Nina soon moved from the hospital bed to crutches, which were put aside when the cast was removed from her leg a few months later.

The day finally came that she was well enough to return to the show. Everyone was thrilled to see her – even her understudy. She was smothered in hugs before she made it to the dressing room.

As Amanda was helping her tighten the corset strings of her Lovely Lady costume, Nina suddenly laughed aloud.

"Hush," Amanda scolded. "You'll ruin Diana's solo!"

"Amanda, listen to this! I was a pathetic Eponine until I finally got the role, but now that I get to be Ponine I don't really identify as well, because I'm a Cosette! I'm a Cosette playing Eponine!"

"A Cosette? Oh, you mean because of Mark. He's so sweet, Nina! Don't you let him go."

"The thought never crossed my mind."

Both of their corsets sufficiently tightened, Nina and Amanda waited in the wings for the next number. Mark joined them, slipping an arm around Nina's waist. As the applause for "I Dreamed A Dream" died down, he kissed the top of her head, "Good luck," he whispered.

She found his other hand and squeezed it before joining the rest of the girls onstage. Mark smiled after her.

Scott, standing further back in the shadows, was not smiling. He sighed as Mark was turning away from the stage.

"You okay?"

Scott looked away, nodding.

Mark continued to his dressing room.

Amazingly, Scott did quite well during his first scene with Nina as Eponine. He nearly tripped when she grabbed his hand at the end of "Do You Hear the People Sing?" but recovered quickly. The first act ended without further mishap.

Scott joined Mark at the barricades and gave Nina the letter to be delivered to Cosette. At the Rue Plumet, John took the letter, read it, and left the stage. Nina shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her overcoat and began to sing.

"And now I'm all alone again, nowhere to turn, no one to go to..."

Scott mouthed the words as Nina sang them. He stood in the wings by the runaway cart, wishing that she was really singing this song for him.

As he leaned against the cart, Scott remembered how Nina had always stayed here when Danielle was doing "On My Own." He remembered that time, the first day that Nina and Mark had started to notice each other, when he had seen her standing here... and he had ignored her. Scott couldn't imagine himself doing something like that now.

"Scott," whispered Mark's voice from the darkness, "you might wanna go on to the other side of the stage."

Sighing again, Scott nodded and left.

Mark raised an eyebrow. Had Scott always been like this? Sighing, moping... he didn't seem to be focusing on the show. Nina's song ended, the barricades moved onstage, and Mark's thoughts turned back to his revolution.

The show continued without incident until "A Little Fall of Rain," of course.

"There's a boy climbing the barricade!" Ryan shouted.

The trouble started the second Scott opened his mouth. "Good God, what were you thinking? Ponine, have you no fear? Have you seen my... Why had you come out there?"

Nina skillfully ignored his confusion. "Took the letter like you said..."

Scott nearly dropped her when, a moment later, she collapsed into his arms. The two sank to the ground. Nina suddenly remembered the way it had felt that evening to lie in Mark's arms, covered in her own blood, certain that she was going to die. Her ribs throbbed at the memory, and she gasped in pain. The smell of burnt rubber filled her mind, and Nina remembered Mark's arms around her and his heartbeat in her ears as she lay her head against his shirt...

When the other revolutionaries returned, Nina caught a glimpse of Mark standing at the front of the crowd, a tear rolling down his cheek. She tensed up for a moment, gasping.

"Will make the flowers..."

Nina smiled weakly at Scott and collapsed.

"Grow..." Scott finished hoarsely.

Kiss her. Marius kissed Eponine after her death. Isn't it strange, Scott thought, that I'm the real Eponine and she's the real Marius? An image of Mark in Cosette's dress brought a vague smile to his lips. He hid it by pressing them against Nina's forehead.

The kiss.

The first time he had ever kissed Nina, and an image of Mark in a dress had ruined it.

A/N- Yay I updated! I'm actually working on the threquel, and it isn't too bad thus far. -is happy- Marky Mark Mark! I love Mark.

nebulia- I'll let you have Ryan... Yeah, drugs are bad. And so is drinking. That's what my story is - anti-drugs/drinking protesting type thing... did that make sense? Nah.

Danica Enjolras- I'm feelin' for 'im. Poor kid. Yeah... let us see what he does... or if they're important to the story...

La Epster- Stuart? Yeah, take him. I'd forgotten all about him. Sure, I'll give you Stuart at the end of the trilogy.

Elyse3- Yes, John shall be yourn. Hehe... Danielle's on the road to insanity. I think her problem is she still loves Scott... thought they'd be together... mushy.

La Pamplemousse- I pity you w/o your Squishy. All I have are yearbook pictures of mine Squishy.

Mlle. Verity le Virago- I don't think he is thinkin' bout it. He's too... chaste? Sure, he's that. I think... -wanders off in search of a dictionary-

The Greenwitch, Fae- Sick... yeah, it's that. I thank you. I identify with her too. Do you remember Nina's mom, Sara? How she got interested in the stage in middle school and by then it was too late to actually hope for a stage career? Well, that's me.

Lola Pennington- Thank you muchly! I can't just write straight seriousness, I'm too goofy. "Must... add... insanity..." "Bad! Bad me! Be sane, sane I say!" "Seine?" ... That was me battling with myself a la Gollum.

Obsetress- I think I've got everyone worried with the blue pill... Muahahaha... I meant to update sooner, but I went camping INSTEAD of going to the Terrence Mann concert... -big sigh-

Forseti- Ah! You got it right on! Bad things, yes. Danielle... she makes a tiny reappearance in this story, but she's crucial to the next one. Worried? Good... you'll be prepared. Maybe.

RoseMisre- Camp? Way fun! Last time I went to camp I brought all my LM shirts (I had four) and people started calling me "Whiny flag girl" because I always had the LM logo on me somewhere.