Ten

Enjolras

The next morning, I get up to find Eponine fast asleep on her pallet. I want to take her to find a spot for Azelma's memorial today, if she's up to it, but I don't want to disturb her. I go to the kitchen and make some tea before sitting at my small table and sipping it slowly while reading the newspaper. A few minutes into reading, I hear rustling in the living area.

"Enjolras?" I hear Eponine croak.

"I'm at the table, Eponine. And I made some tea if you'd like some."

"Okay. Just give me a moment."

I hear her pad down the small hall and into the washroom. A few minutes later, she appears, slipping into the chair across from me. I reach over and pour her some tea.

"Thank you," she says quietly.

"How are you?"

"As well as I can be, I suppose."

"Listen, Eponine I was thinking that, if you were feeling up to it, we could look for a place for your sisters memorial today," I say.

She offers me a half smile, "I think I'm up to it."

"Wonderful. Take your time with your tea. I'm ready whenever you are."

Not even ten minutes later, we are leaving the flat. I offer her my arm, and she gives me a strange look, as if she is taken aback, but she slips her hand around arm anyway.

"Enjolras, I wouldn't even begin to know how this works," she admits.

"Well, if you own enough land, you can have a memorial there, but because I don't have any land, I thought we'd go to the cemetery."

She looks at me wide-eyed, "But that will be much too expensive! I can't ask you to do that! And besides, we don't have her body any longer."

I just smirk as we continue walking. Once we arrive at the cemetery, I take her to the far back corner, where it is more wooded and point to a small stone near recently upturned dirt.

"What's this?" she asks, releasing my arm to step closer.

She begins to read the etched words on the stone, "Azelma Thenardier, Beloved Sister," she whirls around to look at me, "Is this what I think it is?"

"Yes. I had Joly take care of it yesterday."

"You mean, she is actually buried here? She was given a proper burial? And you took care of it all?" she rasps, tears in her eyes.

I nod, and she lets out a ragged breath.

"You welcome here whenever you like," I tell her.

"Why? Why are you so kind to me?"

"As I have told you before, you are a friend."

"You barely know me! I have never met someone who is so kind."

"Then you must have never had a true friend," I say quietly.

"Thank you," she replies after a moment.

"Eponine, I know you said you would be leaving, but you should know that you are welcome at my flat as well as the cafe."

"Again, I thank you for your offer, but I want to try to make a life for myself. It's about time I start over. I just left a few things at your flat that I need to get."

"Of course."

Later that afternoon, after I make sure she eats a plentiful lunch, I watch her pull on her hat and tuck a book I didn't realize she had under her arm.

"Well, I should be going," she says.

"Don't be a stranger, Eponine. And I do hope you continue coming to our meetings?"

"Of course I will. Thank you again, Enjolras. I'll see you soon," she smiles.

"Soon," I smile in return.

Then she is gone and a part of me already feels lonely again.

Author's Note: Hi readers! I realize that this is a very short chapter, but I wanted to at least give you guys something. The truth is, I'm feeling pretty discouraged about this story right now, so I'd really like to know your true feelings about it. I need to decide if I should put it on hiatus for a while, or if I should continue. So any of your thoughts will help me in my decision.

~loislane16