Last revised September 7, 2016


Joly marveled at how heavy Eponine felt in his arms.

It made little sense, considering how fragile she was. He could clearly see the sharp lines and angles of bone protruding from her pale skin. Her limbs felt so frail in his hold he feared they would break if he held her too tightly. By the looks of her, she ought to weigh nothing at all.

And yet … something weighed her down.

When he finally made it to his apartment, Joly wasted no time in carrying Eponine into his room and laying her gently onto the bed. She did not stir as he stroked a hand along her cheek and brushed back a few strands of her mud-slicked hair. He felt her forehead and let out a sigh of relief. No fever. Thank God. Then he looked down at the dark, angry bruises along her shoulders and arms and his stomach turned.

Those bastards. How could they treat a young woman like this? If her arms looked this bad, he could only imagine what her back looked like. He reached for the collar of her wet chemise and began to slip it off her shoulder...

And then he froze. His hand – which still gripped the drenched fabric – began to shake as heat crept up his neck all the way to the tips of his ears. It … it was standard procedure! Eponine could not stay in these wet clothes. Besides, he needed access to her injuries if he was going to get them treated properly. But looking at Eponine's unconscious face made him burn in shame. He'd bet anything in the world that she wasn't wearing anything under her chemise. Honestly, the proof was right there in front of him. The rain-soaked fabric clung to each dip and curve, leaving very little to the imagination.

With a gulp, Joly respectfully brought his gaze back up to her face. Mon Dieu, why was he so nervous? This wouldn't be the first time he undressed a patient and God knows it wouldn't be the first time he undressed a woman, patient or otherwise. But … this was Eponine! The very thought of yanking her clothes off while she was unconscious made him sick.

Joly groaned and covered his face with one hand. Get it together, man. You're a doctor, for God's sakes. With a steadying breath, Joly straightened and continued to pull the chemise down, exposing sharp collarbones, the beginning of the swell of chest …

Eponine's eyes flew open.

Joly stilled. Eponine stared blankly up at him. His hands still gripped her wet clothes where they'd been pulled halfway to her elbows.

"Um …" Joly chuckled awkwardly. "G-good morning, Eponine. I see you're awake now."

Eponine blinked and did not move.

"Um, Eponine, this isn't what it ..."

Her fist came flying and smashed into his jaw with a loud crack.

"Ow!" Joly cried, tumbling to the floor. Eponine scrambled to the head of the bed and frantically yanked up her chemise.

"You lech!" she shrieked. "You pervert! What do you think you're doin'?"

"Nothing! Nothing!" Joly staggered to his feet, holding his chin with one hand and waving at Eponine with the other. "Eponine, calm down, I wasn't ..."

"Stay back! Don't you dare come near me!" Eponine crossed her arms over her chest and pressed her back against the headboard, looking like a cornered cat ready to strike.

"Eponine, it's okay. I wasn't trying to ..."

"You were tryin' to take my clothes off!"

"No, I mean … yes, but not to ..." Joly gulped, flushing. "I-I was just trying to treat your injuries, that's all!"

For several long seconds Eponine glared back at him, still curled into her protective ball.

"You ..." She blinked, the storm clearing from her eyes. "You weren't tryin' to ..."

Joly flinched. "No, Eponine. I … I would never do that."

"Oh ..." Ever so slowly, the gamine's body relaxed, like the unraveling of a knot. Then she blanched, her hands flying to her mouth. "Oh! Oh, M'sieur Joly! Pardon!"

"Haha, that's alright," Joly laughed, rubbing his swelling chin. "I-I understand it was just your instincts kicking in."

"Oh, M'sieur." Eponine leapt of off the bed and ran to the boy, reaching up to touch his chin gently. "Really, why are you always doin' things to make me take a swing at you?"

Joly chuckled. "Just me being an idiot as usual, I guess."

Eponine gave him an incredulous snort. "You're ridiculous, M'sieur."

