The Decade

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"Happy Tuesday!" Cosette's voice sings through Eponine's phone. The brunette just groans.

"Why are you so enthusiastic-and awake-at like," She glances at the clock, "Four in the morning?"

"We are going for breakfast! I'm going to pick you up an hour. Be dressed or there will be consequences!"

Eponine just groans again, she knows all about Cosette's consequences and no one wants to be on the receiving end of those, "Why are we having breakfast at five in the morning? No one should be awake this early. Ever."

"We have a lot to talk about, that's why, now hurry up, the clock is ticking."

"I hate you."

"I love you too!"

Soon she is awake, dressed and functioning at five in the morning for this crazy girl.

"I'm never awake this early. Why am I awake this early?" Is how Eponine greets Cosette when the girl finally shows up at her door, fifteen minutes late.

"I told you, we need to talk, now come on!" The blonde states simply pulling 'Ponine along behind her as she radiates sunshine and happiness.

"How are you so awake?" Eponine asks as she literally stumbles over her own two feet, trying to keep up with the other girl.

"Coffee, my dear, you should really try it and don't even start complaining about how coffee is evil. It is filled with the music of angels, the light of the sun."

"Yeah, yeah," Eponine grumbles, focusing on her feet and trying to keep up, "Where are we going, anyway? It's five in the morning! I think it's actually illegal for places to be open before the sun is up."

"We are going to Musain."

"Ha! Musain isn't open until seven." Eponine states, smugly.

Cosette merely throws a haughty smirk over her shoulder, "I know the owner."

"Do you know everyone?" She asks, glumly. All she wants is to go back to bed. She cannot be tired and deal with crazy toddlers later. She will be trampled.

"Yes. Yes I do, but you just so happen to know this very person as well." The girl says with a wink.

"Stop being so secretive. It's so not attractive," Eponine teases.

"It's Musichetta. She's the one who owns the chain."

"Oh."

This news stops Eponine's teasing completely. She hasn't seen, hasn't spoken, to Musichetta in years. For a second she's surprised that Cosette is still good enough friends with her that she can pull this favor, and then she realizes that it's stupid that she's surprised.

Of course they're still friends.

She knows for a fact that Cosette is still in touch with most of the Amis. For a moment, the old pain is new and raw, fresh once more, but then it dulls, ebbs and she is only left wondering how Musichetta got to be the owner of Musain. But she does not ask.

Cosette stops walking and takes Eponine's hands in hers, "I know it's been a while, but she's missed you and I know you've missed her. I hope you don't mind."

Eponine realizes that she can take this two ways. She can either be mad at Cosette or be happy that Musichetta wants to try being her friend again. She's doing this whole friend thing with Gabe and why not try?

Life is short, right?

So she nods, "Okay," With that one word she takes a leap of faith.

"Okay?" Cosette asks, bouncing on her toes, obviously excited.

"Okay; but if it starts getting awkward, I'm getting out of there." Eponine says, resigned to do this. Ready to soldier through, if only for the reason that it is five-thirty on a Tuesday morning and she has no idea how to function properly before the crack of dawn.

Dear Enjolras,

I decided to give coffee a chance today.

Let me just say.

No.

Never again.

It was made by the devil.

How can you drink that?

It turns out speaking to Musichetta again is a lot easier than it was speaking to En-Gabe. She's not yet sure why, but she's stored this information to dissect later.

It's pretty much like riding a bike. In the beginning it's awkward but after a few pauses, the conversation starts flowing.

"So Eponine, we never finished that talk we were having about Enjolras."

"Oh, wait, hold on, I'm not filled in on everything here!" Musichetta butts in, effectively cutting Eponine and Cosette's conversation off; so the two girls fill her in, albeit a tad reluctantly.

"Anyway," Eponine says, poking at her muffin, "I don't know. We didn't talk yesterday, but we had a great time on Sunday, baking and teasing each other and it was just like old times, except..."

"Except?" Both girls repeat, leaning in, ready for the big, juicy, gossipy, details.

"We almost kissed," She replies, quickly, akin to how one does when ripping off a band-aid.

"What?" This time, both girls shriek the word and lean back, their chairs tipping precariously.

"Yeah. It was awkward for a little while but then we went back to being ourselves. I couldn't do that, not when he has a girlfriend. God, I don't think he even knows that I know that he has a girlfriend."

"What else doesn't he know about you, 'Ponine?" Cosette asks quietly.

