Last revised December 8, 2016
"... And so in light of all these things, mon cher, I have decided that I shall forget our quarrel and forgive you of everything. Oh, what sweet relief it is not to hold this grudge against you any longer! For alas, you are simply too dear to me. I could not possibly stay vexed with you for long. So what do you say we celebrate our reconciliation tomorrow evening at our favorite place? I have so missed your sweet company. My every breath hangs upon your reply. Pray do not keep me waiting long! Votre cheri ... Musichetta"
With a loud groan, Joly let the paper drop to the floor and scrubbed his hands over his face. His head was killing him, and not just from the dizzying draught of perfume 'Chetta always soaked her letters in. Merciful heavens, as delightful as he was, Joly swore this woman would be the death of him.
Even after reading all her flowery explanations behind her decision to forgive him, he still hadn't the slightest bloody clue exactly what she was forgiving him for. What's worse, he had no idea what she meant by "their favorite place" because Musichetta seemed to change her mind about "their favorite place" every three days so. And Heaven help him if he got it wrong.
He was still mulling over this with a knock came at the door. He rose to his feet, eager for some distraction. It was probably another one of his patients asking for a draught of medicine or a change of bandages. He hummed to himself as he swung the door open, but the tune choked off in his throat once he saw who exactly it was.
"M-Marius!"
His classmate smiled and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "Bonsoir, Joly. Is Eponine here?"
"Um … yes." Joly glanced toward the shut bedroom door and turned back to Marius with a guarded look. "But she's sleeping now."
"Oh, well … that is good. How is she? Is she alright?"
The questions irked Joly at first. How dare Marius act so concerned about Eponine? When he couldn't even be bothered to come to her aid just a few hours earlier? But as he studied his classmate's face and noted the real worry in his eyes, he relaxed somewhat. "Yes, she's fine. She's got some bruises on her back and arms, but nothing too serious."
"What?" Marius' eyes widened in alarm. "Oh, how did she get bruised?"
"She was beaten," Joly grit out. "By those animals who arrested her."
"Beaten? Oh, Mon Dieu. And ... what about her fever?"
"She … she has no fever. Grantaire simply ... overexaggerated. She's healthy enough."
"Oh, thank God," Marius sighed. "Merci, Joly, for taking care of her for me."
The muscle in Joly's jaw ticked. I did not take care of her for your sake, Marius.
"So, uh ..." Marius shifted uncomfortably in the doorway. "May I come in or not?"
Joly blinked as if suddenly remembering his manners. "Oh, yes, of course," he replied, backing away to allow Marius to enter. "Just keep your voice down. I don't want to wake Eponine just yet."
"Yes, of course."
Joly closed the door quietly, mulling over the mess of his feelings. He had never felt so unhospitable in his life. It was so unlike him. He'd always took such great delight in entertaining guests in his apartment, but for some reason, this hardly felt like a social call. It felt more like … an intrustion.
"So ..." He turned to Marius. "How did your meeting go with Lamarque?"
"Oh, splendidly! Better than we ever could have hoped. You should have seen Enjolras. He'd never been so fired up. Anyway, Lamarque is a true friend of the people, Joly. He fully believes in our cause. We are hoping to have him attend one of our Cafe meetings once his health improves."
"Oh, yes, that … would be good."
Marius sighed. "You are still angry with me, aren't you." When Joly did not answer, he ran a hand through his hair, looking very contrite. "Joly, really. I am sorry. Truly I am. Believe me, I feel terrible. Eponine is a dear friend, and I would have gone with you it wasn't for that meeting. I would have. And I really am so grateful to you for getting her out of that jail ..."
"Marius." Joly held up a hand. "Enough. There's no need for you to apologize to me. If anyone should be hearing your apologies, it's Eponine."
Marius swallowed and nodded his head. "Yes. I suppose you're right."
At that moment, the bedroom door creaked open. "M'sieur Marius?"
