Based mostly on the book... but I was visualizing the 98 movie guys, so it goes here.

This takes place once Valjean takes Javert into the alley supposedly to shoot him. Not that I didn’t like Hugo's "You annoy me. Kill me rather" line, but I feel like they could have said a little more to each other.

"You are free."

A long moment later the inspector produced: "I beg your pardon?"

"I said you are free."

"No." Javert took the unusual step of speaking faster than he could think. "You'd set me free? Alive? No you wouldn't. Of course you wouldn't. And anyway I refuse. I won't take your charity - you know what I think of it." In hindsight Valjean’s pronouncement was entirely predictable. Here was a man who had risked his own life crawling under a cart to save a peasant… had Javert really imagined him one to kill in cold blood and delight in it? I want to blow his brains out myself… Pigs should fly! Javert cursed himself for his stupidity.

"Go, Javert."

"No."

Valjean signed. "I'm not going to execute you. Do what you like, arrest me if you must, but I will see you leave this barricade alive."

Arrest me if you must? Javert shuddered. If that wasn’t turning the other cheek he didn’t know what was, but the thought of a just comparison between a convict and- "Do it, Valjean, I demand it!" Valjean had infected him with his backwards thinking, and he needed these thoughts shot out of his head as quickly as possible. "If you don’t, I'll... I'll return with you to the barricade, and demand it from one of the others. They will be happy to oblige, I think," he added with a twist to his mouth.

Valjean swore viciously and took him by the shoulders. "You will do no such thing! You're going to live to see dawn, if I have to beat you unconscious and carry you away myself. Javert," he added more quietly, stepping back to give him space, "Forget everything that's happened between us; I forgive you all of it. Listen... you never tire of reminding me of the debt I owe the law... Why do you object to my taking some step towards repaying it?"

"I object because you have me at knifepoint, my life is forfeit, you promised the schoolboys you would take it!" Javert found himself panicking, caught between two very unattractive alternatives: he could allow the transaction to proceed according to Valjean's wishes, helping a convict confuse himself with Christ and escape justice in the process; or he could plead abjectly for his own death.

After a few brief and bitter moments, Javert chose the latter. "Please," he began. "Me, a knife, and no fear of reprisals... You've dreamed of this, don't deny it, I know you have. Besides, it’s self-preservation; I'm a danger to you and to save yourself you must kill me. You can’t possibly mean not to do it. Valjean." When Valjean didn’t move he added, without lowering his eyes, "I am begging you."

"Don’t beg," Valjean answered at once, "It doesn’t suit you. You’ve been right about a great many things, Javert, but you are wrong about me. I can learn to accept the one if you can learn to accept the other." He could see at once that Javert would not be so easily persuaded, so he closed the distance between them and took the inspector's hands. They were cold. "Come with me. I will take you away from here, someplace safe, and we'll talk."

"Leave?" Confusion piled upon confusion. "But what of your revolution?"

"My…? Oh, no, I’m afraid I don't care at all for the revolution," Valjean explained. "One of the boys is a friend of my daughter’s, and I am here only for his sake. I promised to look after him for her."

"Him, then. You can't leave him. Kill me and go back."

"In this case I think my first duty is to you. If you will allow me a few moments to fetch the boy I would be grateful, but if not, dying on the barricades is his prerogative and I’m sure Cosette will recover from the heartache eventually."

"I'll allow you to put a pistol in my mouth the way you're supposed to," Javert snarled desperately.

Valjean shook his head. "Stay here. I’ll send the boy off and then we’ll go together to my house... or to the police station if you really think it necessary." He paused and added with perfect and touching earnestness: "I'll obey you, whatever you decide, so please reflect carefully."

He left and Javert felt a perverse impulse to not reflect carefully, just to spite him.

The End.

Yeah, this sort of came out of nowhere. Whad you think?

The one I've got in my head next is a long Javert/Cosette not-really-romance, that would take place after my story You at the Barricade (the one where Valjean dies). I think Javert and Cosette are both very lost, very warped people and it would be interesting to see how they get along in a post-Valjean world. Does that sound interesting? Let me know!