They Will Come When We Call: Chapter One

Six Months Later….

Bahorel shook his head, showering the floor with raindrops and waved cheerfully at Musichetta. “Evening! Rest in the back?”

Ignoring the widening of her eyes he loped into the back room and headed over to his friends. “Hey, sorry I’m late.”

Joly actually fell out of his chair as he sprang at the other boy. “What the hell did you do to your face?!”

It wasn’t too odd for the young man to come in covered in bruises; Bahorel thrived on conflict and was always ready to break a face or start a brawl. The shiner he proudly displayed as he sat down next to Feuilly was a garish shade of purple that bled into a blueish-black.  He shrugged. “I walked into a door.”

“A bar door?” Enjolras sat down, glaring at the other man. Most of the group avoided eye contact with the blond, who was already typing on his laptop and shutting out the world around him. Over the last couple months the man’s mood had become increasingly darker and no one could think of a way to pull him out of his funk. It was most likely connected to the fact that their petition had, once again, been rejected. If things kept on the way they were going then the old building would be torn down and turned into a shopping center. Combeferre watched his best friend and wondered if that was the only reason for his black mood.

“Well, a door and a guy’s fist.” Bahorel admitted. “They were insulting my lady friend.”

The door opened again and Cosette, Marius, Jehan and a dark haired girl walked in; the latter girl rolling her eyes. “I told you, I can handle myself. You’re lucky Marius and Jehan were able to drag that brute off of you.”

“You all went out drinking?” Joly asked disapprovingly as he pressed an ice pack to Bahorel’s face.

Frowning at the uninterested blond hiding behind his laptop, Cosette shook her head. “You know some of us can’t yet. We were at Jehan’s reading this afternoon. We all went out for ice cream and coffee afterwards and ran into some jerks that wanted to give Eponine a bad time.”

The dark haired girl shrugged. “I’ve heard worse. Gotta say though, hanging with you lot really is a thrill a minute.” Even as she said it she managed to sit as far away from Cosette as possible.

“If you’re all done.” Enjolras snapped. “We need to figure out how we’re going to present our argument at the town meeting next week.”

Courfeyrac shot the group a worried look over the activist’s head as he set down his take out and slunk into his seat. “We’ve got time… It’s not for a while after all. “

“We need to use as much time as we can.” Enjolras looked exhausted. “You know what, fine.” He stood and shoved his computer into his backpack. “I’ll do this part on my own. See you guys tomorrow.”

Combeferre swore and followed his roommate to play clean up as the other young men and women shared nervous glances. Jehan put his head in his arms as Bossuet rubbed his back soothingly and looked around the table. “We need to deal with this.”

“He’s been like this for too long.” Joly agreed. “I know he’s upset about the project not working out but there’s gotta be more to it than that.”

“It’s like he’s off kilter about something.” Marius mumbled. “How long has he been like this?”

“I dunno, since the first petition failed?”

“Since R left.”

Everyone turned and looked at Jehan, who sat up and pushed hair out his face resolutely. “We need to stop avoiding the issue. He did something and Grantaire left and now he regrets it and I’m glad because I miss my friend. I don’t know what he said to him but I hope it’s driving him crazy and that his stupid plan fails. Because I am honestly getting sick of his face and want nothing more than to slap him into the next hemisphere.”

Because everyone flinched at the vindictive tone in the normally kind-hearted boy’s voice, no one noticed the guilty look that Cosette and Marius shared.

---

“Jol?” Combeferre peered around the bedroom door and watched his best friend pace back and forth across the carpet. “What do you want for dinner? I was thinking pasta.”

“Whatever.” Enjolras fell onto his bed and rubbed at his eyes in exhaustion. “I don’t care.”

Making a split second decision, Combeferre walked over and hauled the younger man up. “Come on, we’ll order out and watch a movie. You need a break.” Forestalling any arguments by roughly shoving his friend towards the door he continued. “You’ve done all you can. Come on, we can get stuff from that Italian place you like.”

