The nearest hospital turned out to be just on the outskirts of Paris. It was small, and like most hospitals, run by a convent of nuns. He didn't trust himself to return to LaVigne without killing him for ever laying a hand on Eponine. He let Combeferre talk to the sisters and paced as they took Eponine into their crude form of emergency care. Every fiber in his body was pulsing with hot anger .He felt as if his blood was boiling.

"Enjolras," Combeferre called softly. "I'll go to the Musain and let everyone know what is happening. I'll send Joly back. He is more experienced in this field."

"No, no. You are the medical student. You stay here. I'll go," the blonde shook his head, straightening his coat.

"Mon ami," his bespectacled friend placed a hand on his shoulder. "We both know who she will need beside her when she wakes up. You need to stay," he said firmly.

"Combeferre I can't," Enjolras whispered. As he did so, he pictured Eponine. He saw her strong and defiant as she left his apartment, but that quickly shifted into the vision he had just seen. Thinner than she'd ever been, bruised, broken, pale, and bleeding. He couldn't bear to see her that way. She would hate it. She was too strong for that. Why had she allowed it? As the questions sent his head into a flurry, the flame under his heart ignited and the crack in the marble began to grow into a gaping chasm. He knew in that moment that he could not lose her again. Combeferre saw the realization in his friends eyes and nodded, turning to leave. Enjolras' thoughts turned to the information they had discovered in the carriage. Eponine was with child. She was going to bring a child into the world and undoubtedly the child belonged to that monster, LaVigne. She must have been terrified as she was so young and unmarried and did not know anything other than a life of terror and crime. But true to her strength she had been planning to escape back to Paris. Enjolras was sick with himself. She had needed help and he had pushed everyone away from her. It was only ten minutes later that one of the sisters approached him calmly.

"Monsieur?"

"Oui Madame?"

"The mademoiselle you brought in…what is her name?"

"Eponine?"

"What is her surname?"

"I don't know," he lied. He didn't want to risk her being refused treatment because of her family's reputation.

"How did she come to receive these injuries?" the nurse pushed on. Enjolras frowned.

"I cannot say for certain unfortunately. I have my suspicions, but did not see anything," the lawyer in him came out as he analyzed the position he found himself in. "I was visiting a man on business. When he left the room in a rush my friend and I became suspicious. We rushed after him when we heard a woman scream. We found her like that and bargained for her safety. But because we did not see anything and all we have is her word if she decides to talk about it…I cannot press charges. It was not until we got into the carriage to rush here that we recognized her as a close friend of ours. She has been away for a few months, though she did not tell us why she was going," he explained wearily. The sister pursed her lips and sighed.

"Well monsieur I am sad to hear that. She is alive, I assure you, and most of her injuries were fairly minor. The most severe was three fractured ribs, but luckily they did not pierce her lungs. She is severely malnourished and weak, though. She'll need plenty of rest. Please be aware Monsieur that she may not be the friend you remember for a long time…maybe ever again. These things are not meant to happen and they have such an effect on young women," she tapered off, brows knit in worry. Enjolras was confused at first. He did not want to believe what his brain was logically jumping to.

"I'm sorry sister I don't understand. What happened to Eponine?" the nun blinked.

"Monsieur whatever blows she took caused her to lose her unborn child," she whispered. His heart dropped. "You can go see her. She is awake, but unresponsive. We didn't even tell her…she just knew that the babe was gone. She didn't cry out or sob like most do. She's simply staring into nothing. Monsieur I've never seen anything quite like it. It appears as though she's just empty inside," the nurse warned as she led Enjolras to the correct bed, separated by fabric from the other beds. Eponine was staring at the opposite direction, lying in the bed. She looked even smaller and sicker on the clean bed. But what scared Enjolras the most was the lifelessness of her skin and the limpness of her arms. He sat down on the chair beside her bed, but she didn't turn to look at him.

