Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: Okay, I haven't wrote a fanfic in a while. This is an alternate version of the ending: If Esmeralda said yes to his begging that night before she actually gets hung. So, I start off in the finishing of his last plea to her. If you don't know what I'm talking about…it may be a bit difficult to follow at times, maybe. (Or I'm bad at explaining things) Enjoy!

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"Please, girl!" The priest almost sounded as if he were whimpering, "Just one word of kindness!"

Esmeralda quickly glanced around to see if Gringoire may have come back, but there was no sign of him. Then, she looked over at the disgusting priest, whose eyes eagerly stared at her lips. She really had no desire to be with this creature. At the same time, she wanted to live. Or did she? She did not know; she was so distraught over everything. She might have wanted to die, but still she clung to some wasted hope for Phoebus, for life.

A thought crossed her mind. Maybe, if she could bare it, she could use this man to take her farther away from the city and eventually escape. To where, she had no idea. But, the sudden dream-like plan of hers let her cling onto life more. She decides she would want to live.

After hesitation she spoke, "You said you saved me?"

The fact that the gypsy spoke startled the priest. Even when he was begging for it and somewhat expecting it, her voice stirred him. A small smile twisted the corner of his lips and he crawled closer to her, leaving about two feet of space between them.

"Yes," he said with a hint of pride, "I saved you. And I can save you still."

Caught up with the hope to escape death and, later, this man she answered him carelessly, "I don't want to be hanged and I'm tired of this city." She paused, "Where will we go?"

Claude stared at her for the longest time, trying to comprehend her change of heart.

"Y-You will try to love me, then?" He asked in a quiet voice that shook excitedly.

She shrugged.

That was good enough for Claude. He fell on his side and laughed quietly. The display was odd, indeed, to the poor girl. Almost a few seconds after this, he sat up. As if risen from the dead, a new feeling of life filled the man's body. He stood and clasped the girl's wrists, pulling her up with him.

He noticed she backed away and looked in a different direction.

"Girl, please don't be afraid." Claude said softly, loosening his grip, "You have nothing to fear! I will take you far away from this place. To the other ends of this world, if you so wish it. Please, please! Do not pull away. I mean you no harm."

His eyes snapped up, pulled the girl's head to his chest as if to protect it, and scoped the area around them. He thought he had heard the soldiers' voices become louder, their foot steps ever closer.

"We must make haste!" The priest said, grabbing only one wrist now and ran for a nearby alley way.

He saw their haunting shadows on the wall opposite of them, holding their torches and laughing. He thought quickly. The priest pulled his hood up and outstretched the cloak, diving at the girl like a bat to an insect. Esmeralda would have screamed, but she was too stunned to even react. All was black. She was only aware of the cold, hard wall behind her and the hot, trembling priest pressing himself against her. They both stood in silence as the soldiers walked by. Neither one dare move until the voices were completely gone.

Frollo let out a deep sigh, dropping his cloak to reveal themselves to the nothingness of the night.

"I hope I didn't bump you're head on that cruel brick wall." the priest said, "I had to act fast, you understand. We needed to hide, so what better of a plan than to use this dark cloak."

Esmeralda only nodded. With doing so, Claude took hold of her wrist again and led her around the various alley ways. It was some time before the priest finally stopped at the corner of a building. He peered over and grinned at what he had found.

"A horse." the priest said to himself. Then, he turned to the girl, "Come! We have the devil's luck tonight!"

He rushed over to the dark horse, who stood quietly tied to a tree. Claude was trying to untie it as the gypsy walked slowly towards its face. The horse glanced at her with no fear or worry in its eyes. Once Esmeralda examined the animal, she began to pet it, talk to it.

"You're very handsome." she said tenderly. At hearing her speak so soothingly, Claude's eyes shot her way. Unfortunately for the priest, she wasn't speaking to him and he resumed untying the beast, gritting his teeth. The girl went on, "You're owner must be out of his mind to leave you here. And you're almost out of food and water! Poor thing! I'll feed you, don't worry."

The priest had freed the horse, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the happy couple. He watched the gypsy caress its cheek with one hand and pat its head with the other. He watched as she would talk, she touched her nose to its, pull back, then giggle. The display before him made his heart want to melt at the pure innocence and bliss of it, but at the same time he was jealous that all of her kind words, gentle touches, and playful gestures went to a horse that would never understand the beautiful things she did.

