Well. Hello, everyone! So, as anyone who follows my stories knows, this semester was TERRIBLE, and I didn't even have time to read fan fiction, much less write it. But, summer break is at last here, and hopefully, I will be writing much, much more now! So, without further ado, finally, have chapter eight of Something Suddenly Has Begun!

~Rosey

Chapter Eight:

When little Julien and Etienne arrived at the Combeferre home, Enjolras suddenly found himself feeling quite shy and out of place, looking up at the modest house with wide blue eyes. He silently tugged on Combeferre's hand, causing his older friend to kneel down to look at the tiny blond gently. "Yes?"

"I… Will I be a bother to your parents?" Julien asked in a small voice, rocking back and forth on his heels a little. "I don't want to burden them…"

"Julien, I promise you," Etienne put a gentle hand to his friend's blond curls. "They are going to adore you. Any smart and kind person would."

"I don't know about that," Enjolras mumbled quietly. "But I am very glad you think so."

"I know so," the bespectacled child pressed the blond's hand gently. "Come on. I want you to meet my Mamman."

Julien bit his lip and nodded a little, holding onto Ferre's hand with a tight grasp as they walked up the porch and into the house. Upon entering, Enjolras knew that this was a special place to be. Unlike his cold, stoical, hostile-feeling house, this one was small and homey, filled with glowing candle light and the smell of warm food. At the stove stood a slightly plump older lady, with smile lines around her eyes and mouth and hair the same color as Etienne's. She turned at the sound of the door opening, and upon seeing the two young boys in the doorway she grinned, going over to greet them.

"Welcome home, darling!" she smiled warmly as she dropped a kiss to Combeferre's hair. When she saw the mop of blond curls behind her son, another small smile spread across her face and she knelt down to be eye level with the tiny boy. "And you must be Julien, hmm?"

Enjolras poked his head around Ferre's side and gave a little nod, keeping a firm grip on Etienne's hand. "Yes madame, I am. Thank you very, very much for having me over for the night."

Madame Combeferre smiled and gently pressed Enjolras's free hand, her eyes kind and loving. "Dearest, it's our pleasure."

Etienne smiled widely as he pulled Enjolras inside the house and closed the door behind them. "What smells so good, Mamman?"

"We're having broiled chicken and sweet rolls tonight," she grinned, going back over to the stove. "Does that sound good to you, Julien?"

The small blond instantly nodded with wide blue eyes. "Yes, very good."

Combeferre beamed widely. "That's my favorite! Do you want me to get the girls ready for dinner?"

"That would be lovely, dear," Madame Combeferre kissed her son's head again. "Introduce them to Julien!"

"Alright!" Etienne nodded happily as he took Enjolras's hand again and began leading him towards the stairs. "Come on, Julien! You can meet my sisters!"

Enjolras just wordlessly followed, having never met 'girls' before and quite honestly being rather anxious about it. After leading the young blond up a flight of modest stairs and down a little hallway, Etienne opened the door to the nursery and stepped inside, gesturing for Enjolras to follow. Inside the room, a baby was asleep in a crib and a two-year-old with strawberry blond curls was playing with dolls on the floor. When the door opened, the toddler glanced up and gave Etienne a wide, youthful smile as he brother grinned down at her happily. "Hello, Amelie!"

Julien hung back by the door, very hesitant about taking another step in the room. He had never met anyone younger than him before, and seeing the tiny girls made him very afraid that if he so much as breathed the wrong way he would potentially harm them. Etienne, however, seemed to have no such qualms as he looked over his shoulder and gestured for Enjolras to come join him in the room. "Julien, come on in and say hello! It's alright."

Enjolras took a single step into the room, halting there and mumbling shyly. "Hello. I am Julien."

Amelie just looked at him for a moment with wide green eyes before giggling happily and trying to toddle over to him. Etienne smiled warmly and called softly to his younger friend. "Hold your arms out. She's just starting to walk!"

Looking quite anxious, Enjolras did as he was told, watching the toddler curiously. She slowly stumbled over to him, falling against him when she reaches his arms, giggling happily. Combeferre grinned happily, jumping up and down a little in joy. "She likes you!"

Julien winced a little, looking up from the tiny child in his arms. "I do not think I like her as much as she likes me."