"Yes, I know," Joly replied, his expression turning somber as he added, "But it seems you're in worse shape than I am, Eponine."

Eponine followed his gaze to her hideously bruised arms. "Oh ... t'is nothin'." She shrugged. "I've had much worse than this before."

The resignation in her voice filled Joly with dismay. "Are you in pain?"

"Um … a little sore, I guess. Nothin' I can't handle."

"Well ... I would still like to take a look at that, just to be sure. And if you'd like ..." Joly placed a careful hand on her shoulder. "I could rub some salve over those bruises to make them heal faster."

Eponine blinked up at him. "Sure, that ... sounds nice."

"And ... you're still going to need to get out of those wet clothes, Eponine."

The gamine's eyes flashed and she stepped away from Joly, wrapping her arms about herself tightly.

"Come now, Eponine, look at you." Joly waved a hand over her. "You're shaking with cold. You'll get sick if you stay like this."

Eponine's eyes flit about uncomfortably. "I-I've got nothin' to change into, M'sieur."

"Here. I've got a spare patient's robe you can borrow," Joly replied, walking over to his closet and pulling out a white garment. Turning back to her with a smile, he added, "And how about I draw you a nice hot bath while you get changed?"

Eponine's jaw dropped. "A bath?"

"Yes, of course! I think a soak would do you plenty of good." Joly looked over her and winked. "And no offense, Eponine, but you're pretty filthy."

Eponine could not have heard him correctly. He wanted to draw her a bath? As in a full bath? In the tub? Water and soap? Head to toe?

Joly quirked an eyebrow at her. "What's the matter? You do know how to bathe yourself, don't you?"

Eponine started and spluttered, "O-of course, I do!"

"Good! I'll get it ready for you, then," Joly said, laying the robe over the end of the bed. "Just wait right here."

"Wait, you ... you're serious? Y-you're really goin' to let me take a bath in that fancy tub of yours?"

"Sure, Eponine."

"I ..." The gamine blinked rapidly, her eyes turning strangely wet. "I-I don't know what to say."

Joly stared at Eponine in amazement. At the way her lips quivered. At how she fought back tears. He never thought something as simple as a bath could inspire such an emotional reaction from her. Just how much has this poor girl suffered in all her life?

"Oh, Eponine." Joly reached up and lightly stroked her muddy cheek. "It is my pleasure to do this for you. You've had such a rough day." He gestured toward the bed. "Just relax and get into that robe. I'll come back for you once the bath's ready. It shouldn't take long."

Shaking fingers reached up and covered his where they rested against her cheek. And then a grateful smile broke over Eponine's face like the soft, rose hues of dawn.

"Joly ... merci beaucoup."

He could not speak. That smile. That breathtaking smile he'd seen light her face so many times before for Marius and never once for him until now. He wasn't quite sure why his mind saw fit to compare the two. This smile was out of pure gratitude, not out of anything romantic. Yet he could not deny that the affection in her eyes lit a warmth in him that burned to his very core. And as he slowly stepped away from her and out of the washroom, he found himself wondering just what else he could do to see that smile blossom for him again.


Eponine fell backward onto the bed, dizzy with excitement. Was this a dream? Was she really lying on top of this warm, soft mattress about to get her first real bath in nearly ten years? The idea made her want to sing and dance and twirl about the room. A bath ... a real bath! How long had she only dared to dream of such a thing? Memories of warm, bubbling water and sweet-smelling soap from her childhood washed over her, making her wriggle with delight. She closed her eyes and floated blissfully through those remembrances, leaving behind the sting of the bruises on her flesh, the chill of the rainwater clinging to her skin, the itchiness of the drying mud caked to her hair and fingers.

If only she could leave behind the lingering ache in her chest ... the piercing of the shards remaining of her thoroughly broken heart ...

Eponine flew up from the bed and clutched her head in her hands. She shuddered. No ... stop. Stop this, 'Ponine. There's no use in thinking any more on such things.