Eponine has to pause for a second and really think. What doesn't the real Gabriel Enjolras know about her? She's surprised by the answer, "A lot, actually and then there are some things I'm not sure he knows or not because they haven't been mentioned but at the same time he should know? I don't know. I'm confused."

"Take a deep breath," 'Chetta advises, "Get all your thoughts in order and then tell us what you mean."

"Okay, well, I'm a preschool teacher, I don't know if you knew that 'Chetta," The other woman nods, urging her to continue, "Well, Gabe was supposed to pick his girlfriend's kid up from preschool and I'm his, Sebastian, the kid, I'm his teacher and we were supposed to run into each other that way but then Gav got stuck in the hospital so I left early and we didn't meet and so I don't know what he knows. I don't know if he knows my last name isn't Thenardier any more, I don't know if he knows I'm Sebastian's teacher. I don't know if he knows that I know about this whole new life he has with Sebastian and Amelie. Do I tell him? Will he hate me? What do I do?"

By the end of her little breakdown-speech Eponine's words are running together, her breathing hard. It's been a while since she's had girl-talk like this, since she's been able to get other people's help on what she should do, and it feels really nice. She feels relieved, almost.

"Oh," Is Musichetta's response.

Cosette, however, is used to dealing with Eponine meltdowns, "Deep breaths, Eponine, there we go. Alright, what you do is tell him. You have to tell the truth. It's always the best option."

Eponine nods and her head hangs down like a chastised child, "When?" The word comes out whispered.

"The sooner the better."

She nods again, "Thanks for listening, guys. I'll," She glances up at 'Chetta for a second, "I'll see you later?"

It's Musichetta's turn to nod, "Of course, next time you're in here let me know. I'll whip out a coupon book or two for you," She says with a wink, trying to help her newly reencountered friend feel more comfortable.

Eponine grins, "Will do," She hesitates when she glances down at her phone. She's checking the time as well as to see if she received any missed calls. It's a habit that she has, even though it's now six-thirty on a workday morning and no one she knows would be contacting her this early, "Listen, I'm going to head back home. It takes me fifteen minutes to get there and fifteen more minutes to drive to work. I'll be cutting it close."

"What time is it? It can't be that late already!" Musichetta exclaims, looking around her little establishment, surprised when she sees the light peeking in through her blinds.

"Six-thirty," Eponine answers her before turning to her other friend, "Cosette, do you want to walk back with me?"

The other girl just waves her hand around in a noncommittal gesture, "Nah, I don't have to be at work until seven-thirty. I'll just finish my coffee before I head back."

"Alright. Bye!" Eponine calls as she heads out the door. For a moment she's surrounded by light and to Musichetta, as well as Cosette, she looks like she's burning from the inside out, but then she steps all the way through the threshold and that moment is gone.

As she walks back, Eponine takes in the sights around her, the things she never appreciated before because she wasn't yet awake enough to notice them.

Ten minutes into her walk back, she pauses and changes the setting on her phone to silent. This way, there will never be another one of these meetings this early.

Dear Enjolras,

There was a time when all I saw when I thought of my future was you and me forever and forever.

Pretty stupid, huh?

Cosette turns to Musichetta as soon as Eponine is gone, "I feel bad for lying to her."

"You didn't lie," Musichetta states, clearing the table and getting ready for the day to start, "You simply withheld information."

"It makes me feel dirty," She says, fidgeting.

"Woman up, Cosette, and just relax. This is all for her own good."

The blonde just bites her lip, wondering when anything that was meant for Eponine's 'own good' actually turned out to be that way. Instead of pursuing the matter, however, she changes the subject, "Did you read 'Ferre's email thread? He's sending us nightly updates on Eponine? How ridiculous is that?"

"It's not that ridiculous. It's so we all stay in touch and know exactly what's going on. I think it's kind of brilliant, actually. Do you want to add this morning onto it or shall I?"

Cosette sighs, "You do it," She finishes her cup of coffee and hands it to 'Chetta on her way out the door, "I just hope this doesn't end up really hurting anyone."

"It won't, you worry too much!"

"Maybe."

"Are you leaving?" Musichetta asks, pulling the chairs down from other tables.

"Yeah, I want to see Marius before he leaves for work. Do you need help?"

"No, I've got it. Tell him I say hi."

"I will, tell Joly the same from me, okay? I don't see nearly enough of him as I used to. I miss his crazy quirks," Cosette says with a fond smile, obviously remembering some quirky story from the past.

"Bye 'Sette."

