Eponine Thenardier and the Barricade Boys

A/N A BUNCH OF SCENES WITH EPONINE THENARDIER AND EACH OF THE TEN 'BARRICADE BOYS', EXPLORING HER RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OF THE BOYS IN TURN. SET IN ONE BIG INTERCONNECTED UNIVERSE FOLLOWING THE STRUCTURE OF THE EPONINE THENARDIER LIST OF ATTRACTIVE YOUNG MEN. (WHETHER AS PREQUELS, SEQUELS ONE-SHOTS ETC)

DISCLAIMERS AND WARNINGS

I DON'T OWN ANYTHING YOU RECOGNIZE. I DON'T. I WISH I DID BUT I DON'T. GENERAL WARNING FOR SWEARING. CHAPTER SPECIFIC WARNING FOR TENSION AND MINOR VIOLENCE.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION THE STORY IS SET IN 2010s LANCASHIRE. EPONINE'S A NORTHERN GIRL (MAINLY DUE TO SAM BARKS BEING FROM THE ISLE OF MAN) EPONINE, GRANTAIRE, BAHOREL, JEHAN AND JOLY GO TO THE UNIVERSITY OF CUMBRIA. COURFEYRAC, MARIUS, COMBEFERRE, ENJOLRAS, COSETTE AND BOUSSETT GO TO LANCASTER AND FEUILLY WORKS THREE JOBS. FIRST WE HAVE THE BEAUTIFUL YOUNG MISS THENARDIER COMPLETELY DESTROYING ENJOLRAS. ENJOY.

CHAPTER THE FIRST

EPONINE AND ENJOLRAS

On the last Thursday in July Ponine was running a bit late. Now she was more or less permanently looking after her three little brothers (Gavroche, Pierre and Raoul because her parents loved to push their French heritage on everyone) her evenings had become a bit more complex. Luckily she had a long-standing arrangement with old man Valjean and his daughter, her one-time foster sister, Cosette to look after the babies on Thursday nights. Though an official member of the student group known as 'Les Amis' Cosette rarely came to meetings and adored children. Unluckily they lived in one of the big posh houses near 'Sette's university, on the edge of town which was miles away from the two bedroom flat her and Grantaire shared.

Suffice to say she was already stressed out and did not need what she saw when she opened the door to the 24 hour cafe Feuilly worked in that Enjolras had commandeered for his meetings soon after he started university.

The atmosphere was tense and Jehan was crying. The older man was a bit, sensitive. A poet, a dreamer, a Romantic and all that but God she didn't think she'd ever seen him actually properly cry in public before. Fuck. Grantaire. She was gonnafucking kill him if this was his fault. Judging by the looks some of the others were throwing her way. Courfeyrac's usually permanent grin given way to a concerned grimace, Marius filled with relief and fear. Combeferre like she was his personal saviour. Well as much as she could ever interpret his looks.

So. Enjolras and Grantaire again then. Oh they'd been doing so well as well.

She walked further into the room to where The Idiots (as she had mentally dubbed them) stared each other down. Honestly! If they got an inch closer they'd be fucking snogging! Neither spoke as she came behind them, clearing her throat. Both looked furious and slightly guilty as they started apart. Neither had yet said anything but judging from Combeferre's glare, Jehan's tears, Joly physically shaking in a fullout panic attack... (that at least explained why Ferre was only glaring and not actively interfering since he was trying to calm his 'brother' down) this hadn't been the case for very long. Couldn't be the case for very long.

"You know what? This is pointless." Enjolras said now and Ponine turned to watch him. This was important. R might need her.

"You are a good for nothing fool," he continued. "I don't even know why you bother coming here anyway. You're just a drunken idiot who won't amount to anything. You care about nothing. In fact, you know what? You are nothing. NOTHING. Nobody wants you here. Just get out Grantaire. You're just a waste of space."

Before she knew what was really happening Ponine launched herself at Enjolras only to find herself held back.

"Let go of me Combeferre..." she growled lowly so no one could hear. "I'm gonna rip his eyes out. I swear down. I'm going to..."

"No," he said, his voice hoarse with anger but still calm and rational where she was blazing fury. "It won't help right now."

From her place under Ferre's steady hand Ponine watched R as the words hit him like a physical blow. His eyes bleary with tears he was keeping desperately locked away, he stood shakily but he was more graceful than he would have been were he drunk. Fucking bastard! He was clearly completely sober! He looked at Enjolras. One long agonized look, like a kicked puppy or something, and Eponine felt her heart break. R looked around once at their stunned and shaking friends. At Joly now weeping in Boussett's arms, at Courfeyrac, one hand on Marius's shoulder looking more furious than Ponine had ever seen him. At herself. A long hard look that told her everything she needed to know. Then he nodded and left the room.

Enjolras turned aside as if to carry on as normal but Ponine was having none of that. No-one hurt her family! Shaking Ferre's restraining hand off, she grabbed the blond man by the arm, spun him around and punched him full across the face.

His face swung to the side and he reeled backwards, banging into a table rather satisfactorily.

"PONINE!" Marius cried, scandalized.

"That was bloody brilliant!" Someone, probably Bahorel said and Ponine laughed slightly.

Ferre just looked at her. Just looked.

"Don't tell me you didn't want to," she said, before rounding on Enjolras again. He instantly recoiled and she could see the punch would leave a mark. Good.

"You fucking bastard! You complete and utter fucking idiot! Have you any idea what you've just done?"

Enjolras looked non-plussed so Ponine decided to enlighten him.

"You just informed a suicidal man that he was unwanted. A waste. You just told a man who is completely madly in love with you that he is nothing. A man who would LITERALLY DIE FOR YOU if you so much as hinted it would please you. A man who literally spends every waking MOMENT looking for ways to win your approval. You fucking idiot! What the hell were you thinking?"

Enjolras looked at her in horror. Ponine hadn't finished with him yet but she gave him a moment to try and justify himself.

"I...he was drunk. He. Grantaire. He won't even remember this in the morning."

Ponine couldn't help laughing.

"Drunk? He hasn't touched a drop you idiot. You cruel oblivious idiot. Couldn't you see that Enj?"

Ferre looked at them both seeming to come to a decision as he turned to the room announcing;

"Grantaire has been fully sober now for about four months. He went through a very intensive rehabilitation and he didn't want anyone to see him fail. But he didn't fail. He succeeded." He turned to Enjolras and added in a softer voice, "He wasn't drunk Adrian."

Enjolras sat down heavily, head in hand and groaned.

"What have I done?" He asked, guilt and grief lacing his voice and, against her will, Ponine felt bad for him. She was starting to feel antsy. She knew R was particularly fragile right now and she wanted to find him. Look after him."

"Ferre?"

He nodded, seemingly reading her mind.

"Alright chaps. I don't think we're going to get anything done tonight. Why doesn't everyone head off home and I'll keep you informed. Don't worry about Grantaire. I'm sure he'll be fine but if you see him let me or Eponine know right away okay?"

One by one each of the friends left the cafe, most of them looking over at them with anger or anxiety in their eyes.

When they had left she turned back to Enjolras and sighed.

"Listen," she said. "This is R. For all his faults he loves you. Right or wrong he fucking loves you. And he cares about what you say. By that logic..."

"I'm sorry. I need to..."

"Apologize." Ferre finished for him, and Ponine could clearly hear the anger still present in his voice. "Yes. "

Ponine looked at the two of them.

"I need to find him," she told them. "And I swear. By all I have left to hold dear I swear Adrian Enjolras that if he is hurt in any way a punch will be the least of your worries."

She took a deep breath and shook her head as she left the cafe.

If he had done anything stupid...