I told you guys I would get a chapter out today! Review, please! Reading all of your reviews makes me so happy and keeps me motivated! Excuse any spelling/grammar errors, again. I'm terrible with that.

Chapter 6

As Eponine took the slow walk home, she took in the city of Paris. She walked through the nooks and crannies that she had come to know so well. She listened and swayed to loud laughing and banging coming out of the crooked buildings as if it was music. She listened to the sound of hungry babies crying and the seductive whispers of hookers trying to catch their prey. She felt the coldness and dampness of the street soak through the worn down soles of her rugged, old boots. She looked down the dirty streets littered with drunken men, whores, and starving families. She looked at the leaning buildings that seemed to fall into each other. She looked up at the spotted sky with the moon shining through the clouds and she felt the odd sense that she was home. The streets seemed to bring her a comfort that her real home had never blessed her with. She sighed, she didn't want to leave it. She didn't want to leave this city that had always been cruel to her, but graced her with coy beauties. She suddenly realized what Enjolras had been trying to tell her before. She saw the beauty of the city for the first, and possibly last time in her life. She wanted to find him, and tell him he was right, there was beauty in this God forsaken city. She wanted to embrace him and thank him for being the one to plant the idea in her head. She wanted to apologize for noticing it too late.

Just as she was thinking that she passed Café Musain. She saw the flicker of the candle through the windows and doorway. She felt that she could almost see Enjolras in there, bent over his books that were sprawled around him. Pulling his blonde curls, clenching his broad jaw line. She became sad that she would most likely not be able to see what this great man would do for the city and the people. She became upset that she would not be able to assist his plight against the oppression of the government. She stopped for a moment, contemplating whether or not she should take a detour from her march to her extremely harsh and inevitable fate, to thank him, and let him know that she had finally seen the beauty of the city. She stood and listened, she could hear light chatting coming from the Café, she could only assume that the men had come back from their studies and whores to rejoin Enjolras. She shook her head and continued to walk home, he would not want to hear her epiphany, especially with the other men around.

After what seemed like hours of admiring the sights she had seen every day, she finally reached her destination. She looked up at the dingy inn and shivered when she heard loud, drunken yells coming from it, as she bravely stepped inside. Right as she got inside, her eyes widened when she saw Azelma sitting in the corner staring at her as if to say, "Why did you come back? Why did you not even attempt to disappear? Why are you going down without a fight?" Eponine's eyes locked with Azelma's wide green eyes. Azelma knew that there was no way Eponine could hide from her father and his gang, they would find her, but she always thought her sister would at least try to escape.

"No," Eponine thought, "Not in front of 'Zelma." Even though Azelma grew up in the streets and in horrifying conditions, Azelma always had an innocent side to her that Eponine adored. Unlike Gavroche, Azelma didn't have to pretend to be innocent to make Eponine happy, she just was. Azelma would constantly stop and stare at expensive dresses displayed in store's windows, she would smile at strangers in the street, and ogle a sweets in bakeries. This will break her. Eponine had always taken Azelma's beatings for her, but she would always tell Azelma to leave the room. Eponine gazed at Azelma as if to say, "Leave now."

Suddenly Eponine was pulled roughly by her hair and punched across her face. Her knees shook, threatening to collapse, but she was held up by the firm grip on her hair. She was punched again, this time in her temple and she let out a scream, blood covering her mouth. She heard a loud scream ring throughout the building refusing to stop and in her daze, she realized it was not her screaming. She forced her eyes open, which proved difficult because she was starting to swell and saw Azelma standing in the corner screaming.

"Shut that little brat up!" she heard her father yell.

A man walked over and slapped Azelma across the face, "Don't you touch her!" Eponine yelled as Azelma continued to scream, "Azelma! Be quiet and go in the other room!"

After hearing her sister speak to her Azelma stopped yelling and quickly turned and ran into the other room. Right when Azelma left, Eponine was thrown to the ground as all the men attacked, punching her and kicking her, doing anything to land a blow on her. She heard cracks and could only assume it was her ribs, shoulders, and head. The flood of men slowly parted as she saw her father walked slowly up to her and reveal a rusty knife. He leaned down and whispered to her, "I said I would make you pay." As he ran his knife across her stomach causing blood to spill out of her. Once his work was done her father slowly stood up, and wiped her blood off his knife and turned and walked out of the room.

