It was dark; she was down an alley, her heart already aching in fear. It was thick, the air, the ground, all of it seemed sluggish. And then she sees the figure and the name "Azelma," left her lips. She was running, her sister lying on the ground ahead of her, marred and torn. Blood grazed her lip and chin; bruises ran the length of her exposed legs, getting harsher and darker as they crawled up her thighs. Fingerprints washed across her arms and flesh, everywhere it was showing. She was breathing softly and pained, her eyes closed. It made Eponine's stomach churn. And then there was Gavroche, and the men were coming after him, chasing him down the street, knives in their hands and grins on their faces. Smelly and harsh, they pull at the other, trying and succeeding to get further and further ahead.

Courfeyrac sprawled on the doorstep of his flat, bloodied, his back covered in marks from one of the whips the men had. He had fought for Gavroche, clawing his way through one of the men. But there were too many, and he was down before he even had a chance. She cried out as he looked at her, his breath catching in his throat and an anguished look plastered on his face.

Gavroche ran for his life, twisting and turning down roads and isles, the men close behind. Brandishing their weapons and growling in anger. Then he trips, falling, and Eponine's heart leaps out of terror, a lump forming quickly in her throat. She tries to get at him but she's running so slowly… She opens her mouth to yell and he sees her just as the men grab him from behind. Her name is screamed as a knife is placed at her throat, and it's Montparnasse grinning at her with malice. Gavroche is dragged away, roughly pulled down an alleyway and out of sight…

"Eponine!" Enjolras' voice broke through. No, she needed to save her brother. Where was he? What was going on? Her brothers scared face still fresh in her mind, but now she is being shaken harshly, someone pulling her back, leaning on her, their hands gripping around her wrists, Enjolras' voice carrying through her brain, Enjolras? No, Azelma! Where was Azelma? She had to find Azelma!

"Eponine!" Enjolras' voice carried through again, wrong! She was on the street, hallucinating. He wasn't there, why did she feel so woozy? Someone was holding her back, but Montparnasse was there, grabbing at her, running his hands trough her angrily…

Wait, no, it was wrong. All wrong. The faces around her were swarming…And there was a pressure on her abdomen, and his voice. What was with his voice? She snapped awake.

Someone was on top of her, holding her wrists, hissing. Her heart flew out of her body, she struggled but their grip was strong. Whose grip? Her first thought went to Montparnasse and her defense mechanism jumped in. Yanking, Eponine threw the hand that held her left wrist into her mouth, biting hard; the voice above her cried out in anger and shock, Enjolras' voice. Her eyes flew open in terror, and she's with him, not her brother or Montparnasse. The room rushed into view, dark and small, Enjolras looked shaken, a bit disheveled.

"Merde!" He cursed, her insides fumed, still disoriented. She had to get to her family- Enjolras was breathing heavily above her.

"Get. Off. Me. Now!" She growled through clenched teeth. He obliged, sliding off the bed to stand beside her. She breathed, trying to calm herself down. "What was that?" She demanded, pulling the blankets that were near her feet closer to her body.

"You were screaming like someone was murdering you, I thought you were- I was just able to pull the sheets from you… You were strangling yourself with them, I couldn't wake you, and you were thrashing around. Merde, Eponine! Don't scare me like that." He nearly spat, she closed her eyes.

"I was dreaming." She muttered, he snorted.

"Some dream."

"I have to go." She stated, opening her eyes and looking at him determinedly. Her face hardened at his expression. His jaw clenched and his hands automatically in fists.

"Eponine, we've already been through this." He said quietly. She shook her head; she couldn't stand being there, especially after what she had just witnessed, what could happen. She couldn't- no, wouldn't- let them be hurt. They were everything to her.

"I don't care, Monsieur." She whispered, laughing darkly. He looked at her broken. She knew he was calculating- once again- the possibilities and problems she caused. Why do you even try? She asked him in her head, but she knew the answer, and it made her stomach coil with nerves.

"Eponine, do not push me." He said, barely audible but heard all the same. When he spoke this way his voice seemed to carry everywhere it could, menacing and revolutionary. She scowled at him, wanting so badly to push him to the brink.

"You cannot make me stay. I am a force not to be reckoned with." She said, loud and clear, her chin held high.

"Eponine, I am warning you."

