Ok so… here's where flashbacks begin.

Italics= flashback sequence

Normal= present day

1812 Carcassonne, Languedoc Roussillon, France:

"Maman?" A young child called from the next room.

"Oui chéri?" The mother replied from her spot on the front porch. She silently rocked back and forth and the suspended swing with her favorite book folded up on her lap, her finger inside the pages to keep her place. She ran her other hand along her dress to smooth out wrinkles.

The young child appeared in the threshold. Her bright blue eyes shone in the summer light and her chestnut brown hair almost matched the wood of the house, "Will father be home soon, mama?"

The mother's hand instinctively flew to the necklace around her neck. A silver wing hung down. She smiled lovingly at her daughter, "He did say he would be late tonight, did he not?"

The small girl sighed, looking sad, "I suppose."

The smile did not change on the mother's face— Vesper's face— as she hopped down from her swing perch and knelt in front of her child. She placed two firm hands on her daughter's shoulders, "Listen to me, Cosette. Your father loves you. He will return soon. In the mean time, why don't the two of us go for a walk?"

"Can we go to Paris and visit Papa?"

Vesper let out a gentle laugh, "I'm afraid not, chéri. Paris is too far away from here. By the time our carriage arrived in Paris, Papa will have already returned and wondered where we went off to!"

The child, Cosette, giggled, "I don't want Papa to worry!"

Vesper pinched the child's nose, "That's my girl. Want to see if Papa sent us a letter?"

"At the Post Office?"

She nodded.

"I'll get my hat!" The little energetic little girl darted off into the confines of the country house, her little boots clattering on the wood floors as she ran up the stairs, almost tripping over her petticoat.

Vesper strode into the large master bedroom. She sat herself down on her four post bed and sorted through today's plans. She would take Cosette to the Post Office, drop her off at the factory with her aunt for a few hours, and meet with the mysterious man from her previous letter.

With her heart pounding in her ears, she reached forward and opened the nightstand drawer, pulling out the parchment letter stowed away in the back. Undoing the seal a second time she unfolded the note.

You have been chosen.

47 Rue d'or, Carcassone.

5:00PM

Come Alone. For the sake of your daughter.

This was all the note had said. The last sentence was enough to bring tears to the surface of Vesper's lonely dark eyes.

She heard Cosette come clunking down the steps again and she quickly stuffed the letter into her coat pocket and wiped her eyes just as the bright disposition of her daughter appeared in the doorway.

"Mama, let's go! Allons-y!" She insisted pulled on her mother's hand.

Smiling she stood, being sure to lock the door on her way out. Her carriage was quickly ready and soon the two of them rode swiftly away from their farmhouse and towards the center of town. Closer to 47 Rue d'or. The Street of Gold. Where her encounter with who knows what would decide her daughter's fate.

Present Day

Ulquiorra was wary as he guided the vampire around Las Noches. Her empty expression never faltered, even as they talked, which wasn't often considering they were both pretty silent.

"Who are they?" Ulquiorra asked suddenly.

Vesper glanced at him, "Who?"

"There are names on your necklace. Cosette and Jude. Who are they?"

The cold vampire ran her pale fingers over the small engraved words on the wing necklace, "My family."

"Where are they now?"

She hesitated and he was surprised to see that she had stopped walking, "Somewhere where I wish I could follow." Her hands trembled slightly.

1812

"Mama, look!" Young Cosette fidgeted on the sidewalk, examining a fruit stand which carried her favorite peaches.

Vesper nodded and paid the merchant some francs for a peach.

"Mama, doesn't aunt Emilie live close to here?"

"You have a good memory, chéri, indeed she lives close to here. Why don't we pay her a visit?"

"Alright."

Hand in hand the mother and child navigated the streets until they came to a small, old, Victorian style house. After depositing Cosette with her sister-in-law, she promised to return, she set off towards the Street of Gold, quickly pushing her way through the crowds who filed on around her. The clock stroke 5 as she arrived on the dot to her destination. What was strange to her was that the street ended on house number 46. As hard as she looked there was no 47. Clenching her fists in fear and agony she turned to leave when footsteps echoed off the empty cobblestone streets.

Vesper turned sharply, "Excuse me, Monsieur, but do you know where 47 Rue d'or is?"

