A/N THIS IS NOT THE LAST CHAPTER! (Please don't kill me for this chapter..) Thanks to everyone who has read, followed, favorited, and reviewed! Please continue to do so! I always love to hear what you all think!

The orange and red flames flickered in front of Eponine's eyes. Teasing her as it burnt away the paintings and Rousseau books. As it turned them to ash.

She had wanted to donate them, the books. And the paintings. But she couldn't bring herself to do it.

She knew at some point or another, her resolve would falter and she would ask for them back.

She had stood there, with Grantaire's reassuring arms around her. Even though she was almost certain this was harder for him than for her.

She thought she was holding herself together decently. That is before the realization clicked.

Then things turned bad.

"NO! No! Grantaire!" She had screamed, her face turned red as she did so. She had had more than a few drinks of Grantaire's old wine bottle, that night. And because she so rarely drank anymore, her mind swam with thoughts that did not belong to her, and memories that she had long since tucked away.

"My flowers! I forgot, they're in the book!" She reached for the flames, determined to get her flowers back. But she felt a steady hand pulling her arm back,

"Eponine, it's okay. It's okay, calm down." Grantaire's voice soothed her slowly, but then her intoxicated mind made the case that he was trying to keep her away from Enjolras and her flowers he had given her.

She jerked her arm away, from Grantaire, who was surprisingly sober. And shoved him as hard as she could.

And Grantaire, not expecting this, had stumbled backwards and reached his arm behind him to catch his fall. Right, into the flames..

Eponine, didn't seem to notice and continued to try to get Enjolras' books back. As visions of him sitting at his desk, or their bed, or their chairs came back to her. All of him looking engrossed in the pages that now shriveled up and burned into nothing.

Grantaire forced himself from the ground, and he had taken her into his arms, cradling her. And carrying her back to her apartment that way. When they arrived, he had sat down in her chair, and did not move from that position.

They fell asleep that way.

Grantaire, holding a very drunk, and very broken Eponine.

It wasn't until Eponine woke up, that she remembered the aftereffects of getting drunk.

Her stomach lurched forward, and she covered her mouth as she jumped up from Grantaire's lap and ran towards the bathroom.

He must have woken up as she did so, because he followed her in there without question. Most likely knowing the side effects far better than anyone should.

Eponine bent over the toilet, and wrapped her arms around her torso as she began to throw up the wine bottle that she had finished off, and anything else she had eaten in the past twelve hours.

She felt Grantaire's rough hands on her neck as he pulled her hair back away from her face gently.

He rubbed soft circles on her back, and did not flinch as he heard the awful noises she made. Some half sobs making their way in-between the pauses of the plentiful throw up.

"Shhhhh. There there 'Ponine. It's okay." He whispered, his strong voice turning soft as he tried to comfort her.

She eventually stopped. And when she did, her body leaned back against his, exhausted and weak.

Grantaire picked her up from the floor, and carried her not back to the chair, but into the bedroom. He placed her on the bed with care, then covered her body with the thick blanket that lay to the side. "It's okay, 'Ponine. It's all gonna be okay."

He spoke to her like a child, but not in the demeaning way that Eponine hated. No, this was more like he was speaking to a scared child who needed comforting.

She remembered watching as he walked out of the room, her hoarse voice not allowing her to call out and ask him to stay with her.

She woke up alone, the second time. And she couldn't say she blamed Grantaire. She wouldn't have wanted to stay with herself if she had been in his position.

She told herself she should have seen this coming. And that it wasn't his job to care for her. But she couldn't help but wish he was still there with her. Still there, and they were still holding each other together.

She soon realized, that it wasn't that she didn't need him anymore, to hold her together. But the fact that he no longer needed her to hold himself together.

He had healed faster than she, and it seemed that he would be alright to walk forward.

She, on the other hand. Would be broken. Forever.

She didn't even pretend with herself to believe that the nightmares were going to stop, and that the ghosts of Enjolras' memories would leave her alone. Or that she would ever truly allow herself to believe he was gone. She couldn't.

She was about to climb out of bed, when the bedroom door swung open softly and Grantaire stepped in, holding a bowl full of steaming soup. That smelt like the healthiest and most well prepared meal she had smelt in a long while.

Not that she had eaten a proper meal since- well, since Enjolras had left. Because he had been the one who knew how to cook. How to prepare meals and make them not taste disgusting, was always Enjolras.

Grantaire grinned in her direction when he saw that she was awake, and knelt down at the side of her bed.

"Here's a big ol' bowl of Grantaire's let's-get-rid-of-that-hangover-soup."

He smiled mischievously at her and then winked, "Family recipe."

When he saw the surprise in her eyes, he brushed the hair out of her face and laughed to himself, "Family being me."

Eponine smiled slightly and ate the bowl of soup heartily. Grateful for the warmth that it brought her. And it seemed to even out her stomach.

