A/N: Thanks for the encouraging reviews! They inspire me to write more

For the last two weeks of March, Éponine didn't so much as leave Prouvaire's apartment for fresh air. She spent most of her time curled up on the floor in the room where Prouvaire kept his plants. Prouvaire, for his part, made sure to bring her food and water at least twice a day, and he tried to get her to open up again, but it seemed Éponine was no longer willing to talk about Marius or about the baby. She would just sit there day in and day out, only getting up occasionally to relieve herself. Prouvaire couldn't help but notice the defeated look that was always on her face these days. It seemed to him that she had given up on living, even if she hadn't attempted to end her life again.

At the beginning of April, Marius stopped by the apartment to visit her. It was Prouvaire who answered the door.

"Hello, Jehan," said Marius jovially. "Is Éponine still here?"

"Yes," replied Prouvaire.

"May I see her?"

"No."

Marius blinked. He hadn't been expecting that. "Is... Is she unwell?"

"Something like that."

Marius's demeanor instantly changed and he started to panic. "Is she going to be all right? Is it very serious? Is the baby okay? You must let me see her; I'm sure I could be a comfort to her."

"No, Marius. No, you can't," replied Prouvaire tersely.

"What do you mean?" he asked slowly.

"Good God, are you really that blind? Is your head really so thick that you can't see what's always been in plain sight? You hurt her, Marius. You hurt her badly and you don't even understand what you've done wrong."

Marius stared at him, his mouth hanging open. "I... I hurt her? What did I do? I... I have to apologise! Please, Jehan, tell me what I did wrong."

Prouvaire sighed irritatedly. "If I have to explain it to you, then nothing you do will ever be able to atone for your actions. Figure it out, Marius."

"Please just let me talk to her," Marius begged desperately.

"Marius," came Éponine's voice from the doorway to the plant room. She had heard Prouvaire's slightly raised voice and, out of curiosity, had come to investigate.

"Éponine!" Marius exclaimed, hurrying to her. "Are you all right? You—"

"I suppose you're here to ask if I've found her," she said quietly.

Marius blinked. "Well, actually—"

"I don't have her address yet," she told him, staring at the floor. She was unwilling to meet his eyes. "But I know where you can find her on Sundays."

"You do?" he asked, his face lighting up. "Where?"

"Outside the Saint-Étienne-du-Mont church. She and her father give shoes and soup to the poor."

"She... She's so generous..." He had a faraway, dewy look in his eyes. Éponine happened to glance up at him and this look made her feel sick to her stomach. Marius pulled her into a gentle hug. "Oh, 'Ponine... 'Ponine, thank you! You have no idea how happy you've just made me."

Éponine made a pitiful sound, a cross between a whimper and a pained moan. Marius seized her hand.

"Are you all right, 'Ponine?"

Éponine pulled her hand away and wrapped her arms around herself. Without another word to Marius, she turned and walked back to the plant room. She closed the door behind her, leaving Marius staring after her in confusion. He turned to look at Prouvaire questioningly, but Prouvaire still had that same hard look on his face. Marius looked down. He had hurt her— that's what Prouvaire had told him, only he had no idea what he could have done. Things had gone so well at the Luxembourg Gardens until it was time to leave. Then Éponine had been withdrawn. Hadn't it started when the baby had kicked? Was it because he'd asked to feel her stomach? Had he somehow offended her by asking? Marius had no idea and it was quite clear that neither Prouvaire nor Éponine herself were keen on telling him where he'd gone wrong.

With one last look at Prouvaire, Marius headed towards the door. He paused in the doorway.

"Please tell her I'm sorry for any pain I've caused."

"You're an idiot," Prouvaire replied harshly, anger evident in his voice.

Marius turned around. "I really don't understand where I went wrong."

"Figure it out, Marius."

And Marius left, feeling worse than he ever had in his life.

With Marius gone, Prouvaire went to check on Éponine, who was once again curled up on the floor of the plant room. He knelt down next to her. When she didn't look up, he sighed softly and just sat there with her. After about 20 minutes, she shifted so that her head was in his lap. He gently stroked her hair.

"Oh, 'Ponine," he murmured. "You deserve so much better than this. You have to be the most generous and self-sacrificing person I have ever met and Marius is a fool not to take better notice of you. I'm so sorry, 'Ponine." When she gave no response, he continued: "I don't think you should help him find this girl. It's clearly hurting you to do so. I know you said you'll do anything to make him happy, but Éponine, don't you know that your happiness matters too? You shouldn't sacrifice your own happiness for his. Yours is just as important."

"His happiness is my happiness," she said quietly, "even if his lies with another girl."

"Are you sure that it does? If you help him find this girl, maybe what you've said will become true. 'Ponine, nothing is set in stone. If you tell him how you feel about him, he might realise that he feels the same way. You told me that he didn't so much as speak to this girl. Right now, yes, he's infatuated with her. He saw a pretty girl, so what? He doesn't know her. There's no emotional connection between them. But you, 'Ponine? You've known him for so long. You two are best friends and I think that if you tell him how you feel, you could become more than that. You need to give yourselves that chance. If you don't say anything, 'Ponine, then you're pushing him into her arms. You definitely will lose him then. If you tell him, then at least you'll have a chance."

"How am I supposed to tell him? I can't do this..."

"You have to do this. This is the only choice."

Éponine looked up. "The only choice... Look how well it worked out last time."

"Yes, well, at least he knows now that he messed up. I didn't tell him how, but he knows that he hurt you. Next time you try to talk to him, I can guarantee you that he'll listen."

"I... Maybe," she said.

"You'll consider it?"

Éponine merely nodded. She would say nothing more on the subject for the rest of the night.