Marius had been observing the meeting of the Les Amis when heard the door behind him open and shut. He slowly turned around and saw Enjolras approaching the group, he quietly walked over to him. "It's good to see you here," he smiled.

Enjolras just nodded his head slightly as he stood beside the filmmaker.

"Would you please introduce yourself? You may pull up a chair if you like," John turned to Enjolras.

Enjolras grabbed a chair and placed it next to Combeferre, "I'm Alex Enjolras."

"Alright, care to tell us about yourself?" John asked.

Enjolras paused, he had been caught somewhat off guard. He inhaled deeply, "Alex Enjolras and I was diagnosed with HIV six months ago."

"Is there anything else you would like to say to the group?" John continued.

"N-" Enjolras stopped himself from saying no, "actually..." he paused, "I have been afraid."

"Are you afraid of anything in particular?" John kept his tone calm and even.

"Afraid of losing..." Enjolras could hardly believe he was voicing these fears to people he had just met, but he felt safe. "I've lost so much already, my family, my... I'm afraid if losing my dignity, then I would be nothing."

"We all have our fears," John smiled, "it's good you are able to talk about it."

Enjolras just nodded his head slightly and listened as everyone else went around speaking. When the meeting was over and they started walking out of the community center.

"Alex, I'm glad you came," Combeferre put a hand on Enjolras shoulder.

Enjolras turned to his friend, "I suppose you were right."

"Hey guys sorry I'm late," Courfeyrac panted, "woah Enjolras..." he paused, "you actually left the loft?"

"Don't act so surprised," Enjolras turned to Courfeyrac.

"Yeah but-" Courfeyrac was silenced by Marius elbowing him in the ribs.

"We've gotta do some stuff before Cosette's protest tonight," Combeferre started, "you want to come with us?"

"Oh honey they wouldn't want to tag along with us!" Jeanne smiled mischievously.

"Right!" Courfeyrac sensed what was going on, "gotta go interrogate our favorite hermit crab as to why he came out of his shell, right Marius?" His comment earned him an icy glare from Enjolras.

"What?" Marius pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Three of us. We leave. Right now," Courfeyrac spoke in very distinctive beats, "now!"

Marius glanced from Courfeyrac to Combeferre and Jeanne, "Oh... Right we'll be going now, come on Enjolras."

Jeanne giggled as the three of them walked away, "Alone at last," she smiled at Combeferre.

"At last?" Combeferre laughed somewhat nervously.

"I've been hearing violins all night," There was a sparkle in Jeanne's eyes.

Combeferre ran a hand through his hair, "Anything to do with me?"

Jeanne took Combeferre's hand and intertwined her fingers in how own, "Baby, it has everything to do with you," she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek causing Combeferre to blush.

"Let's go, we're going to get you a coat," Jeanne smiled.

"Jeanne, you are such an angel," Combeferre sighed, "you don't have to do this."

"It's Christmas," Jeanne replied, "you deserve to have a merry one."
xxxxx

"I can't believe you," Marius shook his head, "a girl, a nice girl stops in to see you and you end up in an argument?"

"You don't understand!" Enjolras snapped, "I wasn't interested, and even if I was it can't work!"

"Okay, but besides that!" Marius continued.

"You have to admit this is typical," Courfeyrac elbowed Marius.

"She's a junkie," Enjolras replied.

"You are out of the loft for the first time in six months!" Marius was growing more and more frustrated.

"Alright, she was a nice girl but she is poisoning herself with those drugs!" Enjolras argued.

"What happened to the Enjolras who fought for anyone?" Courfeyrac stopped Enjolras, "you didn't used to care, but then again you used to have passion and fire in your heart."

Enjolras glanced away when he saw a figure wrapped in a long tan coat, "Wait, there she is."

Courfeyrac looked in the same direction and grinned, "Well, well you've done good for yourself."

"Wait I can't see, what... Cosette?" Marius looked as well.

"Clean your glasses, that is not your psychotic ex," Courfeyrac chuckled.

"Cosette is not psychotic," Marius spoke defensively, "She's just..."

"A Sociopath?" Courfeyrac filled in.

