"Thank you for letting us join you for breakfast big daddy." Eponine teased and the man let out another hearty laugh at the term. Eponine had always been fond of Cat on the Hot Tin Roof, it was one of the few things her mother had passed down to her.

"It's entirely my pleasure Eponine, hopefully my son will see reason and not let an opportunity such as you pass you by." spoke kindly before making his way back to the family home.

Eponine blushed a bright red at his words and closed the door behind him. She breathed a deep sigh before walking back into the dining room where Les Amis and the girls were still finishing off their breakfast.

"Wow. I've never seen him take such an immediate shine to anybody before, not even Grantiare and he LOVES Grantiare." Lizbeth chimed when Eponine sat back down in her chair.

"He does totally love me." R added passing her over a glass of orange juice.

"He's adorable, I'd wager to say that he's the second best old coot alive. Second only to my Pai Mei. Why the hell didn't you tell me your dad was a sweetheart? It would have made me a whole less hesitant on meeting the rest of your family. I feel bad now for thinking everybody with your blood in their veins was out to somehow destroy my existence and or plot to take over the world." Eponine teased biting into a waffle.

" He's funding in the entire marriage at the family vineyard in Nice. He'll be there to give away Liz , it'll feel like a real wedding. And to top it all off he seems pretty determined to put two and two together." R said stealing a waffle piece out of Eponines plate.

Eponine blushed again for the fifteenth time that morning and drank heavily from her glass.

"Don't say such stupid things R. I didn't correct him out of courtesy. Ferre and I are in a serious relationship and that isn't going to be changing any time soon." Eponine bit out with a glare that Grantiare simply dodged with a wicked smile.

"So you say but the clothes on your back speak otherwise." He teased, his eyebrows dancing. Epoinine held her fork tightly in one hand and contemplated how much driving force would have to be behind the thrust to penetrate his skull.

Yes, Enjolras's father spent most of the morning hinting and blatantly admitting he'd much rather have her in the family than Leslie but that didn't change the fact that Snow still wore a diamond ring on her finger and would be bearing the last name Amarth before the year was done.

Enjolras hadn't corrected his father at the table but he hadn't looked too happy about the man's words either. Never in her life had she wished he'd been a papas boy instead.

"Okay that's enough you two. We've got to go if we want to get shit done today." Lizbeth said standing up from the table and putting up her hair. "Enjolras don't forget you and R are coming cake tasting today. So meet us at Alva's bakery at four."

Enjolras grimaced but nodded and Grantiare winked at his girlfriend. "You got it bridezilla."

"Shut up. I've only got roughly three weeks until this wedding happens and it's going to be perfect." Lizbeth said putting emphasis on the last syllable.

"Hey you're the one who wanted an August wedding, you've got no one to blame but yourself for the time crunch." Grantiare laughed.

"I like the colors of the leaves." Lizbeth kissed him once and the whole tabled oohed and aahed at the rare display.

"Alright that's enough of that. Horsemen get ready ! We ride! " Lizbeth commanded and Nina giggled as Jehan tried to keep her next to him.

"Duty calls sir." Adrianne chimed helping dislodge Nina and Suzy kissed Joly softly before going upstairs with the girls.

"Come on Ep." Lizbeth called halfway up the stairs.

Eponine gulped down more orange juice and stood up hastly but the room spun. She made it two steps before R had his hands on her shoulders and straightened her out. When the dizziness stopped she ran out of the room and retched into a potted plant in the foyer.

"OH DAMN!" Courfeyac yelled and Grantiare caught her when she pulled back.

"Eponine! Are you okay?" Enjolras took her from R's arms and held her to his chest. He looked at her with blue eyes wide in alarm.

"Just Grantiare's cooking is all." Eponine lied softly as he rubbed her back.

"Come on let's get you upstairs. Maybe you should just take it easy today." Enjolras put in softly.

"No, Enjolras seriously I'm fine. I feel a lot better now. I'm sorry. I seriously think the waffles didn't agree with me." Eponine cleaned the side of her mouth with a sleeve and pushed her hair from her face.

He looked through narrowed eyes but nodded after a moment. "Do you need any help getting upstairs?"

