My LOVELIES! MERRY CHRISTMAS! My present to you? A new chapter! =D YAY! (there's even a little Christmas song reference in here, can you find it?) I'll try to get a couple more up before new years eve (maybe one or two?) But I hope you like this one! (and too answer a reviewer's worry... I can confirm the twins will not be orphaned or lose a parent... DON'T WORRY :) I'm not THAT cruel!)
Warning: Language...and hurt for Pontmercy lovers...
Disclaimer: Nope... I think Victor liked Marius the best... if only casue he got to live...
Chapter 25: Well Deserved
That was when she cracked. Maybe it was because it was the first time she spoke it aloud. Maybe it was the first time she allowed herself to realize it was true. No matter what caused it, Éponine had doubled over in a powerful sob, burying her face in her hands and releasing every possible locked up emotion she had collected over the years.
The next few moments were as if one of the villains from Gav's comic books had come and slowed them all. Combeferre, reacting as quickly as his limbs would allow (his brain was running a million miles an hour but it couldn't seem to send any signals.), pulled Éponine into his lap cradling her gently. As the guide muttered into his fiancé's hair, the rest of the group shared their own terrified looks. Soon, the small whimpers from the twins escalated into full blown shrieking, tears pouring down their red and blotchy cheeks. Sarah squirmed frantically in Grantaire's arms, her little arms flailing. Ben on the other hand simply bawled, his big brown eyes swelled with tears, his little lip quivering as he took shaky breaths.
Éponine remained in her nearly catatonic state for a few more moments until the twins released a particularly heart wrenching scream simultaneously. Nearly flying out of Combeferre's lap, she took Sarah and Ben from Grantaire and Enjolras's arms and curled them into her own.
"Hush my babies, it's gonna be ok, Momma won't let the bad man hurt you. You're never never going to go through what Momma did." She promised quietly as she bounced them gently, walking to the back tables to feed them. She walked away from the group, not acknowledging the worried glances she received from the rest of the occupants of the café. But as she disappeared behind the counter (the only place she'd feed her children in front of the Amis after a particularly awkward encounter Enjolras and Feuilly who happened to walk in as she was switching babies…) none of them moved to join her, not even Combeferre. From experience (most of which they wouldn't like to repeat, the memories being painful.) they knew to give her space when she needed to absorb a lot of information, especially past related information.
Once she had disappeared behind the curtain (also installed after the incident…) a collective sigh was released. Combeferre tore his glasses away and brought both his hands to his face, Grantaire dug his hand into Enjolras's curls (something the leader usually detested in public, but in the circumstance, he actually liked it.), Jehan curled closer to Courfeyac's chest, Gavroche clambered into Bahorel's lap as Feuilly clung to the strong man's arm, Joly, Musichetta, and Bossuet had become one person and Marius hovered nervously by Cosette as she spoke hurriedly into her phone.
"What'll think she'll do?" Jehan finally mumbled, still buried in Courfeyac's lap.
"Pre-tears, even pre-collapse, I would've thought she wouldn't go near her father with a 39½ poll. But now? I bet she's back there talking it through with Sarah and Ben." Grantaire reasoned.
"But why'd she just break down like that? I mean, she hates them. Well, hated." Bahorel corrected lamely, rubbing gentle circles into Gavroche's back. "Hate them or not, the dying man is her father and the dead man was her best friend for years, even her first love." Enjolras stated, before adding. "Even though I couldn't stand my father, I wasn't right after he passed."
"But your father didn't beat, abuse, torment, and sell you for his own monetary gain." Bousset bit back, nearly shouting.
"I'm not trying to compare them, I'm just saying no matter what your parent did to you, there's always some sort of connection to them."
Bousset, ready to come back with a fiery retort was cut off, by Combeferre.
"Whatever she chooses, I'll support her, but frankly I think she should respect her father's dying wish."
There was a beat of silence, before the eruption.
"Are you mental? You of all people should be against this!" Bahorel nearly roared.
"Did you hit your head? I heard there's a virus going around that impairs thought, did you catch it? Did I catch it? Did I forget to take my meds this morning? Does my skin look jaundice to you?" Soon Joly was hyperventilating, saving Combeferre from an angry retort from Bossuet.
"Mate, I know I said you're not spontaneous and gut following enough, but this is taking it one step too far." Courfeyac admonished.
"Well, why don't we all shut it and listen to what the man's got to say about it." Musichetta snapped, silencing the café once more. All eyes went to Combeferre.