Marius glared at his friend and adjusted his glasses.

"That isn't Cosette, Pontmercy," Enjolras turned to Marius, "that girl's name is Éponine."

"She looks nice," Marius commented.

"I'm going back," Enjolras commented as the wind continued to blow, "don't want to get stuck in the snow."

"No you aren't going anywhere!" Courfeyrac gripped his shoulder tightly, "I won't let go until you go and talk to her."

Enjolras huffed, "Why are you making me do this."

"At least apologize for being an ass," Courfeyrac spoke sternly, "alright she has screwed up in her life... Who knows, maybe you could help her? That's what you've always wanted to do, isn't it?"

Enjolras sighed, "Fine, I'll go." He started walking towards Éponine who was walking in the direction of a shady looking man.

"Hey!" Enjolras called out to her.

"Hey," Éponine replied less then enthusiastically.

"I just wanted to-" Enjolras paused, "I wanted to say I... I'm sorry about the way I shouted at-"

"Forget it," Éponine turned away from him, "I don't want to hear any more of your crap about me and what I've chosen to-"

"Can I make it up to you?" Enjolras' anger slowly subsided and he felt guilty for what he had done and said to her.

"How?" Éponine's voice was biting.

"After the protest, my friends and I are getting together at the Life Cafe," Enjolras shrugged.

"That works," A slight smile played on Éponine's lips.

"Hey blondie boy, cutie pie," The very tall dark man approached and shoved Enjolras hard, "you steal my client and you will wish you had never been born."

"You've got more than enough customers," Enjolras snarled as he shoved him back and stood protectively in front of Éponine, as if shielding her. "What's one more or less when you don't even know her name." He put his hands on Éponine's shoulders and walked her away from the man.

Éponine slightly smiled to herself as she walked away from her dealer, perhaps this could be a good night after all.

"Guys, this is Éponine," Enjolras introduced her to Courfeyrac and Marius.

"Pleased to meet you," Éponine shook their hands.

"The pleasure is all mine," Courfeyrac winked flirtatiously, "by the way, my name is Courfeyrac."

Éponine giggled when Enjolras elbowed him in the stomach causing him to double over.

"I'm Marius," Marius held out his right hand as he adjusted his glasses with his left.

"You're kinda cute," Éponine teased.

A blush spread across Marius pale cheeks at Éponine's comment but he still remained composed, "So what were you doing in this part of town?"

Éponine shrugged her shoulders, "Heard tales of some sort if protest by a crazy chick," she admitted, "figured I had time to kill."

"See, I'm not the only one who thinks she's crazy," Courfeyrac interjected.

"Whose crazy?" Éponine cocked her head.

"This boy," Courfeyrac plopped his hand on Marius' shoulder, "is the ex-boyfriend of that girl," he pointed to one if the nearby posters advertising Cosette's protest.

Éponine looked back and forth between Marius and the poster before she burst out laughing, "You? A sweet looking guy like you?"

Marius hung his head in embarrassment as everyone got their laughs out.

"I'm sorry honey," Éponine smiled as she finally got control of herself, "so what happened between you two?"

Marius inhaled deeply, "She left me for a lawyer..." He then put a smile on his face, "but I'm over her now."

"Bullshit," Courfeyrac tried to hide his response in a sneeze, it didn't work and received glares from both Marius and Enjolras.

Éponine couldn't help but laugh, "I like you," she smiled at Courfeyrac.

"Thanks sweetheart," Courfeyrac smiled, "see, at least someone appreciates me."

Éponine let out a laugh, "So are we going to the protest or not?"

Together they all entered the performance space, "'Ponine?!" Someone shouted from a distance away.

Éponine glanced around and grinned, "Jeanne!" she dashed towards where her friend was standing.

"It's so good to see you!" Éponine threw her arms around the drag queen and laughed.

"So honey are you here with anyone?" Jeanne smiled.

"Actually yes," Éponine smiled, "and it appears you are too?" she turned to Combeferre, "name is Éponine Thenardier," she held out her hand to him.

" Tom Combeferre," he smiled and shook her hand.