"Sorry, mademoiselle," The accent was unplaceable. But it wasn't the usual fluent French she was used to hearing.

"I was supposed to meet someone here."

"I know."

Vesper was suddenly running on adrenaline. Her surroundings became clearer and sounds became louder. The man in front of her was dressed in white with slicked brunette hair. He was taller than she was, but not my much. His clothing was unusual for France, or this time period for that matter.

"So it was you then? What do you want?" She demanded.

"Don't rush." His French was particularly good, but heavily accented with something else, "Let's sit. Have some tea and talk. You people like to do that, don't you?"

"Don't waste my time. I have to—" She was interrupted.

"You have to pick up your daughter at your relatives house, I know."

"You leave her alone!"

"Or what?" He grinned.

"Who are you," She took a step back.

He bowed deeply, "My dear lady Vesper, you may just simply call me Aizen."

It wasn't French. "How do you know my name?"

"I know all about you. Your childhood, your husband, Jude, your daughter, Cosette. Such a pretty little thing."

"Leave her alone!" She warned him again.

"What will you give me in return?"

She paused, "You want a ransom for someone you haven't even kidnapped yet?"

"Oh no. I'm not interested in her. Just you." He replied.

"Me?"

Aizen nodded.

"What can I offer?"

"Your services. I need you to help me in my mission. Join me."

"You're crazy."

"What if I'm not? I can bring peace to your life. Make Cosette live a happy life as she grows up."

Vesper leaned against a street post, pondering. Her Cosette would be set for life. She would be happy. What more could a mother ask for.

"Alright. Fine. What do I need to do?"

"Nothing at the moment. We'll come for you soon." And with a mocking bow, he was gone.

_________

Aizen appeared at Vesper's empty house. He knew Jude would be returning and would have picked up Cosette from her aunt's house and taken her home with him. He turned to his assistants Gin and Tousen. He ran a hand over his neck and said, "Kill them both. Burn the evidence. Do it before she gets home." And he vanished again.

__________

Vesper stared at the spot where he was, before picking up her skirt and dashing through the lazy streets and toward her daughter.

She knocked on the door and her sister-in-law answered and explained that Vesper's husband had returned and stopped for a visit only to find Cosette there. He decided to take her home with him.

Relieved that Jude had a watchful eye over Cosette, Vesper returned to her carriage and drove home. A few miles from her home she smelt smoke. She was far out of the city to be near a factory and the closest home was her own.

Panicked she unhitched the horse from the cart and galloped the beast as fast as it would go down the beaten path.

She arrived too late. Her house was up in the flames. Jude's carriage was parked in front and the door was wide open.

"Cosette!!" She cried. She hurried to the front door but a burnt beam fell in her path. Blocking her eyes she screamed uselessly for help.

It was a good half hour before fire carriages began to arrive but by then the house was burnt to the ground. The firemen found remnants of Jude's jumper and Cosette's hair ribbon. But nothing else. They apologized for not being there sooner and expressed their condolences. Vesper simply shouted at them to leave her in peace. Her tears flowed heavily down her face, as they hit the ash at her feet they dried and turned to steam.

Later that night, her expression grew grave and her dark eyes became expressionless. She stared at the two graves she had dug by hand and buried all their belongings. Wandering the ruins of her house, her life, and her deceased family, she suddenly stopped and dropped to the ground in great uncontrollable sobs. Her river of sorrow washed ashes away to uncover a piece of parchment that wasn't burned in the wreckage. Stilly crying, she read the note. It was the same handwriting as the letter she previously received:

Vesper,

Your loss of Cosette and your husband is devastating. But sacrifices much be made for this cause. I told you Cosette would live a better life. But I never said where, now did I? You'll come to see this is for the best. We will come to get you at dawn. Be ready with whatever it is you have left. You most likely won't be coming back. You'll soon forget all you've experienced. There's someone who can help you. The pain will vanish over time. Trust me, when you're through here, you'll have a lot of time.

Aizen

Finding it hard to breathe, Vesper clutched her necklace that dangled around her neck. Ripping off the chain she grabbed the nearest sharp object she could find and carved her daughter's name on one side of the wing and her husband's name on the other side.

With a cold, lifeless glint in her eyes, she chuckled dryly, "No one is forgetting anything."

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