The gamine sighed and rubbed her bleary eyes. Wasn't there something else M'sieur Joly asked her to do? Oh, yes. The robe. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, stood to her feet and turned around to look toward the end of the bed.

"Oh!" Eponine clapped a hand over her mouth in mortification. The once pristine sheets where she'd lain were soaked through with rainwater, and the imprint of her body had left streaks of mud all over the fabric. Oh no . Her eyes traveled down to the robe that still lay there, clean and spotless. Oh no, no, no. She couldn't soil any more of Joly's fine things with her filth. Thinking quickly, she wriggled out of her wet chemise and skirt, which fell to the floor with a loud splat. Then she stripped the stained sheets off of the bed and wrapped them around her naked form, leaving the robe untouched where it lay.

"Eponine?" came Joly's voice, followed by a knock. "The bath's ready. May I come in?"

"Um … oui, M'sieur."

Joly opened the door, humming under his breath, and nearly staggered backward in shock when he stepped through the door.

There stood Eponine … wearing a bed sheet! His bed sheet! Or ... drowning in his bed sheet was more like it. Her tiny, emaciated body was completely swallowed up in the fabric, which she seemed to have wrapped around herself at least six times.

"Um, Eponine?" He gulped. "Why are you ..."

"I didn't want to get the robe dirty!" Eponine explained, teetering unsteadily as the ends of the sheet bunched around her feet. "I already got enough mud on these sheets and … I figured it'd make more sense just to wear this for now and then put the robe on after the bath."

"Oh, okay, that …" Joly tugged at his collar. "I suppose that does make sense." He looked her over, flushed, and looked away. "Um, do you need me to help you walk?"

"No, no, I can do it. Just lead the way."

"Well … okay." Keeping his eyes on the floor, Joly walked over and retrieved the robe from the end of the bed. Then he gestured toward the door and said, "This way, mon cherie."

Joly heard Eponine grumble something before hopping forward. Glancing back over his shoulder, he held back a snort of laughter as he watched her shuffle clumsily, her hands yanking up the fabric in a bid to make room for her feet. She looked absolutely adorable. And she really did a fine job of wrapping herself, hiding her modesty completely.

Still … that did not change the fact that she happened to be wearing his bed sheet.

A delicious waft of steam welcomed them as they made their way into the bathroom. Joly heard Eponine gasp in delight at the sight of the sparkling water that filled the tub to the brim. He turned to her, and by the ecstatic way she was looking at that tub, you would have thought she had stumbled upon a chest full of jewels.

"There's soap!" she cried, hopping forward until she reached the tub's edge. She grabbed the small, yellow cake in her hand and waved it about like a child who'd just opened her Christmas present.

Joly guffawed. "Of course there's soap, silly Mademoiselle. You think I'd let you take a bath without soap? Do you take me for a barbarian?"

"Oh, you don't understand, M'sieur," Eponine sighed. "It's been so, so long since I've had a good cake of soap in my hands."

In the short number of weeks Joly had known Eponine, he had never seen her with such an unabashed look of joy on her face. He relished the sight for a moment before hanging the white robe onto the hook by the door. "Right, well, I'll just leave this here for you then. And there's a towel on the rack over there. If you need anything, just yell. I'll be right outside."

"Oui, Joly, merci," Eponine murmured absently. She rubbed her fingers all along the slick surface of the soap cake, already imagining the lather bubbling over her skin. Quivering in anticipation, she set the bar back onto the edge of the tub and grabbed at the sheet to pull it down.

But she froze when out the corner of her eye she saw that the boy was still there in the washroom with her.

"Joly!"

"Huh?" The boy jumped and spun around from where he was checking his tongue in the mirror again. "What?"

"Get out!"

"Oh! Right! Sorry!" The boy scurried out the door, laughing, and shut it behind him.

Eponine waited just a few seconds to be sure he was gone. Then, with a loud squeal, she shimmied out of the sheet and kicked the massive pile of fabric across the floor. She scampered over to the end of the tub and gripped it with both hands. "Wheee!" she cried, vaulting over, splashing down into the water and submerging herself completely.