"I have it free." Claude said, "Let's move."

He jumped on the horse's back and helped the gypsy girl up. Esmeralda sat in front while Claude was behind her, holding the reins. With a quick kick to the side, the horse galloped into the dark night.

The entire time on horse back was bothersome for both of them. Esmeralda for feeling cold and tired and angry that the priest's arms were around her. Frollo for having the gypsy leaning on him, trying to control himself. They rode for hours before they stopped to let the horse relax.

The priest slipped of the horse and reached out to help the girl down, but she refused. He stared at her; she stared back with her pouting lip. He noticed how her slender figure hugged herself and shivered.

"You are cold." Claude stated.

"Yes. I am." Esmeralda said flatly.

He removed his cloak, still having a long coat on, and offered it to the gypsy. She glared at it.

"Take it."

She repeatedly looked from the cloak to the priest. After some time she slid off the horse and took the offering, wrapping herself in it.

"I will let the horse rest for a bit, then we will be on our way again." The priest said as he watched the animal lay down. "Maybe, you should rest a bit, as well."

The gypsy cuddled up to the horse's neck. Frollo plopped down on the ground and leaned against the beast's stomach. He ignored the gypsy and her new friend to gaze up at the sky. The dark violet space made his mind wander and he smiled at the many tiny stars. As wonderful as they were, he couldn't forget the loveliest thing of the night to him: Esmeralda. He glanced back at her. She was lying on her side, softly humming a lullaby to the horse. Her little song seemed to tease Claude, making him fidget in his spot.

He broke the silence, "We will be leaving shortly. So, don't make him fall asleep on us."

The girl stopped humming and sat up.

"Aren't you going to rest?" Claude asked, trying to keep eye contact with the girl.

"I'll wait until we reach where ever it is you plan to go." She stated simply, keeping her eyes on him.

"This whole mess hasn't drained you of much energy?" He questioned with some difficulty.

"No."

He was the first to break eye contact to look up at the stars once more. He tried to let her be, but he still could feel her eyes on him. Failing to ignore this, he turned his face completely away from her, which gave him an odd, paranoid thought that she would slit his throat or flee at any moment. He turned back quickly to the gypsy, who was examining him quietly.

"Why do you stare at me?" He asked with a trembling voice.

She shrugged.

To see her pretty little shoulders move in that gesture caused him to fidget in his spot again. He gulped, "Can you stop?"

She didn't answer or stop.

Claude was quick to be agitated, "Girl, what do you want?"

"Where are we going to go?" She asked with an emotionless tone.

The priest hesitated, and then replied, "I've made a deal with a fellow to rent a place for a night or two. There is a small town some what close by, too. I was going to pick up some things within the time we spend in the hut and we would leave…"

"Leave to where?" The girl asked.

He had gotten from that redundant question of hers that she wanted a direct location. The man, really, didn't know exactly where to go. Just far away from Notre Dame. He held out his arms to the sky, "Anywhere."

The priest's single, hopeful word made her feel, for once in her life, safe being with him. But, then, she reminded herself of what he had done to Phoebus and shook the feeling.

She looked back at the man and watched as he let his arms fall to his sides. His head continued to look wishfully towards the moon. This was a perfect time to feed him words he would enjoy.

"I will go anywhere with you, sir."

The face of Claude Frollo distorted into a wide eyed, open mouthed, horror struck expression. At first, looking from the gypsy's point of view, it looked as if he had saw fire falling from the clouds. His head turned her way and she noticed his features become more insane looking. His grin was freighting, his eyes beamed, his entire face was that of a mad man.

She had just given her soul to the devil. Though, she wasn't aware of it.

He wanted so much to hold her now, but restrained every muscle from doing so. His face drooped to normal and he stood up.

"If we leave now, we can make it to our retreat by morning." Frollo said boastfully.

"Then we go!" the girl confirmed. She made a small clicking sound so the horse would stand. It did and as doing so the gypsy jumped onto its back. Frollo followed, placing himself behind the girl. They were off.

Once on the move again the priest leaned down to the gypsy's ear and whispered, "You won't regret this, I assure you!"

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A/N: Done with the first chapter. Yay! That was interesting. I really need to go back and finish up a RHPS fanfic I haven't touched in a year. Hm, so getting to the second chapter may be a short while…but it will be up! Please review! Thanks.