A/N: Hello, peeps! Another day, another update. Good news: I am officially done with school for this semester, so I should be updating more often! Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Thanks to everyone who has favorited/followed/reviewed the story!

Disclaimer: If I owned Les Mis I would be chilling by my humongous swimming pool and have Les Amis as my cabana boys... ;)

CHAPTER FIVE: The Tigers Come at Night

May 31st, 1832

Éponine eyed her father with disdain as he and the Patron-Minette came closer to her location. What is he doing here?

"Who is that hussy?" she heard her father mutter to one of the men.

The man – Babet – laughed darkly and replied, "Thénardier, don't you recognize your own kid? It's your brat, Éponine."

Thénardier snarled and got into his daughter's face. "Go home, 'Ponine. We don't need you about here."

"Papa, what is going on?" asked Éponine, frowning.

"This is the place of that Valjean man, ain't it?" Thénardier said with a menacing smile. "We're gonna take back what's ours… and more! Now scram, 'Ponine!"

He turned to join that Patron-Minette, who were already examining the stone wall surrounding the mansion to figure out their best point of entry. Éponine grabbed her father's arm, bringing him to a halt. "I know this place, I tell you. There is nothing of worth in that house! It is just the old man and the girl… they live ordinary lives. Just pick a different house, Papa. Please!"

Thénardier tugged his arm free of his daughter's grip and snarled, "Stay out of my way, 'Ponine!"

The gang was starting to climb up the wall now. If she didn't do something fast she would not be able to stop them at all. Thinking quickly, Éponine cried, "I'm going to scream! I'm going to warn them here!" Hopefully Marius and Cosette will have enough sense to get away.

That got her father's attention. He stopped in the middle of the street, pointing his finger threateningly at Éponine. "One scream from you and you'll regret it for a year, missy! Get out of my sight!"

Just as he started back toward Cosette's house, Éponine let out a high-pitched scream that would certainly get the attention of anyone within the area. Already she could see a man's face peering out the window of the house next to Cosette's.

The Patron-Minette backed away from the house. Thénardier seized his daughter by the wrist. "My girl, you'll rue this night! I'll make you scream all right!"

Éponine spit into her father's face; he reciprocated with a vicious slap across her cheek. She made no noise, knowing that she could not give her father the satisfaction. "Do what you want, Papa," Éponine hissed, "but the police are most likely on their way, and when I tell them–"

Thénardier's fist rammed into Éponine's stomach, silencing her. Dropping onto her knees and clutching her stomach, she could see the Patron-Minette fleeing into the alleyways, leaving her alone with her father. Dread washed over Éponine she watched the fury growing in Thénardier's expression; she had never seen her father look so outraged … not even when he lost the inn due to gambling debts.

Éponine had been smacked around by her father before when he was angry but he never caused her serious harm…

"Papa?" she asked, the tiniest hint of fear creeping into her voice.

His fist collided with her jaw; Éponine's head jerked back violently form the blow, causing her to smack the back of her head into the stone wall she leaned upon. As her world slowly faded to black, she heard a masculine voice shouting in the distance… and then there was silence.

Marius and Cosette were entwined in a passionate kiss when they heard a shrill scream ring through the sound of the light rain. It was then that Marius remembered Éponine was somewhere nearby, waiting for him. Turning to Cosette, Marius said hurriedly, "I think that's my friend, Éponine… she brought me to you! I have to find her!"

Cosette nodded in understanding just as her father appeared in the doorway calling her name. "I will distract my father," she whispered to Marius. "Take care of your friend… and be careful, my love!"

Marius's heart soared hearing her say the words 'my love'. He wanted to say them back but there was no time. With all the strength he could muster he bolted down the road to where he'd heard the scream. As he rounded the corner, he spotted a few threatening-looking men scattering down the alleyways… but one man remained behind. That was when Marius saw the stranger punch a young gamine squarely in the face; she collapsed onto the ground, unmoving.

"ÉPONINE!" cried Marius. Glaring darkly at the man, he bellowed, "Get away from her!"

The man took off behind a row of houses; Marius wanted to pursue him but knew that Éponine was more important at the moment. He rushed over to her side and shook her shoulder gently. "Éponine? Can you hear me?"

The gamine remained silent. Marius froze, unsure of what to do. Joly was the one studying medicine, not him. He did not know the first thing about bringing someone out of unconsciousness. After a moment of thinking, Marius decided it would be wiser if he did not touch the girl, fearing that he may cause more damage. Leaning in close to Éponine, he said, "I do not know if you can hear me, 'Ponine, but I am going to find help for you. I will not be gone for long, mon ami… hang in there."

He placed a quick kiss on her brow and raced off into the night toward the Café Musain.

Enjolras had just finished his speech about planning for the revolution and was conversing with a few of Les Amis.