Eponine shook her head. " I'm fine seriously. Go try to finish your breakfast. Somehow I doubt you'll be able to." Eponine said with a blush on her face.

"I play football. I've seen more people throw up than a kindergarten teacher." Enjolras said kindly before smoothing her hair down. "You look like a tumbleweed."

Eponine cringed at him and made her way upstairs. " Am I a pretty tumbleweed.?

"The prettiest." Enjolras smiled up at her.

"I'm going to borrow some of your clothes to go out." She called out from the top step.

He nodded at her as she disappeared up the stairs and cast his gaze down. Something was wrong.

After she finished her shower she stepped into Enjolras's closet and tried to scavenge for something decent. She finally settled on a pair of old worn jeans that must have been from when he was much younger, they fit her just a fragment to big and hung on her pulled on one of his white muscle shirts and looked herself over in his mirror.

It would have to do for the day she thought to herself as she fixed her hair up into a ponytail. Epoinine bit her lip slightly and looked around the room before turning back to the mirror and lifting up the bottom of her shirt.

If she looked at it the right way and tilted her hips slightly…she could see the bump. It was barely there but it was there regardless. She smiled brightly at herself and pulled the shirt down just before Enjolras came in the door.

"Lizbeth sent me to and I quote 'hurry your stank ass up'" Enjolras said with a quirk of this brow and a small smile.

Eponine walked out of the closet and hugged him tightly with a kiss to his cheek. "Thanks for the clothes Mr. Marble." Eponine winked as she bounced on the bed to put on her boots.

"You're looking a lot better." Enjolras teased ." For a second I thought you were having morning sickness." He laughed.

Eponine blanched at the joke but he was turned around to reach for a jacket and had missed her startled expression. She laughed more out of nervousness than humor and he turned around and placed a jacket in her lap.

"Gotta make sure you're careful." He said leaning over her and pressing his lips onto her for a second before Eponine pressed her hands to his and pushed back.

"Ferre always is." Eponine lied and he moved several feet away, the thundering look in his eyes returning.

"Right. Combeferre." Enjolras nodded and looked her over once before leaving the room without a word.

Eponine squinted back tears and stripped off his clothes in haste and pulled on the clothes she had worn yesterday. The line between them was blurring and she had to remember why exactly she couldn't have him in her life. Not fully.

Eponine dropped his jacket in the pile of his clothes on his bed and walked downstairs to see the girls standing by the door laughing with some of the guys.

Bahorel whistled as she made her way to the group and she flicked him off with a smile.

"So feisty. Me gusta." He teased and hugged her shoulders as the group riled up.

Enjolras's brow furrowed at the sight of her clothes but he didn't say anything.

"Okay come on Grant's letting us borrow his car." Lizbeth said jingling the keys and Adrianne readily grabbed at them.

"I'M DRIVING." She yelled.

"Well... we are monumenally fucked.

"Hey I can drive!" Adrianne whined.

"Like a paraplegic." Eponine deadpanned. Adrianne ignored the comment and led them out the door.

"Yup. They'e fucked."

"Okay so spill. Why are you wearing the same clothes you did yesterday? Enjolras is bound to have something that fits you." Nina said leaning over to prod Eponine on the shoulder.

The girls in the back seat all pushed at each other to get a better look at Ponine as she smirked.

"You would not believe what he joked about this morning."

"No. But I still can't believe what happened last night." Adrianne sing songed and Eponine blushed a furious red.

"You…you heard that." Eponine managed to choke out through the mortification.

"Everybody did." Suzy giggled and the group of girls laughed.

"Yeah, well it's the last time." Eponine bit out as she propped her feet up on the dash. " I had an excuse you know, hormonal and horny and totally in love with him. He on the other hand is engaged to a megalomaniac psychopath and he just joked about me being pregnant." She finished lamely crossing her arms in front of her.

"HE DID WHAT?" Adrianne turned to look at her so fast the car veered to the right and Eponine had to reach over to straighten the wheel and glare at her friend.

"Yes. He said he thought I had morning sickness and that I had to be safe." Eponine muttered letting go of the wheel and turning back to the road.

"What did you say." Lizbeth asked cautiously from the backseat.

