A/N: So, I wasn't going to include an author's note in this chapter, but a lot of you have been asking me when Eponine will tell Enjolras about the baby - so I hope this chapter answers that question :) Also, I know I have a few anonymous reviewers, so thank you very much for reading Klauslover and PhoenixGirl97, and the rest of you as always!
Impossible
Grantaire gripped an unopened bottle of Chablis wretchedly in his right hand, keeping his tired eyes on Eponine's steady strides, careful to always follow behind her.
When she turned down Boulevard du Maine, checking behind her hastily, he stumbled slightly but continued behind the girl.
Soon after, they found themselves facing a dimly lit Ermitage – their model cakes almost glistening in the window.
She had wanted to drag him out there to get his mind off his continuous, scarring nightmares – but seemed to have forgotten about her original intentions half way there.
"They still look marvelous " He muttered under his breath, eager to break the silence between them.
Placing the aged bottle of wine on the pavement beneath his feet, he felt the cool breeze that swirled around them sending strands of his inky hair flying across his forehead.
"Doesn't it feel good?" Eponine whispered, smiling at Grantaire as he returned her gaze bitterly.
He clicked his tongue, "It could be better."
Eponine shook her head distastefully. She had figured his comments were simply a result of his soberness shining through his masked enthusiasm at this time in the morning.
He suddenly knocked over the Chablis and bent to the rue frantically to pick it up, "I swear, if Joly finds out that we took his wine on the walk with us –"
"He won't care." Eponine differed, "I took it so he knows we left."
Grantaire shook his head pathetically, apparently having come up with a higher meaning to her words.
"What is it?"
The boy shook his head and cradled the bottle in his arms absent mindedly, "So it had nothing to do with me?"
Eponine shook her head and grabbed the bottle from him, "It was for me."
Grantaire raised a suspicious eyebrow and chuckled, "You're with child, mon cherie, I'm no fool. You were trying to get me to drink again."
"No." Eponine sighed, furrowing her dark eyebrows and letting out a long sigh, "It's for Marius."
"Marius?" Then the realization that his long awaited visit was today hit him, "And why the sudden celebration?"
His bitterness had returned.
"No, Grantaire it's just because-"
"You still love him."
Eponine opened her mouth but fell silent, the only noise between the two the slight whistle of the wind around the buildings.
"I wrote him a letter, and he never responded. He'll remember me today, we'll - we'll walk him to Joly's office and –"
"You do know that you're a soon to be mother, as I've mentioned earlier, and that Enjolras is the father – not Marius."
Although it was an obvious truth, Eponine looked as offended as she'd ever been.
"I don't need you to guide my life in the right or wrong direction."
"Great, because you seem to be doing a pretty great job of dragging it the wrong way." His voice cracked and suddenly Eponine knew she wasn't seeing something that was clearly there in him.
The way Grantaire dragged his feet when he walked, the way his voice fell and raised and how angry he seemed. What was wrong?
"What am I doing?" Eponine snapped, crossing her arms across her chest angrily.
It took no time for him to say, "You're doing everything for Marius and ignoring the father of your child. I haven't even seen his face since that blasted barricade and you have the audacity to ignore somebody who will be a part of your life and your babies forever. I would've given anything for him to have to be part of my life, and honestly, you seem like you couldn't care less."
"It's NOT that easy!" She screamed, causing her shrieks to echo across the empty streets and Grantaire to stumble backwards, "I can't just tell him. I can't change his life before he even had it put together Grantaire. I can't."
"But then – why Marius?"
Eponine froze suddenly, refusing to answer his question but also staring at something in the distance. Grantaire turned to see what had caught her eye, and caught sight of the carriage holding all of Eponine's dreams nearing them.
"Eponine," he began once he realized why she seemed to be close to tears, "Eponine don't do anything you'll re-" but the waif had pushed past him and run off in the other direction, tears welling in her eyes and dripping down her cheeks.
Eponine had seen Marius and she was in his carriage with him.
She, with her big sapphire eyes and tufts of magnificent blonde hair falling elegantly in ringlets from beneath her bonnet. She, who had caused Eponine's parents to hand Eponine all of the chores she once had to do instead. She, who Marius had caught sight of and fallen in love so quickly that every last thought of Eponine, was obliterated.
Eponine moved so quickly that by the time the breaths in her throat began to burn on the way out of her mouth, she was standing back in front of Joly's practice.
She quickly saw the carriage parked nearby, and heard the desperate pants of Grantaire trying to catch up with her.
Moving swiftly into the house, she avoided Marius' voice although it nearly stopped her heart, and ran into her room, shutting the door behind her and sinking against it.
Marius was here and she barely had the heart to face him and his new wife.
Wife.
He had made his vows with her alongside him – they were bound together. Now, he wouldn't care for her at all...