Both men turned toward that soft, sleepy voice. Eponine leaned awkwardly against the frame, her dark hair mussed and her eyes bleary, blinking like a small child who had woken up in the middle of the night.
"Eponine!" Marius dashed forward and took a gentle hold of her shoulders. Then he laid a hand against her cheek. "Oh, 'Ponine, thank God you are alright. How are you? Are you well? Are you in pain?"
A sharp jolt of indignation went through Joly at seeing Marius touch Eponine in such an intimate fashion. She seemed to be startled by the gesture as well, judging by the way her eyes flit about.
"N-no, M'sieur. I'm fine," she mumbled. "W-why are you here?"
"Why, to see you, of course! I was so worried. Please, 'Ponine, forgive me. I would have come, but … I was needed. Please, believe me. I would have gotten you out of jail myself if I could."
Eponine looked away from him then, uncertainty flickering in her eyes. "It's … alright, M'sieur. You don't have to say you're sorry. I ..." Her mouth twitched into a stiff line. "I know there's more important things you needed done."
"Yes, well ..." Marius turned to his classmate with a smile. "Good thing you had Joly here to take care of you, huh?"
Eponine glanced over at Joly and the corner of her mouth twitched up into a smirk. "Yeah … I guess so."
Joly swallowed. Would he ever get used to the sight of her smile? Standing there as she was, Eponine never looked lovelier. He took in the warm, healthy glow of her skin, her tousled hair, the way her robe was pulled slack to reveal her narrow shoulders. The sight of her stirred a mixture of emotions in him, some of which he dare not name, and one of which was ire that Marius was standing so close to her when she was in such a state.
"Shall I walk you home then, 'Ponine?" Marius asked. "It's the least I could do after everything that's happened."
"Oh … yes." Eponine nodded, glancing worriedly over at the small clock that sat on Joly's mantelpiece. "Yes, I needs be getting' home, M'sieur. Papa will be wonderin' where I am."
Joly's heart sank in disappointment. He really would have rathered Eponine stayed and let him care for her battered body and soul a little while longer. But from what he understood about her father, he could not risk testing his wrath by keeping her here. Reluctantly, he walked over to the fireplace and grabbed her clothes off the mantle. "Here, 'Ponine," he said, handing them to her. "These should be dry by now."
"Ah. Merci, Joly." She looked up at Marius and bowed. "If you'll excuse me, M'sieur," she said before stepping backward and pulling the bedroom door shut.
Marius turned to his classmate and frowned. "Joly, why are you looking at me like that?"
Joly blinked, startled. "Huh? Like what, Marius?"
"Like ..." Marius' voice trailed off and he just shook his head. At the moment, he could not place a name to the fleeting emotion he'd caught in Joly's eyes.
He would not realize until much later that his friend had been staring at him as if he were a rival.
Eponine sighed heavily as she pulled her chemise over her head. Slipping back into her rags felt like slipping back into an old skin that she'd already shed, making her feel dirty all over again. She glanced longingly back at the warm, soft bed behind her as she began to slip into her skirt. Alas, she knew this moment of bliss could not last. It was time to return to go back to her miserable life.
As she dressed, she mulled over how … strange it was to see Marius again. After everything that had happened. How strange it was for him to come fetch her now. To look so concerned about her. To … to touch her.
Her hand flew up and stroked her cheek – the one that he'd oh so gently caressed. Never had Marius touched her in such a manner, thought it had surely happened so many times in her dreams. How ironic, then, that it should finally happen now once her every hope and dream had been shattered.
Her chest squeezed. Like that strange phantom pain she felt when she first laid eyes on him. A phantom throb of longing and desire – an instinctive reaction to Marius' presence that had been her constant companion for oh so long. It was as if her heart was trying to reset itself and beat the same way it had before – every beat, every rhythm for Marius, all for Marius …
But no. She knew that her heart had been so thoroughly broken that it could never beat that way again, no matter how hard it tried.
She was woken out of her musings when her foot kicked against something hard beneath the corner of the bed. Curious, she knelt down to feel around for whatever it was. Her search unearthed a small wooden box with a tiny keyhole.
