Several days later, Marius had healed from his wounds, both physical and emotional. He even felt well enough to have lunch with Enjolras and Courfeyrac. Jehan was avoiding him, feeling mortified that he had actually hurt Marius.

After lunch was finished, Marius bid his friends a hearty farewell and left. Several minutes passed when Enjolras picked up his notebook and blanched. "This isn't my notebook." He said slowly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"And I'm the leader of a student rebellion." Marius said, cuddling up to Cosette on their bench.

"Oooh, you're so dangerous." She cooed snuggling closer to him.

"Would you like to hear an impassioned speech that I wrote?" He asked.

Cosette looked into Marius's eyes and giggled. "You're such a naughty little plagiarist." And she kissed him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

While Cosette and Marius were smooching, Enjolras had called together an emergency meeting of the Friends of the ABC.

"This has really gone far enough." Enjolras said as he primed and loaded a double-barrel carbine.

"While I'm in agreement with your stance on plagiarism," Combeferre said, "I fear you might be a bit...ah...carried away."

Bahorel leaned back in his chair. "Although I am in total agreement with Enjolras's current plan, I feel there may be a simpler solution. Why don't we just let the inevitable occur?"

"What do you mean, Bahorel?" Courfeyrac asked, debating within himself on whether or not he liked Marius well enough to warrant mustering up an attempt to relinquish Enjolras of his carbine.

Bahorel propped his feet up on the table he was sitting at. "I mean, if Marius takes the next logical step in trying to impress his Ursula,"

"Cosette." Jean Prouvaire corrected mildly.

"Whatever. If he takes the next logical step in trying to impress his Cosette, that would be-"

"Giving one of Enjolras' speeches?" Feuilly asked.

"Yup." Bahorel said with a grin. "Marius gives one of those speeches in the Luxembourg garden and--voila, Marius is prison."

Enjolras put down his carbine. "Hmmm...are you sure about this Bahorel?"

"Nope." Bahorel said. "I think it's entirely possible that Marius might need a little encouragement." He smiled. "I think that Cosette might need to persuade him a bit."

"But how is she going to do that?" Joly asked.

"Someone will have to suggest it to her." Bahorel said.

"Ok, I'll buy that, but who?" Joly queried.

There was a slight pause as everyone looked at Jehan.

Jean Prouvaire's eyes widened. "Oh, no. I already feel bad enough for...er..."

"Beating him unconscious?" Bahorel offered.

Prouvaire groaned and hid his head in his hands. "I feel horrible."

Combeferre decided to try and help matters. "Yes, but you're a good fellow and since the good must be innocent, you must be innocent. Marius, being a plagiarist, is obviously not good fellow and therefore deserves to be punished in some matter."

"Well..." Jehan was obviously not entirely convinced.

"Besides," Combeferre said, "now it just isn't verse he's stealing. Now Marius is stealing the very essence of what our group stands for. Its as if Marius is claiming to be the leader of the Friends of the ABC!" Combeferre said, his voice rising. "Would you follow Marius Pontmercy into battle?"

"Heck no!" Bahorel cried.

"I didn't ask you," Combeferre snapped, throwing a pencil at Bahorel. "Jehan, would you follow Marius into battle?"

"Well, no..."

"And if he wants to pretend to be the mastermind of our ideas?" Combeferre asked.

"Then I suppose it is logical that he be ready to face the consequences." Jehan said, somewhat dejectedly.

"Don't look so glum!" Bahorel said, patting his friend on the back. "You get to meet with the lovely Cosette again, after all."

Jean Prouvaire buried his head in his hands and whimpered.