Chapter Twelve
Little Lives
Even the slightest amount of wind caused Eponine's injured arm to burn with extreme pain, as though it were being drenched in a tub of acid. It baffled her why she had even agreed to get on the cabriolet, or why she had suddenly demanded to be sent off after Cosette's father, but she now realized how important saving this man's life was to her friends, especially Enjolras. If that man had not cleaned and bound Enjolras' deep wound the night he was shot trying to save her, then he would not be here with her now. Another part of her would cease to exist.
Regardless, she had an enormous amount of hate for that man as well. It haunted her every day remembering the day he had arrived to offer Cosette a better life, letting Eponine take over all of her daily chores, condemning her to a life of servitude to her parents.
Yet, she also envied Cosette, even though she was dead, because of the relationship she had with her father. Besides being hit violently every night, being called a hussy, and wandering alone in the streets at night, hoping for an escape – Eponine had no other memories of her 'father'. It was only because of him that she had further befriended Enjolras. At least she could owe him that much.
"Are you sure he'll be home?" Marius asked, yelling at the driver to stop as he jumped out of the cab.
"He must be." Eponine sighed, letting Marius carry her out, trying to ignore the pain that kept returning in her arm.
Marius told the driver to wait for them, paying him the money he had in his vests pockets.
She watched as Enjolras knocked on the door continuously and listened for an answer. After several minutes of waiting anxiously for some sign that he was home, he kicked down the door, panting and running through the house, calling out, "Monsieur! Monsieur!"
There was no answer.
"He's not here!" Enjolras yelled back, running to face the two by the broken door.
"I don't know where else he could be!" She cried, trying to mask her tears from the pain and the worry.
"Did Cosette ever say anything to you?" Enjolras asked, pacing.
"Yes." Marius answered, suddenly refreshing his memory.
He played back the moment instantaneously in his mind, trying to cherish the moment he had spent with Cosette the night before she was killed.
"Where are your parents anyways?" She asked, smiling, stroking his face.
"I'd rather not talk about that," he shook his head.
"I'm sorry."
"No, it's not your fault…" He sighed, trying to save the moment from fading. "I live with my grandfather, but he's not too fond of me…"
"Why on Earth wouldn't he be? You're wonderful."
"As are you." He replied awkwardly, kissing her nose as she giggled. "You're very lucky to have such a man as your father."
"Aren't I?" She looked back at him, grinning ear to ear. "I owe him everything. He saved me from a horrible life…"
"You've had a horrible life?"
"Don't act so surprised, I'm sure you knew." Cosette shifted to face him and sighed miserably, "I never thought you'd find me. Or love me for that matter." She looked up at Marius sadly, "Madame Thenardier made sure I never felt loved until my father showed up to take me away."
"So, Eponine was trapped with them instead?"
"If I could have stopped her misery I would have, but I couldn't. I was too young, unaware of what was happening." She confessed, shaking loose her bitter thoughts, "Besides, the way they spoiled her, I wouldn't have ever imagined my duties would be passed to her." Tears filled her eyes as she realized everything she had been through with her father. "You know," she began, "the night he took me away, we had some trouble with the Thenardiers, then with Javert, and so we hid in a convent. My father told me he owed his life to a bishop, and although I never understood why, I will never forget that night. We were so safe until –" Her tears stopped her from tearing up.
"It's alright, please don't cry."
"Marius, you're all I have if my father dies. He cannot die – promise me he won't die?"
"Cosette –"
"Marius!" She sniffled, "Please..."
"I promise." He choked, unaware of the words he had just uttered.
"Thank you."
As their eyes met, Marius kissed her underneath the moonlight, forgetting the conversation he had shared with Eponine, the jealously he had felt, all he could feel was the first real kiss they had shared. All he could think about was Cosette, and why he had not noticed her before. In that moment, he knew he would be happy as long as she were by his side, and would be no matter what.
Remembering his moments with her only upset him further, but Marius now knew where her father would be.
"The convent!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands up.
"We cannot afford to waste more time Marius. Are you sure?" Enjolras asked, helping Eponine back onto the cab.
"I'm positive, now hurry!" Marius ordered, pushing him in next to Eponine, minding his bad arm as well as hers and commanding the driver to the convent Cosette had spoken of.
"Are you alright?" He asked Eponine, after he realized she had been tearing up.
