I know, I know ... I'm late ... finals have been a little hectic this week (only three more to go!)
I would like to start of by apologizing because I reread my last chapter and I'm not a huge fan of it ... so sorry about that...
I've been getting so many amazing reviews from you guys I'm truly overwhelmed and so incredibly happy (: I love you all so much and thank you for reading my story!

I did not sleep, I did not see how it was possible for me to. I wondered if what 'Ponine said was only what she felt in the heat of the moment, or if she truly believed in her heart of hearts, that our relationship had amounted to only me hating her. I once more felt the familiar feeling of helplessness settling in my stomach. She was my older sister, how had the roles been changed that I needed to take care of her? Or better yet, why did we need to take care of each other at all? Who truly controlled out fate? Because I can promise you, it is not us. Is it God? The man who is supposed to love us, him who is supposed to be the one person who would always care? Well, where was our God now? He abandoned us, the same way that Marius abandoned Eponine, or Joly abandoned me. If there was truly a God, I hated him, hated him with every fiber of my being. God did not care, because God did not exist.

She began to wake, her fragile figure stirring slightly, and rubbing her groggy eyes. I looked around, it could not be any later than dawn, why was she awake? She did not sleep well after her first outburst, waking a few times throughout the night, only for me to reassure her that she was safe, that it was all in her head. None of them were as bad as the first one had been, but each time she woke, I felt a little part of my heart break. She pushed herself out of the bed, throwing her overcoat and cap on.

"Where are you going?" I whispered. She jumped at the sound of my voice, turning to meet my gaze.

"There is something I must do." She replied quietly, "Stay here. I won't be long."

I stood, ignoring my protesting joints. "Let me come with you."

Eponine shook her head. "Stay here, 'Zelma. Wait for Gavroche to wake. I will be home soon."

I crossed my arms stubbornly over my chest, giving her a defiant glare. I wasn't letting her out of my sight. Eponine stared back at me, inevitably seeing that she had no other option than to take me along. She sighed, gesturing for me to follow her.

We walked in tense silence, Eponine a few paces ahead of me. I studied her face. Her eyes were sunken and dark circles surrounded them, her pale skin seemed clammy and plastic, giving off the appearance of lifelessness, her dark auburn hair was wiry and dry, and her body was taught and rigid, ever fiber of her being defensive and hostile. Above all though, she was tired. She moved slowly, and less nimbly than she once had, stumbling over herself and she pushed her way through thick underbrush and cobblestone roads, until finally, she reached a street sign reading 'La Rue Plumet'. I tensed upon seeing it.

"Eponine, what are we doing here?" She ignored me, trudging forward. "Eponine, stop!" I grabbed her forearm, spinning her around so she met me face to face.

Eponine jerked out of my grasp, her tired eyes once more filled with the fiery confidence that usually sparked them. "I told you, you should not have come!" She hissed, "If you have a problem with being here, then leave." I stood my ground, awestruck by her outburst. She spun on her heels, and stalked away.

Within a few strides, I once more caught up with her, and I thought I saw her relax slightly upon seeing that I decided to come. I had to face this place sooner or later, it would do me no good to try and bury my past, but still ... I wondered what Eponine was doing here now. I did not ask, however, knowing that I soon would have my answer.

The grandiose gates that were used as a barrier between the house and the outside world were covered in thick coils of ivy, along with the house itself. A pale, ghostly figure dressed in all white sat alone on a stone bench in the garden, staring blankly ahead. Eponine tucked her brown locks inside her cap and tucked her shirt into her pant waist, before climbing the fence, leaving me on the other side. She was a lark, every bit as beautiful as I remembered her, and more. Her blonde curls spilled over her slender shoulders, and startled blue eyes pierced my sister's soul as she stood in her shock. I could not hear the words exchanged between them, but I could guess what it was about. I watched as Eponine pulled a dirty, folded piece of paper out of her coat pocket, handing it to Cosette, and turned to once more climb the fence. Cosette stopped her, touching her wrist lightly. Eponine turned, her brown eyes meeting the glassy blue ones of her childhood acquaintance. Suddenly, I watched as Cosette's sorrow turned to rage. I tensed, grasping the fence and trying desperatley hear what it was she was yelling at my sister.

"You ... you let them ... how could you!?" Cosette cried, her bright eyes clouding with hatred.

Eponine's gaze fell on the floor, as she pulled her cap off, allowing her hair to tumble from underneath it. "It was not my fault," She said earnestly, "it was how I was raised. I am truly sorry, Cosette. I never meant any of it."

Cosette scoffed, a sarcastic laugh escaping her red lips. "And now you are here to right your wrongs, are you not? Poor, sad, little Eponine trying to make amends?"

Eponine's eyes darkened and she balled her hands into small fists. "That is not why I am here." She said between her teeth, "I came for a friend, in which I made a promise to. Do not flatter yourself in thinking that I came because of you, Cosette."

Cosette's eyes softened significantly, but her body stayed stiff. Eponine pushed the paper into her hands, before running away and climbing over the fence without another word. Grabbing my hand, she tugged me behind a tree, and watched as Cosette opened the letter, and read it. Suddenly, the lark was on her knees, her hands covering her face. She crumpled up the letter, pressing it against her chest, as she continued to weep. I turned to my sister, watching as a single tear found its way down her dirty cheek. She faced me, wiping the tear away, and not saying another word, before spinning to run, leaving me alone.

A lost girl, saved by love, and a broken one, who could never be healed, both of whom would mourn today over one man who gave his life for a cause.