Hello Lovelies! Here's chapter 4! Hope you enjoy! Just a warning though... this one gets a little dark...

Disclaimer: Alas, still no.

They had driven around for hours and hadn't found even a trace of Éponine. The only possible link were the multiple P-Ms sprayed over various buildings and fences. Jehan was running his hand through Courfeyrac's hair, fighting sleep when he felt his phone vibrate. Quickly glancing at the caller I-D, he sat up.

"Guys, it's Enjolras." Bousset leaned forward and Courfeyrac slowed down as Jehan answered.

"Hello?" Jehan's face contorted into an expression of confusion and annoyance.

"What? Have they found Ponine yet? Where are they?" Joly questioned, but the poet frowned,

"Hello? Enjolras? R? 'Ferre?"

Courfeyrac frowned now, curiously glancing over to the phone.

"Butt call?"

"I'm not sure, there are noises, but they're all jumbled and slightly muffled."

Shrugging, he flipped the phone closed and glanced back to the road. They were nearing the Motel when he let out a loud shriek. Courfeyrac swerved and the other boys yelled out in surprise.

"Prouvaire! What the?" Joly gasped

"It's ÉPONINE!"

The boys followed his finger to a figure limping down the street. She was dressed in an oversized sweatshirt with REB1832 written on the back and her left leg was dragging slightly. Pulling over, the boys leapt out of the car, calling her name. She turned and Joly nearly fainted. Her right eye was swollen shut, her upper lip was not only split, but swollen as well and her nose was covered in dry blood. Still, seeing her boys come charging after her, she couldn't help but attempt a smile.

"PONINE!" Jehan and Courfeyrac yelled simultaneously, pulling her into a hug. They heard her whimper slightly and pulled away.

"What are you all doing here?" She snapped, it wasn't out of anger, but annoyance and concern.

"We came looking for you of course! I don't think Ferre's slept much since you left."

She looked down guiltily.

"Ponine," Courfeyrac's voice was gentle, "Why?"

She closed her eyes.

"He started to leave notes."

"Who did?" Bahorel asked, fearing he already knew the answer.

"He did. They were small ones, at the Mussain, Gav's bus stop, my apartment, school, all with warnings, so I couldn't take it anymore. I was never going to go back, I just needed the constant torment to end. I came to confront him on my own terms, but they found me first and cornered me. When I awoke, they were gone so I ran, but I knew they weren't finished, because I was still breathing." Tears burned her eyes now and she looked down, she didn't want to see their scolding faces.

"Why didn't you tell one of us?" Bousset whispered, wanting nothing more than to cradle the girl until every horror in her life disappeared.

"Because," she laughed slightly, "For one, I'm a big girl." They moved to protest that a line was crossed with that, but she held up her hand and continued, "And I knew you'd all try to be heroes and do something stupid."

"Us? Do something stupid? C'mon Ponine." Courfeyrac smiled, pulling her into a one armed hug.

"Where are the others?" She questioned, noticing the one she was in most need of was MIA.

"Well 'Sette and 'Chetta checked the hospitals and clinics in the area, we searched the outer streets, Feuilly and Marius took your local haunts and um…." Bahorel stopped, knowing she'd murder them for letting the three idiots take their route.

"What, Ferre, R, and Enj went straight to the den or something." She couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous thought, but froze when she noticed all five boys looking at each other nervously. Her eyes narrowed.

"They didn't." She whispered dangerously.

"Ferre's been beside himself since you've gone missing! He snapped, Ponine, snapped! We'd never seen him like that! He made Enjolras afraid! ENJOLRAS!" Courfeyrac emphasized, trying to cool the young woman's anger.

"While that's extremely flattering, there's a difference between snapping and becoming completely suicidal." She returned, feeling a rush of affection and anger towards her boyfriend. Doing another mental count, she realized one person was missing.

"Hold on. Where's Gav?" She questioned nervously. Jehan's smile allowed her to ease slightly, even though they were nearing the Motel's parking lot.

"He wanted to come with us, but I'd never seen Grantaire deny that child so quickly, let alone at all. Don't worry, he's…" Just then, Joly's phone started ringing.

"It's 'Chetta." He informed them before taking the call.

"Chetta? Guess what, we… What?" They could hear Musichetta hysteria through the phone and Éponine swayed slightly, catching Bahorel for support.

"Chetta, calm down! He's probably at the ice cream shop. What do you mean the place is a wreck? 'Chetta I can't understand what're you saying, who?"

Joly's face soon drained of color. He found Bousset's arm and began to dig his nails into his bicep. Pulling the phone away from his ear, he addressed the group, struggling for words.

