-Grantaire-

"Don't Elle," I say, sounding non-plausible. Elle wouldn't dare harm a hair on Eponine's head. She would die if she hurt Ponine, if not from Enjolras then from me.

Eponine doesn't look so calm though. "Elle, please just liste—" she begins to say, nervously eyeing the long, pointy knife that could so easily kill her.

"No!" Elle squeals. "Aw I should leave poor, perfect little Eponine alone so that you and Grantaire can live happily.. ever.. after," she says, pausing slightly between the words happily ever after.

"Come on Elle. I don't love Taire, I love Enjol—"she begins to say, but stops and despite the circumstances, blushes deeply and goes bright red. You would think that she would have bigger issues than people knowing about her petty little crush. Especially since it's just Elle and I.

"Oh, well that makes it all okay. I will leave you alone so you can brainwash my brother and then live happily ever after with him! "she yelps, this time saying the words happily ever after extremely quickly instead of slowly like before.

Elle raises the knife higher and I stand in front of Eponine, instinctively shielding her from the knife that could so easily put an end to her life. "Do you love me , Grantaire?" Elle suddenly asks, now lowering the knife and smiling at me in a way that I would have described as sweetly before I found out what a monster she really is.

"No," I reply gruffly, I do not want in this conversation now. "I've told you many times Elle; I could never love a witch like you."

"You could never love a witch like me," she repeats, her voice a low whisper.

"Yes, never," I say, still keeping Eponine behind me.

"Never," she repeats, this time in one of the most deafening high pitched screams that I've ever heard. She raises the knife again and I know that I've made a possibly fatal mistake. But Elle s quick and before I have time to react, she slips past me, hardly even touching me in the process and digs the knife into Eponine's leg. I leap onto Elle, getting her away just in time before she can do any serious damage.

Eponine is hurt, that much is obvious. She did just get stabbed, didn't she? She is currently passed out, which is undoubtedly for the better.

Without a seconds hesitation, I punch Elle on the head, not quite hard enough to knock her out, but hard enough to keep her still enough for me to carry her. I lift her up roughly and carry her upstairs to her room.

"Oh, you wanted us alone. Didn't you, Taire?" she asks me, her everlasting smirk plastered on her stupid little face. I punch her in the nose and she goes out cold.

I chuckle slightly.

I go to the kitchen and get the rope that we kept for emergencies and then walk upstairs to Elle's room and tie her up.

I laugh lightly at the irony in that. Locked up in her own room.

XXX

"Will she be okay?" I ask Joly as he examines Eponine. "She can still walk, right?" Apollo will be heartbroken without her.

Joly laughs. "She is fine, Taire. I never thought I would see the day when you actually fall in love," he smirks.

"What?" I ask loudly. "Oh, no, no, no. She's more a friend of a friend," I say, not being able to keep the panic from my voice.

Joly gives me a skeptical and disbelieving look, but doesn't press the matter further.

-Enjolras-

I finish with my speech which is greeted by a loud applause. The applause is as loud as ever, but I don't feel like the speech was one of my best. One of my worst more like.

I'm interrupted by my thoughts when a man in dark clothing enters.

"I need to speak to Monsieur Enjolras," the figure says in a gruff voice.

"That it me," I say against my better judgement.

"I need to speak with you in private, Monsieur," he says, smirking when he says the word Monsieur.

"Okay," I reply, leading him to the store closet and he follows.

"Who are you?" I ask, not able to contain my curiosity.

"Montparnasse," he replies.

I know him, Eponine's told me about him. he works in her father's gang. He's dangerous. "What do you want?" I ask, clearing my throat.

"Your help," he replies, not explaining himself further.

"…With what?" I eventually ask after a long pause.

"Getting Eponine away from Grantaire."