WARNING: SERIOUS VIOLENCE AND MENTIONS OF RAPE IN THIS CHAPTER. DO NOT READ IF YOU CAN'T HANDLE IT.

A/N: I recently lost this story on my computer. As in all of it. Somehow it got deleted. There were about four chapters that I'd written while my internet was off, and everything else was (thankfully) already posted, so I managed to save all of the other chapters. However, I've had to quickly rewrite this one. I apologise. It's been very frustrating.

Someone complained about too much angst in a review a few chapters ago... all I can say is that you're probably not going to like this chapter.

I'd just like to say that this chapter was extremely difficult to write for a number of reasons, and I hope that doesn't affect the writing or anything like that. Please hold on tight, things are going to get better for Eponine and Enjolras, but I can't ignore the things that have yet to be dealt with, and I think Enjolras needs to feel a bit guilty for being so childish and ignoring Eponine.

If Enjolras remembered what he and Eponine talked about as they walked home from the café that night, he was not showing it. He went straight back into ignoring her, which was very frustrating, and she was half tempted to confront him about what they talked about, but honestly, she wasn't quite ready to repeat some of the things she said to a drunk Enjolras.

He was really acting like a child now. She hadn't made any damn commitments to him, and she was not going to apologise for someone else kissing her! It wasn't like she initiated it! Anyway, she was still reeling from her encounter with Montparnasse, and she had other things to worry about. Enjolras ignoring her was just a fucking annoyance.

So the week continued on as it had been before. On Monday, though, at their 10th drama class, he actually acted like a professional and dropped the pissed-off persona for a lesson. It was refreshing, until Eponine went to walk home with him and he left in a hurry before she could catch up.

It was Tuesday night when things changed.

Eponine was sitting at the kitchen table, attempting to study, as Enjolras made coffee. The hiss of the machine was making it impossible to focus, so she got up and started making herself some ramen noodles. She made sure to lean over to get close to Enjolras as much as she could, just to make him particularly uncomfortable.

Finally, the coffee machine quietened down and Eponine took her bowl of noodles to the table. Enjolras had poured his coffee and looked ready to leave when Eponine's phone rang.

She immediately picked it up, expecting that to prompt Enjolras' departure, but it didn't. He had stopped in his tracks and was showing no signs of moving again.

"Hello?" Eponine said into the receiver, realising she didn't check caller ID.

"Eponine." It was Gavroche. "Can you come and get me?"

"Wait, Gav, what's going on?" Eponine said, getting to her feet.

"Azelma came home from school just now and said she's running away with 'Parnasse. She says they're in love or something, I dunno, but dad got really mad and got out his belt to hit her with it. I jumped in front of her just as he was about to do it and it got me instead. Then he started screaming and 'Zelma and I made a run for it. Montparnasse was outside on his motorbike and Azelma jumped on, and they rode off without me. I'm really scared that dad's going to find me. I'm in the park near that bakery we went to. Please come and get me."

"Fuck – yes, I'm coming Gav, I'm coming. Stay there and... if dad comes, hide somewhere and I'll deal with him when I get there. Don't let him find you before I get there. I'll see you soon, okay? You're going to be fine."

She hung up, heart racing, and turned to face Enjolras. "I don't give a shit how pissed off you are at me. My brother needs me and I don't have a car."

Enjolras just nodded, eyes wide, and grabbed his keys off a hook on the wall. Eponine pulled on the jacket she'd slung over a chair and they both rushed out of the apartment.

"Here, stop here." Eponine said as soon as she saw the park. Before Enjolras had even properly parked, she opened her door and got out. She ran into the park and looked around wildly.

"Gavroche?" She called out.

"Ah, 'Ponine. My darling betrayer."

Eponine's heart almost stopped.

I know that voice.

"Papa." She whispered, turning to face where the voice had come from. There he stood, grinning widely and clutching a shaking Gavroche, who had a cut on his left cheek (from the belt, obviously). "Let him go."

"Not bloody likely, darling." Her father said, grin slipping away. "Not until you swear to never run off on me again."

