Chapter Nine
Eponine awakened early the next morning after getting virtually no rest. After being locked in her room, she listened to the sounds of gunfire and soldiers marching all through the day. The sounds continued into the night, and Eponine worried for her friends. She worried that the people would not rise. Most of all, she worried about Gavroche. She knew he would find a way to fight with his two "big brothers." When she got up, she picked the lock on her door and found the apartment completely empty. She knew this was her chance, so she darted out the door and down the street, never looking back. She had to find out what happened because there hadn't been any gunfire for several hours.
Finally, Eponine saw the wreckage of the barricade and knew her worst fears were confirmed. It was pretty obvious that the people had not joined the Amis. She swallowed down tears as she journeyed deeper in and saw the bodies of Feuilly and Jehan. However, what she saw next nearly made her heart stop. She saw Courfeyrac's body on the cobblestones and not too far away was where her brother lay dead. She rushed forward and fell to her knees beside him, sobbing uncontrollably. Eponine lifted him slightly off the ground, clutching him to her chest and mumbling that she was sorry. She pressed a kiss to his forehead and laid him back down, still crying. She couldn't bear to leave his side, so she sat there with him, mourning. To Eponine, it seemed like she'd been staring at her brother's lifeless body for hours when someone called her name.
"'Ponine?"
In the back of her mind, she recognized the voice, but she didn't acknowledge them even as she heard their footsteps getting closer. Then, a hand was on her shoulder and gently turning her around. She looked up into the concerned eyes of one of her best friends kneeling beside her.
"Grant," she sobbed.
He pulled her into his arms, and she buried her face in the curve of his neck as she continued to cry. Now she wasn't sure if she was crying because Grantaire was alive or if she was still mourning for Gavroche. Eventually, she pulled away and looked up at him.
"Grant, is everyone…?"
"No, there are a few of us alive, but we're still searching for survivors. Come with me," he said.
He helped her stand and led her into the Musain. The bottom level was set up like a make-shift infirmary. The injured and dead were all around the room. First, she spotted Combeferre sitting in a chair, obviously injured. Then, she saw Joly working on someone and Musichetta helping.
"'Ferre, Joly, 'Chetta!" she exclaimed.
Musichetta rushed over to her and hugged her tightly.
"'Ponine, we were so worried! Are you OK?" she asked.
"I wasn't able to get here, 'Chetta. I told my sister I was leaving because I wanted her to come with me, but she refused and told our father. He stopped me and locked me in my room. Once everyone left, I picked the lock and came here. I've already seen some of the damage. It's terrible. I'm just glad you four are OK, but I also wish I could've been here to fight with you."
"No," Grantaire said, "I'm glad you couldn't come. No matter how brutal your father is, you were safer there. I don't know what I would've done if both of my favorite Thènardiers had been killed."
Eponine smiled at him through teary eyes.
"How did you make it out?" she asked.
Joly finished his work and turned to her, "Well, Grantaire managed to pass out behind the bar after the first fight. I was in here working on the injured and when the soldiers stormed the café, I hid. I sent Musichetta away before the fighting started, and she returned after it was over, like you did. After Grantaire woke up, he found Combeferre injured outside."
Eponine took a deep breath and swallowed back more tears, "What can I do to help?"
There was silence for a moment before Combeferre spoke up, "You could go check for survivors. We haven't looked much yet."
"OK, I can do that."
"When I was hiding, I'm pretty sure I heard shots come from upstairs. You might want to check there," Joly suggested.
Eponine nodded and went toward the stairs while Grantaire went back outside. On the way, she encountered Bossuet's body crumpled on the stairs. She checked his pulse, but already knew that he was gone. That was when she heard the groan. Eponine climbed the rest of the stairs and saw Enjolras slumped against the wall with several bullet wounds that were staining his clothes red. A feeling of anger welled up inside of her. Even though she knew it wasn't entirely his fault, Eponine blamed him for the deaths of the Amis and especially the death of her brother. This whole rebellion was his idea. He was the one who determined that Lamarque's death was the right time to start the revolution. If they had just waited a little longer, then maybe, just maybe the people would've come to help. At least that's what Eponine wanted to believe. At the moment, Eponine loathed Enjolras. She wanted to just leave him there. He deserved to die. She could turn around and leave him there to slowly bleed out. In fact, she was taking a step back toward the stairs when something suddenly stopped her. Gavroche stopped her. She thought about her brother and how much he loved Enjolras. He even considered him a brother. If Gav wasn't following around Courfeyrac, he was being Enjolras's shadow. The ten-year-old looked up to the revolutionary so much. He would want his honorary big brother to live. Eponine knew she had to save Enjolras, if only to honor Gavroche. He would want her to. She quickly walked over and observed the revolutionary leader. His eyes were closed, and he was disheveled, his clothes soaked with blood. She pressed her fingers to his neck and felt his pulse dance lightly beneath them. She immediately sped down the stairs, carefully avoiding Bossuet's body.
"Joly, come quick!" she yelled.
She reached the bottom floor and found Joly heading her way.
"What is it?" he asked.
