It was dark behind the barricade.

Eponine's chest ached from where she had bound her breasts, but it was easy to ignore. After all, the outfit was for the greater good. Marius's life was in danger and that was all she needed to know.

She watched him closely, though he never seemed to see her there. She kept an eye on him, hoping that he didn't do anything irrational because of his grief over Cosette moving to England.

Eponine loved Marius, but she knew of his tendency towards the dramatics.

A strangled scream came from beside her and she turned her head away from her beloved to see Joly clutching a bloodied hole in his chest. It was odd, she didn't even hear the gunshot.

"Aren't you going to help him?" A voice asked in her ear. She turned to the person and was shocked to see Enjolras standing there. He was covered in filth, which seemed incredibly unlike the usually impeccable revolutionary leader, who always looked more like a statue than a human to her.

Eponine nodded and hurried to her doctor friend, putting pressure on the wound without another thought. She had to focus. She had to do her job, complete her orders.

There was a gunshot. This time Eponine heard it. Still, she focused on Joly. This is what she was meant to do.

Suddenly, she was yanked up by her shoulders and spun towards the furious face of Enjolras. He was now drenched with water, as if he was standing in a downpour of rain that wasn't there.

"Marius is dead," he stated firmly, his crystal blue eyes glaring at her. "Why? It was supposed to be you."

Eponine opened her mouth but no sound came out. Any apology she wanted to make was drowned out as the National Guard barrelled through the barricade, guns blazing and shooting everyone in sight.

Enjolras still gripped her shoulders painfully as the National Guard shot him. "It was supposed to be you, Eponine."

"Eponine? Wake up!"

Eponine shot up quickly, narrowly missing hitting her head off Enjolras's. Her brown eyes were wild as they took in her surroundings. They finally settled on Enjolras, who was looking at her with concern.

"Are you alright?" He whispered softly, trying not to rouse the other patients any more than they needed to be. "You were shouting."

"Was I?" Eponine asked as she ran her fingers through her hair absentmindedly, combing through the knots that had formed as she tossed and turned.

Enjolras narrowed his eyes. "Yes. Quite loudly at that."

"It was just a nightmare," Eponine said softly. "You don't need to worry about me, Enjolras. I'm fine."

The first rays of dawn were drifting in through the gaps in the wood shutters the window. Enjorlas sighed. "Do you think you could open the coverings?"

Eponine nodded and let the morning light in their area, still distracted from her nightmare. It was nothing new. Since Enjolras's fevers had stopped and she had finally been able to sleep through the night, they had been coming with harsh regularity. She had tried to escape them through running errands for Enjolras in the day, but it hardly helped.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Enjolras's voice cut through Eponine's thoughts, startling her. Her nerves were still shaken from her nightmare.

Enjolras didn't sound particularly thrilled about the idea of talking to Eponine about her dreams. She understood. He still suffered from nightmares of his own, though they did not keep him up as they did Eponine. Instead, he would wake for a moment or two, regain his composure and fall back asleep.

Or at least pretend to sleep. Eponine wasn't completely sure which.

She would often ask him too if he wanted to discuss his dreams, only to be met with a harsh look and a firm "No." As such, she didn't think it fair to bother him with her own troubles.

"I'm fine, Enjolras," she assured him, trying to force a grin on her face.

"You said my name," he informed her bluntly as he ran his fingers across the cover of his book. "In your sleep, I mean. You said you were sorry."

Eponine shook her head silently. "You were there, that's all."

"What was I doing?" Enjolras pressed.

"It doesn't matter," Eponine whispered back, hating herself a little for not staying strong.

Enjolras nodded, clearly not believing her but he refused to meet her eyes. He scratched at the irritating scruff on his face. "What time are Les Amis coming to get me?"

Shrugging, Eponine picked up a book of her own. She was a horrific reader, her only practice years behind her but Enjolras didn't need to know that. She could really only make out a few words. "Combeferre said they'd be here around eight."

The two lapsed into silence for a while before Enjolras let out a sigh. "Eponine… I just wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for staying with me the past few days."

Eponine's eyes shot up. "Oh, Monsieur, you don't need to thank me. It's been my pleasure to stay here with you."

Enjolras examined her with those piercing blue eyes that made her squirm under his gaze slightly. She didn't know what it was about his stare that made her want to spill all of the secrets that she had worked for years to keep.

