Sorry for the wait for this chapter, ive been so busy with my first exam being next week. Eeek!

Anyway, I hope you like this chapter

By the time that the meeting ended that night, Gavroche was curled up in his sister's arms. He wasn't asleep, just pretending. He sat on Eponine's lap, with his head against her shoulder, a number of thoughts running through his young mind. Eponine still lived with their parents in the run down slum house where members of the patron-minette often stayed the night. Even though he had been so young when he was staying at the inn, he could remember the boys who hung around with his father. They were bullies who delighted in pulling his sisters hair and stealing their dolls. Thenardiar would have them work around the village, stealing for other poor families and causing trouble with the other children. He could remember watching from his window, seeing them chase the family' serving girl across the courtyards and laughing as she fell in the dirt below them, he hated the thought of them now. Grown men, strong enough to do serious damage. It was the thought of them able to do that damage to his sister that scared him.

"I think he's sleeping, he's tired out, still recovering and all that" Eponine whispered as Courfeyrac walked to her. Gavroche kept his eyes closed, still pretending to be fast asleep. He didn't want to talk, he didn't want to let the secret out. His friends out on the street who were siblings always said that a promise between siblings was a very important thing that couldn't be broken no matter what was at stake. He wanted Eponine to tell someone, but he knew that she was too proud to do that.

"I'll carry him home, no need to wake him" Courfeyrac said softly, carefully picking up Gavroche and resting him against his side. He heard the boy give a slight whimper of discomfort, assuming he was stirring from his sleep. "Shh petit, I've got you, go back to sleep"

He kept to his word, carrying the 'sleeping' Gavroche back to the house and laying him in his bed. "There we are" He whispered bringing the covers over the boy and sitting beside him. He couldn't shake the thought that something had happened at the café that had bothered the young child. There had not been a single smile on his face since he had seen his sister's injuries, Courfeyrac didn't understand. He wished that he could see the thought process going through the gamin's head. With a sigh, he leaned down and brushed hair away from his face before kissing his forehead. "Sleep well, petit frère" He whispered.

As soon as Courfeyrac had left the room and Gavroche heard the door shut, the little boy stopped pretending to be asleep. He bit down on his lip and turned on his side, curling up as small as he could comfortably get. "'Ponine" He whispered into the darkness, allowing tears to run down his face.

The next morning, Courfeyrac woke thinking about the boy and his sister. He had seen them sitting together at the café during the meeting, heads bent together as they talked in whispers. He had assumed that they had simply been talking between siblings as to not disturb the important meeting. What surprised him most about the night was that he had not heard a sound out of Gavroche throughout the night hours. Normally, the little boy would wake at least once for a glass of water or comforting after a bad dream. But this night, he was silent. Quickly preparing himself for the day ahead, Courfeyrac made his way through to Gavroche's bedroom to check on his 'brother'.

Gavroche lay on his bed, curled on his side with the blankets kicked away from his body. He was wide awake; his bloodshot eyes suggesting that he had not slept all night. "Petit?" Courfeyrac said softly sitting on the side of the bed. "Are you alright? Did you wake then not sleep again?"

The child nodded. "Ya looked tired last night, didn't wan' a wake you up" He whispered curling up the young man's side.

"I would've of minded you silly boy, you could have come and get me" Courfeyrac said lifting him onto his lap. "Did you have a night terror?"

Gavroche shook his head. "Non, felt sick, head 'urts" He sighed pressing his head against Courfeyrac's shoulder. The child had not been able to sleep all night, he felt nervous for his sister, scared for her safety. The nerves make knots twist in his stomach and his head pound as he thought about Eponine in danger. Every time he had closed his eyes, he had seen imaginary images of her being hurt, images of their father looming over her with the leather belt in his hands.

"Felt sick?" Courfeyrac said worriedly. "Oh petit 'Roche, you should have come to me! Do you still feel sick?"

"Oui Courf" Gavroche whispered, wrapping his arms around his neck and leaning against him. He wanted comfort, he needed it. He wanted to stay quiet, not talk anymore. If he talked he was scared that he would say the secret. He wanted too, of course, but Eponine had made him promise not to.

