Started this a while ago, finally got around to finishing it.

Safe Haven readers – I'm almost done with the next chapter, it's taken longer than I expected due to a tumblr thing.


"Jesse." He turned to her at the sound of her unamused tone, a wide grin on his face. "Why are they singing?"

"It's a musical." He announced proudly. "And you're going to love it."

He had been prepared for her reluctance when she discovered just what it was he had put on, but was surprised when she scowled and turned back to the screen, taking in the picture, her arms crossed across her chest. "This is very dramatic."

"They're prisoners." He explained. "This guy's about to be released."

"So he's singing instead of leaving?"

"It's a musical."

"I don't understand musicals." He laughed watching as she fell into silence, only to speak up again minutes later. "This guy was in prison for stealing and now he's stealing again?"

"He won't go to prison for it again."

"So there's no justice?"

"Sending him to prison wouldn't be justice."

"He broke the law, that's how justice works."

"There were mitigating circumstances, and he was in prison for too long."

"So that means he's allowed to break the law?" Beca sounded doubtful. "That is one messed up legal system."

"He doesn't go back to prison because he disappears. He hides. He wants to be a better man."

"So this is a movie about a fugitive." She pondered. "It would be better without the singing."

Her focus returned to the screen as a factory setting replaced the current one. A group of women singing.

At the end of the day you're another day older...

"Well this is an uplifting song."

He managed to stop himself from laughing, but noticed that it hadn't taken her long to become focused on the movie.

"So now they're stealing people's mail? Is this thing full of criminals that never face justice?"

He continued to watch her, taking in her expressions.

"Wait?!" Beca exclaimed minutes later. "Is she a prostitute now?" She turned to him. "Fantine's a prostitute?"

He nodded. "She's willing to do whatever it takes to support her child."

She grimaced, but her focus returned to the movie, watching quietly as Fantine was hospitalised, only briefly expressing her outrage at another man being arrested in Valjean's place.

Jesse had almost laughed at the smug satisfaction that had passed in her expression when the man admits the truth before returning to the hospital to Fantine.

"Why is he obsessed with this chick?"

"He feels responsible."

"How's he going to take care of her kid from jail?"

"He doesn't go to jail."

"He escapes again?!"

He laughed as she watched as it happened. "You know, you're meant to be on his side."

The scene changes again, and he watches her eyes soften at the little girl on screen. "Is this her kid?"

He nodded. "Cosette."

"She does know that having a castle on a cloud isn't a viable plan, right?"

"It's not real, it's her dream."

"Sounds like the kind of dream you'd have." She paused. "Wait, now what's going on? What are they doing?"

"Stealing from their customers."

"More criminals!" Beca exclaimed. "Is there anybody in this movie that isn't a criminal?" Another pause. "Wait, where did the little girl go?"

"She's been sent out to the woods."

She turned back to the screen, her eyes widening. "Jesse, there's another kid there."

"Eponine."

"It looks like she's in the sort of place she'd be turned into a human sacrifice. No wonder the other kid left."

He laughed, amused by the interest she was unintentionally showing. "Look, there's Cosette."

Her attention returned to the screen once again as Valjean approached Cosette, returning to the inn with her and paying off her mother's debts. Jesse spent most of the time watching her, loving the sight of her immersed in the story.

"Jesse." She stated as Valjean left with the young Cosette. "He just brought a child. Is there no end to his crimes?"

"Finally." Beca exaggerated when Jesse returned with a fresh bowl of popcorn, hitting play on the movie after a brief pause. Her eyes returned to the screen. "Who's that?"

"Marius." Jesse answered. "This is the beginning of the revolution stuff."

"And the woman hanging around him?"

"Eponine."

"Eponine is a kid."

"There was a nine year time jump."

Beca's eyes narrowed, but she accepted the explanation. "Why is she there now?"

"Her family lost their money."

The movie moved onto an older Valjean, helping the poor with Cosette, now a young woman, Marius catching sight of her. Once again she stays silent, watching until Marius asks Eponine to find Cosette for him before speaking again.

"This can't be for real." She complained. "He's seriously going after a girl he has literally only just become aware of the existence of? That's a thing that's happening?"

"He loves her."

"He can't love her, he doesn't know her."

"It was love at first sight."

