Fall Of Rain

Requested by: MichaelaTheWordsmith
OC: Celestine Louise de Medici

The night awoke with the sound of weapons being fired and bombs setting off. Men in their coats of blue and red stormed the street, yelling at one another and causing a disturbance in the whole area around them.

Letting out a surprised scream, as she looked from her window, Celestine covered her mouth at the sight. It had only been two months since she had moved back to America, hoping for a better life away from the man she married. In all that time, the world seemed peaceful and forgiving. But that couldn't be taken for granted now.

Heaving up the edge of her nightdress over her head, she hurried to change into something more fitting for the field. Her mind was racing with solutions, where to go first, or who to run to. Celestine took an unsteady breath and glanced out the window again. Gilbert was out there somewhere.

She couldn't let him be hurt. He was the only reason she truly decided to stay. Even though he had gotten married shortly before all her belongings were shipped over, Lafayette still corresponded with her every so often. Knowing him, he was already out in street, igniting another war.

Celestine faced herself in the mirror. Breeches, unwashed shirt, and a hat, she looked like the image of any other citizen. Tucking a letter into her pocket, the young woman gave the mirror one final glance before sprinting out the door.

The moment she stepped off the porch step of her home a sinking feeling filled her stomach, almost as a sign of doom looming over her.

Up ahead, in the crowds upon crowds of panicking people and soldiers, Celestine noticed the distinct outfit of someone she recognized. The person was suddenly swept into the swarm again, just as a canon went off, signaling even more madness.

Every muscle in her body tensed as she walked closer to the sight of commotion. Passerby didn't even give second glances. Only a few more steps, she silently reminded herself, keeping her head down from the public eye.

There came a shriek of some command to fire, and that was when Celestine caught his face among the other sweaty, shrieking people. He still had that same terrified, but excited expression on his face. It seemed he'd been deprived of war for too long.

She watched him fall back behind a barricade made out the most useless things. Chairs, wheels, boxes, all cramped together to create a shield from the damn redcoats. Celestine thought quickly to herself and hurried to reach the other side. She managed to do so, without causing any prying eyes in her direction.

Lafayette crouched a distance ahead of her, speaking in his native language to the man beside him. Deep in conversation, neither of them sensed the redcoat creeping up in front of them. Celestine's eyes widened. No.

Scrambling forward on her feet, she reached out and grabbed the weapon being held in front of her previous lover's face. "No!" A second or so passed and then she felt the impact of a billet piercing her body. All went black for a moment, before Celestine regained her senses.

I've been shot, she thought, suddenly feeling weak in her knees and completely helpless.

Gilbert raised his head and noticed the situation. More importantly, he recognized the injured person beside him. Jumping to his feet, he cried out, "Fall back! Fall back or I blow the barricade!" Slamming something into the man who fired, he held onto the edge of one of the many objects that completed the barricade.

Of the many things that happened in such little time of her being shot, the one exchange between the redcoat and Lafayette was one thing she couldn't remember. All she recalled was hearing the sound of someone shouting fall back until it faded into the background.

Celestine groaned as she heard the shouting voices of other officers and citizens. "What were you thinking Gilbert, you could have gotten us all killed?!" Someone else noted loudly, "Gilbert, you saved us all."

But he didn't take no care to listen to any of their complaints and noise. He hurried across the street to the spot where that familiar woman laid, holding a piece of parchment in her shaking hand. Just as he approached her soaked body, she said, "It's from Adrienne."

"I'm sorry," she rushed to add in. Mouth dry with only the taste of her own blood, Celestine looked up at him. Lafayette ignored the words, for his eyes immediately fell upon her wound.

"What have you done?" He knelt at her side, concerned with her condition. Celestine could see his eyes glaze over in a way that didn't seem possible. Tears formed in the corners as he struggled to wrap his arms around her.

Above them, the sky seemed to collapse and droplets of rain landed on them. Gilbert went to shelter her from the rain, but she shook her hand, grinning. "Don't you fret, M'sieur Lafayette. I don't feel any pain. A little fall of rain can hardly hurt me now!" She chuckled, wincing slightly at the blood.

Head bobbing back and forth, Celestine smiled up at him. It had been awfully too long since she'd been wrapped up in his embrace, with the warm feeling of his breath on her cheek. Now it was the only thing keeping her alive in such miserable coldness.

"You're here, that's all I need to know."

Not taking her eyes away from his, she reached down and took his hand in hers. Clutching as tightly as she could, Celestine let out a deep breath. Murmuring to him how he would be the one to keep her safe, and how he would hold her close, she felt her head lean against his shoulder.

Lafayette jerked her head back up again, not letting her fall to her death that soon. "But you will live, Celestine." He gazed up at the clouds high up above and whispered, "Dear God above, if I could close your wounds with words of love." Stifling his sobs, he gripped her body tighter and closer to his.

Forcing a smile, he began to speak with her, in only French. Their words slipped over one another, making Celestine shake with pride and sorrow. Hands covered in blood, she held his hand tighter, not ever wanting to let go.

Suddenly she let out a gasp, pushing herself closer to him, and pressing his hand up against her neck. "That's all I need to know," she said, barely in a whisper. Gilbert's eyes clouded over and he felt the end nearing.

"Je suis ici."

Celestine grinned again, letting her right hand drift down his jawline. Due to the loss of blood she had experienced, her heart was slowing down by the second and her eyes filled with a horrifying darkness. Clinging onto the image of his face, she stuttered out, "Will make the flowers..." She was desperate to have the last word in her life.

Lafayette murmured the phrase with her, only to pause and realize something. He held his hand to her chest and felt no heartbeat. Not one beat of her fighting heart. "Grow," his raspy voice whispered back. Kissing her forehead, and caressing her cheek, he could sense all eyes watching him.

It took him a minute to feel another hand on his shoulder. Sighing in defeat, he gave the beautiful Celestine one more look, before passing off her body to his fellow friend. He watched her be carried off and down the road for what seemed to be years.

Biting the edge of his lip, Lafayette could feel tears begin to trickle down his cheeks. He also felt the stares following him when he took a step forward. Raising his head, taking a sweep around the area, he muttered something and trudged off down the street.

And as he walked along, the rain began to pour and drown away his tears. Gilbert smiled to himself, letting his body become soaked underneath the sky. He knew a little fall of rain couldn't hurt that much.

. . . . . . . . . .
A/N: Thank you MichaelaTheWordsmith for the request! It was a pleasure writing this character again, as Celestine was one of the first OC's in this book! And using the song A Little Fall Of Rain from Les Misérables to cover the plot was wonderful as well.

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