"NO!" Éponine cried as Gabe led her into their room. He sat her down on the bed while he packed their things. He was actually just throwing all of their belongings into the duffle bags they brought.
A worried looking Gavroche appeared in the doorway, followed closely by a tired, but concerned looking Adrienne, Régis, Jackie, and the Leclairs. "What happened?" The boy said, running up to his sister.
"Gav, you need to go pack your things. We're leaving now." Gabe said.
"What? Why? It's Thanksgiving! Before lunch! Adélaïde, apologize to your brother. He can't leave now. We just got him back!" Jackie cried desperately. Gavroche slipped past Gabe's family, with a hesitant glance over his shoulder at his sister and her boyfriend. He didn't want to leave, yet, but he trusted Gabe almost as much as he trusted Éponine, and knew that it had to be really important. Gabe nodded at him, so the boy proceeded to his room.
Once he was out of earshot, Gabe spoke again. Éponine was still on the phone, but not speaking. "Azelma, Éponine's sister, is going into labor. They were visiting Antoine's family, so they aren't too far away. It should only take us half an hour to get there, but we need to get going. Jehan and Grantaire got the call an hour ago and are on their way from school. So this business with Adélaïde will have to be resolved later. We really have to go. Now." He said, sharply, turning into the leader she had only witnessed in him a few times, but had heard so many stories about.
"Oh, Éponine. I'm so sorry. Gabriel, all of your friends can come stay here, if you have to stay over night. The Courfeyrac's don't have as much room at their house. You kids be safe on your drive over there." Jackie offered.
"I'll come with you. Someone is going to have to watch all of these kids while you students worry about Azelma." Adrienne said.
"You don't nee-" Gabe started.
"I'd like that very much, Adrienne." Éponine said. No one had noticed she had ended the phone call, and was, quite frankly, calmer than Gabe was. "We need to go, though." She said, standing and placing her arm on her boyfriend's arm. He nodded and picked up their bags.
Once everyone was in the foyer, Adrienne spoke up again. "I'll drive myself, since we don't know if you are going to be coming back or not. I don't want to be a burden, just help." Éponine and Gabe nodded.
"Gav, why don't you go with her." Éponine suggested. The boy's eyes brightened.
"Really?" He asked, excitedly.
"Sure, bud. Come on, we'll have a rockin' time." The blonde girl said, taking his backpack from him and leading him to her car.
"Are you ready?" Gabe asked his girlfriend.
"Yeah. Thank you so much for having us. I feel terrible about running out bu-" She said.
"It's no problem. You need to be there for your sister. We understand. Just, come back soon, and don't be a stranger." Jackie said, coming up to hug her.
Régis followed. He whispered to her, "Take care of my boy for me." She nodded.
The Leclairs had left the room, so Gabe hugged his parents and then they got in his car.
Once they got onto the highway, Éponine finally broke down. "Oh, Ép." He said, putting his right hand on her knee and rubbing gently. "What can I do?"
"Nothing!" She sobbed. "Why did this have to happen? Why to Azelma? Why today?" Gabe stayed quiet. Éponine just cried, while he kept his eyes on the road. Once they got into town, Éponine stopped crying and Gabe discovered how she had always seemed so strong. She was very good at controlling her emotions. Not only that, but she had chosen that he was worthy of seeing her upset and breaking down.
She pulled down the visor mirror and tried to fix her face up so that no one could tell. After deeming her face acceptable to see the public, she took her boyfriend's hand off her knee and laced her fingers with his. He squeezed it lightly so that she would know he was there to tether her to the ground. They pulled into the hospital lot and found a close parking spot. They hopped out of the car, and laced hands again as they walked into the waiting room.
"Azelma Jondrette? She went into labor a couple of hours ago." Éponine asked at the front desk.
"Yes. You can wait in the waiting room on the third floor." The lady said, smiling. Gabe whipped out his phone and texted all their friends where they were going to be as they walked up the stairs.
Once arriving in the correct waiting room, Gabe said, "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Courfeyrac."
"Gabriel! And you must be Éponine. We heard all about you last night! And your little brother. Is he with you?" Mrs. Courfeyrac said, getting up to hug both students. Antoine's father shook both of their hands.
"He's on the way with Adrienne." Gabe explained.
"Can I see my sister?" Éponine asked.
"Oh, yes. She wanted you to be sent in right away. Room 367. Second door on the right." Mrs. Courfeyrac said.
Éponine quickly turned on her heel and went to find the room. She knocked and then walked into the room. Azelma was in a gown on the bed, laying back. Courfeyrac was sitting next to her, holding her hand. "Éponine!" Her sister exclaimed.
"Hey, 'Zel. How are you?" She asked.
"Well, I'm okay, all things considered." She said, sadly. Éponine sat on a chair on the opposite of the bed as Courfeyrac. "I'm sorry to drag you away from the Enjolras'." She said.
"It's okay. Everyone just wants you and the baby to be okay." Éponine said, taking her sister's hand.
"Where's Gav?" She asked.
"With Gabe's sister, Adrienne. They should be here by now. She decided to tag along to watch the kids." Éponine explained.
"Not in hopes that Combeferre will be here." Courfeyrac mumbled.
"What was that, Antoine?" Azelma asked. He looked a little sheepish.
"Adrienne has always had a thing for Combeferre. Ever since we were kids." The man explained as a nurse came in.
"How are you, Miss Jondrette?" She asked.
"I'm okay."
"No more contractions?" She asked.
"No." Azelma answered.
"That's a good sign. Sometimes expecting mothers just get contractions much earlier than the baby actually wants to come out. If that's the case, everything will be just fine."
"When will we know if that's the case?" Éponine asked.
