Chapter 6:

"Why don't you come in and hang out for a while?" Lucie said.

"Uum, sure," Enjolras said, "I have all day to do my homework."

"That's the spirit," Lucie said as Enjolras followed her into the room.

Lucie plugged her laptop in and turned on Pandora, "I hope you like Bowie," she said.

"I've never really listened to him," Enjolras confessed.

"Enj, you have no idea what you are missing out on!" Lucie said as the first song started playing, "Space Oddity, perfect." She climbed onto her bed (assisted by the stepstool of course)

"Lucie," Enjolras asked hesitantly, "are you sure you're OK?"

"I'm fine," she said before adding, "Come sit," patting the bed next to her. When Enjolras didn't move, Lucie rolled her eyes, "Oh, come on! I don't bite unless provoked."

"Lu, I know we've only been friends for a month or so, but I know when you're lying to me," Enjolras said, giving in and climbing onto the bed to sit next to Lucie.

"I'm not lying, Enj," Lucie paused as Enjolras turned his head and stared at her in disbelief, "Ok, if you weren't there, I wouldn't be fine right now, but you were…so I am." That last part sounded awkward as hell, she thought as she said, "God, I am so sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Enjolras asked confused, "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"He's never going to leave you alone now, and it's my fault," she said, getting noticeably upset.

"Let me worry about that," he put his hand on Lucie's shoulder, looked into her eyes and told said, "Listen, Lucie, there's nothing he can do that would make me regret what I did."

They were silent until Lucie smiled and said, "Ooh! This is my favorite line!"

"And the stars look very different today"

"Is this song why you love space, or do you love this song because you love space?" Enjolras asked jokingly.

"I love the song because I love space, but also because David Bowie is a god," she said.

"A god?" he asked, laughing.

"Yes," she said seriously, before grinning, "in fact…" Lucie pulled the right side of her shirt up to reveal the words 'And the stars look very different today' tattooed just below where her bra fell on her ribcage.

"Wow," was all Enjolras thought to say before quickly adding, "I didn't know you had a tattoo. When did you get it?"

"I got it right after I ended things with Montparnasse for good. I guess I chose this line because it reminded me that everything seemed different, in a good way, without him in my life," she shrugged, "I know it's stupid, but—," she said before Enjolras interrupted her.

"No it isn't," he insisted, "if it helps you through this situation at all, or means something important to you, then it isn't stupid at all. You don't need to justify it to anyone, not me, not your grandfather, not Marius, not anyone."

Lucie was shocked to say the least. This was the first time in a long time that a guy (except Marius of course) told her anything like that…that her actions weren't stupid, and that she wasn't stupid.

She started to cry, "I might have ruined your life; I don't deserve to have friends like you and the others."

Enjolras leaned in until their faces were inches apart, "Yes, Lucie, you do," he said, gently turning her head and looking into her eyes. He'd never noticed how green they were. God, he wanted to kiss her, and she wanted to be kissed by him. As he was about to bring his lips to hers, they heard Combeferre's key in the lock.

Lucie had never seen Enjolras move so fast. Before Combeferre was even in the room, Enjolras was off the bed and sitting at Lucie's desk fiddling with the music.

"Hey, Enj," he smiled, greeting his friend as he walked through the door, "what brings you here?"

"We had a run in with Montparnasse in the dining hall," Enjolras explained, "I was just staying with Lucie to make sure there was no trouble."

"What happened?" Combeferre asked, concerned.

Lucie got off the bed and told him what had happened in the dining hall, with both fists clenched, trying to take deep breaths as she relived it in her mind.

Combeferre looked at Enjolras, "Thank God you were there, Enj."

Enjolras barely heard him as he watched Lucie try to keep from breaking down, "Are you absolutely sure that you're alright, Lu?"

Lucie finally gave in and decided to stop lying to herself and her friends; she shook her head, "No. I thought I was, but I'm not. I'm terrified for all of you. Montparnasse gets what he wants and he hurts people to do it. One of my friends had to stop hanging out with me because Montparnasse and his friends sent her death threats and I'd bet they weren't joking. I'm scared that he's going to hurt you guys to hurt me."

"We won't let him, Lucie," Combeferre said reassuringly, as he watched tears roll down Lucie's face.

"He's going to hurt me again!" she almost screamed, "even after I swore he wouldn't!" she was shaking, and Enjolras and Combeferre were starting to get worried.

Lucie began to collapse to the floor, and Combeferre didn't realize what was happening fast enough to catch her.

Luckily, Enjolras did, "Lucie! Lucie!" he shouted.

No response, she was conscious, but she wouldn't stop shaking.

Lucie wanted to stop, but she couldn't. She couldn't speak, and she couldn't think straight.

Combeferre the one person in the club who was usually cool and collected was pacing back and forth, pulling at his hair, and almost hyperventilating, "Oh my God, what do we do, Enj?" Enjolras was a little shocked, he expected this behavior from Joly, maybe even Jehan, but Combeferre? It was unheard of.

"Combeferre—," Enjolras began.

"What do we do?" Combeferre interrupted.

"Combeferre—," he tried again, now kneeling on the floor holding Lucie so she didn't hit her head on the floor and get a concussion on top of all this.

"What if she—," Combeferre tried to interrupt again.

"Combeferre!" Enjolras yelled, getting his friend's attention, "get Marius, now!"