"That is so dumb." She evaluated, turning back to the screen. "Wait, she's actually going to find this girl for him? This isn't creepy at all." A pause. "Wow, it took her so long to track her down, she must be exhausted, tracking this girl to literally two seconds to whatever direction it was." Another pause. "These strangers are seriously singing about being in love, this is dumb."

"You amuse me."

"I'm glad you find my outrage amusing." She shot at him, her eyes returning to the screen. "Eponine's a better singer."

"I'm not sure why that matters..."

"It doesn't, she just is." Beca insisted. "Wait, why is she screaming?"

"To warn them."

"Why?"

"So Valjean doesn't get captured."

"Why does she care what happens to him?"

"I..." Jesse paused, realising that that point was never really made clear. "I guess because she loves Marius and wants to help him by helping Cosette."

"Dumb." Beca repeated. "Wait, she's leaving him a letter? They were literally just talking."

"He left before she could tell him she was leaving."

"Probably for the best."

"They're in love, Beca."

"They don't know each other, Jesse."

"Are you telling me you wouldn't leave me a letter if you had to unexpectedly leave?"

"That's different, I actually know you." She smirked. "Now be quiet, we're missing the movie."

"You're so into this."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are. You love this movie.

"I love criticising it."

He laughed, shaking his head as he lost her attention again.

"So they're all going to fight?"

"The revolution."

"Eponine is going too? Knew I liked her. So badass."

"A lot of it is because she wants to be near Marius."

"Don't take this away from me." She shot him a stern look. "Did they seriously just interrupt a funeral?"

"They're revolting."

"They are. Interrupting a funeral is revolting."

"Not what I meant."

"I know what you meant." She shrugged. "That kid just uncovered a spy, that kid will save them all, I bet I'm right." She frowned when Jesse didn't answer. "Is Eponine seriously confessing her love for someone while she's dying? I mean, she could go to a hospital or something, that would be more productive."

"You know, you don't seem to be much of a romantic when it comes to movies."

"I'm not one at all."

"Bec, it's me you're talking to. Your boyfriend. I know you're a romantic at heart."

"No one will believe you." She decided. "So the little boy has given this guy a letter and now he's completely changing his plans to flee so that he can go and risk his life to save the guy that the blonde girl has known for like, ten minutes? Wait, now they've handed their prisoner over to him? …. And he's releasing the guy!"

"For someone that isn't into it, you sure care a lot."

"Shut up... This isn't much of a revolution." Her face scrunched up as she concentrated, and Jesse was glad he was watching her closely enough to notice that concentration turn to shock. "They're all dead?! Oh, of course that guy isn't dead, he's got to go back to the girl he's only just met."

"You really don't like the idea of them being together, do you?"

"I don't like the idea of any strangers deciding they're in love." Beca shrugged. "This is really not the best time for that dude to make another arrest attempt." She paused. "And they've just got past him again... Wait... now what's he doing? Jesse..." She reached for his hand, and he willingly took it. "He just jumped! That guy just killed himself!"

"He's conflicted. He couldn't deal with it."

"Well now he definitely can't, he's dead!" She exclaimed, her eyes still on the screen. "And this guy and his stranger girlfriend are back. He recovered quickly." She barely registered his laugh. "Wait, so now her dad is abandoning her with the random stranger boyfriend?... And now they're getting married? This is escalating really quickly Jesse. Nothing is this fast."

"It wasn't fast, time has passed."

"Then they should have been clearer on that." Beca claimed. "Wait, he didn't know who saved his life? How could he not know? I mean, it's great he's going to find him, but it's dumb he doesn't know."

"He was unconscious."

"Who else did he think it was?"

"He probably didn't think about it."

"What an asshole." She evaluated. "It's ridiculous that they're still singing, even though he's dying, and what's Fantine doing there? She's already dead. She came back to see this guy die?" She paused once again, and her focus temporarily returned. "That is a lot of dead people. Dead people singing. Is that what you like about this?"

Jesse laughed, closing the window as the movie finished, taking the DVD out of his laptop. "It's a great story."

"They lost! In good stories, the good guys do not lose, they don't all die. I demand a rewrite!"

"That would completely change the meaning."

"I don't care." She insisted. "I want an ending where all the bad guys die. Slowly. Painfully. Including the thief, he never was punished for repeating that offence..."