24/6/13

I'M BACK FROM DUKE OF EDINBURGH! And everything hurts; I have slightly twisted my ankle, cut my thumb open, massive headache, got lost for an hour and a half and every muscle in my body aches ... NEVER AGAIN!

So, then from Tuesday to Thursday I am in London at Wimbledon (Tennis). Then Friday I am at a taster day at Sheffield Uni … SO it is unlikely anything else will be updated due to the pure chaos involved in my life currently apart from this (I have chapters pre-written). I apologise profusely!

Anyway, reviews … I thank you greatly!

Darci the Thespian – Well read on to find out …it is possible

Stagepageandscreen – Wow thanks, I try my best. That bit with Grantaire getting beaten up was actually added in later on as a moment of inspiration when I was revising English (what am I going to do without English?) and it was just perfect. And you cannot write a scene like that without putting those lines in. You'll have to read to find out … it could be anyone.

TotaltotheMax - *bows* Just read to find out ;) DofE is not fun … I am drained of all energy and everything hurts but Wimbledon will be so AWESOME!

Chapter 4

"I left you miscreants for a few hours and get found by Erica as you are beating up Nic!" the man shouted full of anger. Louis let Grantaire fall to the floor and he let out a small moan of pain with his eyes clamped firmly shut. Enjolras tried to move towards his love but he was still tied too tight to move.

"Sorry papa, we were trying to teach the kid a lesson. Make him tough like you always let us do," Xavier protested.

"He is tough you fools, and do you know what the punishment is for beating my favourite boy?" he asked, deliberately emphasizing the favourite. The little girl, Erica, pulled on Grantaire's father's jacket. "Yes my dear?" he asked softly. This man was a strange one; he seemed to care for Grantaire but if this was anything to by then he encouraged fighting amongst his children.

"Shall I take da boy somewhere elwse, Papa?" She asked sweetly and the old man smiled.

"That would be a great idea sweetie," he nodded and the five or six year old girl neatly jumped over Grantaire's shaking, hunched over form and untied Enjolras.

"Come on Enjolwas?" Erica smiled, taking his hand and leading him out of his house. "Nic and Papa won't wet anyfing appen to your stuff," she added, just in case he was worried. He didn't want to leave but he knew that if he protested now he could get both of them in more trouble. And he could not risk Grantaire's life.

As he was pulled out of the door by the tiny five year old, Enjolras cast a desperate look back over his shoulder. Grantaire was hunched over on his hands and knees, panting as he tried to recover from the previous abuse. Enjolras felt his heart twist in pain for his love. Grantaire slowly and jerkly twisted his head to face Enjolras. All Enjolras could see in Grantaire's eyes was anger, the pure unbridled storm that raged behind the murky brown exterior. He hoped it wasn't directed at him. He would not be able to bare it if after all this Grantaire loathed him. Does he blame me for all this? He should. Enjolras knew that everything that had happened was his fault; but he still prayed Grantaire wouldn't see it that way. He searched in the murky pools for that twinkle of joy and life that had permanently resided there before he disappeared. It was gone. Enjolras felt the tears gather in his own eyes and he hurriedly brushed them away. The door clunked shut in the wind and Enjolras tried to compose himself before addressing Erica.

"So, Erica. How many is there in the Grantaire family?" Enjolras as they walked slowly towards the Musain and he tried to rid his mind of the anger directed at him

"Well, at dis moment … in da gang there is eight," she replied, while counting them on her fingers. "In age orwder, Papa, Louis, Xavier, Fredrick, Francis, Nicolas, Erin, me," she smiled, immensely proud of herself. Enjolras couldn't help smiling along; she was such a sweet little girl to have grown out of the Grantaire family.

"What about the rest? Are there any not in the gang?" Enjolras asked, he was curious about his love's family and little Erica seemed eager to tell him this.

"In total dere is ten of us," she beamed and this time Enjolras couldn't keep the shock off his face. As an only child he could not understand such a large family. "Dere used to be twelve but two died," she added as if it was just an afterthought, not a loss of life. "Jean-Henrie is da oldest. He lewft to go to London and become a lawyer. He is fortey-eight," she explained and Enjolras nodded. "Den it is Mawrie! She had a twin cawlled Laszlo but he died in a knife fight when he was twenty-two. Marie is a maid in Marseilles and tis turty-five now. I fink she works for your parwents," Erica added casually with her usual beaming smile. Looking back as it yearly visits to Marseilles he did remember a maid called Marie, she was his mother's favourite in the kitchen staff. Enjolras nodded encouraging her to continue. "Den it is Louis, who you met, he is turty," she explained and Enjolras couldn't help an involuntary flinch at the mention of the leader of the Grantaire's. "Den Xavier, who was da tall one. He is tweny nine," Erica described while counting them off on her fingers.