Her heart sank as adrenaline pumped through her. She knew what that meant. The men could have their way with her. Montparnasse was the first one to react. He was quickly on top of her and pushed against her, "This is what you get for not listenin' to me, you little slut. I wanted to help you, but of course, you don' listen to me. Oh, you'll get it." She pushed him off of her with all the strength she could muster and kneed him in the groin, causing him to fall off of her. She attempted to crawl away but soon she was swarmed by men.

Azelma was sitting in the fetal position in the next room over with her fingers in her ears and rocking back and forth, as she hummed the lullaby that her mother used to sing to her before they had lost all their money. The whisper could not cover the screams and bangs that were coming from the next room. Finally, after what she could only assume had been hours, she heard the men leave one by one. Azelma slid up from her corner and tip-toed lightly across the floor, using her Thénardier stealth and peered into the other room. She gasped at what she saw as she ran over to her sister who was laying on the floor in a puddle of blood. Her body was in an awkward angle that would not have been possible to be in without broken limbs.

"'Ponine?" she whispered lightly tapping her sister. There was no response, no stirring. "Don't worry, 'Ponine, I'll get you help. I'll get you help."

Azelma stood up and turned to run out of the dingy inn. She ran to the elephant statue that she knew Gavroche resided. "Gav!" she screamed. She didn't hear only movements.

"Where is he?" She thought, "Café Musain!" She remembered seeing her brother hang around the revolutionaries and constantly go to their meetings. She ran to the Café and burst through the door. All the chatter of the men stopped as their eyes fell upon the bloody, pale, and blantly terrified girl who couldn't have been more than two years older than Gavroche. Gavroche pushed through them hastily, "'Zelma?" he asked looking at her trying to get her attention. Joly took a slow step forward at the sight of the blood on her to show her that he would be willing to offer his assistance.

She looked at him, her wide eyes brimmed with tears, "It was Father. It's never been so bad. I think she's dead. She can't be dead. She promised. She promised us she wouldn't leave us. Help. She can't break her promise." With that Azelma had burst into hysterical sobs as Gavroche attempted to cover his up.

He turned to the men, "Please help."

Enjolras and Joly were the first to respond to the situation. Joly gently took the girl's hand asking if she was hurt as Enjolras commanded his men, taking control of the situation. Soon, Azelma and Gavroche were leading Enjolras, Joly, and surprisingly, Grantaire to the house. As they were running, Enjolras noticed the streets were getting dirtier and the wicked of the city seemed to be residing near their home. He also noticed that they seemed to shrink back in fear when Azelma ran past them. He never knew how much power the name Thénardier was in the slums. They came to a halt as Azelma turned to them, "Wait here, I must check that no one is awake."

The men anxiously awaited for what seemed like the longest minute of their life and all jumped and ran in when Azelma motioned the okay to them. They ran up into the room and their hearts dropped. They saw a bruised and battered, nearly dead Eponine before them. Joly ran to her and checked her pulse, "Still alive but barely, broken ribs, and a dislocated shoulder, some serious bruising. We must get her somewhere with better lighting so I can do a proper examination."

"My apartment," Enjolras said quickly, "It is right near your own so you can get the supplies you need, I have proper lighting and an extra room. Also, it is close by. I believe it would be the most beneficial place to care for her."

Joly nodded in agreement, "Enjolras, you pick her up, slowly. Careful not to move her too much, I don't want a rib puncturing her lungs."

Enjolras scooped her up, grimacing at how light she was, and made his way out the door.

He felt disgusted with himself, he had promised Eponine protection earlier that night and here she was on the brink of death. How was he supposed to start a revolution and promise to free and protect the people when he couldn't protect one citizen? He silently apologized to her for allowing this treatment to go on for so long. He prayed that she could live to hear the apology.

After this, I promise there will be a lot of E/E. I just need to time it, they aren't going to fall in love instantly, but they are starting to care for one another in a platonic way. It will grow in the next couple of chapters!