Epilogue

In order to help Adelaide and Grantaire's dream of starting an orphanage come true, all of the Amis began to help. They all agreed to contribute or give their services to the future orphanage in some way. Using funds they already had, they began saving up to build the building. Lillian, Musichetta, and Eponine appealed to churches and got a considerable amount of funding from them. Grantaire and Adelaide used some of the profits from the bakery to add to their savings. A plan was made, and soon the dream to open an orphanage became more of a reality. Only two years after they decided to start on the project, the building was fully built. They chose to connect it to the schoolhouse, so they could easily provide an education for all the children as well. Over these two years, Grantaire and Adelaide tracked down Sophie's friends, Lizzie and Harper, and adopted them as well. They were both a year younger than Sophie. Once the orphanage officially opened, children began to slowly appear. In no time, laughter filled the new orphanage. Enjolras and Combeferre's classes grew exponentially as they began to teach all the orphans as well. Joly gave free checkups and medical services to the children. Grantaire and Adelaide ran the orphanage with Adelaide using her baking skills to make yummy treats for the orphans. They built a new home connected to the orphanage so that they could have their privacy while living there as well. Adelaide and Grantaire still owned the bakery, but they officially turned it over to Elizabeth so that they could focus more on their new dream. The others helped out in any way that they could.

0000

Ten Years Later

Over time, the orphanage became a well-known sanctuary for all the children without a home of their own. Grantaire and Adelaide couldn't have been more overjoyed that everything had run smoothly and was successful. Grantaire taught some of the children art and painted murals on the walls. Adelaide taught some of them how to bake, and a few eventually left the orphanage to work at the bakery when they were old enough. Michael was now twenty-four years old and married to a young woman named Adella. She had a heart for the less fortunate, and the two almost immediately fell in love. They built a small home connected to the orphanage just like Adelaide and Grantaire. Michael decided to be a teacher and trained under Combeferre and Enjolras. He became a live in teacher for the orphanage. Although she wanted children of her own, Adella became like a mother to all of the orphans, and she loved them all dearly. Sophie, who was now eighteen, and Lizzie and Harper, both seventeen, began to work in the bakery to help their parents. Marcella was twelve years old and she enjoyed playing with all the other girls. She looked more and more like Adelaide each day, but she had a fair mix of both of her parents in her personality. She was incredibly artistic just like her father, but ambitious and feisty like her mother. Adelaide and Grantaire loved their extremely large family.

Eponine and Enjolras's oldest children, the twins, were now both nineteen years old. Luc, growing up to be just like his father, was off at school studying to become a lawyer. Evangeline was more of a dreamer, and she wanted to become a writer. Much to Enjolras's chagrin, Evangeline had met a man that she had fallen head over heels for, a man named Hadley. With her parents' permission, she officially began courting Hadley. Henry was only twelve years old, and although he grew to look like Enjolras, he had more of Eponine's personality. Enjolras and Eponine also had one more child, a daughter named Vivienne. At eight years old, she looked almost exactly like Eponine, but was rebellious like her father. Enjolras continued teaching the older children at the schoolhouse and orphanage. Eponine helped in various ways such as spending time with the orphans and working at the bakery.

Combeferre also continued teaching the younger children. Lillian preferred to help by being a seamstress for the orphanage. She mended the children's clothes and sewed new ones when needed. Charlie was now twenty-three years old and was a doctor. After attending school, he started working with Joly in his medical practice. After he got some field training from Joly, Charlie became the live in doctor for the orphanage. With his best friend being an orphan at one point in his life, Charlie had a heart for the children. Franklin, thirteen years old, ended up being a lot like his father. Combeferre and Lillian also added to their family. Their youngest son, Theo, was now six years old and much like Lillian.

Joly's medical practice grew, especially when he took on Charlie as another doctor. Although Charlie was the main doctor at the orphanage, Joly liked to check in on the children as well. He continued to give free medical services to people in need. Musichetta spent a lot of time with the orphans as well, much like Eponine. One of her favorite things to do was to cook a special meal for them every few weeks. Alexandria was a beautiful nineteen year old with curly red hair just like her mother. Wanting to follow in her father's footsteps, she desired to become a nurse. Her younger brother Alain was only thirteen years old.

The Amis were one big family who loved each other dearly. Since they left Paris, their family had boomed, growing to more than double its original size. They found great joy in welcoming in many others who didn't have someone to love them, and they planned to continue to show love to others by helping them.

0000

One winter evening, Michael was bundled up as he walked back to his home at the orphanage. He had to pick up some things at the market, and he had the items stuffed inside his coat, his scarf wrapped tightly and covering the lower part of his face. Adella had just learned that she was expecting, so being the overprotective husband that he was, Michael wouldn't let her run their errands in the frigid weather. So Michael trudged along, making his way out of downtown and into the outskirts of the city where the orphanage was located. Just as he was about to hit the more rural areas, Michael saw a shadowy figure out of the corner of his eye. He stopped and stared at what he saw, realizing it was a small child cowering under a tree. Michael approached the child slowly and saw that it was a young boy with barely any clothes on, shivering violently.

"Hello there," Michael said.

The boy looked up at him, but obviously didn't have the energy to move or say anything back. Michael crouched down by the boy and became alarmed when the noticed that the boys lips were turning blue. He quickly shrugged off his coat and scarf.

"We need to warm you up."

The boy looked at him hesitantly.

"It's okay. I want to help you. I was just like you once," Michael assured.

The little boy let Michael slip the coat around his shoulders and wrap the scarf around his neck.

"W-w-will you h-help me, s-s-sir?" the boy shivered.

Michael smiled, "That's why I stopped. I work and live at an orphanage just down the road. My adoptive parents own it. Would you like to come with me? We'll give you a home, food, and an education, and you don't have to give us anything in return. There are lots of boys just like you there."

"I c-could really l-l-live there for f-free?" the boy asked, wide-eyed.

"Of course. I just need to know two things. How old are you and what's your name?"

The little boy looked up at him, "I'm s-seven, and my n-n-name is Michael."

Michael stared at the boy in shock. At that very moment, the boy found a special place in Michael's heart. He knew he was meant to find this boy.

Michael smiled, "My name is Michael too. I think we'll be good friends. Now, let's go to the orphanage and get you out of this cold."

Seeing that the boy was too weak, Michael picked him up, shocked by how little he weighed. Little Michael rested his head on the older Michael's shoulder, clinging to him for warmth. The boy wrapped his arms around Michael's neck, and Michael could feel how desperately cold his fingers were. He trudged along, already feeling a bond to the little boy in his arms.

"I'll protect you, Michael. Everything's going to be just fine now," he whispered.

Author's Note: So dear readers, this was the end of Afraid of Failing You! I hope you all enjoyed it! Thank you so much for all your support and for taking the time to read my work. I will be working on a new story soon, possible two. The new one will be titled Running so please keep an eye out for it. Of course, if you send me a prompt, I am always willing to try new ideas or create one-shots. Just message me! Until next time…

~loislane16