Enjolras sighed and rolled his neck, stretching. “Fine. I’m sorry; I don’t know why I’m so out of it lately. I feel like I’m… a volcano about to erupt. I can’t understand it.”

“You’re stressed.” Combeferre felt some of his irritation drain away as he led his roommate to the couch. “You need to relax and let loose a little. Let’s watch the DVD I borrowed from Eponine.”

“Who’s Eponine?” The blond flopped onto the couch, spreading out his legs and letting out a contented sigh.

“…Seriously?” Combeferre had to bite back a laugh. “The girl that’s been coming with Marius for the last month and a half? She’s his landlord’s daughter and they met a while back? He convinced her to come hang out with the rest of us—she was at the meeting today!”

“I think I’m more out of it than I thought.” Enjolras mumbled, sitting up and scratching his head. “Wonder what else I’ve missed.”

“Hopefully not much.” The older man popped the disc into their player and settled into an armchair as the menu loaded. He flipped out his phone. “What do you want?”

“That angel-hair stuff we got last time. With the diced tomatoes.”

“On it.”

As Combeferre made the call, Enjolras sat up at a loud knocking at their door, followed by it being thrown open loudly and slamming against the wall. “YO! Anybody home?”

“Why did we give him a key?” Enjolras asked his roommate wearily as Courfeyrac wandered into the living room and waved a case of beer in the air.

“Better make that three orders.” Combeferre said calmly before closing his phone and raising an eyebrow. “And to what do we owe this unexpected visit?”

Courfeyrac flopped down next to the blond and handed over a bottle. “Figured you could use some cheering up. That was quite a tantrum you threw back there. What would you have done if someone actually deserved it?”

“I know… I know.” Enjolras ran a hand over his face. “What did I miss?”

“Well, you should be glad that Jehan’s not old enough to drunk text you because I shudder to think what he’d be like without his inhibitions. Other than that, not too much.”

Combeferre sighed. “Jol, you need to talk to him.”

“I know.” Enjolras looked blankly at the wall in front of him and began tapping on his leg. “I’m sorry, I really am; everyone just… annoys me. I can’t understand it.”

Courfeyrac raised an eyebrow and was about to comment when his cell went off. Holding up a hand apologetically he turned away. “Yeah, ‘lo? Hey Marius, wazzup?”

The other two boys sipped their drinks as they watched the partyer slowly look more and more concerned before quickly promising to head out. He flipped off the phone and turned back to them. “So basically, Feuilly and Marius’ apartment just got robbed.”

It took the trio twenty minutes to get to the building. When they arrived Bossuet and Joly had already gotten there and were helping the two boys tidy up their ransacked rooms. Marius was pale and shaking slightly as Joly softly walked him through deep breathing exercises. Feuilly groaned under his breath as he picked up their smashed dishes. “They took the TV, the stereo, most of our DVDs and even some of our clothes. What the hell?”

Eponine appeared at that moment, walking over to hug Marius comfortingly. “Dad called the police and they should be here really soon. Are you okay?”

“At least we weren’t here at the time right?” The young man suddenly paled even more at the thought and swallowed. “Y-Yeah, could have been a lot worse.”

“Are you guys alright?!” Cosette burst into the room, her powder-blue eyes wide and hair pulled messily in a bun. For the normally picture perfect girl, this was a blaring hint that she had dashed over without thinking. She threw herself at her boyfriend, who hugged her tightly and buried his head in her hair. “Oh, baby, I’m so so sorry.”

“I’m alright. I promise.”

Eponine backed away slightly, eyes down and fists clenched. Enjolras was helping Bossuet right the couch and shook his head. “I think that some of should stick around tonight. Just in case they come back.”

“Agreed.” Jehan and Bahorel had arrived and were looking around the room in surprise. The poet’s eyes were huge. “It looks like these guys could have really messed you both up.”

“Yes, thanks for that.” Joly rolled his eyes as Marius went even paler if that were possible.

“Excuse me?”

They all turned to see a man in the doorway, flanked by two uniformed officers. The man was in his late thirties, with slightly graying hair and a trim mustache. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a badge. “My name is Detective Frasier. We got a call about a breaking and entering?”