"We should go ahead and get the weapons we need," Enjolras said in a serious tone. "Start collecting guns, ammunition, anything… bring what you all can to the café tomorrow night and we can figure everything else out then."

"Should we plan on having another rally?" asked Combeferre.

Enjolras shrugged. "It may be wise to plan one but I do not expect it to happen. I have a feeling that the revolution will occur much sooner than we expected. We must prepare ourselves for when it does."

It was then that an inebriated Grantaire stumbled over to Enjolras and proclaimed loudly, "I believe we should stock up on wine! Lord knows we will need it if we are going up against the Guard. If I have brandy on my breath I could breathe them all to death!"

Courfeyrac laughed at the same time Combeferre shook his head. With a smile, he placed his hand on Grantaire's shoulder and said, "If anyone could breathe someone to death, mon ami, it would be you."

Enjolras leered at the drunk as he continued to speak. "No, think about it for a moment: once all the wine is gone we can smash the empty bottles on their heads as a last resort!"

"Grantaire–"

He never finished his sentence because the happy drunk suddenly lost his sense of balance and toppled over a chair. Many of the Amis laughed while Enjolras just look annoyed. When Grantaire did not stir, Combeferre whispered to Enjolras, "Is he all right?"

Enjolras scoffed. "The fool is fine… he has just fallen asleep."

Just as the words left Enjolras's mouth, Grantaire began to snore obnoxiously.

"JOLY!"

All the Amis turned around to see Marius standing at the top of the stairs, his eyes wide in terror. Instantly Enjolras tensed; he had never seen the young man look so frightened. Joly rushed forward and asked, "What is it, Marius?"

"Just follow me!" Marius yelled, grabbing the sleeve of Joly's waistcoat and dragging him down the stairs. The rest of the Amis exchanged alarmed expressions with one another. Enjolras slipped into his waistcoat and said in his authoritative voice, "Combeferre, Courfeyrac… come with me."

They both nodded, not needing to ask what the leader was doing, and followed Enjolras into the cold rainy night.

"Good God, Marius!" exclaimed Joly when he caught sight of the gamine lying in a heap on the side of the street. "What happened to her?"

Marius ran a hand through his hair as Joly kneeled down beside Éponine. "A man – I did not get a good look at him – attacked her. I'm unsure what other injuries she has but I did see him punch her in the jaw. That was what knocked her unconscious. Please, Joly, is she going to be all right?"

Joly took the girl's thin wrist in his hand and felt for a pulse just as Enjolras, Courfeyrac, and Combeferre rounded the corner.

"What's going on, Marius?" asked Combeferre worriedly.

Marius ran up to them and stammered, "She-she was attacked! It was some man I did not recognize. When I tried to get a closer look at him he fled. And now she…" He trailed off, pacing nervously back and forth.

Enjolras pushed past Marius to inspect the woman that lay unconscious on the ground.

"Éponine?" he murmured in surprise. A rush of anger flooded Enjolras's veins. What kind of monster would do something like this?

Joly, who was now pressing his cravat against Éponine's head, glanced up at Enjolras and said, "She has not sustained any serious injuries, thankfully. This wound from hitting her head is the worst of it… and all I will need to do would be to wrap it with muslin, which is back at the Musain and my flat. Which one do you think would be better?"

Enjolras furrowed his brow. "The Musain. It is much closer than your flat. Besides, I do not think Éponine would appreciate it if we brought her to one of our houses."

Joly nodded. "The Musain it is, then! 'Ferre, Marius, Courf… go ahead to the café and prepare my things! Enjolras, help me lift Éponine…"

As it turned out, Joly did not possess the strength to carry Éponine despite how light she was. Enjolras rolled his eyes in an exasperated manner and took the gamine in his arms, ignoring the strange sensation he felt when he touched her. He did not want to admit it but something changed inside him when he first saw Éponine lying there: Enjolras felt protective of her, like an older brother defending his siblings. Although Enjolras had only known Éponine a few days, he could not help but feel as if they were friends. This feeling made him anxious; he refrained from interaction with women as much as possible because he knew he did not need that distraction in his life...

... so why was this one so different?

A/N: I know that there is almost always a chapter in a fic where Éponine gets attacked and Enjolras comes to her rescue… but there is a purpose for this! It will be revealed in the next chapter! Besides... despite the fact that I'm trying to be different with my stories, what's an E/É fic without Enjolras coming to the rescue? :D

P.S. - I will be posting TWO new E/É fics in the nearby future: A humorous one-shot will be uploaded within the month (that's my goal!) and a multi-chapter story that I have started planning out. Once I have the first chapter written I will reveal the plotline for it in this story, so keep an eye out for it!

P.P.S. - Yesterday was the day I fell in love with Hadley Fraser's "I'll Be There" from The Pirate Queen. His voice gives me the chills, he's so amazing!