"How come I can't see Gran again?" Abby asked as she sat on the floor, playing with her doll. It had been a week since she and Grantaire had gotten drunk, and she hadn't seen Grantaire since the incident. Enjolras looked up from the paper he was writing for school "I'm not stopping you from seeing him, he just hasn't been at the cafe" he replied, trying to stay focused on his work. Abby wouldn't have it though until she had answers "Why? Have you seen him?" she asked.
Enjolras put his quill down in frustration and looked at Abby "No I haven't seen the winecask, and things have been just as well without him" he replied. She stood up and went over to the window, it was dark out and snowing "You don't like Gran?" she asked turning back to look at him innocently. He picked up his quill again and started writing "It's hard to like a drunk who gets children drunker than himself" he replied.
She looked back out the window before going and putting on her coat "I'm gonna go look for him" she stated, but Enjolras wasn't paying any attention and didn't hear her leave his flat. Abby stood on the street and looked around, not exactly sure which way to go, she just began walking, hoping that she would come across the cafe by herself. But it didn't take long for her to become terribly lost. She wasn't very afraid though, when she'd been living on the streets with her mother she often had no idea where she was, but her mother always made it alright.
Now there wasn't anyone to tell her it was alright, and with every step she became more and more afraid. What if those bad men came after her like they had that night almost 2 weeks ago? It didn't take long for her to start running down the street as fast as she could. Spotting a park, she raced into it, and didn't stop until she tripped on her skirt and fell onto the pavement. She sniffled and sat up, looking around. Now she was even more lost.
Looking around, she wiped her eyes and looked down at her skirt, which she'd torn in her fall. Enjolras would be very angry with her, if she ever saw him again. Abby wondered if he'd noticed her absence, or if he'd gone to look for her. She was broke out of her thoughts by someone calling her name. She looked up "Hello?" she called, pulling herself to her feet. Her face brightened as a familiar figure stumbled towards her "GRAN!" she called happily, running up to him.
Grantaire smiled at her "Lassie! What a surprise to find you here!" he said cheerfully. She hugged him tightly "Oh Gran, where've you been?" she asked him. He patted her head and then they sat on a nearby bench together "Here in the park, my landlady threw me out of my flat again" he replied like it was something that occurred often. Abby sighed and studied her shoes "Why haven't you come back to the cafe? I was worried you wouldn't come back because of me" she told him.
He put an arm around her "Well lassie, since I have no money for wine right now, I'd have no reason to return to the cafe. And also I'm sure Enjolras and Joly are most unhappy about me sharing my liquid heaven with you" he replied "But mostly because I have no money". Abby looked around "Do you know how to get back to the cafe Gran? I came looking for you and lost my way" she replied. Suddenly the wind began to pick up and Abby shivered.
Standing up, Grantaire took her hand and began leading her out of the park "Of course lassie! I'd know how to get to the cafe if I were on the other side of the world! But we best hurry, feels like a snowstorm's comin", as if to accent his point the wind began to blow harder and the pair began to make their way back towards the cafe. But soon the snow became so blinding that Grantaire had to stop and scratch his head "Lassie, you won't like hearing me say this, but I don't know where we are" he told her over the wind.
Abby looked around, and saw nothing but white, she pressed to Grantaire "I don't know either" she admitted honestly. They continued walking forward when suddenly Grantaire let out a yelp and fell. "Gran?" Abby called, trying to pull him back up, he groaned "Ow, I think I stepped in a hole or something" he told her. She sat down in the snow next to him "Gran what're we gonna do?" she asked him. He looked up at her, his eyes clear for once since he hadn't been drinking "You'll have to keep going without me" he told her.
She shook her head "No way, I'm not leavin you here in a storm" she replied. The wind blew and she faced away from it, pulling her jacket closer to her "I think it's starting to end anyway" she said hopefully. Sure enough, a few minutes later the wind began to die down and eventually it was back to the light snowfall it had been when Abby had first left Enjolras' flat. Grantaire struggled to his feet, trying to put weight on his right foot, which only resulted in crashing down "Think I did something bad lassie" he told her, rubbing his hurting ankle.
He stood up again and Abby let him use her to support himself "I know where we are now, not too too far from the cafe" he told her. They began walking, each step more and more painful for Grantaire. "Do you wanna stop and rest?" she asked him worriedly as he took another painful step. He shook his head "If we stop now we'll never get there" he replied, keeping forward. Finally they made it to the cafe and Abby and Grantaire nearly cried with joy as they went in the door.
