Chapter 9
Eponine remained staring at Marius. She didn't think she heard him correctly. It was a trick. Yes, a trick to get her away from the barricade by empty promises of love.
"What?"
"Eponine, I love you. I don't care if that's not how you feel about me, but I just had to let you know before...everything happens."
"If that's not how I feel? Marius, I've loved you for the longest time."
They both looked at each other, baffled at what they had just heard.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"'Ponine, I was afraid. I didn't know whether you would return my feelings or not. And we were such good friends. I couldn't bear to think of us apart."
"But Cosette?"
"That note explains that everything is over between us. I never loved her, 'Ponine, I loved you. Thank God I had this chance to talk to you."
"Marius, if you want to kiss me, I promise not to run away." Marius smiled at her. She closed her eyes as he lowered his head to hers. They no longer hesitated or were shy, but were surrounded by the complete adoration that each felt for one another. They drew back and pressed forehead to forehead. Marius stroked her cheek with his thumb.
"'Ponine, you have you get someplace safe. I love you too much to see you around here."
"Marius, do I really have to leave?"
Marius and Eponine looked down to see the irritated little boy with his arms folded across his chest.
"Yes, you five are leaving," said Enjolras coming back inside with several guns in his arms. "By the way, Marius, I saw that little display. Are you sure you aren't going to repeat history?"
"Not this time," beamed Eponine.
"What do you mean the five of us? I'm not going anywhere. You need every man."
"Well, in that case," Grantaire said picking up a gun.
"No, Grantaire. You have to take care of these three. It's very important," said Enjolras taking the firearm back. "Very important. Do you think you can handle it?"
"Who decided about this barricade? I can watch them."
"Go out the back door and through the alleyway. Courfeyrac says that his apartment is open. You know where that is?"
"I do, Enjolras," piped Gavroche.
"You'll lead them there. Grantaire will take care of Azelma, you take care of your sister."
"Right, Marius. Lets go, 'Ponine!" Grantaire, Azelma, and Gavroche were already standing in the alley.
"Marius..."
"Eponine, I'll be fine. You have to go." He kissed her before she turned and left. The four disappeared into the shadows.
"Finally," fumed Enjolras, loading his gun. "Was that so hard?"
"Not as hard as living with that family will be."
"What? What's wrong with Gavroche and 'Zelma?"
"It's not them I'm worried about," smirked Marius. "My brother-in-law is bound to be Grantaire."
Enjolras and Marius erupted with laughter, but stopped abruptly at the call of Enjolras' name. The two men ran to the lookout point and saw a man in an army uniform making his way over to them.
"Who are you?"
"Someone more than willing to help you."
"We don't need anymore spies. We already have one in our custody."
"This? No, I only wore this to get over to you. I'm not one of them."
"What cause have you to be fighting, Monsieur?" asked Marius skeptically. "Perhaps you aren't fighting for the right reasons."
"I know what my cause of fighting is as well as you do. Give me a chance to show you I'm on your side. Would one of them willingly kill their own men?"
"Perhaps to win our trust."
"Enjolras," said Joly, who was keeping watch. "This man may be able to prove his chance. The enemy is approaching."
Enjolras threw the man a gun and began yelling orders. Marius crouched down and the man took a place next to him.
"Why are you really here?" asked Marius coldly.
"I'm watching out for one of the students. He's the only reason I'm here. I need to make sure nothing happens to him."
"Why?"
"My daughter."
"Of course."
"I can't have her heart broken."
"You're a wonderful father for doing that."
"I hope the boy appreciates it as much as my daughter will."
"Sir, the night has just begun."
************************************************************************
Eponine jumped with every gunshot she heard. She paced back and forth in front of the window. She couldn't see anything for blocks, but she still strained her eyes to see. She was worried that not many would survive the night. Tears stained her face as she thought about every possible scenario.
"'Ponine." Her brother came up behind her. "I guess I never was the leader after all."
She took him over to the couch and sat him down. "How can you say that?"
"They sent me away! They wouldn't let me fight!"
"You were such an important leader that they decided that they couldn't possibly let anything happen to you. That's why they sent you away. Besides, I wouldn't have let you hold a gun for anything."
