-Chapter 6-

"Èponine! No!" Enjolras shouted but it was already too late. The young woman had jumped before he had been able to reach her. He leaned over the guard rail and saw the water rippling, where Èponine had broken through the water surface.

"Merde!" he cursed and climbed over the guard rail. Without thinking he jumped into the blackness of the Seine. For a moment he felt the cold water on his skin but the adrenalin took advantage of him quickly. He dove deeper and deeper because he knew that the Seine would pull Èponine down into her dark depth if she didn't fight against it. And if Èponine didn't fight for herself, he would fight for her! Whatever it would take…

With every second of his vainly rescue attempt he ran even more scared. Somehow he knew that there was something deep inside him that was fascinated by that girl. She couldn't die! He wouldn't let her, not without an explanation!

Cursing the minimal visibility of the dark and dangerous water he felt his longing for air becoming more intense. Suddenly he felt something gliding through his fingers. His grip closed around it and relief overwhelmed him. It was a hand…

With all its strength the water tried to rip her away from him but he held on to her as if his life depended on it. Getting hold of her waist he pulled her into him and swam towards the water surface as fast as possible. Although his legs hurt from fighting the rising current and its brutal strength, he managed to reach the water surface.

He pulled Éponine overwater and swam towards a lithic pier. His lungs were screaming in protest when he breathed in the cold air. Carefully he tried to hold Éponine's face overwater but fear took advantage of him, when he realised that she was not responding to any of his actions.

Her body was completely limp; ready to be taken away by the river if he didn't hold on to her. Calling her name he hauled them both on the pier so that she was at least out of the deathly water.

She was pale, her eyes were closed and her dress clung to her fragile body.

"Èponine! Come on! Wake up now!" he shouted and shook her limp body, but at first she didn't react. Than her body was suddenly shaken by terrible coughs and water was dribbling from her mouth; her eyes opened and widened in shock when she tried to breath but realised that the water was blocking her respiratory system.

Relief overwhelmed Enjolras while he helped the young woman roll onto her side. She was alive!

He saw tears streaming down her cheeks while she was coughing and spitting out water, slowly regaining control over her lungs again.

When she was finished coughing up water he cupped her face in his hands and made her meet his gaze.

"Èponine, what were you thinking?" Enjolras called out. Now that he was sure that she was fine the anger outweighed his feeling of relief. Èponine freed herself from his grip and avoided his gaze.

"What I was thinking is none of your business! What were you doing here anyway?" she finally snapped her voice hoarse from the water.

"Well, what do you think was I doing? I was trying to prevent you from committing suicide!" Enjolras knew that screaming at a person, who had just tried to commit suicide, wasn't the best thing someone could do in his position, but at some point even the marble man couldn't control his feelings.

"I don't think that this is your decision to make, is it? This is my life and if I decide to put an end to it, you don't have any right to intervene!" Èponine cried.

"Oh Mademoiselle! I think I have every right to intervene, because just one night ago I put myself in danger to save the life, which you just wanted to throw away!" Enjolras couldn't help but raise his voice.

"I already told you that you should have never put yourself in danger for me! I'm not worth it! I never wanted you to rescue me that night and I for sure didn't ask you to jump after me into this bloody river!" she watched him getting to his feet and this time she didn't avoid the angry gaze, which he gave her. She managed to stand up too, although she was shaking and trembling from the cold water. Her body still felt numb and she needed all her strength and concentration to not slump down again.

Enjolras examined the young gamine in front of him. She was glaring at him in defiance, but he saw how weak she was. Her body had already been enervated by her injuries and in general her conditions of living, but now the water hat drained everything from her.

"So I should have just let you jump? Is that what you want?" his voice was softer now but still determined "You can't demand this from me!". It was this moment, where Èponine's façade started to crumble. She bit her lip and the tears clouded her view so she looked down on the ground.

She didn't want him to see her like this. A picture of misery on the verge of falling into everlasting blackness. She began to totter, not being able to bear her feelings down. It was just too much.

Enjolras saw her trembling and he didn't need any psychological precognition to know that she would break down every second. He caught her before she sank to ground again and against his expectancy she responded to his touch. She let him pull her into him and held on to him, while she was crying silently. He stroked her hair and rested his chin on her head.

Èponine didn't know what to think. Her anger and sorrow subsided within some seconds and something else took hold of her soul. She felt save, saver than she ever had. She knew that whatever happened now, he would be there holding her, defending her… Usually Èponine would have shoved him away, telling him that she didn't need his pity, but the way he caressed her hair and his steady breathing calmed her down and she realised how tired she was.

Shortly after she had calmed down, her legs seemed to faint more and more due to the exhaustion from her fight against her feelings and the water. Without hesitating Enjolras lifted her up. At first he thought she would complain but then he noticed that her head leaned against his shoulder and that her one hand still held on his drenched, white shirt tightly. Not sure if she was asleep or if she was just exhausted he carefully squeezed her reassuringly and started carrying her through the streets of Paris. It looked like his bed would be taken yet another night…

Honestly, I don't like this chapter. I still hope that you enjoy reading it. Please review!

The main plot will start in the next chapter therefore it may take some time until I'll be able to upload! I beg your pardon in advance and hope that it won't be a problem.

Until next time!