"It's Enjolras. He's upstairs and alive, but barely."
"Grantaire, come help!" Joly called.
In a matter of seconds, the two men were up the stairs. Eponine looked across the café and saw Gavroche's body lying on a table. Fresh tears formed in her eyes, and she walked over to him.
"Grantaire brought him inside," Musichetta said.
Eponine didn't respond. She just sat down in a chair beside him and pushed the hair out of his face. Once again, time seemed to stop around her as she sat there with her brother, grasping his hand. Suddenly, she felt someone's presence beside her, and she looked up at Grantaire through blurry eyes.
"I'm so sorry, 'Ponine," he whispered.
She let out a ragged breath and shook her head, "He had to grow up so fast. He loved you guys so much."
"We should've sent him away. He shouldn't have been here," Grantaire said.
"Grant, you know none of you would've been able to keep him away, not even Courfeyrac or Enjolras. He wanted to fight and nothing would've stopped him."
They sat there in silence for a moment before Eponine decided to change the subject. She looked around Grantaire to see Joly working on Enjolras.
"How's Enjolras?" she asked.
"We're not sure yet. He's got several bullet wounds."
She stood and walked with Grantaire over to where Combeferre was sitting. Musichetta was helping Joly.
"I've searched everywhere. We're the only ones left," Grantaire said.
"What about Marius?" Eponine asked quietly.
Combeferre looked at her sympathetically. Everyone knew about Eponine's unrequited love, even Enjolras. The only person who didn't know was, of course, Marius.
"He's completely unaccounted for. It's like he's gone missing," he said.
Eponine nodded solemnly, fighting back more tears. Her heart was even more shattered. She'd lost her brother, and she'd lost Marius. She felt like curling into a ball and crying for days. At least she still had some of her friends. Just then, Musichetta walked up.
"Alexandre is almost finished with Enjolras, but he needs to move him somewhere more permanent."
"Well, Enjolras's apartment is the closest, and I know where he keeps his spare key," Combeferre spoke up.
"OK, I'll go tell Joly," Musichetta responded.
Not ten minutes later, they were all headed in the direction of the apartment. It took both Joly and Grantaire to carry an unconscious Enjolras in a way that wouldn't make his injuries worse. Musichetta carried Joly's medical things and Eponine helped Combeferre as he hobbled along. As they reached the apartment, Combeferre told Musichetta where to find the key, and she opened the door. Once Enjolras was placed on his bed and Combeferre was deposited on the couch, Grantaire quickly left, saying he'd be back in a while. Everyone sat around conversing little. They probably should've been discussing what to do next, but they were all still in a state of shock. A few hours passed, and Eponine was ready to leave. She didn't want to spend anymore unnecessary time in Enjolras's apartment. She'd done her part for Gavroche and had gotten help for the man, but now she just wanted to be on her way. Just as she was about to leave, Grantaire walked through the door. After he acknowledged everyone, he turned to Eponine.
"Could you come with me for a bit?" he asked.
She nodded and took his arm as they walked out the door and down the street.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"You'll see."
They walked for what seemed like forever and the landscape changed from buildings to fields. Finally, they turned down a dirt pathway, and Eponine saw a couple of trees in the distance. As they arrived at the trees, she noticed that the dirt in front of the middle tree had been recently upturned. Grantaire spoke before Eponine could ask any questions.
"This is some of my family's land. I knew you didn't have the money to give Gav a proper burial, so I figured this might be a good place. I've taken care of everything, and you are free to come here any time you wish," he explained.
Eponine gazed with tear-filled eyes at the spot where her brother was now buried, then up at her best friend. She hugged him tightly and let out a sob.
"Thank you so much, Grant."
They stood in silence for a moment before Grantaire spoke again.
"I figured that if any of the Amis bodies aren't claimed, then we could bury them here too."
"I think that's a wonderful idea," Eponine smiled.
"You're on your own now, aren't you?"
She nodded, "I'm not going back home."
"I won't be able to convince you to come stay with me, will I?" he asked.
"No, I'll be fine, Grant. I need to do this. I'm going to make a better life for myself."
"Just…promise me you won't do anything drastic, 'Ponine. If things get bad or if you just need someone, please promise me you'll come and find me," he pleaded.
Grantaire was one of the few people who knew everything about Eponine's life, including the fact that she'd thought about throwing herself into the Seine. He was always worried about her.
"I'm not going to do anything drastic, Grant. I promise to come find you or one of the other Amis if things get bad."
"Alright, well stay around. I don't want to lose you too."
"I will, Grant," Eponine smiled.
With that, they walked back into town and told each other goodbye. Then, the two parted ways, Grantaire heading back to the Amis, and Eponine heading to try to start over.
Author's Note: I apologize for the delay! I've been on vacation, and I'm finally back. I also apologize if this chapter was kind of depressing, but it was necessary. I know Grantaire seems a bit OCC, but I feel like he would be a great friend for Eponine. I wanted to thank anyone who has favorited or followed this story. It means a lot! Please drop me a review and let me know what you think so far. I might be asking for some help very soon, so keep an eye out. Thanks for reading!
~loislane16
