Well here is another week andanother chapter bang on schedule. I feel happy with the way that the story is progressing and wouldlove your thoughtsand opinions too, so why not leave a review? Thanks again for all those avid readers out there and happy April fools!

I also just wanted to say that this chapter ishalf of another chapter so this is essentially part one! I did this because I think it flows better and this would be too long to have as one chapter.

LOVE AND FEAR

Dancing through the air,

As if it were not there

Creeping through the ground,

Silent and soft without Sound

Sleeping in their dreams,

Curled with hope it seems

Sharp in ice and fire,

Death with no hope of desire

Beauty and loyalty true,

With thoughts just of you.

The door creaked, giving away his presence and the rooms occupants all turn to face him. Èponine shrieks with excitement and slips up out of her place and trails across the door to meet him. A voice interrupts the reunion. "Who the hell are ye and what do ye want?" It was Èponine's father and he was grim at the prospect of having a stranger into his lair. Henri turned and without the hint of embarrassment which was present on pink cheeks, he spoke. "Hello Monsieur, I am sorry to intrude on your evening. My name is Henri Dubois. I am here to ask for your permission, to speak with your daughter. May I?"

Monsieur Thènardier was Confused at the propriety with which Henri spoke. He was then further confused as to why Henri would want to speak to his daughter and assuming the worst was prepared to say no. Éponine had already known what her fathers answer would be, so she lifted her skirts and quickly led Henri out of the door. When Éponine turned to face him once they were outside in the hallway, her lips were turned up into a small smile which framed her face and enhanced the quality of her eyes. "Henri!" She spoke with enthusiasm and excitement, "I have been waiting for ye for days! Where on earth have ye been? I had to run from jail so I did but I am now better, since yer here." Henri boughed his head in shame before spotting the welt on her face that the inspector had caused. He was immediately filled with rage, hatred coursed through his veins and fire ran across his thoughts.

"Who did this to you?" Henri Demanded.

"Nobody, it's nothing!"

"Tell me now! I shall kill the person who lays a hand upon you!"

Éponine hid her cheek slightly, "It was in the jail."

"Who was it Éponine? Who did this to you?"

"The inspector, it was La inspecter Javert." she whispered.

"How dare he touch you! I shall show him!"

Éponine shook with fear at the thought of Henri being anywhere near Javert. "No ye mustn't! Please!" Éponine was beautifully awed that he cared enough for her to try and defend her but she was also horrified that Henri would think about challenging Javert. "Éponine, are you blind? Can't thou see what he has done to you? He is not a man he is a monster!" Henri was appalled that she would think of herself so lowly that she would let him get away with this. Henri also wrongly believed that Éponine had been innocent to all crimes and was falsely accused, that was intact not the case. "I know what he is Henri and I care but ye don't understand! There is nothing to be done. Just be happy I ain't dead!" Éponine rasped in her usual throaty cackle. She let her eyes drop to where Henri's hands lay clenched into fists by his sides, she slowly clasped his hand and eased it out from a fist. Silently. She moved his fingers into place so that she was holding his hand sweetly and with her thumb, she drew a path across the back of his hand. Still silent, she moved her thumb to and fro trying to ease the tension that was still present in his hand, wanting to soothe him. He gave her a genuine smile and was able to choke out, "Mon dieu! I am so appeased that you are still well,oh Éponine!" Feeling sadly sentimental, Henri Henri pulled her into a tight and satisfying hug that pleased both himself and Éponine.

"Promise to try an' save me next time?" Éponine quipped up gazing intently into Henri's eyes and she saw them soften into hazel orbs. "Éponine, I promise and tomorrow I will come and collect you. Make sure you are here at noon. We will have luncheon together and I would love it if you could meet my sœur?" Éponine was instantly delighted by Henri's intentions and agreed profoundly. "Oh Henri! Oui! Of course, I will love to meet yer sœur!" She would not allow the guilt or heaviness of her own sœur's death to fall upon her shoulders in this time of enraptured and fulfilment. Henri smiled and gently left a kiss on Éponine's calloused hand which he had still been holding, "Well then mademoiselle, I bid you adieu." With a bow of his back, Henri stooped low and departed back down the stairs in the same way he had came from which left Éponine alone in the hallway outside her garret.

