**Eponine**
When I returned to the Rue de Villette, the barricade was complete. A red flag adorned the top. Across the street was another smaller barricade, this one obviously belonging to the Garde Nationale.
Maybe I could climb over the barricade without them seeing me...
I made a mad dash for it and started climbing. /They can't see me/, I thought with a careless grin. /They aren't watching!/
But suddenly the air was alive with the sound of bullets. Frightened, I ducked down and fell flat against the barricade.
The gunfire stopped. I quickly scrambled on, my heart beating so painfully fast that I thought it would simply burst out of my chest. A bullet ricocheted off of something very close to me, sending a spray of shattered wood into the thick air. I stopped and looked across the street at the Garde Nationale.
"Please..." I whimpered, falling flat again. I held out my hand to shield my face from the bullets.
They didn't stop. /Marius.where is Marius?/ "Marius, help me!"
But my cry was lost, transformed into a scream as I felt and saw my extended hand nearly explode. I doubled over, gasping for breath. My insides felt as though they were on fire.
More determined and afraid now, I looked up and forced myself to keep climbing. I was almost there! I was so afraid...but they had only shot my hand, I told myself. No matter how badly it hurt, it could be fixed, easy.
I could see the top of the barricade. There was someone there, but it wasn't Marius. I didn't care.
"There's someone climbing the barricade," They said. "A boy, I think.looks like he's injured."
They held out a hand to pull me over. The gunfire had stopped. Using the hand that wasn't blown away, I allowed myself to be pulled up.
Once on the other side, I thrust my bloody hand-what was left of it, anyway-into the pocket of my coat. I searched the ground below for Marius. People were staring at me as I slid down the side of the barricade haphazardly. So much pain...
"Eponine?"
I turned. Marius! He was looking frightened and surprise as he ran to me.
"Good God! What are you doing back here, 'Ponine? Have you no fear, or are you just stupid?"
I was struggling to stand up now. "I took the letter like you asked me to." My head started to spin. "Her father took it...but said he'd...give it to her...I don't think I can stand up anymore..."
My legs collapsed from under me and I fell into Marius' arms. I hardly noticed the students drawing near to get a better look. Marius guided me gently to the ground.
"Eponine, what is it?" he asked quietly. I winced, feeling him put a hand against my side. "You're hurt, Eponine...Oh, God...it's everywhere!"
It was not good, I could tell. Marius' hands were wet with my blood.
But...it didn't hurt, I realized. I couldn't feel a thing-no pain at all! Marius was there, holding me, his arms around me. It was all going to be all right, I told myself.
"Don't worry, M'sieur Marius...I'll be all right. You're here, and that's all I need to know..." I murmured.
"Hush," Marius whispered. He looked up at someone and reached out with one hand, took their coat and wrapped it around me protectively.
"You're keeping me safe and close..." I whispered, looking up at him. The edges of my vision began to get fuzzy, so that all I could see was Marius. "Dear, sweet Marius..."
"You're going to live, 'Ponine," I heard him say.
I shook my head. Didn't he see that it was all going to be all right? "Just hold me like you were...and let it be...don't let go."
Suddenly the crowd around us parted, and there was little Gavroche.
"'Ponine?" he squeaked. "Is that you, 'Ponine?" Someone took him by the shoulders and pulled him back.
I couldn't breathe. A sudden fear gripped me and I reached for Marius's hand, just to make sure he was still there. I felt him squeeze my hand.
"Shh." he whispered. His voice sounded so far away! "I'm here."
He clutched my hand and I closed my eyes against the sudden feeling that I was falling away. I was falling...and then...
**Marius**
"There's someone climbing the barricade," Joly said. "A boy, I think...looks like he's injured."
I glanced sidelong at Enjolras and hurried closer to the barricade to get a better look. I watched Joly pull the 'boy' over. He looked around frantically and started sliding toward the bottom. I couldn't tell if I knew who it was or not.
Then I remembered where I'd seen that cap before.
"Eponine?"
She turned to me and her face lit up. I ran over to her, worried.
"Good God! What are you doing back here, 'Ponine? Have you no fear, or are you just stupid?"
She looked like she was injured; she was swaying back and forth just standing there. "I took the letter like you asked me to...her father took it but said he'd...give it to her...I don't think I can stand up anymore..."
