Hello lovelies... I know... APs... I graduate soon... And I'm not entirely pleased with this chapter... I hope you will be though :) Maybe? I promise that during the summer my chapters will come up sooner and sadly Amber is wrapping up... :'( but not to worry! I've got a sequel in mind (mainly focusing on the children of the Amis!) And I PROMISE that Barricade 2-3 shot will be up soon!

So I hope you all enjoy! Don't forget to leave a comment/review! Even follow/fav!

Warning: it's a little fluffy and some character's actions might be a little quick to forgive... sorry :'(

Disclaimer: Yea... no

Chapter 32: Support

"I love you."

He smiled against her lips.

"I love you too."

The drive home was in comfortable silence… well comfortable for a majority of the passengers. As Combeferre navigated the evening highways and Azelma joined her niece and nephew in slumber, Éponine once again found herself lost in her thoughts.

How would Grantaire react? The man who murdered his father so close to him again and not separated by a court gate? Or Gav? The man of his nightmares coming to life once more in front of him. She shuddered to think of how Courfeyac would respond. She decided early into the drive that she'd need to bring Courf back with her when she broke the news because he was just as much involved as any of the others. Well, his strong fraternal/paternal bond over Gavroche did up his reaction level and frankly, slightly terrified her.

She loved Courfeyac to death and knew the young man (really since she met him in grade school.) would never harm a fly and certainly would never hurt her, but when something upset him, he often didn't realize who he was directing his vicious words to. She remembered smiling when he threatened her father so fiercely the man had actually soiled himself, but now that she was in a position of hurting Gav, Taire, all of them, she was nearly ready to soil herself with the very thought of an angry Courf.

She tried to shrug it off, Courf would never react that way towards her and if he did, there'd be hell to pay. And she wouldn't dream of letting Combeferre take a swing at the centre. Oh no, Éponine decided love or not, if any of the boys crossed her, they knew what she could do.

But she was over-reacting. Courf wasn't going to blow up at her, Gav wouldn't cower from her after realizing she was bringing the bad man back, and Grantaire wouldn't scowl and mope in her direction because of her actions. No, she tried to tell herself, Combeferre wouldn't lie. They won't be mad at her decision and actions, they knew it was what she needed to do.

But even with these words of reassurance buzzing around in her head, when Combeferre flicked his blinker up to take the exit for town they began to fade. By the time they had arrived on Rue de la Chanvrie and the lights of the Musain flooded the otherwise empty street the words were nearly gone and fear had once again wound its way into her gut and twisted delicate and sharp knots that tightened ever so slightly every moment she got closer to having to confront her boys.
Once Combeferre had pulled into the parking spot he nodded to Azelma who took the message and maneuvered her way around Sarah's car seat and out the car. The couple watched the young woman waltz into the café's warm light, throw herself into Feuilly's arms so forcefully they were both knocked back into Bahorel's waiting embrace before telling the boys the little family would just be a few moments.

Éponine let out a heavy sigh and looked down at her hands, well, her line of sight almost made it there, but Combeferre's warm hand taking on of hers deterred her descent.
"You don't have to do this alone if you don't want to. I can tell them or we can do it together." He spoke softly, bringing her hands to his lips and ghosting them gently over her knuckles. She smiled and leaned into the gesture.
"I know, but I owe it to them to tell them alone. I can do this Ferre."

He studied her face, set with determination before sighing himself.
"Do you want to take a baby with you? I know they're going to be completely fine with your decision, but you know Courf, he enjoys the dramatics. A baby in the room might subdue that."

Éponine laughed, but shook her head.
"Thanks for the offer, but I think I can handle myself in there without an adorable shield."

As if on cue, both 'adorable shields' let out an impatient shriek as if sensing the scary moving thing was no longer rolling and their parents were stalling for some reason.
"C'mon," She nodded, cracking open her door. "Well get them inside and I settle you and," she paused, giving the next statement some serious thought. " Jehan with their bottles."

Combeferre nodded and cracked his door as well. When both twins were out of their car seats, silencing their cries slightly, the young family moved to the café doors. When the small bells faintly alerted their entrance, the hushed din of conversation halted and all eyes trained to the four standing in the doorway.
Enjolras, being the most observant, noticed that despite the couple's calm disposition, Éponine's eyes were slightly swollen, from what might be tears. And her calm nature seemed forced; her posture was curved with worry that set Enjolras at unease. Jehan, claiming to be most connected with the aura world, also gained Enjolras's unease for he could sense the aura of fear that radiated out from the young mother.

"Hello you four." Grantaire smiled from his spot on the couch, not ignorant to the uneasiness in the room, but not willing to let it change his demeanor.
"Drive was ok?" He continued, waiting for someone else to add on.
"Not bad, no real traffic at 7am and 6pm around the prison." Combeferre spoke, nudging Éponine to speak up.
"Well, how'd it go?" Bousset brought forth the elephant in the room.
The lovers exchanged looks, using their silent language as the others waited with baited breath.
"Well, as Combeferre said earlier, I need to talk to some individuals before I let you all know, but overall," She let a small smile grace her features. "I think it went well."
"That's good." Joly tried weakly, but the tension in the room was far from broken. The eerie forewarning Combeferre gave over the phone and now Éponine's in the present sunk the café's usual easygoing vibe further into an oblivion of worry.
"Who do you need?" Enjolras asked, wishing to get to the point of these circling conversations.
Éponine took a breath. "Taire, Gav, and Courf, could I talk to you guys for a second?"
They all rose, the adults worried, Gav blissfully unaware led the them to the back. Éponine walked slowly, handing Sarah to Jehan before joining the three in the back.
Once she was gone, all eyes found Combeferre.
"Just let her explain, I wasn't in the room till the last half hour." He sighed, moving towards the couch and collapsing with a snoozing Ben on his chest. The others respected his space and attempted to reclaim the evening's earlier atmosphere, but every eye found it's way by to the back door, the night's feeling gone.