Taking in a deep breath, he began his argument. "I know, better than all of you, the trauma and lasting impact her father, Montparnasse, and the whole of the Patron-Minette left on her. Once you wake up, hearing her scream bloody murder, shaking and dripping with a cold sweat, then you'll understand." He glared at them, daring them to question him. "But I feel, the nightmare's will only get worse if she never resolves this with her father, if not resolve, then simply listen what he has to say."
"But what if it only makes her worse huh? What if it hurts her more?" Marius interjected, his face getting red.
"She's not weak Marius." Grantaire rose quickly, approaching the freckled boy in seconds. "You need to stop treating her like she's going to break!"
"I don't! But how can we trust him? How can we trust that whatever he says won't cause her more damage?" There was a collective eye roll from the rest of the group (well, everyone except Enjolras, Combeferre, and Courfeyac, who sensed Grantaire's movements perhaps a second too late.)
In a matter of moments, Grantaire had Marius pinned up to the back wall, his furious face inches from Marius's terrified one. And yet, no one, not even Cosette (from either shock or slight fear of approaching Grantaire in this state.) moved to help Marius.
"Pontmercy, from the damned moment you introduced that beautiful Godsend into this group you've treated her as nothing more than a carrier pigeon and a bloody blown glass figurine figuring at every turn she'd break. Open your eyes Pontmercy and smell the bloody roses and realize that this girl, this woman is not only the strongest member or this group, but also the bravest, and nothing, nothing will ever break her to the extent you think the bloody wind is capable of. If you hadn't noticed, she not only endured years of torture, but she just gave birth to twins, twins! In this very café if you'd forgotten. So if I ever, ever catch you questioning her strength again, I won't hesitate to smack your pretty face."
He slowly released Marius, who slumped to the ground like a trembling leaf. Cosette quickly hushed his whimpering and quietly accepted Grantaire's attempt at a sympathetic apology for the tears later.
Feuilly, who'd witnessed plenty of Grantaire explosions was quite curious of the origin of this one. He knew Grantaire and Éponine were thick as thieves, starting as drinking buddies, escalating into one of the closest friendships he'd seen, rivaling the trio of Courfeyac, Combeferre, and Enjolras at times. He knew Grantaire would defend Éponine to the grave, and vice versa, but this, this action born of pure fury, against a dear friend as well, was not entirely rooted in their bond of friendship.
"Taire?" Feuilly began weakly, slowly making his way to his fellow artist. Taking note of the wary look Enjolras was giving him, he crouched to Grantaire's level.
"We all know you love Ép, and we all agree with what you just barked in Marius's face, but is there something else?"
Grantaire chuckled, rubbing his hand across his jaw, making eye contact with Feuilly.
"You know, sometimes I hate how well you read between lines. It's kind've creepy man, just saying."
"R, what is it?" Enjolras questioned, now curious as to what bothered his boyfriend so much.
"I was in a similar position to Ép, and I almost lost it. Couldn't sleep for a week."
"What happened?" Enjolras asked again, taking Grantaire's hand.
"Well, you know my Mum died when I was young?"
"Cancer?" Enjolras whispered.
"Yeah, well, right when it was getting real bad, we got into a bad argument, but I was only Gav's age and didn't understand cancer or anything so I gave her a good old fashioned eight year old cold shoulder. She wanted to see me about a week before she went and at first I refused. It wasn't until my dad explained what was really happening to my mom that I went running to her. Thankfully I wasn't too late, but it still makes shiver to think I might not've apologized to my mum or heard her say 'I love you' one last time."
"Oh Taire." They turned to see Éponine standing in the back, holding her now snoozing babies carefully to her chest.
Grantaire sighed, holding out his arms in a 'alright let me have it' fashion.
Moving towards him, pausing only to place her babies in their father's arms, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Thank you." She whispered into his ear.
"Eh, Pontmercy needed a good scolding." He shrugged.
"No, for helping me make up my mind, but the scolding was nice too."
"You sure? I mean, it was a little different with me and my mum, but…"
"Yeah, I loved my father, once upon a time." She smiled wistfully. "And, I want to hear why he defended my children. And," she paused, looking towards Combeferre, cradling their beautiful children. "I want him to meet his grandchildren."
Merry Christmas (even the chapter number's 25!) Catch the Christmas song reference? Anyhoo, enjoy the chapter? Make my Christmas and leave a comment/review or follow/fav :) Until next time Lovelies!
Merry Christmas to All and to All a Goodnight! =D 3