A/N: Sorry this update took so long! My life has gotten really crazy in the last month, and I'm about to be going abroad for two weeks, so I'm not sure when I'll update next. In the meantime, enjoy the rescue of Azelma! You know the drill - read, review, and most of all, enjoy!

Enjolras called Combeferre the next day around 7:30 a.m. He was eager to to put together a solid case to take to court, and his overwhelmingly good mood from reconciling with Éponine hadn't gone away. Everything seemed to be going well for him again, now that the strife between them was gone. The weight that had been lifted off his shoulders when he kissed her that morning was still gone, and it wasn't showing any signs of coming back. Which was fine with Enjolras.

"Hello?" Combeferre answered.

"Combeferre, it's Enjolras," he said. "I know it's early, but I need your help with something important, and…I have some news for you."

"What kind of news?" his friend asked, his interest clearly piqued.

Enjolras couldn't help but grin. "Very good news. Come over to my apartment and we'll talk."

Enjolras spent the next few minutes transcribing the most important entries from his father's journal as he waited for Combeferre to arrive. He laid out several pieces of paper in a timeline, spanning the full four years his father kept the journal. Carefully, he placed his transcriptions in the appropriate places, being sure to make note of places where his father mentioned his mother's worsening depression, or anything involving Fantine and her daughter. Finally, the sound of a knock on the door interrupted him.

"It's open!" he called out without looking up from his work.

His sandy-haired best friend entered, locking the door behind him with an impressed look on his face. "You've been busy, I see."

Enjolras chuckled. "I had to keep myself occupied somehow."

'Ferre laughed as well. "Fair enough. Now, what exactly is this news that you used to entice me here at such an early hour of the morning?"

The Leader stood up to fully face his friend, grinning from ear to ear. "I reconciled with Éponine yesterday morning, after the rest of you left. She loves me, and I love her. I finally forgave her, 'Ferre. For everything. And it was the best decision I've ever made."

"You're sure it's for the best?" Combeferre asked a little hesitantly.

Enjolras' face grew a little darker. "Why wouldn't it be? We talked about it, and we were both significantly unhappier without each other. I'm not carrying around all this anger and bitterness anymore. I just feel…better."

"Enjolras, you have to be careful not to be completely dizzy with the dame," Combeferre reasoned as gently as he could. "Forgive me if I echo your father when I say this, but she did lie to you. And if she did it once, she's likely to do it again."

"Don't," Enjolras growled. "I won't hear it."

Combeferre sighed. "I just don't want you to get hurt again, Enjolras."

"I'm not turning my back on her this time, 'Ferre," he insisted. "And she's not turning her back on me. We're certain about this."

His best friend decided not to push it any further. "Alright. Now, why did you want my help?"

"Éponine actually recommended that I talk to you," he said. "You were there the day Fantine came into the office, now I'm trying to figure out how to present a solid case against my father in court." He moved to the timeline. "This is what I have so far…"

Combeferre was honestly starting to wonder what had gotten into his best friend. In law school, Enjolras had always been the one they turned to when they needed someone detached, someone who could keep a level head. He didn't know if it was just the nature of this case getting to him, or something else going on with him…

"Combeferre!" he heard his name down the street, startling him out of his thoughts. He looked up, and a woman was waving at him.

Not just any woman, but Éponine.

She wasn't exactly the last woman he wanted to see, but she was damn close. Nonetheless, he put on a smile and approached her. "Hello, Éponine," he said a little tiredly. "I trust you're well?"

"Quite, thank you," she smiled. "Have you seen Enjolras today?"

"I was actually just coming from his apartment," Combeferre said, pointing back towards it. "He's really getting wrapped up in this case he's taking on…" he leaned in towards her and murmured, "I take it he's told you everything?"

She nodded. "I'm worried about him."

Combeferre nodded, mostly to himself. "I am, too. His father has always been a great attorney…"

"And it looks like this case will really be taking its toll on him," she added; he nodded in agreement. "I want to help him, but I don't know how…" she said, trailing off a little.

He looked at her skeptically. "In matters of the law, I don't think you can offer much help. Especially not with a case this complex."

"But I can help him," she said stubbornly.

