(AN – Wow, you guys thank you so much for all your reviews on the last chapter! You're all literally the best! Seredhiel05 – I promise we have some good Gavroche action soon although he is not directly involved in their meeting. Eliannee05 – you asked for dramatic & tragic. I hope this lives up to your expectations. Everyone else – I love you all more than Grantaire loves alcohol! Enjoy this chapter and as always keep your thoughts and feedback coming…I love hearing your suggestions)

Chapter Six – Shadow From the Past

Paris 1832 (May)

Eponine was wearing a pink, no, blue, no a red, definitely red ball gown. Her hair was pulled up onto her head in an elegant coiffure. She stood at the top of the marble steps that lead down into the ball room where all the fashionable people had stopped to stare at her entrance. She waved her fan demurely in front of her face, a young man came bounding up the stairs offering her his arm.

"Mademoiselle" he greeted her.

"Monsieur Pontmercy" she laughed lightly as he led her down the stairs and onto the dance floor.

"May I?" he asked, she nodded her consent and he began to whirl her around the floor, his green eyes sparkled as he opened his mouth and said….

"Eh, what you doing twirling around like that 'Ponine?"

Eponine sighed as her day dream dissolved around her, she was standing in rags in the hovel that was now her home the only gentleman before her was not the kindly and gentle Marius but Montparnasse. She didn't feel like dealing with him at the moment.

"Papa is not here" she said moving forwards to pass him, he stopped her by placing a hand on her waist.

"Where are you going 'Ponine? Leaving so soon without so much as a kiss hello, or goodbye?"

Eponine internally grimaced. This was exactly what she hadn't wanted to deal with. She plastered a smile across her face.

"Parnasse" she said sweetly, it was always better to get out of these situations without outright refusing him "You know I have all the time in the world for you but right now I must be getting on, I have an errand to run and…" His hand remained on her waist but the other hand grabbed her wrist and was squeezing it tighter as she spoke, alarm bells started to ring, this was not a good sign.

"I must meet someone, I can't be late"

"Who are you meeting?" he asked his grey eyes narrowed in suspicion and his voice turned sinister.

"Just a friend" she said looking as innocent as she could.

It was the wrong answer. Montparnasse pushed her backwards causing her to trip over a wooden stall that clattered to the floor. He grabbed her other wrist in his large hand pinning them both in front of her.

"What friend?" he asked his breath was hot against her face, but she smelt no alcohol and she knew that was a bonus. "Not that bloody Bourgeois boy you're always hanging round with. You think I haven't noticed the way you're following him around like a love sick puppy."

"You're being ridiculous" she tried not to squirm against the pain in her wrists. She saw Azelma's worried face peek around the door at her, she made eye contact with her sister and shook her head slightly telling her not to worry.

"I'm not ridiculous" Montparnasse screeched. He was getting angry.

"I know, I'm sorry, of course you're not" she placated him.

His free hand reached around her grabbing hold of her bum and squeezing it tightly. Outraged Eponine wanted to slap him across the face but she wouldn't have even if her hands had been free. She knew that he was testing her, it was an act of possession and she knew better than to fight against it or it would turn into something much worse. She simply fixed her eyes on his and imagined how much she would enjoy kicking him in the groin.

"Kiss me then" he demanded.

Eponine sighed and closed her eyes as his mouth slobbered over hers.

There had been a time when she hadn't minded his kisses, although they had been more innocent and involved a lot less slobbering and grabbing back then. It wasn't that Montparnasse wasn't handsome. In fact he had quite a pretty face that a lot of the girls from the slums admired. Eponine's opinion of him had changed forever though, once he was 'initiated' into the Patron-Minette. She would never forget it. She had been the one on lookout that night. Montparnasse's job had been to scare the owner of the house, rough him up a bit so he would be too afraid to report the crime. But 'Parnasse had enjoyed it too much, he hadn't been able to control himself. Eponine still heard the cries of the man Montparnasse killed that night sometimes. From that day to this the boy's face no longer held any beauty for her.