"So you said you were with someone?" Jeanne asked once again.

"Here they come," Éponine smiled as Courfeyrac, Marius and Enjolras approached.

Combeferre cocked his head, "You know those guys?"

"Only slightly," Éponine shrugged, she didn't want to go into too much detail about the situation, and even she wasn't too sure what was going on.

"I see you've met our new friend Éponine?" Courfeyrac sidled up to them, "lovely gal isn't she?" he smiled.

A loud bout of cheering interrupted them, and there was the roar of a motorcycle engine that went right through the sea of people. It finally came to a stop in front of the makeshift stage. The woman riding the motorcycle walked up onto the stage. She pulled off her helmet to reveal a mop of curly brown hair that reached just past her chin. The ends of her hair had been bleached to a blonde color. Two slightly longer pieces framed her heart shaped face and were bright pink.

With a smirk on her face she peeled off her white faux leather coat, "What up New York City?!" Cosette called out to her audience.

She waited for the cheering to die down, she inhaled deeply and began.

"Last night I had a dream," Cosette began, "I found myself in a desert called Cyberland."

Courfeyrac struggled not to laugh as he watched the protest unfold before him.

"Knock it off," Marius hissed.

"It's funny and you know it," Courfeyrac whispered back to him.

Marius said nothing as he watched his ex-girlfriend on the stage, off to the side he could see Musichetta watching with a proud smile on her face. Marius let out a deep sigh, and simply continued to watch.

"I've gotta get out of here!" Cosette all but howled, "It's like I'm being tied to the hood of a yellow rental truck being packed in with fertilizer and fuel oil! Pushed over a cliff by a suicidal Mickey Mouse!"

"Does she always act like this?" Éponine asked Enjolras.

Enjolras smiled a little, "Cosette always did have flair for the dramatics."

"That's what you call this?" Éponine turned to him.

"I don't even know what to call this," Enjolras laughed slightly.

"Then a little bulldog entered," Cosette frowned, "his name we have learned was Montparnasse," Cosette gestured to where Montparnasse stood in the crowd with his "investors".

"Although he once had principles he abandoned them to live as a lap dog to a wealthy daughter of the revolution." Cosette reached behind the sound board and placed a fedora not unlike the one Montparnasse was currently wearing on her head.

"A 1, 2, 3... That's bull Parnasse said, ever since that cat took up the fiddle that cow's been jumpy. The dish and the spoon were evicted from the table and eloped, she's had trouble with that milk and the moon ever since, maybe it's a female thing?" She grabbed at her breasts.

"I'm not sure weather to laugh or be utterly horrified," Éponine giggled.

"I'm sure either reaction is appropriate at this time," Enjolras replied to her.

"Moo with me!" Cosette called out to the crowd.

The audience responded enthusiastically to Cosette's call. It had been very successful and everyone was about to take their leave when a drunk man got involved with the police who had been stationed about. Within minutes one fight turned into fifteen and the space erupted in chaos. Police came charging in with riot shields soon it was nearly impossible to get out.

Enjolras grabbed onto Éponine's hand, "Come on we've got to go now!" He pulled her along and they didn't stop until they stood in front of the Life Cafe.

Musichetta and Cosette had gone down another street and met them there.

"Fuck Parnasse, he got exactly what he wanted," Cosette huffed, "he screwed up my protest, got people arrested-"

"The cops can't hold them for long, they'll let them go in a couple of hours," Musichetta tried to calm here when she spotted the others."Is everyone alright?" she asked.

"We're fine,"Courfeyrac replied.

"Hey, where's Marius?" Cosette asked.

"I don't know," Enjolras shrugged, "we'll wait for him inside, I'm sure he's fine."

They all walked into the Life Cafe and within five minutes after their arrival Marius had come back. With a large smile on his face he walked over to where Cosette and Musichetta were standing. "Tonight on the 11 o'clock news the top story is going to be your protest," Marius turned to Cosette.

"How do you know that?" Cosette knit her brows together.

"They bought my footage of the riot," Marius grinned.