"I'll do anything. Just don't hurt him."

"'Ponine, don't promise him anything." Gavroche called out, before a hand was slapped over his mouth.

In the distance, Eponine could see Enjolras getting out of his car and making his way over. She tried to make eye contact with him, tell him to get out of there, but all it did was make her father notice him.

"Eponine, what's going on?" Enjolras said, eyeing the scene and visibly tensing when he looked at her father holding Gavroche.

"Enjolras, leave." Eponine pleaded.

"Who's this, then? One of your rich friends? What's he hanging 'round you for?" Her father sneered.

"Dad, he's nobody."

"Nah, nah, I reckon he's someone. Is he your new pimp or somethin'?"

Enjolras straightened. "Pardon me, sir-"

"Enjolras, shut up and go." Eponine cut him off before he could finish.

"I'm not leaving." The blonde said firmly.

"How sweet." Eponine's father crooned. "Shoulda listened to her, mate. She'll bring ya nothing but trouble."

"It's you who brings trouble." Eponine spat.

"Listen, missy. I raised you. You owe me. Stop being a stubborn little bitch and get over here. Give your brother to this fancy man – little shit can't do anything, anyway. What we really need is you. You can convince Montparnasse to come back, and he'll bring Azelma. You're what makes it all go around, 'Ponine. We need you."

Eponine looked from her brother to her father in panic. What was she supposed to do?

"What if I can't get Azelma to come back?" She asked suddenly.

Her father shrugged. "Then you'll just have to take on the work of two whores. Can't make much of a difference."

"Do not speak to her that way." Enjolras growled.

"Oh jesus, have you tricked one of 'em into liking you, 'Ponine? She's not worth it, believe me, rich boy."

"How can you speak about your own daughter like that?"

"It's the truth."

"It most certainly is not-"

"Alright!" Eponine shouted. "I'll go with you, papa."

"'Ponine, you can't!" Gavroche said.

"I'll go with you, if you let Gav go with Enjolras and never bother them again." Eponine continued on, ignoring her brother.

"Eponine, what are you on about? You can't go with him!" Enjolras looked shocked.

"Enjolras, stay out of this." Eponine begged.

"Alright!" Her father roared, reaching into his pocket and taking out a pocketknife, which he then flipped open and held up to Gavroche's neck, prompting the boy to start whimpering. "Enough of this bullshit! Eponine, come over here and I'll give your brother to this man. You'll never have contact ever again."

"But you'll leave Gavroche alone." Eponine said, voice wavering at the sight of her brother crying.

"Fine, fine. I'll leave him alone."

"And never contact my friends."

"Yeah, whatever. Now get over here."

The brunette began walking over to her father, as Enjolras shouted. "Eponine, you can't do this!"

She tried to block out all the noise as she moved closer and closer to her father. She locked eyes with the man she'd been scared of her whole life, as he lowered the knife slightly. Just as Eponine was reaching out for her brother, a hand moved quick as lightning out of the corner of her eye, and when she turned, Enjolras had the knife in his hand, and he was pressing it against her father's neck, while holding him in place with his free hand.

"I know you, Thenardier. My father used to go to your inn and he'd take me with him. It was a nice place then. One day, though, we stopped going. Father said it had changed. He said it was dangerous." Enjolras spoke in a calm, level voice as Eponine grabbed onto Gavroche and held him against her, trying not to let him see the scene that was unfolding. "I know people who can shut down your inn. I could have you on the streets in a number of days. I could ruin you in the next hour with a few phone calls. But I'm a fair man. You will never contact Eponine or Gavroche ever again. No visits, no threats, no phone calls. You cut all ties with them. Don't go sending anybody else for them, either. You stay the fuck away."

The man had been reduced to a quivering mess in less than a minute. He nodded vigorously. Enjolras motioned with his head for Eponine to take Gavroche to the car, so she did so, hearing the thud that must've been her father falling to the ground.

Eponine didn't look back as she got Gavroche into the car and wrapped her arms around him. She tried not to cry as the boy broke down in sobs, but eventually, the tears came.