She knew however that no matter how much she despised 'Parnasse's kisses they saved her from a much worse fate. Unbeknown to herself or Azelma her father had promised them as an investment to gain entry to the Patron-Minette as soon as they were old enough to be of interest. Montparnasse's skill as an assassin had made him an invaluable member of the gang and as such he had asked to claim Eponine for his own. The other's had agreed and her parent's even referred to him as their son-in-law. He had never pushed his 'ownership' further than a few kisses and fumbled gropes so far and Eponine was grateful for that. It was Azelma she worried about, she was seventeen now and she didn't know how much longer it would be before the Patron-Minette would want to cash in on their investment.

Montparnasse ended the kiss bringing her back to the present day. He lifted his hand to stroke her cheek. It took every inch of her self-possession not to turn her face away from the man she despised.

"I must be going 'Parnasse. Shall I walk you to where father is?" Her heart felt relieved when he agreed. She hadn't wanted to leave him alone with Azelma.

She left Montparnasse at the dank hang out of the Patron-Minette. Relived to finally be rid of him she looked up at the sky. It was dark, it must be late. Marius would be at the Café Musain where he met with his friends. She would go and wait for him there. She felt instantly more light-hearted at the thought of seeing Marius.

~X~

The words he had been writing on the paper before him went blurry. Enjolras closed his tired eyes, his dry lids doing little to relieve him. He was well aware he shouldn't have stayed up half the night searching his books for the other half of a quote that had drifted into his head just before he went to sleep but it had been too perfect to risk leaving it till morning when it might be forgotten.

"Just take it Gavroche, I won't tell you again" Courfeyrac was saying pressing a half loaf of bread into the small boy's hands.

"Thanks Courf, you're the best"

Enjolras allowed a small smile to pass his lips, he was glad Courfeyrac had taken the boy under his wing. Enjolras did not have time to do so himself, nothing could distract him from his cause but that didn't mean he wanted the boy to go without. He had originally allowed the street urchin to infiltrate the group because he had reminded him of the Gavroche he had known as a baby but the lad had said he had no family which removed all possibility that it was the same boy he had known before. Still he felt a strange kind of responsibility towards him. Gavroche, meanwhile, had worked his charms on the other members of the Les Amis making him an honorary member of their group.

"You look terrible" Combeferre said approaching him and placing his hand on his shoulder.

"Indeed, thank you for your honesty" Enjolras bit back sarcastically.

"Drink?" Combeferre asked sitting down opposite him. Enjolras did little more than spare him a withering glace

"What?" Combeferre laughed "you look as if you could use it"

"You are perfectly well aware that I do not drink" he replied.

This, for some unknown reason caused his friend to laugh even more. Combeferre sat in silence with him for a few moments more then continued.

"Lermarque is ill but Joly says he is unlikely to die for another few weeks, a month at most and if Joly says that it must be true. So do yourself a favour and just this once leave now with the rest of us instead of staying up for God knows how long."

Enjolras sighed deeply, he knew his friend was right and his aching eyes urged him to comply. "Very well."

He gathered up his books and papers and stuffed them into his leather satchel before joining his friends walking out into the cold night air.

It may not necessarily appear the case to an outside observer but he was incredibly fond of his friends and enjoyed the kind of brotherly comradery they shared that had been missing from his younger years. Grantaire and Courfeyrac walked slightly ahead in a deep discussion regarding the assets of the young lady who worked behind the bar of the café Musain. He hung back slightly with Combeferre. Joly and Marius walked behind, Joly lecturing Marius on some apparent lack of care he had taken with his health which alarmed the medical student.

"Marius!" The cry came from a young gamine who appeared from the shadows where she had obviously been waiting for the student. A smile spread across Marius face as she sauntered up to him, whether that was purely for the girl or because the distraction was an excuse to get away from Joly's lecture Enjolras couldn't tell.

Enjolras turned his face away placing a well practised bored expression over his features. It was well known among the Les Amis that a gamine was infatuated with Marius and followed him everywhere. They all referred to her as 'Marius' Shadow'. Everyone except Marius who apparently remained oblivious, this apparently was the girl in question.

Marius was laughing at something the girl had said.

"Eponine you do say the funniest things." He chuckled.