Perhaps the feeling was aggravated by the stress and fear that was budding up inside of her. Though the task was slightly surreal, taking care of Enjolras offered Eponine a sense of normality she never had the chance to feel.

Part of Eponine, a very selfish part, missed when Enjolras was ill. At least then, she had something to focus on. Since he became well, they spent most of their days in silence. She was desperately struggling to read the harder words in the books she fetched him most of the time, when she wasn't helping the nuns with menial nursing tasks.

Enjolras spent most of his time either trying to write inspirational messages with his left hand or snapping at anyone who happened to get too close.

They had brief conversations, mostly focusing on the future of France, but rarely ventured into the personal.

Now the day had finally come that Enjolras was officially allowed to leave the confines of the hospital and go back to his own apartment.

Enjolras was thrilled, though he barely showed any excitement, concerning the prospect of leaving. He had let out a heavy sigh when the doctor finally told him he was fit for travel a week after he had been brought in and even thanked the nuns who had helped him on the road to recovery.

Eponine, however, was less than thrilled. For her, leaving the hospital meant going back to the streets. Though the nuns often fussed over her, telling her that sleeping in a chair with her head resting on Enjolras's bed could hardly be the most comfortable sleeping situation, it was still a vast improvement over what she was used to. At least it was generally quiet in the sick bay, aside from when a patient was having a rough night, and at least there was a solid roof over her head. What more could she ask for?

"Nonetheless, you have been an incredible aid to me this last week," Enjolras reiterated. He paused and met her gaze again, holding it. "I appreciate it immensely."

Eponine couldn't help the flush that spread across her cheeks at Enjolras's words. His tone was laced with the same passion that he put into every action. It shocked Eponine, as Enjolras never seemed like the type of man to offer appreciation, though it wasn't the first time she had misjudged him. She doubted it would be the last.

It seemed as if she was doomed to be surprised by him.

Finally, Eponine smiled at him before the two lapsed into a comfortable silence.

Before long, Eponine found her thoughts turning to Marius, as they so often did, and a sharp pain coursed through her. It was becoming harder to remember the way he looked when he first moved next to her family. Every time her thoughts turned to that sweet boy, all Eponine could see was him laying in the shadow of the barricade, blood coursing out of his wound.

"Do you think that people are equal in the afterlife?" Eponine asked Enjorlas as she picked at the pieces of fuzz on his blanket.

"I think that everyone is equal in this life. They're just not treated that way." Enjolras replied solemnly.

Eponine nodded, almost unsurprised by Enjolras's answer. "I wish more people felt the way you do. Even among my own class, it is not overly common."

"They have been beaten down and oppressed, Eponine. The tyranny of the monarchy and the fear of the bourgeoisie have forced the working class to remain ignorant in a desperate attempt to stop any threat of a take over. Education is the next step in ensuring that every citizen gets an equal opportunity to gain fortune and power."

Enjolras settled his book on his good leg and levelled a firm look at Eponine. "You are an incredibly bright person, Eponine, with potential to live your life the way you want to. There are undoubtedly countless like you littered around this country and the world. It is only once all of you are given the same chance as the upper class that we can truly be a free people."

Shaking her head, Eponine leaned back in her chair. "No, Enjolras, I'm not smart at all. Not like you and Les Amis."

Sighing, Enjolras ran a finger along the embossed lettering on the spine of his book. "You are unfortunately under-educated, Eponine. Education has little to do with intelligence."

Eponine recalled similar words coming from Joly only a week ago. Perhaps they were right. Perhaps she could be smart if she only had access to education, although that dream seemed far out of her grasp.

"You're an incredibly odd man, Enjolras," Eponine stated bluntly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Enjolras didn't flinch or even look affronted, almost like he was used to hearing the accusation. "Oh really?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

"You grew up rich, right?" Eponine asked, unable to suppress her curiosity concerning the revolutionary leader anymore. Enjolras merely answered her with a single nod, his face straining slightly, as if he was ashamed of his upbringing. "Then why care what happens to the rest of us? You and the rest of Les Amis are privileged but you would throw it all away. You were willing to throw your life away. Why?"

