I wanted to give you another chapter, because I feel like I've been lacking lately. And it's funny, Chapter 28 took me almost two weeks to write, and I cranked this one out in about an hour! I love you all, and I hope I can find the time to write soon!

-CM

January 15,

Dear Diary,

I think I love him.

Can I say anything more?

Eponine sighed over her page, tapping her pencil on the paper. She managed another sentence, before declaring it hopeless and tearing out the page. She crumpled it up and threw it in the trash. "Eps?" came Enjolras's voice from the kitchen. "Coming?"

"Coming," she agreed, and closed her diary. Grabbing her red peacoat, she went out of her room. Enjolras was putting on his boots. "To the Musain?" she asked.

He looked at her, a slight edge of nerves in his waterfall eyes that was covered in adrenaline. "The first meeting, true meeting in a year and it's because of you."

She laughed. "It's not because of me."

He took her face in his hands. "You saved me. I was broken, more broken then ever and you picked me up and put me together and made me realize that life has a purpose."

She smiled. "You're Gregory Enjolras. You would have found a purpose."

"But you helped," he insisted. "Come on, to the cafe."

He took her hand and they walked down the street. The Musain was only a few blocks away, she was thankful for that, because she loved the rickety old cafe as much as she loved her own home. Courfeyrac saw them and ran across the street, papers flying out of his hands in excitement. "We can be Amis again!" he bubbled. She grinned. "I can actually watch him give a speech. You all speak highly of him."

"Oh, he's wonderful at leading. Maybe he'll be the king of the world or something, and there would be no problems."

"Oh, but then he'd make a mistake and end up pissing half the world off and starting a nuclear war."

"But you'd be the queen," laughed Courf. "And give him some sanity."

Combeferre joined them a second later. "Enjolras!" he shouted. "I made the pamphlets." His arms were so full of papers he looked about to fall over. "Do you have your speech? Do you have everything? Is the room open?"

Enjolras smiled. "Don't worry, 'Ferre. I'm sure you've got everything under control."

The meeting was due to start in fifteen minutes, and so as familiar faces came in, they organized brochures and pins. Enjolras seemed to have endless nerves, but she saw a needed bit of relief enter into his face when nearly all of the Amis showed up, and some new faces as well.

A few moments later, the room was quiet. Enjolras climbed onto a table.

"Welcome, welcome everyone." he said. "You are here because you want to help. If you are here for something else, go. These are not meetings were we sit around and sew pretty gowns and bake cookies. The only thing we sow is change! Change for the people, a better life. If you are here, you are an Amis! We are the Les Amis de'lAbaisse, and we will fight for what is right, no matter the cost! Are you with me? Are you with me? ARE YOU WITH ME?"

The room rose in resounding cheers. Eponine smiled. It seemed fiery Enjolras could move mountains after all.

"Now," he continued. "How many of you like to eat at McDonalds? Shop at WalMart? Do you see all those people behind the counter? People just like you and me. They need to eat, need to live, need to provide for their loved ones. They get paid minimum wage, and most of the country doesn't care. We turn a blind eye to our own people! Now, the government is going to lower minimum wage! These people can't live as it is! Why should we let them suffer and die while we sit drinking coffees and talking about the weather?"

One man whose name Eponine did not know piped up from the front. "We can't."

Enjolras smiled. "You are exactly right. We can't. We need to help these people, don't we? We owe them!"

The room erupted into noise. Enjolras put his hand up, and the room silenced again, as if it was holding its breath for what he was about to say. "We are in Paris, friends. We are less then fifteen kilometers from the government, yet we do nothing! We should protest! We should fight! They are going to pass this law on June 18th. We have less then six months to tell them that we will not stand for this. We will not stand for this! We are the people of Paris, and we will not stand for this. Will we? Will we? WILL WE?"

The room was silent. "No," said someone from the corner. Eponine looked and was surprised to see that it was Grantaire, a fire in his eyes like she'd never seen before. "We are the Amis, and we will not stand for this."

Someone else from the middle stood up. "We will not stand for this."

Another person stood up. "We will not stand for this."

And another: "We will not stand for this."

Suddenly, more and more people were on their feet. "We will not stand for this. We will not stand for this."

The chant rose, and grew, and the room was standing, shouting, on their feet, and Eponine was beside them, and she finally realized what Courfeyrac had meant about Enjolras ruling the world. He could. She knew it. And she looked at him, and saw a light in his eyes, a flame being relit, a flame of passion that even she being there could not kindle. And she saw it in the eyes of everyone in the room, chanting like a prayer for change, for a new world.

A light seemed to exude from Enjolras, like he was an angel, an avenging angel with wings of red and he would unite the world. He seemed to glow and he seemed alive, for the first time in forever, he was alive. She could see the joy in Courfeyrac beside her, Grantaire behind her, Combeferre in front, Jehan, Feuilly, Bahorel, Bossuet.

"BRING YOUR FRIENDS! BRING YOUR FAMILY! WE MEET EVERY WEDNESDAY, AND WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!"

Later, she saw him, after everyone had gone, and he was still glowing, and still that light was in his eyes. She smiled. "Welcome back."

"Did I do well?" he asked.

"You could change the world with just your voice."

"Could I?" he teased. "You could change the world with your smile."

She laughed. "So could you, but you don't smile. Besides, all those people believe in you. And even if you don't change the world, you're going to change a lot of other things around here."

When she got home, the words flowed from her pen into her diary.

January 15

Dear Diary,

I can see him now, my Enjolras, as I've never seen him, because he's alive. Change keeps him going. He needs to help. Seeing him tonight, eyes alight and passion enough to have spare for everyone on this Earth, was wonderful. I know who he is now, my Enjolras.

He's like fire, and ice, and rage. He's like the night and the storm in the center of the sun. He's ancient, and forever. He burns at the center of time, and he can see the turn of the universe. And he's... wonderful.

I thought I loved him this morning.

I know I love him now.

QotC: What show is the quote in her diary entry from? The fire and ice and rage quote, what is it from?