SO sorry this chapter has taken so long getting posted. I hope y'all like it, and BIG shout out to my Beta reader for all she does!

The breath whooshed out of Marius' lungs as he slowly turned around to face Cosette.

"You're...what?" he asked.

"Pregnant. I'm pregnant." The girl was blushing as she examined the carpet, awaiting her husband's reaction. Marius walked slowly to the stairs, mounting them one by one until he reached Cosette.

"Look at me," he demanded gently. "How long have you known?"

"Not long," she answered, gazing at Marius through her blond lashes. "I only found out recently." Her husband was silent as his thoughts waged war within his head. Should he abandon Eponine now that Cosette was pregnant with his child? How could he be sure that she would even carry it full term? She was so small, and there was never a guarantee. After a long while, he finally made his decision.

"I must go," he said to Cosette. "I shall return as soon as I can."

He wrapped his arms around Cosette's waist, pulling her toward himself. The girl tilted her head back, and Marius kissed her tenderly. The kiss, light as it was, held passion unlike anything he had felt before. It was full of unspoken promises that he was making to Cosette and she to him. Reluctantly, he broke away to go and break the news to Eponine.

Cosette stood on the balcony of Marius' and her home, gripping the railing for support. She had never kissed anyone in the way that she just had before, but where was Marius going? Powerless, she stared as her husband went out the door and ran off. He would come back. Wouldn't he? He wouldn't abandon her like last night's prostitute. They were man and wife which was a bond that no one but God himself could break. Hopefully, her husband would return.

Marius sprinted to the slums and returned to the alley where he had left Eponine. As he had suspected, she was there. He gazed at her shivering form and realized how frail she truly was. He walked toward her slowly.

"Eponine," he whispered. The girl turned to face him, and immediately her eyes lit up.

"You came back!" she exclaimed, running into his arms. Marius placed his large hands on her comparatively miniscule shoulders and held her at a distance. The girl's face fell, and she asked,

"What is the matter?"

Marius didn't know how best to tell the girl, so he simply said, "Cosette is going to have a baby."

Marius was dismayed when Eponine gasped and backed away from him.

Eponine was in shock. Cosette was with child, no doubt Marius'. The girl was far too pure to even contemplate adultery. As she thought of Cosette sitting at home, pregnant with Marius' baby while he had been fooling around with Eponine herself, the girl felt the urge to vomit.

She distanced herself from Marius, stammering, "Tha-that's marvelous news. Congratulations."

She whirled around and was about to walk away when she felt a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Eponine-"

Eponine turned to face him and said, "Marius, don't make this any harder than it has to be."

"But-"

"Marius, no. I don't need an explanation. You and I both know what the right thing to do is. Go back to Cosette. She needs you."

"You're right, but I do hope that you and I can still be friends."

"I think it would be best if we both forget anything that ever happened between us and go our separate ways."

Eponine turned away from Marius, unsuccessfully trying to hide her shame. Although it broke her heart, she knew that she was doing the right thing. The longer she walked, the guiltier she felt.

What have I done? she thought. I'm no better than a common prostitute.

She again felt the urge to vomit and dropped to her knees in the middle of the street, tears leaving pale trails through the layer of grime that covered her face.

"God, forgive me," she prayed. "I have sinned not only against You but also against an innocent person."

Eponine swiped at her tears and stood up. She continued to amble through the streets, thinking. The more she thought of all the times she had kissed another woman's husband, the more she began to hate herself. As she continued through the streets of Paris, she found herself walking along the Seine as she had many times before. She felt more and more guilt and shame as she stared blankly at the bridge that straddled the river.

Marius had done nothing but watch Eponine leave him, paralyzed by the look of shame that had clouded Eponine's face. Marius realized for the first time that the affection he had felt for the girl had not been of the romantic sort but the same kind of affection one would feel for a sister. It had been brotherly love which he had felt and still felt for Eponine. He knew that the girl's father would eventually find her, and he knew that she would face unspeakable horrors when the man finally did. Marius prayed as he walked, asking God's forgiveness for the sins that he had committed against Him, Cosette, and Eponine. Marius knew that he would eventually have to confess what he had done to his wife and beg her forgiveness, but he knew that he would not be content until he knew that Eponine would be safe. Seeing her huddled against the alley wall had made Marius realize that Eponine needed someone to protect her, despite her tough facade. That someone was not himself, Marius knew, but there had to be another person who would look after the girl. His thought immediately drifted to Enjolras and his unvoiced affection for Eponine. Marius took off running to his friend's flat, knowing that Eponine's father could find her at any moment.