“You’re at right place.” Feuilly stepped forward and held out a hand. The older man accepted the handshake and looked around the room.

“How many of you live here?”

“Sorry, just me and Marius over there.” Feuilly rubbed at the back of his neck and managed a tiny grin. “Everyone rushed over when they heard…”

The detective’s eyes were a cloudy blue-gray and they sparked with a slight hint of amusement as he listened. “I’m sorry… Your house was robbed and your first instinct was to text your friends?”

“Have you ever heard of the phrase ‘co-dependent’?” Joly asked with a completely straight face. “Yeah, that.”

The man actually smiled at them. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to just the tenants while these two look around. Can the rest of you head downstairs? You can leave your numbers with my partner in case we need input from you later.”

“No need.” A deep voice carried from the doorway. “I believe we have information on all of these gentlemen.”

The second detective in the hallway was average height and stocky in build. His eyes were gray and cat-like and joined by a hawk-like nose and strong jaw. Enjolras almost physically bristled at the sight of him and Combeferre immediately moved to grasp his best friend’s arm. The older boy kept a neutral face as he greeted the newcomer. “Detective Javert. It’s been a while.”

The man glared around the room, looking over each boy with a look of distain. Jehan moved to stand slightly behind Courfeyrac, who held his hand and glared back impudently. No one noticed the way Cosette nervously turned away and pointedly didn’t look at the man.

“You haven’t met this lot yet, have you Frasier?” Javert calmly walked past Enjolras, who still looked ready to pounce. “They call themselves the Amis. They’ve been public pests for a few years now.”

“We are a peaceful activist group.” The blond snarled.

“I have arrested all of you at least once.” Javert countered but was quickly cut off by Combeferre.

“Most of us have only been detained for minor disturbances of the peace, not arrested.”

The man glared but let it go as his younger partner looked around the room curiously. “Well… For now it sounds like we’re all on the same side so let’s see about getting your belongings back.”

By the time that the police were done, Marius looked a little green around the gills and Enjolras was close to punching someone in the face. Combeferre and Courfeyrac shared a look and nodded before pointedly dragging their friend out the door.

As the two detectives left, the younger one with a sympathetic smile, Feuilly put a hand on his roommate’s shoulder. “Hey, Marius, maybe you should stay somewhere else tonight. We can hold down the fort.”

Bossuet patted him on the shoulder. “We got your back, buddy. Go get some sleep.” He shot a look over his shoulder to where Joly was heading out with Jehan. “Hey, kiss ‘Chetta goodnight for me.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

Bahorel nodded at Marius, who looked torn. “The three of us can handle this. Go relax.”

Cosette caught the meaningful look on her friends’ faces and quickly grabbed her boyfriend’s arm. “Come on, you can stay in the guest room. Papa won’t mind.”

---

“Papa?”

Jean Valjean looked up from the papers on his desk and smiled at his daughter as she poked her head around the door. “We’re going to watch a movie. Do you want to join us?”

“I’m going to bed soon.” He said, standing and walking over to his daughter to kiss her on the forehead. “Have fun. And you may want to make that young man some tea or something.”

Cosette laughed. “He’s not nearly as shaken up as he was when we got home. Good night, Papa.”

When the young woman joined her boyfriend in the living room he was sorting through the DVDs and frowning thoughtfully. “Do we want action or something fluffier?”

“How about Breakfast Club?” Cosette suggested as she snuggled down next to him on the couch.

“Nhghn…”

The girl glared at his hedging noise and folded her arms. “It is a piece of cultural genius and don’t you dare say otherwise.”

“It’s okay…”

“OKAY? It is so much more than okay!” She twisted in her seat to glare over her shoulder. “Will you please tell him how stupid he’s being?”

Grantaire tried to speak through a mouthful of ice cream as he wandered over. “I’ve gotta go with Cosette here. It’s a great film.”

Marius threw his hands in the air as Cosette smiled smugly. “Okay, okay, Breakfast Club it is.”

“Jean not joining us?” Grantaire asked as he settled into an armchair and allowed Marius to steal his carton of ice cream.