Courfeyrac sighed kissing his head and resting a hand on his forehead, trying to feel his temperature. He felt a little warm. Worried, he picked up one of the blankets and draped it around the boy. "We should take you to Joly and Combeferre, you could be getting really sick ami" He whispered.

Gavroche nodded, scared of the idea of seeing Eponine at the café again. He did not want to see her injured again. He knew that she would have gone home the night before, putting herself in danger once more. He kept his eyes closed tight, trying to ignore the pounding in his head. Courfeyrac lifted the child into his arms, forgetting about picking up his coat or sorting out his head of wild curls. All that he cared about was the little boy in his arms. He did not want to see the child sick, he wanted him well, smiling and laughing again. The hurried walk to the café scared him; it reminded him to much of that first walk. That first walk when he had held the street urchin in his arms, fearing for the child's life as he lied limp, barely conscious.

"Joly? Combeferre?" He said as he entered the café, hoping that at least one of them would be there at this early hour. "Please I need help" He added looking at Gavroche in his arms, the child crying softly. Courfeyrac knew that Gavroche would only cry if he was in pain or very scared, those years on the streets had made him tough beyond his years. He hated to appear weak, something was wrong with him and the thought of it scared Courfeyrac.

Combeferre was sat in his normal spot, near the head of the table with Enjolras beside him. He looked up when he heard his name called and paled at the sight of Gavroche in Courfeyrac's arms. "Whatever is the matter Fey? Is he sick?" He asked rushing to take the boy from his friend's hold.

"I fear so, he was sleeping when I took him home last night, but he said this morning that he had been feeling sick and his head hurt, I don't think he slept much" Courfeyrac said worriedly, slowly letting the young doctor take the boy. "Help him please, I'm worried for him, he is never like this"

"Let me take a look" Combeferre replied thoughtfully sitting the boy down on a nearby chair and kneeling before him. "Gavroche, sit still for me and let me look at you, it won't take long petit". With Courfeyrac sitting beside Gavroche holding him still gently and keeping the blanket around him, the boy appeared calm. Combeferre checked his temperature and checked him for other symptoms before shaking his head. "He has a slight temperature that is sure, but his throat is not swollen and everything else seems fine" He said with a slight reassuring smile. "Lay him down on the bench there so we can keep an eye on him.

Gavroche had stayed silent through this whole exchange, leaning against Courfeyrac and biting his lip as if afraid the secret would fall from his mouth. Kissing his forehead, Courfeyrac carried Gavroche to the bench and laid him down. "Rest will make you feel better mon petit frère, I promise, I don't break promises" He whispered looking into the child's eyes. "It's alright; I'm here, not going anywhere". Gavroche stared at him and held his hand, slowly allowing his eyes to close despite the images of his sister getting injured hitting his imagination. Courfeyrac stayed beside him, stroking his hair until he was lying asleep.

Combeferre placed a hand on Courfeyrac's shoulder, pulling him to one side. "What is bothering Gavroche is not physically, it's all in the head. It has to be" he whispered.

"In the head, what do you mean?" Courfeyrac asked a confused expression on his face. "He was fine yesterday"

"Worry, stress, fear can all cause this sort of reaction. It's like locked up energy, he's not saying anything so it is hurting him. Perhaps he had a night terror but wanted to appear grown up and not needing someone to hold him and tell him it's alright. By not telling you, it scared him more" He explained.

"He has never been afraid to tell me before" Courfeyrac sighed looking at the sleeping boy. "I wonder what is scaring him now?"

Combeferre shrugged. "I do the medical side of it mon ami, not the tempting secrets out of small children" He sighed

Courfeyrac nodded. "He seemed happy enough yesterday evening, we were walking here and he was on my shoulders, telling me stories about when he had been out on the streets. He had been all smiles and laughter" He said. "Then he stopped talking, the smile went when we saw.."

"Saw what? Saw who?" Combeferre asked looking at the groups centre with an eyebrow raised in thought.

"Eponine" He replied. "He stopped talking and I didn't see a single smile after we saw that Eponine was hurt"

I will admit now to having no medical knowledge whatsoever, so I apologise if none of this makes sense. I just wanted to bring across how keeping the secret is hurting Gavroche, it is making him scared and nervous.

The next chapter will come as soon as possible, probably on Friday or Saturday