Enjolras head snapped back to attention. Eponine, it wasn't exactly a common name. He eyed the gamine in front of him. No it couldn't be the same girl. The girl he had known had been a spoilt plump little girl with rosy cheeks and ready laugh on her lips, always dressed in the finest dresses with brand new bonnets to match. He considered the girl before him carefully, she had no shoes, and she was painfully thin, it was her waist that shocked him the most, how could anyone fail to notice how small it was. Her clothes were little more than rags that barely left anything to the imagination. Enjolras blushed slightly at the thought. He focused his attention on her face, her cheeks were sunken. At that moment Marius said something that amused her and her whole face lit up her eyes flashed and dimples appeared on her cheeks.

My God! Enjolras thought! It really was Eponine. There had been no mistaking her as soon as she smiled. The realisation rooted him to the spot momentarily. What had happened here, what had become of the laughing little girl he knew? Why was she standing in the street before him practically the embodiment of the people he was planning a revolution for? And why did he have a sudden urge to punch Pontmercy? A hundred questions swirled around his mind but only one word escaped his lips.

"Eponine?" it came out as more of a question than he had intended.

She turned a suspicious gaze to him, as did the members of the Les Amis who were with them. She looked him up and down then stared intently into his face, her eyes finally settling on his as hers widened with realisation.

"Serious Boy?" she asked. Combeferre shot him a puzzled glance but before he could say anything Eponine had launched herself towards him throwing her arms around him.

"It really is you isn't it Enjolras"

The jaws of all his friends seemed to drop simultaneously. Enjolras, embarrassed by the display stepped back and out of her embrace. This clearly jogged her memory of the less than friendly way they had left their last meeting. She moved her hands which had hung awkwardly since he had broken off the embrace and shoved him with what was obviously all her might.

The jaws of the Les Amis were practically on the floor now. Enjolras took a step backwards to regain his balance.

"Nice to see you again too" he drawled.

"You!" she took several steps backwards her eyes full of accusations "You abandoned me!"

"Eponine…" he didn't really know where to begin, he had a lot he wanted to ask her, mostly what on earth happened to you. But he was not oblivious to the five pairs of eyes that were watching the conversation take place between them with keen interest and he was not one for having his personal life on display for all to see.

"How long exactly have you been in Paris?" she shot at him.

"Three years I'm studying at the university"

"And you've never once saw me, or thought to look for me" She accused.

"I didn't know you were here. Anyway as I recall the last time we spoke you wasn't exactly ecstatic about the prospect of ever seeing me again." Enjolras wasn't exactly sure why he was letting his temper get the better of him.

Pain flashed across her eyes "Your right. I seem to recall you saying something similar. Well I won't take up any more of your time. I'm pleased to see you are doing so…so well" she gestured towards him. "Marius I will see you later" she smiled a brilliant smile at the boy as she began to walk off but she paused and looked over her shoulder. "I'm glad you grew you hair again, always did look better long" she said.

The corner of his mouth twitched in spite of himself, it was just such an Eponine thing to say. Within seconds she disappeared again into the shadows which caused him to frown. What was she doing out anyway she was scared of the dark.

Grantaire, never one to miss an opportunity to stir up a bit of trouble was the first to break the silence.

"What, pray, was that about Enjolras? Has out very own Apollo got a secret he hasn't told us about."

Enjolras glared at him but it only seemed to increase the merriment.

"Something you wish to tell us?" He laughed "And Marius shadow as well!"

"Nothing like that you filthy minded drunkard. I knew her when she was a small girl. Now if you gentleman would excuse me I grow tired. Goodnight" and with a nod he left them behind, no doubt to discuss the very odd episode which they had just been witness to.

His feet strode towards his home but his mind wandered to Eponine. Had she run away like she had threatened the last day she spoke to him? Was that why she looked as she did? He shuddered at the thought because he was well aware of the fate of young girls who wandered the streets of Paris, surely she was not working the docks. He regretted being so harsh to her. He had found his childhood friend after all these years and he had let his blasted temper get the better of him.

Then he spotted her up ahead, darting down an alley way. That was certainly no place for a young lady to be going. Whether or not they had parted on good terms she had once been his friend, and he had upset her, perhaps he should catch up with her and make sure she was alright.