Eponine came into the kitchen, where Enjolras stood, staring at the wall.

"Gav's asleep." She said finally. Enjolras nodded, still looking at the wall. "Thank you. For... y'know, everything."

Enjolras shook his head. "Don't. It's nothing."

"Enjolras-"

"Why didn't you tell anybody?" He cut her off. "We could have helped.

"Why would I want my friends getting mixed up in that shit?"

"Because you were mixed up in it! We could have – fuck, I don't know, but we could have done something!"

"I've been living that way my whole life with nobody helping."

"If I hadn't been there today-"

"I know!" Eponine shouted, before remembering her sleeping brother in the other room. "I know. I am so unbelievably grateful for what you did. He probably won't trouble us again, and if he does, then I will deal with it. But thank you."

Enjolras looked at her strangely, and then suddenly his eyes widened. "That time you fell down the stairs... it was him."

Eponine bit her lip but said nothing.

"Fucking hell, how long has he been doing that?"

"I don't know, since I was a kid. Better me than Azelma or Gavroche."

"Azelma? Who's that?"

"My sister. She hates me, though, and now she's run off with Montparnasse – god, she's so fucking stupid."

Enjolras frowned. "And... Montparnasse..."

"He's the guy who was here the other day. The one who kissed me."

Silence overtook the room for about a minute.

"You and him... were..."

"When I was younger, yes. For a while." Eponine admitted. "But it was a mistake."

"What was the deal with him?" Enjolras asked curiously.

"He was just... rough. Not half as bad as some of the men at the inn, but-"

"What does that mean?" The blonde asked immediately.

"I got around... I didn't mean to, but..."

"Is that what your father was referencing to?"

Eponine squeezed her eyes shut. "Fuck, it's complicated, okay?"

"It doesn't sound very complicated-"

"I never wanted it!" Eponine snapped. "Dad needed extra cash, and Azelma would sleep around for fun, but I... I never wanted it."

The color drained from Enjolras' face. "You were raped?"

Tears threatened to well in Eponine's eyes and she willed them away, but some spilled over, and that was apparently enough of an answer for Eponine.

"Oh god, I didn't..." Enjolras' face was screwed up. He approached Eponine and hesitantly placed a hand on her arm. She didn't bother to shake it off.

"I wasn't strong enough. Montparnasse started it off, and then I... god, they were all so fucking big and I couldn't get them off sometimes. When they were done, dad would ask them for money in return for... for what I did, and..."

Enjolras' arms wrapped around her and she collapsed into him.

"I couldn't stop." She mumbled into his arm. "Dad never hit anybody when he got extra money from it, so even if I could've fought them off, I would've been punished and I – I couldn't-"

Enjolras let out a 'shhh' as she buried her face in his chest and everything she'd been holding back for the past 10 years came tumbling out.

Courfeyrac entered the apartment at about 1am. Enjolras looked up at his roommate, then looked down again.

"Hey, still up?"

The blonde didn't respond. Eponine was in his bed, not that he could've slept anyway.

"Dude, what's up?" Courfeyrac asked, sounding concerned as he crouched beside where Enjolras was sitting.

"We've been blind." Enjolras finally whispered.

"What?" Courfeyrac said loudly.

"Eponine... this entire time, she's been fighting and trying to stay sane and we've just been fucking going along with the lies she's told us. Falling down stairs? Why the fuck did we ever believe that?"

"What's happened, Enjolras?"

The man looked up and stared at Courfeyrac. "She had a fucking slap mark on her cheek. I just thought she was flushed, but it was a fucking slap mark. He hit her and then forced a kiss on her and I ignored her for two weeks."

"What are you on about? Enjolras, is it Ep? Is something wrong with Eponine?"

Enjolras laughed bitterly. "Yeah. Yeah, there is. And I think there's something wrong with me, too."

A/N: If you don't like angst... my deepest apologies. The next chapter deals with the angst a bit, but there is some nice fluff at the end, so stick around please?

Sorry if this was sudden... I needed to deal with this part of Eponine's life, y'know?

xox

abigailbelleofkilronan