Lovelies! As promised, since you were good readers, I'm giving you another double chapter day! =D (not sure how many of these i can keep up b/c I'm reaching the point of my story where I have written ahead yet... and school is kicking into gear... but I will try my HARDEST to keep updates reasonable... that being said, that's a couple chapters away.)

Here is Chapter 8, more surprises (good ones, I promise! also a little mirror action at the start and finish... ;) )

Before I start, just everyone say a little prayer and keep all those affected by 9/11/01 in your hearts and minds today.

Disclaimer: Nope... Warning: Some happiness up ahead! =D

Bits in italics are either a 'previously' moment (really only the first sentence) or flashback/dream

Chapter 8: Surprises

"It might be too late." And that's when Éponine fainted.

"They aint comin boy." CRACK!

"No."

"They left you, they don care, yur a waste of space." THWACK!

"Pwease stahp."

Cruel laughter, more blows. But another voice, "Baby, baby it's ok, we're all here, wake up Baby." A kinder voice, one so familiar, but his eyelids were far too heavy and soon, darkness claimed him once more.

The journey to the hospital was an eventful one to say the least, but then again, with a bunch such as Les Amis involved, who could possibly be surprised? After Éponine had fainted, Combeferre began to panic.

"Ponine! Merde!" Shaking her gently, his hand moved to her abdomen, his eyes nervously scanning for any signs of trauma or blood.

"Combeferre, what are you doing?" Marius questioned, watching his friend rub Éponine stomach gently, keeping his lips on her forehead, pleading with her to wake. "Good God Marius, it's a wonder you graduated University." Joly sighed as he moved to examine the suddenly pregnant Éponine.

Grantaire and Courfeyac were in their own states of denial at the possible ending for their little brother. Courfeyac was yelling at the paramedics who were loading Gavroche onto a stretcher, begging them to save Gav's life. Grantaire had now broken into a sobbing mess, Enjolras cradling him like a father would a young child, or, more appropriately, a lover would a lover. It was around now that Musichetta and Cosette came too and all heads-that weren't currently sobbing or unconscious- whipped around to here.

"Where is that rotten son of a bitch!? I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!"

"Chetta! You're… Cossette?"

Marius's mouth fell open when he realized the one who had just screeched was in fact his beloved. Musichetta wobbled in behind her, silently chuckling at the Lark's outburst.

Both girls entered the room and took in the quite alarming sight. Seeing Gavroche on the stretcher caused Cosette's hand to flutter to her mouth and Musichetta to swear aloud, both moving to the waiting arms of their boys. Then finding Éponine utterly still in Combeferre's arms with tears leaking from behind the latter's glasses, Cosette all but shouted,

"Oh my God! Is the baby alright?"

"Baby? What?" Marius looked utterly dumbfounded as Bahorel, Feuilly, Bousset, Jehan, and Joly face palmed.

"Forget graduating," Bahorel muttered, "How did you get in to university, Pontmercy?"

"Ferre, Ponine and the baby should be fine, she just fainted." Joly reassured his friend, who was very close to Grantaire or Courfeyac's state of being.

"Let's just get to the hospital so we can stay with Gav and have the girls checked out."

The drive was less eventful; Enjolras was practically cradling Grantaire in the back of Bahorel's truck, Jehan mirroring the actions with Courfeyac. Éponine was laid in back of Grantaire's car, head in Combeferre's lap, Joly, Musichetta and Bousset squished in as well. Feuilly ran back to the café to call Azelma and tell her what happened while Marius and Cosette went over in his car.

Once at the hospital, Joly directed Combeferre, who was carrying a still unconscious Éponine, to the desk to get help, Bahorel was behind them, waiting to ask where Gav went.

"Alright Mister Combeferre, you can put your girlfriend down, we'll do an ultrasound to see how the baby is, otherwise she's just fainted."

Combeferre nodded absentmindedly, placing Éponine gently onto the waiting stretcher before turning to the older nurse who sat behind the desk.

"Can I go with her?" His voice was fragile and reminded the old nurse of a wounded child. She smiled warmly, "You're the father then?" when the young boy nodded, she smiled again, waving him off before nodding, "Congratulations." Once the sandy haired boy and his girlfriend were sorted, a very large young man approached her desk. Placing his hands on the counter, she recoiled slightly to see his knuckles raw and bloody.

