Hey guys! I am SO SO SO sorry about my late update! I just didn't know what to write for this chapter and I lost track of time.

It will not happen again, that I will make sure of!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of les miserables.

Chapter 3: Secrets

Eponine sat alone at the ABC the next day. Her eyes were fixated on the boy in front of her, the way passion flowed from the words that escaped his lips. She stared at Enjolras, not the way she stared at Marius, but more in awe. He was so good-natured, she didn't know how he managed to be like that. She'd never met anyone who went out of their way to be nice to her, not even Marius. Sure, Marius was her friend, but he never offered her a jacket, or invited her to stay in his flat when it was raining. But she brushed those thoughts aside-he still was her friend. She still was in love with him, regardless of whether or not he went out of his way if he helped her. She actually liked the fact that Marius gave her no sympathy.

Eponine stared ahead towards Enjolras as he spoke about revolution, and how tomorrow will be a better day. It was so amazing how he could stay so optimistic and hopeful when his past was bad. Eponine had given up hope completely over these last few years, perhaps this was because she had nothing to fight for.

Eponine went to the ABC that day because she knew she had to thank Enjolras personally, she couldn't just write a note and run off, not after he had given her such hospitality.

"We need to remember what we are fighting for," Enjolras said. "We aren't just fighting because we want to create chaos, we fight for a reason, we all have our own. We all have a reason for fighting for freedom." At that moment Enjolras looked at Eponine for a moment.

Just a second.

It was as if he didn't realize what he was doing, then his eyes flickered away. Eponine was sure she imagined it.

"We are fighting for those who have lost, those who can't afford to live. We need this," he said, then pausing for dramatic effect. "We need this." He repeated.

Marius suddenly stood up next to him. Eponine openly grinned, as she watched the beautiful boy look towards the men with such excitement and intensity in his gorgeous eyes. "We need to fight for the ones we love," he shouted.

All of them shouted in agreement.

Eponine's grin slowly fell, and she felt like she was being strangled. She knew why Marius was fighting: Cosette. And as much as she wished it was because of her, it wasn't.

She bit her lip and blinked quickly to make sure no tears came. No matter how many times she was beaten by her father, no matter how many times she got sick or broke her bones, it was never as painful as watching Marius speak as Cosette.

Eponine stopped listening, as she tucked a hair behind her ear and stared at the ground. Soon they were finished and the men went about their business.

Her eyes were on Enjolras as he talked to a few people. He talked with his hands occasionally, which she took notice to. His eyes were present, and not distant. She wondered if it ever hurt his feeling that no one asked about him, not the revolution, as she did last night.

"'Ponine, what are you doing here?" A voice asked. Eponine turned to see Marius, and right at the sight of him, her cheeks flushed. "Monsieur Marius," she said, a little too excited. "Hi."

Marius placed his hand on her thin arm. "Why are you here? Did Cosette return the letter yet?"

Eponine saw the sheer excitement in his eyes fade as she shook her head. "No. Sorry," she mumbled. "I was here to listen to you men talk," she explained.

"Why?" Marius asked, tilting his head in confusion, in a way that sent Eponine's heart fluttering.

She shrugged. "It sparked a certain interest," she said quietly.

Marius stared into her eyes but only a brief moment before he was distracted.

"Ah, Mademoiselle Eponine," another voice chimed in. She turned to see Enjolras in front of her. "Nice to see you," he said.

Marius looked at them with surprise. "Are you two acquainted?" he asked.

Eponine was about to shake her head when Enjolras answered, "Yes. We met a little while ago. But I don't know her well," he shrugged. "Do you not remember we met?" he asked wryly.

Marius thought for a brief moment, then smiled warmly. "Ah, now I remember."

Eponine felt her back stiffen. Why must Enjolras always come when her and Marius are sharing a moment? She felt Marius's hand slide off her arm, and she frowned.

Eponine eyed Enjolras carefully. She didn't want Marius to ever think she was anything but his, even if she wasn't wanted.

"My two closest friends are acquainted. This is great," he exclaimed. Marius turned to Enjolras. "'Ponine said that she was here to listen to your speech."

Enjolras looked content for a moment as he turned toward Eponine. "What do you think?"

"I think it's nice that you are doing all this not only for the hype, but for something personal," she said, referencing the night before. Enjolras stared at her for a moment, and the expression is his eyes were unreadable. She willed herself to look back.

"I'd better be going," Marius said.

Eponine broke her gaze with Enjolras to look at Marius. "I have some studying I have to catch up on."

Eponine turned to him with a slight pout. "Must you go now Marius?"

"I apologize 'Ponine, but yes, I must," Marius replied with a sigh.

"Goodbye Monsieur," she said.

"Bye Pontmercy," Enjolras dismissed him.

And with that Marius walked off. Eponine watched him go walk out the door, her eyes settling after him.

"He truly is blind," Enjolras commented.

Eponine turned to him, her gaze a icy. "Stop," she ordered him.

"So, Mademoiselle, to what do I owe the pleasure of actually seeing you without you running off?" he said, with a playful grin.

