When Eponine woke up the next morning and tried to sit up, pain shot through her shoulder and chest. Enjolras was on the floor by her bed. She studied him, he didn't look so tough when he slept, he almost looked scared.

"Enjolras" She said in a hush voice, trying to wake him.

Enjolras slowly opened his eyes. She was alive. He couldn't remember ever being so happy in his life! But all he said in his calm cool voice was "Good morning mademoiselle, I hope you're feeling better than last night. When I found you, you were hardly breathing."

Eponine blushed. She was embarrassed he was the one to find her after Montparnasse was done with her. She didn't say anything she just looked at him, her sad brown eyes, were now empty.

"I would have lived, but my thanks to you." She said softly but without emotion.

"That was a chance I was not willing to take." he said, so quietly she could hardly hear.

She looked up, smiled, and took his hand. "I really do thank you." Eponine looked into his eyes, the were deep and grey and his lips, they looked like the moon she thought. And his lips, she wondered what they felt like. "What's the matter with you Ponine?" She thought. "He'd never love you, just like Marius never did."

She leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips as a thanks, an action to her that was simple. She had kissed many, many men before. Sometimes her father would have her kiss his gang members as a reward for their service, sometimes he would make her do more. All those kisses were nothing. This kiss however, this kiss felt like so much more.

As she was pulling away Enjolras could feel Eponine taking his breath away with her. He gently cradled her face in his hand and leaned down and kissed her nose, an action done on a sort of instinct he didn't know he had.

At the touch of his fingers on her face she pulled away. She looked down and her cheeks flushed. "You don't need to take care of me Monsieur, I take care of myself." She told him in a coldly tone, still looking down.

Enjolras sighed. Here he thought he was getting through to this caged bird. He thought maybe she had felt the same things he felt. "I'm only trying to be kind Mademoiselle." He said, using the same cold tone she had.

"I don't want you to pretend to care because you pity me. I've received enough pity in my life. I received pity from the baker when he gave me the bread no one bought at the end of the day. I received pity from my mother, the way she looks at me after my father beats me. I received pity from Cosette, when she looked at be from behind her gate. Worst of all I received pity from Marius, that's all he gave me, pity. I certainly don't need any pity from you." She spat, now angry.

He looked at her and saw the same spark of passion he often felt in himself. The angry, the hatred of the world and dire need for chance no one else but him possessed. "I could not pity someone who has something all the rest of us are missing, no, I envy you." He told her.

Eponine didn't say anything. She was speechless maybe for the first time in her life.

The were interrupted by a knock at the door. Eponine hardly noticed at first, she was too busy looking into Enjolras' eyes, wondering if maybe, the marble statue felt his heart flutter like hers did. Until she hear the voice of the man at the door.

"Eponine." The voice said.

"Marius!" She cried. Sure enough it was Marius, standing there, his arms open to embrace her. She ran, not even noticing the pain in her chest and shoulder, into the arms she, not so long ago nearly died in.

After he released her he looked at Enjolras, "I got your letter and decided you were right, it was about time for me to pay a visit." Marius said. "I just missed my little Ponine and you too much." Eponine blushed and Enjolras looked down.

To Eponine's surprise Marius didn't mention Cosette the whole night, not one. Instead he asked her how it was living with Enjolras, and when would it be safe to come out of hiding so she could come visit him.

"If you promise to still be here in the morning, I'm off to bed." Eponine said with a smile. Enjolras noticed again the sweetness she added to her voice and the spark she had in her eyes when talking to Marius and it made his heart drop, both because Marius would never love her back and because Eponine would never love Enjolras.

After she had left the room Marius turned to Enjolras, "Things are going terribly wrong with Cosette. There is nothing to do and we have little in common. I'm afraid I'm going to call off the wedding." Marius said with no sadness to his voice, but just sort of matter-of-factly.

"I'm sorry to hear that." Enjolras said in the business like tone he usually used when speaking to Marius.

Eponine, she looks well with her hair combed and no dirt on her skin." Marius suddenly said.

"Yes…."

"She is beautiful… wouldn't you say so?" Marius continued.

Enjolras tried to hide his blush. "I suppose so."

"I forgot how much I enjoy being around her." Marius said.

"She never forget how much she likes being around you." Enjolras said, now dropping the business like tone.

"What do you mean?" Marius said confused.

Now Enjolras was a little irritated. "Oh Marius you've had to have know she's in love with you? Her eyes light up when she looks at you and she tends to your every need. She always has been in love with you don't you see?"

"Well, maybe Eponine will marry me instead." Maris said.

Enjolras nearly spat out the tea he was drinking. He eyes became sad and he said in a grave voice, "Marius just make sure you really do love the girl and this isn't just going to be like what happened with Cosette. She has something special to her. She sees things other people don't, the horrors others are immune to. She has spunk and attitude and is completely her own person. However, you have the power to destroy all that. She can't take anymore pain. Once she is destroyed, you'll never come across anyone like her again. Please Marius, please you do this to so many girls, not Eponine. Before you take her away, be sure you love her really."

Marius nodded and looked down at his tea.

Neither men noticed the shadow of a thin, frail girl scatter away from the doorway.