"Eponine," he said softly. Her head snapped at the sound of the voice she'd been remembering for months. She stared into his eyes, reading all the regret, relief, anger, and love in his eyes. Overwhelmed, she broke eye contact, letting her fears and sadness finally take over. She choked back a sob and curled her knees up to her chest, holding onto her legs for dear life. Enjolras only halted for a moment before moving to sit on the bed beside her, shifting her onto his lap and wrapping his arms around her small form. "Oh Ponine, you're not on your own anymore. I will always be near," he promised in a whisper. She said nothing, but turned her face to cry into his chest and stayed that way until she fell asleep. He didn't dare move her. He had crossed the threshold with her when he made her that promise. There was no going back, no more shutting out any emotions. He no longer had the weight of the world to worry about, only Eponine. A part of him was incredibly distressed. He couldn't give up his revolution entirely. He still cared deeply for Patria and the welfare of all of France's citizens. But as he stroked Eponine's face he realized she needed him more in that moment. He knew that she wouldn't ever demand all his attention or want him to give up on the revolution entirely. At least, the Eponine he once knew wouldn't have asked that of him. But this Eponine was in such pain that he felt compelled to heal her before anything else. He didn't move her until Joly appeared, tailed by Marius. Enjolras gave Pontmercy a hard glare, but he just held his hands up in defense with a smile. When his eyes landed on Eponine, his smile fell. The revolutionary leader with the newly thawed heart (thawed for Eponine at least) carefully laid Eponine on the bed before giving the boys a pointed look and walking out to the front, away from the resting patients.

"What's wrong with her?" Marius demanded immediately.

"Yes Mon Ami did the nurses tell you of her injuries? I must say she does look pale," Joly fussed.

"That would be from exhaustion and lack of proper food for months. I suspect she's been a prisoner in LaVigne's home since she left us. As per her injuries she has three fractured ribs and several bruises of varying degrees. She'll survive, but unfortunately the child did not," Enjolras managed to explain with a clenched jaw and tight fists. Both of his friends widened their eyes, though it was Marius who spoke.

"Eponine was with child?" he asked incredulously. Enjolras only nodded in response.

"Why were you holding her then? Mon dieu! Enjolras was it your child?"

"NO!" Enjolras seethed, internally groaning. "I would never have done such a thing to an unmarried woman, let alone let her leave!" Marius seemed embarrassed for once.

"Forgive me for assuming my friend," Marius looked down at the floor. "It is just such a shock to me. She was one of my closest friends. I'd assume she would have confided in me."

"Well firstly it didn't happen until after she'd left. That's why she was trying to get back. But it wouldn't matter you never listened to a thing she said Pontmercy!" Enjolras argued darkly.

"I admit I can be a bit airy at times, but I care about Eponine. You can't deny that Enjolras," Marius snapped back.

"Stop it," Joly ordered. For once his face was utterly grim as he looked between his friends. "We are not at a meeting discussing politics. This is no place for arguments. It is a place of healing and if you two cannot respect that, as a doctor I must insist you leave," he watched as they both sighed and nodded in agreement. "Whatever it is between the two of you no longer matters. All that matters now is taking care of Eponine. When she wakes up she will undoubtedly be in a lot of pain physically as well. Ribs are very tricky injuries. They will heal, but she will have to be on constant rest and her movement will be limited. Undoubtedly that will frustrate her more than anything else."

"I'm not so sure Joly. I think our problem will be getting her out of bed once her ribs are healed," Enjolras murmured, rubbing his temples.

"What do you mean?" Marius frowned.

"She's broken mon amis. She is not the Eponine we knew. She cried in my arms till she fell asleep. I don't know how we are going to get her back."

"Then that will be our priority. LeMarque will not be well enough to fight for our case in Parliament for another few weeks anyway. We shall have to wait it out," Joly's brilliant smile returned as he headed over to one of the nuns to ask if Eponine would be allowed to recover outside of the hospital. Enjolras sighed, but nodded. It was time to bring Eponine home.

(Line break)

When Eponine opened her eyes next, it took a few minutes for her to remember what was happening and another few minutes to figure out where she was. The surroundings were familiar, though distant. She was in the bedroom she had once occupied in Enjolras' flat. It was a little different though, as most of Grantaire's things had been moved out. The room was bare, but Eponine did not take long to revel in the feeling of security and warmth. She immediately began to sit up, but cried out in shock and pain as she realized that her ribs were tightly bound and a few of them definitely felt broken. With a frustrated sigh, she relaxed into the pillow. A curly haired brunette appeared at the door, glasses on a smiling face.

