(AN – I'm sorry this chapter took so long, I couldn't do it by half measures. Let me know what you think. Feel free to hate me because I honestly I hate myself for what I'm about to do. Forgiveness please…)

Chapter Five – Au Revoir

Montfermeil 1822

Enjolras was learning to hate anything that went outside his control he knew that many things were. Yet the older he got the harder he found this to accept.

Like the subtle change in dynamics between him and his best friend. He knew he was older now, twelve years old. Many were still children at that age but he already felt practically a man who was carrying too much of the world on his shoulders. The only place he had been able to come and feel young and carefree had been Montfermeil with Eponine but that was changing.

He could see her approaching him now, not running carefree the way she used to but walking towards him slowly. Her progress burdened by the small boy she was carrying on her hip. Not that she would have said she was burdened by the boy, she delighted in him. Smiling and laughing at everything he did, pressing kisses to the top of the little boys head.

Enjolras didn't mind her bringing him along. He understood more than anyone why she wanted to protect the small boy from the rejection of his parents. Rejection which he found hard to swallow, they had always been wonderful when Eponine described them before, still were to Eponine and Azelma, it was just the baby Gavroche that they didn't like.

"Mama just leaves him and it breaks my heart to hear him cry." That was what she had said the first Saturday of July when they had meet up again.

She was smiling now as she saw him waiting for her.

"Look Gavroche its Enjolras, wave at him" she beamed proudly at her friend as the little boy wriggled his chubby hand as she had asked. She had lost some of her puppy fat in the past year and she was developing deep dimples whenever she smiled. She had also grown taller. Perhaps it all contributed to the fact that she was no longer a small girl like before.

"Tell Enjolras your new word" she cooed at the boy "say fleur"

"Fleur" The boy repeated beaming proudly at his sister.

Enjolras reached out and took Gavroche from her, her burden removed she returned to the normal posture of a girl, not the posture of a young mother with her hip jutting out to support the extra weight she carried. In fact he was certain that it was the more maternal role that she had taken on which had begun the shift, he supposed it was kind of like how an older brother would feel, perhaps. All he knew for sure was that he felt like he wanted to be at Eponine's side ready to fight any fight for her and not allow anyone to make her sad.

"You do look very serious today, Serious Boy" she smirked as she used his dreaded nick name.

"I was just thinking" he shifted Gavroche in his arms.

"What about?" she tilted her head at him "Was it about something you learned from your tutors?"

He grasped the olive branch she had unintentionally held out to him "Yes, I was thinking about something Monsieur Boulanger taught me, although he says I must not tell Pére"

Her eyes widened "What, what did he tell you about?"

"The French revolution" he whispered almost as if his Pére was going to be hiding behind one of the nearby trees.

"When they chopped off Marie Antoinette's head? I don't think they should have done that"

"It was for the good of Patria" he said puffing up his chest.

"Who is Patria?" she looked confused, possibly a little hurt at the thought of him having another friend.

"Patria is France Eponine, she is this country. Monsieur Boulanger is a republican. That means he thinks that a country should be run by someone who is elected by the people not someone who is just born in charge" he added the last bit because he had seen her confusion.

"I don't see how it matters who runs the country" she shrugged.

"Of course it matters" he was offended that she had shrugged off the new things he was learning. Things that inspired him and filled him with hopes of a better world the kind Mére would have wanted. It was childish, but he felt cross with her for being so silly about something which Monsieur Boulanger had told him was so important.

"You only want there to be a king so you can marry a prince because you are a silly girl who isn't capable of seeing the more important things." His words hit their mark he saw her wince slightly but she lifted her chin defiantly at him.

"I don't care who runs the country because it's a silly thing to worry about. It's not like anyone would listen to what I had to say on the matter anyway. And for your information I'm not going to marry a prince anymore I'm going to marry Montparnasse."

"I thought you were going to marry me if you couldn't marry a prince" he said kicking a stone on the ground and staring at it as if it was the most important thing in the world. Her other friends name had been coming up more and more often in the past few weeks and it was making him a bit jealous.

"You're not going to get married though are you?" she explained.

