*Sigh. Hey guys! I'm so sorry for another short chapter, while my other story has a super long one. To make up for the pathetic length, here's some E/E. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter Ten

The morning did not end well. It had started out cheerful enough—Eponine was recovering, the kind young Guard had come to pay Marianne a 'friendly' visit, Enjolras was resting. Innocent Marianne had actually believed that perhaps she could reconcile her brother and her dear friend; perhaps she could be the peacemaker, just like Maman had been…

But Monsieur Enjolras, leader of the Paris Uprising, did not wake up in a tender mood, did not open his eyes feeling willing to reconcile with an enemy. And imagine the young man's surprise to wake up and find a National Guard under his very roof!

"What are you doing here!?"

There he stood, by the doorway, eyes aflame, disheveled, hostile, willful. "Get out!" he thundered, "Have you come here to spy on me, to plot against me, harmless and sleeping as I was? Have you come to steal my own sister from me?! How dare you, Monsieur! How dare you think you could waltz into my home and sit in my chair and talk to my sister! Get out! Get out and tell your superiors that they are nothing but cowards!"

The National Guard was already gone, wearing a cold, impassive mask as he left. Marianne saw it and despaired, not wanting to believe that her brother could be so cruel, yet not wanting to believe that her brother's words might actually be true… she thought she saw a moment of reluctance and misery in Monsieur Matthieu's face… had she seen it? No, it had been a dream. No doubt he hated her now, as he hated her brother.

"Enjolras! How could you?" she cried out.

"No!" said Enjolras, and his face was the frightening picture of their father's, a long time ago… "No, Marianne! How could you! How could you do this to me? What were you thinking, bringing an enemy into our home?"

"Enemy?! He is no enemy, Etienne—"

"How do you know that? Has he given you any reason to trust him?"

"No…" faltered Marianne.

"Do you know, this is why the neighbors back home thought you strange! thought you odd! You're a child, Marianne! A child! When will you learn? You, with your innocence and faith and readiness to give your trust to anyone!"

"No!" rejoined Marianne, anger giving her strength to face her raging brother, "You are the child, Etienne! It will be no surprise when the people do not come and stand with you! How can they put their lives into a man who trusts no one? Do you call a peacemaker a child?! How Maman tried to put things to right, whenever you and Papa had a fight! Do you remember, Etienne? Do you remember how Maman suffered and tried to make peace?" Her voice dropped low, tender, "Please, Etienne. No more fighting."

"Tetue," sighed Enjolras. "I can only give you my promise to make peace if you have nothing to do with him ever—"

"But—"

"Ever again. Do not talk to this man, and I will not fight with him."

As he said this, the door of Marianne's room creaked open and Eponine stumbled out, looking pale and tired, "Is everything alright? I… I heard you shouting…" Her worried gaze went from the downcast eyes of Marianne to those of Enjolras.

"We're fine," said Marianne quickly.

"And you? Are you fine, Monsieur?"

Enjolras sighed. "You shouldn't ask that, Eponine. Here we are, fighting like children, when we should be watching over you. Are you feeling better?"

Eponine thought she saw something very much like anxiety in his eyes and a surge of rebellion swept through her. "Of course I am, Monsieur!" she replied stubbornly, "I'll have no one worrying over me."

"You should have told him that earlier, 'Ponine!" chirped Marianne, trying to fill the tense atmosphere of the room with cheer, "He worried over you for hours last night! You could have saved him the grief!"

Enjolras, red as a tomato, began to say, "Don't be ridiculous!" to his sister, but at the same time Eponine vehemently protested, and both of them looked quickly at each other, dropped their gazes, and turned scarlet.

Marianne, feeling this moment the best time to leave, quickly said, "Oh! I have an appointment with… eh… with Gavroche! So… I have to get going, you see!" And with that, she hurried out the door, covering her ears like a child as Enjolras protested.

When she was gone, he sighed. "Marianne. When will she ever learn?"

"I don't believe Marianne needs to learn anything, Monsieur."

"No?"

"No," returned the girl firmly. Then, with a laugh, she continued, "But her brother has much yet to learn!"

"Oh really? And what would that be?"

"Shall I tell you? Well, her brother must learn that Marianne is not a fragile toddler. He must learn to trust his sister's good judgement… even in men..."—Enjolras started and turned red—"and that she would not betray him for the world! He must also learn that there is someone else who watches over his sister."

"Who's that?"

"Me, of course!"

Enjolras laughed, "You? Why, of all the people in the world, would I let you be Marianne's guardian angel? You're already turning her against me!"

Eponine smiled. "You do not trust me, Monsieur?"

"Of course I do, Eponine. You know I didn't mean that. And…" he spoke slowly, "and I will be very busy these ongoing months. I will need you, 'Ponine. I already do need you, really! It's hard enough to manage Marianne, but she behaves like a lamb with you! And if… and when the rebellion begins, I will need you more than ever."

A gentle smile spread across Eponine's features, and at that moment Enjolras thought she really did look like a guardian angel… at that moment, Enjolras knew that he could trust this girl, this Eponine Thenardier.

"I'll be around, Monsieur," said she with a quiet, reassuring nod, "I'll be around."