Erik grabbed a hold of her arm, leading her with him, the other hand grabbing a gun. He took up position and aimed, firing at the soldiers.
"Stay back, Eponine," he insisted. "There's too many coming to count. They were waiting for us to be distracted." He fired again, taking one down.
"They're climbing over the barricade!" she called out.
"Back." He grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
One of the boys grabbed a barrel of gunpowder, running toward the top of the barricade as he did so.
"Marius!" Eponine shouted, going to run after him.
"Stay here," Erik ordered, grabbing her arm. He ran after the boy, shooting at the soldiers aiming for him.
She watched as Erik ran after Marius, firing at the soldiers. There were so many of them coming, and they could barely hold their own as it was….
Her eyes widened, seeing one of the soldiers climbing up on the other side of them, aiming his gun. She ran toward the soldier, meeting him, shoving the gun out of the way as the shot went wild. He saw her and his eyes narrowed, aiming the gun at her.
"Back!" Marius shouted. "All of you! Get back! Or I'll blow it!"
"Do it and take yourself with it," the soldier challenged.
"And myself with it." He lowered the flame.
"Back! All of you get back! Retreat!"
The soldiers left as the others took the gunpowder and torch away from Marius, some cheering him, some shouting at him.
Erik sighed and climbed back down, handing the gun off. He frowned, seeing that she wasn't there. He looked around, seeing a figure crouched amongst the barricade. He ran over and knelt beside her, seeing the blood on her shirt.
"Eponine," he whispered. "Here." He took her jacket and tore off strips of fabric, wrapping them around her. "This should help stop the bleeding. What did you do?"
"I saw him aiming at you," she explained. "I had to stop him. Otherwise you'd be dead."
He looked at her. "Stopping one bullet isn't worth your life."
"It would've killed you."
He sighed and picked her up, carrying her. "And now it's Erik's turn to stop that bullet from killing you."
He carried her back inside and up the stairs, laying her on a table. He undid the bandages and her shirt, gently inspecting the wound.
"It doesn't appear to have injured anything too dangerous," he murmured, finding a needle and thread. "The bleeding itself though…." He began stitching her up and she winced. "You ran out there. Why?"
"I told you why."
"You could have just as easily let that bullet hit me, saved yourself from this."
"I saw him aiming at you. I couldn't sit there and do nothing." She smiled slightly. "Gavroche...he thinks you might be in love with me."
"He does?"
She nodded. "I don't know what to think for myself. Everyone who's liked me...everyone I've liked...they've all left."
He finished and reached over, gently touching her face. "Erik won't leave you."
"You almost did."
"And yet I am still here." He helped her sit up and put her shirt back on. "And I won't leave you as long as you don't leave me."
She smiled. "I won't. I promise."