"You never let me have any fun."
"That's not true. You want some fun? I'll pretend to be Inspector Javert again."
"And I'll be Enjolras," laughed Grantaire.
"That makes me?"
"'Zelma can be...nobody," smiled Gavroche.
"Fine then, but this better be entertaining."
Eponine cleared her throat and stood on the couch while Gavroche stared up at her and Grantaire was chanting, "Free the people!"
"I have seen them, my friends! They are going to attack us as soon as we run out of food!" She was interrupted several times by coughs from Azelma and shouts of encouragement from her love.
"Liar! You have been deceiving us all too long!"
"Gavroche! What's the meaning of this?' roared "Enjolras".
"This man is from the police station! He wants to see us all dead!"
"You will never get me! Never!" Eponine ran around the couch closely followed by both Grantaire and Gavroche while Azelma sat at the table laughing. Gavroche grabbed his sister and started tickling her. Azelma pulled her brother off Eponine, only to be pulled down herself by Grantaire. All four were on the floor laughing.
Hours later, Grantaire was asleep on the floor with Azelma in his arms. Gavroche was curled up in a chair while Eponine was seated at the window. The gunfire had ceased for about an hour now, and the sun had been up for a while. Eponine wondered where everyone was and what had happened. She decided that she needed to find where Marius was. He was the one thing that she needed right now. She grabbed a jacket from the closet and left the apartment.
Azelma woke much later to the sound of a closing door. She scratched her head and rubbed her eyes to see her sister make her way over to the window.
"'Ponine, were you out?"
"Looking for Marius."
"Did you go down to the cafe?"
"Yes. I didn't get to go in, though. There were officers there."
"What did they say?"
"Everyone...is dead."
"Everyone?" asked Gavroche looking up.
"Everyone," sobbed Eponine. Azelma went over to her sister and gave her a hug. She held Eponine for a while and she cried. Gavroche struggled not to cry, but it was no use. His sister could see him wipe the tears away. Grantaire awoke and looked questioningly at Azelma. She shook her head and closed her eyes.
Eponine remained staring at Marius. She didn't think she heard him correctly. It was a trick. Yes, a trick to get her away from the barricade by empty promises of love.
"What?"
"Eponine, I love you. I don't care if that's not how you feel about me, but I just had to let you know before...everything happens."
"If that's not how I feel? Marius, I've loved you for the longest time."
They both looked at each other, baffled at what they had just heard.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"'Ponine, I was afraid. I didn't know whether you would return my feelings or not. And we were such good friends. I couldn't bear to think of us apart."
"But Cosette?"
"That note explains that everything is over between us. I never loved her, 'Ponine, I loved you. Thank God I had this chance to talk to you."
"Marius, if you want to kiss me, I promise not to run away." Marius smiled at her. She closed her eyes as he lowered his head to hers. They no longer hesitated or were shy, but were surrounded by the complete adoration that each felt for one another. They drew back and pressed forehead to forehead. Marius stroked her cheek with his thumb.
"'Ponine, you have you get someplace safe. I love you too much to see you around here."
"Marius, do I really have to leave?"
Marius and Eponine looked down to see the irritated little boy with his arms folded across his chest.
"Yes, you five are leaving," said Enjolras coming back inside with several guns in his arms. "By the way, Marius, I saw that little display. Are you sure you aren't going to repeat history?"
"Not this time," beamed Eponine.
"What do you mean the five of us? I'm not going anywhere. You need every man."
"Well, in that case," Grantaire said picking up a gun.
"No, Grantaire. You have to take care of these three. It's very important," said Enjolras taking the firearm back. "Very important. Do you think you can handle it?"
"Who decided about this barricade? I can watch them."
"Go out the back door and through the alleyway. Courfeyrac says that his apartment is open. You know where that is?"
"I do, Enjolras," piped Gavroche.
"You'll lead them there. Grantaire will take care of Azelma, you take care of your sister."
"Right, Marius. Lets go, 'Ponine!" Grantaire, Azelma, and Gavroche were already standing in the alley.
"Marius..."
