~X+X~

Enjolras and Marius stood atop the makeshift podium outside of General Lamarque's house, as he lay on his death-bed, handing out Revolution ribbons and papers. Enjolras was in the middle of giving a speech to the oppressed people of Paris when something caught his eye making him forget his train of thought, luckily Marius was there to help him out and finish the speech, standing behind the crowed before them Enjolras saw a young women talking to Gavroche, she had on a simple Dark blue dress with a black ribbon tied around the middle, her hair was what caught his attention it was deep red in colour but when the sun hit it, it came alive in vibrant reds and oranges making it seem like her hair was on fire. Enjolras watch as the women said something to Gavroche while placing her hands on her hips which to this Gavroche turned and pointed straight at Enjolras. Curiously the women turned to the direction Gavroche was pointing only to lock eyes with him, Enjolras could feel the heat rising up his neck as he was caught staring, shaking his head he swiftly jumped down from the makeshift podium he was still standing on and began to make his way through the crowed towards the pair.

"I am most sorry Mademoiselle if my young friend here has inconvenienced you in any way" Enjolras apologised to her while sending Gavroche a hard look. He brought his eyes back to her face and couldn't help but take in the beauty before him. She was shorter than he was, the top of her head came to his chin, Her red hair cascaded down her back freely in loose curls, her eyes where a bright green in colour, almost taking his breath away with she brought them up to look at him, and her lips although pulled up into a smile where full and red in colour and in the back of his mind he could see himself kissing them.

"Oh No that is ok, Gavroche and I go way back, Monsieur..." She smiled at him politely as she waited for his name.

"Enjolras...Alexander Enjolras..." He answered "a Pleasure to meet you Mademoiselle..."

"Iribella De Lyons, The pleasure is all mine." She smiled

"But everybody calls 'er Belle" Smiled Gavroche who Enjolras had forgotten was standing beside them. Smiling Enjolras brought her soft hand up to his lips, brushing it against them as he gently kissed her knuckles.

Iribella could feel the blush rising up her cheeks as the handsome man before her gently placed a kiss on her hand. And he was handsome with his Blonde curls a slight mess from the wind, his warm hazel coloured eyes that made her stomach flutter when he looked at her, and oh his soft lips...Before she could finish her train of thought a commotion had caused the crowd to stir.

"It's Javert" yelled somebody as the crowed began to flee, shoving others around violently to escape, an older man in ragged clothing was shoved into Iribella sending her crashing to the ground, hitting her head on the cobble stone street before she felt somebody grabbing her waist and pulling her up.

"Thank you Monsieur Enjolras" she mumbled once she was on her feet again, although Enjolras had yet to take his hands from her waist.

"Marius!" Enjolras yelled spotting his friend standing a little away from them in a daze. "We meet back at the café! Go now!" He yelled over the commotion and the police whistles. Then taking Iribella's hand he began to run down a nearby alley only looking back to see if Gavroche was following them. With her hand still firmly in his grip Iribella let herself be led further in to the poorer part of Paris, knowing her mother would be furious with her if she knew she was there and knowing that she should be scared as the sun would be setting soon and then she would have to find her way home in the dark through the alleys, she was far from afraid, she didn't know why but she felt safe with Enjolras holding her hand. They ran until they were out of breath and their legs ached, not hearing the shouts behind them anymore Enjolras stopped running, leaning against a nearby wall to catch his breath he noticed he still held Iribella's small hand in his larger one. Reluctantly he let it go before asking her if she was alright, taking in her heaving chest as she drew breath into her deprived lungs, the slight redness of her cheeks and the small cut on her forehead from where she had hit in on the ground, which had started to bleed leaving a small trail of blood run down her face.

"Are you all right, Mademoiselle De Lyons?"

"Please...Call me...Belle...I'm fine" she told him in between gasps.

"Belle..." he repeated softly smiling to himself

"Where's...Gavroche..." Iribella asked noticing that it was just them alone in the alley.

"He must have gone a different way back to the Cafe" Enjolras mused "come we better head to the Cafe ourselves" He said as he gently grabbed her arm leading her out of the alley mouth and down the street.