Enjolras was studying for an upcoming exam when he heard wild knocking at the door of his tiny apartment. Lifting the curtains, he saw Marius standing outside, tapping his foot anxiously. Reluctantly, Enjolras opened the door, and Marius barged into the room, breathless from running.

"You were right," said the boy.

Enjolras crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows. "Oh? And when did you realize that?"

"Just now. Cosette told me that she is pregnant, and I went to tell Eponine I couldn't see her anymore. When I told her, she said everything that I was going to say to her and left, and I know that her father will eventually find her. He caught us in the alley one day and seemed quite vexed. He has a history of violent behavior toward her, and if he hurts her, it will be all my fault."

Enjolras' arms dropped to his sides limply. "Well then, we must find her!" he exclaimed.

"I must return to Cosette."

"Go. Leave Eponine to me."

Marius felt much lighter now that he knew Enjolras would protect Eponine. He clapped his hand on friend's shoulder. "Thank you, Enjolras."

The boy nodded in return and ran out the door. "I must find Eponine," he told himself.

Eponine felt the splintery wood beneath her bare feet as she stepped onto the bridge, staring at the river below. The freezing wind chilled her to the bone, and she knew that the icy waters below would be ten times colder. Perhaps the frigid waters would numb the onslaught of guilt and shame that threatened to bury her. She stepped up onto the railing and was about to jump when she heard someone calling her name in the distance. She whirled around and was almost happy to see Enjolras running toward her until she lost her balance and found herself soaring toward the river.

"Eponine!" Enjolras screamed as she disappeared off the edge of the bridge. He ran to the edge, and, looking down, saw a splash as Eponine's body hit the water. Stripping off his jacket and boots as quickly as possible, Enjolras dove off the bridge. He gasped as his body made contact with the freezing water. Seeing Eponine's head bobbing in and out of the river, he swam to her and pulled the girl from the water, towing her onto the slick bank. Enjolras ignored his own chills and pressed his hands to Eponine's chest in an effort to resuscitate her. He held her nose and placed his lips to hers, blowing air into the girl's lungs. He breathed a sigh of relief when the girl coughed and turned her head, allowing water to spill from her mouth. Knowing that she was not yet out of harm's way, Enjolras picked up the girl gently and ran her to his flat.

Marius entered his home reluctantly, knowing the task that awaited him. He trudged up the stairs to Cosette's and his bedroom. She was in her usual spot on the canapé, reading one of the couple's many books.

"Cosette," began Marius. His wife's face lit up upon seeing him, and Marius felt sick with guilt. He went to her before she could get up and knelt down, taking both of her tiny, pale hands in his large, rough ones.

"What is it, darling?" asked Cosette, her voice laced with concern. Marius took a deep breath and looked up at her, his eyes brimming with tears.

"Cosette, my dear," Marius took another deep breath.

"I have been unfaithful to you. Recently, I have been seeing Eponine, but I want you to know that I am no longer seeing her and that you should not blame her. I lack sufficient words to tell you how sorry I am. Can you ever forgive me? I am so terribly ashamed, and I know that-"

"Shhh..." Cosette said as the tears rolled down her husband's face. "I know; I know."

Marius looked at her, wide eyed. "But how?"

"I saw you with her."

"Cosette, I'm so sorry, my love. Can you ever forgive me?"

"I already have."

"Oh, you're an angel. An absolute angel." breathed Marius, burying his face in Cosette's skirt.

"I'm not an angel." she laughed.

"Oh, but you are," said Marius, pulling Cosette and himself onto their feet. "I love you so much," he said. "and I will never do anything like this again. I promise."

Cosette stood on tiptoe and kissed Marius lovingly. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his arms encircled her narrow waist and felt her feet leave the ground. She giggled as her husband spun her around the room.

"Marius," she laughed. "You must be careful. The baby."

"Oh," said Marius, placing her back on the ground. He gasped when Cosette pushed him onto the canapé and plopped herself down on his lap, continuing to kiss him.

"I love you," said Marius once again.

"I love you, too," said Cosette.

Everybody comment PLEASE. No matter what you think.