Author's Note: Yeah...finally new chapter ;)
I want to say a huge thank you to all of you that followed this story, it meant so much to me to have such a postive response to the first chapter - so thank you, thank you, thank you! :)

Special thanks also to ConcreteAngelRoxHerHalo for reading all the chapters beta :)

Chapter 2

"Was it too bad?" Marius asked at the end of the evening, a complacent smirk on his face. Éponine just rolled her eyes, suppressing a mean comment.

Well, actually, Marius was right: The evening had been better than just 'not bad'. To be honest, Éponine had loved to be around people again, around ones who didn't treat like dirt– well, except for Grantaire -, around people who accepted and welcomed her.

Marius didn't even have to ask Éponine to come when he left for the meeting of Les Amis, she attended herself. This time, the students were already greeting her with a grin and a wink; Courfeyrac even got her a beer, even though she didn't really like the expectant look on his face.

Éponine couldn't help but smile when Enjolras stood again on his chair and again, she lost concentration of anything else other than the words leaving his mouth like honey.

Only when he finished and discussions between the students began again did she realize that she had been been holding her breath during the speech. She could feel her heart flattering inside her chest like a nervous bird.

Éponine was sitting next to her nine-year-old brother, Gavroche, who their parents ´had already thrown out onto the streets. His face was dirty and his clothes only rags, but still he seemed happy and satisfied – as long as he got something to eat.

She was deep in her thoughts, watching Marius, who had his back turned to her, the light shimmering in his hair, his hands gesturing as he tried to explain his opinion. She cringed when suddenly someone was in front of her – she hadn't noticed him coming. It was Enjolras, a glass of wine in his hand an inviting, but still serious, look on his face.

"Can I sit?" he asked and, without awaiting her answer, he pulled up a chair from an empty table.

"So...since you've been here a couple of times – Do you actually know what we fight for?" He didn't sound arrogant or boastful, but seemed honestly interested.

Éponine shook her head, slightly embarrassed, but, contrary to her expectations, Enjolras just gave her a little smirk and then sighed.

"We fight for the miserable ones of Paris. We fight for freedom, equality and fraternalism. We fight for the women's and children's rights, for everyone to have a life worth living. We want the same chances for everybody, no matter where they were born. And liberty – for every townsman and every townswomen."

Again, Éponine had lost herself in his flood of words. She couldn't believe that anything from him sounded like a song – and suddenly she wished that she had something she was equally passionate about.

It was agony to Éponine when she had to leave the café at the end of the evening and return to her family. The rest of the time, she had sat with Combeferre, a young student, who strongly believed in the right of education of every citizen. He clearly didn't speak with the same power as Enjolras, but Éponine could feel the same passion and will that also came from the leader of the student group called 'Les Amis de l'ABC'; Combeferre truly believed in what he did.

She walked at her leisure on her way home. She had so much to think about, had learned so much on this evening – a new world had opened to her. She had seen friendship, a family, love – all the things she didn't know herself. She envied these students for their braveness of saying their opinion for their unquestioned belief out loud.

Slowly, Éponine walked along the Seine's bank. She loved watching the bubbling water pouring from the side canals into the main river, the rocking boats dancing up and down and the babbling ducks hiding between them. Often enough she had imagined how it would be to walk along here with Marius, hand in hand, beneath the stars and the silvery moon. He would've stroked her hair and whispered nice things into her ear and she, Éponine, would've just been the happiest person on earth.

But she was only imagining; she realized that long ago. Her visions disappeared at dawn just like the moon and the stars and came back at twilight, when she was alone again.

But Éponine was a grown-up girl. It was time to wake from her dreaming and live her real life – even though there wasn't much to enjoy in reality.

She sighed and turned away from the river, making her way to the centre of Saint-Michele. The little wagon the Thenadiers called their home was placed in a small alley near the café Musain. The one room was only used for sleeping and sometimes –in hard winters –for cooking.

Quietly, Éponine stepped into the wagon. The floor was covered in old sheets and rags, to make it as comfortable as possible. Éponine could identify her sister curled up in her corner. Sighing, she lied down beside her, closed her eyes and rolled on her side. She quickly fell asleep.

Into her dreams, a smoky odour tingled. Still sleepy, she rolled over, trying to doze off again when she realized she wasn't imagining the burning smell.

Within a second, she jumped up, alarmed. Up front, flames were eating away the dry material of the wagon's walls, wandering slowly towards her. Completely in shock, she stood there frozen, unable to move.

Then a small voice resounded from behind her. In the shadows, her eyes filled with terror, Éponine's sister Azelma was still sitting on the ground. "Get up, we have to get out of here!" Éponine shouted, pulling her up from the floor. In panic, she pushed her towards the wagon's door, which was still untouched by the flames. Azelma was jostled into fresh air.

Éponine looked around the alighted wagon. The fire was already everywhere; hectically she looked around for any last few things to take with her, but there wasn't much to be saved. She was just about to exit the wagon when the roof collapsed over her. Scared, she screamed and knelt to the floor, her arms trying to cover her head from harm. She whined when a burning log hit her arm, leaving behind a large wound. Gasping, she stared at the blood flowing from the ripped open skin.

She tried to get up again, lunging for the door knob to get outside - but she couldn't open it. Panic and adrenaline started spreading through her veins, she could feel her heart beating fast and hard. Again, she jolted the handle, trying to open the blocked door – it didn't move at all. She was looked in a burning wagon.

Tears started to fill her eyes for two reasons. The smoke was getting thicker, causing her eyes to burn and water; on the other hand, Éponine had never felt comparable fear. This time, she kicked at the door, screaming, trying to reach the clean air. She started to cough, her throat felt sore and dry.

Caught in the fangs of endless terror, she looked around herself. The flames were steadily moving towards her, closing the circle that surrounded her until now. Behind her, the locked door, next to it a window. Her arm was bleeding strongly; her whole dress was covered with the red, sticky liquid.

Éponine didn't think for a second. She broke the window's glass, punching it through with her fists. Immediately, her hand responded by burning; new cuts were showing, but clean air streamed into the wagon. Without thinking again, Éponine climbed out of the window and fell hard onto the stone ground.

Still in panic, she recovered, looking around for Azelma, but she couldn't find her sister's curly, dark head in the streets. It was early morning, the first sun rays were appearing behind Paris' houses and life in the streets was beginning. The little road was lit up even more by the burning wagon, but Azelma was nowhere to be seen.

"Azelma? 'Zelma!" Éponine screamed, fear filling her lungs with strength. She ran down to the main alley, trying to catch sight of her sister's small body, but the streets were empty except a few early men on their way to work. Interested, they looked at Éponine, covered in blood, grime and dirt, but didn't make any attempts to help her. When they noticed Éponine had caught sight of them, they quickly lowered their heads and hastened their steps.

"Azelma!" Éponine tried a last time, before collapsing finally. Her head hit the ground and she blacked out immediately.

Already the end, I'm sorry, this chapter is so short...:( But I'll continue as fast as possible ;)