"Eponine, I'll be fine. You have to go." He kissed her before she turned and left. The four disappeared into the shadows.
"Finally," fumed Enjolras, loading his gun. "Was that so hard?"
"Not as hard as living with that family will be."
"What? What's wrong with Gavroche and 'Zelma?"
"It's not them I'm worried about," smirked Marius. "My brother-in-law is bound to be Grantaire."
Enjolras and Marius erupted with laughter, but stopped abruptly at the call of Enjolras' name. The two men ran to the lookout point and saw a man in an army uniform making his way over to them.
"Who are you?"
"Someone more than willing to help you."
"We don't need anymore spies. We already have one in our custody."
"This? No, I only wore this to get over to you. I'm not one of them."
"What cause have you to be fighting, Monsieur?" asked Marius skeptically. "Perhaps you aren't fighting for the right reasons."
"I know what my cause of fighting is as well as you do. Give me a chance to show you I'm on your side. Would one of them willingly kill their own men?"
"Perhaps to win our trust."
"Enjolras," said Joly, who was keeping watch. "This man may be able to prove his chance. The enemy is approaching."
Enjolras threw the man a gun and began yelling orders. Marius crouched down and the man took a place next to him.
"Why are you really here?" asked Marius coldly.
"I'm watching out for one of the students. He's the only reason I'm here. I need to make sure nothing happens to him."
"Why?"
"My daughter."
"Of course."
"I can't have her heart broken."
"You're a wonderful father for doing that."
"I hope the boy appreciates it as much as my daughter will."
"Sir, the night has just begun."
************************************************************************
Eponine jumped with every gunshot she heard. She paced back and forth in front of the window. She couldn't see anything for blocks, but she still strained her eyes to see. She was worried that not many would survive the night. Tears stained her face as she thought about every possible scenario.
"'Ponine." Her brother came up behind her. "I guess I never was the leader after all."
She took him over to the couch and sat him down. "How can you say that?"
"They sent me away! They wouldn't let me fight!"
"You were such an important leader that they decided that they couldn't possibly let anything happen to you. That's why they sent you away. Besides, I wouldn't have let you hold a gun for anything."
"You never let me have any fun."
"That's not true. You want some fun? I'll pretend to be Inspector Javert again."
"And I'll be Enjolras," laughed Grantaire.
"That makes me?"
"'Zelma can be...nobody," smiled Gavroche.
"Fine then, but this better be entertaining."
Eponine cleared her throat and stood on the couch while Gavroche stared up at her and Grantaire was chanting, "Free the people!"
"I have seen them, my friends! They are going to attack us as soon as we run out of food!" She was interrupted several times by coughs from Azelma and shouts of encouragement from her love.
"Liar! You have been deceiving us all too long!"
"Gavroche! What's the meaning of this?' roared "Enjolras".
"This man is from the police station! He wants to see us all dead!"
"You will never get me! Never!" Eponine ran around the couch closely followed by both Grantaire and Gavroche while Azelma sat at the table laughing. Gavroche grabbed his sister and started tickling her. Azelma pulled her brother off Eponine, only to be pulled down herself by Grantaire. All four were on the floor laughing.
Hours later, Grantaire was asleep on the floor with Azelma in his arms. Gavroche was curled up in a chair while Eponine was seated at the window. The gunfire had ceased for about an hour now, and the sun had been up for a while. Eponine wondered where everyone was and what had happened. She decided that she needed to find where Marius was. He was the one thing that she needed right now. She grabbed a jacket from the closet and left the apartment.
Azelma woke much later to the sound of a closing door. She scratched her head and rubbed her eyes to see her sister make her way over to the window.
"'Ponine, were you out?"
"Looking for Marius."
"Did you go down to the cafe?"
"Yes. I didn't get to go in, though. There were officers there."
"What did they say?"
"Everyone...is dead."
"Everyone?" asked Gavroche looking up.
"Everyone," sobbed Eponine. Azelma went over to her sister and gave her a hug. She held Eponine for a while and she cried. Gavroche struggled not to cry, but it was no use. His sister could see him wipe the tears away. Grantaire awoke and looked questioningly at Azelma. She shook her head and closed her eyes.