After 14 years of being utterly obsessed with Les Mis (saw Colm Wilkinson perform Valjean in Toronto when I was 10 and I've been an addict ever since), I finally had to let my love spill over and write a fic. This story is going to be mostly family oriented between Valjean, Cosette, and Eponine. Family fic is my favorite genre to write, but don't worry; romance with our favorite Les Amis will come into play as the girls grow up. Since this is a parent/child fic, there may be spanking at some point, but it won't be very prominent and I will warn you before it's coming, so don't freak out on me. The canon parts are kind of a movie/musical/book mash up, although I do have the recent movie cast in mind for the characters (the adorableness of little Eponine is what inspired me to make her Cosette's twin in the first place).

Couple of notes about me as a writer: I only write for fun, so criticisms aren't really necessary, and flaming is not accepted. If you do leave me a review, I will always respond, so please feel free to leave me any questions about something that's not making sense or requests about things you might like thrown in. I won't beg for reviews, but I am encouraged to write faster when I know that people are awaiting updates. And speaking of updates, I am a law student, so my free time is limited, but I do make a solemn promise that I will never abandon a story without finishing it, even if my updates come slowly. With all that being said, I really hope you enjoy the story!

December 24, 1823

On Christmas Eve, a night when all little children should have been placing their shoes by the fireplace for Père Noël and dreaming of sweets and toys, a lone little figure crept through the woods on the outskirts of Montfermeil. She wore only a scrap of cloth that could hardly be referred to as a dress, with no shawl or shoes to protect her from the blistering wind and the frozen ground. As she dragged a heavy wooden bucket that was more than half her size, she lowered her head so the cold air would not freeze the tears that streaked her little cheeks.

"Cosette!" a voice called out in the dark. The little girl dropped her bucket in surprise and turned toward the sound of the familiar voice, which came from another small girl dressed nearly identically to Cosette. The only difference between the two was the knots of hair that sat under their ragged caps; Cosette's would have been blonde, had it not been so dirty, while the other child's was of a much darker hue.

"Eponine!" Cosette cried, shocked at the sudden appearance of her twin sister. "I thought Madame told you to stay and scour the hearth!"

"She did," Eponine panted, taking her sister's hands in her own as she finally caught up with her. "I waited until she was busy going through the sack of one of the customers and I snuck out. I knew you were frightened to be out here alone."

"Eponine, she'll beat you if she realizes!" Cosette replied, her large blue eyes reflecting her horror at the thought.

"She'd find a reason anyway," Eponine said, tossing her head proudly to encourage her sister, though deep inside she feared Madame Thenardier's wrath. "Come on, let's hurry. It's cold out here and maybe we can get back before she misses me."

With each of the girls holding onto the bucket, the trek to the well went quickly, and soon the children were making their way back to the inn. They hummed a little tune together that they had made up to comfort each other when they were scared, a tune about castles and clouds and a beautiful woman they could just barely remember.

The crack of a stick rang out like a shot through the dark forest, and both of the girls dropped the bucket as they whirled around to discover the source of the noise. A tall figure was walking toward them, and Cosette let out a strangled cry of fright, while Eponine put her hand on her sister's arm and prepared to run.

"Hush now," the figure said softly. "Do not be afraid of me."

A streak of moonlight shone through the leafless trees, revealing the figure to be a man. He was not like any man the girls had ever seen before, not like the men that frequented the Sergeant at Waterloo. No, this man had a clean-shaved face, was well-dressed, and had kind eyes.

"Tell me, mes enfants, what are your names?" the man asked.

Much to Eponine's surprise, her shy sister took a hesitant step toward the man. "I'm called Cosette," she said, her voice steady and sweet.

The man smiled and lowered himself to one knee, tipping his hat as he did so. "Mademoiselle," he said politely. "And you, petit, is your name Eponine?" he asked the child who had not spoken.

Eponine's eyes grew wide, but she found herself nodding slowly. "Oui, Monsieur."

Valjean studied the two little faces in front of him. It was clear that the money Fantine had given her very life for had not been put to the care of her children. The tiny girls were both so haggard and malnourished that it was hard to see exactly what they looked like. Despite their waiflike appearance, however, Valjean could see that both girls bore a resemblance to their mother. Cosette had Fantine's creamy pale skin and high cheekbones, while Eponine shared her mother's dark brown hair and eyes. Unfortunately, both children also displayed the look of utter despair that their mother had shown in her final days. Valjean felt, not for the first time that evening, a twinge of guilt at the thought of the recently deceased woman, but he quickly dismissed those feelings. He had sworn to Fantine to care for her daughters, and now his attention must be focused solely on them.

"Monsieur?" Eponine said, interrupting him from his musings. "Who are you?"

The smile on Valjean's lips faded as he recalled that he had to be the bearer of bad news. "Cosette, Eponine. I was sent here by your mother. I am sorry to tell you that she has gone to be with God."

The girls looked at each other, not sure how to respond to this news. To their seven year old minds, their mother was nothing more than a memory, practically a figment of their imaginations.

"I know this must come as a shock," Valjean continued, somewhat relieved that the girls seemed to take the news of their mother's passing so well. "But since your mother cannot come for you, I have come in her place. You are going to come live with me. Would you like that?"

"To work for you?" Cosette asked innocently. Valjean winced internally, hating that these two little children thought of themselves as nothing but slaves.

