Disclaimer: Characters not mine... Aww. :(
**I EDITED CHAPTER 8 and I mean practically changed the WHOLE thing... Sorry for the inconvenience.**
I mean it. I edited the whole chapter 8. I apologize for the mess I've created.
Here's when things get all mushy:
To those people who review, follow and even just silently read, thank you for everything! Thank you for all your support and even just glancing at this story. It means so much to me and it makes my day. Is it too early to say I love you all? Why all the love, you ask? I never thought I'd reach to 10 chapters. I always thought I'd give up on this story and just mentally finish it. But thanks to you guys... Thank you. :)
Okay. All of that done. Mushiness done... sort of.
Well... It's not done because we're starting off with Marius Pontmercy! Hopefully, you'll at least tolerate my Marius.
Chapter 10 (10, imagine that!)
Love can heal us and it can hurt us. It is a double-edged sword that must be treated with caution and care. Where there is love, sacrifice will follow. No matter what kind of love it is. It is not the sweet words or tender kisses which solely make love true. In most great stories, it is the pain one goes through which sheds light to a dark path.
"It's a great day today. Class was not interesting. Nothing really remarkable or memorable but maybe that's because I was dozing off in the middle of lectures. I mean, I still want to be a lawyer but my seat felt comfortable. Then after, I went to the hospital- no, everyone is okay!" He quickly adds then explains the situation carefully. "The Amis is watching this little kid, Gavroche, who was beaten up. He's a tough one and he's healing, poor guy. I think he is twelve or eleven but he is so tiny... don't ever call him tiny or he'll hit you. He's already hit Benjamin Bahorel- I told you about him before- and Grantaire high fived him." Marius recalls that incident, the first time Gavroche met everyone officially. Benjamin called him tiny and cute; Gavroche didn't like that at all so he smacked Benjamin on the arm. Not that Benjamin was offended or hurt. In fact, he was grinning proudly and already took a liking to the kid. Unfortunately, Gavroche's injuries are still sore but he's tough. It's a good sign he can still defend himself despite the pain... But that kind of makes Marius wonder how Gavroche grew up. Marius cringes at the possibilities.
"Courfeyrac always watches him. You know Courf, right? He's the guy who introduced me to the Amis. Yeah, great guy with a great sense of humor. Enjolras has been acting kind of funny though... A few days ago, he's always in his head but now... He's just odd. Sometimes, I see him with this funny expression as if he's trying to remember something and other times he's all happy... which is strange too. I guess Gavroche has that effect on people. He doesn't talk about how he got his injuries or his family though..." Marius takes a moment to collect his thoughts and balls up his shaking hands.
Marius Pontmercy sits Indian style on the green grass as he rambles on about how his day went and random facts about the little boy Gavroche. The air is cool and the wind blows his hair back, he rather likes the feeling. Somewhere in the nearby trees, the birds sing their melodic song to themselves. What a beautiful day... It would be more beautiful is his mystery girl were there beside him. The hallow feeling is in his chest and a weight sits on his shoulders. Marius thinks that maybe he should distract himself before the grief, which he has been vigilantly avoiding, consumes him.
"Dad, did I ever tell you about this girl I met in a party?" Marius leans his back against warm stone and he stares on the flowers next to him. "I was at this party... Enjolras' party which he absolutely hated. Then I saw this girl. She was beautiful, with long shiny blonde hair and a gorgeous face. Her eyes were so blue and her dress suited her perfectly. Then she was staring at me. It was like a dream. I felt so lost but... I found her and she found me. I asked her to dance with me and she said yes! Yes, she agreed!" Marius' voice mixes with delighted laughter.
"The angel was so graceful unlike me; I stepped on her foot, you see. Many, many times." He blushes at that memory wherein he kept muttering apologies ad he nervously sweated. The dark haired boy absently brushes his fingers on the flower's pink petals. Pink, just like his angel's lips. I wonder if they're just as soft. "We... we were about to kiss but she had to leave. It was like Cinderella... Ever since then, I can't get her out of my head. I'm looking for her. Don't worry, I'll find her." He says the sentence before he can stop himself. "Then maybe I can bring here here to meet you, dad. You'll love her! You two will get along... I know you will..." His voice trails off, leaving an empty feeling in his gut.
