A/N: Happy (belated) New Year my lovely readers! Thanks for supporting me through the year, I love you all. Also, a special thank you to all the guests who have been reviewing recently and the always lovely (and extremely helpful) judybear236; you help me keep going. Oh! And has anyone watched Sherlock or the Hobbit recently? Aren't they both fantastic!? Anyways, enjoy! xx

Amour
(Love)

Eponine stared blankly at the ceiling above her new room at the old practice. Since Montparnasse and Thenardier were crossed off the list of potential threats in their life, Joly had declared it safe to move back in.

Everything was horribly different, even after she had been given a week to adjust. In fact, she was absolutely relinquished in discomfort and complete timidity.

In the bed next to hers lay Enjolras, snoring and furrowing his golden eyebrows even in the deepest of slumber. Joly had found it miraculous that the two had managed to find Azelma and defeat one of his lifetimes most tedious villains in one night, so essentially, he had acted rash and told them that just as he and Julie shared a bed, they should too. After all, if they could accomplish that much in one night without despising each other (like before), then they were mature enough to act like the 'couple' they were. It made sense, they were having a baby after all and yet, Enjolras couldn't bring himself to sleep directly next to her again, and so, they settled for the same room. Julie gladly gave hers to them and Azelma took Eponine's old one, in which a curtain separated her and Grantaire.

Eponine's head jerked to the side when Enjolras moaned, beads of sweat nestled on his forehead shining in the light of the candle next to their beds. He always seemed so deep in a complex web of thoughts - even when he wasn't fully aware of it. Could it be that he was regaining his memory?

She shook the thought away and held her breath. If he came back, she would lose something else she cared about – and she couldn't let that happen… could she?

She breathed in and sat up, placing a hand on her forehead and stretching out her tired limbs.

How could she be so selfish?

Ever since the night they found Azelma, he had been remarkably affectionate with her, holding her hand, stroking her hair – everything she had dreamt Marius would've done to her. And yet, she could never bring herself to reciprocate.

This Enjolras was a gentleman.

He was undeniably supportive, terrifically polite, and curiously suave. There wasn't a thing besides his wounded torso and forgotten memories that Eponine found wrong with him. A man like that couldn't have felt much more than remorse and pity for her, no matter what, she thought.

Even Montparnasse, whom she thought was infatuated with her ages ago, was only doing it to get on her father's good side. And of course, Marius had notoriously broken her heart beyond repair. There was no point in looking at Enjolras in any other lens that that of an
acquaintance… who happened to be the father of her child.

She slapped her forehead and lowered herself out of her bed. How could she be so attached to him and want nothing to do with him all at once? How was that possible?

Grabbing the candle and tray next to her bed, she began to pace the hallways. She had done it three times in the past week and the hallways had become like friends to her, providing her with a path for her strides and silence for her never ending thoughts.

"What are you doing?"

Eponine spun around in annoyance to find Azelma rubbing her tired eyes and standing barefoot at the tip of the stairs.

"What are you doing?" Eponine responded, helping her sister find her balance and seating her on the ledge of the staircase leading to the attic.

"I was looking for some food, actually." She grinned and Eponine got a whiff of cheese. She batted the smell away.

Azelma yawned and more of the cheese smell wafted through the air, "You've outgrown me."

"What?"

"I mean, you're all fancy now. I barely recognized you when I saw you in the alleyway."

"I'm not fan-"

"Your hair is trimmed and tidy, you aren't wearing a bag, and your boyfriend is completely bourgeois. How much fancier could you get?"

Eponine furrowed her eyebrows, "He is not bourgeois and he most certainly is not my boyfriend Azelma."

She sighed, "He's very kind though. I wasn't expecting you'd know someone like that."

"Well," Eponine shook her head, "you know as well as I do that he won't be like this forever."

"Oh right!" She snapped her fingers together, "He's crazy."

Eponine punched her sister in the arm, "He's not crazy – he just had amnersia or something. He'll get better but –" She looked around hesitantly.

"But what?"

"Between you and me – I hope he doesn't."

Azelma giggled, "Are you in love?"

Eponine stuck her tongue out, "No!"

"So you're still in love with M- Me- what's his name?"

"Marius?"

"Him! You're still in love with him."

"No! I'm – I'm – Ugh." Eponine shoved her face in her hands, "I don't need anything like that in my life right now. I have a baby. Besides, Marius is happily married and has a child on the way. The last thing he'd want is some broken, pathetic thing like me."

