The night was long, too long for Abby's liking as she went back to the flat. Fumbling with her keys, the entered the flat and led Esprit in behind her. Not sure what to do, she changed out of her boy clothes and into a regular dress. She waited quietly until the dawn, and once dawn broke, the fighting contunied.
Hours went by, and still it continued, eventually, she couldn't wait anymore, the flat was to empty without Enjolras there. Grabbing Esprit's rains she led the pony outside and leapt on her back, kicking her foreward. Suddenly she pulled her up though, there were other barricades in the city, and there were national guard everywhere. She wanted to turn back but she could hear them marching, so she ducked into an alleyway and waited.
Rain started fell steadily, making the streets cold and wet and the sky grey and dreary. Abby slowly crept out of the ally a few minutes later, Esprit's reins clutched tightly in her little hand after she'd dismounted. She stood in the middle of the street and simply looked around, it was silent.
"Was it really worth it Esprit?" she asked the little mare "What did we gain?". Abby picked up a piece of debris and threw it angrily against a wall "We gained NOTHING! We lost everything!" she said, her voice full of hate. "The world is a damn cruel place! Always taking, never giving a thing, never helping. And when someone tried to help, they get taken away too!" she cried, her voice growing choked as she spoke.
Finally she fell against her pony's shoulder, sobbing "Everything lost for something that didn't even exist! Something I didn't even understand the meaning of!". Esprit stood quietly as rain began to soak them both. Abby looked up towards the direction of the barricade, listening to hear the sounds of fighting, maybe at least her fellow friend's cries of victory, but she heard none.
Abby threw the reins over Esprit's head and mounted "It's time to return now" she said "Time to return and find out if there's anything left". The pony tossed her head and sprang forward at Abby's command, cantering back from where they'd come from.
The sight they arrived to was something Abby had expected, but had prayed wouldn't be there to greet them. She swallowed fearfully and asked her pony to walk forward. They got to the back door of the cafe and she stopped Esprit, hopping off and entering the cafe.
"Enjolras?" she called out timidly, but recieving not an answer from anyone. She walked out into the main area of the cafe, her eyes watering and nearly blinding her. She wiped her eyes and continued forward "Lesgles? Combeferre?" she called.
Suddenly she heard something and looked up sharply. She went out the front door of the cafe to where the barricade stood and gasped. Coufeyrac was lying on the ground near the cafe door in a pool of blood, she ran to him and fell on her knees beside him "Courfeyrac? Courfeyrac?" she called.
His eyes fluttered open and he smiled weakly at her "Abby, you came back" he said faintly. She nodded "What do I do?" she asked him frantically, but he hushed her "There's nothing you can do" he whispered to her "You may stay with me though? Just for... a moment" he murmured.
She nodded and he took her hand "Abby, I need you to listen to me carefully" he said weakly. "Anything!" she replied, lowering her head so she could hear clearly. Courfeyrac swallowed and gasped "Promise, when you come of age, and go to find yourself a suitor, you find someone that is true to you always, someone who will love only you" he told her.
Abby choked back a sob as Courfeyrac continued "I was never true, and even though I must have loved about every girl in Paris, I didn't get to feel true happiness that came with love. And I know, I'm sure, that it's the most wonderful feeling. Something worth living for, to find and to have" he said, his voice growing weaker with each breath.
"I know you'll find it, and I know that whatever man gets you, will be the luckiest man in all of Paris" he gasped and closed his eyes, his breaths beginning to grow shallow "You're a good girl Abby, and I love you" he told her softly "Remember what I said, because I want you to be happy and live the life me and the rest of the amis won't get to live. We all loved you very much".
She practically fell on his chest and sobbed "I love you too Courfeyrac! Please don't die!". He stroked her cheek weakly "It's alright Abby" he told her reassuringly "Hey" he called softly, she looked up from burying her face in his vest "What?" she asked. He smiled "How about a kiss from my favorite girl? A last request from a dying man?" he asked her, she nodded and kissed him on the cheek.
He took a deep breath "Thank you Abby, now go and live your life. Remember us, don't be sad though. Remember all the fun we had together" he told her. She nodded "I will, I promise" she told him, Courfeyrac's breaths became more shallow, and soon stopped altogether.
