A/N: Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed! Things are going to get a little crazy here.

Smithy: It's not the best relationship but it's getting better

Chapter 14: Safety and Vengeance

It's already eight in the evening by the time Combeferre signs out for the day at Saint-Michel Hospital, but this time instead of heading home or to the Revolution Cafe, he hurries down to the Flying Saucer Gastropub. "Johnson, party of two?" he asks the maître d at the door.

"She's been here for a bit, at that table over there in the corner," the head waiter replies, gesturing to her left.

Combeferre swallows guiltily before walking quickly to the table pointed out to him, and the woman seated there poring through the menu. "Sorry I'm late Flor," he says by way of greeting before bending to give her a kiss.

Florence grins before pulling him down into the seat next to hers. "At least you made it. You look so tired, Daniel. What happened?"

"Had a busy emergency room," Combeferre replies. He'll elaborate on this fact later, perhaps after the small talk and a glass of wine. "You aren't upset that I kept you waiting?"

"We did plan on this, but I could adjust. Besides what kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't try to help you deal with it?"

These words bring a relieved smile to Combeferre's face. "I'm glad you're here," he admits. The word 'girlfriend' sounds childish and even mawkish around Florence since it does little to capture her brilliance and quiet strength. The truth is he's not sure what word to give to her, and so he makes another silent guessing attempt at it for a few more seconds. "How was your day?" he asks when she hands him the menu.

"Revisions to the syllabus-very delayed revisions, to be more accurate." Florence lets out a long suffering sigh. "Some of the department chairs object to adding some excerpts from our local anthologies simply because they do not have so-called 'literary merit'."

"Aren't you teaching a course on the literature of protest, and didn't we just see through something like a revolution?"

"That's precisely my point, Daniel. You're the fifth person to say that."

"It will catch on soon," he reassures her. He has perfect faith that this will happen, especially with the way their world has been turning lately. As he surveys the menu he sees her pull out her phone and key in a combination, most likely the wi-fi password for this restaurant. "The connection is fast. That's unusual," he comments as he checks the signal on his own gadget.

"Are you kidding? It's great," Florence says. She pauses as she scrolls through a page. "I'm finally getting a much bigger place. It's one of the perks of tenure."

"That's great. You'll have more room for your collection," Combeferre concurs. Last time he checked, Florence's newest music boxes were already piling up on her bedside table and bookshelves. "What places are you looking at?"

She slides her phone over to him so he can get a look at an advertisement for a new condominium complex just a few blocks away from this gastropub. "It's also closer to the hospital, so that's good for you too," she says. She waits for him to finish looking at the ad before she clears her throat. "I want you to like the place as well, or whatever else I'll be looking into."

Combeferre's eyes find the ad again, which is for a single bedroom apartment, a bathroom and toilet, and in bold letters 'storage space for two'. Yes, he can certainly take this hint, even if he can already feel his stomach twisting into knots. "Are you sure about this? You could always move in with another colleague or friend."

Florence gives him an exasperated look. "If that was the case, then we wouldn't be having this conversation." She takes a deep breath as she starts fiddling with her phone. "I really think it would be a good idea for us to get a place together. I thought you were also amenable to it."

Combeferre has to take a sip of water just to get a few seconds to get his nerves together. 'It's everything you want, but are you ready for it?' he asks himself. He hasn't had a roommate since moving out of a fraternity house after graduating from medical school, and he's pretty sure that since then he's developed a number of nasty habits apart from reading at odd hours. "I'm not used to living with someone anymore."

"Nor am I, in case you haven't noticed."

"For how long will we co-sign a lease?"

"We could start off with a year," she offers with a tentative smile. "It's somewhat flexible."

'In the sense that we would have to actually work things out for 365 days,' he realizes. It's going to be a challenge, but he knows it's about time he stopped evading these matters. "What happens after?"

"If my habits haven't driven you away, then maybe another year, and maybe on different terms?" she blurts out. She turns red and grabs her glass of water. "I'm sorry, that sounded pushy."

"It's not pushy. It's something we should be thinking about," Combeferre jumps in. He sees her eyes go wide at these words and he now starts cursing himself for being so forward. 'But honest,' he realizes. "People move in together to see if they can make things work on a daily basis. I think we stand a good chance of doing well," he adds.

Florence puts down her drink. "So you want to do it? We'll look at places, and then we'll decide on something that suits both of us."

He nods as he puts his hand on hers. "Fine then." The words make it sound so simple, but the careful consideration they have just undertaken lends the appropriate weight to the matter. "As soon as I get a free day this summer, I'll tell you."