"No Cosette," he said gently, reaching out and taking each girl's cold hand in his own. "You will not come to live with me as my servants. You will come to live with me as my daughters."

"You mean…you're going to be our Papa?" Eponine whispered, her dark eyes daring to show a flicker of hope.

Valjean smiled and squeezed her hand. "Yes, Eponine. I'm going to be Father and Mother to you, and to Cosette. Where I go, you will be."

For the first time in what seemed like ages, Cosette and Eponine looked at each other and shared a genuine smile. The sight of it warmed Valjean's heart, and he rose to his feet.

"Now Mademoiselles," he said kindly. "This bucket is far too heavy for little girls to be carrying. Please, allow me to help you. You can show me where you live so I can arrange things with your…caretakers…and then we will be on our way."

An hour later, after one very heated argument and an exchange of money between the man and the Thenardiers, Eponine and Cosette found themselves being led to a carriage parked at the end of the town square.

"Here we are," Valjean said, nodding to the driver and opening the door with a flourish. "Up you go, petit," he said, wrapping his hands around Eponine's waist and lifting her into the cab. He repeated the process with Cosette, giving her a smile and a tweak of the nose before climbing in after her.

"Now then," Valjean said, kneeling on the floor of the cab as the horses began to pull. "Let's get you warmed up, shall we?" He removed a bundle from underneath the seat and untied it, revealing two large woolen shawls. He wrapped one around each of the girls' shoulders; a dark red one for Eponine and an emerald green one for Cosette.

Both girls sat in shock for a moment. Neither could remember ever touching something so luxurious, or feeling so warm. Valjean was happy to see the amazed expressions on their faces, but he felt guilty for bringing only the shawls. He had not expected the girls to be so poorly looked after, and he wished he had thought to at least purchase some shoes.

Cosette finally looked at him and spoke, snapping him out of his reverie. "You really are going to be our Papa, aren't you?" she breathed, her eyes filled with wonderment.

"Yes, Cosette," Valjean said, chuckling a bit as he stroked her face. "I am going to be your Papa, forever and always. You will never be alone again."

"Oh, thank you, Papa!" Cosette cried, surprising the man by throwing her arms around his neck. He glanced up at Eponine, who made no move to join the embrace, but was hugging her new shawl close to her shoulders with a luminous smile on her little face. Valjean could see that she was going to have dimples once she put a little weight on. He patted her knee fondly as Cosette released him from her grip.

"You're welcome, mon enfant," Valjean said kindly. "Now, since we have taken care of warming up the outside of your bodies, let us work on filling the inside." He removed another parcel from under the seat and set it on his lap as he moved to sit between the two girls. The girls watched hungrily as he unwrapped a loaf of bread, a wedge of ripe cheese, a dried apple turnover, and a flagon of cider. He broke the turnover into two pieces, handing one to each girl. "Eat up," he said.

Eponine and Cosette needed no urging, and with very little decorum, they began to devour the turnover. Valjean chuckled to himself; it was clear he was going to have to work on their manners, but that could be taken care of another time. He set to work dividing the bread and cheese, and the girls obligingly ate everything he handed them.

Once they had drunk the last bit of cider, Eponine yawned, and Cosette rubbed her eyes sleepily. "I think it is time for you both to have a bit of a rest," Valjean said softly. "But first, I have a surprise for you."

Eponine and Cosette looked at him quizzically. They had already been given beautiful shawls, and their bellies were full for the first time in their short memories. What more could their new Papa possibly give to them?

Valjean leaned over and removed one final parcel from underneath the seat. This one was larger, and lumpier than the first two had been. "Unfortunately, we will not make it to Paris in time for you to place your shoes by the fire for Père Noël. But I hope that these will make you as happy as a visit from him." With that, he opened the package, revealing two exquisite dolls.

"This one is for you, Cosette," Valjean said, handing her a doll dressed in a pink gown with long brown ringlets. "And Eponine, this one is for you."

Eponine reached out with trembling hands and accepted the large doll. She was clad in blue silk, with real blonde hair cascading from under her satin bonnet. "Oh Papa," she whispered, stroking the doll's smooth porcelain cheek, "She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!"

"You like her, then?" Valjean asked kindly. Eponine nodded, and finally leaned over to wrap her arms around his waist. "Thank you, Papa."

"Yes, thank you, Papa," Cosette echoed, leaning against his side. "Thank you for Catharine."

"Ah, is that her name?" Valjean asked interestedly. "And what shall you call your doll, Eponine?

"Marguerite," Eponine said decidedly.

"A splendid name," Valjean said with approval. "Now, I think Catharine and Marguerite are in need of a rest. Why don't we get them wrapped up in these fur blankets so they can go to sleep?"

Eponine and Cosette needed no encouragement to be tucked under the warm furs. Valjean soon found himself with a small head on each knee, both of which he lovingly stroked as the carriage plunged onward into the night.

Les Trésors de Mes Jours d'Automne-Treasures of My Autumn Days

Père Noël-Father Christmas

Mon enfants-my children

Petit-little one

My apologies if any of the phrases were incorrect; blame google translate. Coming up next: the chase through Paris, of course! Plus the arrival at the convent, at which point you can expect large amounts of fluff, which shouldn't surprise anyone who's ever read my work before. I'd love to hear your thoughts (pleasant ones), and thank you for reading!