Amelie reached up a pudgy hand to touch Julien's blond curls, giggling happily. "Pwetty!"

Etienne laughed, good-natured, and went over to scoop the tiny girl into his arms. "She takes some getting used to."

"I did not say she could touch my hair," Julien grumbled with an adorable pout on his lips, trying to smooth his curls back into place.

"She's too little to understand about personal space yet. She's not a big kid like you are," Ferre smiled softly at his young companion. "She's still learning."

Enjolras nodded a little, biting his lip, before looking over at the other tiny child in the crib. "She's so little…"

Combeferre walked over to the crib and smiled. "Yes. She's only three months old."

The blond's blue eyes grew wide and he looked anxiously up at Combeferre. "I'm afraid I'll break her."

Etienne smiled and gently set Amelie down by her dolls, mumbling gently, "Play for a few more minutes while I get Claire," before turning to Enjolras and smiling. "Go sit in that chair over there, alright?"

With even wider eyes, Enjolras nodded a little before trotting over to the chair Ferre had pointed out, scrambling up and sitting in it as his older friend gently picked up the sleeping baby from her crib. He then went over and gently placed Claire in Enjolras's lap, still holding her but letting his little friend help. "See? You won't break her."

Julien looked down with wide, curious blue eyes before wrinkling his little nose. "She's smelly, Ferre."

The older boy wrinkled his own nose and nodded. "I need to change her diaper. You don't have to help with that, it's gross. Can you take Amelie down to my mother? I'll be there in a second."

At hearing her name, Amelie scurried over on toddling legs to Julien's side, a wide grin on her face. Enjolras looked down at her, speaking hesitantly. "Hello."

Amelie grinned up at him and waved a little hand. "Pwetty!"

Confused, Enjolras rose an eyebrow. "What's pretty?"

Giggling, the little girl pointed happily up at him. "Pwetty!"

Very red now, Enjolras took her hand as Combeferre had taken his when they went on walks together, leading her towards the door. "I am not pretty. I am Julien. Now come along I am going to take you downstairs like Etienne said."

After a few mishaps on the stairs, the two tiny children made it into the kitchen where Amelie laughed happily and toddled towards her mother gleefully. "Mamman!"

Madame Combeferre smiled widely, sweeping Amelie into a hug and putting her into a high chair. "Thank you for bringing her down, Julien! You are so very helpful. Now why don't you come join us?"

Enjolras looked up with wide blue eyes, still hovering in the doorway. "May I? It is alright?"

"Of course it is," Combeferre's mother spoke gently, going over to kneel in front of him and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I've already set a place for you next to Etienne."

Biting his lip a little anxiously, Enjolras followed her to the table and pulled himself up into the chair. "Thank you very much."

Just then, Etienne came down stairs and handed Claire to his mother before smiling over at Enjolras. "Thank you for helping, Julien! If can be difficult to occupy Amelie while I change Claire. You're very helpful."

Unused to hearing such supportive words from anyone other than his own mother, Julien gave a tiny nod, a pink blush covering his nose. "You are very most welcome."

Etienne smiled warmly as he sat down next to his friend. "Will Papa be home soon?"

At the mention of "Papa," Enjolras looked up with wide blue eyes, anxious despite Etienne's reassurances. Madame Combeferre smiled warmly and took a seat at the table as Combeferre took his friend's hand reassuringly. "Very soon. He should be home within ten minutes or so."

Fidgeting nervously now, Julien spoke in a smaller voice. "Should I go brush my hair or fix my jacket?"

"No, no you look fine," Etienne pressed his hand gently. "Besides, doing those kind of things is kind of pointless when there's a two-year-old in the house whose favorite thing is hair."

After this reassurance, Etienne and his mother began talking happily about what they both had done that day, while Claire played happily with her blanket and Amelie rambled on and on to Julien in two-year-old speak. But Enjolras wasn't really paying any attention. His eyes were trained on the door, wide and anxious. He wasn't more sure who he was worried about coming through the door. Monsieur Combeferre who he felt desperate to please, or his own father. Whom he was terrified would show up and ruin this taste of safety that he finally had.

And there's chapter eight! Finally! Next chapter we finally get to meet Monsieur Combeferre! Will he be the father Enjolras might never get to have? We shall have to see!

Please, if you can, review!

Stay revolutionary!

~Rosey