Enjolras knows Eponine is back to herself when she calls him at 11:13 on a Wednesday morning. Or, rather, an exaggerated version of herself, because this has definitely never happened before.

He picks up the phone on the second ring. "Hey, babe. What's going on?"

"Hi. So. Booty call?"

"Huh?"

"You need to come over here in about twenty-five minutes and have sex with me on my lunch break. And yes, I'm serious." She sounds deadly serious, actually, so serious that Enjolras isn't sure whether she means it or not.

Enjolras sits back, a bit dumbfounded, and pulls his ear away from the phone to look at it quizzically. Is this really happening? "Uh...why?"

"Why do you think? I'm hormonal and I just...ugh." She sighs and he hears a thunk, imagining she's just banged her head dramatically against the wall. "I'm really horny, Enj. I can't wait until after work. It has to be now."

They've always had an intense sex life, but this is a little bit surreal. Second trimester hormones have definitely kicked into full gear, and he's not going to complain. "Are you sure you want me to do this? At your school? An elementary school, with little kids all over the place?"

"Yes. Absolutely. Just come to my classroom. I can lock it and the kids will stay in the cafeteria for lunch."

"Okay...well, I'll see you in a little while then. Love you."

"Love you, too. Bye!" She already sounds perkier when she hangs up the phone and Enjolras laughs, running his hand through his hair and shaking his head. He didn't expect this was going to be a part of the next nine months when he saw the positive pregnancy test. But he definitely isn't going to complain, either; he loves Eponine's unpredictability and the way she keeps him on his toes. He never knows what's coming next with her.

In about ten minutes, he tells his co-workers he's going to go surprise his wife with lunch and leaves the office. The drive to Eponine's school doesn't take very long, and he walks in to see her tip-toeing down the hallway to the cafeteria with her first graders, playing some sort of quiet game to keep them silent as they pass other classrooms. It's now four weeks after Christmas, and at about seventeen weeks pregnant, there's no hiding her stomach anymore. In fact, her baby bump is bigger than Cosette's was at this point...she just hasn't gained much weight anywhere else. Enjolras thinks she's absolutely gorgeous.

Also unlike Cosette, Eponine isn't uncomfortable at all. In fact, she's working out and doing yoga as usual, and from behind, it's hard to even tell she's pregnant. It isn't until she turns to the side that it's obvious. She's trying not to rub it in to Cosette, who finally had her baby girl about a week ago. She isn't complaining anymore, though, and her and Marius are completely in love with the baby. It also helps that her labor was relatively easy in relation to her pregnancy.

When Eponine sees him at the end of the hall, she grins, her eyes sparkling. "Everybody wave to Mr. E!" she whispers, and her students obediently wave excitedly as they pass him. A few can't help the excited hellos that escape their mouths, and Eponine gently shushes them, squeezing his hand on her way past. "I'll meet you in my room in a few minutes."

"Okay." He can't resist, and pulls her gently back to him, quickly kissing her cheek before he lets her go. The little girls mostly giggle at the gesture while the little boys make disgusted faces and Enjolras laughs as he makes his way to Eponine's classroom. She joins him in a few minutes and locks the door behind her, letting out a dramatic sigh.

"Oh Lord. Thank God you're here. Take off your clothes."

He holds up his hands and shakes his head. "Hold up. I am not getting naked in your classroom. No way."

She glares at him for a minute, pursing her lips, and then nods shortly. "Fine. Not necessary, I guess. Just your pants then." She's already reaching under her dress and removing her panties, tossing them onto her desk chair. He notices her desk is clear of everything when it's usually completely cluttered.

"Uh...did you prepare or something?"

"Absolutely. We don't have that much time, I had to be ready." She tugs on his tie and perches on the edge of her desk, trailing kisses along his jaw. "And don't tell me that banging a sexy teacher isn't one of your fantasies. You are probably as excited about this as I am." She squeezes him through his pants and nods in affirmation. He's already halfway hard. "Yep, you are."

He laughs and lovingly caresses her stomach. "What's going on with you today? Is it really that bad?"

"You have no idea. I am so unbelievably turned on right now. Just smelling you...ugh." She wraps her legs around his waist and kisses him hard, teeth crashing and tongues tangling together. Enjolras wraps his arms around her and slowly leans her back, moving his lips to her ear and pulling it between his teeth. She whimpers and tilts her head, taking one of his hands and putting it between her legs.

"You're so wet." He can tell she's as ready as she said she was, and his fingers are coated in her juices as he skillfully begins to touch her. He kisses her cleavage, being careful not to bite or suck too hard and leave visible marks. The first graders definitely don't need to be asking what those are when they come back from lunch. He needs to leave a mark, though, because just kissing her isn't enough, so Enjolras pulls her dress down further, exposing her lacy bra. He pulls one side back with his teeth and sucks at the soft flesh.