"Cosette and 'Chetta went back to the Musain and everything was a wreck. Glass shattered, tables turned over, the owner was unconscious. And Gav wasn't there. When the owner came too, he said a young greasy looking fellow had come in and." But Joly couldn't finish for they had reached the parking lot. Taking in the surroundings Bahorel swore loudly, Jehan flit over to Courfeyrac and Éponine nearly collapsed.

At first glance, it had looked like all hell had broken loose. There were broken bottles, dropped knives, someone's cell phone, an abandoned car, and several pools of blood. Without skipping a beat, they'd all recognized Enjolras's phone with the bright red case, cracked on the pavement. Gavroche's hat was also tossed aside, along with several of Grantaire's many pieces of jewelry, Montparnasse's knife lay just beyond. Then, near the largest pile of blood, Éponine fell to her knees, picking up a remnant of the horrible fight. The boys surrounded her, taking in what she was cradling in her arms as if it was her own child. There, filthy and cracked in her hands, were Combeferre's glasses.

"Ponine, we'll find them." Jehan whispered, fighting back tears. She remained silent, breathing heavily, tears dripping slowly down her battered face. Finally she spoke.

"I never should have told anyone. All this should have been kept secret"

"Ponine," Courfeyrac began, but she ignored him.

"I should've kept my mouth shut, hidden away when it got bad. I shouldn't have left him. This is all my fault." She cried, pulling Combeferre's glasses to her lips, whispering incoherently to them.

"Ponine, none of this is your fault!" Joly insisted, but she rose to face them and for as small as she was, they had never cowered so much in their lives.

"Yes it is! Because of my foolishness and selfishness I've put everyone in danger! Your mere association with me is a danger! His plan was to use Gavroche to get to me and now, because I ran away last night instead of letting him finish me, he not only has Gav, but also Enjolras and Grantaire and Combeferre! Because I was stupid and self centered enough to run away from certain death I've put everyone I love in danger." She was hysterical now, tears flowing rapidly and eyes ablaze with anger.

"I should have died last night, then everyone would have been safer, happier even! I don't deserve anyone's kindness or affection or care because all I burden them with an expiration date guarantee. If he's using them to get to me, fine, I'll turn myself in." She paused, overcome by a violent bout of sobs, once again falling to her knees. The boys stared at her in horror. How much hell could one person go through to undo every bit of joy in their life? Courfeyrac wanted to tell her that she was dead wrong with everything she had just said, and how broken they'd all be if something terrible happened to her, but she beat him to it.

"I'm going to him."

"Not alone you're not." Bahorel insisted, although any authority in his voice was drained after Éponine's outburst.

"Yes alone," she snarled. "I'm not putting you in danger as well. I'm done ruining lives. If he gets me, he'll let them go and everyone will be safer."

"You won't be." Bousset whispered.

"It doesn't matter." She stated flatly. "That never mattered."

"It's always mattered!" If they hadn't seen Jehan's lips move, they wouldn't have believed the little poet had the capability raise his voice so angrily.

"Éponine Thénardier you have got to pull you head out of your ass and realize when you are wrong!" She stared at him wide eyed, her mouth hanging open slightly at the way he was addressing her.

"You have never put any of us in anymore danger than life throws at us daily. We're Les Amis d'Abassie for cripes sake, we follow Enjolras! The man is about as oblivious to danger as Pontmercy is to the rest of the world! But I wouldn't be surprised if we followed him to fight a cause that would result in our immediate death. But that's beside the point, you, my dear, beautiful Éponine, are the farthest from self-centered as can be physically possible. You are worth more to everyone in this group than you could possibly know and after Bastille Day we nearly broke, seeing you tortured like that. Don't ever say you should have died because if you die, Les Amis would die with you. You are an anchor, sister, mother, lover, teacher, leader, and inspiration for us all and if we lost you, I can't even put to words the heartbreak and destruction to this world it would cause." He moved forward to take her face in his hands, gently wiping away her tears. "You have to realize my dear that you're never going to be alone in this. We'll give flesh and blood to keep you safe from harm. Please, please let us come with you and never let me catch you saying words like those again." He finished, kissing her lightly on the forehead before pulling her into a hug. Overwhelmed by everything he'd told her and the reassuring smiles of the boys behind her, she buried her face in the poet's shirt, taking in his beautiful floral scents. Soon, other smells flooded her nose and she looked up to see that she was engulfed in a group hug, and she couldn't help but smile. Pulling away, she clung to Combeferre's glasses.

"It'll be dangerous. They're all going to be there."

"Pft, Ponine, dangerous is stealing Enjolras's red jacket before a rally and forcing him to watch Marie Antoinette to get it back, this is nothing." Courfeyrac jested, causing her to laugh.

"I'm assuming you know where they went?" Bousset questioned, not wanting to picture the location.

She nodded solemnly. "The warehouse by the docks."

"Where else." Joly cringed, already fearing all the germs that probably lurked by the waterfront.

Hope you enjoyed! Leave a review! =D