For several seconds she stayed under, holding her breath letting the glorious warmth soak into her every pore. Then she broke the surface with a gasp, threw her head back and laughed. Oh, this was Heaven! Pure Heaven! Water spilled over the edge of the tub as she splashed about, diving under and up and under and up again like a dolphin. Then she grabbed the soap and worked up a luxurious lather which she eagerly began to rub all over her skin.

Oh, Lord have mercy! It felt so good! The soap stung in some places where she'd been bruised, but Eponine didn't even mind. She just hummed happily and kept on rubbing, relishing the clean scent that filled her nostrils and the feel of the grime disintegrating beneath the bubbles. With every scrub, she felt like she was scouring away ever filthy thing that ever left its stain on her in her whole miserable life. The thought made her want to cry out of sheer bliss, and so she ducked her head under the water and let the warmth wash away the beginnings of her tears. She'd feel so foolish if she broke down crying in this tub, especially when she felt so clean and wonderful. When she resurfaced, she lay back against the tub with a contented sigh. Oh, she could stay here forever. She could die happy, right here in this tub.

A knock came at the door. "Eponine? Everything all right in there?"

Eponine jerked, wrapped her arms about herself and drew her knees up to her chest. While she knew perfectly well the boy couldn't see her, it was still rather awkward having him talk to her while she was naked. "Oui, M'sieur Joly. I'm fine." She closed her eyes with a contented sigh. "Everythin' is perfect."

"Oh, good. I just wanted to be sure you didn't fall asleep in the tub. You could drown that way, you know."

Eponine laughed. "Don't you worry 'bout me. I'm fine."

"Alright." Eponine could hear the amused smile in his voice. "Well, take as much time as you need in there, 'Ponine."

"Merci, Joly."

As she heard his footsteps fade away, Eponine turned her gaze to the ceiling and mused quietly on that bourgeois boy. Here he was again, doing something so incredibly nice for her and being so attentive to her needs. And for the life of her, she just could not understand why. At every turn, it seemed all she ever did was hurl insults at him or throw a punch at his jaw. And yet he kept on taking care of her like no one had ever bothered to do in the past ten years. Not even Marius ...

Eponine winced. No, no, she'd determined not to torture herself by thinking on him any further. Instead, she fixed her focus on Joly. Sweet, stupid Joly. Just a week ago, she could scarcely tolerate the boy. What with that stupid smile of his, his incessant humming, his boisterous laugh, his mischievous winks. But now … she had to admit those exact same annoying quirks were beginning to grow on her.

Oh, dash it all. She couldn't deny that she liked him. Really, at this point it would be impossible not to. For whatever strange reason, she knew Joly genuinely cared about her, and it was real nice to finally have a true friend in this world. Sure, he was still an idiot. A big idiot. But he was also considerate and gentlemanlike and … she could admit it, he was rather funny too. She'd come to like being around him. Like a beggar stumbling upon a fire in the dark street in the wintertime, she found comfort in sticking close to Joly and soaking up some of that warm, sparkling cheerfulness of his.

Mon Dieu ... the loneliness must be finally makin' me lose my mind.

Many minutes later, Eponine lifted up her fingers to see they were wrinkled and pruning. And she realized the once steaming water surrounding her had turned quite cold. With a reluctant sigh, she began to lift herself out of the bath, gripping the edges of the tub tightly so as not to slip on the many puddles she made on the tiles below. She lifted her head and froze. Her eyes widened as they met those reflected in the mirror on the opposite wall.

Mon Dieu. She had never seen herself fully naked before. And she looked hideous. Her pale body was little more than a skeleton sunken into itself, her waist and stomach completely concave. She had hardly any womanly curves to speak of, and while all the mud had been scrubbed away, she couldn't wash out the premature leatheriness of her skin, nor the ugly patchwork of purple bruises and old scars that covered her back, shoulders and arms.