Suddenly she collapsed and fell into my arms. My friends all gave a collective, low gasp and rushed closer. I guided her to the ground gently.
"What is it, 'Ponine?" I whispered. I put a hand against her side, realizing that it was bloodstained and soaking wet. She winced. "You're hurt, Eponine...Oh, God...it's everywhere!"
It was not good, I could tell. I bit my lip, realizing that she had been shot in the side, somehow.
Eponine had put on an ethereal, other-worldly look, the one that people who are near death wear. Her eyes were glazing over. "Don't worry, M'sieur Marius...I'll be all right. You're here, and that's all I need to know..." she murmured.
"Hush," I whispered. I looked up at Feuilly, who was kneeling and holding out his coat to me. I took it and wrapped it around Eponine.
"You're keeping me safe and close..." she went on. She was looking up at me, but I had the feeling she couldn't quite see me anyway, the way her eyes were darting about. "Dear, sweet Marius..."
"You're going to live, 'Ponine," I said firmly, hoping that she could hear me. I ignored the fact that my stomach had done a flip when I heard her loving words. My throat had started to constrict and tears were building around my eyes. It was my fault, I realized. She had returned for me. And now she was dying, shot for a cause she didn't even believe in.
Eponine shook her head. "Just hold me like you were...and let it be...don't let go."
Suddenly the crowd surrounding us parted, and there was little Gavroche.
"'Ponine?" he squeaked. "Is that you, 'Ponine?" Prouvaire took him by the shoulders and pulled him back.
Eponine grabbed my hand suddenly. I swallowed and squeezed her hand, knowing that the end was near. "Shh..." I whispered. "I'm here."
She closed her eyes, gasping for breath. /No,/ I thought as I watched her breathe her last breath. Her head lolled to the side gently, resting against the crook of my elbow as if only in peaceful slumber. /Why her? Why not me?/
I realized that I too had had my eyes closed, and someone had their arm on my shoulder. I opened my eyes and looked up. It was Enjolras.
"She...she was your friend..." he said. It was apparent he didn't know what to say otherwise.
"Eponine," I said, more bitterly than I had intended. "Her name was Eponine. So unafraid...of everything."
"Then we fight in her name." said Combeffere. I didn't look at him.
"Her death won't be for nothing." Prouvaire offered.
"We won't betray her, Marius." Lesgles added. I glanced up at him. /I already have..... /
Lesgles and Prouvaire moved towards me, patting my shoulders and then taking Eponine gently from my arms. I didn't want to let go, but I let her lifeless hand slip from my own as they carried her toward the tavern slowly.
I sat there a moment, absently and futilely scraping blood off of my hands. Enjolras patted my shoulder again and moved away, motioning for the others to do the same. I listened to them all walk away slowly. Gavroche appeared, looking down at me for a moment and then plopping down in front of me. I raised my eyes to him. The boy had a very sour look on his face, and he had a hard time meeting my eyes. I had the feeling he was trying very hard not to cry.
"She wouldn't've come here if I hadn't told her about it." He said quietly, putting his hands in his lap. I raised an eyebrow, coming very close to being amused-he thought it was all his fault.
"She would have come." I said.
Gavroche shrugged his shoulders and took off his cap. "You know what she said to me?" he asked. I shook my head. "She asked me where the barricade was gonna be at. And then I told her. And then I asked her why. And she told me that she would know where to come and get my body."
I stared long and hard at the boy, biting the inside of my lip. "She was a brave girl, Gavroche. Much braver than I."
Gavroche gave a sniff. "I wish she hadn't been so brave, then." Before I could stop him, he had run off towards the tavern.
====== A/N: I happened to like this chappie, a lot. I wrote it all within a half an hour in the library one day, I was so enthralled...lol. Let me know how you like (or dislike) the end of this...I changed it from what I previously had, it was really cruddy and I didn't know what else to write.
Pamplemousse: Nope, I never thought about the Empty Chairs thing. Empty chairs, empty head...hehe. And yep, I just updated the Ariadne fic. Would have done it about 2 days ago but my computer froze right as I was trying to do it and I never got a chance to go back. Blasphemous thing! You going to finish the Noëlle story or you gonna leave us all hanging there in breathless agony?? Hehe...
Snogging: Glad you liked it! I like the end of the last chapter, an almost- cliff hanger...'cause you pretty much know what's going to happen anyway. Indeed, what an evil fic that would be! Hehe...
