Hey everyone! I'm soooooooo sorry for the long wait! I've been so extremely busy ( and I have to admit I have been goofing around in other fandoms quite a bit...^^"), but I'm back in Les Misérables for now! Though I do not know for how long and how fast I can pick up the story (I have to read every chapter again to make sure I don't make any mistakes for the plotline and stuff... ^^" But I'll do my very best! XD

Disclaimer: I do not own Les Misérables.

Concrete Angel

Chapitre Neuf.

"Bonjour." Joly mumbled as he walked into the classroom occupied by Les Amis.

"Bonjour Joly!" Grantaire sang as he skipped through the room. Enjolras who sat in his seat at the head of the table tried to ignore his friend as he read through his History notes.

"What are you so happy about?" Courfeyrac asked as he walked into the classroom, followed by Prouvaire, Feuilly and Lesgles.

"Because today's going to be a whole lot of fun." Grantaire replied.

"How so?" Courfeyrac asked, slightly confused.

"Don't say you didn't get my mail." Grantaire said, suddenly all happiness out of his voice.

"I don't read mails coming from you."

Grantaire acted as if he'd been shot. "That hurt Courfeyrac. Why in heaven's name not?"

Courfeyrac sighed deeply. "You send me so much mails containing nothing but jokes that my computer recognises them as spam mails."

"Dude, you missed out on some good jokes then." Grantaire said, not bothered by his friend not reading his mails. Somehow he'd suspected it after he didn't get any replies to any of them. From anyone.

"I'll see to it that when it's really important I'll send you a text."

"Please do." Courfeyrac said, sitting down in his seat. "But only if it's really important okay?"

"Sure, sure, my dear friend."

"What was in your mail?" Joly asked as he too sat down in his seat.

"For our mission concerning Eponine's work." Grantaire replied. "I told you guys not to come by car since Eponine comes and goes by bike. It would pull too much attention, not to mention we cannot really follow her that easily around if she decides to take some short cuts or something."

"You've really been thinking this through huh?" Courfeyrac noted.

"Of course."

"Enjolras" Prouvaire spoke up. "Why did we have to come in so soon today as well?"

"A bit patience Prouvaire. We'll wait for the rest to show up before we go into detail."

"I take then that it is of the utmost importance?"

"It is." Enjolras replied, putting his books away, glad to see that the rest of the gang was coming in as well.

Eponine tried her best not to groan as she found her whole body protesting as she once more rode to school. She'd somehow made it through an entire night of cleaning up the mess her father had made without any of her co-workers noticing she was in pain. Her bruises were still purple though, and she'd needed to put on some make-up as well to cover up her still somewhat swollen cheeks. Azelma had not said anything about her going to deliver the newspapers, but she knew what her younger sister thought of it. But instead of trying to keep her from doing it, she'd told her to go to school straight after she was done with her first job, so that she didn't need to move around too much.

Eponine had just nodded at that, but she felt like she wasn't doing enough to help her family out. As if she was failing them. As she rode on, the cold wind swept through her hair and she felt its chilliness soothing against her beaten up skin. Her abdomen still hurt with every move she made, as did her back whenever it was met with something, like the back of a chair or even the strap of her messenger bag, but at least the limping was starting to disappear. Her knee was still swollen, but it didn't hurt as much as it did the day before. Eponine knew though that she had to be careful with it. It wasn't because it didn't hurt as much as before that it was healing properly. She still had to make sure to put enough ointment on it, and to let her knee rest enough. That was easier said than done, especially since she had a very tight schedule when it came to work. Add to that the knowing that the diner was opening up again at a Friday night...she sighed. For Madame Toulouse's sake she hoped none of the clients were too afraid to come by, but she needed some peace and quiet, and only for that did she hope that it wouldn't become too busy.

Bravely she pedalled on, not trying to think too much, but to enjoy the peace she could only feel when she was alone. She nearly wished it to be night already, when she would be going home, with the darkness around her, the stars shining in the sky above. On her own. Peaceful.

As she parked her bike on the school territory she saw some movement through the window where Les Amis were meeting. She frowned at this. A meeting? Without her?

"So this Montparnasse really is a jerk, huh?" Combeferre said.

"Yeah." Enjolras said, after which everyone turned silent.

"So, it's clear I'm going." Prouvaire said, leaving his poetry aside for the time being. "For we cannot leave her alone with him."