"If the contractions stay away for twenty minutes, we can probably get the doc to clear you and send you back home. If they just slow down, then it could be longer, but we will wait for a twenty minute window free of contractions." She said. "I'm going to take a look, okay?" She asked Azelma, who nodded. Éponine just looked over at Courfeyrac, and then her sister, not wanting to watch the nurse.
Once the nurse had left, Éponine spoke. "So, it might just be a false alarm?"
"Yeah, but I called the hospital when the contractions started. The doctor kept me on for a while, and then told me I should just come in. How was the one day of your holiday?" The younger woman asked, changing the subject.
"It was… interesting." Éponine responded.
"Oh, no. Who was it?" Courf asked.
"Jackie started it, but it was mostly Adélaïde." Éponine said. Courf rolled his eyes.
"We should have better prepared you." He said.
"Does someone want to let the pregnant lady in on what's going on?" Azelma asked.
"The Enjolras family didn't welcome me as well as the Courfeyracs seem to have welcomed you." Éponine said. "Jackie, his mom, was leery at first, but she came around. We had a nice little chat this morning. Régis, Gabe's dad, seemed to like me well enough, and likes Gav. Adrienne, who is his closest older sister, is great. I think Gav has a crush on her. But then his oldest sister…" Éponine trailed off.
"Adélaïde is very set in her ways. She is very much the poster child for how Enjolras and I grew up. She wants to be just like her mother. She married rich and hopes for her siblings to do the same. I doubt Adrienne will ever get married, unless she somehow snags 'Ferre. Enjolras, however…" Courfeyrac said.
"When she found out where I came from, she wasn't very nice about it. Gabe had threatened that we would leave right after lunch if she didn't apologize and accept me, but then we had to leave anyways." Éponine explained the tension from the night before.
"I'm so sorry, Éponine. I wish you could have stayed." Azelma said.
"It's more important that I'm here for you. You haven't had a contraction since I got here. How are you feeling?" Éponine asked, changing the topic back to the matter at hand.
"I'm feeling much better. Has it been twenty minutes? I'd really like to put real clothes back on." She said. Courf looked at his watch.
"It's been about fifteen since the nurse was in. Do you want one of us to get the doctor?" He asked his fiancée.
"Yes, will you?" She asked. Courfeyrac nodded and started to stand.
"No, I will. You stay here with 'Zel. I'll be back in just a few." Éponine said, getting up and leaving the room before either of the other students could protest.
She wandered around for a while, trying to find a doctor, but ended up in the waiting room where the rest of their friends were arriving. Gabe was introducing everyone to his sister and the Courfeyracs.
"Is 'Zelma okay?" Gavroche asked, seeing his eldest sister in the doorway. Everyone else turned their attention to her.
"Yes. Everyone is fine, currently." She relayed the information she had learned in the room. "Now, has anyone seen a doctor? I'm supposed to find them…" She trailed off.
"Oh, I'll just go get her. Her office is right across from the room." Mrs. Courfeyrac said.
"Thanks." Éponine said, taking a seat on one of the couches, pulling her boyfriend down next to her. He wrapped an arm around her, and she put her head down on his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head and ran his fingers through her hair.
"She'll be fine, Ép. Both Azelma and the baby will be perfectly fine." He whispered.
"I know. But I'm just tired." Éponine said.
"We'll go home after this. When Azelma gets released in a few minutes, we can all pack up and go home. You can relax for the rest of the weekend."
"That sounds wonderful."
After about half an hour, Azelma and Courfeyrac came into the waiting room. "'Zel!" Julien rushed over to his stand in parents. Gavroche was right behind him. The boys hugged her legs.
"Everything is great. Doc said we can all go home." Courf said. "Mom, Dad. Azelma and I agreed that it would be best if we got back to our apartment." The Courfeyrac's nodded, albeit sadly.
"I really enjoyed meeting both of you, and I apologize greatly for the inconvenience-" Azelma started sincerely, patting Julien's head.
"No. Don't talk like that. It's not like you can control that little bugger. I have a feeling your little one has a mind of their own, not unlike Antoine." Mrs. Courfeyrac said. Azelma just smiled, looking at her fiancé.
"I'm going to sneak out, too." Adrienne said, appearing next to Éponine and Gabe.
"You better not leave without saying goodbye to your greatest admirer." Éponine said, nodding towards her little brother. The blonde girl nodded before walking over to the boy, who was still standing near his older sister.
Éponine watched Gavroche introduce their sister to Adrienne. Azelma smiled at the girl and Courf gave her a hug before going back to conversing with his parents. Adrienne then spoke to Gavroche before leaning down to hug him. Then she waved at Éponine and her brother before pulling her keys out of her purse and taking off down the hallway.
Soon after Adrienne left, all of the students made their way out of the hospital and got into their respective cars. Azelma and Courf had to go back to his parents' house to get their things. R, Jehan, Julien, and Hillaire, got into their car and took off, as did Éponine, Gabe, and Gavroche. Éponine offered to drive, but her boyfriend just waved her off.
A/N: Yeah, everyone's alright. I'm really terrible at actually sustaining plot. I apologize. This could have been so much more suspenseful. Oh, well. What's done is done. There's a little one line reference to a different musical in here. Let me know if you can find it! I hope everyone is doing wonderfully and is much more full of energy and generally happier than I am right now. I'm exhausted and kind of want to kill every person under the age of twelve I come into contact with. I wish they could all be as amazing as Gavroche...
I'm asking for all the same things as weeks previously. I'm also having a little writing identity crisis, so if you could check out my profile and let me know what story or stories you want to see next, it might give me some inspiration to write enough to start posting a new story immediately after this one is finished. K, thanks. This was long. See you next week!