Combeferre sighed. "Just be careful, Éponine. Remember…not everyone is your friend." With nothing else to say, he walked away, leaving Éponine feeling very confused, and just a little lost.

She paced the tiny flat, wringing her hands and trying not to whimper with fear as she listened to the steadily-falling rain outside. She knew that Montparnasse had to find out where she'd gone eventually. The man had eyes and ears everywhere, somehow. Azelma was willing to bet money that it was the main reason he kept committing crimes in order to go back to prison – more connections out in the world, more people to talk to him.

After she saw Éponine in the hospital, she knew that she had to get out of the city. Someone would tell her father where she'd been, like always, and then God only knew what would happen when she got home. With what little pocket change she had – and an unwitting donation from a passerby – she used a phone to call her mother's sister on Manhattan Island. Azelma had been staying at her apartment since, too afraid to go back to New York City, and too afraid to contact her sister.

In the midst of her frantic pacing, she suddenly sat down on the sofa to think about Éponine, her beloved sister. Azelma wondered if she had recovered from that courtroom shooting, if she was still in the hospital…the thought of what might have befallen her genuinely scared Azelma, more than any threat she'd ever gotten from Montparnasse. Her sister had been her idol for as long as she could remember, and Azelma couldn't stand the thought of losing her.

Without realizing it, she had picked up the phone. She held it in her lap, almost mesmerized by it. She knew the number by heart; she knew she could call. It would just take a few turns of her finger…

Azelma sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. What was she thinking? She couldn't just pick up the phone and call Éponine out of nowhere, after she had just disappeared…she felt so lost and confused to the point that she wanted to cry, but she refused. Come on, 'Zelma. Be strong. What would 'Ponine do?

Her mind made up, she dialed. Her heart was pounding as she heard the ringing on the other end of the line, wondering if this was really a good idea…would she even answer the phone? She sat rooted on the sofa, holding the receiver to her ear. It rang seven times before Azelma decided to hang up. Éponine always answered the phone by then. Where else could she be?

Azelma's eyes fell on the phone book sitting in front of her. She pulled it onto her lap, leafing through the pages until she found the name she was looking for. She carefully turned the numbers, keeping the receiver to her ear, and waited for the phone to ring.

Enjolras was surprised to hear his phone ring only a few minutes after Combeferre left. He didn't usually get calls in the middle of the day; at least, not unless it was Fantine. He walked casually over to the receiver and picked it up. "Hello? You've reached Richard Enjolras, Jr."

"Mr. Enjolras, it's Azelma."

He nearly dropped the phone in shock. "Azelma! Are you alright? Your sister's been worried sick."

"I'm fine," she said immediately. "I'm staying on the DL for a little while, hoping Montparnasse will lose my scent long enough that I can come back to New York City soon."

"Where did you go after the hospital?"

"To my mother's sister on Manhattan Island. She would have sued for custody of all of us after Mama died if she hadn't been so afraid of Papa and Patron-Minette."

It angered Enjolras to hear of the sway Thénardier had held over everyone he met, even before he had begun to hurt Éponine and her siblings, but he pushed it aside. "How much longer do you think you'll need to stay out of town? You're always welcome to come stay with me, or any of my friends from law school if you need to. They'd be happy to keep you for as long as you'd like to stay."

Azelma paused. Was endangering Ép's lawyer boyfriend like this really a good idea? One Thénardier woman in his life was surely enough, and she didn't want to impose on his friends…

He interrupted her train of thought when he spoke again. "Azelma, are you truly safe where you are?"

She sighed, knowing she wasn't. "No, I'm not."

"Then let one of us keep you. It's not an imposition or a danger to anyone, so long as you stay low."

She nodded, before realizing that Enjolras couldn't see her over the phone. "Alright," she said.

"Very good. I'll get in touch with them and with Éponine, and we'll be on our way to get you as soon as the sun goes down tonight," he said, grabbing a pencil and paper. "Where are you staying?"

"23 Grove Street. West Village, Manhattan."

Enjolras scrawled down the address as she read it off. "Perfect. We'll come pick you up as soon as we can. You're going to be alright, Azelma. I promise."

"Thank you, Mr. Enjolras."

