Empty chairs at empty tables, now my friends are dead and gone.

...

Cosette heard the door of their bedroom cracking open as Marius limped inside. She looked asleep, but she wasn't, as every other night Marius went outside. She never knew where he was going, but she didn't ask either. She knew that Marius needed some time alone after everything that had happened a few months before. Cosette herself sometimes needed to be alone too, to think about her dear Papa and how much she missed him. She would sometimes cry, knowing that he was somewhere with his Mama. What she didn't know was that Marius cried, too. He thought about Enjolras, Éponine and little Gavroche, reminiscing their last struggles, their battles, their ideas – the moment in which little Gavroche fell limply to the floor, utterly dead. They both struggled, and they usually did it together. But they still needed some time alone.

But their lives weren't as terrible as they could have been, really – Cosette and Marius had each other, and that was just about everything they needed.

'Where have you been?' she asked softly, as he slipped into the bed next to her. She didn't expect an answer, at least a proper, honest one.

'Been for a walk,' he sighed. He then leaned closer and pressed a kiss to her temple. 'Nothing you need to worry about, chérie.'

Marius placed his hand atop of Cosette's, ready to go to sleep. His wife, however, squeezed his hand gently and shook her head.

'I need to worry,' she whispered. 'I know you miss them greatly. Enjolras, Épopine, Gavroche. They were all your dearest friends. It happens to me when I think of my Papa too.'

Marius gave her a small smile and pulled her closer. 'It's all right, I promise. Of course, it would be stupid to deny that I miss my friends, because I do miss them, every day at every hour. But all the grief disappears when I think that you'll be waiting for me when I get back home.'

'Maybe it's time to forget.'

'How could I ever?' asked Marius.

'Because,' Cosette sighed silently. 'From now on it will not be only me waiting for you to get back home.'

It took barely a second for Cosette's words to sink in. Marius's lips curled up in a smile, one of those lopsided grins Cosette loved so much.

'Really?' he asked, awe filling his voice.

'Really,' said Cosette sweetly, kissing Marius's lips.

The man grinned as he placed his hand on top of his wife's stomach. There he found a small bump, barely noticeable under the fabric of Cosette's nightgown. It was simply breathtaking for him to think that he would soon become a father. He smiled at his wife again, and kissed her cheek.

'If it is a boy, we will name him Jean,' he said, smiling. 'After the man who saved my life. And if it's a girl, we will name her Fantine – after the woman who brought this angel I call my wife to the world.'

Cosette nodded, smiling as she felt how Marius enveloped her in a hug. He didn't say anything, and nor did she. They just fell asleep in each other's arms, their dreams completed by the thought of their unborn child and a happy life together. True, the past would always be there – but it was about time for Cosette and Marius to keep on living, smiling and dreaming.

So I watched Les Mis yesterday and I simply had to write this. It is movie-based, but I hope it's all right and more or less correct. So yeah, any Les Mis fans out there – go watch the movie. It's really beautiful and inspiring.

-cluelessclown.