"What is this Cafe you mentioned?" Asked Iribella after walking in a comfortable silence for a while.

"Hmmm...Oh...It's Le Café Des Amis De L'ABC...it's where we hold our meetings" Enjolras told her looking down at her face, for a brief second he thought he saw confusion cross her features but he couldn't be sure for a second it was there and then it was gone.

"We? Meetings?" she questioned her confusion although not clear on her face could clearly be heard in her voice.

"My Friends and I we are Students of Politics and Law, we have been discussing instigating a revolution" he told her proudly.

"Revolution?!" she asked him completely shocked "I know things are bad...but...but a revolution? I hardly think that is the answer"

"Forgive me if this sounds rude or out of my place...but I hardly think you would understand Comtesse De Lyons" Enjolras stopped and turned to face her a little hurt by her statement.

"You are right it is out of your place!" Iribella told him furious at his sudden change in his mannerism "and I'm no Comtesse...my mother was...not me...never me..." she said the last part quietly, that Enjolras almost missed it, before she stormed past him towards the sound of cheering and laughter that she could only think belonged to the patrons of the Cafe.

"Women" Enjolras Muttered running a hand through his hair before following her.

Upon entering the Cafe Iribella was overwhelmed by the strong smell of alcohol and the loud cheering coming from the Students up stairs as they celebrated their escape from the police at the rally that afternoon. Looking around Belle tried to spot the small figure of Gavroche, unable to spot him she found an empty table in the corner of the Cafe to wait for him. Iribella sat in the corner thinking over the conversation she had just had with Enjolras, remembering how his behaviour had changed when she told him that a revolution was a bad idea, her thoughts quickly turned to her mother...oh how she missed her mother. Thinking of her Iribella felt the tears fall from her eyes, she quickly raised her hand to wipe them away before anyone could see them.

Enjolras watched briefly as Iribella sat in the corner looking completely lost and out-of-place in the small run down Cafe, he watched her wipe her eyes making him want to go over to her and apologise for the way he had spoken to her, but before he could a mildly drunk Grantaire stumbled up to him handing him a bottle of wine and flashed him a grin before disappearing into the crowd.

~X+X~

"Belle?"

Iribella was pulled out of her thoughts by someone waving a hand before her face. Turning she meet the smiling face of Gavroche.

"Where have you been?" She questioned him playfully

"Upstairs with me mates" He said pointing to the stairs nearby. "Anyway this is my friend Courfeyrac... Courfeyrac this is Belle"

"Bonjour Monsieur Courfeyrac" Belle Smiled at him while sticking out her hand for him to shake.

"Bonjour Mademoiselle, A pleasure to meet one as beautiful as you" Courfeyrac replied while taking her hand and giving it a shake. Iribella turned to ask Gavroche a question to find his seat next to her empty, sighing she turned back to Courfeyrac and struck up a conversation with him to pass the time.

Enjolras sat upstairs surrounded by his friends who were deep in conversation, but he couldn't concentrate on what they were saying. He sat back in his seat crossing one arm over his chest and tucking his hand under his armpit while the other held his cup of wine up in the air as he watched Courfeyrac talk to Iribella downstairs. Who was she to distract him from his task at hand? Why did he let her interrupt his thoughts making him lose his place? Why could he not bring himself to look away from her?

"Enjolras? Are you listening?" Combeferre asked nudging him in the ribs with an elbow to get his attention.

"We've lost him" Joly quickly added with a laugh as he followed Enjolras' eyes.

"Oh but she is beautiful" Bahorel added with a laugh as he spotted Iribella. He quickly shut his mouth when he saw the hard look Enjolras was sending him.

"Isn't that the Late Comtesse De Lyons Daughter?" asked Marius taking a seat with a fresh cup of wine.

"Late?" Questioned Enjolras

"Yes, her mother passed a couple of years ago; her father Monsieur De Lyons told everyone it was the plague." Marius told him also watching Iribella.

"Is her father not a count?" asked Bahorel raising an eyebrow.

"No, her mother was born a Comtesse, He was born into a rich family with no titles but his family lost all their money and he married the Comtesse" Marius told them taking a drink from his cup and turned to look at his friends.