Enjolras shifted slightly before regarding Eponine with the same intensity he had before. "First, we're not all privileged. Feuilly, for example, is," Enjolras hesitated for a moment, one hand curling in the sheet at the thought of his deceased friend. "Was an orphan of lower class parents. He worked hard for everything he earned," Enjolras explained sharply.

"Secondly, I would rather die working towards something larger than myself than enter a loveless marriage, bare spoiled brats and attend dinner parties until my final day. Les Amis agree with me," Enjolras quirked his lip slightly, his hand loosening. "It isn't about belief, Eponine. It's about humanity."

Eponine let Enjolras's words wash over her, letting them sink into her. She had never heard someone say such words, words that made her feel like she was worth something despite her horrible situation. Like she and her sister and Gavroche mattered to the world.

Suddenly, for a brief moment, Eponine wished she had listened to Enjolras's speeches instead of staring at Marius. Though Enjolras's methods were flawed, his intentions were good and perhaps that would prove to be enough.

"You are truly odd," Eponine repeated, though she couldn't keep the smile off her face.

Enjolras snorted before picking his book up again. "Perhaps one day, all of France will be as odd as me."

"I hope so," Eponine blurted out before she could suppress the words. Enjolras's eyes jolted back to her and a small smile crossed his face, but he thankfully said nothing. Enjolras turned his attention back to his book and Eponine tried to do the same.

Her reading skills were incredibly poor, due to under-education and lack of practice, but she still tried her hardest to make out the scribbles that littered the page. When that became too frustrating, Eponine decided to putter around the room, gathering the meagre belongings she had brought Enjolras from his apartment.

Eponine had made the trip to Enjolras's apartment a few more times since she first gathered his books. Since the first time Eponine ventured into the new Paris and normality was finally settling in. Merchants had opened their shops, businesses began to run and the bourgeois had finally left the safety of their homes. Though the topic came up every once in a while, the citizens largely ignored their lack of government, unable to comprehend the dramatic shift in power. Louis-Phillippe had never been a particularly well-respected King to many of the poorer citizens, so it wasn't a leap to ignore his absence as they did his leadership.

There was still the question of what to do with the former King. Many called for his execution. Those who studied the Revolution, or were old enough to remember it, were more fearful, anticipating another reign of terror.

"What do you think they're going to do with the King?" Eponine asked suddenly, causing Enjolras to slam his book shut instantly.

"I…," Enjolras began slowly, carefully choosing his words. "I think they'll probably execute him."

He stated this fact coldly, almost resigned to the fact.

"What about the rest of his family?" Eponine couldn't help but press.

Enjolras let out a heavy sigh. "Eponine, the people of France are angry. As they have every right to be," Enjolras added quickly. "I wouldn't be surprised if they demanded that the royal family pay in blood."

Eponine remained silent, causing Enjolras to examine her closely.

"It's tragic if the rest of the King's family are executed for his crimes but you have to keep an eye on the bigger picture. Overthrowing the monarchy is our best chance for equality," Enjolras continued.

Suppressing her snort of doubt, Eponine couldn't help but be reminded of how naive Enjolras could be. He was brilliant and passionate, but he had not suffered the same disappointments and hardships that many others in France had been subjugated to.

Though she was more hopeful for the future than she had been prior to the successes of the rebellion, Eponine still feared for the fate of France.

A large slam brought Eponine and Enjolras's attention to the door of the sick bay, where Courfeyrac, Combeferre and Joly burst through the door. There were broad smiles on their faces, though they were filthy. Joly was pushing an old wheelchair with him.

"What happened to you?" Eponine couldn't help but ask as she took in their frazzled appearance. The three young men had filthy faces and their clothes were in complete disarray, though that was nothing compared to their rumpled hair. Combeferre's glasses were still sitting crooked on his face.

"Slight riot in the streets," Courfeyrac shrugged, causing Combeferre to roll his eyes at his friend.

"What Courfeyrac means to say is that there has been some fighting between citizens and merchants lately," Combeferre explained, walking closer to Enjolras's bed. "The impoverished citizens don't think they should have to pay as much because of our impending equality. The merchants disagree."

Enjolras's eyebrows furrowed slightly. "That doesn't sound right," Enjolras muttered under his breath.

Courfeyrac and Combeferre exchanged a quick look.

"Anyway, that's all done with now!" Combeferre exclaimed, clapping Enjolras on his good shoulder. "We're here to get you home!"