Marius stops talking for a while and inhales deeply. Closing his eyes, he stops the tears from rolling down his freckled cheeks. He can practically hear his composure crack and chip away. Be brave. He wants you to be brave and happy. Don't cry now, not right here. His voice comes out like a sob. "I wish I met you, dad. I..." He cannot do anything to stop the tears now. They fall one after the other down to his cheeks, jaw and then to his shirt. "I am so sorry I was late and... And you were already g-gone." His voice cracks yet he continues. "I-I didn't get to say goodbye. I never met you but... I'd do anything, anything, to make it up to you."
More relaxed now, he smiles through his tears. "I'm fine, dad. I really am. I just wonder if you're with mom right now. Tell her I love her and I love you too... I love you both." He glances at the tombstone next to his fathers as the tears threaten to fall again. She died when Marius was only a little boy. But they, his parents, are happy now in the kingdom of the Lord. They are together and that's what matters. Kinda romantic too, now Marius thinks about it.
The freckled boy stands up shakily and faces his father's tombstone, wiping his tears with his sleeve. "I'm sorry, dad," he says softly so only his father can hear his words then turns away.
"Eponine?" It is soft and shy in the crowd of booming sounds. The other sounds should have drowned it out but Eponine hears it clearly.
Eponine turns around, she knows that voice! Her stomach churns and her fingers shake. Now, her knees start buckling. It has been so long since she heard that voice but she has not forgotten that deep voice.
Immediately, she feels awful about her reaction to the the mere sound of Marius' voice. Cosette is her friend again after so many years! Whenever she see's Cosette's face, she sees unwavering faith and hope. The blonde girl believes in her; she does not look at her cautiously or treat her like a delinquent. It is both moving and frightening. Deep inside Eponine, she is afraid that she may accidentally or deliberately betray her friend or bring harm to her in any way.
Cosette likes Marius and he seems to return her feelings. Eponine does not fit anywhere in that equation.
She was on her way to the Musain Cafe to visit Musichetta who promised to ask around about her missing sibling. Upon hearing the state of her Gavrcohe, Musichetta quickly pitched in to help. Oh, poor Gavroche. He's a tough kid, Ep. I'm positive he is holding up. Merely a few blocks from her destination, the familiar voice spoke her name.
"Marius!" She exclaims when she. How glad is she that Marius recognizes her! Marius looks strapping in his casual clothes with his hair sticking up in the front. His freckles splatter on his face and adds to his timid charm. With his hands in his pockets, he stands a few feet away from her. There are no traces of any sadness, grief or pain in that happy face of his.
The freckled man steps closer to her. "Hello, Eponine. How have you been since the party?" Remembering how she seemed to be in a hurry, expertly maneuvering through the busy crowd. "I-I don't mean to pry but where are you going? You looked a bit anxious."
It warms Eponine's heart that he asks her how she has been doing. As for her feelings towards him, things are confusing at this point. Eponine is torn between her "love" for Marius and her friendship with Cosette. This time, she knows that she has to be a better person. It may hurt her for a while but the happiness of both Cosette and Marius would be worth it. Yes, she just has to repeat that to herself so she can cope. She cannot love him but she can admire him from a distance, right?
"I'm great." I feel great now that you are here. "I was just on my way to the Musain... My friend own the place."
Marius' head tilts to the side which Eponine thinks is actually very adorable. He says enthusiastically, "Oh, you're friends with 'Chetta! She is very nice and she would often serve us free drinks."
Eponine makes a mental note to interrogate Musichetta about Marius when she sees the woman later on... For Cosette, of course! "How do you know 'Chetta?"
There is a light in his eyes as he proudly talks about his group of friends. "Some friends and I go there regularly. 'Chetta welcomes us every time we go there. She's rather fond of us... Or maybe it is because a friend of ours, Joseph Joly, is her boyfriend." He ends it with a shrug. "In fact, I have nothing else to do. Might I accompany you to the Cafe?"
