Juliet's eyes sprung open and she inhaled sharply as air flew back into her lungs. She started letting out some harsh coughs in between deep gasps.

"Juliet! Here!" She felt a spoon filled with water on touch her lips. She let the cool liquid rush down her sore throat and began to relax and breathe normally.

"You did it," she said softly, touching his face. She quickly sat up. "Where's Esmeralda?"

He opened the door to where Esmeralda lay unconscious. She ran to her and touched her silent, frozen face. They both turned as commotion was heard from the soldiers trying to break in to the cathedral.

"Go!" she told Quasimodo. "I'll watch over her!" He ran out of the room and she could hear shouts from the soldiers and the sound of wood breaking and metal against metal. She kneeled down next to Esmeralda and touched her hand and gently squeezed it. Something wasn't right… She slowly put her hand above her nose and mouth but could not feel any air. She stood up as her mouth dropped open and a tear slipped down her cheek. Frollo had succeeded after all.

The door banged open as Quasimodo shouted, "We've done it, Esmeralda! We've beaten them back! Come and see!" When he got no response, he turned back around. "Esmeralda?"

Juliet looked at him and shook her head as more tears spilled down her face.

"Esmeralda? Wake up. You're safe now."

He's denying it, she thought.

"Esmeralda? Oh, no," he said quietly, finally realizing the situation. He took a spoonful of water and brought it to her.

"Quasimodo," Juliet said quietly. He put the water to her lips, but it just spilled past her mouth.

He dropped the spoon to the floor. "Oh, no!" He took her hand in his and began to weep. He held her in his arms and sobbed over her body. Juliet started sobbing right along with him as she leaned her forehead on the wall and rested her fists on it. Her best friend was now dead.

She heard the door open and saw Frollo, but didn't turn around. She was too upset to even care that the man she hated was right in front of her, probably ready to kill her. But he didn't come over to her. He went straight to Quasimodo.

"You killed her!" Quasimodo said through his tears.

"It was my duty. Horrible as it was. I hope you can forgive me." Juliet wanted to strangle him, but she couldn't make herself move. It seemed like the grief was tied to her feet and shoulders, making her whole body heavy. "There, there, Quasimodo. I know it hurts." Juliet knit her eyebrows, confused by his words, and slowly began to turn. "But now, the time has come to end your suffering forever."

Juliet saw the dagger raised high about to strike. "Quasimodo, watch out!" she screamed.

He turned around and held the dagger away from his face. It looked like Frollo was going to succeed again, but a change came over Quasimodo and he threw Frollo against the wall and took the dagger from him.

"Now, now, listen to me, Quasimodo," he pleaded. Ah, so he was only powerful when he had the upper hand. Well, now that the tables have turned, he was begging for HIS life!

"No, you listen!" Quasimodo screamed as he threw the dagger away. Juliet was shocked. She had only heard him raise his voice once, and he always seemed so timid and shy around Frollo. This was a new experience for everyone! "All my life you have told me the world is a dark, cruel place. But now, I see that the only thing dark and cruel about it is people like you!"

Juliet ran up to him and touched his shoulders again. "No! Don't be like him!"

"Quasimodo?"

All three of them turned at the sound of Esmeralda's weak voice.

"Esmeralda!" Juliet and Quasimodo said.

"They both live?!" Juliet saw Frollo start to get up and grab something, so she grabbed the dagger and aimed it at him. "Don't even think about it!" She glanced at the couple for a second, then turned back to Frollo's scared face. She continued to aim the dagger at him and she felt great knowing that this time, Frollo was scared of her. She stole another glance back to Quasimodo and Esmeralda and smiled as they shared a tight embrace. Suddenly, Juliet felt the dagger fly out of hand as her wrist was hit hard. Then she felt her arms thrust behind her and a sword pushed on her neck. Her arms felt like they were going to be ripped out of their sockets from being forced behind her four times in two nights.

"My dear Quasimodo," Frollo said. "You can't save everyone as much as you try." He started to pull her out the door to do who-knows-what.

