A/N: Hey guys! Well, I guess I should have given it some sort of warning, but this is the last chapter. Thanks to everyone who read this! It has been fun, but now, I am glad to present Chapter 11: Do You Hear the People Sing?

Skipper sat in a chair in the middle of the stage. A spotlight shone onto him. Fake gray was in his feathers to show the aging of his life on the stage. "Alone, I wait in the shadows. I count the hours 'til I can sleep. I dreamed a dream. Cosette stood by; it made her weep to know I died." He sighed. His shoulders heaved. He remembered everything Private now knew about him. As soon as they were back in New York, Skipper told Private and Marlene everything. They were still the only two to know, but he knew there were some people that cared. "Alone at the end of the day upon this wedding night I pray, take these children my lord to thy embrace and show them grace." The music paused, and Skipper was no longer having memories. He was in the moment, knowing that life was good for him, at least for tonight. "God on high, hear my prayer. Take me now to thy care. Where you are, let me be. Take me now; Take me there. Bring me home; bring me home."

"Monsieur I bless your life." Marlene, dressed all in white, came onstage. "Monsieur, lay down your burden." Marlene knew that Skipper had done as much as he could by telling her his whole story. It didn't change the danger he was in. It did change the danger she was in. Still, he knew she was there for him, and she knew he loved her. "You raised my child in love, and now you'll be with God."

Emerald and Private ran onstage. Skipper tried to act like he was happy to see Emerald, but Private kept being the true focus of his attention. It wasn't until Emerald started singing that he could focus on her. "Papa, Papa, I do not understand. Are you alright? They said you'd gone away."

"Cosette, my child, am I forgiven now?" Skipper looked like he was asking that of Emerald, but Private knew he may as well be asking him. Knowing so, he couldn't help but give a small nod. "Thank God, I lived to see this day." While the line was written to be the day of the wedding, everyone onstage knew Skipper was singing it about Private finding love.

Private placed a flipper gently on Skipper's shoulder, as if not to hurt him. "It is you who must forgive a thoughtless fool. It is you who must forgive a thankless man. It's thanks to you that I am living, and again I lay down my life at your feet. Cosette, your father is a saint. When they wounded me, he took me from the barricade, carried like a babe, and brought me home to you." Private remembered Skipper telling him about the night Skipper's commanding officer, Private's father, died, and how Skipper's final promise to him was that he would raise Private.

"Now you are here again beside me. Now I can die in peace, for now my life is blessed." Tears were brought to everyone's eyes at the thought of Skipper actually dying.

It was a good thing Emerald had the next line, because everyone onstage was so close to crying that she was the only one able to. "You will live; Papa you're going to live. It's too soon, too soon to say good-bye."

With a small laugh, Skipper answered, "Yes, Cosette, forbid me now to die." With all seriousness, he sang, "I'll obey; I will try." He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "On this page, I write my last confession. Read it well when I, at last, am sleeping. It's the story of those who always loved you. Your mother gave her life for you then gave you to my keeping."

Kowalski, dressed in a white military uniform, Maurice in a pure white priest's robe, and Emma in white street clothes joined Marlene onstage. Marlene started singing again in a voice that was pure and strong. "Come with me, where chains will never bind you; all your grief at last, at last behind you. Lord, in heaven, look down on him with mercy."

Skipper looked straight into the spotlight. "Forgive me all my trespasses, and take me to your glory."

Maurice, Kowalski, Emma, and Marlene started singing together, "Take my hand, I'll lead you to salvation. Take my love, for love is everlasting." Private and Emerald held each other, and Skipper joined the singing.

"And remember the truth that once was spoken: To Love Another Person is to See the Face of God."

The rest of the cast slowly filled the stage. "Do you hear the people sing, lost in the valley of the night? It is the music of a people who are climbing to the light. For the wretched of the earth, there is a flame that never dies. Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise." To Skipper's left was Maurice then Emma. To his right, Marlene and Kowalski. He watched Private comfort Emerald in a way he knew he actually would if Emerald was in that much pain. "They will live again in freedom in the garden of the Lord. They will walk behind the plough-share; they will put away the sword. The chain will be broken and all men will have their reward!" As a chain was made of the main cast holding flippers and hands, Skipper remembered that Denmark was eighteen years ago. "Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me? Somewhere beyond the barricade is there a world you long to see? Do you hear the people sing? Say, do you hear the distant drums? It is the future that they bring when tomorrow comes!"

Skipper couldn't help but look around at everyone who mattered to him now: his team, Marlene, Private, and even the lemurs in their own strange way. Private turned so the back of his head was to the audience and gave a smile to Skipper. He then stood up and led Emerald to one side of the stage. About that time, Julien and the girl playing Madame Thénardier came onto the other side of the stage. By now the whole cast was singing, "Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me? Somewhere beyond the barricade is there a world you long to see? Do you hear the people sing? Say, do you hear the distant drums? It is the future that they bring when tomorrow comes!"

Skipper looked around at everyone, knowing Denmark was long ago and he was now surrounded by people he could trust as he sang along with the whole zoo as if to the whole world, "Tomorrow Comes!"