"I told him Ferre always was." Eponine said with a wicked smile.

The whole car sans Eponine let out a collective "Ooohhh burn."

"Damn that cold Ep." Nina said fighting back a laugh.

"I had no choice. He can't know remember. " Eponine said finally dropping her defenses and pinching the bridge of her nose. "I was starting to forget that a lot rides in this secret. In a couple of weeks I'm going to start to show and then it's going to get tough. I'll be two months going on three at your wedding Liz. It's a good thing you decided on a fast engagement or I would have NEVER fit into a dress." Eponine chuckled as the mood lightened in the car.

"Can't have my maid of honor all fat now could I ? " Lizbeth cut in and the car went quiet.

"AH YEAH! I KNEW IT WOULD BE ME!" Eponine cheered from the passengers seat bouncing and the other girls all whined.

"Daaaammmmnnnn girl ! I give you room and board and I don't even get to hold the bouquet?" Adrinne teased and Eponine grabbed at her own crotch and told her to suck it.

"Okay calm down we're here." Suzy chimed in a sweet voice as she took a picture of the girls as Eponine danced at the glory of victory.

The girls stepped into the dress shop in a fell swoop and they separated ways as they trailed through endless dress isles.

Eponine walked around the racks examining dress after dress and feeling uncomfortable at the though of her in one of them. She wasn't exactly the dress and heels type. She liked summer dressed a lot, but she never had enough money before for something like this. Lizbeth was serious though when she said she wanted a proper wedding, and proper weddings meant long gowns with embroidery and what looked like a hell of a lot of bedazzling.

Eventually Eponine gave up and picked up a pale blue dress that looked the least busy and was her size. She dragged it over to the circle of girls by the dressing rooms and they all gasped at the dress.

"That's perfect Ponine. Suzy threw down her pale pink number and pressed the material into Eponine.

"Try it on. I can't wait to see you in it. I think we'd all look really nice in blue." Suzy giggled and the girls all nodded.

Nina took Eponine's shoulders and pushed her into a dressing room.

She shrugged it on and breathed out softly as the fabric pooled just a little at her feet. Looking over her reflection Eponine pushed down the disappointment. She might have a nice home to go to at night, and a three meals a day or more but she still had an air of the streets on her.

Her skin was still to weather beaten, her hair long but damaged, her eyes dark as coal. She was no Disney princess.

Standing tall she ran fingers through the sides of her dress where it opened to show her ribs dress was a little tight as it was; it would be even more snug by the time the wedding came around. Now that she thought about it her breasts were already feeling more confined. She was never larger than a B cup but that appeared to be changing already. Her whole body was going to be changing.

Eponine bit her lip and sneered at her reflection before exiting the dressing room. The girls all squeeled and Lizbeth declared the dress the champion.

"Here let me take a picture." Adrianne said taking Eponine's phone as Suzy readied her camera.

"Smile but not all stupid." Nina chimed as Eponine made an over exaggerated despair face. Eponine rolled her eyes at the command but smiled as she extended the material in a curtsy.

"AHHH YOU LOOK SO NICE! LET ME SEND IT TO FERRE SO HE CAN MATCH HIS TUX! " Adrianne fiddled with the phone and Nina tried prying it from her hands when she couldn't figure the picture messaging program.

"Give it here Malfoy," Lizbeth teased as she joined in the struggle.

Eponine was about to intercede when the phone dinged.

"Ah see there, it sent. Who say's im technologically impaired." Adrianne cheered and Nina punched her in the arm with her mouth agape.

"You idiot you sent this to Enjolras."

Eponine facepalmed and glared at Adrianne who tried to cower away. "In all fairness I'm pretty sure he wont mind."

" Weren't we just talking about how much we DON'T want him in my life in that way." Eponine said exsaperatedly.

"What way is that ?" Adrianne joked.

"The way that warrants sending pictures of myself to him. Imagine Leslie finding that on his phone. She'd eat me for breakfast like something out of Man Vs Wild. She'd gauge out my heart with a spoon and serve it ala mode. Sending pictures to him is not the way to fight the good fight." Eponine finished lamely as she tugged on the fabric.

