A/N – Guys, I have nothing to say except I am truly and from the bottom of my heart sorry that it has again been ages since I last updated. To be honest, I wish I had the time to update quicker to. I don't blame you if no one is reading this, but if someone is, here you are, I will keep posting if there is at least 1 of you there.

Again, So so so sorry!

Chapter Twenty Three - Murder

Eponine pounded along the grey Parisian pavement. Her pins had fallen from her elegant up-do causing a few long strands of hair to fly out behind her, the silken blue skirts of her evening dress were pulled up to her knees, the voluminous material clasped in her hands out of the way of her fleeing feet. In normal circumstances she could outrun anyone and lose them in the shadows but tonight the odds were stacked against her. The ridiculous dress meant she would stand out a mile even if she slipped down a back alley, and the small heel on the dancing slippers she was wearing slowed her pace.

She cursed the insanely tight stays that prevented her from catching her breath as she ran causing a painful cramp in her side's that hindered her further. She had to get to Enjolras and the others, she had to warn them, she didn't know why Montparnasse had killed the girls but she didn't want to stick around to find out.

Even now she could hear his footsteps catching up behind, against her better judgement she risked a glance over her shoulder to determine his position, big mistake!

One of the silken skirts had slipped from her fingers, with her eyes distracted her foot became caught and she tumbled to the ground. She landed with a jolt, her arms outstretched causing the long evening gloves she had been wearing to shred against the pavement but fortunately saving her skin from damage. The impact stole what little air was left in her lungs. She gasped trying to recover her bearings. Suddenly she was yanked up to her feet, and pulled backwards into the darkness of a nearby alley. His hands gripped her upper arms tightly, and Eponine could feel the cold dampness of a wall behind her trapping her, anger filled her as she looked into his eyes, "Youbastard! Why did you have to kill them, they were trying to help us." She screeched, if he thought she would go quietly he was mistaken.

"Calm down Eponine, your being hysterical" Montparnasse replied calmly.

"Hysterical, your god damn right I'm being hysterical, you murdered them!" Eponine shouted back incredulously. She flailed desperately trying to loosen his grip to no avail, at length she realised that although he held her firmly he wasn't hurting her. Her panic began to subside slightly her mind started to clear. She glared at Montparnasse and repeated in a whisper, "Why did you have to kill them?"

"For you."

"Me! I never wanted you to kill anyone. You didn't do it for me, you did it for your own sick satisfaction, you're a murderer!"

"No Eponine, I'm a realist, you've been spending too long with bourgeois, you've forgotten how our world works. You get the job done by whatever means necessary and you get paid. I killed those girls because we needed a distraction if you want to spring that boy from jail. What better distraction than a suspected murderer on the loose. Plus it leaves no unnecessary witnesses; it's all very efficient really." He shrugged his shoulders and Eponine shuddered at his coldness. "You go in there, tell them your friends have been murdered on the way to a ball and get the guards out, my clients get their friend back and I get my payment, I get you!"

Eponine's eyes widened "If you think I'm still going to leave with you then you're out of your mind."

A dark sneer worked its way across his face, he curled one hand round her throat, harshly tilting her face up towards him. "You think you still have a choice."

"Yes" She spat back at him, "and if you even try to force me to go with you, if you lay a finger on me I'll make sure you regret it. I'm going home with Enjolras!"

To her surprise he started to laugh, "You really think that he cares one jot about a dirty little street rat like you Eponine! What nonsense have you been filing your head with."

"He's my friend he-"

"You are nothing to him" Montparnasse interrupted her "nothing but a silly little girl he used to know that he accidently got lumbered with as an adult. If he's ever told you otherwise he lied, you think a man like him would want to be associated with a girl like you. I bet he couldn't wait for a chance to get rid of you."

To her chagrin tears began to sting at the back of her eyes, his words hurt. She had known Enjolras so long and done so much to protect him but still the fear remained, he'd hardly spoke to her the last few days. He'd heard her say such awful things, and he'd believed that she meant them. If she ran to him now she wasn't even sure if he would help her. The realisation of the truth drained the fight from her, her limbs going limp at her side.

"Now go inside and play your part so that we can go home together."

She hesitated, desperately trying to find a reason to not believe him, an excuse to break free now and run like a wild thing till she found Enjolras.

"Go!" Montparnasse screeched, spit flying from his mouth "Or I will go in there myself and tell them I saw Enjolras kill those girls! I'm already tempted to so don't give me an excuse."

Eponine ducked out of his arms and scampered towards the entrance to La Concierge, her distress would be convincing at least, inside herself her heart was breaking.

