Chapter 8

When Enjolras woke up, Eponine was gone. It had been about a week since she had hurt her ankle.

Time to meet with Javert.

Eponine took a slow stroll to the market in search for Javert. She finds him in the corner in the shadows they met before.

"What have you for me this week? Anything else to report?" He had a stone cold face.

"I have done what you asked. I am getting close to my asset. Except they haven't had a meeting in a while because.. Well.. Me. I got injured then they took care of me keeping me at the leader's house. That is how I have come to become close to them." She smirks at him. "He trusts me."

"Good. That is exactly what I expected of you." He put his hand on her shoulder and with the other one handed her seven francs. "Keep it up. You must have been made for this business. I have made the right choice."

With a small smile and nod of approval he took off in the opposite direction. She turned towards the market and spotted some apples. She scurried over to them and shuffled through them until finding some satisfactory ones. She paid for it then took off towards the tartlets. She bought two of those as well. One for Enjolras and one for herself. She didn't want to give him suspicions as to why she had been out.

She enjoyed the summer breeze that ruffled her now clean brown hair. She looked down at her dress admiring it in the sunlight. It looked even more beautiful in the sunlight. It wasn't extravagant but it was a thousand times better than her old rags she wore.

What am I doing? I shouldn't be playing house with these people. I need to get my job done not get taken in like their child. I need to put my walls back up. She stopped right in front of Enjolras' flat and stared at it. Here I go.

She opened the door to Enjolras leafing through a book. He noticed she opened the door with a little look then looked back down at his book.

"Wow. You look like you're on a mission" she smirked at him. "What's the mission?"

"Nothing. It will probably bore you." He looks away from his book and towards her. "Where have you been? I woke up and you were gone."

"Oh. I forgot. I went to the market and got breakfast for you with my left over money." She hands him the paper bag. "I didn't know what flavor you liked so I got you cherry."

"You didn't have to that Eponine."

"It's all I can do to thank you." She sits in the chair across from him on the sofa. "Are the Amis having a meeting today?"

"Considering it has been about a week? Yeah." He nodded along with his response. "It is well needed."

"Did anything big happen in the outside world while I was cooped up in here?"

"uh..." He searched his brain before stating, "General Lamarque has fallen ill. No one knows how much longer he'll be alive." He sighed.

"Who is Lamarque?"

This question only earned her a look saying she was stupid. " he was the original Amis founder. He helped pull this together."

"Oh, I assume he means a lot then?"

"Neither the Amis or I would have come as far as we have without him."

"Except you haven't." It spilled out of her mouth.

"Excuse me?" She couldn't tell if he was angry or concerned with what she was saying.

"When the time comes, do you really expect people to rise with you?" She hesitated before stating "They know that things will get worse before they get better. If you over throw the government, what happens then? No one knows, not even you. Everyone is afraid of that. No one knows if they are going to live or die. You haven't given them a good enough reason to leave what they have behind. What the people have they won't want to leave behind because they did all they could just to keep their family alive. Getting killed will just take all of that away."

"Where is this coming from?" He stared at her surprised.

"I am just saying that you haven't come as far as you think you have. You are only speaking colorful words to them. It isn't reaching their hearts." She sighed. "If you want them to listen, you have to give them reasons. A reason why they should do this. Why should they help you if you don't give a reason?"

"Wow. I guess I have never thought of it like that." He sighed and looked at the clock. "I guess we'd better get to the café." He gives her a small smile and shoves her out of the door with books in his hands.

They walked in silence all the way to the café each not knowing how to respond to the words Eponine had said. When they opened the door they heard calls of "Eponine! You're alive!" And "nice to see you Enjolras."

Marius rushed up to Eponine making her stomach flutter with butterflies. "I am so glad you're alive." He wrapped her in a huge hug. "And clean?" He looked her over and smiled.

She blushed in response and said "Thank you. How have you been?"

"Just fine. Cosette has been writing me letters." He smiled at the thought.

Her heart dropped. Even clean and in a new dress he didn't notice her the way she noticed him. She would never be good enough for him.

"That's... Great Marius... I'm glad your happy." Just then Joly butted in and asked her how her head was doing.

She thankfully replied with a "fine" and smiled at him. She thanked him for helping her and for the clean dress.

"It's no problem. Especially since with you're head bleeding it could have gotten an infection." He shuddered at the thought of getting an infection. He knew they were common among people who lived on the streets. He wasn't very fond of infections.

"Thanks is still in order.. I mean... None of the others would have done it. I'm just letting you know that I appreciate it." she gave him a small smile.

"I know. That's why i did it. You needed these things. I am just happy i was able to put a smile on your face when the one you want to only tears it away from you."

"You've got that right."

Enjolras cleared his throat to get the attention of the room. Everyone halted to hear what he was going to say. He looked to be almost in tears. He sighed then said, General Lamarque is dead."