"What are you going to do? What are you going to do to me that other men haven't already done, Enjolras? I am not afraid of you." She stood on the bed, towering over him, stronger than she had ever felt before.

"Eponine-"

"Enough words! I am sick of all these damn words! All you do is speak!" She could feel tears coming, shedding down her cheeks, she clenched her fists, shaking in sorrow and anger and he just stood there! Why did he just stand there?! "Just do something for heavens sake! STOP STARING AT ME LIKE THAT!" She reached down, grabbing a pillow and threw it at him, it hit his chest and he moved his head at the impact, but his expression still stayed the same: emotionless.

"God, I hate you! I hate you so much! You'll never go through with this revolution, you know why? You're all words! No action, just words. You're pathetic, Enjolras. I'm sickened by you!" She spat, wiping furiously at the tears. And then she covered her face in her hands, standing and sobbing. She was so scared, so scared of what was going to come… When she finally let the tears subside a bit, she looked at him and he was still standing there. He was always still there, out of all the men she knew. And that confused and almost upset her.

"The Amis will be here in a few hours, and then we'll get your sister. All we need is for you to stay here, and tell us where she is." Tell them? She scoffed. She would be going with them.

"But in the dream Gavroche, and then Courf-"

"It wasn't real. You're here. Just a few more hours… 'Ponine, please." After her outburst he still was there… still standing strong but the small boy within him was sneaking his way out. But she couldn't wait, she had to go now, every hour they sat idly her sister was in danger, growing by the minute.

"Monsieur-" the next look he gave her made her stop once again, his eyes were so full of sorrow and worry and anger she couldn't go on, her vocal chords permanently damaged. She hated this. Hated how all he had to do was look at her and it was enough to silence her completely. What had gotten into her?

"Alright." She muttered, he looked instantly relieved.

"They will be okay." He tried to assure her, but her mind had already returned to the images of her broken friends faces and bodies. Sickening. Tears sprung to her eyes again. She hated this. She lied back down under the blankets, watching Enjolras. He looked so worn down, almost like a street rat, like her. He hadn't slept. Or at least he looked like he hadn't slept. Bags ran under his eyes and his skin wasn't the color she was used to seeing.

"Have you slept?" She asked, suddenly worried about his welfare, when did she start worrying about his welfare? After a minute he shook his head. He had stayed up to make sure she wouldn't leave. She thought for a minute. He wouldn't sleep in anxiety that she'd leave, and she wouldn't sleep in fear that she would dream again. There was one way, though…

"Come here." She whispered, scooting over in the bed, he watched her incredulously. "Come here." She said again, he stood stock still.

"Eponine-"

"I can't sleep alone again tonight, unless you want me to truly strangle myself. And it's obvious you can't sleep unless you know I'm safe. This way we can both get what we need… don't give me that look!" She exclaimed, for he was looking at her in surprise. "You know it's true, Enjolras. Please, for me?"

His eyebrows furrowed, and he shifted his weight back and forth, after a few longer moments where he carefully eyed her, an unexplained expression on his face… he moved in beside her. Taking the pillow she had thrown off of the floor and onto the bed with him. She wasn't sure why she was doing it, why she wanted it to happen, and for a second it was as if she remembered something else about the night when she had blacked out, his hands on her hips, cupping her face…

She pulled his strong arms closer, around her. Amazed he had done it, amazed he wasn't anything else… and all she wanted in that moment was sleep, and to finally feel safe, that no dream could harm her again. He tentatively felt his way around her body, tensed and stiff. One arm supporting her neck, the other at her waist. She curled into him, facing him and burying her face into his chest just like she had done when he had protected her from Montparnasse. He started to stroke her hair softly, bringing her closer. His hand in her hair, comforting and sweet; he smelled nice, not of beer and muck from the streets. His body was so close to hers, the air intensifying again. His breathing slowed and calmed to a stupor.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered to her through the darkness, she just clung to him tighter.

When the morning came Eponine was already awake, she had fallen asleep as Enjolras started to absentmindedly recite passages from books she had never read, his voice soothing her into a lull. But later that night she woke to find Enjolras still with her, sleeping soundly, his arms now both wrapped around her. He looked so peaceful and she had no reason to wake him, so she just laid and watched as his chest rose and fell evenly.