Ah! Eponine certainly knew a money box when she saw one. By pure reflex, she reached into the left pocket of her skirt and fished out her collection of lockpicks. She got to work and after just a few twists, the lock gave way with a tiny click. Eponine lifted the lid and quickly took in its contents. Hm … not much. Still, she could easily take a small handful and Joly'd never know the difference. Her fingers closed in on three coins … and then froze.
What … what was she doing?
On trembling knees, Eponine sank down onto the bed, still clinging to the coins and clutching the box with her other hand. Was she really about to rob M'sieur Joly? After all he'd done? But … she needed the money. She'd been gone for too long. If she came back empty-handed after all this time, her father would surely beat her to a pulp, regardless of the state she was already in.
And … what would Joly need this money for, anyway? He was well off enough. He could even afford to decline payment for his services. He … he should want her to have this money if that were the case, wouldn't he? He's so kind and charitable and stupid that way, isn't he?
A knock at the door nearly made Eponine drop the box. "'Ponine? Are you alright in there?"
The gamine swallowed hard. Her fingers were shaking violently, but they wouldn't let go of the coins.
"Eponine?"
"Ou-oui, M'sieur Joly. I'll be out in a moment."
Eponine shoved the coins into her pocket without another thought. A wave of guilt surged up from her bowels, but she swallowed it down. There was no time for feeling guilty. It wasn't in her nature to feel guilt. She needed to steal. It was how she survived.
She was a Thernardier after all.
XXXXXXXXX
Joly looked up and smiled at Eponine as she finally emerged, but that smile faded upon seeing her stony expression. "Eponine, what is wrong?"
"Nothin'," she answered far too quickly. She turned to Marius. "Thanks for waitin', M'sieur. Sorry I took so long."
"No, that's alright, 'Ponine," Marius assured, reaching to take her by the hand. But then he caught sight of her bare arms for the first time and gasped. "Oh, mon Dieu! 'Ponine!"
"Oh, don't mind these, M'sieur," Eponine said, glancing down at the bruises. "Ain't so bad as it looks."
"Oh, 'Ponine … perhaps you should stay here tonight and rest. Just so Joly can keep an eye on your injuries. You wouldn't mind, would you, Joly?"
"M'sieur, I can't stay. If I'm gone for too much longer, Papa may send out one of his goons to find me. And 'Zelma would... oh!" Her hand flew to the right pocket of her skirt and pressed frantically. Her face turned pale. "No, no, no, where is it?"
"'Ponine, relax," Joly chuckled, holding up the small bottle she sought. "I've got your sister's medicine right here. I took it out of your pocket when I hung up your clothes. You know, so it wouldn't melt by the fire."
"Oh, thank God," Eponine sighed, crossing over to take the bottle from him. "Merci, M'sieur."
"Of course, 'Ponine. And ..." He patted her shoulder with a grin. "I've got one more thing I want to give you before you go."
Eponine frowned up at him. "W-what?"
"Wait here," Joly replied before disappearing into his bedroom. After a moment, he reemerged carrying a white box. "I hope it's the right size. I had to go by memory and guesswork, after all."
Eponine's mouth fell open. "M'sieur Joly … what in God's name is that?"
"Why, it's for you." Eyes twinkling, he came up and shook the box at her. "Well, go on. Open it."
Eponine did not move. Joly continued to wait, his smile fading in the awkward silence.
"Um … well, okay. I guess I'll just open it for you then."
He lifted the lid and Eponine gasped. Nestled inside was a small pair of leather ladies shoes.
"Well, would you look at that," Marius remarked, coming up behind her. "Those look very nice, Joly. Heaven knows Eponine could use some shoes. But … why are the laces blue?"
With a shaking hand, Eponine reached over and stroked her fingers along the laces. They were cornflower blue. Her favorite shade of blue.
"Joly ..." she stammered, unable to breathe. "I … I don't understand. These are … for me?"