Courfeyrac snorted and smiled down at Enjolras. "Or at least to that cave of books you happen to sleep at sometimes."

Enjolras's shot Courfeyrac an annoyed glance, though his friend's joke seemed to temporarily take his mind off of the panic in the streets.

It didn't surprise Eponine one bit that people were fighting. Of course those who were better off weren't willing to share with her class, they never had been. Even when their donations would be the only thing between living and starving to death, most merchants seemed to turn a blind eye to the plight of their fellow citizens.

Why would that change just because of the rebellion?

There was a light rapping at the door, which caused Eponine to be jolted out of her pessimistic thoughts.

A blonde head poked around the door, greeting the four with a bright smile.

"Cosette!" Eponine exclaimed with surprise. She wasn't expecting to see the young blonde woman so soon, though there was a slight relief that coursed through her to see Cosette unharmed.

"Hello Eponine!" Cosette said happily with a small wave. She walked into the sick bay, offering small comforting smiles to the other patients she passed on her way to Enjolras's bed.

Valjean followed behind her closely, offering a more guarded smile to the revolutionaries.

"So you're Cosette, then?" Courfeyrac asked as he stepped closer to Cosette. He laid a kiss on the top of her hand before looking up at her with a sad smile. "I wish we had mocked Marius a little less. I believe I too would have fallen in love the moment I laid eyes on you had I been in that square."

The remark was not meant to be unkind or even flirtatious. Courfeyrac aimed to acknowledge the breadth of his dear friend's feelings, though it did cause the blonde to blush.

Eponine cast her eyes down.

"You fall in love with every girl you lay eyes on," Combeferre mocked as he pushed Courfeyrac aside. He mimicked Courfeyrac's action and laid a kiss on Cosette's hand. "Don't mind him, he means no harm," he said with a wink.

Eponine rolled her eyes and was surprised to see her action mirrored in Enjolras. Perhaps their week together had caused them to rub off on each other.

Eponine just couldn't figure out if she was rubbing off on him or vice versa.

"Would you stop bothering her?" Enjolras asked in frustration. "It's very nice to see you again, Mademoiselle," Enjolras said with a small nod and a polite smile.

Despite herself, Eponine felt a wave of jealousy wash over her. It wasn't fair, as Cosette couldn't help the reactions others had to her, but Eponine couldn't help it.

It seemed as if she was always doomed to be jealous of Cosette in one way or another.

"I could say the same to you," Cosette replied as she gave the revolutionary leader a small curtsey. "You're looking incredibly well," she added polietly as she approached Enjolras's bed. Her small steps were slightly unsure, as if she didn't know if her actions were correct. "Thank you again, Monsieur Enjolras, for risking your safety to deliver me Marius's letter."

"Thank you for aiding Eponine in deliberately disobeying me," Enjolras responded, though his words carried none of the venom they may have had a week ago. "And proving that I should never underestimate people."

Cosette smiled brightly at Enjolras with that statement. As someone who had generally been underestimated for the majority of her life, his declaration of her abilities were welcome words of encouragement for the young blonde.

Eponine twisted her hands together impatiently. She was desperate to hear about Cosette's meeting with Montparnasse. Guilt had plagued the gamine for the last week for allowing Cosette to pay the criminal his money by herself. She wasn't incredibly worried about what Montparnasse would do to the girl because as long as Cosette gave him what he was due, Eponine was sure that he would drop the matter.

It was the people Montparnasse associated himself with that Eponine was truly concerned about. If Babet had followed Montparnasse, Eponine Cosette would be safe, as Babet would never assault a woman.

The rest of the Patron-Minette was another story. Eponine was sure that Cosette would be able to out wit Gueulemer. The man was a fool, useful only for his considerable strength. However, Claquesous was a man to fear and Brujon was someone to be wary of. Both men would

However, the man Eponine was most worried about when Cosette was concerned was her father. If Thénardier came across Cosette, all hell would break loose. There was no way that Cosette would be able to come out of that situation unharmed. Eponine feared that even the possible intervention Montparnasse wouldn't be able to calm her father's lust for what he considered retribution.

Enjolras turned is attention to Valjean. "And I must extend my sincerest thanks to you, Monsieur Frauchelvent," Enjorlas said humbly. "Eponine told me your real name."