"Are you serious?" Cosette's eyes were wide, "how can I ever thank you?" She then grabbed the lapels of Marius coat and pulled him in for a passionate kiss. When they broke apart Marius was as red as a tomato, the color even went to the tips of his ears.

"Let the boy but us dinner," Musichetta intervened.

Marius sighed with a smile still on his face they all walked to the hostess stand to be seated.

"Not you," The manager sighed, "we have an important customer here tonight."

"What? You can't do that!" Marius protested.

"You sit here all night but you never order anything!" The manager glared at Marius.

"That's not true," Marius folded his arms across his chest, "I had a tea the other day."

"You couldn't pay," The manager reminded him.

"Oh yeah," Marius pushed back his hair with a slight laugh.

Jeanne walked up to the front, "Well tonight we can!" she flashed a large amount of money, "Ka-pow!"

"Fine, fine," the manager relented, "just don't move the tables-"

"Hey Rosie let's put these tables together!" Jeanne gestured to a small group of people who appeared to be her friends.

"Why it's Alexandre Enjolras!" Someone called out.

Enjolras looked around and spotted who had called to him, "Joly?"

"Mind if we join you," Joly inquired.

"Alright," Enjolras shrugged as Joly and two others pushed the tables together.

Marius and Courfeyrac across from Enjolras and Éponine, near where Joly and his two friends sat. "You remember Laigle and Bahorel, right?" Joly introduced them.

"Of course, are you still doing residency at Montefiore hospital?-"

"Benoit Monparnasse the third, the enemy of avenue A," Cosette stood at the end of the table glaring at where Montparnasse sat with both Marius' uncle and grandfather who had their eyes on the young filmmaker.

"You've got an awful lot of nerve showing up here after what just happened," Combeferre spoke in a cautious tone.

Montparnasse approached the table, "Look, that wasn't what I wanted to happen."

"You called the cops," Enjolras reminded him.

"I didn't want it to get out if hand," Montparnasse continued.

"Go to hell," Cosette glowered.

Courfeyrac called out to Montpsrnasse, "Why did Muffy-"

"Adelaide," Momtparnasse interjected.

"-miss the show?" Courfeyrac finished.

"There was a death in the family if you must know," Montpsrnasse turned to Courfeyrac.

"Who died?" Jeanne spoke up with a look of concern on her face.

"Our Akita," Montparnasse sighed,"Evita."

Jeanne's face paled as she appeared to be trying to sink down into her chair. Courfeyrac laughed loudly as he made the connection between Jeanne and Montparnasse.

"Éponine, I'm surprised to see you here," Montparnasse took notice of the dancer, "with these slackers, who don't adhere to deals," he glanced at Marius. "I'm only trying to help you all, Bohemia is long dead, there is nothing left for you here."

Marius stood up, "I think we'll know when there is nothing left for us here, and as of right now we are doing just fine."

"Amen!" Someone far at the end if the table called.

"Marius Georges Pontmercy what are you doing amongst this riff-raff?" His grandfather called out to him.

Marius was not going to stand for it, "These 'riff-raff' are my friends," he replied, "besides, last time I checked you threw me out," he then turned to Montparnasse. "Does he not do well for filling in my shoes?"

His grandfather appeared to be fuming, "I will not stand for this!"

"Too bad," Marius smirked, "there are twenty of us and three of you."

"That's a disease ridden lot if you ask me," Theodule spoke in a low tone, it was clear wasn't talking about just any disease.

"Some of my best friends are part of this 'disease-ridden' lot," Marius replied, "I bet you couldn't pick them out at first glance, they are just like everyone else-"

"Like us," Combeferre stood up with Jeanne.

"And me," Éponine stood up resolutely, although she had not wanted Enjolras to find out this way.

"Me too," Enjolras stood up beside her, Éponine's eyes widened in shock.

"You're the Enjolras boy," Theodule commented, "always thought you were better than all that-"

"I didn't get it through sex or drugs," Enjolras replied, "I got it from a blood transfusion."

"Blood transfusion?" Marius' Grandfather cut in, "preposterous!"

"Actually it's not," Joly stood up.

"Young man just who might you be?" Theodule turned to Joly.