“He’s going to bed.” Putting in the disc and returning to her boyfriend’s side, she smiled happily. “So tonight it’s just me and my boys.”

“I’m one of your boys right?”

“Yes, R.”

“Oh, okay, good.”

Marius and Cosette held back laughter as the cynic insulted all the trailers and had to resort to beating him with pillows before they all collapsed in a heap on the couch. They were all cuddling and fast asleep by the time the movie ended as they did nearly every time they watched a film.

The next morning, Marius and Cosette were busy putting the apartment back together when Grantaire slipped in, holding a bag of take-out. “You guys alone?”

“Yeah.” Cosette frowned. “Feuilly and Joly went out to get a new lock and the others are all at work or in class. But you shouldn’t be sneaking around.”

“You promised you wouldn’t do that anymore.” The cynic handed over the food and whistled as he looked around the room. “Man they did a number on this place.”

“Yeah, I-” Cosette was cut off as the door behind them creaked open and Grantaire only managed a panicked look before Jehan walked in, mouth open to say something before he froze. The poet stared in shock for a moment as the older man shifted awkwardly.

“Hey, Jehan…”

He hit Grantaire like a fright train, sending them both sprawling on the floor. Jehan wrapped his arms tightly around his friend’s neck and screamed into his ear as the cynic winced but bore it patiently.

“YOU IDIOT! You stupid, STUPID idiot!! I HATE you, you st-stupid… Where the hell have you BEEN?! I have been w-worried SICK about you! I left… I left you like a thousand text messages and voicemails and you couldn’t j-just let me know y-you were A-ALIVE?! I h-hate you! I…I…I…”

The younger man burst into tears and sobbed into his shoulder as Grantaire clung to him and stroked his hair soothingly. The older man swallowed hard and cuddled the boy close as he tried to think of something to say to him. “I’m so sorry. Jehan, I am so sorry. I didn’t… I didn’t think-”

“No?! Really?!”

“…I deserved that. But I’m serious, I didn’t think you guys would worry that much. I guess I figured that you’d all be relieved that I wasn’t around to annoy you anymore.”

At the horrified look on Jehan’s face, Grantaire quickly continued. “I THOUGHT that; past tense! I know it’s stupid, I promise. I was… In a bad way for a while and not really thinking straight.”

“You… You honestly thought…” The poet was holding the older man’s hand like he might try to escape and stared blankly up at him. “Why the HELL would you think that? We love you! You’re our friend.” Then it clicked. A little tickle of an idea in his head that he’d been carrying for months finally slotted completely into place. “I’m going to kill him.”

“…Jehan?”

“I’m going to kill him. I am. That complete JERK! What the hell did he say to you?!”

The older man tried to act confused. “Who?”

“WHO DO YOU THINK?!!” Grantaire thought his friend looked incredible when he was angry; copper hair falling around his round face, hazel eyes flashing and terrifying. “R, it’s not that hard to figure out. You disappeared. Enjolras has been acting weird ever since and for you to think something like that…” The boy deflated and went back to looking heartbroken. “Why did you leave?”

At that Grantaire shot Cosette a nervous look and the girl walked over to put a hand on her friend’s shoulder as she pried him off of the cynic. “Jehan, let’s go to my house. We can explain there, okay?”

“Wait, you knew?”

She had to wince a little at the hurt in his voice but nodded calmly and pushed him to the door. “Not here, we don’t want to be interrupted.”

---

“He said that?” Jehan looked horrified as Grantaire shrugged.

“We all knew that’s how he felt. And he was completely right; I gave up and let him down.”

“But to say that!-”

“I know, but don’t blame him too much okay?”

The poet rolled his eyes at that. “Of course you’d say that even now. Okay, so after you left the bar?”

Grantaire hesitated. “I honestly can’t remember too well. I was drunk and upset… Then Cosette showed up.”

The girl nodded as she thought back…

She should have accepted the ride home. She really should. As the rain began to come down a little harder she pulled her sweater closer around her and cut through the park. It had been such a nice night and now this. Her phone vibrated and she pulled it out briefly (It was Combeferre) before shoving it away. She’d look when she got home. As she ran past the duck pond she was startled to see a huddled form on one of the benches.

