Hallo, readers! Have a chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Les Mis or the characters
One month passed since that drunken night at the Musain and December had come, bringing with it the Winter chill and a blanket of snow that covered all of France.
Eponine was showing a bit more, though, of the Amis, only Enjolras, Combeferre, and Joly had noticed, the latter two, being doctors, had pieced it together. Eponine knew that it wouldn't be long now until the rest noticed. Of course, the others would know sooner rather than later if Courfeyrac found out as, she knew, he would be anything but quiet on the matter.
Slowly walking to the café in the bitter cold, Eponine smiled to herself as she saw a group of gamins whipping snowballs at each other. The young boys seemed to be having great fun with it and Eponine found herself wondering why Gavroche was not with them. She knew how he both loved and despised the snow; loving it for the fun, despising it for the cold.
She cursed quietly when she nearly slipped on a patch of ice. She needed to be more careful now; there were two tiny humans growing inside of her that depended on her to keep them and herself safe.
She had gained back some of the weight she had lost, but it was hard as she was sick most mornings and wasn't accustomed to eating properly and so, found it rather hard to do so without becoming nauseous. Hunger is a vicious cycle in that way; you don't eat and then you become nauseous from not eating and then, though you may be hungry, you're too nauseous to eat. Eponine had to force herself to eat for the sake of the unborn children within her, but she was still rather thin and gaunt, save for her stomach. Though she no longer wore rags, she still received pitying looks from those whom she passed on the streets; she still resembled a skeleton.
Once again, she lost her footing. This time, however, she was not able to catch herself; but someone else did. She felt strong arms wrap around her, supporting her so that she would not fall.
"Oh, thank you, Mons–" she didn't finish her sentence for she had turned to see who had caught her and she recognised Montparnasse.
"Eponine." he said in that eloquent way of his.
"'Parnasse." she breathed. She hugged him tightly. Out of all of the members of the Patron-Minette, Montparnasse was the only one that she liked. Yes, he was a thief and, when need be, an assassin, but he still treated her decently; that is, the same he treated everybody. Montparnasse was the type to treat a gamin as he would treat an ambassador and an ambassador as he would treat a gamin. Such was simply his way.
"You're pregnant." It wasn't a question.
"You noticed."
"How could I not? You're bone-thin everywhere else but your stomach."
"True, unfortunately." she sighed. "I was very sick and I've only just started to recover."
"You're engaged."
"So you've noticed that too?"
"Obviously."
"You don't miss much, do you?"
"No, not really."
At this, Eponine began to laugh a bit.
"I've really missed you, 'Parnasse."
"About that... You should know, your father has been looking for you. Trust me, you do not want to be found. He is livid."
"I can only imagine... I have been gone for months..."
"If you're anywhere near as smart as I think you are, then see to it that you aren't found. I honestly think he might kill you."
Eponine frowned. She could tell that Montparnasse was entirely serious and it terrified her. The last time she had seen her father, he had beaten her senseless. If he had been angry then when she had only been gone for one night, she knew it couldn't even compare to the anger he must be feeling now after she had been gone for three months. Then she looked at Montparnasse, knowing that her father often relied on him. Would he tell him that he'd seen her? Would he betray her?
Montparnasse could very easily guess her thoughts simply by the way that she was looking at him.
"Don't worry, I'm on your side." he promised her.
"Do you mean that?"
"Of course."
Eponine breathed a sigh of relief.
"Do you really have such little faith in me? That hurts. I'm offended." he pretended to be wounded, hurt by her disbelief that he was her friend.
"No, no. I'm sorry, 'Parnasse. I–"
"Eponine," he cut her off, grinning, "I was joking."
Eponine playfully smacked his arm.
"Where was it you were heading to?" he asked her, "I'll help you there. It's very slippery and falling would do you no good. You'd likely break something, being as thin as you are." He offered her his arm, which she took happily.
"I was on my way to the Musain. I live there with Marius, in a room upstairs."
"To the Musain it is, then." he said, walking there with her as the snow began to fall again, sticking to their hair.
"Snow is pretty." Eponine said absentmindedly.
"Yes," he agreed, "pretty deadly."
"It's not all bad." she argued.
"And it's not all good."
"Children seem to enjoy it." As they neared the Musain, Eponine noticed some of the Amis fully engaged in a snow ball fight– no, a snow ball war.
"And fully grown men, too, it would seem." Montparnasse said with a laugh. "I should probably take my leave from here. I don't think your friends would approve of me."
"'Parnasse–"
"I'll see you around, Eponine." he hugged her briefly and then he was gone as suddenly as he came.
Eponine sighed faintly and walked the last bit of distance to the Musain. Courfeyrac looked over and grinned at her,
"Join us, Eponine! It's lots of–" he was cut off by a snowball to the face, thrown by Bahorel.
"No, thank you." Eponine replied, barely containing her laughter. "Have any of you seen Marius?"
"Nope." Courfeyrac replied. "He's around somewhere though. Ask Enjolras, he might know. He's inside."
"Okay, thanks, Courf." Eponine headed into the Musain, grateful for the warmth of the small café. She followed the sounds of debating to find Enjolras and Combeferre at a table in the back.
"Oh, hello, Eponine." Combeferre greeted politely.
"Sorry to interrupt," she said, "but have either of you seen Marius?"
"No, sorry." Enjolras replied.
Even as it got later, there was no sign of Marius and Eponine was starting to worry. What if something had happened to him?
As night fell, it became evident that something was wrong.