Éponine's heart soared and she clutched her hand to her chest, just where her heart laid fluttering with the memories of Henri. He had kissed her! He had set his lips against her hand and said good bye! Éponine thought that it was a definite sign of love and she could not wait for what tomorrow would bring. She let her feet twirl across the floor of the hall as her mind flew through the possibilities that her life could now lead, would her affections end in marriage? She hoped so, she believed so and she wanted so with all of her mind, body and sole.

During her musings she was unaware of another persons presence until that person uttered her name. "Eponine!" She turned and her eyes opened further in the revelation that the man who stood before her was her handsome neighbour Monsieur Marius. The very same Monsieur Marius whom she had once harboured very strong feelings for.

"Monsieur Marius! I have not seen yer person in months! Where have you been?" Monsieur Marius smiled back and held the back of his neck as he searched for an apology, "I have been at school most of all and it's very cold! I do not leave my room much." Éponine could not help but be enthralled by the way he smiled with teeth far purer than Henri's would ever be and the way his eyes held so much life and were never as dark and serious as Henri's always seemed to be. Marius smiled slightly at her before brushing away the thick clumps of brown which littered his forehead. "Èponine, I know that I have not seen you much but I wondered if you could do something for me? It is very important." Èponine eyes him cautiously, a queer look had overtaken her features as she pondered what his task for her was.

"Yes." She replied failing to hide her curiosity, Monsieur Marius gave a small sigh and began to check through his coat poker for the precious letter he had taken so long writing. Inside the envelope, it was certain how much love and affection was spent, hours pouring over the paper and filling it with tender words. His hands found the sheet, at last and he withdrew it from the cotton pocket with a fond smile. "Please 'ponine, take this to the Rue Plummet number five. Give it to the girl with the golden curls and the dainty hands, tell her it comes with the love of Marius. So this for me, please?" Éponine's heart broke a little further, cracking and twisting and bending and snapping. He dared to ask her a thing like this, which would cause her so much pain, reminding her of what she could never have. Somewhere in the cold damp air of the hall was a smell of sadness and loyalty and of course, somewhere in the cold damp air, was the sharp tang of fear. Éponine's eyes widened and her mouth grew tight, she turned her shoulder and reached for the letter, not watching the motions of her hand. She grappled madly at the air until her thin hand came into contact with the letter, she clutched it tight and quickly slipped it into her pocket which resided in her skirts. "Yes Monsieur Marius, I will do it for ye. Now I gotta go! Au revoir." Éponine made her way across the hall, risking only a quick glance behind her to see Monsieur Marius's retreating figure. Èponine waited for the small 'click' of Monsieur Marius's door and then let herself crumple against the floor. She slid down the wall, he frail legs giving out when her back met the skirting board. The floor was cold and hard and bleak and the darkest fears came creeping into Èponine's mind. Why, when goodness finally comes, does darkness prevail? Life was a combination of lies and obscenities and Èponine was tired. She was worn down physically and mentally with thoughts of past, present and future which were all filled with pockets of darkness.

Èponine was in a purgatory of torment. She was at war with herself, not understanding why she could not just choose which man that she was truly in love with. It was empowering all thoughts and was causing her inner turmoil, it was ripping Èponine apart by the seams. When Èponine finally chose to lift herself from the flooring, she was almost shaking with the cold, her thin chemise not being an adequate barrier against the chills which rattled down the corridor.

Èponine quietly slipped through the door, back into her small garret. Her father instantly sprung upon her filled with questions.

"Who the hell was he?" Thènardier growled.

"He is me friend." Replied Èponine filled with weariness.

"Ah, a friend! What a helpful thing in these hard times! Now tell me dear, what did he say to ye?"

"He told me to meet him. Tomorrow at noon and I wanna go!" Èponine pressed her luck oblivious to her fathers mirth.

