Little he knows, little he sees, Eponine thought as she wandered down an alley to avoid the main streets of Paris. Her father had sent her on an errand, and she didn't really want to return home, but she knew if she was too long, the outcome wouldn't be pretty. She took her time walking the streets on the way back home, taking the opportunity to daydream about the man she loved.

The man who barely knows you exist, she reminded herself.

She wished it was different. She wished he would truly see her and love her in return. She wanted him to rescue her out of the hell she was living and teach her how to have a better life. She longed to even be around him, to be near him. If she closed her eyes, she could almost feel his strong arms wrapped around her in a loving embrace. It was a rude awakening when she had to return to reality and the phantom feeling would disappear. Eponine loved everything about him. She loved his eyes, his hair, his smile. She loved the sound of his voice and his personality. She loved that he welcomed her with kindness and friendliness, rather than treat her like what she truly was, a filthy street-rat. Eponine wished there was something she could do that would make him understand her feelings. Maybe if she wasn't a gamine things would've been different? Or maybe if she had a proper dress and clean, combed hair? No, she knew none of those things mattered to him. Suddenly, tears sprang to her eyes, and she paused in the alley as she thought of something.

I'm a fool, she thought, I'm a desperate fool.

As much as it hurt to think about, Eponine knew that the chances of him loving her were ridiculously slim. He had other, more important things to worry about. He didn't have time for someone like her. She was a fool for ever thinking he would suddenly change his mind and see her in a different light.

While she knew it could never happen, it was still easier to have hope, hope that her dreams would come true. That was the only way she got through each day. She had hope that one day he would love her. Without hope, Eponine had no other reason to live.

As she rounded the corner and her home came into view, someone she was very glad to see was about to enter the tenement as well.

"Monsieur Marius," she smiled as she approached him.

He stopped his ascent up the stairs and turned to face her, "Hello, 'Ponine! What have you been up to?"

"Oh, just some errands," she said quietly, blushing.

He knew her father was the head of Patron-Minette, but she didn't want him to know about everything she was forced to do just because she was Thènardier's daughter.

"Well, there is a meeting tonight. Would you like to come with me? You haven't been able to in a few weeks," Marius offered.

Eponine thought for a moment. She wanted to go the meeting with him very badly, but if she didn't go home, she would be in a tremendous amount of trouble. She needed to see if her father was out of the apartment.

"I'm not sure if I'll be able to. I've got to make sure I don't have any more work at home."

"Of course. If you're able, just come to my apartment, and we'll go together," he smiled.

"Thank you, Monsieur Marius."

She was determined to do anything possible to accompany him to the meeting.

She quietly entered the apartment, and much to her relief, she found no one to be home. Quickly, she tried to make herself look more presentable, even though she knew it was a lost cause. Eponine hurried down to Marius's apartment and knocked, her heart filled with joy.

"It's all clear," she explained as he opened the door.

"Wonderful," Marius smiled.

He grabbed his coat, and they set off toward the Café Musain. The walk wasn't that long, but they talked the whole way, making it feel quite short. Eponine was immensely excited by the time they reached the café and climbed the stairs to the second level, but she managed to keep her outward appearance calm. They were immediately greeted by several of the students. Eponine's heart began to beat a little faster as she saw him walking toward them.

"Marius, Mademoiselle Eponine," he acknowledged kindly.

"Monsieur Enjolras," Eponine smiled shyly.

0000

Enjolras watched Eponine from across the café. She was sitting with Marius and a few of the other students, talking and laughing happily. She had started coming to the meetings several months back, but she only came sporadically. She was the essence of what the Amis were fighting for, so Enjolras had made sure that she felt welcome with the group. At first, she had intrigued him greatly. There was a mystery about her, and everything within Enjolras made him want to learn more about the curious, young gamine. He watched her during the meetings a lot, mostly to see her reactions and interactions with the others. It was a vain attempt to learn about her. It was after the first couple of weeks of her attending the meetings that he began to notice that he was thinking differently about her. He noticed that her smile was beautiful, and it was almost contagious, especially when her dimples made an appearance. Underneath the layer of dirt and the severe malnutrition, Enjolras knew she was gorgeous. Her hair, despite the major tangles, cascaded down her back in loose waves. In her eyes, he could see flashes of life, although they were mostly filled with pain. He wanted to take that pain away from her. He wanted to make her beautiful smile appear all the time.

When Enjolras realized for the first time what he had been thinking about, he was certain he was going crazy. He'd never cared about a girl before, and he was certain he would never. His main goal in life was to change France for the better, and he was prepared to die to accomplish that goal. He always told himself that things like love would get in the way, that he didn't need that. He began to doubt himself when he met Eponine.

