**Disclaimer: I don't own Les Misérables or Phantom of the Opera charcters. I own Uncle Erik, Antoine, Heloise, Jacques....blah, blah, blah....
Author's Note: I'm so sick of disclaimers. Sorry for the incredibly long slump, I had major jet lag and I had to return to slavery at a local grocery store. Although, it would help if I had a few more reviews. (hint! hint!) I do appreciate the reviews I have received and I hope that you're all enjoying the fanfic!
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Pontcy still stood with his back to Eponine. He slipped off his peacock masked and turned around. Indeed, it was Marius. Eponine's thoughts went into a whirl. All this time she had fought to free her soul of his "death". She didn't know how to accept this. Marius! Alive! And right in front of her in the flesh. Could it be a miracle? Could it be the hand of God?
Her legs felt weak, as if they were about to give way under her. A sob escaped her throat and she burst into tears as her knees buckled. Marius was quick and he caught her before she could fall. Tears streamed down his face as he held her close to him and cried, "Ponine! But Ponine, I held you in my arms and felt your last shallow breath brush against my cheek. Your blood was stained into my coat! You told me not to worry, that you didn't feel anymore pain. You died, Ponine! You died! A little piece of me died with you! Does this mean I never lost it?"
Eponine's soul exploded as she cried into his shoulder. She couldn't speak, she just wanted to have him hold her against him...Him! So warm and full of life! She stepped away from him when her tears weren't so abundant and took off her mask and tossed it aside. Marius was struck by her startling beauty. Even when she was a scrawny street rat, having to survive by her cleverness, she had the hints of true beauty, but now that had acquired the posture, diction, articulation, and elegance of a lady, she was breathtaking. Her once dirty dark locks shimmered I the yellow candlelight. Her black eyes dazzled from underneath the veil of her thick dark eyelashes. Her rosy cheeks set off her flawless porcelain complexion, and her full succulent lips were painted red and seemed to beckon Marius to them. He felt a strange urge to press his fingers against those lips...to rub off her lipstick and kiss her undressed lips. He was surprised at himself. He loved Eponine, but as if she were a
little sister. But little sisters don't enflame your passion in this way, he thought.
Eponine held Marius' face between her hands, relishing the beauty of his actual face, not just a memory. His sandy locks curled about his face as he smiled brilliantly down at her. His blue eyes glimmered with love and happiness as his cheeks were still damp from his tears. Am I the cause of this happiness? she wondered. She wiped away his tears and caressed his face, needing to know he was real, that she wasn't just dreaming. The love of all loves, right here in front of me when I previously thought all was lost. "Oh, Marius," she cried. "I've said this to you before, but you didn't hear me because I thought you were in Heaven...but it was your love that saved me. Those words which you whispered in my ear as I was barely clinging to life, they made all the difference! It was because of you that I triumphed over death and...and...why I'm alive today. Marius, your love lifted me from death!" Eponine wrapped her arms about Marius and hugged him fiercely, thinking that if she
didn't hold on to him, he would disappear and she would wake up in tears in the room at the Chagny's.
Marius held her against him, thinking the same thoughts. My dearest Ponine, alive and well! Her death was the worst death I ever experienced during the battles. And there was no death at all! He squeezed her firmly one more time. "I feel like I'm shedding away a black film of grief and I'm about to burst with gaiety!" he cried as he wiped tears from his cheeks. "Eponine, let's sit down. I want to know about everything. Everything that happened to you since the barricade."
Eponine was still weeping lightly, but with happiness, as if she'd purged herself of Marius' supposed death. Yet, she was still a bit wary, as if this was a horrid trick of dreams. She followed him to a sofa and sat down next to him and leaned against him. He put an arm around her and gave her a light squeeze. "Eponine, I feel so wonderful now that you're alive. I feel that we both have experienced so much change, yet both are the same people. Tell me of everything that happened to you."
She began to tell of when she woke up. She told of her shoulder, Notre Dame, of lovingly of her "Uncle Erik". Marius sensed the emotional attachment to her adopted father and he felt that he must meet the man and to give him his thanks for taking care of Eponine. Their conversation was full of emotion and many tears were wrung from them, but the dark cloud of sorrow which still lingered over them eventually disappeared by their discovery of one another and their joyful reunion.