"Whoa, tiger," Eponine laughs at his frantic actions, but gasps when his teeth graze her nipple, reaching up to firmly hold his head against her. "Oh...oh, shit. This was such a good idea. I'm so glad I called you..." Her voice trails off distractedly as he slips a finger inside of her while he begins stroking her clit with his thumb. She moans low in her throat and Enjolras slows his movements down a little, trying to make it last longer for her.

"Fuck, Eponine."

He moves his mouth to her other breast as she begins squirming underneath his hand. He pulls away to look at her; he can't resist. Her head is thrown back, her long hair trailing along the desk, and her mouth is open in a perfect "o" shape. Her cheeks are flushed and her lips swollen from their kiss, and somehow, she has never, ever looked sexier. He tells her so, beginning to squirm a bit himself as his erection strains against his pants.

She opens her eyes and looks at him, grabbing his wrist and making his fingers pump faster into her. "Seriously? Even with...this?" She's breathless as she gestures to her stomach, and Enjolras nods.

"I've never, ever wanted you more. I kind of really like it," he finishes lamely, and blushes.

Eponine laughs and narrows her eyes at him. "I think this is probably one of those weird, primal, male feelings. You're totally proud of yourself for knocking me up, so you find it really sexy."

"I'm not going to argue." He kisses her again and winces when she bites down hard on his lower lip.

"Oh...oh, fuck...oh, God...Enj..." Her walls have clenched around his fingers and she's obviously trying not to be too loud as she comes. Enjolras covers her lips with his again and grins as she continues to mutter obscenities against his mouth. She finally relaxes and Enjolras slips his fingers out of her.

"That was fucking amazing," she says quietly, and opens her eyes to look at him. Enjolras is already pulling down his pants and boxers, and Eponine grins, raising her legs and hooking them over his shoulders as she lies flat on her back on the desk.

Not for the first time, Enjolras wonders how he could have gone from leading a pretty celibate life to having crazy, mind-blowing sex with his pregnant wife in a very public place. He's pretty damn lucky, that's for sure.

He grips Eponine's legs and gently pulls her towards him, guiding himself into her carefully. She feels so fucking good around him. "So, just to let you know...I don't know how long I can make this last," he informs her seriously.

His head is already spinning, and he absolutely can't force himself to go slow. He slams into her in short, fast thrusts, holding her legs firmly against him.

Eponine doesn't answer, clearly just enjoying the ride. She reaches out for one of his hands, though, and he grasps hers tightly, pulling her up just enough so that she can move with him. She leans back on her hands and moves her own hips against his, eyes shut tightly. She comes again after a few minutes with a sharp cry, biting down on her lip so hard she draws blood, and Enjolras spills into her with a low moan, thrusting a final more times as he rides out his own orgasm.

They don't speak as Enjolras pulls out of her and gathers her against his chest, kissing her forehead tenderly and pulling her slightly sweaty hair away from her face. She keeps her eyes closed and leans against him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

After a few minutes, Eponine leans up and licks at the hollow of his throat. Somewhere along the line, he'd lost his tie and apparently loosened his collar. He has no recollection of that even happening. "Okay, so...unless that was a fluke, sex while pregnant is way more fucking intense than before. I'm not even kidding, those were the two best orgasms of my life," Eponine says matter-of-factly. "Good job, babe."

Enjolras laughs and glances at the clock on the other side of the room. Her lunch break is almost over. "Any time. It was pretty good for me, too. I think you're right about this whole primal instinct thing."

She grins up at him. "Aw, that's cute. You feel like such a manly man right now."

"I kind of do. I got you pregnant and caused the two best orgasms of your life? I'm fucking awesome."

"And incredibly modest." She reaches up and wraps her arms around his neck, kissing him slowly. He tangles his hands in her hair and deepens the kiss, trying to tell her how much he loves her just by his actions, though he knows she already knows. After a minute, she reluctantly pulls away and sighs, resting her forehead against his. "Thank you for coming. I love you."

"I love you, too." He kisses her nose, then steps away, grabbing a box of baby wipes from a shelf nearby so they can clean themselves up before rejoining the real world. "And just so you know, feel free to summon me for lunchtime sex anytime."

The next week is the official ultrasound – the big one. They decided a long time ago they want to know the sex of the baby, mostly because Eponine is incredibly impatient. Enjolras would be happy to be surprised, but he doesn't really mind knowing, as long as Eponine is satisfied.

She seems nervous on the ride there, clutching his hand and wriggling around in her seat. He glances over and rubs his thumb soothingly over her hand. "You alright?"

"Yeah. Just anxious." She bites her lip and looks out the window. "We haven't talked about this at all. Why haven't we talked about this? Do you want a boy or a girl?"