"Ye wanna go, do ye? Well that can be arranged me girl! Now tell me, is he rich?"

"No papa! Leave him alone, he has a family to support. He is a good man!" Èponine tried desperately to undo what she had said.

"A good man! No such thing, all yer gonna find in the slums are thieves!" Thènardier considered the possibilities and finally exclaimed in a high laugh, "Right, that's what yer gonna do! Yer gonna get close to him, real close! 'Cause he will be important, I can feel it."

Èponine shivered slightly and lent down, relieving her sore feet of their boots. She peeled back the sheet from her straw mat and lay down, quivering in the coldness of her lonely soul. "Yes papa." She whispered into the darkness of the quiet room, too quiet to be heard. The chill had seeped through the thin sheet and she felt as if she were lying amid the snow. Èponine turned and pulled her knees to her chest, sliding a piece of the sheet between her teeth so that she would not cry out in pain. Èponine clenched her eyes shut and imagined Henri beside her, his arms keeping her safe and warm. She was so cold. He would pull her to his chest and soothe her with calming words and simple caresses. In this manner of ignorant fantasy Èponine managed to fall into the illusion of sleep and rest. She breathed in and out in short broken gasps, silently trying to survive the cold.

The afternoon had come to slowly and Èponine had waited, with a childish anticipation of the day that lay ahead. She had, once again tried to look the best that she could. Tying her hair up into a chiffon and deciding to wear one of her mothers cleaner looking skirts and Azelma's old chemise which had been whiter looking than her own. As she tucked the hem of her chemise into her skirt she paused for a moment remembering her sœur and the way she had once lived. Azelma had been far more delicate than Èponine, she was a child not suited to the work in which she lived. Like a petal blooming in the darkness. It was for the better that she no longer suffered, she was free from the pain which Èponine still felt.

When Henri had arrived at Èponine's poor garret he gave a loud knock and straitened his neck tie. As he waited for Èponine to answer he gazed down at the single flower that was held tightly in his hand. He had paid for it as he walked, thinking that Èponine would be pleased with the small bud. Henri was as composed as always when Èponine threw open the door, letting it rattle backwards and forwards on its hinges and greeted him with a nervous grin. He smiled back at her and stopped low as if he were meeting the queen of France, it made Èponine feel admired as a scarlet tint littered her cheeks. She was then presented the little yellow flower and offered Henri's arm.

"Oh Henri! It's beautiful, what a pretty little flower! How delicate the petals, how bright the colour! Thank ye, really I love it." Henri smiled, pleased that she had appreciated his gift to her.

"I am glad, have you eaten yet?" He asked the simple question which caused Èponine to become confused.

"Eaten?" She replied not understanding, "It ain't evening yet, why would I eat?" This caused Henri's heart to break a little, the thought that Èponine would not understand what breakfast was because she ate just once a day was horrific. Henri cleared his throat and guided her out onto the streets before stopping. "Dear Èponine, we shall have breakfast now. We will have a great feast and then we shall go to visit my Sœur. She will like you very much Èponine."

"Oh I hope she likes me, I promise to be nice to her Henri and I can't wait to eat some 'breakfast' today shall be great."

They walked along the bridge which separated the slums from the gardens, markets and houses that the bourgeois inhabited. Èponine rarely showed her face in these places, hating the way people treated her and also fearing that the law would catch her. But now, with Henri on her arm, Èponine felt like she was spinning through the stars or shooting through the skies. She walked with her head high in the sun. Such was the difference of her attitude that many prowlers would not be able to identify her as the girl who once kept to the shadows and stayed unnoticed.

Èponine was smiling, her laughter could be heard from all places, she clasped her flower in one hand and held Henri's arm with the other, talking away about no such thing in particular. When they reached a small street vendor who Henri swore was the best pie maker in all of France, Henri bought a pie for Èponine and a pie for himself. Then, moving slightly along the rows of stalls in the market, Henri bought two poached eggs and a small dish of glacé.