"I can't move my arm." She replied calmly, distracting herself by staring blankly at the window, watching the figures pass by a setting sun, their shadows almost dancing on the pavement.
"You shouldn't have come." Enjolras muttered, suddenly distraught by the thought of losing her.
"Stop telling her what do!" Marius commanded, staring angrily at him, unaware of what he was trying to prove himself.
"The war's gone to his head. Just ignore him." Eponine replied, trying herself to ignore Marius' strange behaviour.
She could not imagine a life without him, but she desperately needed him to stay away from the life she was building with Enjolras. He had told her that she wanted to spend every day with her by his side, but if Marius was to come between them and destroy the only true love she had ever shared with another person, then he couldn't hold a place in her life at all.
"Marius, get your thoughts together." Enjolras emphasized, "I understand how horrible Cosette's death was for you, believe me, I know how that feels," he quickly glanced at Eponine, who seemed dazed, "but we have bigger things to worry about." He spoke softly but firmly, trying not to disturb Eponine and upset her.
He would have torn Marius' hair out if it weren't for her presence and severe injuries. What was wrong with him? Enjolras had remained by his side for years, they were leading the rebels of the ABC Society, they were schoolmates, almost like brothers - what had Enjolras done wrong along the way?
Suddenly, as though everything that he had missed throughout the past days had returned to him in the most blatant way imaginable, he quickly realized what he had been so oblivious to the whole time.
Marius was in love with Eponine.
He always knew that, even when he came to ask Marius for help in finding that beautiful girl on the streets, he knew that Marius would summon Eponine for help because of how strongly he felt about her. He spent hours daydreaming about her once they met, as though it were only Eponine that could bring him any sort of happiness. Only she knew his secrets and he only spoke to her the way he did. In all his years of knowing Marius, Enjolras had never seen him the way he was when he was with Eponine.
Even though she was not typically stunning, her heart and wits made up for the very little that was not there. Marius had seen that before him, so why had Eponine chosen him?
It was an action as small as the love between two unlikely people that had sparked the romance between Marius and Cosette in the first place, bringing them closer as they fell in love. It was also this action that had caused Marius' attempt at suicide and the loss of Eponine's hand. If Enjolras had seen what had truly mattered to his people, as opposed to politics, Patria, and rebelling against the government - then he could have prevented where they ever so miserably stood now. Most of all, he could have prevented the biggest fear he had at the moment - facing the man who had lost a daughter because of his silly infatuation over a girl.
Tears filled his eyes as he faced the truth. He was just one man whose heart would break brutally if he lost his lover, but his victory for France soothed that pain to an extent. If he were to do one right and just thing now, just as Cosette had, he had to let Eponine go; not only for Marius' sake but for Eponine's as well. He could never be the man she could confide in with such ease, he could never be the man that she could say she befriended first – Marius could though. How lovely their 'little' lives would be if they had each other at last.
Enjolras had been handed everything he'd ever wanted, however difficult it may have been, but Marius hadn't. He even recalled the day they had paraded the bustling streets of Paris, only for Marius to be confronted by a man who had called him a disgrace. Of course Marius chose to ignore it, but his sorrowful eyes spoke for themselves. Although Enjolras had no idea who the man was or why he was preying on poor Marius, he didn't even give the event a second thought. Later that night, he seemed happier, and Enjolras immediately realized that it had been a result of speaking to 'his' Eponine. If speaking to her had enlightened his life then, letting him take Eponine back could enlighten his life now. It had barely been two weeks since they had fallen for one another and that gave Marius a chance at taking her back. It wouldn't hurt her too much this early on. It couldn't…
"Thank you Monsieur!" Enjolras exclaimed, levering himself out of the carriage quickly as it stopped, minding his bad arm.
After Marius had helped Eponine out the other side, the three ran towards an open door to the church, its peaceful exterior and interior easing their racing hearts.
The convent was quiet and, other than some candles lighting the dim and vacant hallways, there was no light.
Eponine traced her fingers along the walls to help her see as she stumbled and limped behind Marius. Enjolras walked at her heels, supporting her with every step, cherishing any moments he had left with her.
"Split up!" Marius commanded as he ran in one direction, sticking his head into any doorway he found.
Eponine stood where she stopped, shivering.
"What's wrong? Are you cold?" Enjolras asked, taking off his deep red vest with golden embellishments and putting it around her.
"No," she shook her head and spoke in soft whispers. "I'm scared."