Suddenly, a churning in her stomach caused her to jump to her feet. What was that?
Again, it churned. Was – was the baby moving?
Eponine stood and looked at her reflection in the window; her stomach had a slight bulge, not notably larger, but large enough to notice if pointed out.
She took a deep breath and felt another churning, gentler this time. Her cheeks flushed red and tears filled her eyes once more, but for different reasons.
She was pregnant.
For the first time since hearing the news, it had become clear as day to her that she really was going to be a mother. She was going to have to raise a child soon - all by herself.
She shook the dismal thought from her head and straightened up, Grantaire's voice echoing down the hallway, his words still engraved in her mind. She didn't have to raise the baby alone – if she told Enjolras. Just two simple words and he would know.
Marius voice echoed too, filled with so much happiness it broke her heart. He must have thought everyone died, he must have been completely broken after the barricades... Maybe that's why he married Cosette – from sheer loneliness.
An idea popped into Eponine's head suddenly – if she confronted Marius, maybe he would realize how much help she needed with the pregnancy since Enjolras is too ill to understand. Surely his Cosette holds less value than an old friend in need.
Bursting through the door and running to the kitchen, where Grantaire, Courfeyrac, Joly, Julie, Cosette, and Marius where huddled over some Chablis, Eponine froze at the sight, her breath taken away by him. His eyes were much more somber, harder, his auburn hair falling slightly over his forehead.
"Eponine?" He whispered, aghast by what he was seeing as well.
Although she did not give herself much credit, Eponine had grown out her dark hair and cleared up her skin. She had gained a few much needed pounds since becoming pregnant and had worn some tidier clothes that Madame Julie had loaned her. She was no longer the filthy Eponine he had pitied on the streets.
"Marius!" She exclaimed, jumping into his arms although he did not offer her an embrace, "Did you get my letter!? Did you read it!?"
Trying to give her husband a break, Cosette moved forward and blocked Eponine from him "How do you do Mademoiselle?"
Her voice was soft and gentle.
"Fine thanks." She said no more, pushing Cosette aside to speak with Marius.
"I had no idea, you were – um," Cosette continued, "but congratulations. I'm sure you'll be a fantastic mother Eponine."
Eponine stopped, "Oh, thank you. It's such a shame I'll be raising my child with no help at all," her gaze shifted to Marius.
"Can Enjolras be of no assistance?"
He had read the letter...
"Too ill to move." She responded, shooting Joly a look when he looked close to objecting.
"I have to go congratulate him! It must have been grand news after –" his voice faded and Cosette gripped his hand tightly. Eponine eyed the embrace enviously, cringing at the sight.
"You mustn't bother him." Julie said, passing Eponine a glance, "He's been in and out of fits for days – a shame really. Eponine, be a dear and go upstairs, give him a glass of water." She passed Marius an apologetic look as she handed Eponine a cup full of cool water, "He'd be much to happy when he sees you, I'm worried he'll do something he'll regret."
Marius nodded and Eponine moved hesitantly up the stairs to his room, one hand on her stomach that churned every once in a while.
Enjolras was not in his bed today, like usual, he was propped up in a chair, facing the open door, a gentle breeze rolling from his open window.
"Bonjour Monsieur." Eponine chimed miserably, walking in with the water.
He did not respond, only took a look at Eponine's tear filled eyes and shook his head.
"He's here, isn't he?" He asked, catching her off guard, "Why aren't you with him?"
"I was, Monsieur - now, if you'll excuse me." Eponine pushed the door aside before being stopped by Enjolras' cough. Pivoting to face him, she placed a hand on her hip and took a deep breath.
"What is it?"
"I would just," Enjolras too seemed slightly hesitant to say much to her, but managed to say, "I would spend a little less time around Pontmercy."
The look of horror in Eponine's eyes was enough for Enjolras to know never to talk to her on such a level again. Running down the stairs, ashamed of her encounter, Eponine prepared herself to talk to Marius once more, but he was nowhere to be seen. In fact – nobody was.
Running back up the stairs frantically, and into Enjolras' room where the window facing the front of the practice opened up, she peered down onto the streets and nearly choked at the scene.
Marius' carriage was leaving and everyone had been there to bid him farewell but her. She turned to face Enjolras sharply.
"This is your fault!"
"Pardon me?"
"You kept me up here so long – that Marius Pontmercy left. He's gone with that idiot bourgeois and I can promise you he won't come to help me take care of our –" but she cut herself off, horrified of the words that nearly came flying out of her big mouth.
Our baby? Had she really almost said that?
"Our?" Enjolras asked, his voice weak and confused, "What's ours?"
"Nothing." Eponine snapped, turning away from him covering her mouth, a hand on her stomach as she ran down the stairs.
"EPONINE!" He called out, but there was no answer.
Hand on her stomach? Implying that she shared something with him? It couldn't be…