Tears of self-loathing burned in Eponine's throat and she swallowed them back. She reached for the towel and frantically wrapped herself up, unable to stand the sight of herself any longer. Once she was thoroughly dried, she stumbled toward the door, pointedly avoiding having to look in the mirror's direction. She grabbed the robe off of its hook and slipped it on, pleasantly surprised by how comfortably it fit her body.

"Awww. Is someone's tummy giving him twouble?"

What in the world? Eponine crept quietly and pressed an ear to the door to hear the muffled voice coming from the other side.

"Well then, let's have a lookie. Open wide, little man. Say, 'ahhh.' Can you say, 'ahhh?'"

Eponine pushed open the door and peered into the foyer. The first thing she saw was Joly sitting in his chair and bouncing what looked like a five-month old baby on his lap. He was trying to shine a light into the baby's mouth, all the while making ridiculous faces which made him laugh. On the couch across from him sat a thin woman in a dirty apron that Eponine had never seen before.

Joly looked up and his eyes brightened at the sight of her. "Oh hey, Eponine!"

The gamine shrunk back, somewhat embarrassed. "Pardon. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"No, no! Please come join us," Joly replied, gesturing toward the woman on the couch. "This here is my friend Nanette. She works at the bakery down the street. And this little monkey," he added, bouncing the baby and making him giggle. "Is her son Emile. Say bonjour, Emile! Can you say, bonjour?"

Eponine giggled as Joly lifted up the baby's tiny hand to wave in her direction. "Bon apres-midi, little M'sieur," she said to the baby. Then to Nanette, "And to you as well, Madame."

The woman smiled. "Merci, Mademoiselle."

"Little Emile's hasn't been feeling well these past couple of days," Joly explained. "So Nanette just dropped by so I can give him a quick check-up."

"Oh?" Eponine took a seat next to Nanette and looked worriedly at the baby. "Nothin' serious, is it?"

"No, not at all! No fever. His throat looks fine." He turned to Nanette. "It's probably just a colic, and a little bit of a head cold. Perfectly normal. I'll give you a tonic for that cold, and you just keep him swaddled and rock him as you always do and he should be right as rain in a matter of days."

The woman let out a breath of relief. "Oh, thank God. Merci, M'sieur Joly. Pardon, I wouldn't have bothered you if there wasn't so much deadly stuff goin' around lately."

"You did the right thing," Joly replied, handing the squirming child back to his mother. "If anything changes or he seems to get worse, bring him back here right away." He turned to the gamine. "Say, Eponine. Are you hungry?"

"Um ..." She smiled uneasily. She hadn't had a single bite to eat all day. "A little bit."

"Good! I'll go get us some bread and cheese to share." He turned and gave the other woman a playful but pointed look. "That includes you, Nanette."

The woman smiled knowingly as Joly made his way to the kitchen. "So," she said once he'd gone, giving Eponine a curious look. "Are you M'sieur Joly's new girlfriend, then?"

Eponine flushed red. "N-no. We're just friends, Madame."

"Oh." The woman looked disappointed. "He's still with that Musichetta girl, then?"

"I … think so. I really don't know."

"Well, that's a pity." At Eponine's astonished look, she said, "Oh, perhaps that's a bit harsh. Chetta's a nice enough girl, I guess. But she's too flighty for him. It ain't right, her passin' her love around to more than one man at a time. A good gentleman type like M'sieur Joly needs someone more stable, if you ask me. But then again, it ain't none of my business."

Eponine offered no reply. Then little Emile began to whine, his face scrunching up as he kicked his chubby legs in displeasure.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked, leaning forward in concern.

"Oh, must be the colic again," Nanette replied, laying her son against her shoulder and patting his back. "I know there's not much you can do 'bout it, but it pains me so when he gets like this and I don't know how to help him."

Eponine stretched out her hands. "May I?"

Nanette nodded and relinquished her son. Cooing softly, Eponine laid the baby across her lap and tickled his tummy with one finger. Then, starting at the base of his ribcage, she began massaging his tummy in small, gentle circles.