"Yeah, and they're already used to us working in pairs." Courfeyrac added.

Enjolras nodded. He and Grantaire had given the rest of Les Amis a detailed retelling of their talk, and their impressions of Montparnasse. It had turned silent around the table when he'd mentioned Grantaire's realisation of the English class.

At this Prouvaire had sighed deeply, not because he didn't want to help Eponine, but because he, as well as the rest, realised that this young lad wasn't the finest of people to defend. They were used to standing up against the teachers and the principal, but they did it knowing they were in the right. But with this Montparnasse figure, they weren't as sure whether or not they were doing to right thing. Every person in the whole world had a right for protection, but when the subject himself was bringing another person in danger, then were lay the limit? And would Montparnasse really keep himself in check if they could get him to cooperate?

"What's with the gloom faces?" They all jumped at the voice which beamed through the entire classroom. They all looked around to find Eponine standing in the doorway.

"A meeting to which I wasn't invited?" she spoke, regarding Enjolras with the same fierceness as normal.

He sighed and looked away. "There are reasons for this." he said.

Eponine's eyes darted to Anne, who looked at her hands laying in her lap. "You too?" she asked as she sat down next to her.

Anne nodded, feeling distressed. She hadn't meant to keep anything from her friend, yet here she was, attending a secret meeting, caught red-handed by her best friend herself. The one who'd come with her to get her into Les Amis in the first place.

"She didn't know you were not invited." Enjolras said, looking the brunette straight in the eyes. A look which she easily countered, and once more Enjolras felt both annoyed with her failing to be intimidated by him, and overly intimidated by the Montparnasse guy they were discussing just a moment ago.

"So I see." Eponine said, suddenly she felt out of place. "Should I go?" she asked, yet her eyes were daring Enjolras to say she should go. Unconsciously she searched Grantaire's eyes, but the boy looked at Enjolras, with whom he exchanged a swift glance.

"No. It concerns you after all." Enjolras spoke after a short silence.

"Then why keep me from the meeting?" Eponine dared to ask, ignoring all the boys looking at her, and keeping her eyes fixed on the raven haired leader.

"We wanted to come up with a solution for a problem concerning you and Monsieur Montparnasse." he said, and immediately the look of fright passed Eponine's face, though she quickly hid it.

"Without me?"

"Yes."

To say Eponine was taken aback was an understatement. "Why?" she asked, her voice smaller than before, her eyes no longer holding anger.

"Monsieur Montparnasse asked for an audience with you, but that didn't seem like a good idea to any one of us." Enjolras said, motioning for the rest of Les Amis.

"You were all in this?" she asked, looking to each and every one of them. They nodded, some clearly bad at ease, others neutral and of course Grantaire nodding with a big, warm smile.

"Do not think bad of us." Combeferre said, getting Eponine's attention. "We're a group. We look out for each other. And to be honest, this Montparnasse is known around the school for not being the best student ever." The tone in which he said it made clear that they knew about his reputation. They really had done their research. It made Eponine wonder how much they actually knew about her. It frightened her a bit.

"That's why we decided to have a chat with him." Eponine flashed her eyes to Enjolras. "Without you." he finished.

"You...went to talk to him?" she asked.

Enjolras nodded. "Me and Grantaire."

Grantaire waved at her with a smile at the mention of his name.

"How did it go?" she asked, clenching her fists, looking down at them.

"Well, he is a funny lad." Grantaire said, trying to lighten the mood.

"We don't trust him." Enjolras said, not beating around the bush. "He wanted a second audience, and we're kind of forced to let you participate in this one."

Eponine nodded. She'd thought this all to be a bad idea. She needed herself in the shadows, not the spotlight. She'd thought it worth the shot if only she could be near Marius, but it seemed so stupid now. She was far from safe, and Marius was still as ignorant as before. What was it all for anyway?

"So." Enjolras continued. "We were discussing how we were going to deal with the second meeting."

"And so far..." Prouvaire began. "We've only gotten as far as to say with certainty that I'll be accompanying you."

At his kind smile and encouraging voice Eponine found herself smiling slightly. She felt out of place. It had been such a long time since someone had actually cared about her that kindness hurt more than the stinging bruises that ran along her whole body. Why was it that the kindness of the boys around her hurt more than a bruise as dark and purple as a ripe grape? It was all twisted. Her world was twisted.