"I heard her mother left everything, her title, her money, the deed to the house, everything to her daughter. The father gets nothing" Combeferre told them in a hushed tone. "And what's more I heard it wasn't the plague that got her Mother...it was the Father"

Everything Enjolras had just heard was slowly making sense to him as to why she acted the way she did earlier.

Iribella was in the middle of listening to Courfeyrac discuss his least favourite piece of theatre when she felt the overwhelming feeling of being watched, not being able to shake it she looked around the Cafe to find what was giving her those feelings when her eyes come upon a pair of warm hazel ones watching her from up stairs. Enjolras was sitting around a table with three other men, one she recognized as Marius though she hadn't met him she remembered Enjolras calling him that at the rally, they were deep in conversation except Enjolras who just sat there watching her, soon enough all four men at the table had turned to look at her. Blushing she quickly turned away from them back to Courfeyrac who hadn't seemed to notice her stop paying attention.

"Excuse me Monsieur, it was lovely to meet you, but I should really be leaving" Saying goodbye to Courfeyrac she quickly got up from the table and headed out the door of the café, in a hurry to get away from Enjolras' watchful eyes that followed her every move.

She had stayed to long and now the sun was almost set, she could hear shuffling feet coming from the alleys she walked past, picking up her pace she quickly headed down the street she thought the direction of home was.

"Pretty lady come and talk awhile" came a voice behind her that was quickly followed by a couple of chuckles. Ignoring them Iribella continued to walk away only to hear their footsteps fall in line behind her

"Don't be scared pretty lady...we don't bite" the voice said again.

"Much" laughed a second voice. Terrified Iribella picked up her skirt and began to run. Not knowing where she was going and not really caring all she wanted to do was get away from the men following her.

"Come back pretty lady" called the first man as they chased after her.

"We just want to talk with you a while" called the second man. Iribella chanced a look behind her and sure enough both men were running behind her, turning back around she noticed she had turned and run down an alley with a wooden fence at the end. Quickly turning back to the alley mouth she rushed towards it only to have the men catch up to her blocking off her escape. Noticing her situation the first man grinned at her revealing horrible yellow rotting teeth as he began to step towards her quickly followed by the second man.

"Help me somebody please Help!" screamed Iribella terrified as they closed in towards her. The first man moved to grab her but she quickly ducked out of his reach successfully getting around him only to be stopped by the second man who she quickly punched in the face. Upon hearing a satisfied crack and seeing the man double over in pain clutching his bleeding nose she ran towards the street.

"You Bitch" sneered the first man who grabbed her arm turning her around and swiftly back handing her across the face sending her falling to the ground. The second man was still holding his bleeding face when the first man got on top of her, she balled up her fist and moved to punch the man on top of her when he grabbed her arms and pinned them above her head.

"Sing for me little bird" He laughed cruelly his breath on her face making her want to gag.

"Help Me! Please Help!" Belle screamed again making the man laugh.

"You'll pay for what you did to my nose" sneered the second guy as he joined them on the ground. Kneeling next to her head he pulled out a tattered rag from his coat pocket and roughly grabbing her chin with his fingers he force the cloth into her mouth. Tears were beginning to cascade down her face as she kicked her legs in a futile attempt to get the man off of her.

Enjolras had watched Iribella walk out the café maybe he had scared her off with his staring. What a fool he was being caught watching not only by her but his friends as well. As soon as she had left he drained his wine and headed for the stairs ignoring the protests from his friends. Once down stairs he walked over to where Courfeyrac was still sitting and moved to where Iribella had previously been seated.

"What did you say to her?" he asked Courfeyrac not bothering to beat around the bush.

"What do you mean? To who?" Courfeyrac questioned confused by Enjolras' question

"Iribella, why did she leave so quickly?"

"Oh...Her...I don't know one minute we were talking about the theatre, the next she was bidding me farewell" Courfeyrac told him leaning back in his seat.