Azelma sat in silence for a while, "You're right."

"What?"

"The last thing he needs is you."

"Azelma how could you say such a thing!?"

"You said it!" She held onto her sister's hands, "Marius doesn't need you because he doesn't deserve you. You have a wonderful life now Eponine! I can barely sleep because I can't get used to sleeping in a clean bed. I eat alone at midnight because it seems wrong to have food served to me by other people. I wear the rags I came here with because Julie's clothes feel like they don't belong on my skin. You have all this and you belong! You have friends and a man that wants to care for his child and for you - whether you want to accept it or not." She stood up and straightened out her rags, "I left you all four years ago and I finally see a change in you. You aren't like the rest of us anymore. You're so much better. You just need to let Marius go." She stretched and made her way to her bedroom, "Goodnight sister."

Eponine stood stranded in the hallways alone again, but with twice as much to think about.

"Good- goodnight." And with that, Eponine dragged her feet to bed.

...

Enjolras was sitting by the window with a book in his hands, the sunlight making his hair shine and his azure eyes glimmer.

"Why are you up so early?" Eponine asked, shifting herself to an upright position and placing a hand on her stomach.

"It's the afternoon." He grinned and shut his book gingerly, "I didn't have the heart to wake you. It's the first time you've slept so peacefully."

"Really?" Eponine yawned and looked at the snuffed out candles beside their beds, "Thank you."

"Joly saved you some bread and cheese, and he ran to the market so there will be some tea and milk soon as well."

"How about Julie? Is she well?"

He hesitated, "Yes, she's fine."

"You sound unsure."

"I'm not unsure."

Eponine grinned, "So, you wouldn't mind me asking her how she is?"

"She's not in right now."

"Then where is she?"

He paused again, "She went with Joly."

"Perfect." Eponine clasped her hands together, "I'll just double check with Grantaire then?"

Enjolras gritted his teeth, "Fine. She went to Madame Pontmercy's house."

Eponine fell speechless, "Did something happen?"

"No! No, nothing serious but – she was having some problems with the baby and needed help. Julie offered to go but she didn't want anyone to tell you because you and Marius – um-"

"I understand." Eponine sighed, "That's why you didn't wake me sooner, isn't it?"

He nodded, "I apologize."

"It's fine."

"Mademoiselle-"

"It's fine, Monsieur."

Enjolras nodded and Eponine turned away.

...

Julie did not return till the very late evening with good news. Cosette's baby was in near perfect health but Cosette was frightened beyond belief. Marius had also been away for nearly a week now to settle some business with his grandfather, so she was left alone with worries and concerns to fret over for six days. All that stress directly affected her baby - which is what led her to bringing the 'poor girl' to the practice

"Marius shouldn't have left her..." Julie mumbled.

"He didn't leave her for fun, you know." Eponine muttered.

Azelma shot her a look, "Why don't you two go visit her then? She's living with us after all."

Eponine looked dazed, but Enjolras leaned in a bit, "That sounds like a nice thing to do. The poor girl must be-"

"She's not poor." Eponine snapped, looking around the room furiously, "She's not some wounded dove, you know."

"That's not an excuse, Mademoiselle." Enjolras stood up, excusing himself from the group, grabbed Eponine's hand, and led her out of the room.

"She needs help, we can't just neglect that. She's in the same position as us." He whispered.

"No, she isn't. She has a husband and a family."

"And you don't?"

Eponine grimaced, "Not in the right sense, even you know that."

"That what sorry excuse am I to you?"

Eponine clenched her teeth in remorse, "Certainly not my husband."

Enjolras raised his eyebrows, and then nodded, "You're right," he furrowed his eyebrows, "I'll be with the wounded dove then, if you need me – Mademoiselle."

Eponine's heart ached suddenly, "Fine."

She didn't need Enjolras, she had fended for herself all her life and she wasn't about to let that part of her die; that man could do whatever he pleased. Cosette had ruined her life, and she was going to do everything in her power to stay away from her no matter what the circumstance.

She marched back into the kitchen and met the curious eyes of her sister, Grantaire, and Julie, "Well, are you going to help her or not?"

"I'd rather not say, besides," she took a sip of her tea, "the answer should be blatanty obvious."

Grantaire snickered, "She's starting to sound like him too."

"Excuse me?"

"You're starting to sound like your beloved. And I don't mean Marius."

The waif's eyes widened, "You think I love him?"

