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Do Not Forget Me – 24601Jean Valjean was running but what was new? He had been running all of his life ever since his parents decided that they couldn’t afford to keep himself and his older sister so he had been raised by her and when she was married he lived with them also. It was good for a long while. Jean’s sister was married to a humble man who very much loved them both. Jean would go to work with his new brother in law and food would be prepared on their arrival home that evening.However, when Death knocked on their door, he refused to leave without Jean Valjean’s brother in law. Sadly, this meant that times became tough once again for the Valjean siblings but this time with the new addition of a baby boy – a son. The misfortune did not end there; since Valjean had been apprenticed to the newly deceased Fabron, the young man no longer had a job to support his family. His older sister was a kind woman and a fiercely good mother, she never once gave up hope that one day all would be better again. Jean could not believe the same as his sister did as he could see her slowly disappearing from the lack of food in their home and her son was no better. He was barely one year old but he would be lucky if he made it to two. On one particular night Jean Valjean silently snuck out of the household in hopes to find some food for his nephew and sister.After walking for almost an hour he spotted something so tempting right in front of his eyes. A freshly cooked loaf of bread just been placed on a display inside of a window and he thanked the Gods for watching over him that night. There was no question about what he needed to do. He found the closest rock and threw it at the window, jumped through, took the bread and ran. Before that night Jean Valjean had not made a habit of breaking the law so unfortunately he didn’t have the knack or experience for it and was very promptly captured. Had he not been caught that night he might have seen his sister and nephew just one more time. All he had wanted to do was save his family but the justice system had not seen it that way; he had tried to explain what had happened a number of times but no one wanted to listen to a poor convict. Countless times he had tried to run away from prison but with no such luck. He has never seen injustice quite like it.After 19 long years of waiting - the waiting turning the once generous young man into cynical twisted burden to society - it was time to be freed. The man’s small rejoice was quickly snuffed out when he discovered he would be sentenced to life on parole for stealing a loaf of bread. He decided to take the law into his own hands and run away from the town so he would never have to worry about parole ever again. He found refuge in a church where a kindly Bishop took him in for the night. Valjean – now tainted with 19 years of torture – saw this man kindness and took advantage of it. The Bishop had lots of silver so in the dead of night he took silver and once again set of running.By now Jean Valjean knew he had no business being a thief, he was always caught very quickly and that night was no different. He thought he was going back to prison for sure but by some change of fate the old man defended him. He told the officers of the law that he had given Valjean the silver and on his return gave him more. When the officers left the Bishop told him to take the silver to become an honest man. Once again, the man ran away but this time he had a promise to keep.However, he thought that he was safely hidden in this small town. One that the people had elected him to be their humble Mayor and he had started a new, respectable life which was the old bishops wishes. He could look after the towns best wishes, make sure that poverty was at a minimum and they could provide him the perfect alibi, he was safe in this town.That was until he employed Frances most prestigious police force to guard his town’s laws. Though, in giving these orders he most certainly did not expect to find Inspector Javert to grace him with his presents once again. As soon as he saw the law abiding man peeking through the window of one of the many factories he had set up he knew he must be done was done for. He was not blind or deaf; he had heard of Javert’s pursuit for him all these years. However, when he reached the top of the stairwell he noticed the strangest thing… Javert was… smiling at him.“Monsieur le Mayor, you’ve done your city proud,” Javert praised Valjean; a smile plastered on his face full of pride in which Valjean returns. ‘He does not recognise me,’ he thought. Maybe he could get away with this. If Javert hadn’t recognised him then surely no one would. However, he had a worrying feeling that this would not last forever… and he had been right. It is true that he could have stayed hidden in plain sight after Javert’s guilt ridden apology but his conscience had fought a great battle and he knew he couldn’t lie and make another suffer the same way he had. So now he was running through the streets of Montreuil with little Cosette. The poor girl seemed frightened half to death; but who could blame her? She didn’t deserve this. She deserved a safe, warm home. All that Valjean knew he needed to do was get Cosette to safety.“Cosette! Cosette this way!” he whispered as he led the small girl into an alley.“24601!” He heard Javert cry.The alley was a dead end. He could hear the child whimper out of confusion, exhaustion and plain terror.“Papa?” she cried. He hugged and hushed the small blonde. Looking for something, anything to take them away. Nothing. This couldn’t be the end. He had made a promise to the Bishop to start a new life and a promise to Fantine to take care of her daughter. There was no way in good conscience he could let this child go back to the Thenardier madhouse.“VALJEAN! I’ve found you at last,” There’s nothing he can do; he’s stuck. He’ll be chained up again and only the Lord knows what will happen to Cosette.“Javert please! This child needs a home. Let me do this.” But Javert was relentless and he did not listen to Valjean and walked closer to him as Valjean tucked Cosette behind him. He’s failed. Failed Fantine, his employees, his town’s people; the generous Bishop who gave him this new life, God and above all – Cosette.The ex-convict could hear the sharp, slow footsteps coming ever closer. He braced himself for, at least, a blow to the head… but there was nothing. He reopened his eyes, he hadn’t realised they were closed; hadn’t realised how scared he was until now. Javert was searching for something in his pocket, when he found what he was looking for he took it out. It looked like… bread? Was that some kind of joke? He pressed the small piece of loaf into Valjean’s hand and Valjean grasped it.“You forgot something,” Javert smiled. Valjean could say nothing for he was too shocked.The last thing he saw of Javert was a slight nod his head and him shouting that Valjean was nowhere to be seen. The new makeshift family still had to run away once again due to Jean Valjean’s outburst of admittance to who he was but he knew they were safe now. Especially when he discovered the news that Jean Valjean was seen jumping into the river and the only witness being his mortal enemy Inspector Javert.