Grantaire simply watched as she ate the soup, occasionally wiping small bits of it off her lips and chin with his thumb.

After she finished, he rose from kneeling next to the bed and brushed her hair away from her face once more.

"I'm gonna go get the letters. You sleep until I'm back, alright?"

Eponine began to protest, but Grantaire raised his hand to silence her.

"You need to sleep, to make sure you don't get sick again."

Eponine snuggled into her pillow and blanket farther, to show that she would listen to him. And he smiled slightly before heading out the door. Humming a song under his breath that Eponine had never heard before.

When Eponine woke up again, Grantaire was sitting in the corner of her room. With a book resting on his knees, he read it intently and did not even notice when she stirred.

"Grantaire?" She blinked sleepily, "Taire?"

Grantaire snapped the book shut and then placed it down to the side of where he sat then stood and then trotted to the side of her bed.

"Hey sleepy." He offered a cream envelope in front of her face. "This is the last one.. The woman told me."

Eponine felt her insides twist and she nodded slightly, accepting the letter and beginning to open it.

Grantaire, reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter of his own. And opened it.

Seeing this, Eponine felt even more gratitude towards Grantaire, and the fact that he had waited for her.

She unfolded the last letter that she would ever receive from her Enjolras, and did not fail to notice the blood stained bits of the paper. And then in spots, the ink was smeared and it was hard for her to read.

Dear Eponine,

The barricades are up. Things are looking bad, I don't know where things changed. And I don't know how I didn't see this coming. But, I can't bring myself to believe this all is real. I feel like this is a bad dream and I'm going to wake up any minute. But then, I know I'm not going to. And I know this is all my fault.

Jehan is dead. And so is Joly. They killed them both, and I couldn't get them back fast enough to stop it.

I failed them.

Again.

Marius is going to be okay. Some man is here, and it's his job apparently to make sure Marius is alive at the end of this.

I only wish there was someone like that for all the men.

I'm just glad you're not here. Glad you're safe.

I wish things were different.

I wish the people had risen.

Eponine, You told me what you were excited about the other day. And I feel terrible, as I write this letter to you. Because it's almost confirming that when morning comes, you'll be without me. And I'll be watching over you. In a different world.

You said you wanted kids.

You wanna know something, Eponine? So do I.

But we're never going to have them, And I'm sorry.

I'm sorry I pulled you into this.

Sorry I didn't listen when you said not to fall in love. And I'm sorry for breaking your heart.

You know what I'm thinking about tonight? Of course I'm thinking of you. But aside from that, I can't stop thinking of what it's going to be like.

Death.

Do you think it's going to hurt, Eponine?

Will it be fast? Will it be slow?

Will I have time to consider what's happening before it does?

Will I look like myself after I die?

Eponine, I'm scared. I'm scared to die. Because I don't want to leave you behind.

Don't want to leave you alone.

I want to stay with you, forever.

You don't know how hard it is for me not to run back home to you right now. How hard it is, to force myself to stay. And only think about your pretty face. And write you this goodbye.

I suppose it's fitting though..

Because we never had a proper hello. Do you remember that? You met me, and we didn't bother talking about names. We just talked about France, and it's people.

Gavroche is dead, Eponine.

And I'm sorry.

My best friends are most likely going to die tomorrow if they don't leave. And I can't get them to leave still.

I hate the fact that I'm not going to see your pretty face anymore.

I'll see everyone, after it's all over. And we've all made our way to heaven.

But not you, Eponine.

Because you have to live.

Because you are my everything.

Because you are the very definition of how life should be lived.

Because the people need you to live.

Because I need you to live.

Because you're Patria..

Remember?

I love you more than anything. And I wish I would see you in the morning. I'm sorry for not saying goodbye.

All my love, my dear Eponine.

~ E

Eponine closed the letter, and took in a sharp breath. He was gone. He was really gone. Her Enjolras was gone and she would never see him again.

Grantaire had opened his letter at the same time Eponine had, he opened his and swallowed tightly as he read the short, scribbled, letter that looked almost nothing like Enjolras' handwriting. It was desperate, and pleading. And he could not read it in any other voice than the desperate tone he had heard Enjolras use at the barricade.

Taire,

It's about to be over.

Take care of my Eponine?

Promise me.

Swear.

Please.

That's all I ask of you.

~Apol

The rest of the nickname was not finished, and the letter was half covered in blood. Grantaire swallowed the lump in his throat, and shoved the letter down into his pocket.

When he sat at the edge of Eponine's bed and began to stroke her hair, tears running freely down his cheeks, every thought of him being fixed escaped from her mind.

He still needed her, and she needed him.

A/N Once again, This is not the last chapter! There will be another. So don't freak. Thanks for reading! Please review review review! Also, favoriting and following are much appreciated!

God Bless!