"Bye 'Chetta," Cosette calls as she heads out the door, with her nose wrinkled. She kind of hates that nickname, but then Musichetta doesn't know that.

She sighs, today is going to be an extra long day.

Dear Gabe,

Sometimes it hurts when I try.

When I think.

But it almost always hurts when I breathe.

When I cry.

How do I get through another day on my own?

"Hurry up, 'Ras, we're going to be late," Amelie calls on her way out the door. She's holding onto Sebastian with one hand and with the other she's juggling her morning coffee and case files, praying that she doesn't drop anything.

"I know Amelie, I know! I can't believe your alarm didn't go off this morning," Enjolras groans, finally making an appearance. Spending the night was not the right decision, he thinks now as he grabs his morning coffee along with his keys, "Let's go. Everything is going to be fine, just calm down."

Everything does not turn out to be fine, in fact it's a complete disaster.

They hit every red light on the way to the school, get stuck behind a man who is going at least twenty miles below the speed limit and they are forced to wait for a train.

Sebastian ends up being twenty minutes late to school.

Amelie is fifteen minutes late to work.

Enjolras is twenty minutes late and misses a meeting with his boss that was going to either include a pay raise or a promotion.

"There is no way this day can get any worse," He murmurs to himself, ready to get another refill for his coffee.

Dear Enjolras,

Sticks and stones may not broke my bones but words can always hurt me.

Preschool that day is terrible.

It's like every child in the place knows that she started off the morning early and has since then crashed as hard as any junkie who is lacking drugs. To make matters worse, Sebastian was late and his mother burst into the room, consistently apologizing and distracting the kids. That only managed to make them more awake, if that was possible.

Now she knows why people like coffee. Maybe she should give coffee another chance.

So around noon she tries it, spews it into her trash bin and swears that she will never give that abomination another chance (until two-thirty when Sophie pukes all over another girl who then proceeds to faint in the puke puddle). Nope, not a great day at all.

When Eponine finally gets home, she is greeted by two unexpected visitors making themselves at home on her couch.

She just groans in response, all she wants to do is sleep and not smell like puke anymore so she just says, "I'm taking a shower," Before dropping her purse and leaving the room without any other form of acknowledgement.

Dear Enjolras,

I've just cut my hair. It only goes up to my chin, now.

Gav says I look like a boy, but I kind of like it.

Not as much as I like the way it was before, but it's not that bad.

"Well that was awkward," Gavroche states turning to Cosette. She just nods and fidgets a little on the couch, twisting her hair around her finger, "I'm glad you came with me, I don't think I would be able to tell Eponine on my own, I'd probably end up chickening out," Gav says, swiveling on the couch so that he's fully facing the woman he's speaking to. Cosette merely nods and starts chewing on her lips, "Are you okay?"

She senses the concern in his voice and tries to find her voice to answer his question but it takes her a few tries, "I'm just really nervous. What if she's mad at me? At us?"

"Then she's mad. Listen, Cosette," He places a friendly hand on her shoulder, "Trust me, we're doing the right thing, and even if she's mad, it's worth it."

The girl just nods, still nervous, but somewhat less so and is definitely at least three notches calmer when Eponine finally makes a reappearance, dressed in her pajamas as if to make a statement.

The only brunette in the room raises a brow, shoving her wet hair over one shoulder, "Now speak. Why am I getting ambushed in my apartment? Cosette, didn't I just see you at an unholy hour this morning?"

"We need to talk to you," Gavroche butts in before Cosette has a chance to say a single word.

"About?" Eponine drawls, taking a seat on the floor in front of them.

"You. Enjolras. Things. Plans." Their goal is to get straight to the point before they chicken out.

"I see," Eponine states, playing with the rug on the floor, "Will Cosette be making any remarks or is she just here for moral support?"

"'Ponine! This is important. Like majorly." Cosette exclaims, sitting up a little. The last of her nerves forgotten.

"Then why didn't you tell me this morning?" Eponine demands.

"I was afraid, okay? I wasn't sure how to tell you! That's why Gavroche and I both came together! We both want to tell you this and it's something you need to hear so shut up and listen."

Chastised, Eponine leans back a little and nods, "Okay. What do you have to say?" Cosette can be scary when she sets her mind to it.

"Okay," The blonde girl takes a breath and turns to Gavroche, "Do you want to explain?"

The last thing Gavroche wants to do is explain but he nods and starts talking, "Well Combeferre has got the gang back together and he's got this plan about you and Enjolras..."