"Oh!" Nanette leaned forward to watch. The baby gurgled happily beneath the gamine's ministrations. "He seems to like that. Wherever did you learn to do that?"

"I've got four little brothers and sisters. Two of 'em are always gettin' sick. And since I always had to be the one takin' care of 'em, I learned a couple things."

"Well, I'd certainly like to learn." Nanette scooted closer. "Show me how it's done."

A few minutes later, Joly waltzed into the room with a tray of bread and cheese. "Well, well, well!" he exclaimed, seeing what the women were doing. He set the tray down and watched Eponine's hands with admiration. "It looks like someone knows a thing or two about abdominal massages. You never cease to astound me, Eponine."

The gamine blushed at the compliment.

"Now, shall we dig in?" he said, taking a seat and shaking a playful finger at Nanette. "And don't even think about being shy, Nanette."

The woman laughed. "Whatever you say, M'sieur Joly."

Eponine, for her part, had no thoughts about being shy, eagerly grabbing the largest slice of bread for herself. Her mouth watered and spilled over as she sank her teeth into the rich brown dough. And the taste! She couldn't hold back the moan of pleasure that rose from the back of her throat as the bread melted on her tongue.

Her eyes flew open at the sound of Nanette's tittering next to her. She looked up to see Joly covering his mouth, his eyes crinkling with laughter.

Eponine's cheeks flamed. "Pardon."

"Please, girl." Nanette waved a hand. "Lord knows I understand how hunger can drive a woman crazy."

Joly chuckled and handed Eponine a slice of cheese. "And help yourself to some of this, as well."

The gamine smiled sheepishly as she took it. "Merci, M'sieur Joly."

"So, M'sieur," Nanette said, reaching for the bread with one arm and cradling Emile with the other. "Any word on 'em findin' a cure for cholera yet?"

Joly shook his head regretfully. "Not that I've heard."

Nanette sighed. "Our neighbors just lost a cousin to that wretched disease. Every day it seems I'm hearin' 'bout someone new who's dropped dead of cholera. Do you think the rumors are true, M'sieur Joly? 'Bout the government poisonin' the wells?"

"No, I don't believe so."

"Don't you, now? I thought you revolutionary types were all over these government conspiracies."

"My dear Nanette, I know full well that the government has inflicted many evils against the poor, but I've seen no real evidence that they're responsible for the cholera outbreak. Until I do, I can't in good conscience accuse them of any such thing."

Nanette shrugged her shoulders. "Fair enough, I s'pose. But if you ask me, I wouldn't put it past good ole King Louis-Phillipe in the slightest."

Joly smirked at her. "Our revolution could surely benefit from having spirited women like you within our ranks, Nanette."

"Please, M'sieur. I ain't goin' to be riskin' my life and limbs out on some barricade. Not when I have this little one to worry 'bout." Placing a kiss on her baby's head, Nanette shoved a few pieces of bread into her apron pocket and rose to her feet. "Now I'm afraid I must be leavin' you. I promised our neighbors I'd do the laundry for 'em tonight for a few extra sous. Lord knows we could use it."

"Let me see you to the door, Nanette," Joly said, standing to his feet. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle. "And here is that tonic. Just one spoonful a day, alright? Don't overdo it."

"Merci, M'sieur," Nanette replied, tucking the bottle into her apron. Then she pulled out a single sous and held it up to Joly.

The medical student raised his eyebrows. "Nanette ..."

"I know it ain't nearly enough for your trouble, M'sieur Joly. But I needs give you somethin'. I'd feel like a cheat takin' this medicine from you for free."

"Nanette," Joly chided gently. He closed her fingers around the coins, turned her fist over and kissed the top of her hand. "I told you before. I neither want nor need any payment from you." He blew into the baby's face, making him squeal. "All I want is to see this little monkey nursed back to good health."

Nanette shook her head at him. "You really are a strange man, M'sieur Joly."

