A/N: Here we are – another installment since people seem to be enjoying this fic. I still say there are better things out there but as long as you're having fun I'll update. We might actually be quite near the end. Can't be sure exactly how near in terms of chapters but quite.

6.

Love, part 1

"How long do you plan on continuing this?"

Nicolas turned in his chair to look at a mildly exasperated Adrien Enjolras leaning on the railing of the stairs.

"Until it works or I lose hope that it will." He threw the small wooden ball he had been holding. It hit the door in front of him with a resounding bang and rolled back to his feet. Nicolas bent down and picked it up again.

"For God's sake, man! I don't know about her but you'll drive me crazy. You have been doing this for twenty minutes. Aren't even you irritated by now?"

Nicolas shrugged. "You're about to leave for work so you'll stop hearing it. And I don't get easily irritated."

"No arguing with that or you would not be so in love with the little devil," Adrien muttered.

Nicolas tilted his head and smiled. "You like her too."

"As much as I like any child. Not enough to sit in the hallway in the draft and throw a ball at her door all morning in the hopes that she will eventually be frustrated enough to come out. You could just wait for her to get hungry enough. I'm sure she's not stubborn enough o starve herself."

"That's cheating. And I wouldn't count on it."

Adrien raised an eyebrow and shook his head. "You are both insane. I don't understand why she is angry at you or why you are so upset by it or why on earth you have to try to get her attention as if you were her age."

Nicolas gave him an amused look. "Perhaps I am. Listen. We hurt her. Perhaps not on purpose but we did. What child wants to be constantly moved around against her will, never knowing where she will end up next, only relying on what little charity people have to give for a limited amount of time?"

"She is back here, is she not? We did as she wanted and look how she is thanking us."

Nicolas shook his head. "You did as she wanted but only after she cried and insisted and no one wants to feel like they have gotten a place in someone's home by bargaining and making a fuss. She is convinced you don't want her at all. As for me – she will not forgive me easily for not taking a stand for her. She is testing us. She has no reason yet to be good to us. She is, like every other person, looking for love and you know what love involves. It means showing interest, not just leaving things the way they are. Not taking the easy way. Right now, at this moment, she needs to be taken seriously. Waving her anger off as some childish display and waiting until it passes is not going to do."

"I don't see that you did anything wrong."

"I did. I did something you always berate me for. I didn't make up my own mind. And aren't you two so much alike? Nothing angers you more than when I display lack of character. Go on now, you'll be late. Let us children sort ourselves out."

Adrien crossed over. "I have to get you back downstairs first. Simon isn't here yet." He made to take hold of the handles of the wheelchair but Nicolas caught his hand and kissed it.

"Simon can do that when he shows up. Isn't that why you hired him? To carry me up and down stairs and bring tea? And you keep trying to usurp his job. Let me be horribly annoying for a while more. It did eventually work on you."

"No, it didn't. You being brilliant and right did."

"Well… You were not nine."

Adrien snorted. "So you are telling me poor Simon will have to listen to a ball hit a door at regular intervals until he can't stand it anymore and he comes and punches you. And I won't blame him at all. In fact, I should give him the day off and let you stay up here until I come home."

"Brilliant! How hasn't it occurred to you earlier? If you had done that, the whole plan with having us sleep on the second floor to make me want to walk may have worked. But when the problem of movement between floors is easily overcome by me calling a servant…"

Adrien swatted him. "The day I see you climb down these stairs on your own will be one of the happiest in my life but despite what you say, I am not quite prepared to resort to torture to achieve my ends. Unlike you, evidently." He gestured at the ball. "But I don't know why Simon is late today or when he will come. Suppose something has happened and he doesn't?"

"Then I will ask Rorette to fetch me food and if she doesn't, I will tragically starve to death. Come now. I'm sure Simon will be here any minute. I am a grown man, or at least about twe thirds of one. I can survive for a bit on my own."

Adrien sighed. "Very well then. Have fun, you and your door. I'll see you tonight."

After the front door had closed after him, Nicolas threw the ball again. It had started chipping at the paint a little. This time, after a pause, the door opened a crack and a scowling little face showed up, framed by brown hair. Nicolas beamed.

"Ah, good morning, mademoiselle! I see you have at least decided to get out of your sleeping gown."

Eugenie glared. "Stop banging on the door."

"Go have breakfast."

"I don't want to."

"Yes, you do. You skipped dinner yesterday too because you wanted to pout. Why did you come back here if you plan on being like this?"

"I wouldn't have been like this if you hadn't been so happy to see me back."

"You honestly wanted me to be unhappy that you did not leave?"

"Why did you agree to let me leave?"

Nicolas sighed. "I thought it was for the best."

"For whom?"

"For everyone. For you."

"Then coming back is not for the best which means you're happy for something which isn't good for me! It has nothing to do with me, does it? You're just happy with whatever he says!"

"Eugenie… I understand why you are angry. But I am certainly not happy with whatever Adrien says. If you don't believe me, just ask him. I put a lot of value in what he says because he is a smart, reasonable man who can usually tell what the right thing is better than I can. I trust his judgment, that doesn't mean I am always happy with it. I was not happy to see you go but I was happy when he changed his mind about that. I am sorry I did not figure out on my own that would feel better here than with his parents, despite the fact that there is no woman here who could be a mother to you and both him and I are rather peculiar men not particularly suited to raising a little girl. I understand now that we should have tried harder before deciding we knew better than you did. Now if you want to stay here in the long run you could try to be a little more agreeable."

"I'm never agreeable! That's why my aunt and uncle wanted to get rid of me. And then you. There's no point! You'll let me stay for a while and then say that 'it isn't working' and 'you can't provide the care I need' and 'I would really be happier somewhere else'. And then you'll send me away just like they did. I don't want to go live with my cousin's parents and I don't want to live with you! I don't want to live with any stupid people anymore! I'll live on my own on the street and become a pickpocket!"

Nicolas had started chuckling at the idea when the door opened fully and Eugenie came out, dragging her travel bag with her. His eyebrows shot up as she quickly stomped past him.

"Where do you think you're going, young lady?"

"Wherever I pick this time and you don't get a say in it!"

He realized if he didn't stop her now she could easily get out on the street and get herself in trouble. He rolled after her and grabbed her hand just as she reached the edge of the stairs. That was a mistake. She tried to pull free and he moved instinctively, his second hand leaving the wheel it had been holding. The wheelchair tipped over the edge.