Thank you for the amazing response to the last few chapters… the reviews make me want to write more for you all

I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Gavroche gave a watery smile, tears coming down his face. He carefully took hold of Courfeyrac's hand and bit his lip. He had never seen Courfeyrac appearing weak or tired. He always seemed so full of life, happy to play games and act like a child just to entertain Gavroche. He was an important member of the group, a strong member of the group. It wasn't right for him to be like this. "Oh Courf" the child breathed, a sigh of relief at seeing him awake. "I… I was so scared"

"I know 'Roche" Courfeyrac replied, his voice weak from the pain. "But I'm alright". The young man was hurting, but he wanted to hide that. He didn't want Gavroche to worry about him. A child should not have to worry about those around them; they should be carefree and joyful.

"No you're not, I can see the blood Courf" Gavroche cried, leaning back when he felt Eponine stand behind him with her hands on his shoulders. "You're hurt, really bad"

"I can handle this Gavroche, I promise, and you know that I never break a promise" Courfeyrac replied, hiding a yawn of exhaustion. He slowly raised an arm to bring a soft hand up to Gavroche's cheek, wiping away the tears there. "Come on now petit, please don't cry"

"I'm sorry, I'm just scared" Gavroche said wiping his eyes on the sleeves of his coat. "You were so brave Courf"

"Oui, Courfeyrac" Eponine agreed. "I can't believe you did that, to put yourself in between us and a blade?"

"It had to be done" Courfeyrac said looking at her. "Here, pull that chair up and sit down Eponine, and 'Roche, you want to lay down with me?"

"Won't I hurt you?" The boy said in a little voice.

"No, lie on your side and put your head on my shoulder. My shoulder is not hurt" Courfeyrac said, smiling to the little boy and ignoring the surge of pain that flooded through him. "Come on now"

Looking to Eponine for reassurance, and giving a little smile when she nodded, Gavroche carefully and slowly laid down beside Courfeyrac, resting his head on his shoulder and curling his arm around Courfeyrac's chest. "I tried to come and see you right away, but Enjolras stopped me"

"I'm glad petit, I didn't want you to see me when I was hurting" Courfeyrac said softly, leaning his head across to press a kiss to Gavroche's forehead. "It is better now". The little boy nodded, but did not look convinced.

Eponine, having pulled a chair up to the side of the cot, gently adjusted the blanket around Courfeyrac and nodded to herself. "Why did you do it, Courfeyrac, really?" She asked

"To protect you and Gavroche of course, I couldn't let him get to you. He has already put both of you through too much. He wanted bloodshed and I wasn't going to let him take it out on you or Gavroche" Courfeyrac said folding his arm around Gavroche's small form and holding him close.

"Merci Courfeyrac, I should say that a million times but it would not be enough" Eponine said softly, leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Merci"

"No need to thank me Eponine. Anyone, put in that situation, when it came between them or a young girl and a child getting hurt, would have done what I did. I am glad I did it" Courfeyrac said. "Please do not say thank you again"

"But I have to do something to thank you Monsieur, you saved our lives" Eponine stressed. "Please Courfeyrac.

"Stop calling me monsieur, makes me sound old" Courfeyrac said, yawning. "I wanted to protect you and Gavroche, it was my choice and I thank you for listening to me and running with Gavroche"

"You are quite the unbelievable young man Courfeyrac" Eponine said with a smile, leaning back in her seat and tucking her feet up underneath her. "You are tired, no need to hide it, we will go and let you rest. You need the rest. Come now Gavroche"

Gavroche looked up at her with wide eyes, shaking his head. "I wan' to stay with Courf, I can lay here"

"He's alright Eponine" Courfeyrac said closing his eyes to sleep. "He can stay if he wants too"

Eponine nodded, slowly standing up to leave the room. "I shall let you rest. I need to talk to the others anyway". She looked back over her shoulder as she left the room, seeing Courfeyrac beginning to fall asleep with Gavroche cuddled to his side. They were inseparable.

