AN: Thank you for waiting a bit for this chapter, the very last two will come along shortly because in true Luca fashion, I shortened this one because it was taking too long. And, also as I have mentioned in the description and in an AN or two, this parallel universe was based off the one from LOST so if you haven't seen the last episode this might be a little bit confusing, but it's not completely the same and I will try to make this as easy to understand as possible. But, no matter who you are this will be confusing at first so just bear with me until the end and I will add further clarification at the end of the next chapter, as for this one it will just be kind of hectic in your brains for a while.
In….. and out. In…. and out. In… and out. That's how Enjolras's breath faired, steady and slow for as long as his head was elsewhere, lying in bed with a single brilliant light that could make do for a thousand candles, pierced the darkness of the new morning unbroken by dawn. She curled up to him, her breaths echoing his as she still slept, dwelling in the land of dreams. Enjolras looked down at her, letting a tingling sense of pleasure drift into every inch of his body. This pleasure, this perfection would seem to lag on forever for anyone peering in but for Enjolras and Eponine, conscious or not, it seemed to last seconds. It could've lasted forever, it many ways it should've but this picture perfect scene was finally interrupted, past the time they should have been awake and out of bed.
The sound of skin and bone on wood reached Eponine in her deepest corner of her mind palace. She suppressed a groan as Enjolras hopped up to answer the door. He quickly got dressed and headed into the other room. Who could it be? What do they want? They knocked again and Enjolras had swung open the door before the knock had finished.
Combeferre. Six words.
"Café in two hours, it's time."
Enjolras wasn't surprised or shocked but still couldn't let his stomach drop. "It's really happening?" Combeferre nodded and left. Enjolras wondered which way he would go today.
He shut the door and turned around to see through the doorway, that Eponine was sitting straight up in bed, listening intently. "Time for what?" she asked curiously. She tried to see through his face, the stone statue that he rarely wore with her.
"We're all meeting at the café, Grantaire's the only one left so we're doing it today, together."
He waited for some kind of a special reaction that would hint at what he had been trying to figure out for so long. But, instead her eyes lit up and she laughed. "I can't wait to see this, quelle heure est la rendez-vous?"
"En deux heures." He answered blankly. Two hours, two hours, two hours. He had two hours to figure out what he wanted, what Eponine wanted.
By mid-day the café Musain was almost packed with the finest people dressed in their finest clothes; there was not an empty chair or empty table in sight.
It was time, it was finally time.
All eyes were centered on a table in the middle of the café. The table sat Grantaire, Enjolras, Courfeyrac and Joly. This had to work, if it didn't what else was there to try?
"This is ridiculous! Why must you make me?" Grantaire pleaded.
"Just try it, Grantaire." Marius ebbed him on as casually as he could from the next table over. Grantaire could almost see he was overruled by this madness, almost.
"Enjolras, tell them! Tell them I won't!" he reached out to his most level headed ami for help but found none.
Grantaire looked around the room and at everyone in it and then back at the wine bottle sitting in front of him. "Fine. One sip." He announced.
Everyone edged to the front of their seats, awaiting the show. By now, Grantaire was the last one of them who did not remember. At first, it had been begrudgingly difficult to figure out but the answer was only too simple.
Grantaire lifted the bottle of his favorite wine to his lips and the liquid flowed onto his taste buds. He put the bottle down after one sip, as he had promised and the silence in the room suddenly became deafening. But a roar erupted when after two seconds the wonderful feeling long came back to Grantaire and he made a mad grab for the bottle and was downing its contents with an insanely amused look on his face, one everyone hadn't seen in a long time. Eponine and Cosette, who were sitting at the table with Marius laughed, delighted.
Even Enjolras couldn't help but laugh as well. In fifteen minutes time, Grantaire and everyone else has settled down after catching up and rejoicing in their reunion. Pleasure, pure pleasure and peace had spread and maintained itself throughout the room. The only point the mood slightly faltered was when Javert paced in, observing the crowd with Antoinette at his side who was beaming at them all. A few people's smiles faded, others just stared. But, as soon as Enjolras approached and clapped the inspector on the back with the best of a smile he could give, everything turned back to normal.
Eponine had switched seats to one next to Enjolras and was leaning into him. Enjolras couldn't recall ever seeing her more alive. Would this be her closure? A happy end to two unhappy lives?
Or maybe….. would this be just the beginning? Beginning or end? Beginning or End?
Soon most everyone was glancing at Enjolras. They knew what time it was; it was time for the pilgrimage to begin. And Enjolras, their leader was to announce it.
He had made many speeches before, and had never, not once been nervous or the least bit frightened. But then again, he had never made a speech about something like this before.
He slowly stood up; grabbing Eponine's hand first and not letting it drop, and the café Musain fell completely silent again. Eponine looked up at him, her dark but bright eyes encouraging and giving him strength.
"We all know why we're here, and it is ….. amazing to see you, my friends, here today after so long. And, I must say we could not have chosen a better place. I'm sure you know which way you are going," but I wouldn't blame you if you didn't he thought to himself, "and I wish you the best of luck either way. Yes, today is the last time we will all be together for a while but it won't be forever. That I am certain of."
The same thought went through every one of the Les Amis' minds all at once; they could not have had a better leader and not one of them blamed him for anything.
As it showed in their faces, Eponine looked at Enjolras to acknowledge it. A silent conversation passed between them. He sat pack down and she slid closer.
Cosette and Marius took one last look around the beautiful café, sad but so happy at the same time before leaving. Then they got up and moved on. They had lived good lives, long lives, together in happiness. They were at peace.
Joly, Combeferre, Feuilly, Jehan and Lesgles all did the same. They had had their time, had their fun and really lived. The honorable men needed no more time than this. They were at peace. They could leave, they could move on. And, so they did, following Cosette and Marius.
Javert and Antoinette and the rest of the Les Amis were holding their ground.
Eponine looked at Enjolras brightly, "Are you ready?" she asked him.
Enjolras sighed. "For what?" he finally exclaimed, exasperated.
The smile she wore so beautifully until now faded. "What do you mean? Enjolras, how can you even ask that?"
"Je sais, and I'm sorry. But, I just couldn't be sure. When we talked about marriage, I was confused and I'm confused now, but I'm not confused about the fact that where ever you go I will follow, because I don't want to be without you."
"Oh Enjolras!"