A/N: Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you're continuing to enjoy this story because I love writing it!
Éponine was welcomed back at the Musain with hugs and unabashed teasing. "Thank god, we though Enjolras was broken!" one said. "We couldn't take another day of his pouting!" another exclaimed. All comments were met by stern looks from their leader, but it was obvious he wasn't taking them too seriously. For the first time he was openly affectionate towards her, putting his arm around her waist and kissing her lightly on the cheek when he thought the boys weren't looking.
The days soon became work as usual as everyone returned to their normal rhythm. Éponine occasionally caught perplexed looks from a few of them men when they witnessed her intimate interactions with Enjolras. She laughed to herself about how strange it must seem to them to see their formerly stone faced celibate leader, blatantly in love with an urchin girl.
It was particularly late one night when a starry-eyed Marius finally arrived. "Is everything alright Marius?" Joly asked him.
"I met a girl. Her hair glowed like golden silk and her eyes were endless pools of blue," he paused rather theatrically, his eyes staring off distantly, "She was glorious!"
"Is our Marius in love?" Grantaire slurred, offering him a glass of wine.
"I am," he replied solemnly. His confession attracted the attention of several men in the room including Enjolras who was eyeing his young friend critically.
"Who is she?" He asked.
"Her name is Cosette. Isn't that the most beautiful name you've ever heard?"
"Quite a turn of events," Grantaire continued drunkenly, "Both our fearless leader and young Marius here all loved up, it's like something out of a work of fiction."
"Our consumed hearts will only fuel this revolution further," Enjolras said sharply. "Marius, this isn't a game, you can't let a girl you only just laid eyes on ruin everything we have worked for. Are you still with us?"
The men looked wearily at each other unsure of what to say to the unresponsive, daydreaming Marius. Éponine, however, was deep in thought. Could it be the same Cosette her parents had helped raise? She had been taken away by a strange man over eight years before and Éponine had not seen her ever since. She was always envious that Cosette was taken away from the nightmarish childhood they'd had together, and apparently off to a better life with a wealthy father of sorts.
Enjolras eyed Éponine with uncertainty as if he thought the knowledge of Marius' undying love for another woman would send her into a downward spiral. He went to reach out to her, but thought better of it. She appeared deep in thought and he didn't want her to be offended at his assumption that this news would upset her. She was over Marius entirely, of this Enjolras was certain.
The men drifted back to work, leaving Marius staring dreamily out the window. "Marius?" Enjolras snapped, finally waking the young man from his reverie. "Are you with us?"
"Hmm? Oh, yes! Of course." He joined the rest of them at the table they were working over only to be interrupted a few minutes later.
"Listen everybody!" Courfeyrac hollered, gathering the attention of all people in the room. He stood next to Gavroche, his hand rested on the boy's shoulder. He could feel all eyes in the room trained on his small body.
"General Lamarque is dead!" He announced in a steady voice. A full-bodied silence fell upon all the men in the room.
Everyone immediately looked to Enjolras for guidance, including Éponine. "L'heure du destin," he whispered to himself. She couldn't help but notice the sorrow that filled his eyes. "His death is the sign we await!" he rumbled, slamming his hand down on the table. "At the tomb of Lamarque is where our barricade must rise. It's time. Let us welcome this turn in events with great courage. The people will come to join us in our noble fight."
"They will come when we call!" the amis all shouted in unison. A new sense of urgency fell upon the room and people were frantically gathering ammunition, loading guns, and finalizing the plans they had been working on for so many months now. The air buzzed with nervous adrenaline. It was finally here.
Realization donned hard on Éponine and it felt like a heavy weight pressing her small shoulders towards the floor. Leaning against the wall, she felt her knees start to give way and she sank to the ground. She felt frightened tears prick at her eyes but she willed herself to keep it together. She could not let any of the men especially Enjolras, see her crying in fear. It would only give him greater reason to keep her away from the barricade.
It wasn't that she didn't wholeheartedly believe in the revolution and the necessity for change in France, but the possibility of many of these young men she had come to know and truly care about, would be dead in only a few days was weighing on her soul. They were all aware of the risk and had bravely accepted it, as had Éponine herself, yet she didn't seem to possess the vigor that carried them about the café now. She wanted to whole up in bed with Enjolras and keep him safe from harm, while they were eager to throw furniture in the streets and face the national guard head on. It wasn't even that she was afraid for her own life; it was theirs. Joly who would someday be a licensed doctor, and Grantaire who despite his cynicism was a glorious artist, and Marius who had only just found love, and Courfeyrac who brought humor to the group and loved her brother like his own, and Combeferre who was so knowledgeable and kind. They all had so much to look forward to and the idea that they may never live to achieve their full potential was heartbreaking.
She had been too absorbed in her thoughts to notice that Enjolras now stood beside her. He knelt down and lightly placed his hand on the side of her face, waiting for her to look up at him. "Is everything alright?" he murmured.
"Of course," she replied quickly, "this is what we've all been waiting for. I just can't believe it's finally happening. It's very real. And very dangerous."
"It doesn't have to be for you."
"Enjolras…" she sighed. He was not going to give up trying to convince her to stay home while the rebellion was happening.
"I just want you to be safe. If something were to happen to you it would be entirely my fault."
"No it would be a result of my own decisions. I'm not a child, Enjolras. I've decided this for myself. I'm going to be at that barricade."
"You mean hidden behind the barricade, helping Joly with the wounded?" he allowed.
Éponine rolled her eyes, but nodded and said "Oui monsieur," with a mock salute.
Enjolras smirked and kissed her on the forehead before straightening and returning to work. If he, and all these others, could be so brave fighting on the front lines, then she could be brave and help the wounded. Now was not the time for fear to engulf the revolutionary spirit.
A/N: L'heure du destin = the hour of fate. What do you think will happen? PLEASE REVIEW!