When I returned to the Rue de Villette, the barricade was complete. A red flag adorned the top. Across the street was another smaller barricade, this one obviously belonging to the Garde Nationale.
Maybe I could climb over the barricade without them seeing me...
I made a mad dash for it and started climbing. /They can't see me/, I thought with a careless grin. /They aren't watching!/
But suddenly the air was alive with the sound of bullets. Frightened, I ducked down and fell flat against the barricade.
The gunfire stopped. I quickly scrambled on, my heart beating so painfully fast that I thought it would simply burst out of my chest. A bullet ricocheted off of something very close to me, sending a spray of shattered wood into the thick air. I stopped and looked across the street at the Garde Nationale.
"Please..." I whimpered, falling flat again. I held out my hand to shield my face from the bullets.
They didn't stop. /Marius.where is Marius?/ "Marius, help me!"
But my cry was lost, transformed into a scream as I felt and saw my extended hand nearly explode. I doubled over, gasping for breath. My insides felt as though they were on fire.
More determined and afraid now, I looked up and forced myself to keep climbing. I was almost there! I was so afraid...but they had only shot my hand, I told myself. No matter how badly it hurt, it could be fixed, easy.
I could see the top of the barricade. There was someone there, but it wasn't Marius. I didn't care.
"There's someone climbing the barricade," They said. "A boy, I think.looks like he's injured."
They held out a hand to pull me over. The gunfire had stopped. Using the hand that wasn't blown away, I allowed myself to be pulled up.
Once on the other side, I thrust my bloody hand-what was left of it, anyway-into the pocket of my coat. I searched the ground below for Marius. People were staring at me as I slid down the side of the barricade haphazardly. So much pain...
"Eponine?"
I turned. Marius! He was looking frightened and surprise as he ran to me.
"Good God! What are you doing back here, 'Ponine? Have you no fear, or are you just stupid?"
I was struggling to stand up now. "I took the letter like you asked me to." My head started to spin. "Her father took it...but said he'd...give it to her...I don't think I can stand up anymore..."
My legs collapsed from under me and I fell into Marius' arms. I hardly noticed the students drawing near to get a better look. Marius guided me gently to the ground.
"Eponine, what is it?" he asked quietly. I winced, feeling him put a hand against my side. "You're hurt, Eponine...Oh, God...it's everywhere!"
It was not good, I could tell. Marius' hands were wet with my blood.
But...it didn't hurt, I realized. I couldn't feel a thing-no pain at all! Marius was there, holding me, his arms around me. It was all going to be all right, I told myself.
"Don't worry, M'sieur Marius...I'll be all right. You're here, and that's all I need to know..." I murmured.
"Hush," Marius whispered. He looked up at someone and reached out with one hand, took their coat and wrapped it around me protectively.
"You're keeping me safe and close..." I whispered, looking up at him. The edges of my vision began to get fuzzy, so that all I could see was Marius. "Dear, sweet Marius..."
"You're going to live, 'Ponine," I heard him say.
I shook my head. Didn't he see that it was all going to be all right? "Just hold me like you were...and let it be...don't let go."
Suddenly the crowd around us parted, and there was little Gavroche.
"'Ponine?" he squeaked. "Is that you, 'Ponine?" Someone took him by the shoulders and pulled him back.
I couldn't breathe. A sudden fear gripped me and I reached for Marius's hand, just to make sure he was still there. I felt him squeeze my hand.
"Shh." he whispered. His voice sounded so far away! "I'm here."
He clutched my hand and I closed my eyes against the sudden feeling that I was falling away. I was falling...and then...
**Marius**
"There's someone climbing the barricade," Joly said. "A boy, I think...looks like he's injured."
I glanced sidelong at Enjolras and hurried closer to the barricade to get a better look. I watched Joly pull the 'boy' over. He looked around frantically and started sliding toward the bottom. I couldn't tell if I knew who it was or not.
Then I remembered where I'd seen that cap before.
"Eponine?"
She turned to me and her face lit up. I ran over to her, worried.
"Good God! What are you doing back here, 'Ponine? Have you no fear, or are you just stupid?"
She looked like she was injured; she was swaying back and forth just standing there. "I took the letter like you asked me to...her father took it but said he'd...give it to her...I don't think I can stand up anymore..."
Suddenly she collapsed and fell into my arms. My friends all gave a collective, low gasp and rushed closer. I guided her to the ground gently.
