The next morning, when her alarm went off, she got up to make Gavroche breakfast, but upon entering the kitchen, saw Gabe and Gav both making breakfast. She stood in the doorway watching the two boys for a few moments before Gav saw her.
"Eppy! Go back to bed! You are supposed to be sleeping!" He exclaimed, coming towards her and pushing her back to her bed.
"Okay! Okay! I'm going!" She said. "I was just making sure you were up and getting ready for school. You can't be late just because I'm sick." She climbed in her bed and Gav pulled the covers up to her chin.
"I'll make it to school. You just stay here." He said, scampering off back to the kitchen. About ten minutes later, both boys came in. Enjolras was carrying a tray full of food. Gav was carrying a couple of towels he found in a drawer. He placed the towels on her lap, as she had sat up when they walked in. Enjolras then placed the tray on the towels.
"Surprise! We made you breakfast in bed!" Gav said.
"Thank you, Captain Obvious!" Éponine replied, enthusiastically.
Enjolras rolled his eyes, before walking to the other side of the bed. When he looked at her expectantly, she nodded and patted the seat next to her. He sat next to her, and Gav sat between their feet. They all picked off the tray. Neither of the boys were exceptional cooks, but they managed to make toast with butter and cinnamon sugar, scrambled eggs, microwave bacon, Grands biscuits, Cheerios, and orange juice.
When the tray was mostly empty, Éponine looked at Gav, who was leaning back against the foot of the bed with tears in his eyes. "Gav, what's wrong?" Éponine asked, dodging the eggs Enjolras was feeding her.
"That's just it. Nothing is wrong." Éponine just cocked her head, wanting him to explain more.
"We're like a real family. That's all you wanted." Gabe said, understandingly.
When the boy nodded, Éponine moved the tray to the end table next to her bed. "Oh, Gav, come here." She beckoned. He climbed up to her lap, and they wrapped their arms around each other. Enjolras soon joined in, wrapping his arms around both of them.
Just think, it could be like this always. Éponine thought, starting to get a little emotional. Suddenly, Éponine pulled out of the hug. She had almost forgotten.
"Gav! You have school! You have to go!" She said. Then she turned on Enjolras. "You are going to take him, right? How could you forget?!" She yelled at the two boys. They jumped into action, running into the hall to get their shoes, coats, and Gavroche's bag.
"Be back in a bit, Ép!" Enjolras called.
"See you after school. Get better, Eppy!" Gavroche yelled, obviously being dragged out the door.
She put her head in her hands. She had to tell them. She had to tell them soon. Maybe she would tell Azelma first. She thought about how she would tell everyone while she got out of bed to clean up their wonderful breakfast.
A couple of weeks later, Éponine was in in their apartment alone since her first class was canceled and Valjean's wasn't going to meet today, when, there was a knock at the door. As she opened it, a very distraught Azelma ploughed into the apartment. "Yes, dearest sister, you may come into my apartment." Éponine said, sarcastically, watching her sister pace back and forth behind the couch. "Are you okay?" She asked, getting worried.
"Kind of. I'm kind of terrible and kind of ecstatic. How is that even possible?" She said, more to herself than her elder sister.
"Okay, you are not okay. You are crazy. Sit down, please. Before you wear a rut into my carpet." Éponine said, putting her hand on the younger woman's arm and leading her to the couch. "Now. Tell me what's wrong. Is it Courf? It was Courf, wasn't it. I should march right over there and punch him in the face. I KNEW he would hurt you."
"No! Well, yes. But it wasn't his fault. Not completely, anyways. It takes two, in any case." Éponine eyed her sister suspiciously.
"Please, tell me what happened."
"So, we hooked up that first night, a couple of weeks ago. Anyways, then two nights later, we cleared the air, and you know. Ended up doing it again." Éponine nodded, telling her to go on. "Well, neither time was really planned, and we weren't really prepared. Neither of us really planned on having sex while in this apartment. I mean, I'm on birth control and we used a condom, but it was from his wallet, and who knows how long they have been in there…"
Éponine felt a headache coming on. She started rubbing her temples. "Azelma Madelina Jondrette, please tell me that this is not leading where I think it is."
"Éponine, I'm so sorry, and I don't know what to do!" She said.
"Azelma. Are you or are you not pregnant with Antoine Courfeyrac's child?"
The younger girl looked down at her hands, twisting them, just as Éponine does when she is unsure or nervous. But then she nodded. "I think I am."
Éponine jumped to her feet. She picked up the pillow that had been behind her and threw it across the room so that it hit the wall. "Jesus, 'Zel! How could the two of you be so stupid?! I expected better from the both of you!" By now the younger girl was crying. Éponine calmed down enough to sit back down and comfort her sister.
"Ponine, what do I do?" She said, still sobbing.
"Have you told Courf yet?" The younger girl shook her head. "Well, you have to do that first. The two of you can discuss your options, then. If you want me to be there, I will, but you need to talk it out with him. You can't do this alone."
"What if he pushes me away?"
"Then all of your other friends, including me, will be here to help and support you with any decision you make. But what if he doesn't? If he really loves you, he will also help and support you in a decision the two of you make together. He has to have a say in it. After all, you did say it takes two." The younger Jondrette girl started sobbing again. Éponine wrapped her in an embrace and just held her until her sobbing subsided.
"Ponine, I'm scared."
"I know you are, 'Zel. But you have a great group of friends right here who will support you. And you have me. And you have Courfeyrac."