"No!" Quasimodo yelled. He grabbed the sword and flung it away as Juliet was released from his grip. She felt her legs go weak and Quasimodo caught her in his strong arms.

"Quasimodo," she whispered.

He took her and ran out of the room and actually jumped over the balcony.

"No, he's going to get Esmeralda!" she said quietly.

"Shh…"

"We have to go back!"

Then she saw Frollo peer over the edge. "Leaving so soon?" he laughed. He swung the retrieved sword at them, but Quasimodo managed to avoid it.

"Hang on!" he shouted at her. She clung to his neck as he hopped from stone to stone, dodging all of Frollo's blows. He landed on a gargoyle and pushed Juliet up over the balcony. Frollo took another swing, but Juliet fell on the ground just in time. She winced from the pain in her side when she hit the hard floor. Quasimodo stood up on the gargoyle.

"I should have known you'd risk your life to save those witches. Just as your own mother died trying to save you."

Juliet's mouth popped open. All this time, Quasimodo thought his mother never loved him, but now he learned that she had actually tried to save him…from Frollo?

"What?" Quasimodo asked in disbelief.

"Now I'm going to do what I should have done…twenty years ago!" Frollo flung his cape over Quasimodo's head and he struggled for a little while before falling from the gargoyle.

"NO!" Juliet screamed weakly. Quasimodo held onto Frollo's robe and he toppled over the edge as well. Quasimodo clutched dearly onto the balcony and the cape Frollo was now hanging from. Esmeralda appeared from the room and ran over to Quasimodo and tried to hang onto his hand to keep him from falling. Juliet tried to get up, but her brain was swimming and she couldn't even see straight.

"Hold on! Hold on!" Esmeralda gasped.

Juliet heard Frollo laughing wickedly and saw him stand up on top of one of the stone gargoyle heads, sword raised. "And He shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit!" he laughed. Juliet saw him fall onto the gargoyle and managed to get up and run over to the balcony. He looked at the gargoyle's face and screamed as if it was attacking him. The gargoyle broke off and took Frollo with it. Juliet turned away as he hit the ground.

"Quasimodo! Quasi!" Esmeralda screamed. Juliet ran over to her just in time to see him fall from her grip. "NO!"

"QUASIMODO!" Juliet screamed at the same time. Then they saw that someone had caught him and he was no longer falling!

"Come on!" Esmeralda cried, running down to the stairs. The two ran into the room and saw Quasimodo hugging Phoebus and they smiled. They ran up to him and hugged him tightly, silently thanking him for saving their lives once again. Quasimodo took Esmeralda's hand and put it in Phoebus's. Juliet smiled as he finally accepted them as a couple. The couple looked at each other and shared a passionate kiss.

Phoebus led Esmeralda outside to a cheering crowd. Esmeralda went back in and reached for Quasimodo's hand. He gingerly took it and Juliet helped him out the door. He covered his face at the bright sun that stung his eyes. Juliet tenderly touched his back and took his hand. The crowd fell silent at the sight of him. Then a little girl emerged. She paused at the bottom of the steps, so Juliet extended her hand to her. The girl took it and went up to Quasimodo. She lightly touched his face, and though Quasimodo was surprised at first and jumped at her touch, they were soon hugging. The little girl took his hand and led him down the steps.

Juliet laughed, so happy that they were now accepting him into the city!

"Three cheers for Quasimodo!" She looked up and saw the colorful man cheering from a pole. Quasimodo got to the bottom of the steps and he swept Juliet up into his arms. She giggled and pressed her lips against his. She felt him tense up at first, but then he relaxed and kissed her back. She pulled away and hugged him tightly.

So here is a riddle to guess if you can

Sing the bells of Notre Dame

What makes a monster and what makes a man?

The crowd hoisted Quasimodo and Juliet up on their shoulders as the couple continued to hold hands even in the air. She looked at the colorful man who was singing a beautiful song that was much better than the one she had heard before.

Quasimodo looked at Juliet and she looked back at him. Their eyes were full of love for one another. She knew that he finally saw himself the way she did.

Whatever their pitch

You can hear them bewitch you

The rich and the ritual knells

Of the bells of Notre Dame!