"You slept with the guy, you can hardly say you fought the good fight last night." Lizbeth joked as she showed a shop assistant the dress and requested four for the wedding.

The small girl nodded and blushed when Adrianne gave her a flirty wave and scurried off with Lizbeth's credit card in hand.

"Whatever, this is turning into a mess. How am I supposed to keep Enjolras at bay whe-" Eponine started but the phone in Adrianne's hand went off and she passed it over to Ponine with an apologetic smile.

"Well, speak of the devil. What does lover boy say?" Nina giggled as she sat down in one of the many lounge chairs.

Eponine shot the group a glare before taking the cell phone from Adrianne and then walking back into the dressing room to change. She tried to fight the urge to look at the text Enjolras had sent but she failed.

'You look very beautiful Ponine- Enjolras.'

Eponine bit her lip and stared down at the message on the screen. Shrugging out of her dress she replied readily and closed it in one hand hoping to put an end to the whole thing by being curt.

'Thank you – Eponine'

She let out a groan when a second text came when she was shrugging into her boots and she stared at the phone miserably. "Why won't you let things go pretty boy." Eponine muttered to herself and flipped her phone open.

'You would look nicer in red though. I don't really like blue- Enjolras'

Eponine bit her lip and ran a hand through her hair before sending out a reply.

'It's Ferre's favorite color.- Eponine'

'Always thinking about Ferre huh?- Enjolras'

Eponine glared at the brightly lit screen and scoffed.

'He is my boyfriend- Eponine'

'That didn't seem to matter much last night- Enjolras'

And his return to the utter douchebag throne had commenced she thought bitterly to herself.

'He's your best friend you twat! Are you drunk?- Eponine'

'I'm with Grantiare, what do you think- Enjolras'

Eponine took a moment to process what he'd sent and she shook her head

You're lying- Eponine

She closed her phone and shoved it into her pocket before walking out to the girls again. They all took one look at Eponine's face and didn't dare ask any questions. The shop assistant walked back to Lizbeth and handed her a reciet before the girls exited the store and made their way to the car.

They were halfway to the bakery when her phone went off and they all stared as Eponine rolled her eyes and clicked on another message from Enjolras.

"They're drinking in the middle of the day." Eponine turned her phone towards them and the picture Enjolras sent her of the amis all sitting around a table with beer bottles already piling up.

Lizbeth scratched the back of her neck and cast her eyes down. "Yeah. R text me earlier, he said Enjolras looked pretty down so they went out for drinks. All of Les Amis are out right now."

"What does he have to be bummed about." Eponine bit out. "Is he the one that's pregnant with a jerk face's baby."

"No but he did sleep with the girl that he loves to only have her shove her new boyfriend down his throat." Lizbeth cut in and Eponine blanched.

"You're stringing him along Ponine." Lizbeth added with a bite.

"And hes not doing the same to me? I love him." Eponine fumed at her best friend.

"Yeah well he loves you too but you're both too stupid to admit it." Lizbeth said with red cheeks.

The car ride went quiet and Eponine tightened her hands around herself. They never fought, never. They barely had disagreements.

"Whatever." Eponine felt her face heating up and claustrophobia set in. She rolled down the window but nothing seemed to help, her heart beat was going crazy in her chest and she felt bile fighting it's way up her esophagus.

Before any of the girls could argue Eponine pried open her door and stepped out of the car at a stop sign. Lizbeth cried out to stop her and the girls fluttered to undo their seat belts but they weren't fast enough.

Eponine knew Paris in ways that they couldn't fathom. She blended in to the crowd and become one with the shadows as she slunk into the city walls. She just needed to get away from them for a while.

"So why are you hiding from four little girls Ninny. Aren't they supposed to be your friends?"

Eponine cursed her luck and turned back with a smirk to Montparnasse. "I have friends in high and low places it seems. I hide from both."

The boy laughed low in his throat and offered her his hand when the voices of Nina and Adrianne drew nearer.

She thought back to the wedding and Lizbeth and Enjolras and her baby chief and all the things in her life that were starting to tangle together. All she wanted right now was to be as far away as she could be. She didn't want to make sense of everything going on around her. She wanted to breathe ...really breathe.