It was an hour before he even stirred, and that was to pull her even closer. For a man who probably had never held a woman he knew how to take care of them. He may be a bit rough at times, yes, she thought. But he was doing it for her. She immediately felt a rush of guilt, she put him through so much, she didn't deserve him… she had yelled at him, most of what she had said she still felt, but all the same… all the same in a way she hadn't meant it.

And then she remembered again the flash of images in her head from the night, not of her family and friends destroyed by her father's gang, but of Enjolras, a memory of him holding her, cupping her jaw… What did it mean? Had they… done something? A flash of anger slipped through her for a second as she remembered the look he had given her when she asked him what had happened when she blacked out. He had lied. She knew it. But what was he hiding? What was he keeping from her?

He stirred again, his jaw close to her, defined and… she wanted to shake her head at the thought, beautiful. Stop it, Eponine, you love Marius. Not the man in front of you, but Marius; stupid, lovesick, and oblivious Marius. Even then as she remembered him, how she had met him, his smile, his touch as he put his arm around her shoulders, laughing with a drink in his hand… She couldn't help but be in awe of Enjolras, how his hair was almost like a halo around his clean face, peaceful and gentle. In this state he looked quite childlike again, not the kind of childlike that was unattractive, he was very, very manly… what was she thinking? But she couldn't stop. She wanted to reach out and touch his face, to feel the skin on his cheek, to bring him even closer… He looked so amazing, so defined, so-

Enjolras' eyes opened quickly, and he looked down at her in worry, and then relief. Eponine almost jumped; her face flushing as she realized he had caught her staring at him. A small smirk moved the corners of his mouth. Damn him.

"Morning." He murmured, she smiled sadly at him, a fresh wave of terror she regrettably welcomed shooting up her spine, the familiarity of it angering her. She had remembered Azelma.

"Hi," they laid there awkwardly for a few minutes, both nor really wanting to leave the others side. What had gotten into them? She was so infuriated with him at times, so furious and wildly mad, and yet… here they were, lying side by side, in each others arms… comfortable.

"Enjolras, I'm sorry for last night-" she began, but he pulled her in even tighter, she didn't think it possible but it was.

"Don't-" He mirrored an earlier conversation, the one where they had travelled to his flat the first time, when he had given her clothes to wear. So they laid in silence.

She had no doubt they would have stayed there if it weren't for the sharp knock at the door which brought them apart. Enjolras taking her hand momentarily. She watched him in confusion, and in a slight content she wasn't sure what to do with yet. The guilt returning to stand by the terror she held inside of her, keeping her on edge even though she had just gotten out of the bed. And then he let go, leaving the room to find who was waiting in the hall. Not looking back at the expression that almost surprisingly fell wickedly on her face, an expression she didn't know herself how to handle.

Eponine looked around the room, noticing the indents of where they had been seconds earlier, in the middle of the bed. It was almost one shape, like one bigger body had been sleeping there, not two intermingled together. She let her breath go, realizing she had been holding it the whole time, unsure of what had happened, what was happening… how had this-? How could she…? Shaking her head to clear it; Eponine's heart rammed in her chest at the sound of voices coming from the other room, and she quickly tried to compose herself. This was not the time to go over her… upsetting feelings she now was experiencing towards the man that caused so many problems as she caused him. Now was the time to get her sister back, out of harm, and out of the slums.

A/N: HELLO THEREJ Sorry, I feel this chapter is a bit OOC, but I guess we have to do that just a tiny bit every once in a while right? And oh look, she's remembering again isn't she? :P SOOOOO I have a tiny question about the ending, this story isn't going to end any time soon, believe me but I want to know slightly where I'm going…. Even if it is a thousand chapters in the future!

Oh gosh I just scared myself there, I don't think it'll be THAT long haha… though maybe it will o.o ? WHO KNOWS? Anyways, tell me what you think and I love you guys!

You're the best, thanks for all the great reviews:3 Chapter 15 coming up soon! (As in by sunday or at the latest MONDAY!)

** So by reviewing this chapter myself I have completely cut a whole section out. I felt it was way OOC and even after I took a bath and "mulled it over in the warm water" I decided that it was needed to be done. I just wasn't happy with it. BUUUT I am happy with it now:) So sorry for that! Hope it's still as good! -.-