Chapter 24

"Not seeing people permits us to imagine them with every perfection."

PARIS 1830

Eponine Thenadier woke up with a throbbing head and an aching side. She couldn't remember what had happened, or where she was last. She looked around the room only to realize that this wasn't her room in the palace. Beside her was her sister, Azelma and Marius Pontmercy. Azelma was asleep on the sofa chair, while Marius was writing a letter or something of that sort in a nearby table.

She stirred, alerting Marius that she was already awake.

"Good Morning." He said in a whisper; either not to startle her too much or maybe not to wake up Azelma.

"Your parents are at home." He said making Eponine just nod. Her ribs hurt and she noticed that there was a bandaged wrapped around her arm. She tried to remember what had happened, and wonder why she was even here- at a hospital, she deduced.

"What happened?" Eponine asked. Marius smiled and shook his head.

"You were hit by a carriage." He said. Eponine knew there was more to that yet she didn't question it. She rather thought herself a fool for not looking at where she was going. She supposed she was distracted.

"Your father plans on suing but the driver insists that you did step out of the road. They're just waiting for you to wake up before they make a final statement." he said. Eponine just nodded. She doesn't want to think about it so she just let it go. Let the legal matters handle themselves for now.

Before noon came, some of her friends dropped by. Marius had to leave for a couple hours due to a University event he had to attend to. She didn't mind the company of her friends, yet she rather hoped she could be left alone. Though, she wouldn't blame anyone for caring, even if it was just for show.

Just before lunch, she fell asleep and had the most grueling of nightmares. She dreamed that Enjolras was back in Paris but before she could get to him, all she saw was black, as if the dream failed to complete itself.

Then, a knock at the door.

Courfeyrac and Combeferre entered her room.

She sat up, and wiped the sleep out of her eyes.

"Did we wake you?"

"I think I needed the waking." Eponine said. Combeferre and Courfeyrac both sat beside on the sofa chair. They looked rather uncomfortable but Eponine didn't want to point it out. She was rather amused.

"Did you remember what happened, before you got hit?" Combeferre asked.

"Did it involve Enjolras?" Somehow, she wanted to know if the dream was more than just a dream; instead of it, a memory. The two men eyed each other. They didn't speak though they all knew what were the words that hung between them.

"Where is he now?" Eponine said. Somehow, she actually didn't want to know the answer. Courfeyrac eyed Combeferre silently but of course, Eponine saw it.

"He had to go back to Nice. Something urgent came up." Eponine looked away when Combeferre said this. Of course, his wife is more important. Eponine thought. She didn't understand why she's torturing herself with these thoughts. A nurse came in and asked the boys to leave and let her rest. She didn't though. She didn't want to be alone in the silence because it makes her think about a lot of things.

She took out the locket instinctively, feeling the pattern on her fingers. She felt the keyhole and something felt heavy inside her. She didn't know when's the next time she can open it again, or if there will be a next time.

"That's a nice locket" Eponine jumped. She turned and saw Marius on the doorway.

"I brought you food. I don't even know if it's allowed in here." He said. She just smiled.

He sat down beside her bed and placed the tray of food on the bedside table.

"Who gave it to you? The locket?" Eponine looked down at the locket. It wasn't something she'll wear. Even though Enjolras save a year of his pay with it, it still didn't look luxurious enough like her other jewelry. But this was the jewelry she valued the most.

"A friend." She just said. Marius nods.

"So how was the event?" Eponine asked, avoiding to be asked any other question on the locket or who was the special friend.

Marius answered, rather cheery but Eponine didn't seem to hear anything.

Someone was poking Eponine's hand when she woke up the next day. She looked down and saw, leaning onto his hand an the bed and immensely occupied with poking her hand, was her little brother with a rather bored expression on her face.

"Gavroche, what are you doing here?" she asked. He shrugged and leaned back, putting his hands behind his head.

"I heard about the accident. I just wanted to see what you look like. I thought you'll have more scars and probably had one eye missing." Eponine hit his arm which just made him laugh. Though it sounded humorous, Eponine could tell the worry in his little brother's voice. How past things changed but bonds still stay the same.

Gavroche always cared for his sisters. He would always ask Enjolras about them when he has the chance and does this random things like visit them in hospitals.

"Who told you I'm here anyways?" Eponine asked.

"The bloke, Pontmercy." He said. "I like him, though I like Enjolras better. When is he coming back? Besides…." Eponine let him talk about Enjolras, or whatever comes to his mind. It was time that he acted like a child, thinking that the world is perfect even though he already saw otherwise. Eponine looked out the window, with Gavroche's voice in the background, wondering how something so wicked can be so beautiful in the eyes of a child. He didn't seem to notice that Eponine wasn't listening, so he rattled on.

