked at them endearingly, and after a bit, small, happy, relieved tears began to well up in my eyes.  I turned around to Lin and his wife, who were standing behind me and gave them a tight hug, my arms going around their hips because of my height.  They both hesitated for a second, and then hugged back with one arm each.

I mumbled into their chests, "Thank you," and then pulled back.  My face was red as my hair, a vividly red auburn, like a blazing flame.  I said a bit louder than the first time, "Thank you," and Lin nodded, saying, "You're welcome," in a low tone.  His wife said, "Oh, I'm Vanessa, by the way," and I replied, "Okay.  I'm Fantine, though I'm pretty sure that you probably know that already," feeling embarrassed for blundering in front of her, but most of all, Lin.  Lin said, "Do you need breakfast?  You look starved," and I nodded furiously.  I felt starved as well.  He said, "Alright.  V, can you help her find some clothes?  Anything that conceals her, as she's super sensitive with privacy.  And if you can't find anything, just go to a store and buy her something for today.  You and the sisters can take her tomorrow, I've already arranged it with the girls."  She said, "Well okay then, I guess we're going to the store tomorrow.  Well, I know that I don't have anything, and I'll assume that you don't want to wear guy's clothes?"  I nodded, and she continued, "Well, then, I guess we're going to the store.  Fantine, do you want me to brush your hair?" and I nodded again, not wanting to think of what horrendous knots were in there from tossing and turning the previous night.  Vanessa said, "Please follow me," and then walked to a bathroom, and I realized that I needed to go.  I said, "Vanessa, can you please leave the room?" and then realized that that sounded demanding, so I quickly tacked on, "I need to go to the bathroom."  She nodded and backed out of the bathroom as I went in and shut the door, locking it.  I went to the bathroom, washed my hands, and then opened the door again to admit her.

She came in and then gently brushed my hair with care that I hadn't experienced in a while.  I barely felt any pulls, and it was pure bliss.  I said, "Thank you," when she finished, and smiled, as if just to confirm my happiness with the manner in which my hair was brushed.  She said, "Should we get going?" and I nodded again, just wanting some clean, unused clothes on my back.  We went outside, and then she hailed a taxi, told it to drive to the nearest mall, and then we waited in the music-filled car, silently.  When we finally made it there, Vanessa paid the driver and then we got out.  She led me to a store, and inside we picked out a bland, but still effective outfit.  First, she realized that I wasn't wearing a bra, since I didn't own one, so we went bra shopping, which felt exposing at the least, and then we got a gray shirt and black leggings with a ten dollar pair of light gray shoes.  Once we bought them, we left the mall and then she again hailed a taxi, riding back to the apartment.  When we got back, I got dressed in the bathroom and then the day finally got going.