She smiles more happily before taking another sip of water. "You said you had a busy day. Tell me everything about it."

Combeferre takes a deep breath and rubs his temples. He himself cannot believe what he has to recount. "Chetta, Joly and I had to treat Eponine in the ER. Uncle Claude-that's Enjolras' dad- accosted her and he pushed her against a counter."

Florence's jaw drops. "Oh shit. Are she and the baby okay?"

"Thankfully, yes." He tries not to wince at the recollection of his colleague covered in her own blood while being wheeled into the emergency room. "She had to get stitches for this gash on her head."

Florence hisses. "What did Enjolras do about it?'

"I'm not sure he's seen his father yet, but I doubt it will be a civil discussion."

"Discussion? If I were him, I wouldn't be held responsible for any violence I do."

"It would be returning an eye for an eye, and that only ends with everyone blind," Combeferre points out. "What complicates this is that Uncle Claude has been hurting Aunt Ari too. That's why she left their home and is hiding out in this city. No one's gotten a chance to see her personally though."

"Why?"

"I don't know, Flor. I just don't."

Florence rests her chin on her hand. "You sound like it's coming as a shock to you. When you and Enjolras were kids, did you notice anything like this? "

"That's the thing. We were just kids. I used to think that it was simply because that was how some parents went about disciplining their families. My own parents told me not to ask or interfere. When I look back on it though, it doesn't seem to be just that way anymore..." he trails off as his mind fills with memories of another town, miles away from this capital. He can hear again every hurtful word thrown his best friend's way, and now he sees how each barb slowly showed in that steely demeanour that Enjolras adopted for so many years. "Don't get me wrong. No one ever got hit or hurt physically, not in that house. So it wasn't as if anyone could call the child protective services."

"Daniel, we didn't have those growing up."

"I know, but it wouldn't have made a difference in this case."

Florence is quiet for a moment before she leans in closer such that her face is almost touching his. "I gather you're part of the reason that Enjolras isn't much like his dad. I hope you understand how important this is, not just to him but for everyone."

"I do," he replies, willing himself to believe her words not just in that moment but all the way throughout dinner and even when they head to his tiny apartment to catch a showing of a documentary they have been waiting for all week. It is only while he is lying at Florence's side later that night and watching her drift off to sleep that he hears that dreaded sound of his phone ringing. A frisson of panic shoots through his chest when he sees the name on the screen. "Enjolras? Is everything okay?"

"Everyone is fine except for my mother," Enjolras replies in a level tone. "She just called, asking to get picked up from the lake house."

"Why?" Combeferre asks, remembering his friend's conversation earlier in the day. "Did your father try to contact her?"

"Apparently he has been calling her phone but naturally she's not picking up. A few minutes ago he sent her a threatening message, so that is why she wants to bolt despite all reassurances," his friend explains. "Of course Eponine will be coming along with me, but I am sure my mother would appreciate seeing more friendly faces."

Combeferre grits his teeth, already imagining just how this situation is playing out. He glances towards Florence only to nearly drop the phone when he sees her already sitting up in bed. "Flor, it's an emergency," he whispers as he covers the mouthpiece.

Florence rubs her eyes. "It's Enjolras, isn't it?"

"How did you know?"

"Best friend privileges. Or in this case, practically-my-brother privileges."

Combeferre nods. "It's why I have to go and help out Aunt Ari-I mean his mom. She's been having a rough time and she needs an intervention, right now."

"I remember her," Florence murmurs. She glances at Combeferre's phone and holds out her hand. "I need a word with Enjolras first though."

"What for?"

Florence doesn't say anything at first till she gets her hands on the phone. "Hello Enjolras, it's me, Florence." She smiles smugly as she eyes Combeferre. "Yeah, I'm good. No, I don't know all the details, but I'm surprised you didn't kill him, really. One condition though: if I'm going to let Daniel out of bed, I need to come along with him. Yes, you heard me right-that's what you get for busting our evening. We're at his place. See you both in a while." She laughs as she presses the phone back in Combeferre's palm. "That was easier than I thought it would be. He's surprisingly reasonable about this."

"You might have broken his brain a bit," Combeferre says, already imagining his best friend's discomfited expression from all this brash talk. "If they're passing by for us they should be here in about fifteen minutes."

Florence immediately slips out of bed and goes to where they have left their clothes on a chair. "Do you know exactly where we're going?"