"Call me Richard, Azelma."

She hung up with a click, just as there was a knock on his door. "Come in!" he called loudly. A bit to his surprise, Éponine was the one to walk in, wearing a pretty blue dress and simple shoes. His heart fluttered a little, the way it always did when he saw her, and he went over to embrace her. "Hello, you," he murmured in her ear.

"Mmh, hello," she murmured back in his ear. Enjolras smiled to himself, placing a gentle kiss on his lover's lips. Lover. It was never a word he thought he would use to describe Éponine, but he was perfectly happy to do so. "How are you?"

He paused, before deciding to cut to the chase. "I just got off the phone with Azelma. I know where she is."

Her eyes immediately grew wide in shock, and she gasped quietly. "Azelma called? How did she get your phone number?"

He shrugged. "Phone book, I suppose. She told me she's with your mother's sister on Manhattan Island."

"Aunt Liliane," she smiled. "She was always our favorite. Can we go down to Manhattan Island tonight to get her?"

"That was my plan," Enjolras said. "We can bring Combeferre, Joly and Grantaire; along with you and me, that'll fill up my car. She gave me the address, and it doesn't seem like it should be a long drive."

"Is she still on Grove Street?"

"That's what Azelma said."

Éponine nodded. "Then it won't be a long drive at all," she said. "When do we leave?"

"Be here at nightfall."

She nodded again. "Great; I'll be here."

Unprompted, Enjolras walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her tiny frame. Every time he held her, he was surprised all over again at how small she really was. He let his cheek rest on the top of her head, trying not to think about everything else on his mind. "I love you, Éponine," he murmured into her hair.

"I love you too," she answered into his chest.

He tilted her chin up to kiss her sweetly. "Éponine…could you consider a proposal for me?"

She raised an eyebrow, pulling back from him a bit. "What kind of proposal are we talking?"

He chuckled quietly. "Would you be willing to stay with me until all of this blows over? What with Montparnasse being after you and your sister…I don't think it's a good idea for you to be alone in your apartment."

Éponine paused. This was certainly a good option for her, but what about for him? "But…I'm technically supposed to be on trial," she said slowly. "What about your reputation? As a man, as a lawyer – "

Enjolras cut her off with another slow kiss. "You talk too much," he smiled, and she couldn't help but chuckle. "So? Is that a yes or a no?"

She tried not to smile. "It's a yes. Want me to bring a bag by here before we leave tonight?"

He grinned back. "That'll work perfectly," he answered, kissing her forehead. "Thank you, Éponine."

"For what?" she asked, picking up her purse to leave.

He smiled. "For letting me protect you…and live up to my name."

She tilted her head to one side. "What do you mean?"

"My middle name is Heiland, as you noticed from the journal," he explained. "In Dutch, it means 'Savior.' So I suppose I'm thanking you for letting me save you."

Éponine hugged him again. "Thank you for wanting to save me," she whispered in his ear. "I love you."

She spent the rest of the afternoon sifting through her most important possessions and throwing them haphazardly into a suitcase. After all, this was only going to be a temporary arrangement…right? Just until Montparnasse cooled down. There was no way she was going to be able to stay with him forever…unless…

Éponine sat down on the edge of her bed, trying to think about what the hell she was doing. Why had she so suddenly agreed to stay with Enjolras? Yes, she loved him, but if anyone found out about this, she could be doing serious damage to his reputation as a lawyer. Not to mention the fact that Montparnasse would probably still be able to track them down, and then he would be in harm's way.

She sighed quietly, rubbing her temples. What was it about this man that made her consider even the insane to be a completely viable option? Éponine couldn't help but laugh to herself at the way she'd fallen so quickly for him. He was the first man that had actually treated her well, like she was a human being. Her whole life, she had craved someone who would be good to her, but she never expected it to happen.

Until him.

She smiled again to herself. Yes, she was making the right decision. She knew it was right.

When the sun was halfway hidden by the horizon, there was a knock on Enjolras' door. Startled out of his planning, he went to check through the peephole in the door. Grinning, he opened it to let Éponine in, who was carrying a small black bag that she tossed down on the couch. Enjolras grinned, hugging her tightly. "I'm glad you're staying here," he murmured in her ear.