"So, I'm to talk to Montparnasse?" she asked, looking back at Enjolras who nodded slowly. His look grave, as if he was fighting hard to keep his anger at bay.

"When did you talk to him?" Eponine dared to ask as something dawned on her.

"Yesterday."

"So, me going with Lesgles was to keep me out of the way?" she spoke.

"Yes."

"Where?"

"English classroom."

Eponine caught her breath. How close had she been to the precise place where that horrible boy had been waiting for her. Thinking she would be coming alone.

"You're all so stupid." she mumbled. "Trying to keep me out of trouble is only going to give me more."

All turned silent as they watched the dark haired girl stand up. "The only way to deal with people like Montparnasse is to go straight at them." hate dripped off her voice but she couldn't care less. She didn't care that they stared at her through widened eyes, unsure of what she was talking about. Eponine could nearly feel the flame in her chest. The flame seemed to flicker violently, especially as she thought about the note that had stuck to her bike.

"Eponine." Enjolras started, but before he could finish Eponine put up a hand. "Stop it. I'll deal with this myself."

"But..."

"No. No buts." she said, slowly walking away, glad her limping was mostly gone. "Just...leave me for a while."

As soon as she'd left the classroom though, Enjolras looked at Marius, who had been sitting through the whole meeting in silence.

"Marius..." Enjolras spoke. "Will you please talk to her? Whatever she thinks is clearly based on fear. I take it we're all convinced of this right?"

Marius nodded and stood, quickly walking out of the classroom and dashing after the Thénardier girl.

"Enjolras." Courfeyrac spoke.

The said boy looked up. "Yes, Courfeyrac."

"What are we going to do if she doesn't listen to Marius?"

"Let's just wait. She's upset right now, but we need to solve this problem, so whether or not she is ready for it we will do what is necessary."

Courfeyrac nodded, a serious look on his young features. A look shared by all of Les Amis, who understood the sincerity of the case.

"Eponine!"

Eponine stopped in her tracks in the second pairs of stairs, turning to see Marius hurry down the stairs, the butterflies going haywire in her stomach as her name came out of his mouth in his soft tenor voice.

"What?" she asked, unable to keep the unnerved hint out of her voice.

"Please, wait." he said, hurrying to her side where he stopped in his tracks on a stair below her so that they were the same height.

"Why are you all intervening with my problems." Eponine demanded to know, though she knew well enough why that was. It wasn't only her problem anymore. The good reputation of Les Amis was at stake as well. Somehow her private life and her school life had collided, and she didn't like it one bit. She didn't like the way she felt bad because of the kindness the rich boys were showing her. They didn't have to worry about her, yet they did it so naturally. As if it was the most normal thing in the world to worry over someone else.

Marius regarded her for a second. "'Ponine, you don't need to see it that way."

"Then how do I need to see it?" she demanded to know.

He seemed to think about this. "An unfortunate series of events?" he tried.

She rolled her eyes and looked away. If he didn't stir all these kinds of feelings in her, she probably would've left him there on the stairs. But her feet didn't want to move away from her, and her ears wanted nothing else to hear than his kind voice speaking her name.

"Good try."

"Why do you want to take this on by yourself?" Marius asked and at that Eponine had to turn her face away. She couldn't tell him. If she started to tell about why she didn't want to be a burden to anyone, she'd have to tell them about her past with Montparnasse, how at one time she'd been crazy about him, and eventually she'd have to tell them about the businesses in which her parents were involved. If she followed that trail she'd end up with her and her siblings separated in foster families or, in the worst case, in institutions.

"I just cannot have every member of Les Amis prying into my private life." she retorted, clearly steering away from the question at hand.

"'Ponine we aren't going to think less of you..."

"Marius that's not the point!"

"Well, well, what do we have here?" a voice rang through the empty hallway, and Eponine's eyes widened in terror. Marius turned, revealing Montparnasse whose sick smirk couldn't grow bigger.

"What do you want?" Marius asked, positioning himself in front of Eponine.

"I asked for a meeting with the little Mademoiselle behind you, but she didn't show. Now I was wondering whether or not I'd been stood up."

"You haven't." Marius spoke. "As our leader said to you yesterday it is custom for him to have a first audience with a student requesting assistance."