Marius told her about how Jean Valjean, Cosette's father, saved her. How when Cosette and he married, he took over the responsibilities of the jet that Jean Valjean had founded. Marius and Cosette have lived in Valjean's old house ever since he took over the business in Montreuil-sur-Mer. Also, because he's a profitable business owner and his factory creates the jet that creates many fashionable pieces of jewelry and decorates dresses and costumes (not to mention masquerade masks), he is often invited to many social engagements. It was at one of these society parties where he met Antoine a few months back, and they became fast friends.
Marius sighed. They had been talking about their experiences since the barricade and rehashing their shared memories for the last hour. "It must be that sense of humor that fate has," said Marius. "Ponine, we were destined to meet again to console each other's hearts on all that happened. It seems so long ago when it was only almost two years ago..." he trailed off.
"Oh Marius, don't mention it!" pleaded Eponine. "It is past...and now that I know that you're alive and well, it was never as bad as I thought. I was never as desolate as I thought."
Eponine said these words, but in her heart, although she felt happy to have found her Marius, she also felt empty...like a shell of what she had once been. Cosette and Marius. They are married and they live in Montreuil-sur-Mer. They are probably happy. I will never be. Marius is here and well, but I am dying inside! She sighed inwardly and decided to cry about it later. Right now, Marius was here and they were together, even if it's just for a couple of hours. They were together.
They sat in a silence for a few minutes until Marius said, "You never did play a song for me."
Eponine remembered the last masquerade when Marius "saved her skin." She giggled and said, "No, I didn't."
"Well, I'm sure I could find a piano somewhere in this enormous chateaux. He stood up and offered her his arm. "Mademoiselle?"
Giggling, she shot up and took it. "Where to, Monsieur?" she mocked.
"Why, I believe that the entertaining room is--"
Marius was interrupted by a familiar female voice. "Marius! There you are!"
It was Cosette. She was speaking to Marius, but she was looking directly at Eponine with an expression of anger that could melt iron.
Author's Note: I'm so sick of disclaimers. Sorry for the incredibly long slump, I had major jet lag and I had to return to slavery at a local grocery store. Although, it would help if I had a few more reviews. (hint! hint!) I do appreciate the reviews I have received and I hope that you're all enjoying the fanfic!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Pontcy still stood with his back to Eponine. He slipped off his peacock masked and turned around. Indeed, it was Marius. Eponine's thoughts went into a whirl. All this time she had fought to free her soul of his "death". She didn't know how to accept this. Marius! Alive! And right in front of her in the flesh. Could it be a miracle? Could it be the hand of God?
Her legs felt weak, as if they were about to give way under her. A sob escaped her throat and she burst into tears as her knees buckled. Marius was quick and he caught her before she could fall. Tears streamed down his face as he held her close to him and cried, "Ponine! But Ponine, I held you in my arms and felt your last shallow breath brush against my cheek. Your blood was stained into my coat! You told me not to worry, that you didn't feel anymore pain. You died, Ponine! You died! A little piece of me died with you! Does this mean I never lost it?"
Eponine's soul exploded as she cried into his shoulder. She couldn't speak, she just wanted to have him hold her against him...Him! So warm and full of life! She stepped away from him when her tears weren't so abundant and took off her mask and tossed it aside. Marius was struck by her startling beauty. Even when she was a scrawny street rat, having to survive by her cleverness, she had the hints of true beauty, but now that had acquired the posture, diction, articulation, and elegance of a lady, she was breathtaking. Her once dirty dark locks shimmered I the yellow candlelight. Her black eyes dazzled from underneath the veil of her thick dark eyelashes. Her rosy cheeks set off her flawless porcelain complexion, and her full succulent lips were painted red and seemed to beckon Marius to them. He felt a strange urge to press his fingers against those lips...to rub off her lipstick and kiss her undressed lips. He was surprised at himself. He loved Eponine, but as if she were a
little sister. But little sisters don't enflame your passion in this way, he thought.