Valjean smiled tightly and one of his hands curled into a tight fist for a moment. No one seemed to catch the odd action aside from Eponine, who furrowed her brow. There was something off with Cosette's father and Eponine was starting to wonder just what that was.

"It was my pleasure, Enjolras," Valjean responded with a slight bow. "The Sisters have informed me of your fantastic steps on the road to recovery. No doubt part of this is due to the superb nursing of Mademoiselle Eponine," Valjean added with a slight nod to Eponine.

The brunette felt herself become flustered with the praise. It was rare that she was congratulated for something by her own parents, so for a father figure to award her such kind words caught her off guard.

"I didn't really do much, Monsieur Frauchelvent," Eponine contradicted. "Certainly not more than anyone else."

Valjean gazed down at Eponine with a certain fondness in his eyes. It was the sort of look only a father could give and Eponine felt her heart constrict.

She hadn't been privy to such a look since she was a child.

"I beg to differ, Eponine. No sense in modesty. You've done your country proud," Valjean pressed.

Eponine found herself unable to meet Valjean's eyes. She felt undeserving of his praise and "I was just wondering if I could speak to Cosette alone for a moment?" Eponine asked, receiving a curious look from Enjolras.

"Ah, the secrets of women!" Courfeyrac exclaimed merrily, though the joy did not seem to reach his eyes. It was almost like his joking tone was expected of him as opposed to him offering humour in earnest. "Must you tempt us with your mysteries?"

Valjean gave his permission to Eponine to sweep his daughter away with a small nod, though he looked wary at the prospect of his daughter being out of his sight.

Eponine smiled at him gratefully and led Cosette to a dark corner of the gothic-styled church.

"Did you meet with Montparnasse?" Eponine whispered hurriedly, not bothering to skirt around the issue at hand.

Cosette nodded and threw a panicked glance over her shoulder to ensure that her father wasn't listening.

Eponine waited a beat before realizing that Cosette wasn't going to elaborate on what had happened in the Jardin de Luxembourg. "Well?" She prompted, unwilling to wait any longer.

"It was fine," Cosette said softly with a wave of her hand. "We talked for a while, I gave him the money and then he walked me home."

"Montparnasse." Eponine said bluntly. "Montparnasse walked you home?"

Cosette simply responded with a shrug.

"And you're sure it was the same guy? Tall? Foreboding? Ornately dressed?"

Cosette couldn't help the small giggle that escaped at Eponine's disbelief. It echoed through the high ceilings, earning the duo a glare from three nuns who were praying in a nearby pew.

"Yes, I'm sure it was the same person. He's not the most inconspicuous man in Paris," Cosette assured Eponine, a small smile playing on her face. "Everything went perfectly fine. You needn't worry about me so much, Eponine. Despite everyone's lack of faith in my abilities, I can take care of myself," Cosette added, almost bitterly.

"Did he… try to seduce you?" Eponine asked awkwardly, eyeing the nuns to ensure they weren't paying attention to the inappropriate conversation.

Cosette looked affronted for a moment, clearly not comfortable discussing such things inside a church. Perhaps she was also put off talking about them with Eponine, a near stranger, someone who had used Cosette's secrets against her in the past.

"He was a little personal and told me he liked making me blush, but he seemed more like someone who wasn't taught the proper etiquette concerning personal space than someone out to seduce me," Cosette admitted before tilting her head slightly. "Why?"

It was now Eponine's turn to shrug. "Seducing bourgeois girls is one of Montparnasse's ways of stealing money," she stated simply, relieved that he hadn't tried his old tricks on Cosette. Though part of Eponine told her that she should just let Cosette make her own decisions concerning her life, with Marius dead, Eponine still couldn't help but feel responsible for Cosette's well-being.

It was an infuriating dichotomy.

Cosette wrinkled her nose, clearly finding Montparnasse's chosen method of obtaining profit distasteful. "Well, you needn't worry about that with me," Cosette assured Eponine before glancing around for Valjean again. "I doubt I'll ever see him again."

Eponine raised an eyebrow but said nothing. In her experience, Montparnasse generally wanted more from pretty girls than a reward and praise for a job well done. He wasn't satisfied until they were begging him to sweep them away from their boring, bourgeois lives and their horrific husbands.

