Chapter 7
(the next day, Café)
The boys were gathering their guns, and preparing for the events to come. They all noticed that Enjolras was very quiet, so Courfeyrac decided to say something to comfort his friend. He walked up to him, and said, "Enj, we'll get them, I promise."
Enjolras said, "I should've been the one to take her back."
Courfeyrac said, "You still would've been caught."
"Maybe, maybe not. But, at least I would be with her."
In the distance, the church bell sounded, signaling that it was time for the funeral. The boys looked at each other, knowing that it was time. But, for Enjolras, it was time to get the love of his life back.
(prison)
Grantaire and Kim wee rudely and roughly awakened by the soldiers, after only about an hour or two of sleep. The soldiers pulled Grantaire up by the arm, making him wince in pain. The soldier said, "Pick up the weird-looking girl."
As one of the other soldiers bent over to pick her up, she screamed, "Don't touch me!"
At the same time, Grantaire yelled as he struggled to get out of the grip of the two soldiers holding him, "No, let me get her!"
The leader nodded, and the two soldiers let Grantaire go. He pushed the soldier reaching out for Kim, who was cowering in fear, out of the way, and gently picked her up. He hugged her tightly to him, as she cried into his chest. The leader pushed him out the cell door, and down the hall.
Once they were outside, he was pushed down the street, in the direction of the Café, seeing that the barricade had just been built. As the soldiers lined up, and knowing that the boys, especially her love, were behind the barricade, Kim screamed as the soldiers held onto Grantaire, so he couldn't run, "Apollo!"
They heard, "Kim!"
They watched as Enjolras ran up onto the top of the barricade, followed by Courfeyrac, Marius, Combeferre, Joly and Gavroche. He looked down at them, and said, "Let them go!"
The leader said, "Not until you surrender yourself to us."
Enjolras didn't answer, and Kim could tell he was thinking about it. She said, "No, Apollo, don't do it!"
He looked at his friends beside him, and said something in a low voice to them. They hesitated, and then nodded. He slowly, and carefully walked down the barricade, and soon came out from behind it. He walked over to them, and said, "Ok, you have what you want. Let them go."
Two of the soldiers grabbed him, and the soldiers holding onto Grantaire let him go. He walked that short distance to Enjolras, and Enjolras said, "Can I please have a second to hold her?"
Everyone looked at the leader, and after a second, he nodded. The soldiers let Enjolras go, and he took Kim into his arms. She said as she looked into his eyes, "Why, Apollo? Why surrender?"
He said as he leaned forward to kiss her, "Because I love you."
When he pulled away, he pretended to kiss her ear, but really he was saying, "As soon as you get behind the barricade, blast them with water. I'll make it out."
He pulled away, and said as he handed her back to Grantaire, "I love you, sweetheart."
She touched his face, and said as the soldiers grabbed him, "I love you, too."
Grantaire walked up the barricade, and when he reached the top, in the center of the boys, he turned around, and Kim saw Enjolras give a small nod. She nodded, and raised her hands, causing Gavroche to say, "Kim, what're you doing?"
She didn't answer, but had a look of determination as water shot out of her hands, hitting the soldiers, and Enjolras. The water caused the soldiers holding him to let go, and he ran up the barricade as fast as he could, unnoticed, since the soldiers were trying to fend off the water. He said, "Guns, at the ready! 'Taire, take her to the side so that she's not in the line of fire, but can still keep shooting water at them."
Grantaire nodded, and ran to the side.
(after the battle)
They had lost only a few boys, but Enjolras, Grantaire, Kim, Courfeyrac, Marius, Combeferre, Joly and Gavroche were not among the ones lost. All of the soldiers had been killed. They were in the Café, and Cosette and Eponine came out from the closet. Enjolras, who was once again holding Kim, said, "Good job, guys, we won. Everything we've worked for has paid off. I'm proud of you all."
Kim smiled, and said, "And, I'm proud of you."
She looked at Grantaire, and then back to Enjolras, and said, "Apollo, can 'Taire take me downstairs for a minute? I need to talk to him."
He nodded, and Grantaire stood up. He picked her up, and walked down the stairs. He sat down in a chair, with her in his lap. He said, "What is it, Kim?"
