Chapter 6

"Eponine… wake up."

"What's wrong?"

"Come on, you'll like this."

Eponine dragged herself from the warmth of bed, grumbling under her breath.

The pair slowly made their way up staircase after staircase. After seven flights, Eponine stopped.

"Erik," she gasped, "don't tell me there are more."

"Alright," he said with a sardonic grin. He swept her into his arms and continued up two more flights of stairs before setting her on her feet.

"It's a door," she observed sleepily.

"That it is," he agreed. "Close your eyes and follow me."

He took her hand and pushed the door open, and they stepped into the early morning light.

"Oh, my…" The sunrise took Eponine's breath away. "I've never seen anything so beautiful in my life."

"Most people haven't," Erik replied. "But I've seen something better."

"What's that?"

"You."

He leaned in and kissed her tenderly.

Eponine smiled and looked down on the streets below. Her happiness instantly faded.

"Erik, we have to go down there!"

"What's wrong?" he turned to see what she was looking at.

"The barricade is ruined!" she cried. "Please, Erik… we have to help."

He nodded. "Let's go."

The streets were deserted, but Eponine didn't care. She ran to what remained of the once-formidable barrier: mass wreckage. Wood lay scattered, the flag was torn, and bodies littered the ground.

"Oh no…" Eponine climbed the barricade and found Enjolras, spread-eagled against the wall. On the ground, Gavroche's body was curled in a ball, his fist clenched around a small ammunition pouch.

"Mon dieu," she whispered. "Not Gavroche!"

Eponine climbed slowly down from the barricade in search of Marius.

"Joly… Lesgles… Courfeyrac… Grantaire…"

"Did you find him?" Erik asked, his cloak furling in the breeze.

"No… these are all his friends from the café. But I don't see Marius anywhere. Would they have taken prisoners?"

"I doubt it."

"Then where could he have gone?"

Erik walked into the center of the street.

"Perhaps the sewer?" he suggested, standing over a large hole. The grate had been moved aside.

Eponine peered into the darkness.

"After you."

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A/N: So we're off to find Marius! Yay! And thanks for previous reviews! R&R! Love from

Phantomfreak07