A/N: I have just planned out the next couple of chapters centered on the barricade and I'm ridiculously excited about the shit that's about to go down. Thank you so much for all your follows/favourites/reviews! It seriously means the world to me

The next few days were some of the most frantic Éponine had ever experienced. General Lamarque's funeral procession was to be held on June 5 and that was when their barricade was to be erected. Not only the amis, but also the people of the street, were buzzing with the revolutionary spirit. The time was dangerously near and it appeared that Enjolras had gained the support necessary to achieve success with this rebellion. Éponine had returned to the slums to campaign for any last minute supporters she could pull on board. The amount of people already prepared to fight on the barricade was astounding and a true confirmation that they were doing the right thing for their country.

Enjolras was ball of nervous energy; everything he had been working towards was coming to fruition and he didn't seem to know what to do with himself. Instead of sleeping at night, he paced the length of their bedroom, deep in thought until Éponine's begging forced him to climb under the blankets with her. She could tell he only lied down to placate her and that he did not truly sleep much. When he did sleep however, he thrashed back and forth, once bruising Éponine in the process. In the morning when he realized what he had done, he apologized profusely and refused to share a bed with her for the next two nights leading up to the rebellion, during which he essentially lived in the café Musain.

On the evening of June 4th, a crowd began to gather outside of the café. Hordes of beggars and street people crowded on the cobblestones and waited to be addressed by the rebellion's leader. Several amis gasped excitedly and their eyes lit up when they saw the sheer number of people who had gathered to fight behind them.

"Merci beaucoup," Enjolras began, leaning out the window above the crowd. "I am honored that you are all willing to risk your lives for the betterment of our motherland. The knowledge that I have the support of all of you standing behind me, leaves me with little doubt that we cannot succeed in our noble mission." The people erupted in applause and excited shouts and Enjolras went silent for a moment, taking it all in, before continuing. "There's a new world for the winning. At the barricades of freedom, will you take your place with me?"

"We fight with you!" the amis shouted. A smile graced Enjolras' full lips and he gave Éponine's hand a quick squeeze.

"Excellent," he murmured, facing his friends. "We shall meet at General Lamarque's funeral procession tomorrow morning. Everyone go rest, we have a long couple of days ahead of us. It will be well worth all the sacrifices in the end."

The men slowly filed out of the room and the crowd on the street dissipated after vowing to return to erect the barricade the following day. Finally, Éponine and Enjolras were the only ones left in the room. He pulled her in by the waist and pressed his lips tensely to hers. There was a burning sense of urgency emanating from his entire form. He was kissing her as though it may be the last time, Éponine realized sadly. She reached up to tangle her fingers in his thick curls and attempted to convey every emotion she had ever felt for him through her kiss. He pulled away after a heated moment and sighed heavily. "Let's go home," he murmured into her hair. She simply nodded and released her grip on him, holding his hand instead.

They walked slowly down the empty streets, bathed in moonlight. It was an eerily peaceful night -the calm before the storm. Enjolras yearned to tell Éponine again how much he truly loved her, but he held his tongue, fearing that his words might sound like a goodbye. Though he was certain, that with all the reinforcement their little band of students had gained, the rebellion would be a success, there was still too many variables and unknowns for him to be one hundred percent convinced. He was the leader after all, if anyone should die on that barricade he felt it should be him. He could not express that to Éponine of course.

They reached the apartment and closed the door behind them with a heavy clunk. The silence that followed was deafening. All the anxious fervor that had been felt over the last couple of days had quickly died off. Now it was real. Their lives were at risk and Enjolras was the one leading the charge. He pushed his hair out of his face and looked to Éponine. She stood several feet away, running her fingers over his desk full of maps and plans and looking rather lost. "If I die-" he started, ending the period of quiet, but Éponine cut him off.

"Don't," was all she said. She did not look up at him, but rather strolled towards the bedroom, her hips swaying to ensure his attention. He followed, catching up with her before she could reach the bed. Wrapping his arms around her from behind, he pressed his lips to her neck and felt her sigh heavily. "We're not going to die," she murmured. "I don't care if you're riddled with bullet holes like swiss cheese. Joly will pull every last one of them out of you while I keep your heart beating with my own hands if I have to. You cannot die on me. Don't be a martyr; live to see justice be done."

"Je t'aime," he murmured in response, kissing her neck again.

"I'm serious," she huffed, turning around to distance herself slightly. "Don't tell me you love me like it's your last chance. Don't try to pacify me with affection."

"I'm not. I just need you to be prepared for the reality of the situation," he groaned, running his fingers through his hair with frustration.

"I'm fully aware that our lives are at risk, but just for tonight could you feign total confidence? You've done it a million times before in every speech you've ever made. So for my sake could you just imagine with me everything working out perfectly?"

"Of course," he conceded. They quickly stripped off their clothes and climbed beneath the covers together. There, wrapped in each other's arms, the pair finally slept soundly for perhaps the very last time.

A/N: Next chapter: BARRICADE! Hope you're on the edge of your seats to find out what's going to happen. Please review!