"Yes, to help protect your feet, 'Ponine. Since you do so much walking around. I figured having the whole shoes be blue would be too much, but … I still wanted a bit of your favorite color in there. But … if you don't like the laces, I could easily get you different ones."
Eponine shook her head numbly. "N-no, M'sieur, I … I like them."
"Well, go on, 'Ponine!" Marius laughed, nudging her shoulder. "Try them on."
But Eponine still would not move. Joly watched with mounting concern as the color drained from your face.
"Um, here," he said, taking her carefully by the arm and leading her toward his chair. "Take a seat and we'll see how they fit you."
"I ..." Eponine opened her mouth as if to protest, but found herself oddly sapped of strength. Limply, she let Joly set her down in the chair and watched as he gently slipped the first shoe onto her foot. She stiffened in shock. It fit her perfectly. The shoes soft lining caressed her cracked heel like a pillow, and the leather fit snugly about her foot like a cocoon.
Joly … he bought these slippers … for me?
By the time he'd slipped the second shoe onto her foot, she was on the verge of horrified tears.
"So ..." Joly knotted the laces tight and looked up at her. "What do you think?"
Eponine's mouth felt dry. Her throat was swollen. And the three stolen francs in her pocket burned her through the fabric of her skirt.
"Eponine?" Joly repeated, nearly falling over as the gamine flew forward and tried to yank the shoes off of her feet. "Eponine? Eponine!" he cried, grabbing ahold of her wrists. "What … why? You don't like them?"
"N-no! I mean … yes, yes, I like them. I like them very much, but ..."
"Then why?"
"I ..." The gamine choked back a sob, shutting her eyes tightly and shaking her head. "You don't want to be givin' these to me, M'sieur."
"What are you talking about? Of course, I do!"
"No … I'm not deservin' of them, M'sieur. I can't take them."
"Eponine ..."
"Please … please take them back. They're too nice for someone like me to have."
"'Ponine, don't be absurd!" Marius interjected.
Eponine and Joly both turned to glare at him, equally irked. It was Joly who recovered first, turning back to Eponine and squeezing her wrists gently.
"Eponine … please. Look at me, please."
He waited patiently for her to turn her glistening eyes to his. He was hurt and dumbfounded. Why was she so distraught?
"Please," he repeated. "Take the shoes. I want you to have them. I won't take them back. I can't. I mean ..." He quirked a smile. "I don't think I could get away with wearing them myself, now could I? I'm too ugly for that, eh?"
Eponine stood up so suddenly she nearly knocked him over.
"I need to go," she muttered, rushing to the door. "I need to go home."
"Eponine!" Joly cried, stumbling to his feet.
"Bonne nuit, M'sieur!"
With a harsh slamming of the door, Eponine was gone, leaving the two men staring after her, stunned.
"Um ..." Marius said after a moment. "I … guess I should go after her, then." He nodded to his companion. "I'll talk to her and see what is wrong. Bonne nuit, Joly."
Joly struggled to regain his breathing. "Bonne ... bonne nuit. Please make sure she gets home safe."
As Marius stepped out the door and closed it shut, Joly stumbled backward into his chair. He stared up at the ceiling, dazed and devastated.
What did I do wrong?
AN: Sorry it's so short. And SO SORRY about the delay! A lot of crazy things have kept me so busy that I had to put fanfic writing on the back burner for quite some weeks. Long story short, I've graduated college (WOOPEE!) and now I'm entering a whole new chapter in my life. It's EXCITING, but a lot of things have had to take priority over this beloved hobby of mine. Thank you so much for your patience. Rest assured I am still determined to finish this story, so thanks for sticking with me! And I figure shorter chapters will mean faster updates (hopefully).
And thanks also to everyone for your feedback on the title! As you can see, I've kept it the same. Yeah, a lot of people had good arguments for both title options, but this one edged out by just that much, and the more I thought about it the more I realized this title made more sense with where I'm taking the story next.
So yeah! Please drop a review! Thanks for reading!