They were both quiet for moment.

"Fleur" Gavroche chose this moment to proudly shout his new word causing them both to laugh.

"Let's go and throw stones in the Well" she chuckled. As they walked she obviously couldn't resist the opportunity to tease him further.

"Admit it. You're a little bit jealous that I'm going to marry Montparnasse."

"No I'm not" Enjolras bit back "but you've only meet him three times."

"Well he only comes when his uncle has business to conduct with Papa. He is very handsome though"

Enjolras tried hard not to look envious but he obviously failed because she was laughing at him.

"Enjolras don't be jealous. He will never be my blood brother that will only ever be you. Look" she held up her thumb for him to inspect the white scar left on her skin. He lifted the corner of his mouth in a lopsided smile, feeling slightly better.

"We are going to be best friends forever Enjolras, nothing is going to change that."

~X~

Montfermeil 1824

Eponine hadn't seen the change in her life coming. She had relied on her life always being perfect and things always being as she planned. When she thought of all the times she had comforted her best friend as his life slowly dissolved after the death of his mother she wondered she had not realised sooner what a fickle friend time could be.

It had all been going wrong since Christmas when the man came to take Cosette away. Eponine hadn't really known much about it at the time. The only part of his influence she saw with her own eyes was the beautiful doll he brought Cosette after she had been playing with one of Azelma's old ones.

Then the next day when she and Azelma returned from playing outside, Cosette was gone, forever. Papa had been in a foul mood muttering something under his breath regarding how he should have taken his gun.

Things seemed to have been going steadily downhill since that day. Papa had started drinking earlier in the day and consuming larger quantities of alcohol. He no longer cared to speak to Azelma or herself. Mama seemed more irritable to and had no time for her girls like she had before. Eponine couldn't ignore the feeling that something was going terribly wrong but no one was telling her what it was.

Montparnasse and his uncle and their friends were visiting more often discussing business propositions with Papa in hushed tones. Montparnasse didn't stay outside to play with her like he used to. He had proudly told her the first time they visited that now he was thirteen he was involved in the meetings. Once she had sneaked to the door and found them discussing her.

"She's a kid Thenardier and the other one is even younger. Children, don't be sick, even the Patron-Minette have some standards" A man was saying to her father.

"She's a child now but in five years, six years' time she won't be any longer. Think of it as an investment. You know I have nothing else to offer, the Bastard really put the pressure on us once he found us again. He has had our creditors call in every sous, there is no money left."

She was too young to understand the first part of the conversation but she was not naive enough to ignore the importance of the second. If all their money was gone how would they keep their Inn? How would they buy food?

Eponine pushed the frightful thoughts aside. It was her favourite day of the year, the first Saturday of July and Enjolras would be here. She was more excited than she ever had been before to see him. All the times before when he had needed her, when his mother died and she had been there to comfort him now the tables were turned and she was the frightened one in need of comfort.

"Where do you think your off to little mademoiselle" came the voice of her father, he sounded sinister, as he often did in the past few months but Eponine knew it was just his temper getting the better of him, she was not truly afraid, her Papa would never hurt her.

"I was going to go outside and…"

"You're not going anywhere!" her father barked, she was used to him shouting now but this was not quite like times before and it made her jump back slightly.

"But Papa…"

"You have chores to do, we don't have Cosette here anymore it's your responsibility to pick up the slack."

"I've done them Papa" she had rushed through them this morning as quick as possible so she would be able to get away at lunch time like normal.

"It's the first Saturday of July. My friend is here, the boy I meet every summer."

Her father was in front of her with a few sharp strides his hands grabbed the front of her dress pulling her upwards so that she had to tiptoe or her feet wouldn't have touched the ground.

"You're running off to your little Bourgeois friend? I don't think so!"

To her utter shock he threw her towards the ground with some force, she didn't fall but she was trembling head to toe, her Papa, her dear Papa who had laughed and joked with her and sat her on his knee in the past, had thrown her to the ground. Her mind was reeling not certain how to comprehend the latest turn of events.

