Well today has felt long and stressful. Posting this new chapter was probably one of the only things I was looking forward to.

**UPDATED 1/3/15**


forty

Cosette tried to make things smoother—she tried to make small talk, get her friends to react, but nothing was working. It infuriated her. She needed these two, but they seemed like they didn't care at all.

Finally, she stood from her seat, drawing their attention, "Will you two at least speak?" she was glaring some, "It's as if you don't care about anything anymore. I don't want to be the only one taking care of us."

"I'm taking care of myself." Éponine replied.

"You haven't left this apartment in days!" Cosette threw up her arms, "You don't try talking to me at all; you look like a mess; you didn't even go to Marcus' funeral!" that statement hit each of them hard, and Cosette immediately regretted it. Her face grew blank as both her friends had solemn looks on their features, "Muse decided she'd leave town to deal with this…" she started shakily, "And I've tried so hard to make things easier for myself. But I can't do that alone."

A scoff (which seemed forced) was heard from Enjolras, "I don't need this." He stood and walked to the door.

"Enjolras." A small voice said. He turned around, his reddened eyes making contact with Éponine's, her look of pain quite similar to his.

"I don't need anyone else," he started, "This constant pain isn't going to leave, so why pretend it doesn't exist? Just because you're reliant on other people doesn't mean I have to be."

He was out of the apartment before either woman could stop him.

forty-one

Cosette and Marcus were celebrating their one-year anniversary. One year since Éponine introduced them and lost him. Of course, she and Marcus were never dating, and she was almost certain he was never attracted to her, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt when she "lost" him.

She had taken that year to get over it. There was still pain sometimes when she saw them together, but she no longer looked at Marcus as if he was gold. Her attraction to him was minimal.

Éponine had dated a couple people, even was with Combeferre for a little bit when the two were first introduced about eight months ago. But no one really stirred her interest. She was constantly surrounded by good looking men, yet she never saw herself dating any of them. Since she snuffed her attraction to Marcus, she hadn't found anyone as attractive or appealing as she normally would.

She spent the evening alone—she and Cosette had requested to be roommates again for their sophomore year, so, in their room, she was all alone. Éponine was expecting Cosette to return later that night around eleven, but then the blond called and said she was staying at Marcus' tonight. Their girl time would have to wait. Éponine didn't want to spend the rest of the evening on her own. She could call Courfeyrac—he'd never complain.

Nearly an hour later, she found herself meeting Courfeyrac at a restaurant just off the base (since he was still in training, he was required to live there for the time). What she didn't expect was to see Enjolras also sitting there. They then explained to her that Enjolras needed to relax a bit, so he was forced along.

The three spent time catching up—between schooling, work, and boot camp, getting to see each other was becoming difficult.

"Hey, Ép," Courfeyrac started, thoughtfully, "isn't tonight Marcus and Cosette's anniversary?" she gave him a curious nod, "I know you say you're over him, but… did you just ask to hang out tonight to forget about that?"

Éponine laughed lightly, but when she thought about it, she began to wonder, "No, Courf, that's not why I'm here; I was getting lonely."

"Do you want a relationship?" Enjolras asked out of the blue with genuine curiosity after a moment.

"With you?" she joked while raising an eyebrow. Courfeyrac immediately began laughing, covering his mouth with his hand to quiet himself.

"No, no, no." he said quickly, but remained relatively calm, causing Éponine to also laugh, "I mean, you just haven't dated in a while, I was curious."

"I don't see the need for being in one, at least not now." Enjolras also smiled pleasantly at that statement—she understood (now that she was over Marcus), unlike so many people he had met, that the world didn't need to revolve around romance.

And they left it at that.

forty-two

Éponine and Cosette had been silent for some time since Enjolras walked out. Éponine was still stunned, frozen a little. She was certain that he had died. Since all the others were lost, she just assumed he was too. But… how? How did he possibly survive?

"Why have you been avoiding me?" Cosette finally asked with sad eyes. Éponine stared back.

"I couldn't see you without it causing memories of the others." Éponine said in a tone uncharacteristically small, "I thought by avoiding everything, I'd forget everything."

"And how has that gone for you?"

Éponine sighed heavily, "I could never forget." Cosette moved to sit near her companion and slowly set her hand on Éponine's shoulder soothingly.

"I need my best friend," the blond started. Éponine looked into her eyes, "and if you say you don't need me, I'll understand. But avoiding me won't help your or I."

Éponine bit the inside of her cheek and looked to her hands, "I'm just—I don't know what to do. I don't know how to deal with this." Cosette nodded, the slightest of smiles on her lips.

"I don't know either—you can never know what to do when someone dies. You just need to keep living, even when it gets difficult." Éponine's sad eyes met Cosette's.

"When did you get so wise?" the brunette grinned slightly as her friend's smile grew. Cosette merely shrugged.

"I've never been too wise; I just know what to say."

A silence spread between them for a few moments. "Should we go find Enjolras?" Éponine's voice still shook at saying his name—she was still trying to convince herself he's alive, not just a ghost.

Cosette shook her head, "We'll just show up at his place tomorrow morning; that's what I've done the last few days."

Éponine was hesitant—she'd be seeing Cosette again every day. She was growing accustomed to being on her own, the transition would be difficult. And Enjolras. Suddenly he was in the picture. This was feeling like a little too much all at once. Maybe she should just skip town to avoid it all. But Cosette needed her. And she (un-admittedly, of course) needed Cosette as well.


I know we just got E/E interaction and now it's gone, but I promise we'll get more!

Don't forget to review!