"It must have been your conversational skills that scared her away" laughed Grantaire who sat down next to Enjolras and placed three cups of wine on the table. They were suddenly interrupted by a small girl with black curls and a tattered dress run in to the café and bump in to a patron knocking his drink to the floor with a loud crash drawing everyone's attention. Enjolras watched as the wide-eyed girl ran up to Gavroche and whispered something in to his ear gesturing frantically to the door. Gavroche's eyes widened as he jumped down from the table he was sitting on and ran over to where Enjolras, Courfeyrac and Grantaire sat stunned.

"Whoa, what's the matter Gavroche?" asked Courfeyrac as he grabbed on to the boy to steady him. Ignoring him Gavroche moved to Enjolras' side grabbing his arm and began to pull him up.

"Quickly, you have to help her, they'll kill her" he yelled trying to pull him out of the café

"Who is in trouble? Kill who?" asked Enjolras confused by Gavroche's behaviour

"Belle, Jocelyn Said the men were going to kill her" he yelled frantically. Upon mention of her name Enjolras abandoned his drink and ran out the door quickly followed by the little girl named Jocelyn, Gavroche, Courfeyrac and Grantaire.

~X+X~

Jocelyn Lead them down the dark streets and soon enough muffled screams and the sound of skin hitting skin could be heard coming from an alley across the street. Blinded by his Rage Enjolras didn't stop to think as he ran across the street to the alley mouth leaving his friends behind him. He heard Courfeyrac tell Gavroche to take Jocelyn and go back to the café before two sets of footsteps followed him across. Stopping at the entrance to the alley Enjolras, Courfeyrac and Grantaire found Iribella on the ground her lip had been split and was bleeding, there was a bruise forming on the side of her face near her right eye, she was screaming through a rag that had been shoved into her mouth to muffle her screams and she was crying. The man on top of her had her arms pinned above her head as he lowered his face in to her neck making her cry out more into the rag and kick her feet in futile attempts to get him off of her. The second man had ripped away part of her dress and was now holding the torn material to his face to stop his nose from bleeding.

"What..." Grantaire began as Enjolras rushed towards the man on top of her. Yanking the man up by his collar Enjolras punched him twice in the face and once in the ribs while Grantaire ran to Iribellas side and helping her up moved her away from the second guy who went too grabbed for her but was stopped by Courfeyrac who punched him in the nose making him howl in pain. After recovering briefly from the shock and pain in his nose the second man managed to send his fist flying into Courfeyrac's face successfully giving him a black eye. Enjolras was furious how dare the very men he fights for hurt his Iribella, the first man after recovering from the shock of the sudden interruption and attack punched Enjolras in the ribs making him double over in pain before making his escape from the alley quickly followed by the second man still clutching his nose. Enjolras holding his aching ribs walked over to where Grantaire had sat Iribella down on some wooden crates that had been stacked up near the entrance, he sat next to her rubbing her back gently as she buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed.

"Belle! Are you alright?" asked Gavroche as he ran up to her.

"I told you to go back to the Café" Courfeyrac said as he walked over to Enjolras to check on him. Enjolras merely waved him off with a shake of his head, telling Courfeyrac his was fine.

"I'm fine Gavroche" Belle mumbled as she hugged the small boy to her. Enjolras watched the tears fall from her eyes that where focused on the ground before her.

Looking up Belle met Enjolras' eyes briefly before letting them drop back to the ground ashamed that she had let herself be beaten and almost raped and embarrassed that Enjolras had saved her. Letting go of the boy she gave him a reassuring smile before turning to apologise to Grantaire for ruining his shirt.

"Gavroche run ahead of us and tell Joly that we will be needing his medical expertise" Courfeyrac told him before taking a seat on the empty crate beside Belle. Sighing deeply he watched Gavroche run off before leaning back on the wall and closing his eyes.

"I will go with him" Grantaire announced as he got up from his crate "make sure he gets there this time"

"We better leave before they come back with friends" Enjolras said after a moment of silence had passed between them.

"Good idea" sighed Courfeyrac as he got up from his crate and began to walk back to the café. Enjolras held his hand out to Belle, who looked at it hesitantly before wiping her eyes and placing her hand once again into his. Once she was standing next to him Enjolras placed his hand on the small of her back and together they followed Courfeyrac back to Le Café Des Amis De L'ABC.