"Eponine you're awake! I'm glad to see you looking at least a little better. Gavroche has been over here at least once an hour asking after you. I told him you needed your rest of course," he began to ramble but stopped when he noticed his female friend was not listening to a word he said. Her eyes were on her hands which were folded in her lap. Combeferre knew she would not listen to him and he didn't want Gavroche to see his sister in such a vulnerable state. He quickly retrieved Enjolras, who sat beside Eponine on the bed and placed a hand over hers.

"Eponine, you can't shut everyone out. They're all worried sick about you," he said softly. Touching her had become easier, necessary even. Something he had once feared seemed like the only thing that would bring her out of the dark whole she was in. She moved her head to face him, but did not raise her eyes.

"I can't," the words came out small and her voice cracked as she said them; tears immediately began trailing down her cheeks and Enjolras wrapped her in a tight embrace. She didn't lean into him like she had before. He felt her muscles stiffen and her head turned away from him.

"Don't do this Eponine. You're stronger than this. Gavroche needs you. The boys all need you," he pleaded with her, taking her chin in his hand and forcing her to look into his eyes. "I need you Eponine," he all but begged her.

"You can't depend on me! NO ONE CAN!" the volume in her voice rose suddenly. She yanked herself from his arms and stood, ignoring the pain and his protests. "You don't understand! NONE OF YOU UNDERSTAND. I was all she had in the world. My only responsibility was to keep her alive! And I failed her, just like I have always failed Gavroche and Zelma and all of you. Gavroche lives on the street, Enjolras! Azelma is forced to live as a slave in her own home. I couldn't even follow my father's rules long enough to get either of them out. I have always failed them, but never as much as I failed Mariette. She's gone! SHE'S DEAD and it's all my fault!" Enjolras stayed quiet for a full minute, watching as Eponine sat back down on the bed, placing her head and her hands and murmuring the same words over and over My fault…My fault…My fault…

"You named her after Marius?"

"No," she shook her head.

"After you. Mariette means little rebel, Enjolras."

"Oh Ponine," he took her hands once more and this time she willingly looked into his eyes. "It is absolutely NOT your fault. None of that has ever been your fault. Gavroche and Azelma live terrible lives because your parents are monsters. YOU lived a terrible life because your parents are monsters. Your baby died because that bastard LaVigne killed her," he went along with the assumption that the child had been a female, not knowing how she could have possibly known. "But Ponine I promise that will never happen again. I will not let that happen again. I'm so sorry I couldn't admit it sooner to you, but I need you here with me. I…I love you Eponine," he whispered, placing his forehead against hers. "And I'm so so sorry that I couldn't admit it earlier. If you hadn't left none of this would have happened." She put a shaky hand over his mouth.

"Please don't. This is not your fault. And I…I think that I might have loved you too," she looked at him with pained eyes. "But what kind of love do I have to offer you now? My heart has been squeezed, stomped on, broken, and ripped out of my chest entirely. I have no heart to love with. I have no love left to give anyone," she cried out. Enjolras took her hand and placed it on her chest, under his hand.

"It's still there Eponine. It is beating strong, like it always has. Nothing will take that from you. There may be pieces missing and it may be damaged, but that is what makes it stronger. Eponine my heart has been still for so long, hidden away from anything except for my passion for freedom. You have freed it. Please give your heart another chance."

"I don't know if I can," she shook her head again. "But I can try."

"That is all I ask, mon amor," he smiled once again. It was the first genuine smile that had graced his face in a long time. Eponine was far from okay, but with the help of her good friends she would recover.

Author's Notes: Okay so I'm so very sorry this took me a long time to get out, and it's one of my shorter chapters. Lots of stress with school and such. But anyway this basically ties up all major elements of this story! I'm probably going to write an Epilogue, if you guys like. And then I have a few new stories and a couple old ones that need finishing up. So please leave me some reviews and let me know what you think. It's a short story, but it's basically complete!