Despite his piling work and upcoming tests, Marius still has time to kill before going back home. Every student, even just once in his school life, has felt his arms refuse to open a thick dull textbook and his wondering brain drift up into the air. After all, there is always tomorrow or the day after that or the last minute. In other simpler words, Marius is just procrastinating on work.
"Sure," Eponine smiles, a bit dazed before she chides herself. If she is going to have feelings for Marius, she has to hide them very well.
Later on, they sit in the Cafe which is currently packed with customer lining up for coffee and occupying the other seats. When Musichetta saw them come in, she waves at them for a second before going back to work. Eponine concludes that they are still short on employees and need as much help as they can get.
Eponine quickly snatches an empty table before someone else does. Marius stands next to her when she sits down and asks, "you want anything?" Shaking her head, she declines his offer.
As Marius waits in line for a cup of coffee, Eponine's mind wonders. Normally, she thinks of Marius but that seems inappropriate now so she tries to think of something else. Antoine Enjolras pops in her mind. Why did the thought of him suddenly appeared? Eponine barely knows the guy! All she knows for sure is that he is going to go after her for the ring then have her arrested for theft. That night, the man with golden locks did not seem to care about his wallet- which he never got back- but his eyes got intense about the ring. Feeling the ring against her skin, she wonders how much this thing is really worth. Maybe she can use it to find Gavroche and to get her necklace back.
Marius sits in front of her, putting his warm cup down on the table. "Eponine?"
"Yeah?" Unconsciously, her back straightens and her eyes become wider.
Fiddling with his fingers, Marius' eyes are trained on his cup. "Can... Can I ask you something? It is a bit weird and crazy but it is worth a try." Their eyes meet. Eponine can hear her heart pound in her chest at the sight of those beautiful eyes. "You see, I met this girl in the party."
A small part of Eponine cracks at that and she is sure of what he is trying to ask of her. This confirms her theory that Cosette and Marius do love each other for love will bring them together. What a cruel trick of fate that Marius is asking Eponine for information about Cosette! Eponine will have to reunite the two then her heart will shatter when she sees them together.
Putting up a fake smile, Eponine does her best to act interested and glad for Marius and even go as far as asking questions about this mysterious girl. In the most love-sick voice Eponine has ever heard, the freckled man pours his heart out about his love for dear Cosette. Every single time Marius has talked of his angel, the Amis teased and laughed at him especially Grantaire and Courfeyrac. Antoine would give him a I-am-judging-you-and-your-lonely-soul look and roll his eyes before returning to his law books. Even the Jehan has had enough of the besotted Marius and his incessant chattering regarding the blonde beauty who has captured Marius' soul. To Marius, it means a lot that someone now appreciates his love and is willingly listening to him and his feelings.
After almost a quarter of an hour, Marius feels as light as a feather now that he has someone to talk about the love of his life to. "Eponine, have you seen my precious angel? Have you any idea who she is and where she may be?"
At this point, Eponine is ready to curl up and cry. He loves her and not me. His face and his voice says it all! What an idiot I am to have even a bit of hope... Nodding, Eponine grins but the joy does not reach to her brown eyes. There is hurt and despair in her voice which Marius is innocently oblivious to. "Yes, I know her. She is my friend."
In a second, Marius bursts with gladness and jubilation, almost standing up from his seat and knocking down his half empty cup of coffee. My prayers have been answered! My beloved is found! She is so close! There are no words to describe how incredible Marius feels at the moment or how excruciating it is for Eponine to see him so in love.
Quickly, Marius takes Eponine's hand in his and implores, "you must take me to see her." Eponine can practically hear her heart breaking slowly, like the sound of glass shattering into fragile pieces. "Please, Eponine? I have to see my angel! My life would not be complete without her!"
How can she say no to that hopeful face? How can she deny them both of their happiness just because she is unhappy? If she turns away from him, would he ever forgive her? He would probably hate her and look at her with disdain and she cannot stand the thought of him not smiling at her, even if it were just a friendly smile. "I-I will... I'll make sure that you meet her." She chokes out the words yet he remains absorbed in his feelings.