"I don't care," he says honestly. "I just want a healthy baby."

She turns and gives him a death glare and he's surprised. "What? Was that the wrong answer? Not only is it true, it's also politically correct. You can't get mad at me for that."

"I'm not mad. I just...oh my God, Enj. I really want a boy."

"Really?" He's kind of surprised; she's surrounded by guys all the time, practically raised her brother, and hell, is still kind of raising Courf and Grantaire. If he had to guess, he would have thought she'd want a girl.

"Yeah. I have no idea what to do with a girl. And I am one – speaking from experience, we are horrible. The hormones and periods and feelings and...no. Just no. Boys are easier. I know your kind well. You're so predictable and easy."

He laughs and shrugs. "I guess that's true. I wouldn't mind a girl, though. At all."

"Well, just hope for my sake that it's a boy or else I'm going to freak out and be incredibly stressed for the next few months."

He can tell she's serious and it kind of worries him. "Ep, you do know the odds are fifty-fifty, right? There's a good chance it is a girl. And even if it is, it's not going to be bad. It's going to be great, especially if she's like her mother."

Eponine rolls her eyes, but smiles. "You are such a sap. When did this happen to you?"

"I guess you bring it out in me."

He feels his phone buzz in his pocket and knows it's Grantaire bugging him again. The guy is seriously invested in this baby, mostly because he's always cared about Eponine so much, and he's making damn sure Enjolras texts him as soon as he knows anything. Eponine hears it buzz and laughs. "Is that R again? He just watched us leave ten minutes ago, he can't seriously think we know anything yet?"

"I'm just gonna turn it off. He's insane. That also could be my mom, though, because she's kind of turned insane, too."

Enjolras has to admit – his mother isn't nearly as bad as he always thought she was; in fact, she has shown up unexpectedly several times over the last few months, ever since she found out about Eponine's pregnancy. She's brought baby presents, food, and most importantly, just shown a real interest in getting to know both Enjolras and Eponine. She is a typical Southern lady; outspoken, perfectly coiffed at all times, and able to hold her liquor. Anne Marie Enjolras has made it perfectly clear to both of them that she is determined to be a part of her grandchild's life, and she seems to genuinely really, really like Eponine. And Eponine likes her, surprisingly. So Enjolras is keeping his mouth shut and giving his mom a second chance. His dad hasn't been nearly as interested, however, and the likelihood of a second chance there is slim.

A few minutes later, they arrive at the doctor's office and go inside. They're a little bit early, since Enjolras is a stickler for being on time, and are almost immediately ushered back into a room. Enjolras is a little bit uncomfortable as Eponine changes into a gown and hops up on the little bed thing with the stirrups – he has no idea what it's called. It's incredibly weird and a little uncomfortable watching the doctor poke around at his wife down there, even if said doctor is a woman, and he stays near Eponine's head.

"Everything looks okay down here," Dr. Juan announces. "You can put your legs down, Eponine, and change back into your clothes. I'll be back in a few minutes and we can get the ultrasound started."

"Okay." Eponine changes quickly and lays back down on the table, pulling her shirt up and rubbing her stomach. "I'm getting really big," she observes. "Cosette saw me the other day and said I'm way bigger than she was at eighteen weeks. This doesn't bode well."

Enjolras grins and leans down, pressing his lips against her stomach. "I like it."

He straightens quickly when the door opens and the doctor comes back in. She gives him a knowing look, but doesn't mention it, instead asking, "Alright, are you guys ready to see your baby?"

Eponine nods and reaches for his hand, wincing when the doctor squirts the cold gel on her stomach. "And would you guys like to know the sex if I can tell? It's not a guarantee I'll be able to see, but it's pretty likely at this stage."

"Yes, we'd like to know," Enjolras answers right away.

"Great! I'll do my best," the doctor promises, and turns the machine on. "And just so you know, I'll be checking for quite a few different things today. I'll look at the baby's heart and spine, take some measurements to make sure everything is developing correctly, make sure the placenta is okay...things like that. If I see any problems, I'll talk you through it. And if you have any questions at any point, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Okay, thanks." Eponine has a death grip on his hand and Enjolras pulls his chair closer to her, looking anxiously at the monitor as the doctor begins to move the little probe over Eponine's stomach. And suddenly, he can see it. It's not a blob anymore, but clearly a baby.

"Whoa," he whispers, and Eponine glances at him, grinning. "That's...a baby."

"What did you think it was going to be?" she teases.

The doctor smiles at their conversation, but stays silent, writing things down on a chart and moving the probe all around.

"Oh my gosh!" Eponine laughs as they clearly see the baby turn over on the monitor and Enjolras looks at her stomach, his eyes wide.

"Can you feel that?" he asks in amazement and is disappointed when she shakes her head.