Eponine rolled her eyes. Then she looked at him more serious. "I really wanted to thank you for what you did last night," she said quietly. "But I want you to know that I am not your charity and to not treat me as some helpless little gamine because I'm not."

"I wouldn't dream of thinking of you as helpless. You're much too proud," the man said. Then the smug grin faded. "And the hospitality was my honor," he added. Then he leaned on the table. "So what did you think of my speech?"

"It was very well done, I applaud you," she said. "It's as though you are a whole new person when you speak of revolution. It's amazing how passionate you are towards this."

He shrugged. "You know why," he mumble. She knew he was referring to his father.

She took a deep breath and tapped her fingers on the table. She was silent for a while, and she just looked at Enjolras. "Don't tell Marius of my past please," she finally uttered.

"I wouldn't have, and I won't," he said. "We all possess secrets, ones that are meant to be hidden and others meant to be revealed. Yours is to be kept hidden. So I shall keep it secluded in my mind."

"And I deeply appreciate that," she responded. She nodded. She looked towards the door and then back at Enjolras. "I have to go," she declared.

Enjolras looked at her confused. "Where are you always running off to?" he asked.

Honestly, Eponine had nowhere to go. But she didn't like staying in one place for too long in case the Patron-Minette would find her there.

She didn't answer. Instead she got up and began walking away.

"Mademoiselle, where are you going, if I may ask?"

Eponine paused and stared at him neutrally. "We all possess secrets. I may possess more than you think you know. Thank you again Monsieur for your hospitality last night, I shall never forget it."

She nodded and then walked outside.

Enjolras's eyes trailed after her as her's had for Marius.

He really hated how she always left to go out to the cold world. He didn't know what she needed to do out there but he knew that she had no home to go back to when she did. He wished he could help her more...

Enjolras felt a pat on the back. He whirled around and saw Grantaire looking at him, with a beer in hand and an eyebrow arched upwards. "Who's that girl?" he moved his beer towards the direction of the door.

"That's Eponine," Enjolras replied, careful not to say her last name because he knew she didn't like to share her full identity.

"Don't think I didn't see you sneak a peak at the Mademoiselle a few times during your speech," Grantaire teased, while he pointed an accusing finger.

Enjolras rolled his eyes in frustration. He just looked around when he spoke. It was merely a coincidence if his eyes settled on her. "Graintaire, I know what you are implying, and I want to deny this right now. She is just a friend of mine that I met on the street. She's friends with Marius as well; surely you've seen them together?" Enjolras had seen Eponine occasionally, waiting outside of the ABC, but he never thought to talk to her. He'd give her a friendly smile, of which she'd pretend she didn't see, and then be on his way. It was only that one night that he talked to her because, well, she had this look in her eyes that signified she was a broken soul. Of course Eponine would be too proud to admit it to him, but Enjolras saw how sad she looked and he knew she needed a friend. Not like Marius, not someone she was in love with, but an actual friend.

It was only once he talked to her that he realized she probably would've been his friend anyway, if their paths had merged otherwise. She took charge, and wasn't afraid to say what was on her mind, but was silent when she needed to be, and listened. Enjolras had a lot of friends, more than the average man in France probably had, but Eponine was different than all of them. She contained virtues that the others often didn't have, and desperately needed.

"Yes I do remember her," Graintaire said finally. "She's the one who's head over heels for the lad?"

Enjolras didn't know how to respond to that. Luckily Joly butt into their conversation, as he took the beer from Grantaire's hand. "This is a complete an utter health hazard, all this drinking of yours! One day your going to drinking yourself to death, and I will not be able to nurse you back to health!" Joly exclaimed.

Enjolras chuckled at Joly's health outburst; the man was often concerned of germs and things that could affect one's well-being.

Grantaire put a lanky arm around Joly and attempted to grab his beer back with the other. "Now, now, Joly, while I'm alive, why not live a little?" he laughed.

To this Joly had no reply. He just frowned and returned the beer. "Oh, and Enjolras, who was that lady?"Joly asked, with a smile perched on his lips.

"And on that note, I must go," Enjolras mumbled. He got up and left before they could deny anything.

Enjolras walked home alone, with his book in hand, and while the streets were busy he lived in his own private world.

Alone he thought of revolution, and alone he thought of his mother and father. Alone he thought best.

However the one topic just plastering itself all over Enjolras's mind was the daughter of the thieves. She utterly perplexed him, he didn't know why. She always left him with a little mystery. Where was she going off to everyday?

Perhaps back to her family... But wait-was she still accepted there? Or was she going to see Marius? Maybe to see a different friend. Or to see her brother.

Enjolras didn't know.

He scolded himself for wondering so much, she didn't want his thoughts nor was he required to think of her, not as of now.

He pushed thoughts of her aside to think of the revolution. In his whole plot, he did not know what was missing, but something surely was. His plan felt incomplete, he could not tell why or how, but he knew something was wrong with it. He needed another person, but he didn't know who. All he knew a key part of it was missing, but he couldn't figure out what could possibly be gone from it. Enjolras began to grow frustrated with himself. He was the leader-yet he had doubts about the revolution?