Eponine straightened up soon after her first fear and now stepped down to stand next to Marius. "You should listen carefully when people come to talk about something important during class."

At this Montparnasse glared at her, which did not go unnoticed by Marius.

"Would you mind having that chat now?" he asked, his smirk widening. "There is still half an hour to go before classes start anyway."

Eponine straightened once more. "I'm sorry Montparnasse, but we're in the middle of a meeting."

"So, what are you discussing?"

"My leaving the group." she replied, eyes glaring at him, daring him to question her. He didn't.

"I see. Then I guess I'll have to find someone else in the group which I'd trust enough."

"I'd go for our fearless leader." she spoke "He's really good in talking to people. I'm sure he'll understand when you explain your situation in full detail."

"I'll try him out then." Montparnasse said, eyes glaring at her, filled with hatred.

A short silence befell them before he glanced at his wristwatch. Stolen of course. "Guess I should be going now then. I really hope you don't let her go." he said to Marius before he turned on his heel and walked away.

He then stopped in his tracks, and without turning to Marius and Eponine he spoke. "I surely advise you to not quit Les Amis 'Ponine. I really advice you not to."

Her eyes widened at his evident threat. And a threat from a Montparnasse was never empty.

"'Ponine." she heard Marius speak up when the guy was finally away.

"Yes?" she asked, still glaring down the road on which Montparnasse had disappeared.

"This is something you cannot do alone."

"Sure I can."

"No you cannot."

Eponine glared at Marius for the first time in her life. What did he know? Sure he was on bad terms with his grandfather, but that was all. What did he know about fighting for every meal, to work your ass off for every little thing you needed?

"Let us help you Eponine. This is not about Montparnasse. This is about us wanting to keep you out of his way."

"I don't need help." she sneered at him.

Marius then glared at her. "Sure you don't. Then what did I just see? He's clearly attracted to you. Do you feel confident that you can keep him off of you?"

"Off of me?" she asked, eyes widening at his worries. She burst into a fit of giggles leaving Marius look at her rather taken aback. "You think he's trying to flirt with me?"

"No" Marius looked away, a bit bashful. "I'm talking about more. 'Ponine this guy is known for too many a thing to be a good guy. I doubt he'll turn back from anything once he has his sights set."

"Is Marius Pontmercy worrying about me?" she asked, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Please 'Ponine, come back. Let's talk this through. We'll come up with a solution to this problem without you having to get yourself into danger."

Eponine immediately shook her head. "That's not necessary Marius. I can take care of myself."

"So I've seen." he retorted.

"What do you mean by that?" she dared him to reply.

"You were shaking on your legs the moment he appeared! It was only after I put myself in front of you that you were able to compose yourself! Do not tell me this man doesn't have you frightened in the least."

"Alright, I'll be honest about that." Eponine said. "I'm not fully comfortable with him being in my neighborhoud, but that's all there is to it. I'm not afraid of anybody Marius. I know my way around to much to be afraid of anything or anyone."

Marius then watched her walk off, not noticing her shaky legs and the slight limp. He had to talk to Les Amis about this as soon as possible, and hoped they'd find a way to get her to come back. For her to get the protection she needed. What in the world did she mean with her knowing how to deal with people like him? Was there one specific way to deal with people like that? He was dangerous, so much was clear to him, yet she seemingly turned a blind eye to it.

"Merde." he let out as he leant back against the wall. Eponine was his best female friend he'd ever had. Though he couldn't remember everything they went through when they'd been neighbours, he'd never forget the smile she continuously wore back then. But then, after he left and he finally saw her again at school from a fair distance away, he couldn't help but notice that she didn't smile as carefree as she did way back when. Of course, situations change, but he'd never found her smiling like she'd done then, and slowly it had begun to annoy him. As her friend, he'd try to get her to smile more often, until that carefree smile returned to her face. Until she once more looked as red as a tomato because of a laughing fit.

Looking at the ceiling he made this silent vow to get her back to Les Amis.

Okay, this was so not supposed to happen! I don't know why the characters no longer listen to me! This chapter was supposed to deal with just Les Amis following Eponine to her working place, but then this came out! OMG it nearly turned into MariusXEponine for God's sake! O.o It seems my stories like to keep me occupied and in a lot of trouble to find out exactly where it's going! O.o God stand by me. ^^"