The morning came and the red sun rose over the barricade. Red sky in morning shepherds warning Eponine thought silently to herself, it was only a matter of time before they would be surrounded Enjolras had already been to the other outposts and she knew it was not good. They had been abandoned by the people of Paris, while they slept in their beds peacefully to scared to fight for a just future Grantaire had died in her arms , Eponine was so angry at her people. She was angry at her parents for filling her with such cynic emotions and hate for the religion that Enjolras held so close to his heart she could not believe in a God she had been treated to badly to believe that anyone was watching over her. She could not be comforted by the fact that Grantaire had gone to some superior power in the sky where he could be cared and tended to, no; he was just another dead body lay in the tavern along with all the others who had given their lives for the forsaken cause. Enjolras saw her kick the wall and he fumbled with the buttons on his jacket doubting whether she would want him to see her like this , so open and emotional. She was always so closed of to him, so sealed up she refused to show him that she cared but now he could see the raw pain that she was suffering from. Her rejection from Marius, the death of her best friend and the fear for Enjolras all on show just in the way she held herself. He coughed to get her attention, her eyes were watery and it was clear she had been crying but these were not tears of fear or even anger they were tears of frustration and disappointment in the people of Paris who she had so hoped would stand by her beloved. "Eponine, the guards are lining up to attack I want you to leave. Now" He spoke with such conviction she almost obeyed. Almost. "Enjolras I am not going anywhere" "Eponine don't you see we are all going to die we are outnumbered and they have better weaponry, better men , better –" he was cut of as Eponine placed her lips around his mouth , she kissed him with such a need and it told a thousand tales. "Enjolras I will stay with you until the end, who have I got if you go, you don't honestly think I would go crawling back to Marius?" He looked at her bewildered as he had no explanation; he could give her a reason to not stay he just didn't want her to die. He loved her and if she died for him then he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. When he had found her in the gutters that night he made a vow to himself that as long as he lived he would protect her, if he died then she could go back to Marius and Marius as stupid and ignorant he was he would protect Eponine like his sister. She would be safe with him; Enjolras could not keep her safe anymore. "Enjolras I love you whether you think it is right or not I want to be beside you until the end don't take that away from me please" she was begging him now. Enjolras was not giving in but from the look on Eponine's face neither was she, "Right we compromise, you stay up here in this room don't move , don't leave and if the barricade falls you run. Run as far away from here go find Marius – No Eponine do not look at me like that he will protect you, he will keep you safe do we have a deal?" Eponine nodded her head and she kissed him lightly on the lips as she stood on her tiptoes "go show them who are the real people of Paris" He smiled lightly at her and he walked out of the door smoothing his hair back as he went, he looked back at her one last time then went to join his friends. Eponine almost laughed at his naivety, he didn't really think she would give in that easily. She ran to the cupboard and pulled out her bindings and began to wrap them tightly around her breasts, she then pulled on a pair of beige trousers and a white shirt once she had pulled her hair under a cap she could almost resemble a boy and during a big battle no one was bound to notice it was her. She listened to the roar of gun fire underneath her and she pulled her gun out from under the bed, it was one of Enjolras' but she had taken it as her own for protection. She ran down the stairs and then she w=saw him stood up their fighting for his men as they fell he pulled them aside and continued fighting for his cause. She ran up behind him and began to shoot. She aimed to take down as many as she could the bastards deserved it for what they had done to Grantaire. Suddenly the world seemed to slow down as she looked at a little boy's body being carried into the tavern. It was Gavroche. Those bastards had killed her brother that was all it took. She could no longer care if Enjolras saw her she clambered up beside him and began to take down the guards but they kept coming in swarms when she had taken down one another came at them and another and another. The torrent never seemed to end. God she loved him, he was the light of her life and he meant everything to her now. He was her only family now Gavroche was dead and Azelma had been sold to the pleasure house, he was the only one in this whole damned world who loved her , who actually cared for her. It was then she saw it coming, the small man came out of nowhere and his gun was pointing straight at Enjolras. She had been in this position before but this time she knew she couldn't let him die. She pushed him backwards of the barricade and suddenly she felt a horrible pain go through her hand and stomach, she felt her bones splinter and the air rush through her so quickly. She turned around and Enjolras was lay dazed on the floor she fell down beside him and she saw he had fallen into unconsciousness. He must have hit his head she thought but she barely had time to think when the guards began to climb over , she could hear the screams of the men around her as they were shot for fighting for what was right. All was silent for a minute then she heard gun shots and all was silent once more. Once the guards had kicked her, causing her to almost cry out and scream as they kicked the wound in her stomach and give her away, they were presuming that all of them must be dead including Enjolras. They all began to leave and beside her Enjolras began to regain consciousness, "ehrr , what happened Eponine what the hell are you doing here!?" he began to lift her when she whimpered and her face dropped as he looked at the gaping wound in her side. "Eponine, oh god, how long? Why? Was it you? Did you push me of the barricade?" She smiled at him and reached up to cup his cheek, "I saved you, like you saved me, now we are equal right?" "Oh god Eponine, we were always equal, don't leave me please don't, you can't die, why did you do it you stupid girl!" Eponine slowly lay down in his arms and wrapped them around her hiding the horrific wound that would soon cause her demise "sing to me Enjolras" Enjolras was baffled, sing, he couldn't sing but it was what she wanted and as much as he wanted to deny it Eponine was going to die. So he sang.

She came in

Like wind from the east

Pushed open the doors with a bang

My mother told me

Beware girls from afar

But since when did that stop me before

She took me to places that I never knew

She sung me such sweet lullabies

The kiss that she gave me

Was so full of love

It hurt when it came to goodbyes

"The wind is changing"

She said to me so

"I have to leave you now"

She came from the east

And left to the west

My sweet beloved

For a time

He finished singing and as his tears began to fall he kissed Eponine on the forehead when she opened her eyes, those sweet green eyes that had lit up Enjolras' life.

"You know monsieur I do believe I was a little bit in love with you."

Eponine Thenadier died in the arms of the man she loved, a man who loved her so much he could not imagine a world without her so he took his own live using the gun from his beloved's own hand so he may protect in another life.

How true love is a curse for some for these two lovers this was only to be the start of their lifetime together in another world far away.

But that, my dear readers, is a tale for another time.

The End