"I'm Laurent Joly, a Doctor doing residency at Montefiore hospital," Joly introduced himself, "it's been known for awhile that HIV/AIDS can be transferred not only through sexual intercourse, but mother to child and through blood as well, it's only people like you who keep insisting on calling it the 'Gay Cancer', you're in the wrong, pick up a newspaper for a change."

Everyone around the table clapped loudly as Joly beamed brightly.

"You have AIDS?" Éponine asked Enjolras.

"Yeah," Enjolras replied, "and apparently so do you."

"I think we've both got some explaining to do, let's go outside," Éponine picked up her coat and walked towards the back door.

Enjolras soon followed her into the snow covered alley, "So why didn't you tell me?" he dove right in to the heart of the problem.

"What? That I have AIDS?" Éponine asked, "not exactly romantic is it? Besides, I just wanted some company... Not in the sexual sense." she added, "you just wouldn't listen."

"I know, and I'm sorry about that," Enjolras sighed, "It's just I've never been good with women, they usually asked me out."

"You are an odd one," Éponine smiled.

"I just didn't think it mattered, I wanted to try and change the world," Enjolras replied, "hell I wanted to be Superman when I grew up," he smiled at the memory.

"That's cute," Éponine replied, "so you forgot to have time for yourself because the world needed fixing?"

"I suppose, if that's how you want to say it," Enjolras replied.

"Do you think you might want to start taking care of yourself first for a change?" Éponine asked, "It doesn't have to be serious, it's just that I-"

"What are you trying to say?" Enjolras asked.

"I like you, at least I think I do," Éponine blushed slightly, "ever since I knocked on your door tonight, I even blew the candle out to get back in," she admitted.

"I knew it," Enjolras smiled.

"So do you think we could try it?" Éponine asked.

"Try what?" Enjolras cocked his head.

"Man you are dense," Éponine smirked, "do you think we could try you and and me being together?"

Enjolras began to stutter slightly, "I-I I don't kn-"

He was cut off by Éponine pulling his face close to hers and kissing him slowly and gently. When they broke apart she smiled, "How did that feel?"

Enjolras was slightly dumbstruck, "Nice... I guess."

Éponine giggled before leaning in and kissing him again, it was still gentle but deeper this time. "How about now?"

"Good," Enjolras decided, maybe he could look past Éponine's flaws and help her out. "Does this work for you?" He tentatively leaned in and kissed her back.

"Yes it does," Éponine replied, "we should probably get back before they start to wonder what type of mischief we are getting into."

Inside the Cafe Marius' Grandfather, Uncle and Montparnasse had departed quickly much to the delight of the Bohemians. Everyone had ordered drinks to celebrate, after all it was still Christmas Eve, wasn't that an excuse in itself?

"Where is Enjolras?" Marius asked.

"I think he and Éponine went outside for a bit, I'll go look for them," Courfeyrac volunteered.

He walked to the back door to find Éponine and Enjolras standing just inside of it kissing each other. A large grin spread across Courfeyrac's face, "Yoo hoo, love birds," he teased. It got their attention and they immediately broke apart.

Courfeyrac turned and walked out proudly with Enjolras taking Éponine's hand following Courfeyrac looking embarrassed.

"My I announce the 1996 couple of the year?" Courfeyrac announced, "Éponine Thenardier and Alex Enjolras!"

All the bohemians erupted in loud applause as Enjolras and Eponine quickly took their seats at the table.

"How did you neglect to tell me your first name was Alex?" Éponine whispered to him.

"Slipped my mind," Enjolras shrugged.

"No excuse," Éponine replied in a scolding but playful tone.

"How can I make it up to you?" Enjolras asked.

"Spend the night at my place, I'll make you Christmas breakfast," Éponine decided.

"I think I can live with that," Enjolras smiled.

Throughout the night many congratulations were said and as more drinks were ordered and more off key Christmas songs were sung. They didn't depart from the cafe until they were forced to leave around two in the morning. All the while no one really thought how much everything had changed in the last twenty four hours. They probably would not realize what happened until years later, as this was the start of a most amazing group of friends.