Abby let out a wail and cried over Courfeyrac until her lungs hurt. Soon her sobs quieted into nothing but little whimpers and she forced herself to stand and leave Courfeyrac. Looking around, she recognized the other students, causing her to choke up once again.
She looked over them all, there was Combeferre, Prouvaire, Lesgles, Feuilly, but where were Joly, Enjolras, and Marius? Gavroche she noticed, was missing as well, and Grantaire. She looked around frantically, and headed back into the cafe "JOLY" she called as loudly as she could.
"Over Here!" an answer came. Abby began following it to the back room, where Joly had propped himself against the wall, clutching his arm that had blood seeping down and turning his sleeve bright red. She went over to him "Joly! Are you alright? As in you'll live?" she asked him fearfully. He winced but nodded "Nobody dies from a shot in the arm, but I need your help. You'll be brave?" he asked.
Once she nodded Joly stood himself up and led her outside "I've already saved Grantaire, so don't you worry about your Nanny. All the other students have, died, or couldn't be saved from what I could tell. However, I haven't been able to climb up over the barricade to see about Enjolras, bring Grantaire into the cafe made me too weak to climb up. Enjolras leapt over the barricade during the last battle and I assume has fallen over there. But I don't know for sure. You know how to check to see if someone's living?" he asked.
Abby shook her head and Joly took her arm and lead her to the backroom, where he had Grantaire sleeping in the corner, his leg and head bandaged. He gently took Abby's hand and took her two fingers, pressing it to his neck "Feel that sorta bumb? That's his pulse, only living people have them. And breathing of course" he paused as Grantaire inhaled and exhaled "Is also a way to tell. But if they're breathing is shallow it's hard to tell".
Joly led Abby back outside and to the barricade "Where's Esprit?" he asked as Abby began to climb "She'd by the back door" she replied "Good, we'll need her" Joly answered as Abby began to climb up towrds the summit of the barricade, which she remembered being a lot taller at one time.
Once at the top she gasped and had to grab onto something to stop herself from falling off the top. She skidded down the other side of the barricade and stopped next to Enjolras, who'd landed on top of their red flag. "Oh 'Jolras" she choked, pressing her fingers to his neck fearfully. Her eyes widened as she felt the thump "HE'S ALIVE!" she called over the barricade to Joly.
Now determined, she picked up Enjolras and began half dragging him, half carrying him back up towards the other side. When she reached the summit she flopped down, gasping for breath, her black hair falling over her eyes. She shook her head so she could see and began bringing Enjolras down, which was a lot easier than going up.
When they reached the bottom Joly rechecked his pulse and nodded "Hurry up! We just barely got him!" he told her. Joly helped Abby carry him back into the back room and then Joly ushered her out "Go get Esprit ready. We're going to all go back into Enjolras's flat" he told her.
She nodded and ran outside, but skidded to a halt, where was Gavroche. She was about to ask but she remembered how important her task was. Enjolras needed her to do this, and so did Nanny. She turned and went back through the cafe, out the back door and to Esprit. She hugged the pony "We're gonna need to be brave" she told her pony.
Esprit snorted and they waited until Joly came out with Grantaire, the drunk was half awake and half asleep, so Abby had to support him onto her pony "Get him to the flat and put him on the couch, then report back here immediately for me and Enjolras. Understand?" he asked. Abby nodded and leapt on her pony so she was infront of Grantaire "Hold on Nanny, you'll get to sleep in a minute ok?".
The pony galloped down the street, Abby trying more to make sure Grantaire didn't fall than controlling her pony. She barely managed to get Esprit to skid to a halt infront of their flat, but when she did she jumped off and helped Grantaire off and in the front door, depositing him on the couch.
Once that was done she ran and jumped back on the pony, turning and lunging back towards the barricades. Joly was waiting for her just as he'd said, and he and Enjolras mounted the pony next "You'll have to lead the pony by foot Abby, we can't all ride at the same time and I don't know how to ride" he admitted.
Abby ran as fast as she could down the street, Esprit cantering beside her. Finally they made it back to the flat and Joly took Enjolras and disappeared inside, Abby decided it would be best to just take Esprit and cool her off with a walk in the park.