She couldn't help but smile against his chest. "Me too, darling." They kissed once before she asked, "When are the rest of the boys coming?"

"They should be here soon," he answered, checking his pocket watch. "If 'Ferre can drag Grantaire out of his apartment, that is. Since the speakeasies started shutting down, he's taken to using independent suppliers to get drunk."

Éponine laughed. "Let's hope he can."

Not two minutes later, the two men in question had arrived; Grantaire was remarkably sober. "Caught this one just before he was going to open a bottle," Combeferre laughed. "Joly called from his office and said he'd be here around 6:30."

Enjolras consulted his pocketwatch. "Only a few more minutes. Let's hope he's early; I want to get to Manhattan Island as soon as we can. Éponine, how long should it take to get Azelma out of your aunt's house?"

"I doubt she took very much with her, so unless my aunt's in a chatty mood, it won't take long," Éponine said. We learned at an early age to travel light, if we ever had to go anywhere."

He nodded, going to answer the door at the sound a knock. "Good." When Joly came through the door, he grinned. "Alright, let's head out."

The trip to Manhattan Island was fairly quick, if rather quiet. Enjolras was driving, Éponine rode shotgun and navigated, and Joly and Grantaire shared the backseat. No one said much, apart from Éponine giving directions to Enjolras, but there wasn't much to be said, until he quietly pulled up in the driveway and turned off the car. "Alright. How do you want to handle this, Éponine?"

"I want just you and I to go in," she said. "It'll be quicker for us to get her out with fewer people."

Enjolras nodded. "Then let's go."

The two of them quietly crept to the door, and Éponine gently knocked three times. "Azelma?" she murmured. "Azelma, it's me Éponine. Enjolras is with me; we're getting you out of here."

A moment later, the door clicked open. "'Ponine!" her sister whispered, embracing her tightly. Éponine held her sister close, gently rubbing her back. "I'm so glad you're safe," she murmured.

"I'll take your bag, Azelma," Enjolras offered. With a nod, the young woman handed him the small knapsack containing the sum total of what she'd managed to grab from her father' house before running away.

"I left a note from Aunt Liliane, explaining that I was going back to the city to stay with friends," Azelma said as they left the house. "She shouldn't worry too much when I'm gone in the morning."

Enjolras opened the back door of the car. "Gentlemen, keep this at your feet," he murmured. "Azelma will be sitting between you." They nodded, and Joly stepped out of the car to let her in. Éponine and Enjolras resumed their posts in the car, and Enjolras quickly pulled out of the driveway. "Alright, Azelma. Where would you like to stay?" he asked as he left the neighborhood.

"I can keep her," Grantaire offered. "I have an extra bedroom in the back of my apartment, and enough food to keep us both full for as long as she'd like to stay."

She smiled shyly. "Thank you for your hospitality, Mr.…"

"Alan Grantaire," he smiled, offering a hand, which she shook. "Just call me Grantaire. And it's not a problem at all."

Éponine could see Enjolras clenching and unclenching his jaw as he drove, and she gently reached over to put a hand on his knee. "Give him a chance, Enjolras," she murmured. "He's sober now, isn't he?"

"Yes, but this is an incredibly rare occasion," he muttered through clenched teeth. "I've known him for years, Éponine. He's far too fond of the drink for your sister's good."

She chuckled. "It's been said that my sister is often a good influence on people," she smiled. "Let's see if she can work her magic on Grantaire."

By the end of the night, Éponine was glad that she was staying with Enjolras. She had been so worried about retrieving her sister that it was a relief not to go back to her apartment for the night. He locked the door behind them once they were in, clearly still stewing over Grantaire's offer to keep Azelma. "Just go get some sleep, Enjolras," she half-yawned, nearly collapsing onto the couch.

He chuckled when he saw her looking so childlike. "You sure you want to sleep out here? I have a spare bedroom, you know."

"I'm not moving," she grumbled through the pillow.

Enjolras couldn't help but smile. "Fine," he laughed, kissing her forehead. "Goodnight, Éponine. I love you."

Even though she was already asleep, he almost thought he heard, "I love you too."

A/N: Aren't they sweet? :) Please review!