She said, "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For protecting us, and comforting me, while we were in that prison."
He smiled, and said, "You're welcome, Kim. You may want to contact your brothers. They're probably beyond worried, by now."
She nodded, and thought, Guys?
She heard Rocky, Kimmie, you're alright!
She smiled, and thought, Yep.
Adam thought, Where are you? Are you safe?
I'm fine, I'm at the Café. The battle's over, we won!
Rocky thought, That's great!
Adam thought, Kim, are you ok? Why are you dizzy? Did they hurt you?
No, I'm fine. I just used a lot of power and energy, blasting the soldiers with water.
Rocky thought, You need to tell someone.
No, I'm fine.
She heard Adam sigh, and then he thought, Get back here soon, little sis.
I will. Love you, guys.
She heard them think in unison, We love you, too.
She said, "'Taire?"
"Yes, Kim?"
"Did Enjolras look pale, to you"
"Now that you mention it, he did."
"We need to check on him."
"I agree."
As he stood up, he noticed her skin was pale, and when he looked at her face, he saw that the skin was even more pale. He said, "Kim, are you ok? You weren't hit by a stray bullet, were you?"
She answered, "No, I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, just a little dizzy from using that much power and energy."
He nodded, and started going upstairs. She said, "Please don't tell Apollo. Don't tell anyone, especially him, Combeferre and Joly."
He hesitated, because he hated lying to his friend, and then nodded. When they reached their table, Grantaire sat Kim on Enjolras' lap. She said, "Apollo, are you ok?"
He said, "Yeah, sweetheart, I'm ok."
That was when she noticed the bandage around his upper arm. She gasped, and said, "You're hurt! Why didn't you tell me?"
He said as she looked to be on the verge of tears, "Sweetheart, it's just a graze. Joly and Ferre have already taken care of it."
She nodded, and then a nurse came in. As everyone looked at her, she went to Enjolras, and said, "Another letter, sir."
He took it, and said, "Thank you."
As she turned to leave, Kim asked, "Is everyone ok?"
The nurse looked at her, smiled, and said, "They are fine, miss."
Enjolras read the letter as she left, and said, "Joly, Ferre, look at this."
Combeferre took the paper, and as he read it, Joly read over his shoulder. Enjolras held up two fingers in front of Kim's face, and said, "How many fingers, Kim?"
She looked at his fingers, and, trying not to squint or narrow her eyes, she said, "Five?"
He replied, "Two... why didn't you tell us that you were dizzy?"
Kim sighed, and said, "Because, I didn't think it was important. It's happened before, and it after a few minutes."
Combeferre said, "Has it gone away, yet?"
She shook her head, and Joly said, "How long have you been dizzy?"
When she didn't answer, Enjolras said, "How long, Kim?"
She put her head down, and said, "Since the end of the battle."
She flinched, expecting to get hit, and fell off of his lap. As he reached for her, she yelled as she tried to get away, "No!"
She crawled, as best as she could, over to the empty corner, and sat there, cowering. Gavroche said, "Kim, what's wrong?"
As Courfeyrac started to walk the short distance to her, she said, "Don't hit me!"
Courfeyrac knelt by her, and said, "Kim, none of us would hit you."
Enjolras stood up, and said as he got on his knees in front of her, "Kim, nobody here will ever lay a hand on you in anger, I swear. Do you trust me?"
She looked into his eyes, and after a second, nodded. He pulled her to him, and Marius said, "Why did you think anyone would hurt you?"
She mumbled into her Apollo's chest, "Because, whenever we said something they didn't like, or did something we weren't supposed to, they would beat us."
Grantaire said, "Kim, you're safe here. No one's going to hurt you."
She nodded, and said, "I want to go see my brothers, and friends."
(hospital)
Everyone was awake, and sitting up, when Enjolras came in with Kim. Aisha smiled, and yelled, "Kim!"
The others looked up, and smiled as Enjolras sat on Kim's bed, with her in his lap. Adam said, "How you feelin', sis?"
She smiled, and said, "Better, now that I'm not dizzy anymore."
Rocky said, "We're glad you're ok."
Zhane said, "We missed you, sharkie."
Tommy said, "Yep."
She smiled even bigger, and Enjolras laid down, with her tight in his arms.
