A/N: Thank you for all the lovely reviews! They really do inspire me to keep writing, and now I've got an idea in mind for a sequel. I've now planned out how this fic will end and I think (I hope) you'll all be intrigued, even if it doesn't necessarily go how you think it might.

Éponine spent much of April trying to summon the courage to talk to Marius again. It did not help that she was so frequently emotional and couldn't turn off her emotions like she normally could. She knew that this had to be because of the baby, but that didn't make her feel any less ashamed about being a blubbering mess. Despite Jehan's reassurances that it was perfectly all right to cry, Éponine had determined long ago that crying made her weak and that she should never do it in front of people. That was, however, much easier said than done in her current state.

Her stomach had started to get rather big. It hadn't begun to hinder her yet, but she knew it would start to cause mobility issues soon enough. As such, she knew she had no choice but to stay with Jehan for the time being. She found that she didn't mind it so much; what Jehan was doing for her didn't feel like charity. It was more like friendship; he was helping her because he cared. Marius had often tried to do the same thing, but it hadn't felt right to accept help from someone who already had so little. Jehan had the means to help her without causing detriment to himself. His parents were rather wealthy and frequently sent money to their son. Most of this money typically ended up being distributed to the poor. Jehan would keep what he needed and give the rest to the less fortunate.

During the month of April, Éponine would attempt, usually twice a week, to go and talk to Marius. She would make the trek to the apartment he currently shared with Courfeyrac with every intention of finally telling him how she felt, only to turn back the moment the building came into view. She felt pathetic. If she couldn't muster up the courage to tell him how she felt, perhaps she didn't deserve to be happy. She knew she was her own biggest obstacle to her happiness. Perhaps it was because she didn't truly believe herself capable of happiness. She had lived in misery for so long that happiness seemed a distant and wholly unattainable dream. This reflected in her dreams, wherein she would be chasing a glowing orb that floated at the end of a long, perfectly dark passage. It would be the only light visible, a last vestige of hope. She would run after it, but it remained stubbornly out of reach. The faster she ran, the further the glowing orb would be. She would never reach it, and she would wake up full of despair and longing. She knew what the orb represented, and she knew that each day she didn't tell Marius how she felt, he could only drift further and further from her. Soon, he would be so far from her that she could never again reach him.

Much of April was spent thusly, with Éponine making attempt after attempt to talk to Marius, only to get in her own way time and time again. By the beginning of May, Éponine knew that she needed to just do it. She needed to talk to him before it was too late, and not only because it was starting to become harder to walk all the way to his apartment. So, once again, she forced herself to walk there and when she reached the apartment this time, she did not turn back. She entered the building and walked up the stairs to the floor Marius and Courfeyrac lived on. She took a deep breath and knocked. After a minute or so, Courfeyrac answered the door.

"Oh, hello, Éponine!" he greeted her merrily. "What brings you to my humble abode?"

"Hi, Courfeyrac," Éponine said faintly. She felt so nervous that she was dizzy. "Is Marius here?" she asked.

"I'm afraid not," replied Courfeyrac. "But he probably won't be out much longer; it's getting late. If you want to wait around, I'm sure he'll be home within the hour."

Éponine merely nodded and Courfeyrac stepped aside to let her in. She entered the apartment and moved to sit on the sofa. She closed her eyes for a long moment and tried to calm her nerves.

"Is there anything I can get you?" asked Courfeyrac. Éponine shook her head, not trusting her voice. Courfeyrac frowned and observed her for a moment. "Are you all right, Éponine?" When she didn't answer, he moved to sit in the chair beside the sofa. "If there's anything wrong, I'd be happy to do my best to help you."

"No one can help me with this," she said quietly. "This is something I need to do myself."

"Well, what do you need to do?"

Éponine shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it. If I do, I'll end up convincing myself not to do it. I... I just ask that when Marius arrives, I would really appreciate it if I could talk to him alone. I'm sorry, I know it's an imposition..."

"Nah, don't worry about it," replied Courfeyrac. "I'll head to my room when he gets here and you two'll have your privacy. I don't mind in the slightest," he assured her. "And whatever you've got to talk about, now'll be a good time to do it. He's been going out nearly every night lately, and when he returns he's always in a fantastic mood."

"Where does he go?"

"I don't know. He won't tell me."

"He—"

And just then, the door open and in walked Marius with a rather large, goofy smile on his face. "Oh, hello, 'Ponine!" he said. "This is a nice surprise. What brings you here?" he asked as he walked over to sit next to her on the sofa.

"I'll leave you to it," said Courfeyrac with a wink. He stood and retreated to his room. Marius stared after him, confused.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"Marius, I need to talk to you," said Éponine quickly.

"And I need to tell you something as well," said Marius, his smile returning. "'Ponine, you've made me a very happy man."

Éponine didn't even hear this last part; her heart was pounding too loudly in her ears. It was now or never. She just needed to tell him and deal with whatever consequences there might be. Marius, on the other hand, not noticing her inner turmoil, continued to smile and, at the same time, both of them spoke:

"Marius, I love you," Éponine told him.

"Cosette and I are in love," said Marius at the same time. Then both of them froze.

"You... love me?" asked Marius at the same time as Éponine asked:

"You love her?"

Éponine felt her last bit of hope shatter into a million pieces. She felt like she might vomit or pass out or simply cease to be. Her chest fell so heavy she was surprised she could breathe at all. As quickly as she could, she got to her feet.

"I have to go," she scarcely more than whispered and hurried for the door. Marius gently grabbed her arm.

"'Ponine, you... you love me?"

"Don't touch me!" she hissed, jerking her arm away.

"'Ponine, please..."

"Yes!" she snapped. "I love you. I have always fucking loved you and you've been too blind to see it this entire time. I tried to tell you at the Luxembourg Gardens. I did tell you at the Luxembourg Gardens, but you were too busy staring at your precious Cosette to pay attention to what I was saying. God, Marius... I've been trying to tell you all month. I should have kept my mouth shut. And you... You don't even know what you do... what you've done to me."

"'Ponine, I—"

"Save it, Marius. I don't want to hear anything you have to say right now. I guess... I guess that's where you've been going every night. Fucking Cosette... Of course she would come back to spite me. Of course she would come back to take the only thing I have left in this godforsaken world." Tears pricked at her eyes and she tried furiously to blink them away, but to no avail.

"'Ponine, do you... know Cosette?"

"Know her?" asked Éponine with a high-pitched, unnerving laugh. "I knew her before. Before her life took off and mine was ruined. Of course you would fall in love with her, of all people. It just had to be her..." Rivulets of tears ran freely down her cheeks now. Marius reached towards her, shocked at the sight of them, but Éponine pulled away from him. "Don't touch me! Don't... Don't you dare touch me..." A sob escaped her lips.

"I... I'm sorry, 'Ponine. I truly am, but... but tonight she and I vowed to each other to—"

"Just stop!" Éponine cried out. "I don't want to hear about it. I... I just... I have to go." And she left without another word.

That night in her dreams, the glowing orb would be extinguished and darkness would reign.