~X~

Enjolras and Musichetta picked their way silently down the tunnel that led to the traitor's gate. Enjolras trying his hardest to think of the task in hand and not Eponine. She's made her choice, you have to respect that. She hates you, for everything you put her through, you killed the man she loves and her brother, why do you think she would want to stay with you! But no matter how many times he tried to convince himself something just didn't feel right to him. No, he admonished himself, you are just thinking this because you don't want her to go. And the further she got away from him the more he realised it, somehow, they were tied together, him and Eponine and he couldn't shake the feeling that he would never feel whole again if he let her leave this evening.

"This is it." Musichetta whispered as they reached a round gate that closed off the tunnel they were in from the prison cells. She handed him the pin they had brought and he knelt down, his ear to the lock as Eponine had taught him all those years ago, tapping at the cogs inside. After a few minutes the lock gave a click and the gate swung slightly open, he glanced up at Musichetta who was grinning broadly. He had to hold up his hand for her to wait to stop her from rushing straight in. He wanted to be sure there were no guards as Montparnasse had suggested.

"Wait here." He whispered, "No point in risking us both getting caught, I'll be back with Joly shortly."

Musichetta nodded. "Be careful".

Enjolras walked cautiously through the gate, if he was spotted he had decided he would resort to his original plan of handing himself in as an exchange for Joly. At least if he did that now he wouldn't have to worry about Eponine. Wouldn't you? The voice in his head asked him urgently. He was struck again by remembering the image of her standing in Musichetta's room, he'd meant it when he had said she looked beautiful. But then he always had found her beautiful, in every sense of the word, she was kind, witty and intelligent, she had eyes that could break any sane man's heart but more importantly she had the courage to be herself and be strong in a world where everything was stacked against her. He'd always known it, but the thought of never seeing her again was what made him acknowledge it. Enjolras shook his head clear of the thoughts, this would do him no good. He was bad for her, he had failed her, he'd failed his friends, the only reason he was alive was to save Joly, he couldn't let thoughts of Eponine distract him, she didn't need him, he had to let her go.

Stealthily he continued down the damp corridor, each cell had a firm wooden door with only small viewing whole with dark metal bars at the top. So long as he was quiet hopefully none of the other inmates would take it upon themselves to get up and take look out and spot him. He counted the cells till he reached the sixth one. He peered through the small viewing hole, the room beyond was grey and uninviting, a small cot with a thin blanket was on one side of the room, a bucket to serve as a toilet beside it, on the opposite side of the room was a three legged wooden stall, it was on this that Joly sat. His head in his hands, Enjolras wasn't sure if he was asleep.

"Joly" He whispered as loud as he dared.

Joly's head swung round when he heard his name, his face instantly lighting up, he opened his mouth to speak but Enjolras shook his head fervently and put his finger to his lip indicating the need to be silent. Joly nodded. Enjolras the crouched down and began to pick the lock that held Joly's door. He couldn't believe how well things were going. His fingers worked the lock on the door waiting for the familiar click, when it sounded Enjolras heart leapt. He stood up, triumphantly pushing the door open. Joly stood the other side grinning broadly at him, Enjolras let a smile creep across his own face, holding his hand out to his friend. Joly pushed his hand to the side and threw his arms around him, for a moment Enjolras was stunned but he quickly returned his friends embrace.

Enjolras pulled away, still not quiet able to believe that his friend was really there, alive!

"Musichetta's here, follow me." Enjolras whispered as loud as he dared. He pulled the door to Joly's cell shut, the longer his disappearance remained a mystery the better. He walked quickly and quietly with Joly following closely behind, he didn't want to risk being here a minute longer than necessary, he didn't want to have come this far to get caught now.

The moment they came into view of Musichetta she began to race silently along the corridor towards them, she reached Joly and threw her arms round his neck. Joly buried his head in her hair and Enjolras pretended he didn't notice the tears that fell from Joly's eyes.

The moment was perfect, and joy radiated off the reunited couple. And then the moment was over, Enjolras cocked his head to the side and listened. "Footsteps." He mouthed to his friends.

All free of them began to silently and quickly picking their way down the short space of corridor that led to the traitors gate.

"You there." A voice echoed down the walls and Enjolras stopped his heart in his mouth he looked behind him, but the path they had just walked down was still clear. The voice must be further away than it sounded a trick of the echoing halls.

"Yes Sir." Another voice replied.

"Come quick there has been an incident."

Enjolras breathed a small sigh of relief, it was all part of Eponine's distraction, everything was running according to plan. Joly and Musichetta had reached the traitors gate ahead and within moments Enjolras would join them and they would be out the other side, freedom was within in their reach.

"What kind of incident." He heard the fading voice say.

"Murderer on the loose, carriage with dead girls in it just pulled up out front."

Enjolras stopped dead, his heart beating in his chest as his vision began to go black. "That was not part of the plan." He cried, forgetting to be quiet in the rising panic.

"What wasn't, what's going on?" Musichetta asked.

But Enjolras didn't reply, he took off running, all thought of caution left him, the word murder rang in his ears and Epinine's face swam before his eyes.

'No, no, no, no."