Mounting once more, she asked her pony forward and they walked down the streets to the park. It seemed a much different place now, and Abby stopped Esprit over the bridge, she gazed down into the water and took a deep breath "It'll be much different now" Abby said softly "With no Courfeyrac making jokes, or Combeferre being all annoyed because I interrupted his reading. No more beating Lesgles at cards, or Prouvaire talking about the moving pictures and the flying elephants. I really wanted to see those" Abby said sadly.
Suddenly she let out a wail "ENJOLRAS DIDN'T EVEN LET ME SAY GOODBYE!" she cried at her realization. She buried her face in her pony's mane, sobbing the names of the students, her heart ached intensely "Esprit I wouldn't even have you here if it weren't for Prouvaire and Marius!" she sobbed. She hugged her ponies neck and wailed until she ran out of breath, and out of tears, so she hoped.
Finally she turned Esprit around and went back to the flat, deciding it would be safer to have her pony there for the night rather than at the cafe. She led the pony up and entered the front foor, leading her into her bedroom and putting her next to her bed.
"Good Night Esprit" she said to her pony in a choked voice, rubbing the star on her forehead and kissing her nose. Abby turned and went out near the couch. She thought about talking to Nanny, but decided against it. Suddenly Joly's voice came from the other side of the room "Enjolras would like to see you Abby" he called her quietly.
Nodded she went over and followed Joly into Enjolras's room. She walked up next to his bed and took his hand "'Jolras?" she asked. His eyes opened slightly and he took a deep breath "In my... pocket" he said so faintly Abby had to strain to hear him "Th... t... there's a letter. F... for y... you" he stammered, coughing weakly. He took her hand and guided it to his pocket, where she pulled out a slightly stained letter.
She wanted to stay with Enjolras, but he was barely awake. Gently she leaned over and kissed his cheek "Thank you 'Jolras. I'll read it then come stay with you. Alright?" she asked. He was barely awake but he nodded slightly so she ran back to her bedroom and sat on her bed.
Esprit nosed the letter curiously as she opened it. She began reading "Dear Abby, It was a lot of fun playing with you over the years. I hope you find someone special because your a special girl. Love, Gavroche" she stared at the last sentence, her eyes welling with tears "Esprit, he WAS my special someone" she choked out.
Abby read it over and over until more tears blinded her and she had to blink them away. She folded the letter carefully and put it in the drawer of her nightstand, where she kept only her most precious things. Then she stood and climbed on Esprit's back, hugging her neck and crying into her mane again "It's not fair!" she sobbed.
Finally Abby managed to let go of her pony's mane and slide off, going back into Enjolras's room and sitting next to his bed, ready to take her silent vigil at his bedside. "You can sleep in my bed if need be" she told Joly, the young med student refused at first, but as the night pressed on, he took up her offer and went and slept in her room with the pony.
"I promise 'Jolras, I won't leave until you're well again. I know you're afraid to die alone, and I promised not to let it happen. So, I won't let it happen. I'll stay here" she told him, taking his hand. He squeezed her hand weakly before murmuring "I love you Abby", she sniffled "Love you too 'Jolras".
Two chapters in one day? WOAH! Call the cops! And yea, I know Marius lives, but ABBY doesn't know that! Yea, I know, that was the cheesiest lamest rescue EVER! But hey, it got the job done no?
And I know Abby is sorta a crybaby in this, but if you think about it, she's like, 8, and full grown adults cry over this during the musical, and THEY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THE PEOPLE IN PERSON! So, yea, she can cry a river if she wants to.
Gavroche's note is actually based on a letter I recieved myself. There was this boy I liked who graduated this year. And I loved him, I fell in love with him when working with him on our school's musical, but we couldn't be together cause he was a senior, and I a freshman. So, in my yearbook he wrote 'It was great being able to share the musical with you, I hope you find someone special because you're a special girl'. He's such a sweet guy, you can see why I loved him..
Anyway, enough about my love life. There are only 2 MORE CHAPTERS! I'll be in NYC tomorrow night so, dunno if I'll have it in me to write the next chapter but, maybe I will. How special would it be to write the next chapter from Broadway huh?
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! That's always the thing to do at a time like this! Cause it's, the end of the chapter and all. Anyway, Thanks SO much for reading!