Grantaire stumbled over to his usual spot on the bar and sighed "Home sweet home" he murmured. Abby sat at the bar next to him and looked at the time "It's nearly 3 in the morning Gran!" she exclaimed. Grantaire glanced up at the clock "So it is. Sadly though lass, I don't know where Enjolras lives, so you'll just have to wait until he comes looking for you" he told her. They stayed at the bar until finally Courfeyrac walked through the door. Abby looked up from the table she'd settled at sleepily and stood when she saw him. "Courfeyrac!" she said happily as she jumped into his arms.
Courfeyrac sighed in relief as he held her "God you had us worried Abbigale! Enjolras has been out in the streets all night looking for you!" he told her. Abby smiled "Well I wouldn't have even made it here without Grantaire" she said, looking over at the drunk who smiled at Courfeyrac "I'm not a bad babysitter. Me and the lass have been here for nearly 2 hours and she's not drunk, see?" he asked, exhaustion evident on his face. Courfeyrac carried Abby over to him and sat her down on the stool next to him "What happened to you? You look worse than usual" he commented.
The drunk sighed and put his head on the bar "I haven't had a drink in over a week, I've been sleeping in the park since my landlady threw me out again, and I hurt my ankle helping the young lass through the snowstorm to get here since she was lost. And..." his voice grew soft as he closed his eyes tiredly "I'm exhausted" he murmured. Courfeyrac patted his back "You just rest up buddy and I'll tell Joly to look at your ankle alright?" he asked, Grantaire barely managed to nod in acknowledgment before drifting off to sleep.
"As for you" Courfeyrac said, picking Abby back up and beginning to carry her out on his hip "We'd better find Enjolras and tell him not to worry anymore". Before they made it to the door Enjolras and Combeferre walked in, looking exhausted. Abby asked gently for Courfeyrac to put her down, and when he did she ran to Enjolras and hugged him as tightly as she could "'Jolras! I thought I'd never see you again cause I got lost and then there was a storm" she said, tears beginning to well in her eyes.
Enjolras picked her up and held her closely "You foolish child, why'd you go out into the night alone? You had me worried sick" he told her softly. She sniffled "Well I thought it wasn't nice that you don't even care about Grantaire. So I went to find him myself, and if it weren't for him I would have never seen you again!" she told him. She buried her face in his jacket "But it's alright now because you're here. And we can go home" she said quietly. He looked up at Grantaire sleeping at the bar, not wanting to wake the drunk up, he decided that he would thank him later.
Joly and Lesgles finally walked in and sighed in relief when they saw Abby "Great! You found her! Now we can go home!" Lesgles said, collapsing at the closest table. "Not quite. Joly, could you look at Grantaire ankle? I think he injured it" he asked. Joly yawned but nodded and went to check on him, everybody waited quietly, for him to finish. Enjolras had sat down at one of the tables and was quietly cradling Abby as she slept, Courfeyrac had collapsed at the table next to Lesgles, and both were barely awake, and Combeferre was helping Joly wrap Grantaire ankle while he slept at the bar.
Finally Joly and Combeferre stood up and left Grantaire alone "He's sprained his ankle pretty badly, but it'll heal" Joly reported "I don't think we should leave him here though". Enjolras looked up "Well who will take him then? His landlady threw him out?" he asked. Courfeyrac looked up exhaustedly and blinked "If someone will help me, he can sleep on the couch in my flat" he offered. Combeferre yawned "I suppose I'll help you then" he replied, standing and going over to Grantaire. Courfeyrac slowly stood as well and went, gently lifting Grantaire the two men looked around at everyone "Good Night" they said to everyone, before disappearing out the door and into the night.
Joly went over and shook Lesgles shoulder, waking his best friend "Come on, we have to get back to our flat now" he told him. Lesgles groaned, but was finally persuaded to get up and the pair bid Enjolras goodnight before also leaving to go home. Finally Enjolras stood up, gently carrying Abby back towards their flat. It had stopped snowing out and it made the street almost peaceful.
As they walked into the flat Abby stirred slightly "'Jolras?" she asked sleepily. He gently put her in bed and tucked her in "Yes?" he asked. She sighed "I love you" she murmured before going back to sleep. Enjolras stood there silently, before leaning over and kissing her forehead "I guess I love you too" he admitted quietly, before leaving the room and going back to his own bed. But as he left her for the night, he could have sworn he saw her smile.