Courfeyrac didn't know why he had to write to Enjorlas, just that he had to. He saw his face when Enjolras was looking outside the window. He knew Enjolras saw what happened before anyone ever said anything. He knew he saw the girl. He knew he saw the blood. He knew Enjolras knew who it was.

It just was right to write to him today. He laughed at himself thinking of how this news would actually affect him now that Enjolras was having a child. He shook the thought away and quickly folded the letter, and soon getting ready to send it.

Around two weeks after, Combeferre saw a letter on his door step when he got home from the University. It was in Enjolras' hand writing though it seemed as if it was rushed, or written in the dark. Combeferre didn't know why but he quickly ripped open the letter and didn't hesitate to read it.

All who knew was that somehow, he should have read this letter with someone. It broke his heart at the happenings of Enjolras' life written in the letter. How could a single moment change a whole course of living? Combeferre shook his head and decided to go back to the Café to tell the boys the news. Because even in this hard times, there was still reason to celebrate.

Enjolras wrote a the very bottom of the page,

Expect me back in Paris in a few weeks time.

Eponine started walking again a couple of weeks after the accident though she still didn't seem fine. Her mind always wandered and she rarely spoke. The doctor never said anything regarding her health other than she should take a lot of rest. Azelma looked at her sister from the far side of the field, reading a book, or to be more precise, holding the book and worrying about her sister.

"Are you alright, miss?" Azelma looked up and saw Jean Prouvaire towering over her. She smiled. At least he's a wonderful sight in this dreary morning. Azelma thought. Jehan sat opposite her on the small table, trying to look at where she was looking.

"You know you don't have to call me miss, Jehan." Azelma said.

"Calling you by your first name sounds so intimate." Jehan said.

"Yet aren't we friends?" Azelma asked. Jehan didn't say anything, yet Azelma saw the slight curve in his companions lips.

"What are you doing here alone anyways, Mademoiselle?" Azelma smiled. Looks like there's no going through with this boy. She didn't mind really. Sooner or later he'll get used to calling her Azelma.

"I was supposed to have tea with my sister but she wandered off again. At least today, I can still see her from here." Jehan looked over at Azelma. Though rumors say that the sisters don't get along well maybe because of the fight for the throne, he knew better. From shadowing the Empress's daughter, he saw how much the sisters truly cared for each other. Looks like no type of power can actually break the strong relationship between them.

"Are you sure she's alright? Wasn't it too early to pull her out of the hospital?" Jehan asked. To be honest, medical jargons never really fit in Jehan's vocabulary. He didn't care what the technicalities was, just as long as by the end of the day, everyone was alright, and cured, and healed.

"The doctor says she's fine." Azelma said.

"Some doctors aren't always trusted you know. Do you want Joly to check on her?" Jehan asked. Azelma shook her head.

"They'll come to the same conclusion. Besides, I don't think it's the matter of the mind, but of the heart." Azelma said. Jehan didn't know if it could help but he suddenly remembered the news that went around the Musain the other day. He never really knew what the relationship of Eponine and Enjolras were. Nobody ever told them anything, but he gave it a shot anyways.

"If it's the matter of the heart, then I do have news." Jehan said. Azelma looked at him, urging him to continue. "Monsieur Enjolras is back in town."

Azelma's jaw dropped. She sucked in a breath and looked at her sister from a distance.

"I must go and inform my sister." she said standing up. Before she can leave, she looked back at Jehan and took his hand in hers.

"Wait for me?" Azelma asked. Jehan nodded, "Always." He said, squeezing her hand and letting go.

As he watched her go, he felt a sudden pain on his chest as if something shot him.

"The sky is prettier in the mornings, isn't that right, Azelma?" Azelma stopped. She didn't even know how her sister could have known she was there.

"I have some wonderful news." Azelma said.

"Perfect for a dreary afternoon?" Eponine asked. She looked at her sister.

"Monsieur Enjolras is back in Paris." Whatever Azelma thought her sister's reaction with be it wasn't this. Her sister looked heart broken and distraught. She thought she was going to be happy.

"Eponine?" Azelma urged. She stepped forward but stepped back as soon as she saw her sister wince. Eponine closed her eyes and opened them again, now smiling. She took her sister's hand and said, "That's good to know." and then walked back to the castle.

A/N

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One more chapter to go until the year of the barricade. A lot more E/E soon. :)

-E