She didn't really belong to that life. She didn't belong to Enjolras. Lizbeth was wrong. He didn't love her and no matter how hard she squinted in the light she couldn't change who she really was.

Eponine slumped against the wall before breathing out a sigh and extending her hand to his. Montparnasse helped her mount the fire escape and they climbed their way up to the roof just in time to see Lizbeth and Suzy burst through the mouth of the alley and look around in haste.

"Shit I shouldn't have said anything. I might as well have stuck my foot in my mouth. Fuck." Lizbeth fidgeted with her glasses and Suzy soothingly patted her arm.

"It's okay Liz. Ponine knows how to take care of herself. And she definitely knows how not to be found if she doesn't want to be.

"Shes pregnant Suzy. If she gets hurt..." Lizbeth made a small whining noise and Suzy hugged her soflty. Eponine looked down at them and thought about joining them but she couldn't will her feet to move.

"She wont. Ponine can take care of herself." Suzy said softly letting the blonde girl go.

Lizbeth took out her phone and pressed it to her ear and looked down to the alley wall as Epoinine's phone went off.

"She dropped her phone. Shes got to be nearby." Lizbeth looked around in a panic.

Eponine and Montparnasse exchanged a look before walking further into the rooftop. They didn't say anything for a moment but Eponine knew he'd heard everything Lizbeth had said.

"So pregnant huh? What bourgeois boy did this."

Eponine didn't say anything for a while as they walked. Montparnasse helped her jump from roof top to rooftop until they were deep into the city and in his hideout.

It was a really nice place, he'd seldom let people in. He'd converted an entire abandoned rooftop into his own crash bachelor pad. There was couches and nicknaks he'd stolen everywhere and at the end a large bed neatly made with a canopy overhead to keep the rain out.

"You haven't answered my question whose bastard is this? He's not willing to stand by you I don't see no ring on your pretty little finger." Montparnasse scoffed as he led them twoard the bed.

"Its none of your buis-" Eponine started but he cut her off with a hand to the back of her neck.

"Whose is it."

"Combefer-" Eponine cringed at the feeling and he tightened his hold but she didn't fight it.

"THE TRUTH!" Eponine clenched her jaw and her nails bit into her hand.

"Enjolras Amarth."

He hissed loudly and relased his hold on her before putting his head in both hands.

"You best not be telling anybody that Ninny. Don't tell fucking anybody."

Eponine grimanced and licked her lips before pursing them before he continued.

'If your father finds out who that runt belongs to….he wont let it go you hear me Ponine. He'll make sure you and your baby and that asshole suffer. He'll take every sou he can squeeze out of both of ya. As long as you're not with that boy you don't have anyone to protect you."

"He wont find out from me." Eponines sneered her eyes dancing with fire.

"Or me. I'll keep your secret Ninny." Montparnasse smiled and let his hands drop to his lap. "Fuck. You really did it this time Ponine. You know…I loved you once. I do love you. I think I'll always love you."

Epoinine softened at his words and took one of his hands in hers. "I love you too Parnasse. You were my first love."

"Aye. And you were and will be my only love. Should have taken you while I could. Maybe you wouldn't be in this mess. Then again you always liked the pretty ones." He teased sofltly

"Shut up." Eponine smiled and they laid back and stared at the overcast skies.

"I would have been the best you ever had." Montparnasse continued with a wry smile.

Eponine let out a loud laugh that echoed through the dirt and grime filled streets. " Would have totally rocked my world."

"Want a beer?" Montparnasse leaned across her and reached out for a bottle under the bed.

She glared at him and he let out a bark of laughter.

"Ah yeah ..forgot. I've got apple juice."

Eponine hummed in appreciation and whispered softly. "My favorite…"

"Yes your favorite. I haven't forgotten." He passed a small bottle of amber liquid and she bit her lip softly.

"I miss you. I miss the streets. Is that so wrong? Is that sick and ungrateful? Fuck. I don't make any fucking sense." Eponine laughed taking a large gulp of her drink.

Montparnasse looked over to her and then back to the sky as the first drops of rain fell. "No. your not wrong. … the streets make sense. They're the only thing that ever makes any sense."