"So I've been told, Nanette," Joly replied, winking at Eponine, who returned the gesture with a roll of her eyes.

"Well then," Nanette said, her eyes flitting between her two companions with a curious smile. "It was certainly nice meeting you, Eponine."

The gamine smiled. "Same to you, Nanette."

Joly hooked a gentlemanlike arm through Nanette's and led her toward the door. She took one step into the hallway before twisting around and leaning in close so only Joly could hear.

"She seems like a nice girl, M'sieur Joly," she whispered. "I think it'd be a very good thing if you kept her around."

Joly flushed. "P-pardon?"

"Oh, don't be daft!" Nanette giggled, thumping him on the arm. "I can tell you like her quite a lot."

"Nanette ..."

"I mean, sure, she's a bit on the homely side, but looks ain't everythin'. And she's got a sharp brain, which is certainly more than I can say for …oh!" She clamped her lips together with a mischievous smirk. "Oh dear, I'm 'fraid I spoke too much."

Joly shook his head. "Oh, my dear Nanette. Your imagination does run away with you sometimes, as does your tongue."

"That may be true, but I just can't ignore it when I see somethin' good bloomin' right before my eyes." Nanette placed a hand over Joly's arm. "The girl cares for you, M'sieur. She may not e'en realize it herself, but I can see it in her eyes. Somethin's holdin' her back, though. Lord knows I recognize it when a woman's been burned by love before. But I'm sure you could sort that all out. I think you two would do very nicely together." She leaned over and tickled her baby. "Don't you agree, Emille?"

The baby gurgled and clapped. Nanette winked at Joly before making her way down the hallway.

"Think about it, M'sieur," she called over her shoulder. "I'd hate to see you let such a fine girl slip through your fingers."


AN: Originally, I didn't plan to cut it off there, but the next part's kinda long so I thought it'd make more sense to leave it here for now. Don't worry! I'll be working on the next chapter straight away, and there will be plenty of Joly/Eponine goodness. ;)

Thanks again for your patience in waiting for this chapter! In my absence, I went back and revised a lot of Chapter 6. Most of it was just stylistic things – I was having a really bad writing day when I first wrote it, but I was so anxious about getting it published that I didn't really take the time to polish it up, so I took care of that and made it a whole lot better-written than it was better (I hope). However, the scene with Marius at the university underwent a serious revamp. Quite a few reviewers wanted to punch/strangle/castrate Marius after reading it, which is quite understandable, haha! But after reading it over, I decided my characterization may have been a bit too harsh. Marius may be a blind fool, but he isn't a bad person, and he does genuinely care for Eponine as a friend. So I went back and revised that scene to show him being more torn up about his decision of whether to go to Eponine or go with Enjolras. The outcome is still the same –he still doesn't prioritize Eponine over the higher call of the revolution. There is only one lady in the world who will make him reassess his priorities, *cough, cough.* I think the downside to the changes is that I made Enjolras much meaner in my revision, haha. Like I said before, I LOVE Enjonine fics, but in my opinion the non-Enjonine Enjolras would always choose the revolution over some random girl. (STILL LOVE HIM THOUGH!)

I also went back to Chapter 3 (the first time Eponine goes to Joly's apartment) and added a couple lines where Eponine gets really excited when Joly offers to soap her hair for her. Because it doesn't really make sense for her to be so ecstatic about soap in this chapter when she wasn't so ecstatic about soap the last time, haha. Of course, this story is always a work in progress and I get all sorts of new ideas as I go, so it makes sense to go back and tweak. Personally, I loved the bath scene in this chapter so much and I couldn't stop smiling as I imagined Eponine going ga-ga over soap, haha!

And YES, Musichetta will show up in the very near future. ;)

BTW, I'm going to be regularly posting status reports on all my stories at the top of my profile page from now on so you know where I'm at with each of them. I'll strive to be as honest and specific as I can, so and as always feel free to PM me if you wanna check up on me! :)

Please review! Love ya'll!