Just like all the previous meetings, Enjolras sat thinking about Eponine. He found himself smiling when she smiled, and he loved to see her eyes light up. She laughed at something Marius said, and that shook Enjolras back to reality.

You fool, he thought.

He knew she would never have feelings toward him. Everyone could tell she had feelings for Marius. She was always with him, and she seemed to practically be his shadow. Eponine acted so natural around Marius, but she always acted so reserved and shy around Enjolras. He wished there was some way he could get her to be more open around him. He wished she would see that he truly cared about her. He wanted her to know the life he could give her, a life of everything she deserved and then some. He wished, but he knew it would never be. Although it was not what he truly wanted anymore, he was already too far down the path that led to dying for his country, and he'd left the chance for love far behind. If there was only some way things could've been different, if there was some way he could've been the one that Eponine loved. If only.

0000

The revolution was here. Eponine had been at the meeting when they learned of Lamarque's death. She saw the passionate fire in Enjolras's eyes when he declared it was time to rise, and it scared her to death. This rebellion was what Enjolras had always wanted, and Eponine had known that from the first time she met him. Now, she was terrified of losing him, even though he was never hers to lose. She knew he was more than willing to die for his cause, and his death was almost inevitable. Eponine couldn't live knowing he was going to die. She had to do something, anything to try to protect him. She had to be there for him. Eponine quickly disguised herself in men's clothing and headed toward the barricades.

It was mass chaos at the barricades, and Eponine could barely see anything will all the fighting going on. Soldiers were everywhere, and people were falling all around her. It appeared that the soldiers were slowly taking over the barricade, and Eponine knew the outcome wouldn't be good. Eponine's eyes darted around the fighting, and suddenly she saw something that made the rest of the world fade. Enjolras was fighting off a soldier as much as he could, but what truly struck Eponine was the soldier behind Enjolras that was aiming his gun right at the leader's back. Eponine couldn't let him die. She had to do something. She scrambled across the barricade, and just as the soldier was about to shoot, Eponine grabbed the barrel of the gun.

0000

Enjolras slowly made his way down the barricade, his body trembling. Marius had just about blown the entire barricade to bits with a torch and a barrel of gunpowder. The soldiers had retreated because of the threat, but Enjolras still thought Marius was crazy. He'd taken the torch from his friend, and when he reached the bottom of the barricade, he dunked it in a bucket of water to extinguish the flame. He needed to calm down, take some deep breaths and rest before the soldiers attacked again. Trying to find some privacy, Enjolras walked over to a more deserted area of the barricade, only to find it already occupied. He thought he recognized the person slumped to the ground against the barricade, so he walked closer.

"Eponine?" he questioned.

"Monsieur Enjolras," she rasped, coughing slightly.

"Eponine, are you alright?"

Even in the moonlight, he could tell that her face was pale, and her cough was weak. He knelt down beside her.

"I'm fine."

She had her hands wrapped around her abdomen, and Enjolras knew she was hiding something. Gently, he reached over and pulled her hands away. To his horror, blood was rapidly spreading across her shirt.

"Eponine, what have you done? You're hurt! You need help!"

He moved to stand, but Eponine reached out and grasped his arm.

"Please, don't leave. It's too late," she pleaded.

His heart lurched, but he knew he wasn't the one she would most want to spend her last moments with.

"Would you at least like for me to find Marius for you?" he asked reluctantly.

To his surprise, she shook her head, tears stinging her eyes.

"Don't you see? It was never Marius. I am good friends with Marius, but I was always with him because he was around you. It has always been you," she sobbed.

Her words were bittersweet. She did love him, but now she was dying. She was right. It was too late for her.

"'Ponine, I love you," he confessed, "I've loved you for a while, but I thought you loved Marius. I'm so sorry I never said anything."

"Don't be sorry. Just be with me now, for what little time I have left," she smiled sadly.

Enjolras pulled her into his arms as gently as he could, but she still yelped in pain. She rested her head on his chest, and for once, the arms wrapped around her were not from her imagination, but were real. He quietly hummed a song and ran his fingers through her hair, his voice and motions distracting her from the burning pain. Her breathing became more ragged, and her vision was going blurry. She knew her time was almost up. Eponine tilted her head up to look at Enjolras.

"I love you, Enjolras," she breathed.

"And I love you," he replied, "Everything is going to be alright, 'Ponine."

He leaned down to press a gentle kiss to her lips.

"I'll see you again," she gasped, but the statement almost sounded like a question.

"Soon," he smiled.

Then, Eponine nestled back into his chest, her eyes fluttering shut. A few seconds later, her little gasps of breath quieted, and she was limp in Enjolras's arms. With a sob, he kissed the top of her head, and carried her to the makeshift infirmary. Now, Enjolras wasn't just fighting for his country. He was fighting for Eponine.