Maybe it was her father’s influence but she slowed to look at the figure closer and with a jolt realized she recognized the messy, and now soaked, curls.

“…Grantaire?”

The drunk’s knees were pulled up to his chest and his face was hidden behind them and his arms. Cosette was a little uncomfortable as she and the cynic hadn’t spoken much but she couldn’t stand to leave him like this. “M. Grantaire?”

“I’m not the best company right now.” His voice was strange. From the way he was shaking she’d assumed that he’d been crying but his voice didn’t falter at all as he spoke.

“Is there any way I can help you?” She asked quietly as she sat next to him, ignoring the rain. “You shouldn’t be out here, it’s not healthy.”

He finally looked up, hair in his eyes. She liked his eyes, they were moss green and sparkled with mischief but now they were almost gray and devoid of emotion. He frowned slightly and then laughed hollowly. “Healthy… I am so incredibly the farthest thing from… You have no idea.”

“Then tell me.” She murmured, sliding a little closer and looking him over. “Just talk. Whatever pops into your head.”

For a long moment he was silent and Cosette was afraid he wasn’t going to respond. Then-

“I had to drop out of college because I was failing most of my classes and never actually showed up because I was always drunk and unfocused. Then I got laid off for the same reasons and couldn’t pay my rent because of it and now I have,” He checked a watch on his left wrist. “Three hours to get my crap out of my apartment before they sell it. And as if that weren’t enough-as if the world hadn’t proven what a complete loser I am-I tried, for once in my life, to show him that I could actually be somewhat useful and royally screwed it all up. I am so pathetic that I can’t even do a simple task without messing it up and failing him…”

Even now the young man wasn’t crying. Just sitting there and staring ahead blankly. Cosette swallowed hard, not needing to ask who ‘he’ was. “…Grantaire… Would you like to come home with me? I’m sure my papa would like to help you out.”

He jerked away as though he’d been burned and began backing off as she stood to follow him. “I don’t need your help. I’m not… I don’t want your pity.”

“It’s not pity.” He raised an eyebrow and she blew out a breath. “Alright, it’s a little bit pity. But it’s also because I like you and I want to help and you don’t deserve to be out here alone like this.”

He looked at her for a long time before managing a crooked grin. “You’re the first person to actually admit you’re pitying me. Weirdly refreshing… Always annoying when people assume you can’t tell that they’re trying to fix you.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “Thanks for that, princess.”

He was about to pull away when she grabbed his wrist and held on tight. Holding her breath she pulled him close and put a hand behind his head to keep his face pressed into her neck. Praying she was right about this, Cosette felt the older man stiffen as she clung to him; his arm on her shoulder now clenching at her sweater to keep his balance and his other arm floating uselessly behind her. Then he began to shake and both arms wrapped around her neck as she tangled her hand in his curls and held on to him for dear life. He was taller than her and it was a little awkward but she stayed like that with him in the pouring rain as he, not cried, he still wasn’t crying, but nonetheless broke down in her arms.

When Jean opened the door a half an hour later and raised an eyebrow in question, Cosette just smiled nervously as she squeezed Grantaire’s hand tightly. “So, can we keep him?”

“You have to see everyone.” Jehan insisted, gripping Grantaire’s arm. “You have no idea how much everyone’s been worried. I get that you thought that you weren’t welcome at the meetings-which is a lie and I promise that everyone will want to kick Enjy’s face in for implying that-but you could have at least mentioned where you were.”

Grantaire ran a hand over his face, which Jehan couldn’t help but notice was clean-shaven for once, and sighed heavily. “I didn’t want you to see me the way I was back then. I guess I was embarrassed.”

“Why would—‘Taire, what possible reason would you have to think that--”

The older man rolled his eyes and leaned over to whisper in his ear. Slowly Jehan’s eyes widened and he began to smile before screaming loudly and flinging himself onto the cynic who laughed at the younger boy's delighted face.