Eponine held Marius' face between her hands, relishing the beauty of his actual face, not just a memory. His sandy locks curled about his face as he smiled brilliantly down at her. His blue eyes glimmered with love and happiness as his cheeks were still damp from his tears. Am I the cause of this happiness? she wondered. She wiped away his tears and caressed his face, needing to know he was real, that she wasn't just dreaming. The love of all loves, right here in front of me when I previously thought all was lost. "Oh, Marius," she cried. "I've said this to you before, but you didn't hear me because I thought you were in Heaven...but it was your love that saved me. Those words which you whispered in my ear as I was barely clinging to life, they made all the difference! It was because of you that I triumphed over death and...and...why I'm alive today. Marius, your love lifted me from death!" Eponine wrapped her arms about Marius and hugged him fiercely, thinking that if she
didn't hold on to him, he would disappear and she would wake up in tears in the room at the Chagny's.
Marius held her against him, thinking the same thoughts. My dearest Ponine, alive and well! Her death was the worst death I ever experienced during the battles. And there was no death at all! He squeezed her firmly one more time. "I feel like I'm shedding away a black film of grief and I'm about to burst with gaiety!" he cried as he wiped tears from his cheeks. "Eponine, let's sit down. I want to know about everything. Everything that happened to you since the barricade."
Eponine was still weeping lightly, but with happiness, as if she'd purged herself of Marius' supposed death. Yet, she was still a bit wary, as if this was a horrid trick of dreams. She followed him to a sofa and sat down next to him and leaned against him. He put an arm around her and gave her a light squeeze. "Eponine, I feel so wonderful now that you're alive. I feel that we both have experienced so much change, yet both are the same people. Tell me of everything that happened to you."
She began to tell of when she woke up. She told of her shoulder, Notre Dame, of lovingly of her "Uncle Erik". Marius sensed the emotional attachment to her adopted father and he felt that he must meet the man and to give him his thanks for taking care of Eponine. Their conversation was full of emotion and many tears were wrung from them, but the dark cloud of sorrow which still lingered over them eventually disappeared by their discovery of one another and their joyful reunion.
Marius told her about how Jean Valjean, Cosette's father, saved her. How when Cosette and he married, he took over the responsibilities of the jet that Jean Valjean had founded. Marius and Cosette have lived in Valjean's old house ever since he took over the business in Montreuil-sur-Mer. Also, because he's a profitable business owner and his factory creates the jet that creates many fashionable pieces of jewelry and decorates dresses and costumes (not to mention masquerade masks), he is often invited to many social engagements. It was at one of these society parties where he met Antoine a few months back, and they became fast friends.
Marius sighed. They had been talking about their experiences since the barricade and rehashing their shared memories for the last hour. "It must be that sense of humor that fate has," said Marius. "Ponine, we were destined to meet again to console each other's hearts on all that happened. It seems so long ago when it was only almost two years ago..." he trailed off.
"Oh Marius, don't mention it!" pleaded Eponine. "It is past...and now that I know that you're alive and well, it was never as bad as I thought. I was never as desolate as I thought."
Eponine said these words, but in her heart, although she felt happy to have found her Marius, she also felt empty...like a shell of what she had once been. Cosette and Marius. They are married and they live in Montreuil-sur-Mer. They are probably happy. I will never be. Marius is here and well, but I am dying inside! She sighed inwardly and decided to cry about it later. Right now, Marius was here and they were together, even if it's just for a couple of hours. They were together.
They sat in a silence for a few minutes until Marius said, "You never did play a song for me."
Eponine remembered the last masquerade when Marius "saved her skin." She giggled and said, "No, I didn't."
"Well, I'm sure I could find a piano somewhere in this enormous chateaux. He stood up and offered her his arm. "Mademoiselle?"
Giggling, she shot up and took it. "Where to, Monsieur?" she mocked.
"Why, I believe that the entertaining room is--"
Marius was interrupted by a familiar female voice. "Marius! There you are!"
It was Cosette. She was speaking to Marius, but she was looking directly at Eponine with an expression of anger that could melt iron.