"Ma'am, I was wondering if a boy came in here earlier, name's Gavroche Thénar," the young man paused for a moment, "his name's Gavroche, he should've come in with the ambulance." The nurse looked cautiously at this young man; He towered over her, standing at a gargantuan 6'5 at least. His untidy brunette hair was unusually out of sorts, and he sported a rather faded yellowed bruise around his right eye. Yet despite this exterior, the young fighter, his assumed profession, sounded as week as the bespectacled boy moments ago.

"The little boy with the punctured lung?"

The fighter nodded his head frantically, "Is he here? Is he alright? Please tell me he's alright, cause if he's not I think three of my friends my die on the spot, hell we all would, the kid's the bloody center of our whole group and it would especially suck for Grantaire who just found out that he had a brother and it would suck for Ép and Ferre's unborn child because damn, Gav would be a fantastic uncle even though the kid's only gonna be seven years older than his niece or nephew or whatever and…"

The nurse stared flabbergasted for a moment at the young man's ramblings. She brought a hand to her mouth when she saw the tears drown his enormous brown eyes and slowly drip down his cheek.

"Son, he's in surgery, the EMT's came in just fifteen minutes before you," The nurse could have sworn she heard the man mutter, "Would've been here sooner in Enj let me break some traffic laws." Shaking her head she continued, "someone will let you know when little Gavroche Thénard…" "Grantaire."

Another young man had come to stand at the desk. This man had inky black curls that were pouring out the sides of an over worn olive green beanie. His eyes were bloodshot and his voice raspy from tears, but he repeated, "Grantaire, kid's last name is Grantaire, not Thénardier."

The nurse looked confused. She scanned her paper then turned back to the new comer. "His paper's say he's Gavroche Thénardier."

"I know what the paper's might say, but the kid's my half brother, his father my father, so his name is Gavroche Grantaire until the adoption paper's pass and he goes to live with his sister and her soon to be husband, in which case his name will be Gavroche Combeferre, but never never again will his name be Gavroche Thénardier." The boy finished with a scowl and the nurse stood back, shocked.

"Please take a seat gentlemen, someone should let you know when Gavroche Grantaire is out of surgery."

Walking back over to the waiting area, the group watched Grantaire take his seat by Enjolras. The latter was beaming from ear to ear at what his boyfriend just clarified to the attending nurse. The others were also happy that Grantaire was handling the news relatively well, especially thrilled at the fact that despite everything, Grantaire had not demanded one drop of alcohol, something he would have been four bottles into by now just one year ago.

Ignoring the soft smiles being showered on him from the Amis, Grantaire buried his face into the crook of Enjolras's neck and closed his eyes, trying to erase the worst-case scenarios that kept flashing through his mind.

Meanwhile with the future Combeferre family, something unexpected was about to come about. Éponine came too about ten minutes after arriving at the hospital.

"Ferre? What's happening, where's Gav?" She cried frantically, trying to leap from bed, but strong arms caught her.

"Ponine, slow down, you're at the hospital because you fainted when the paramedics began to lose hope."

"Is Gav?" She couldn't finish the question.

"As far as I know, he's in surgery, but we're going to get you plus one checked out before we go out to the waiting room."

Éponine nodded happily for what felt like the first time in ages. She was finally going to get to see her and Combeferre's little wonder, her pebble. The doctor came in, giving them a warm smile.

"Miss Thénardier, glad to see you're up and well! We're going to do a quick check up on your little one before I send you off to get your arm set and plastered, looks like you've got a ulna or radius break." She gestured to Éponine's left arm, which was being cradled slightly by her right arm.

Shivering slightly as the cool gel hit her stomach, she gripped Combeferre's hand tightly with her good hand as they watched the screen in anticipation. When the machine hummed to life, the doctor moved the tool across Éponine's belly slowly, glaring at the screen confusedly before lightly prodding the bump. Combeferre watched this with fear rising in his stomach.

"D-doctor," he stuttered, "Is everything all right?" At this, Éponine's face paled.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you, it's just that it seems to me that you have an extra guest staying with you Éponine."

"Excuse me?" Éponine whispered, slowly crushing the life out of Combeferre's hand.

The Doctor smiled, pointing to the screen where two blobs could clearly be made out.

"There are two of them in there?" Éponine gasped, staring down her pebble, well pebbles.

"Listen." The doctor commanded, pressing a button on the machine. Sure enough two steady heartbeats filled the little examination room. Éponine broke into a watery smile, tears flowing.

"Congratulations Éponine, Henri, you're having twins."

That was when Combeferre fainted.

See what I did there? Happy for them? I promise you'll hear about Gav in the next chapter, and maybe it'll be up sooner than you think with a little comment or review :)

So... Until next time :)