"Den it is Nicky, your boyfwriend," she grinned as if her little smile was taunting him.

"Well, he's not my boyfriend anymore," he replied, quickly brushing away the tears gathering in his eyes.

"But Nic wuves you?" she replied with confusion spreading across her face. "Do wu not wuve Nic?" she asked, pulling on Enjolras' sleeve.

"I wish it was that simple little one," he sighed, squeezing her hand. "Now back onto your story alright," he encouraged and her little beaming smile returned.

"Dere was Eleanor who died when she was four but would have been twenty one," Erin continued and Enjolras' mind jumped back to the picture in Grantaire's scrapbook: RIP Eleanor Grantaire 1807-1812. That solemn scene still sent shivers through his soul and twisted his heart. "Erin is twenty and she is like a muther to me and elps round da house and looks after us all," she grinned, obviously fond of her big sister. Enjolras could remember Erin from when he was younger; she was always the loud and spirited one. "Clarette lives wif Gav and his gamins at de elefant, she is forteen. And den dere is me, I am five," Erin grinned and Enjolras smiled.

"A very old girl then," he teased and she giggled.

"I fink we could go back now," she murmured with a little yawn. Enjolras smiled, and gently picked the thin five year old up and held her to his chest. She snuggled against his jacket and rested her sleepy head on his shoulder. The church bells tolled midnight as the littlest Grantaire child drifted to sleep, nuzzling her face in Enjolras' blonde curls. Her jet black waves spread across his shoulder and her little hands gripped his coat as she slept. Enjolras smiled weakly and walked back to his apartment.

XXX

Grantaire hated his brothers with a passion only rivalled by Enjolras' towards the cause. Flames sputtered round his eyes and the pain was the only thing stopping him from diving at Louis that instant. He turned to look at Enjolras as his Apollo was led away and the fire only intensified as he watched his Apollo full of sorrow. He would kill them; kill them all in revenge for them even daring to touch Enjolras, let alone tie him up. He would have blood.

Once Enjolras and Erica had left the apartment and the door had clunked shut, the apartment erupted. "What in god's name happened here!" Papa Grantaire exclaimed standing eye to eye with Louis. Grantaire still lay hunched up on the ground; his body was racked with pain from his groin and ribs and the world seemed to throb with every breath. "I thought the rules were you let the victim go or you kill him immediately! Since when did we force others to kill and tie people up?" he shouted with a power only the old man demonstrated. Louis, Xavier and the twins were looking embarrassed at their feet while tolerating the scolding from their father.

"We were trying to teach Nic a lesson," Louis murmured.

"He was about to ruin a sting because of old friendships," Xavier added for effect. Papa Grantaire let out a deep sigh and rubbed his forehead.

"All of you were in the wrong," he stated firmly as Grantaire finally managed to sit himself up. "Louis, Xavier, Fredrick and Francis; you should not be seriously beating up your brother and tying people up … under any circumstances!" Papa Grantaire shouted and the four men nodded in agreement. "You are a family, act like it! Louis you are the leader, don't be a brute!" he yelled with his eyes darting furiously between four of his sons.

"Now you will leave me with my favourite son, and go do some real work between the four of you! And if I ever see you within a hundred yards of the Enjolras boy, I will kill you personally," he snarled and the other four skittered out of the apartment in to their respective dark holes lining the Paris streets.

Grantaire was still curled up in the corner with mind blowing pain tearing through his body. His hip burnt with a pain that he had hoped he was long rid of; the broken bone and torn muscles had never truly healed after the firing squad incident. Blood seeped out of the freshly opened cut over the still chipped bone. Sweat bedded on the younger Grantaire's forehead and his ebony curls were plastered to his head with sweat and blood. "Nic … what did I tell you? You have to close off all links to that past. You need to have no remorse," his father sighed, kneeling in front of him.

"I-I tried Papa," Grantaire mumbled. "But, they couldn't kill him … I couldn't kill him!" he cried out, his body trembling with unshed tears. "I still love him Papa, but he still hates me," he murmured with silent sobs shaking through him. His father wrapped him in a tight embrace.

"I will always be here for you Little R," he comforted him. "I would stop them hurting you but you know it is part of our family. We would fall apart without the competition," he added and Grantaire nodded.

"I know Papa," he cried onto the old man's shoulder as they sat there.

"But I want you to lead Nicolas. You are strong and you think, that's what Louis doesn't have. He don't have the brains to pull this off. And you do Nicky, you do. You just need to believe in yourself," Papa Grantaire encouraged. "Now let's get you home so Erin can have a look at that hip of yours again. I am still yet to understand why you took a bullet for this child," he smiled weakly and Grantaire chuckled hoarsely.

"I didn't just take a bullet for him … I faced a firing squad," Grantaire explained slowly getting to his feet with a little, faint smile at his father.