Azelma hid a smile, "We all do."

"Even you? I could've swore we talked about this last night…" She could feel her cheeks warming up.

"Eponine dear, don't take this as an attack, it's just an observance. It's only natural under the circumstances."

"And what would those be? That we're having a baby? That we've slept together once in our entire lives at the fault of some brandy and my loneliness?" She shook her head, "I don't love him. I don't think I ever will." She set her tea down and stormed out of the room.

She felt as though someone was playing with her like a puppet, like the universe had her up on strings.

How could every single person she knew think she loved him? She was having a hard enough time dealing with the fact that she didn't mean a thing to the man she obsessed over for months and months and that his wife was expectant and living with them. Not to mention that her father was dead and the man she had thrown into jail could escape at any moment.

She felt herself stagger and propped her hand out against a wall for support. Enjolras saw.

"Pardon my asking, but are you alright?"

She scoffed, "Just fine."

"No you're not. You can barely hold yourself up, let me take you to our room-"

"No don't. I want to talk to her."

"Who?" His eyes widened, "Madame Pontmercy?"

She nodded.

He opened his mouth to say something but stopped himself, "Very well."

He escorted her into the room just behind them and Eponine met the eyes of a very anxious looking Cosette.

She stood up, "Eponine?"

"Hello." She shooed Enjolras off and stood silently across from her, "How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thank you." She peered over Eponine's shoulder and to her sides, "Is there any reason you wanted to talk to me, Mademoiselle?"

"Not really, Madame." She smiled nonchalantly and Cosette sat down hesitantly, "I just wanted to see how you were feeling. We are after all, both expectant mothers."

"Oh, but you've been one much longer. My problems probably seem petty to you."

"Yes well, you almost have a full family now. Marius must always be there for support and so, you're at an advantage here, not me."

Cosette's discomfort was fully apparent now, and Eponine lavished in it, no matter how villainous it seemed in her mind.

"Marius had actually been gone for a while…"

"Really?" She lied.

"Yes, well, he's gone off to settle some things with family and it's been horrible without him… That's why I wanted to ask you how you do it?"

"Do what?"

Her cheeks were beginning to burn red, "Um, well, take care of the baby without a husband? Not that you don't have Monsieur Enjolras it's just – I should stop talking."

"No, go on." Eponine sat down next to the girl and placed her hand under her chin, "I would love to hear about how you want to know how I put with the struggles of parenthood without a lover."

"Eponine, I didn't mean it like that I'm under enough stress!"

"Then what did you mean Cosette? He's been gone for 6 days, not six months. You can live without anyone else! I managed without anyone my whole life." She took a deep breath, "Besides, he's desperately in love with you I doubt that he'll be away much longer."

Cosette bit her lip and sucked in some air, "Not desperately."

Eponine kept her jaw from dropping, "What?"

Another breath, "Marius didn't just leave because of his grandfather – he left because of me. Because of you."

"Me!?" Eponine laughed, "What on Earth do I have to do with him anymore?"

"Can't you tell?" Cosette's porcelain skin was turning bright pink, "He didn't expect you to run off with him and never talk to him again. Both of you. It's too much change for him."

"So what does that have to do with –"

"Me?" Cosette chuckled, "It has everything to do with me, I'm his wife! When all he talks about are you and him and the whole lot of you it – it bothers me. It bothers me to see him that traumatized he doesn't deserve it…" She stood up and straightened herself out a bit, "I thought he was in love with you at one point."

"He's not. I promise."

"Are you in love with him?"

Eponine stopped, "No. Not anymore."

"Oh." Cosette smiled sadly and looked down to her feet, contemplating something but not daring to speak.

"You're good for him, you know."

"What?"

"Ever since the beginning – you've kept him alive."

She chuckled, "I doubt it…"

Eponine furrowed her eyebrows, "Look – I'm going to tell you something about how much your husband loves you. That night at the barri- the barricades, he told me to stay away and deliver a letter to you instead. When he sent me off I gave the letter to your father and then when I went back," tears filled her eyes suddenly and she turned away from Cosette, "there was an attack and I – I threw myself in front of him. I took the bullet meant for your husband and I don't know whether –" she took a deep breath, "whether that was because I loved him so much or because I knew that if he didn't live to see you he would die in misery." She nodded her head, "And he would have died in misery."

"Oh my – you saved him!?" Cosette shook her head, "He never told me you were injured…"

"What? He must have, he – he held me in his arms as I died."

