Chapter Twenty One – Castle on a Cloud

'No, Eponine.' His hands felt down her wrist, her pulse was there but it was faint. He sprang into action, he couldn't lose her not now.

'Stay with me Eponine, I'm not leaving you and you're not going anywhere, do you hear me. Don't leave Eponine.'

He lifted her into his arms and made his way out of the building trying to go fast but trying not to jolt her too much. His heart ached when he remembered the last time he had held her like this the day of the barricade. Then her head had rested against his shoulder now it rolled backwards over his arm.

He burst out the door and almost ran into Grantaire.

'We were looking for you when we heard the crash' his eyes drifted to Eponine.

'No, Enjolras…is she?'

Enjolras didn't answer.

Grantaire called Courfeyrac who had been checking to make sure Jean-Claude really was dead this time. The two men glanced at each other and back to Eponine's limp form in Enjolras arms and began to sprint after him.

Enjolras ran fast but was impeded by Eponine's dead weight. Grantaire caught up to him.

'I will go ahead and prepare them.'

Enjolras nodded and Grantaire speed off. Courfeyrac stayed with him. They ran on in uncomfortable silence, each afraid, one for the women he loved the other for the girl he had come to love like a sister. Neither spoke, there were no words appropriate for what either was feeling.

As they approached the flat Joly and Marius ran out to them.

'Tell me exactly what's happened' Joly was trying to sound calm but his hands were shaking.

'Beaten, stabbed in the chest and leg, blow the head and potential injury from falling through a window, drugged not sure what with.' Enjolras clipped out in a business like tone that hid the fear he was feeling.

He heard Joly's sharp intake of breath and knew it was bad. Marius had paled next to him. The men tried to take her from Enjolras arms but he only tightened his grip.

'No'

When they entered the flat the men lead him to the second bedroom, the one no one had used since Combeferre had been placed there. It had been prepared for Eponine. Enjolras wasn't happy, that was not the right room but he knew there was nowhere else to go.

Joly had already had various medical supplies set out. Reluctantly Enjolras placed Eponine's lifeless form on the bed. He did not want to leave her side but Valjean placed a careful hand on his shoulder.

'Come along lad' he said. 'Let Joly do his best, there's nothing you can do for her now. When he's finished she's going to need all the fight she can get, that's when you need to be there for her.'

Enjolras hesitated, his eyes were not moved from Eponine or the blood that had seeped across her corset and chemise. Joly was already at work cleaning the wound.

'Come along now.' Valjean, who was surprisingly strong, encouragingly pushed Enjolras away from the room. In the sitting room he placed a glass into his hand.

'Drink this' he said 'Get your strength up, she'll need you soon.'

Standing alone in the sitting room Enjolras finally let tears slip down his face.

After what felt like an eternity Joly came out of the room.

'I've done everything I can. It's down to Eponine now.'

Enjolras pushed passed him and into the room. Eponine looked as if she was sleeping. Joly had placed a chair by her bedside.

'Talk to her Enjolras' he said standing by his side. 'She could be able to hear you.'

Enjolras nodded and took his seat next to Eponine as Joly left the room. He took her hand in his, it was cold and lifeless. He barely knew where to start.

'Eponine I…' he tried to collect his racing thoughts. 'Eponine, I know we had once promised to stop apologising to each other but you going to have to allow me. I'm very sorry that you got hurt because of me. Not just what's happened but because I was fool enough to not explain to you about the money. And I'm a truly sorry that I was selfish and didn't tell you how much I loved you before. I was scared, Eponine I have prided myself on my bravery but this time I was a coward. Eponine you can't leave me now, I can't live without you. I only used to care about the revolution but that's all changed now. You are the reason I'm alive Eponine. Please, please come back to me.'

XXXXX

There is a castle on a cloud. Eponine smiled to herself, she could see it in the distance she was floating towards it she felt no pain from the injuries she knew she had suffered. That was odd, she was getting closer to the castle there were some others around her in the distance, they were floating to the castle as well they were all smiling and looking in front of them. But something struck Eponine as wrong she turned around. She could see herself she was back in the flat, she was in the bed and Enjolras was sitting next to her holding her hand. Eponine hesitated, she had stopped moving towards the castle, she was floating in between. She could hear voices singing in the distance.

'Do you hear the people sing? Lost in the valley of the night, it is the music of the people who are climbing towards the light.'

The voices were pulling her to them but she felt more inclined to go the other way.

'No' she said out loud 'No I need to stay.' Why did she need to stay?

'For the wretched of the earth there is a flame that never dies' the song continued.

'Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.'

'I'm not wretched, not anymore' Eponine cried. Why was she not wretched? She was trying so hard to remember. If she remembered she could go home, she was drifting closer to the castle and she began to panic.

'I need to stay!' she cried 'Please I can't go yet.'

'They will live again in freedom in the garden of the lord'

'But I can't go yet.' She was reaching out to the view of herself her arms were outstretched toward Enjolras. If she could only remember why she had to stay.

'Because he loves me!'

The signing stopped.

'I can't leave yet because he loves me' she laughed, she was flying now, flying forwards towards herself towards Enjolras, she was going home.

XXXXX

Enjolras had stopped talking, he was simply staring at her and hoping. His heart nearly stopped when he felt her hand tighten around his own. Her eyes opened slightly and she smiled softly.

'I'm not going anywhere' she whispered 'because you love me.'

Announcement: Hope your all still enjoying this story, I'm very sad to be coming to the end of it in the next couple of chapters but I'm pleased to announce that the votes have been counted and the winner of next fanfic I will write has been decided as 'Roses in Misery' – Cinderella version came in a close second though, only one point behind so that will be my next story, I will probably write it whilst I'm on holiday in a few weeks' time. First chapter of Roses in Misery will be uploading in the near future and I will announce more details after an upcoming chapter of this story.