That's how Enjolras found them when he walked back into the apartment. He tried to be quiet, seeing the tender moment the sisters were sharing. He closed the door carefully, took off his shoes, and tried to sneak off to his room.
"Not so fast, Gabriel." Éponine said.
He sighed and sat in the chair. Azelma giggled.
"You really are whipped." She said. Éponine grinned. He hadn't noticed the younger girl's tear-stained face until now.
"Now. I'm going to go with Azelma to her apartment for a little bit. Then we can go to lunch."
"Éponine, do you think he could come with us? Just in case things get ugly?" The loving, gentle way Éponine looked at her sister reminded him of the way she looked at Gav. Her face softened and she looked so happy.
"I guess. Do you want to tell him, or should I?" She asked the younger girl.
"I will." Éponine nodded at her, telling her to get it over with. "Enjolras, I don't know if you know all the details of Antoine and my relationship, but the moral of the story is, a few weeks ago we hooked up, while Julien was at Jehan and R's. And now I think I'm pregnant." She said, very strongly. She was a Jondrette, afterall. They did not show weakness to others.
Enjolras, for his part, sat there looking stunned. He opened his mouth, kind of like a goldfish.
"Well? Say something." Éponine prodded.
"Congratulations? What do you need me for?" He finally said.
"I haven't told Antoine, yet. I'm not sure how he will react. I just want someone to hold Éponine back in case it doesn't go as planned." He nodded. The three of them got up and walked next door to Azelma and Courfeyrac's room was. Courfeyrac was just getting up, and was in the kitchen in just his boxers, making coffee.
"Hey, babe. I was wondering where you went." He said, pulling Azelma in for a chaste kiss, noticing their guests. "Do you guys want coffee?" The all shook their heads in response.
"Antoine, will you come into the living room? I have something I want to tell you."
He looked quizzically at her, before nodding. He poured himself some of the dark liquid, before following the three out into the living room. Éponine and Enjolras sat on the couch, while Azelma and Courfeyrac sat on the loveseat. She took the coffee from his hands and set it on the coffee table.
"Zel, what is this all about? Is everything alright?" He asked, concerned.
"That depends on your reaction." Éponine mumbled. Enjolras fixed her with a cold glare.
"Umm- I don't know exactly how to say this. I wish it wasn't so hard-"
"Azelma! Please, just tell me. It can't be that bad."
"Well, okay then. I think I'm pregnant." All eyes fell on Antoine Courfeyrac, who just froze. "Antoine? Courf? Please. Please say something. I knew this was a bad id-" Azelma was cut off by Courfeyrac's lips on hers. His hands cupped her face and brought her into an intense kiss.
When they pulled away, Azelma's hands went up to her lips. Courf's face lit up into a gigantic smile. He lifted her up and spun her around the living room.
"Well, I guess we aren't needed…" Éponine said to her partner.
"I guess not. We'll just be going now." He said to the pair. As they left, they saw Courfeyrac put his hands on her stomach.
"We are going to be parents? For real?" Azelma, through a watery smile, nodded. He kissed her again.
Enjolras closed the door after Éponine and he got out of the apartment. "Well that went better than I could have hoped." He said. She nodded.
"I can't believe I'm going to be an aunt." The went back into their own apartment and sat down on the couch.
"I can't believe they are so happy. I would be so terrified. I'm not ready to have a kid. Azelma is only a sophomore! She has two more years of school!" Enjolras said.
Éponine glared at her- boyfriend? Is that what they were? "So if it was us, you would just leave me? You would want me to get an abortion? It's not your life that's being affected by this, Enjolras."
He winced at her usage of his surname. "No! No, you misunderstand. I know it's their life. I just can't even imagine that. I'm sure if I was in the situation, I would feel much differently. I would want you to do what you felt most comfortable doing. I would support you in anything you decided."
"So if I told you, right now, that I wanted a kid, you would follow me into my bedroom and have unprotected sex with me until I was pregnant? Then you would stick around and be the kid's father?" She challenged.
"I would probably try to talk you out of it, or at least ask you to wait until we dated a little longer, but if that's what you really wanted, I would. I'll do anything for you, Éponine." He said.
She looked at him, and then her face broke out into a smile. Then she started laughing, before she launched herself at him. He caught her, and they kissed for a long time. "Éponine, I think I love you." He said, pulling away. Caught off-guard, Eponine's eyes widened. "I don't expect you to say it back or anything! I just, couldn't help myself. Oh, God. Why am I such a fuck up? I'll just- I'll be in my room."
As he started walking to his room, she got up and kissed him again. "Are we still going to lunch?" She asked.
"If that's what you want." He answered. She nodded. He kissed the top of her head. "Okay." She dragged him back to the couch, and they cuddled, watching TV, for a while before going to lunch.
A/N: So, yeah. That all happened. I don't really have much to say today. I decided to update this morning, since I'm going to be real busy tonight. I have been meaning to ask this for the last three chapters or so, but if any of you are artists, and so compelled, I would love a better cover picture for this story, or any of my stories, for that matter. I wanted something with Aaron (Enjolras), Sam (Eponine), and Daniel (Gavroche) for the cover, but unfortunately, the internet doesn't seem to have any of those... If you're up to it, I would love for you to send me some ideas! As always, read, review, enjoy, and let me know if you wanna chat about anything! A couple of my readers and I have been going back and forth with some new story ideas, for Les Mis and other fandoms. I think it's really cool, and will always take ideas, even if I don't publish them in a timely manner, or ever. I hope you enjoyed this installment, and I'll see you next week with Chapter 13!