Cosette looked taken aback but then nodded, "Mademoiselle, I honestly don't know."

"No its fine… just strange…"

"But I must sincerely thank you, Eponine. I didn't think you cared much about me considering our bad terms but I want you to know that I'm – I'm sorry."

"Excuse me?"

"If I did anything to upset you when we were younger and especially since you became pregnant I am truly, truly sorry."

The waif stood in silence for a moment, ravishing in the words she had just been told. But something felt wrong after the sincerity of Cosette's words had finally become fully apparent to her.

"Me too." Eponine smiled, "I'm – sorry."

Cosette smiled and nodded, "And if you need to talk to him at any time, let me know, please."

Eponine grinned and bid her farewells to Cosette, leaving the room with a bit of a stronger stride.

"Satisfied?"

The waif turned to find a smug looking Enjolras leaning by the stairs, "What's it to you?"

"I don't know Cosette very well but – I knew that she wanted to say something important to you."

"Why?"

"She didn't say a word to me until I mentioned how you were coming to speak with her."

Eponine smirked, "Well if it makes you feel any better I'm not entirely satisfied."

"What?"

"Marius never told her I'd saved him. She was in disbelief that I would even do that…"

Enjolras himself had only known for a short amount of time that she had done such a thing, but after the kiss he began to understand why she had done it.

"I'm pretty sure he forgot – don't worry so much about him."

"I know – it's just… confusing." She shrugged, "I'll speak with him eventually. Not much I can do about it now is there?"

Enjolras nodded, as she walked up the stairs but stopped himself from turning away, "Mademoiselle?"

"Yes?"

He took a breath, "Is it true, what you said to her?"

The waif looked confused, "What?"

"That you don't love him anymore."

Her eyes widened and she felt a knot form in her throat, "You heard that?"

He turned a bit scarlet in the cheeks, "I wasn't eavesdropping, I swear it's just – do you still love him?"

"I meant what I said in there. I don't love him and he doesn't love me." She felt the knot tighten and scoffed into her sleeve, "That's why I didn't want you to repay me by getting him."

"You said it was because you didn't want to ruin his life."

"Yes and because – even though the thought of having him in my arms wasn't so bad I realized that there isn't much left between me and Monsieur Marius," she sniffled, "he's moved on and if I want to be happy I have to as well, don't you think?"

"Very well." Enjolras grinned.

"And I'm sorry, by the way. While I'm apologizing."

"For what?"

"For acting like you're not important. If I didn't have you I would've been dead, even before you lost memory."

"You don't need to apologize -"

"I'd feel like a fool if I didn't, Monsieur. If I don't keep the people that matter to me, I won't have anyone, you know." She was shocking herself with the flow of words that was coming out of her mouth.

Enjolras chuckled, "When did you become so intelligent, Mademoiselle?"

She stopped breathing for a moment. Somebody actually called her intelligent. Intelligent.

"I- um- we'll talk later." She bid him farewell and ran up the stairs.

Years of being tormented for not knowing how to properly read and write, years of feeling inferior to the ABC society and Marius and trying to prove her intelligence to him… and he changed it all in seconds.

She quivered and leaned against her door, feeling her heart beat in fantastic rhythms against her chest.

Then it stopped, and she came back down to Earth.

Why had he asked about Marius? Why would he care?

"Azelma!" She called out, watching her sister's head poke out above the stairs.

"Are you alright?"

"No, no I'm not."

"What's the matter, you're scaring me!"

"I-" she felt doubt rise up inside of her and shut her mouth, "Nothing."

"What?" Azelma shook her head, "Are you mad?"

"No, no – I'm sorry, I thought I was going to throw up, but it was just in my head. I'm just a bit shaken after talking to Cosette that's all."

She narrowed her eyes, "Yes well, we need to talk about that later. Julie's making lunch right now, I've got to go help – are you sure you're alright?"

"Positive."

Azelma smiled, "I'll call you down for lunch."

Eponine nodded and sank against her door as soon as she saw Azelma's head disappear down the staircase.

If Azelma had just stayed a second longer, if Eponine hadn't shooed her away, she would have told her that something was very wrong.

That after so long, she was finally beginning to feel something for Monsieur Enjolras and it wasn't hatred or despise or loathing.

That Grantaire and Julie and her had been right about her all along.

She felt a feeling that sent shivers down her spine and butterflies to her stomach.

In fact, she could have sworn, however ridiculous it sounded in her silly little head, that it was love.