Hola! I hope this is alright but I am slightly feverish at the moment.

Nope, still don't own anything.

Cosette walked slowly around Rue Plumet. Marius was inside the house but she wanted the feel of fresh air on her face. She wasn't sure what to make of his friends. They seemed cruel and emotionless. Had the barricade been that bad? Marius had never talked about it and seemed the same as before, if a little quieter and sometimes upset. She knew returning was the right thing to do but they scared her.

"Cosette." Valjean said from behind her.

"Father!" Cosette said with a smile as she ran over to hug her father.

"You seem sad, has something happened?" Valjean asked.

"No, I was just thinking about something. How's your arm?" She asked they were hiding the fact that the rest of the students were alive. It was easier than trying to explain.

"It'll heal. Marius told me you two were going for a walk."

"Yes, oh don't tell." Cosette pleaded.

"I won't, but remember you have a wedding to prepare for."

"I know. I must go" She replied before kissing his cheek and walking inside.

"Strange." Valjean murmured to himself as he watched his adopted daughter disappear into the house. He knew he had to tell her the truth about her past at some point. Meanwhile Cosette had found Marius leaning against one of the walls and looking at the empty room.

"Are you alright." She asked gently.

"Mmm, just daydreaming. What about you?" He asked as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Nervous. I'm sorry I know they re your friends but they are a little intimidating." Cosette confessed as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Believe me I know. But as they've rescued 'Ponine..."

"I know and I'm happy to go. She sounds like a good friend." Cosette said. Marius nodded and kissed her forehead. Nether had noticed Valjean watching through the window as he realised that his role in Cosette's life was coming to an end as soon she would rely on Marius.

Enjolras was the first to wake up. For a second he thought he could see light but it turned quickly into darkness. He rubbed the inners of his eyes to try and relieve the pressure. He didn't realise how much planning the barricade had distracted him from other things. Now he was doing everything in his power to avoid his friends from learning his secret.

"No... please... no!" Jehan suddenly yelled. Enjolras immediately ran over to his friend s bed.

"Jehan, Jehan. Please wake up." He begged. It made no effect as the man started to fight to get out of the bed, actually it seemed more like he was trying to get out of his skin.

"What happened?" Combeferre asked as he woke up and moved over.

"I don't know. Get help." Enjolras said. Combeferre replied by putting a hand on his friends shoulder before leaving. "Oh Jehan forgive me. This is all my fault." Enjolras whispered to his friend. He could feel wetness on his cheeks. What had he done?

"Ok we're going to take him somewhere else." The voice of a doctor floated into the room. It didn't take long for them to wheel the bed out of the room.

"Are you alright?" Combeferre asked as he helped Enjolras stand up.

"I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" Enjolras replied.

"You re crying."

"Indeed."

"You know it wasn't your fault don't you?" Combeferre asked.

"Not my fault that the girl I promised to love, to protect with my life, was almost killed by her family when they learnt of it?" Enjolras said bitterly.

"No. How were you too know what would happen? You can't go back in time and change things." Combeferre said gently whilst guiding Enjolras over to the bed, the man was getting hysterical.

"I should have been there." Enjolras sobbed. If any of the other boys were even awake they pretended not to be. Enjolras had always been seen as emotionless and now he was an emotional wreck. Combeferre didn't answer but pulled his friend into a hug. Eventually the leader collapsed due to exhaustion. The thoughts had been on his mind for a long time and now he had finally vented them. Combeferre laid him down gently and stood up.

"What was that about?" Joly asked.

"How long were you awake?" Combeferre replied.

"Most of it. At a guess I'd say our fearless leader has been keeping secrets and from the sound of it you have as well."

"I can't answer, it's up to him to talk about it but please don't pressure him." Combeferre begged.

"I won't. Where'd Jehan go?"

"He had a panic attack or something similar." Combeferre said. Joly nodded and rubbed the stub where his leg used to be. He missed his leg, it helped him walk which was a fairly useful thing to be able to do.

"Good morning" Courfeyrac said suddenly. Combeferre froze, Joly may keep his silence but Courfeyrac wasn't known to be the best secret keeper.

"How long have you been awake?" Combeferre asked.

"Since you began talking about Jehan, why? Did I miss something important?"

"Not really. Do you think Jehan will make it?" Joly said, in another attempt to move the subject off his new found knowledge.

"I hope so, we've already lost Grantaire and Bossut." Combeferre said softly. There was silence between the three friends. It was interrupted by Bahorel who made a bizarre noise as he rolled over.

"How about Eponine?"

"Well her fever's gone, and it s just dehydration and exhaustion. Doesn't mean that she'll be with it mentally though." Combeferre replied as he looked over to where said girl lay unconscious. The doctors thought it would be better for her to be with people she knew when she woke up. Combeferre had been the only one to notice the ribbon around her neck.

"Poor girl. When did Marius say he'd come?" Courfeyrac asked.

"Well he said a couple of days." Joly replied.

"Yet it s been a couple of weeks." Courfeyrac replied. It was at that point that Bahorel managed to roll off his bed taking Feuilly with him. The last part was particularly spectacular as Feuilly was in a different bed yet the two men ended up in a tangled mess on the floor.

"What the?" Feuilly asked, annoyed to have been woken up, and a little confused as to why he was now on the floor.

"I was about to ask the same thing." Marius said as he and Cosette walked into the room.

"Marius, what amazing timing you have!" Joly teased, wishing he could get up to welcome the young couple.

"Yes it would seem so... how's she doing?" He asked seeing the unconscious Eponine.

"She'll live" Combeferre replied.

"Thank goodness, but is waking up in a hospital really the best thing for her?" Marius asked.

"What would you suggest the street?" Feuilly asked as he stood up.

"Can't she go home?" Marius asked.

"With that... man around?" Feuilly questioned. Cosette looked away from the group of men. Ever since the message came that Eponine was safe she knew they'd have to return to this room eventually but that didn't mean it would be easy.

"I see your point, but even then she'll end up back on the street" Marius reminded them.

"Not necessarily" Combeferre muttered to himself as a plan began to form in his mind. Marius went over and sat by the unconscious girl s bed. Cosette joined him, gently squeezing his shoulder. He was glad he had her. At some point Jehan was wheeled back in but the doctors refused to say anything about what had happened. For a few hours the group were content being together with meaningless conversations. Enjolras remained asleep, or appeared to anyway. Marius put his hand on the edge of the bed to stand up when it changed.

"Where am I?" Eponine whispered as her eyes fluttered open.

Thanks for reading, don't forget to r&r. This is ORM signing off