"No, I can't...I haven't felt anything yet."

"That's normal," the doctor reassures her. "Your baby is still only about...eh, maybe six and a half or seven inches long? And not even a pound. It's normal not to feel any movement, especially with a first time mom, until a few weeks from now. You may feel it sooner, though."

"Can you tell if it's a boy or a girl yet?" Eponine asks anxiously.

"Hmm, give me a minute." The doctor moves the probe some more and then pushes against Eponine's stomach a bit, trying to get the baby to move into a good position. Finally, she says triumphantly, "Ha! Gotcha. Okay, are you ready?"

Enjolras holds his breath and looks at Eponine, carefully watching her face. She nods and squeezes his hand.

"It's a girl," the doctor announces, and Enjolras thinks his chest is going to explode from happiness.

He lets out his breath in a rush and laughs, then leans over to kiss Eponine passionately, surprised to find tears pooling in his eyes. He quickly rubs them away and shakes his head, mentally telling himself to snap out of it. He rests his elbows on the bed near Eponine and laughs again as he runs his hands through his hair. He is absolutely floored. "Oh my God. Wow."

Enjolras leans into Eponine's hand when he feels it on his cheek, her thumb stroking gently. He knows she might be upset to hear it isn't a boy like she wanted, but he is so ecstatic that he doesn't totally care at the moment.

"You okay?" she asks quietly. "Getting a little emotional there, babe." She sounds amused and surprised at his reaction.

Enjolras opens his eyes and looks at her. "I'm great. Amazing. How do you feel?" He studies her, trying to read her expression, and is relieved to see that she seems fine, happy even.

"I'm good. It's okay. It really is. I'm a little freaked out, but..." She looks back at the screen and shrugs, a content smile on her face, and he understands what she means without her having to say it outright. That's their baby, and it doesn't matter that it isn't a boy because she's already fallen in love with it anyway.

He suddenly can't wait until June 17th.

The other surprise they receive at the appointment is that the doctor thinks Eponine might actually be a week or two further along in her pregnancy than they originally thought. Apparently, the baby is measuring around twenty weeks, so now her due date is pushed up a little bit, though the doctor stresses that for first time mothers, the due date is really just a rough guesstimate. The baby might just decide to stay in there until the end of June, for all she knows. Everything else looks great, though, and Enjolras is literally the happiest he's ever been.

It's strange, actually; his whole life, he never really thought about having a family or being a father. His dislike for his own father, for multiple reasons, probably has something to do with it, he supposes. Even after meeting Eponine and knowing she wanted a family, and knowing he wanted to be the one to give it to her, it still didn't seem like a huge priority. But then once it happened, once she was actually pregnant, everything changed. He's always known he would die for Eponine, but now there's another person in the world that he would willingly give his life for. And he hasn't even met her yet.

That makes the phone call he receives on Thursday of the next week all the more terrifying.

It's his day off, and one of his colleagues calls asking for a favor. He's in court today and forgot some important documents in the office, so Enjolras swings by to get them and then heads to the courthouse downtown. He's just descending the steps to the street after dropping everything off when his cell phone rings. He recognizes the number as Eponine's school, and his brow furrows. Why would she be calling him from the main office line and not her cell phone?

"Hello?" he answers curiously.

"Hi, is this Gabriel Enjolras?" It's an unfamiliar voice.

"Yes, it is."

"Hi. This is Ms. Allen, from Arthur Hughes Charter School..." He picks up on the nervousness in her voice and pauses on the steps. The back of his neck prickles, all of the hair standing on end, and he suddenly, instinctively knows something is wrong. "I...Mr. Enjolras, Eponine had an accident here at school. She just left in an ambulance, they're taking her to Oschner..."

His heart literally stops and he has to remind himself to breathe. His voice shakes when he asks, "What...what happened?"

"She fell while she was on the playground with her kids. I don't know if she's okay or not, I'm so sorry I don't have more information for you."

"They're taking her to Oschner?"

"Yes."

"Okay. I...thank you." He hangs up and leans over, resting his hands on his knees. His vision is white and he closes his eyes, chest heaving. He's pretty sure he's hyperventilating and he can't think clearly at all.

He just needs to get to her.

1. Help. I can't stop writing. In the last three weeks, I have literally written 40,000 fucking words. All E/e. THIS IS NOT RIGHT. Just so you know, I also work 70 hours a week. HOW AM I DOING THIS? (Oh, right. I don't sleep much.) If I could just channel this creativity into an original story, I might actually stand a chance of getting published someday. I think my priorities are skewed.

2. I started making photosets for each chapter on tumblr 'cause I was bored. Follow me there to see them.

3. Please don't hate me for what I've done in this chapter. But do please let me know what you think, even if it is murderous.