He bumped into a man by accident and muttered an apology. He hated being in the streets when it was so busy, he wished to walk as he pleased without having to worry he would run into someone. He slipped into the nearest alleyway to get just a moments privacy to think for the revolution.

He did not receive the moment he hoped for because he was distracted by the sound of a soft whimper.

Enjolras attempted to ignore it, but it was a consistent sound.

He decided to follow it, in hopes to putting the sober sound to a stop. He went down an alleyway, about thirty to forty feet, and that was where he saw it. In the dim light.

He found a large crowd of men, surrounded by one girl.

Eponine walked in the crowded streets that night, with the letter to Marius in hand, and eyes distant. This one spoke of her undying love for him, yet again, and how they should meet the next day at noon to speak of it. Eponine was tempted to rip the letter; it was right there, between her thin fingers. She could just tear it to shreds and tell Marius that she lost it, or that Cosette didn't leave a letter, and he would never know. And then maybe, just maybe, he'd be hers again. But her fingers wouldn't bring themselves to tear the letter.

She had this set fantasy in her mind that she'd deliver the letter to Marius, and he'd look her in the eyes and drop the letter on the floor. Then he would say how the letter meant nothing to him now that he realized his 'Ponine was the only one for him.

That never happened.

Each time she delivered the letter and he's take it and read it and confess his love for Cosette to her. He sunk the knife that was already in her heart deeper and deeper each time.

As she passed a familiar alleyway a hand suddenly reached out and pulled her in by her mouth. It muffled her scream and pulled her inwards. She struggled against it but it was accompanied by another hand that was wrapped around her waist. They pulled her in the alley about thirty to forty feet when they let go of her.

Eponine turned to find a tall slender boy, about the age of twenty-two, staring at her with dark eyes.

Eponine felt her heart leap in fright as she tried to squirm out of his grasp.

"Hello dear 'Ponine," Montparnesse said, slightly taunting.

Eponine's eyes elicited horror as she backed away from the handsome man in front of her. She pivoted on her feet to dash away, but as soon as she turned the street she saw Babet, Claquesous, and Gueulemer standing there, blocking her way. Eponine felt her stomach leap in fright as she turned around to run the other way only to find Montparnesse standing there, now with her father. She felt a sinking feeling inside her.

Montparnesse stared at her with a small smirk, as he admirably looked over her. Monsieur Thénardier stared at her with a vicious snarl.

She was surrounded.

"You really thought you could escape us Eponine?" her father snapped. Eponine's face drained of all blood. She shrunk at her father's glare.

Her father scowled at her. Her moved quickly up to her, and snatched the fabric on her coat. "Who's jacket is that? Who did you steal that jacket from!"

"I didn't steal it," she cried in fear.

He slapped her in the face, so hard it sent her face to the side. She just stared down at the ground, not bothering to cry. She was going to die now. She had to accept that.

Eponine was silent as she turned to her father again.

"Don't lie to me! Have you been whoring around?" Her father accused, and he gripped her shoulders so tight Eponine felt them numbing. He shook her back and forth rapidly.

Montparnesse looked curiously for an answer. Where had the girl gotten the coat? It suited her fiery soul well.

"Answer me!" he screamed.

Eponine didn't want to give Enjolras away, despite the fact she was horrified right now. If she said Enjolras gave it away, they would rob him as revenge, and Enjolras had only done good to her, how could she give him away? She stayed silent.

"Well?" her father enjoined, patience fleeting. She didn't answer. "Are you not going to tell me?"

Eponine's mouth remained shut.

"Eponine, I will give you three seconds to answer me before I slap you again, this time, I assure you I won't hold back."

Eponine stared at him.

"Three," he mumbled.

Eponine blinked.

"Two."

She braced herself.

"One."

Her father pulled his hand back to slap her again when someone cried out, "Inspector Javert!"

The others instinctively fled, except for Eponine's father.

He turned back to face the gamine, but she was already gone.

From just a few mere feet away Enjolras watched as Eponine fled from her father, ran towards the alley he was hiding in, and he knew the girl would never learn that he was the one who shouted the ruthless inspector's name.

*I will tell you all right now that Enjolras came there after the slapping*

What's wrong with the revolution? Where's Azlema? All these questions and more will be answered in the future!

Okay, so that was chapter 3. It was the usual ExE love story direction, but in chapter 5, or maybe possibly 4 if I can fit it in, it will be really different plot that will really change the course of the story.

I really hoped you liked that chapter, it was difficult for me to write because... well I don't really know, it just was pretty hard.

If that was anyway unclear what happened above, Enjolras yelled Inspector Javerts name to get them away from her, kinda like how Eponine screamed to stop the robbing.

Again, Enjolras isn't developing romantic feelings for her, but he is starting to understand her.

Questions? Advice? Mistakes?

Here's my questions for you guys:

Do you like the story so far?

Do you dislike certain characters and prefer to keep them away?

Is Eponine tough enough?

Thank you to all my reviewers :) You brighten up my day!

Please review, and if you want to ask me anything I'll respond!