Short filler chapter, I apologize for this. I wanted to get something out for you guys. I've been a bit pre-occupied, so apparently this is the best I could come up with. I'll try to get the next chapter out by tomorrow just to make up for this one. I also apologize for any spelling and/or grammar errors. I didn't have a chance to edit this.

Chapter 5

Marius had trudged ahead of her, making her have to jog to catch up. He kept his head down, only blessing her with hasty glances to make sure she was still there. Eponine's eye raked him, cherishing the moments they spent together before Cosette would consume Pontmercy's mind once more. She made sure she was in step with him so that she could get a clear look at his freckled face. Finally, he looked up at her, "I have rarely seen you recently, 'Ponine."

Eponine was surprised; she had seen him almost every day when they took their normal park route together, as they did every morning. Marius would be commenting on how beautiful the sun looked shining through the tree branches, dancing over the river, momentarily gracing the blue with the presence of fiery orange and reds. He would remark on how the yellow in the sun reminded him of Cosette's golden locks. Eponine would admire the way the sun danced of Marius's green eyes and the way he would turn to smile at her every time she agreed. The only difference she could see was she had attempted to stop following him around like a lost puppy constantly, as instructed by Courfeyrac. "Make the man miss you," he had said, "Make him notice your presence, or lack thereof." So, she stopped throwing herself at him; she started to not continuously stare at him, trying to re-memorize every detail of him from his full lips to the way his hair leans slightly to the left. She had started having conversations, and debates with men that were not Marius.

This would be thought of as normal behavior to any person, but Marius had become accustomed to Eponine's constant worship. The somewhat excess praise had become a normality to him, therefore when she started trying to remove herself from the role of helplessly and hopelessly dedicated to him, he felt as if she was slowly removing herself from his life.

"I see you in the mornings, though you rarely come to the meetings anymore. When you do, you're writing a letter to Cosette. Though, I would love to spend more time with you, if you aren't preoccupied with your Cosette," she couldn't help but sound desperate and bitter at the end.

"You offend me," he said with a small smile on his lips, "I have every intention to attend the meetings and every intention to spend time with you, even with my Cosette preoccupying some of my time. For example, we are spending time together now, are we not?"

She smiled, "Yes, I suppose we are."

"I just do not want to lose my most precious friend. Speaking of which, what were you and Enjolras talking about? It is difficult to get him to say the word woman let alone talk to one," he felt a bit irritated, Enjolras had never once spoke of anything but the revolution, and now he had run in on him just looking at Eponine, and her looking at him as well. Marius hoped that this was not a scheme Grantaire had thought up, for both of them may get hurt in the process.

In her mind, the odd and riveting conversation she had had with the Marble Man had suddenly shocked her. In all of his glorious speeches that she had the opportunity to witness, she had never once seen as much of Enjolras, and his cause, as she had tonight. She realized that she was fortunate enough to witness the marble crack, even for a second. She replayed the moment in her mind where she saw his flawless, angelic, and emotionless features contort with pity, sadness, anger, and respect. She replayed the action of him taking her hand. In that moment, she had thought pity had driven him to take her hand. She had pulled away out of spite, and anger, for she did not need, want, or accept his pity. But now, she was not so sure. She knew he pitied her, all of the Les Amis did, but there was something behind that pity he had allowed to come through. There was something he never intended to let her see, and yet it escaped the confines of his detached manner. It had reached the surface before being dragged back into the unexplored depths of his being.

"He wanted to get a poor person's perspective on the revolution," she stated blankly, knowing that what she and Enjolras had shared was so much more than that.

Marius smirked at the answer, seemingly satisfied. He took long strides to the gates of Cosette's house, as Eponine hid herself in the shadows. She could hear their confessions to each other.

"Why regret what could not be?" she thought, as her eyes welled with tears.

Suddenly she was shaken out of her miserable trance by obnoxious voices, "It's this one right 'ere, yeah?" she recognized the voice of the burly, hairy man who was in her father's gang.

"Yes, that's the one," she shivered at her father's voice, "Who's this hussy we got over 'ere?"

She was suddenly grabbed by the arm and pulled out of the safety of the shadows by Montparnasse. He wrapped his arms around her to restrain her, as he menacingly and somewhat seductively ran his lips against her neck. "It's your brat, Eponine, don' you recognize your own kid?" Brujon said.

Her father motioned to Montparnasse to let her go, and as he reluctantly did, her father loomed dangerously over her. "Go home. We don't need you in this," he said.

She had to do something. She didn't want Marius to get hurt and with her father's gang around, they all were in danger. Marius may even think she was a part of it. He may never talk to her again, and he had just started noting her presence. "I know this house, I walk by it every day. There is nothing here that would please you," she said, silently praying to a God that had gone to sleep that her father would believe her.

"You've got some nerve, you better watch what you say," he warned her.

"Go home 'Ponine," she heard Montparnasse whisper to her quietly so the other men could not hear it. She turned to him and looked at the desperation that had flashed across his face and his cold eyes.

She looked back at her father, "I'm going to scream! I'll warn them!"

Her father grabbed her neck roughly and pulled her close to him as he said, "Scream and you'll regret it," in a lowing, terrifying voice.

She closed her eyes and let out an ear piercing scream. She felt a blow collide with her cheek as she fell to the ground. Multiple kicks rained down on her as she felt Thénardier grab fistful of her hair and yanked her head up so it faced him. His eyes looked crazed with anger, "Oh, I'll make you pay. If you want to scream, I'll make you scream." He released her and yelled at his men to disappear, as he quickly disappeared in the shadows.

She laid there, scared to move, but quickly flinched as she heard footsteps run near her and a touch to her shoulder. "My God, 'Ponine, what happened to you?" Marius said with such concern in his eyes she couldn't help but smile at.

"My father and his gang, I screamed to make them run off," she said through gasps of pain.

He smiled at her somewhat obvious and vague answer, "I could hear that," he joked, "Let me get you help."

She shook her head and stood up, clutching her side, "I'm fine. I actually must be off, Father will only get angrier the longer I wait to return."

"You must be joking," he said, "You cannot go back there."

"I have been dealt far worse," she turned to leave and looked back at him, allowing herself to re-memorize every detail of his face again, not sure whether she'd have to opportunity to see it again, as she said, "Au revoir, Marius."

"Goodnight 'Ponine," he answered, unwillingly turning away from her.