Grantaire and Courfeyac exchanged curious glances as Éponine paced nervously for a few moments. Gavroche watched his sister before getting slightly impatient.
"Ponine," He whined. "My coco's gonna get cold. Ow!" The little boy yelped, rubbing his head and scowling at his older brother who had just swatted him over the head.
"Give her a second Gav, it's been a long day."
"No, he's right, I've just got to get it out." She took a deep breath.
"You forgave him?" Courfeyac whispered, fearing he knew the answer, but willing his disbelief and slight anger to stay down, he tried to make eye contact with her. But she found a new discovered interest in the floor tiling.
"Ép, love," Grantaire moved forward to take her hands in his. "We won't hate you no matter what you did today. We'll love you always." He pressed a sweet kiss to her brow. Courfeyac joined Grantaire.
"No matter what Pon, you're stuck with us." She smiled weakly.
"Remember you said this." She whispered. They once again exchanged nervous glances. "I didn't forgive him. I don't know if I'll ever be able to, but the man I saw in the hospital was not the man who took Gav." A single tear escaped her coffee eyes. "He was closer to the father he once was, the man who once loved me. And I was so caught up in his story and his journey to become the man he was and I felt that my Papa was finally back and I couldn't help it, I just want my Papa back." She let out a chocked sobbed and let her head fall into her hands. The boys looked on sadly, knowing they were all blessed to have a loving father for most of their lives.
"I wasn't thinking, I just wanted the fairytale." She whispered.
"What fairytale Ponine?" Gav questioned, now thoroughly confused.
She took a deep breath and met Grantaire's eyes.
"I asked him to walk me down the aisle." She breathed, sinking the room in surprised silence.

Courfeyac suppressed the urge to laugh. That was what she was so nervous about? Then a bubble of shame burned in the pit of his stomach. He did overreact to things at times. And her father was the one who nearly killed Gav and abused both of his daughters and brought his eldest to the brink of death. And seeing this much fear and hesitation in Ponine's face at telling them this little fact that really didn't affect them. Yes they'd be forced to be near him and Courfeyac was sure he'd beat the man if he ever saw him again, but it wasn't his day. It was Éponine's, and if she wanted to reclaim something from the storybook wedding, she's gone through enough hell to deserve every piece of gold that came her way.
"I'm so sorry." She sobbed, yanking Courfeyac out of his revere. He was going to respond, but Grantaire beat him to it.
"Pon," He whispered, once again pressing his chapped lips to her brow. "There's nothing to be sorry for. If you're confident that you're father's made a change for the better than we're confident in it. You have every right to have your father walk you down the aisle. There's no need to apologize for your own piece of happiness."
The broken young woman looked up to meet her best friend's eyes.
"But,"
Courfeyac joined now.
"Ponine, it's your wedding day."
"Ponine?" Gav finally spoke up, his voice quivering slightly in the darkness.
"Yes baby?" She responded, pulling the little boy into her lap.
"The bad man's coming back?" He whispered.
"I'm so sorry Gav," She breathed. "He doesn't have to, he won't hurt you anymore."
"But," Gav questioned. "I thought he was dead. I thought your papa killed the bad man." The three adults exchanged curious looks before Courfeyac and Grantaire burst into laughter and Éponine broke into a small smile.
"What? Whas so funny?" Gav demanded, slightly annoyed he didn't understand the joke.
"Gav, the bad man is never coming back baby. My papa's the one coming back."
"The one who took me away?" The boy whispered, curling deeper into Éponine's side.
"Yes baby, I'm sorry." She matched his tone and pressed her lips to his mop of blonde hair.
"Is he better? Cause Taire says some people can change. Did your Papa change? He's not gonna hurt anybody right?"
Éponine let out a soft laugh.
"I hope so baby. I really hope so."
They sat in silence for a bit as Éponine rocked her little brother, humming softly.
"He won't try anything Pon," Courfeyac spoke finally, breaking the calm silence. "If what you said is true and everything he told you wasn't some kind of ruse, he won't try anything. In fact, you probably made his entire life asking him to walk you down the aisle. That makes you the stronger person Ép. I know you were scared of everything that's happened, but may I just say Éponine Thénardier, you are the bravest woman I've ever met."
Éponine looked up to meet Courfeyac's childish coffee eyes, smiling and blushing slightly.
"Courf, I couldn't of said it better myself." Grantaire smiled, pulling his best friends into his open arms, laughing.
Grantaire knew he'd be stuck to Enjolras like glue on that day, fearful of the row he could cause, but that day was far in the future and if it made Ponine happy, he was happy. Lord knew she'd been through so much shit in her life. He wasn't sure how the others would react, he was sure there'd be protests and grumblings, but if he, Courfeyac, and Gav stood behind her (though he wasn't completely convinced Gav knew exactly what was happening.), no one would question.
This was their girl, and if Combeferre was for it and she was happy, then that was good enough for him.
He knew they'd be surprised that he was alright with his father's murderer being so close to him once again, but he'd defend her decision to the grave. What were practical big brothers for if they couldn't stick up for their baby sister's decisions?
Grantaire let out a contented sigh, pulling this little section of his family closer, he had a feeling something's were finally turning out right.

I'm really sorry about the weird format... it's not letting me publish it the way i wrote it, so this chapter might be updated a second time... just a warning...

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next time... the rest of the boys' reactions..

Love you always lovelies for all your support :)

until next time!