…

If there was one thing that Enjolras hated it was feeling powerless. He sat at his usual seat at the head of the table, Combeferre to one side with the other seat empty. The centre wasn't there. The centre was lying on the cot, in pain, and Enjolras hadn't done anything to stop it. He could have pulled Thenardiar back, forced himself in front of Courfeyrac to stop him being an honourable fool. But he didn't. He knew that if he had tried to intervene, it could have possibly been worse for Courfeyrac, but he could have made it better. With a heavy sigh, he leant back in his chair and looked to Combeferre who was staring at the book before him but obviously not taking anything in. "Combeferre, how is it looking for Courfeyrac?" He asked

The young doctor looked up "The wound is deep, and the chances for infection could be seen as high. We all the state of that knife, filth and rust, we can only hope that done of the bacteria made its way into his bloodstream. "He is strong though, and has always boasted that he is rarely sick."

The chief nodded. "I hope so, not only is he a very dear friend of us all here, and an important member of our group in the sense of our revolution, but I hate to even begin to think what would happen to Gavroche, if the worse…" He could not finish the sentence; he didn't want to think about that possibility and as the leader, did not want to put that thought into the minds of his friends.

"If he dies, you mean" Grantaire slurred, moving across from his space leaning against the window. The young man still held his wine bottle in his hand, and had that stagger to his step illustrating that he had already had too much to drink. "Come on, Apollo, we all know that there is a possibility that he will die!"

"Don't say that Grantaire, why do you have to be so negative about everything?" Enjolras snapped. "If you are going to be negative about this, stay silent and drink until you pass out Wine cask"

"You just don't want to speak the truth" The drunken sighed slumping into a chair.

"We all have to stay positive; now, Courfeyrac would not want us to be sitting like this now would he?" Jehan said. "He is positive about everything, so we should be too"

"He's right"

Everyone turned to see Eponine walking into the room, looking at them all. "Courfeyrac is sleeping now, but before he was still reassuring Gavroche that he was alright and telling him not to worry." She said. "Courfeyrac wouldn't want you all like this, get on with plannin' your revolution"

"Very well Mademoiselle" Enjolras sighed.

"And Monsieur Grantaire" Eponine said looking at the man who continued to take long swigs from his bottle. "Let my little brother hear you talking like that and I'll make sure that you can't take another drink"

Grantaire looked at her wide eyed and chuckled. "I'd like to see you try"

…

Hours passed and the normal meeting occurred. Eponine returned to her chair, curling up there beside the cot, watching Courfeyrac as he rested with Gavroche lying beside him. Not once did the little boy leave Courfeyrac's side, and never did he allow his own eyes to close. It was as if he was afraid that if he closed his eyes to sleep, he would wake to find Courfeyrac not there anymore.

"'Ponine, the meeting's over. Do you want me to walk you and Gavroche home?"

Eponine looked up to see Marius standing in the doorway. "Oui Marius, indeed" She said smiling at him "Come on Gavroche, you need to sleep also. Courfeyrac will still be here in the morning"

"No 'Ponine, I'm staying 'ere" Gavroche complained, nestling himself under the blanket and staying close to Courfeyrac, who still had his sleep slackened arm wrapped around the boy.

"Gavroche you need to come home to rest" Eponine argued.

"No Eponine!" the boy said refusing to look at her. "Courfeyrac needs me here"

"He needs you well rested and at home" Eponine said "Don't be stubborn with me"

"Don't argue with me, I'm stayin' ere!" Gavroche said.

"He can stay if he so wishes, I am staying here tonight to look over Courfeyrac, Gavroche will be no trouble to me" Combeferre said, coming into the room with an armful of bandages. "I can see he does not wish to leave his friend's side, he is loyal"

"And stubborn" Eponine added. She looked to Gavroche then to Marius. "I shouldn't leave him ere, we should be together"

"You can stay here too" Combeferre said "If you would be more comfortable"

Eponine nodded picking up a blanket and curling back into her chair "Merci Monsieur Combeferre, those years on the street have made me brother incredibly loyal and stubborn boy"

"I understand entirely" Combeferre smiled, expertly checking Courfeyrac's bandages without waking him

She smiled and nodded, wrapping herself in the blanket and leaning her head against the back of the chair, looking to the injured young man and her little brother curled beside him. She finally watched Gavroche's eyes close to sleep, a hand holding Courfeyrac's.

She knew Courfeyrac would fight this. He would fight to get better for Gavroche. Eponine watched Combeferre check Courfeyrac, gently rewrapping the injury on his hand and checking his temperature. She tried to shake away the thought, but she couldn't help but think that she saw a flash of concern in the young doctor's eyes.

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