"H-he he's my friend Papa, I always meet him"

Her father's hand came down across her face sending her sprawling across the floor. She clutched at her cheek the burning sensation next to her right eye was painful but it was nothing compared to the pain she felt in her heart.

"You are not going to meet him" her father said slowly "you're no longer in a position to be wandering around the countryside with whichever boy you choose, your favours have been promised to the Patron-Minette as soon as you are deemed old enough and I won't have you handing them out for free."

"My- my favours" she stammered, she was unsure what her father was talking about. He stalked away from her leaving her where she cowered on the floor.

Her first instinct was to simply dissolve into floods of tears but something inside her told her to run, get out of here, don't look back. She was certain something very terrible would happen if she stayed and so, when she saw the coast was clear she bolted for the door.

~X~

Enjolras heard shouting coming from his Grandfather's study. It struck him as odd because he had never heard his Father shout at his Grandfather before.

Now that he was on the brink of becoming a man his father had suddenly decided that he may be of interest and it had become Enjolras' turn to reject the advances his father made. He no longer had a desire for a relationship of any kind with his father and had up until that moment ignored the many attempts of the two older men to get him to engage with them in the study which was no longer off bounds to him. Today was different though, the voices coming from there got the better of him.

"Henri, be reasonable, I did it for your own good" his Grandfather was standing behind the desk, the letters that Eponine and himself had found four years previously were spread out on the table. His Father stood with his back to them both staring out of the window.

"If it was Enjolras…"

"Marcelin" his father sneered, still trying to stop the growing trend of referring to his son by his last name.

"If it was Marcelin" his Grandfather corrected "You would have done the same thing"

Enjolras looked coldly between the two men who stood in an awkward silence, he would have turned to leave but his father chose that moment to notice him.

"Marcelin" he clipped out "pack your things we are leaving. We shall never return to this place again."

Enjolras opened his mouth to protest but his father had not finished, he rounded viscously on the aged man.

"Everything I have suffered was at your hands because of you I was stuck with…" His father's eyes flitted to him, taking in the fact that he was growing taller, he obviously decided to be careful what he said about the boy's mother in front of him.

"Well, you know very well what the results of your actions were. You took her from me, the only person I ever loved. How could you?"

"I did it for the best. Please Henri you cannot take the only family I have away from me now" to Enjolras surprise his Grandfather looked slightly stricken at the thought.

"I can and will. Marcelin pack you things" The final sentence was uttered in a tone that invited no argument as his father stomped out of the room.

His Grandfather turned as if to address his entreaty to him but Enjolras was already backing away from the door, if they never came to Montfermeil again, he would never see Eponine, the only person in the world that he trusted. He needed to find her.

He could no longer run with the agility of a child and so he practically crashed his way through the woods. Which was why he was surprised when she did not turn around immediately because she couldn't have failed to hear him coming. She sat on the branch where they always waited. Her head was down as if she was fascinated by something on her shoe, which he noted was slightly scuffed. Her legs weren't swinging the way they usually did. Her air of excited energy didn't seem to be around her. A prickle of warning ran down his spine.

"Eponine, I'm so pleased you're here, Pére has argued with Grandfather and now he says we must leave, he said we are never coming back."

Her head darted up as if she had suddenly awoken from a daydream she jumped down and ran towards him, flinging her arms around his waist as they used to when they were young. They didn't do it so much now they were older and so he was slightly startled, even more so when he realised that she was crying.

"Eponine are you ok?"

"You have to take me with you Enjolras, you can't leave me here by myself" she mumbled into his chest.

"You know I can't do that"

She pulled away from him at his words and took a step backwards. That was when he saw it the ugly red mark on the top of her right cheekbone that had swollen up causing her eye to look sunken.

"Di-Did someone hit you?" Enjolras surprised even himself by the way his voice came out in an angry shaken whisper, the image of his own mother falling at his father's hand flashed through his mind, that was bad but this was worse, Eponine was a child.

She didn't responded just eyed him with a strange look, he was shocked when he realised she looked as if she didn't trust him.

"Look," she began shrugging her shoulders "I can't explain everything to you but I just know that I need to get away from here and you're leaving so you can take me with you."