"You need rest." he shook his head in disappointment.
"You were right you know." She nodded silently, "I shouldn't have come. I'll get better, I know I will, but I should have stayed at the hospital with everyone else."
Enjolras opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He just stood breathless in the middle of the hallway, realizing how exhausted he was. So exhausted, that he hadn't noticed Marius rush passed them to the rooms they were meant to look in.
"Eponine, I have to tell you something." He began, choking back tears.
"Alright." She sighed, nodding, then yawning.
"Eponine -"
"He isn't here!" Marius cried as he approached the two, who, unaware of it, where holding onto to each other for support.
"I don't know where he'd be –"
"Javert!" A harsh voice asserted outside the convent. Suddenly, fear struck the hearts of the three, a hard knot forming in their throats. Was this man not dead? Had he not been slain by Cosette's father the night before the battle?
"Not. A. Word." Enjolras enunciated slowly, trembling slightly himself.
Quickly and slyly, he moved outside to see what this former enemy of theirs was doing at a convent, and who was with him? How was he alive? Pulling out his gun and cocking it, he slowly moved outside and made out the scene.
"YOU ARE 24601, YOU ARE JEAN VALJEAN, AND YOU ARE A PRISONER!" Javert screeched, holding Cosette's father by the neck as he stood there uselessly.
Impulsively, Enjolras fired his gun at Javert, but missed due to his trembling. Angry with himself, he stared awestruck at Cosette's father. Why had Javert called him a prisoner?
"Enjolras –" Valjean began, but stopped himself as Javert threw him to the ground violently, leaving him with no energy to stand back up.
He had to do something, anything! Where were the other two? Where were the nuns? The bishop? Anybody?
"Help! HELP!" He called out uselessly as Javert pulled out his gun, aiming it at Valjean and looking above, as if to thank god for this opportunity.
Enjolras threw himself at Javert, letting the bullet fly into the empty air, missing them both.
"ENJOLRAS!" Eponine screamed suddenly, bringing herself to run to the scene, followed by Marius.
Grabbing the gun that Enjolras had left on the ground in the heat of the moment, Marius cocked it and aimed at Javert, still in disbelief that he was alive.
"Marius, my son! No!" Jean called out, standing to guard Javert.
"Monsieur! What are you doing?" Eponine cried, moving to face Valjean, grabbing his hand with her good one.
"I beg of you, do not kill this man. He is just doing his duty."
"His duty!?" Enjolras spit, "Is that to kill an innocent man in front of a church?"
"He is right." Javert sighed, throwing his hat on the floor in shame, "Kill me. I deserve it."
"No man deserves it." Marius replied firmly as Eponine smiled sadly at him, proud of his realization.
"Javert, stay here, in the convent." Valjean suggested, speaking softly so that he would understand, "Learn the ways of God, learn to appreciate them. Do not do this to yourself."
As the scene unfolded in front of her, Eponine figured that the events had taken place because they were at the convent, but a miracle had happened in the end of it all. Without another word, Javert lugged himself into the church, throwing his silver badges on the floor behind him, and shutting the door. She sent a small prayer out quickly, that Javert would be at peace with himself and with Cosette's father. Before she could help Valjean back on his feet, he had fainted, exhausted and overcome with emotion.
"We must get him to a hospital!" Marius cried, "We're going back."
Enjolras nodded, trying to help Eponine carry the man, as she was paralyzed with fear.
How quickly things can happen, how fast things can change, he thought.
Jean Valjean had come to the convent, but only moments before they had arrived. He had been chased by Javert because he was a criminal, for reason still unknown to him. Now, he had fainted, his life at risk from the fear and worry inflicted upon him in the short hours that had passed.
Suddenly overwhelmed with emotion, Enjolras burst into tears, the first time he had fully cried in what seemed like years. All that went through his mind was every passing moment since the bullet had penetrated his shoulder. Everything from Cosette's death, the war, Eponine's promise to him, Marius' attempt at suicide, Eponine's loss, winning the battle, being called a hero, the search for Cosette's father, and now – his decision to finally let go of Eponine. He was trembling so violently from tears that he choked on them as they ran down his face. Salty, bitter tears.
"Enjolras," Marius whispered anxiously. He shook Enjolras as he continued, "ENJOLRAS! We'll be at the hospital soon. Calm yourself."
With those words, and a few very long minutes, they had arrived at the hospital with all their budding futures at risk.