That's all it takes for Eponine to completely focus her attention on them.

Dear Gabe,

Montparnasse has these pills...and for a little while...they make the world go away...

"We have to tell Gabe," Eponine states, by the end of their spiel, she is pacing back and forth in front of them.

"Yeah," Both say in unison, resigned to the fact that they have to do this all over again, glad that Eponine didn't respond with blows.

The brunette moans, "Today sucks," Before either of the two on her couch can say a word, she swivels around and punches the wall.

"Whoa," Cosette exclaims, "Eponine!"

Gavroche is just as surprised, he's now standing and he leans towards his sister, "Let me see." Eponine has done some damage to her knuckles and they'll definitely bruise but she hasn't broken either her knuckles or the wall, "Next time, take your anger out on a pillow."

Eponine nods and laughs a little as Cosette leaves the room, "Since when did you start taking care of your older sister?"

"Since she started punching walls," He answers as Cosette returns with some ice.

"Thanks Doll," Eponine says stretching out the last word. Cosette just laughs and tries to pull Eponine in for a hug, "No, not one of your hugs," Eponine yells and tries to escape her grip.

Five minutes later they're both on the floor and Gavroche has a valid reason to worry about his sister's sanity, not to mention Cosette's.

"How about we call Enjolras?" He offers to the two girls laughing on the floor.

Eponine gets up, once again serious and focuses on the task at hand, "Yeah, that's a good idea," She agrees and heads to her room so she can make the call.

Two failed attempts later, she leaves him an awkward voicemail and wishes that she'd had Gavroche or even Cosette call him instead, "Hey Gabe! I guess I called you at a bad time since you're not answering," She should stop stating the obvious, "But I really need to talk to you. Like, really badly. Um...can you call me back? Thanks. Oh! This is Eponine, by the way. So yeah, call me back. Bye."

That could not have been any worse. After the call she bangs her head against the wall a couple of times. As she heads out the door she gets a text from Gabe stating, "I can't talk right now. Meet me tomorrow? Five? At Musain?"

She quickly replies with a, "Yes," and goes to the blondes (which is what she's going to refer to them from now on) and relates the good news.

Dear Enjolras,

I have to rescue my siblings.

To do that I have to tell the police.

I have to confront my parents.

I have to deal with Montparnasse.

I'm scared.

Enjolras enters the kitchen with Sebastian clinging to his shoulder like a monkey and Amelie can't help but laugh.

"What are the two of you doing?"

"We are having fun," Her boyfriend explains, spinning her son around before placing him safely on the floor.

"No! Pick me up again," Sebastian protests, raising his little arms up, and Enjolras lifts the little boy up and places him on his shoulders.

"Alright, little buddy, anything you want," He says before turning to Amelie, "So, today was kind of horrible," He states, conversationally.

"Horrible is a massive understatement," She groans, leaning against the countertop.

"Yes, yes it is but I'm trying to be chipper!"

"Uh-huh," She says, eyeing him up and down, "What do you have planned exactly, 'Ras?"

"You. Me. This little monster," He says, poking Sebastian on the side, who only grabs hold of Enjolras' hair tighter, "Dinner. Tomorrow?"

Amelie bites her lip and turns away, "I can't, I promised to have dinner with a friend of mine from work tomorrow. She's going through a messy divorce and I promised I would be there for her after her meeting," She turns back to him, eyes wide, "You don't mind, do you?"

"Nope," He kisses her cheek, "Lunch? Me and you?"

"Deal," She agrees with a smile, glad for the compromise.

"Sorry little buddy, you've been cut from the equation," Enjolras says to the tyke on his shoulders.

"Aw man."

"My poor baby," Amelie coos, "Now come down here and give me a hug. I thought you loved me," She cries, pretending to faint.

"I do!" He squeals and almost topples off of Enjolras.

"Prove it," Amelie demands as her son descends from his throne to give her a kiss on the cheek and a hug.

"Love you."

"I love you too," She whispers and hold him close. Enjolras joins the hug and Amelie lets out a content sigh.

This is what it feels like to be loved.

Omg hey guys. Yeah the last two weeks have been hectic, I'm sorry.

I had orientation and then a lot of shopping (I hate shopping) and my family is just blah.

So here's to RomildaV who has tried to keep my hopes up and offer inspiration (I saw you updated, and urgh, I want to read your latest chapter but I really wanted to finish mine before my creativity abandoned me).

Thanks to everyone who reviewed/favorited/followed!