"What is it, 'Ponine?" I whispered. I put a hand against her side, realizing that it was bloodstained and soaking wet. She winced. "You're hurt, Eponine...Oh, God...it's everywhere!"
It was not good, I could tell. I bit my lip, realizing that she had been shot in the side, somehow.
Eponine had put on an ethereal, other-worldly look, the one that people who are near death wear. Her eyes were glazing over. "Don't worry, M'sieur Marius...I'll be all right. You're here, and that's all I need to know..." she murmured.
"Hush," I whispered. I looked up at Feuilly, who was kneeling and holding out his coat to me. I took it and wrapped it around Eponine.
"You're keeping me safe and close..." she went on. She was looking up at me, but I had the feeling she couldn't quite see me anyway, the way her eyes were darting about. "Dear, sweet Marius..."
"You're going to live, 'Ponine," I said firmly, hoping that she could hear me. I ignored the fact that my stomach had done a flip when I heard her loving words. My throat had started to constrict and tears were building around my eyes. It was my fault, I realized. She had returned for me. And now she was dying, shot for a cause she didn't even believe in.
Eponine shook her head. "Just hold me like you were...and let it be...don't let go."
Suddenly the crowd surrounding us parted, and there was little Gavroche.
"'Ponine?" he squeaked. "Is that you, 'Ponine?" Prouvaire took him by the shoulders and pulled him back.
Eponine grabbed my hand suddenly. I swallowed and squeezed her hand, knowing that the end was near. "Shh..." I whispered. "I'm here."
She closed her eyes, gasping for breath. /No,/ I thought as I watched her breathe her last breath. Her head lolled to the side gently, resting against the crook of my elbow as if only in peaceful slumber. /Why her? Why not me?/
I realized that I too had had my eyes closed, and someone had their arm on my shoulder. I opened my eyes and looked up. It was Enjolras.
"She...she was your friend..." he said. It was apparent he didn't know what to say otherwise.
"Eponine," I said, more bitterly than I had intended. "Her name was Eponine. So unafraid...of everything."
"Then we fight in her name." said Combeffere. I didn't look at him.
"Her death won't be for nothing." Prouvaire offered.
"We won't betray her, Marius." Lesgles added. I glanced up at him. /I already have..... /
Lesgles and Prouvaire moved towards me, patting my shoulders and then taking Eponine gently from my arms. I didn't want to let go, but I let her lifeless hand slip from my own as they carried her toward the tavern slowly.
I sat there a moment, absently and futilely scraping blood off of my hands. Enjolras patted my shoulder again and moved away, motioning for the others to do the same. I listened to them all walk away slowly. Gavroche appeared, looking down at me for a moment and then plopping down in front of me. I raised my eyes to him. The boy had a very sour look on his face, and he had a hard time meeting my eyes. I had the feeling he was trying very hard not to cry.
"She wouldn't've come here if I hadn't told her about it." He said quietly, putting his hands in his lap. I raised an eyebrow, coming very close to being amused-he thought it was all his fault.
"She would have come." I said.
Gavroche shrugged his shoulders and took off his cap. "You know what she said to me?" he asked. I shook my head. "She asked me where the barricade was gonna be at. And then I told her. And then I asked her why. And she told me that she would know where to come and get my body."
I stared long and hard at the boy, biting the inside of my lip. "She was a brave girl, Gavroche. Much braver than I."
Gavroche gave a sniff. "I wish she hadn't been so brave, then." Before I could stop him, he had run off towards the tavern.
====== A/N: I happened to like this chappie, a lot. I wrote it all within a half an hour in the library one day, I was so enthralled...lol. Let me know how you like (or dislike) the end of this...I changed it from what I previously had, it was really cruddy and I didn't know what else to write.
Pamplemousse: Nope, I never thought about the Empty Chairs thing. Empty chairs, empty head...hehe. And yep, I just updated the Ariadne fic. Would have done it about 2 days ago but my computer froze right as I was trying to do it and I never got a chance to go back. Blasphemous thing! You going to finish the Noëlle story or you gonna leave us all hanging there in breathless agony?? Hehe...
Snogging: Glad you liked it! I like the end of the last chapter, an almost- cliff hanger...'cause you pretty much know what's going to happen anyway. Indeed, what an evil fic that would be! Hehe...