His brow furrowed as he considered her, of course he knew it was impossible, how could he take her with him. Yet the thought of someone hitting her made him want to help so he repeated his question.

"Who hit you?"

"No one." She replied quickly, her hand self-consciously touching the red mark on her cheek. "Just Papa is very short tempered now days and he shouted at me. I was startled and fell over and hit my face that is all."

Enjolras felt relief sweep through him, he had been truly worried that someone was hurting his friend. But if it was just that her Papa was cross, although he knew a cross parent was not nice, it was not dire. Also, Eponine loved her Papa, hadn't she always told him how Papa was the greatest in the world, how he would hold her high above his head and run around the room with her so she could pretend she was a bird. It was just a misunderstanding and she was just upset.

"I can't take you with me but…"

"Then I'll run away" she cut him off swinging around so her back was to him. "And don't doubt me because I swear I will."

"Eponine you're being foolish. It was just an argument with your Papa. I've had hundreds with Pére and I've never run away."

Eponine swung back around and cast him a look of such anguish he was certain that if looks could kill he would no longer be standing.

"I. Am. Not. Foolish." She cried annunciating each word slowly as if to drive home her point. "You are foolish. You are nothing but a stupid…stupid Mama's boy who thinks he knows everything but doesn't know anything. You've lectured me about helping those less fortunate for the last two years but when it comes to putting it into practice, to helping me, you do nothing. Your Mére would be ashamed of you!"

A sharp tongue can be the harshest of weapons and Eponine's had found its target perfectly. The words pierced through Enjolras' heart as if she was cutting out a piece of his soul, the last piece that held onto believing that there was a small glimmer of hope in his dark world. The glimmer was fading now but he still tried to keep on to it.

"Eponine, you don't mean that"

"Yes I do!" she cried with tears rolling down her face. He was angry now, how dare she claim he wasn't helping her, how dare she call him names.

"Well you are nothing but a spoilt, pampered little baby!" he cried "Who has one sign of trouble in her perfect little life and wants to run away. Do you know how many times I've had to cope with my father shouting and I never once reacted like a little baby!"

"Only because you always had me there to pick up the pieces, to comfort you and help you laugh again. And now when I need you I'm a baby! How can you abandon me like this when I've never needed you more?"

"I'm not abandoning you, you are overacting"

Her hands wiped the tears away from her cheeks. She winced as she rubbed harshly against the mark on her face as if she had forgotten it was there.

"Fine, well, thank you." She stammered "Thank you for being my friend Enjolras, it's been nice to know you. Au revoir"

She turned her back to him, he knew he should stop her from walking away but his pride got the better of him, he was still smarting from the fact that she had said Mére would be ashamed of him.

"Au revoir" he said. She had stopped walking as he began to speak, perhaps she had expected him to stop her but he didn't.

"I'll probably never see you again" she whispered.

"Good" No, he meant bad, very bad but he couldn't stop himself, he turned and walked away.

"Fine," she shouted at his back "I never want to see you again anyway. You are not my blood brother anymore and…I hate you!"

Enjolras said nothing more to her. He strode away towards his house as the last person he could rely on was finally snatched away from him.

~X~

It took Eponine only one afternoon to regret everything she had said. She had been hurt. She was terrified of what the future held for her as she saw her family crumbling around her. That afternoon Papa tried to hit Azelma but Eponine had jumped in his way taking the blow for her sister. She didn't want her best friend in the world to leave her so she ran all the way to his house to apologise but he was no longer there. He must have truly meant it when he said that never seeing her again was good. He had abandoned her.

~X~

Enjolras' temper once provoked was not as quick to subside as Eponine's and it took him about a month before he fully regretted the things he had said. She had been overreacting but he shouldn't have told her she was a spoilt baby. He should have taken the time to listen to her fears the way she had always listened to his. He certainly shouldn't have told her that never seeing her again was good when really it was one of the worst things that could happen. He wrote to her, told her how sorry he was said that he would even help her to come and visit him if she liked. But she never wrote back, she had abandoned him.