Èponine was near drooling, the sight and smell of the meal was making her feel feint. She had not found the time to eat properly in days and was now half starved. "They smell great! I could eat them all! Right now, so I could!" Éponine boasted happily as they took their seats on a bench by the river. "I wouldn't eat too quick if I were you, they are very filling, I would start with the pies if I were you." Éponine decide to agree with Henri's advice and slowly made her way threw the great feast, starting with the pies. She chattered away about the weather and the people who passed but not of anything important which goaded Henri to interrupt her.

"Éponine, tell me something." He asked.

"What do ye mean, 'tell ye something'?"

"Tell me something that you have never told anyone before, something real."

Éponine looked astonished but hid it easily by tuning her face to the side and letting her long hair blow across it, hiding her expression. She didn't know what to tell him but was desperate to prove her trust. She decide to divulge. "All I want is to be loved, that is all, really." Èponine bowed her head with embarrassment wondering what Henri might say back to her. Henri surprised her by laying his hand against her cheek and turning her face upwards so that she met his gaze. "That is all anyone would ever want Èponine. That is all I want too." Èponine's eyes opened slightly in awe, surprised that a single man could hold such goodness inside of him. "Well maybe then we shall all be rewarded someday?" She asked quietly peering shyly at Henri through the wisps of hair which blew across her visage. He surprised ever once more by frowning and shaking his head. "Not all people find love, some die looking for it." Henri replied annoyed by her childish thoughts, sometimes it seemed that Èponine behaved with a knowledge and wisdom beyond her years while at other times she could be foolish and silly. However, when Henri glanced back to see Èponine's expression he was saddened by what he saw. She was barley holding back the years that threatened to spill through her indifferent facade. This made his conscious turn guilty and he swallowed down his doubts and grabbed her hand. Her lips were ahead of her mind once again and she speaks thoughts that have only just begun to creep up upon her. "Are you going to stay?" She 's eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Of course I shall stay, Èponine." However clear this may seem to an onlooker, Èponine was still not satisfied,"I mean really stay. Really. Never leave me stay. Stay no matter what. Stay like that." She gasps a little when she has said the words, contemplating where she suddenly got such bold audacity from. She needs to hear the answer, needs to hear the sound of his voice forming the perfect words. She knows that if he can't promise her this, she can't let him make her feel this strange and beautiful happiness anymore. It would hurt her far too terribly to spend the day with him again if he was only to leave her by the new year. Èponine is not sure if she could handle his abandonment. "Really stay. Never leave you stay. Stay no matter what." He promises, and she nearly laughs with the confirmation of security. "I suppose your staying with me then!" She teases feeling free and very much alive. Henri just smiles, sadly. He wishes that life was not so hard and Èponine was not so desperate for companionship but he also is glad to have finally assured her of his indefinite company. He gently pulls her up from the bench and slides his arm across her shoulder, ignoring how thin and lithe her frail form is. "What do you say about meeting with my sœur now? She has been waiting all day to see and will have gone mad by now, it's almost two!" Èponine gave a merry grin, joyful at the prospect of having Henri's arm about her, then suddenly became doubtful. "Of course! I will be terribly nervous 'bout seeing her tho! What if yer wrong and she doesn't like me at all?" Henri shook his head, amused at Èponine's indifference and calmed her thoughts. "Of course she won't like you Èponine, she shall love you. Estelle had always wanted a sœur, she thought a brother just wasn't good enough, the silly girl!"

So they set off down the pavings and streets that would in fact lead them to Henri's small inhabitance. As they walked they chattered amorously about no such thing in particular but also about everything at the same time. While they talked Èponine smiled, not a bright or leering grin, just a small, honest and completely natural smile which had taken over her features. Sometimes when life is cold or hard we may forget to focus on the small and passing joys that fill the day. Even when hardships strive to diminish even the brightest of flames, all that is needed for hope to soar is for good men to triumph. And so, in this way it was made possible to feel the sun once again even after the rain of winter had fallen. Even then.

Even then, when paths become clear and daemons become scarce, the uncertainty will become present and choice will become hard, Even then.