Of course he never did that. He would simply smile, make promises he never intended to keep, then seduce them before robbed them blind as they slept. Sometimes Eponine would walk around Saint-Michele with him and spot the rich women glaring at him, their arms intwined with whoever their parents sold them to.

"They may hate me outwardly, but you just know they're willing to sacrifice their jewels for the few hours that I took them away from their mundane lives," Montparnasse would whisper in her ear as they passed these women. He would snake an arm around Eponine's shoulders and wink at the rich women, who would avert their eyes immediately. "They're jealous they can never be free like we are."

Eponine would revel in his words, at least before she met Marius and found her world view shifting. The idea that she could have something the upper class would never experience was liberating. Her life may be dark but it was hers and that was something that Montparnasse's women would never know.

However, that all quickly changed once Marius's kind eyes and freckled face took over her existence, making her yearn for wealth and propriety to impress the young student, even at the expense of the freedom that Montparnasse spoke of.

Eponine shook her head slightly, dispelling thoughts of Marius and Montparnasse. Perhaps he really was finished with Cosette. Montparnasse was known in the Patron-Minette for being lazy and he often cycled through girls with little thought. At least, he generally disregarded the girls that weren't Eponine.

Montparnasse's feelings for her weren't even close to love, but they were as close as the murderer got. Eponine accepted this as a gift, knowing that his affections were guarantee of her safety in their underground world because no one ever crossed Montparnasse and came out of it unscathed and they certainly never took anything that was even remotely his.

Valjean approached them, looking at the two girls oddly. "Cosette, it's time we went home."

Cosette's face fell. "Oh, Papa, can't we see Enjolras to his home?" She asked, a slight hint of begging lacing her tone.

Valjean's jaw tightened slightly at the question, one hand twitching slightly. Eponine regarded Valjean suspiciously. He met her gaze, causing Eponine to glance away quickly.

There was definitely something odd about Cosette's father.

"No, Cosette," Valjean said shortly, wrapping his arm around his daughter. "Good day, Eponine," Valjean nodded before steering Cosette out of the church.

Cosette glanced longingly over her shoulder at Eponine, who still lingered behind before the heavy wooden door slammed behind them.

Eponine sighed. She recognized the lonely gleam that shone in Cosette's eyes as Valjean ushered her away and felt a pang of sympathy. If Eponine knew one thing, it was how it felt to feel alone.

Though bitterness still clung to her when it came to Cosette, she had to admit that the blonde had surprised her. She was not the uptight, bourgeois girl that Eponine had assumed her to be. Her bravery intrigued Eponine and she couldn't help but wonder what else laid inside the Lark.

As Eponine made her way back to Enjolras's room, she wondered if she could forge a bond with Cosette. Would it be possible? Once Enjolras was in the comfort of his own home, she would be back out on the streets, or worse, in her parents' house.

Still, perhaps if she ever saw Cosette again, Eponine would try to say hello. She would help Cosette in her loneliness. It would be what Marius would want.

"So," Combeferre began once Eponine walked back into the sick bay, a large smile crossing his face. "Shall we get you home, Enjolras?"

A/N: Okay, sorry for the long wait again! I'm in hell right now, school-wise. There are nights I barely manage to cook dinner, let alone sit down to write. One shots are about all I can manage, but if you dig my writing, check them out.

Updates will likely be scarce for the next few weeks, unfortunately. I'm really sorry but school's over around April 20th, so there's that to look forward to!

I'm not so sure about this chapter even though it took forever for me to post. There's a lot going on.

Thank you so much for the reviews! I'll admit, I didn't reply to them this go around because I didn't know when I would be able to update but they do mean a lot to me. I think my updates should be able to come more quickly now because I think the heavier days have passed?

I have a Grantaire/Eponine/Enjolras one-shot up at AO3 under this same user name you might be interested in. Also check out 'Glam Punk Disco', a gen fic that's ridiculous but might make you smile a bit. I've got a few others on the go while I figure out where to go next when it comes to this story, including a couple of everyone's favourite mixed review couple, Cosette/Montparnasse! And pretty much everyone/everyone.

Don't fret, though! This will be completed. I think we've reached about the half-way point. This chapter was actually going to be longer than this but things got out of control so what I had planned will have to wait.

Thanks for your continuing support!