I am back with more. Thanks for the review. So, their cause... thing in this is the collection of bad decisions and mistakes we call the War On Terror (from the NSA to CIA to Homeland Security to FBI, none of it went right). There was torture and surveillance, the illegal kind. Pretty bad, and I've got the Amis against the USA on this. Thanks to MaskedMan2 for the review. (::)

"It's empty in the valley of your heart, the sun it rises slowly as you walk, away from all the fears and all the faults you left behind...But I have seen the same, I know the shame in your defeat. And I will hold on hope, and I won't let you choke, on the noose around your neck..."- Mumford and Sons, The Cave.

xxx

Enjolras ends up sleeping on the couch, leaning against Combeferre, who has muted the television. The medical student can't sleep for once, he just stares at the blank wall and keeps one hand on his friend's shoulder. Enjolras is not as tall as they all think. Sometimes it seems like the revolutionary's personality is exploding out of him and making him look bigger than he is.

The clumsy bandages on his wrists are glaringly obvious, a constant reminder of the events of the day. How bad had this gotten? How did he not see this coming? Combeferre knows he has no reason to feel guilty, that it's not really anyone's fault.

And what's the next step? What does he do now? Making Enjolras take medication is nearly impossible- a certain incident when he was on painkillers and purposely distracted everyone so he didn't have to take them until it was four hours past when he should have and he was in so much pain he could barely move came to mind- but what are the other options, if there are any? Does he tell anyone- parents, friends, and does he need to get Enjolras to a psychiatrist?

Okay, not that last one. He can only imagine how that would go. His friend is going to ignore it and claim that he's okay, or fine (although him saying fine is almost code for him saying, It's really bad.) and continue to focus on Stopping The Government.

So now there's a worry about suicidal intent hanging over Combeferre as well. He saw the expression on Enjolras's face when he mentioned suicide. Panic, confusion, how did he find out. Is Combeferre going to have to hide the knives or something? Is this so bad that he's going to have to on watch the whole time? He wouldn't hesitate to do so, if he thought it would help, or, damn it, save his friend. Yet somehow that is an intrusion, a sign of the distrust Combeferre has promised Enjolras he will never have. This was the kind of thing they could see Grantaire doing. Not Enjolras, he was the last one they'd ever think to be this way.

Well he bloody well is and this was the aftermath or the beginning.

Combeferre honestly can't tell.

xxx

It rains for the first time in weeks the next day, a steady downpour that splatters the skylight with little bursts of rainwater. By ten o'clock, Enjolras still hasn't moved from the couch. There's a blanket over him, placed there by Combeferre, that he doesn't have the energy to remove. The medical student does things around the flat, listening to Pandora radio with one earbud. Enjolras has until eleven to do something, otherwise Combeferre will intervene.

Except by eleven the revolutionary is asleep, curled up around a couch pillow wrapped tight in the blanket. Not smiling, not frowning, almost emotionless.

All Combeferre can do is brush his friend's bangs out of his eyes, the most common Enjolras Looks Upset gesture known to anyone. (Has been used about six times. Ever.) He then does his university homework and reads for a little while. The rain is wonderful, they haven't had any in so long. He missed it.

Email from Grantaire.

How is fearless leader?

Don't call him that, and he's okay.

He seems depressed.

Most likely because he is?

Hm. Well, he seems fine to me.

What kind of fine?

...The normal kind. Not his definition. :D

Where is he?

Sleeping.

And that is normal Enjolras behaviour in the middle of the day.

I made him do it...

Watch him.

Combeferre deletes the email conversation and closes his laptop, rubbing his eyes. If Grantaire noticed, someone else must have noticed as well. They just have a little more tact. Actually, Enjolras and Grantaire are the only two without an ounce of tact. Enjolras just kind of barges ahead and gives very little regard to personal emotions, occasionally saying mildly insensitive things to people such as "Yes, well, death can be used to our advantage.", while Grantaire is overly crazy and friendly and usually more than a little drunk. "I AM A DUCK!"

He snickers a little at the memory of that particular incident, causing Light Sleeper Egalitarian Enjolras to wake up.

"What?"

"Nothing, just the duck incident."

"Dear god, no."

"It's painful to me as well. They will never let us back in there."

"I am a duck. A duck with teeth. F- the duck!" Enjolras imitates Grantaire's voice badly and gets up. "Tried to delete that from my memory."

"I'm sure that bloody well worked."

Enjolras laughs half-heartedly and takes some instant coffee from the cupboard. "Well, I'm awake now and I'm sure the Internet wants something out of me today."

"It can't be as bad as the time when-"

"No. Not that. No." He leans against the refrigerator. "Never the peppers again." Enjolras stretches and then suddenly freezes. He stares at his wrists and then remembers. Damn. How did he forget that and not the duck?

Combeferre pretends not to notice and keeps typing. "I have something for you to look at."

"No you don't."

Enjolras brushes it off and disappears into his room to get dressed. Combeferre swears to himself and then remembers the bandages. Thank god for the bandages that his friend won't be able to figure out how to take apart. Jesus, are these the precautions he's going to have to take now?

Apparently Enjolras knows how worried Combeferre is, because he gets dressed at lightspeed, back to long sleeves again. Loose shirt to fit over the awful Ace bandage, and a jacket. The bomber jacket that Combeferre says he looks like America in, not the red one. Red one is YouTube videos and I NEED TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR CONSPIRACY PURPOSES.

"Fine. See, look." The revolutionary holds out his arms, sleeves pushed up. "Fine."

"I never doubted you for a second." Enjolras curls up on an armchair.

"Apparently you should."

"Enjy, you're going to really have to fuck something up badly for me not to trust you and even then I will always be your friend. And as far as I can tell, you haven't. If anything I'm the one to be blamed, because I didn't come through at first. I'm still your friend."

Neither speak.

Neither need to.

xxx

:) More depressing in the next chapter... Also some stuff from the other Amis and a bit from... well, I'll save that for the next chapter won't I?

;)