"Oh, thank you!" Marius cheers, not bothering to restrain himself any longer. "You are a wonderful friend, Eponine! Tell me, what is my beloved's name? I just know it is something beautiful!" If Eponine were not feeling so dejected, she would have been glad to be called a friend by Marius after just a short time.
"Cosette," Eponine inhales deeply. "Her name is Cosette."
"Cosette..." He tries out the sound of her name in his mouth. "What a lovely name! It fits her so much! A beautiful name for a beautifully angelic creature!" Despite everything, this statement makes Eponine feel a tad insecure of her name.
"Tell my beloved that I shall meet her tomorrow night!" Marius gives her directions to park near the Musain, a few blocks down. He picked a romantic place, he wants everything to be perfect when they are reunited!
"And this... protest took place a few days ago? I entrusted you to take care of the situation." The inspector sits on his chair stiffly. A stack of papers is neatly piled on his wooden desk as he skims through some of them.
The younger police officer nods. "I believe student activists were responsible, sir."
The inspector's voice is clipped. "How many were injured?"
"Thankfully, not even a handful. I can assure you, we did the best we could do."
The officer bites his lip when he sees the inspector considers him with a questioning look. "But this is not the first attempt of this group of activists, is it not? There have been previous records before. Some of them show how incompetent you have been in handling these activists."
"Sir, I can explain-"
The older man cuts him off. "And Patron-Minette is still on the lose, correct? This notorious gang is still out there, committing crimes and unlawful deeds! Have you come close to finding them and bringing them to justice?"
Clearing his throat, the officer is suddenly interested at his feet. "It is difficult when we barely have any information about Patron-Minette."
"If I am correct, your men chased them not so long ago. They escaped, yes?" It is not a question that is meant to be answered but it is an accusation to the younger officer. The inspector is questioning his adequacy and suitability for the job.
Hanging his head, the officer replies shamefully, "yes, sir."
That settles it and makes up the inspector's mind. "You are relived of your duties. I have been assigned to take your place."
The officer's eyes widen and he looks up to meet the inspector's hard gaze. "Sir?"
"You heard me. I do not like repeating myself."
"I am..." He drifts off, still flabbergasted.
"And I'm Javert! I shall bring back discipline to this city!"
Cosette squeals with delight, jumping up and down in the Thenardier household. It is fortunate that Monsieur Thenardier, Madame Thenardier and Azelma are currently out doing business. Having returned from a chat with Monsieur Fauchelevent, Cosette found Eponine already back home so early. The brunette seemed distress over something but she refused to talk about it but it still worried Cosette. Changing the subject, Eponine informs Cosette about Marius, the boy from the party. Learning that he wants to meet her tomorrow night, Cosette agrees without a moment of hesitation or a second thought.
"What should I wear? I don't have much clothes but I need to look presentable!" Cosette starts fussing about the tiniest details to make the evening flawless. Nothing should go wrong.
"You will look fine. He called you beautiful." Eponine tries to calm the blonde down unsuccessfully, a bit of jealously mixing with her voice.
Cosette's face turns scarlet at the compliment and humbly insists that she does not look beautiful. She stops for a while and looks at Eponine with tears in her eyes. Once again, Eponine does not know how to react or what to do when Cosette starts crying. Should she comfort her and tell her everything will be okay? But she does not even know why Cosette is crying! With tears now rolling down her eyes, Cosette wraps her arms around Eponine which stuns the brunette.
"Eponine, thank you so much for doing this. My life isn't exactly the happiest but this meeting is a big thing for me. It's going to be like a fairy tale moment so thank you for helping me and making this possible." Her arms tighten around Eponine. The latter returns her embrace fondly. The emotions are too much to handle; the pain from unrequited love and the joy from seeing both Cosette and Marius happy are a bit overwhelming for one day. Not to mention the never-ending lists of problems in her life.
"You're welcome," Eponine smiles.
"You're the best friend I've ever had."
Enjolras may not care about Marius' lonely soul but Eponine does.
Question is... who cares about Eponine's lonely soul?
I wanted to put the "And I'm Javert!" somewhere... lol. I can't help it, okay? The temptation was far too great!
And once again, I am sorry for the mess in the other chapter.