"The lake house of one of Aunt Ari's friends from college. It's an hour or at most an hour and a half away from here," he replies. He sighs as he checks his watch and finds that it's just before midnight; with any luck they will all be back in town in time for another day at work. After freshening up and donning a clean t-shirt and jeans, he fetches the first aid kit from the bathroom cabinet as well as two clamps, a spare scalpel blade, and a flashlight. "You really don't have to come with us. If we run into Uncle Claude, things may get ugly," he warns his girlfriend when he sees her already fully dressed, but searching through his closet for a pair of flip flops to borrow in lieu of her boots

"What are you going to do then, leave me here worrying myself sick about you?" she asks. "That was not in this evening's plan, period."

Before Combeferre can protest he already hears a vehicle pulling up to the apartment building. In a matter of minutes he and Florence step outside to where Enjolras and Eponine are waiting in their car and avidly discussing the directions shown on the GPS on Enjolras' phone. He knocks on the driver's side window to get their attention. "It's all the same at this hour whether we take the freeway or the riverside road," he comments by way of greeting when Enjolras rolls down the window.

"Actually we're trying to figure out a route with enough rest stops in case we do need them," Enjolras explains as he unlocks the rear doors. He nods when he sees the items Combeferre has brought. "Good thinking there."

Florence slides into the backseat and waves at Eponine. "You look pretty good. How are you feeling?"

"Nice enough. It's going to take a lot more than a very pissed off father-in-law to keep me abed," Eponine quips as she points to the bandage on her head and then adjusts the scrub top she's clearly been sleeping in. "Just for that, you get this," she adds as she searches through a large bag at her feet and hands over a still unopened pack of mint chocolate chip cookies.

"Shouldn't you be watching your sugar since you're pregnant?" Combeferre chides as he also slides in and buckles his seatbelt. "Even if you don't have gestational diabetes, it's still not good to get too close to hyperglycemia."

"This is why we're all getting food freebies till January," Enjolras deadpans.

Eponine sticks out her tongue. "Just you wait till I start eating for two. You're lucky I don't get cravings, otherwise you'd start getting acquainted with every take-out place in this city."

"Because it's that or you're going to wreck the kitchenette," Enjolras retorts.

"How is it that you've lived with Combeferre, Joly, Bahorel, Chetta, and even Grantaire, and you've never, ever thought of putting your microwave to creative use?"

"Because when people do 'science in the microwave', I'm the one who cleans it up."

Combeferre gapes at his friends, knowing now that there is certainly a reason this is coming up. "Is this a story I want to know about?"

"Yeah, since this is what happens when you confine me to quarters-I get bored and try doing stuff like making cake in a mug," Eponine admits, reaching over to squeeze Enjolras' knee, perhaps as some form of apology. "Only this time I used Auguste's extra large coffee tumbler-"

Florence muffles her laughter with her sleeve. "So do you still have a mug and a microwave?"

"Mug, no. As for the microwave that still remains to be seen," Enjolras replies, allowing himself a sideways glance at his partner before turning his attention back to the road. His hands tighten on the steering wheel for a moment. "We should be at our destination in just over an hour."

Combeferre swallows hard and looks out the window, seeing now that they have reached the freeway. "What exactly did your father tell your mom?"

"He told her that he knows where she is. It's not surprising since she is staying with an old friend," Enjolras answers. He grits his teeth and shakes his head. "I thought that her being away would buy a little time, but that was a serious miscalculation. I should have known better after my father showed up at the apartment-"

"He did what?" Combeferre blurts out, only to be caught up short when Eponine passes her phone to him. The display is already showing a video; all he has to do is press the ''play' button. The sound of Claude's voice makes his blood run cold, even when he feels Florence pressing up closer to him. "This is bad," he finally says.

"Restraining order territory," Florence concurs. "For a moment I thought he was going to hit you for taking that clip."

"I don't think he'd be willing to risk a strike two," Eponine points out. "That would earn him more than a restraining order, which is the one thing he's sure of getting at the moment."

"A divorce too," Florence chimes in.

Combeferre sees Enjolras shrug while Eponine merely sighs; they know as well as he does just how painfully loyal Ari can be. "That's just not the way it works," he mutters. 'It's part of why Uncle Claude has always felt so confident about getting his own way,' he thinks.

"This is 2015, not the 1830s or the Victorian era. Women shouldn't have to stay in their marriages if their husband is being abusive," Florence argues.

"A lot of women, or just for that matter people, stay because they think it's perfectly normal to be treated this way," Eponine says. She sighs as she leans back in her seat. "I should know."

"Your own mother..." Combeferre trails off.

"I wasn't thinking of her per se, but yes she'd count too," Eponine pauses to reach down for a bottle of water. "She always used to say that one of the worst things a woman could do was to tear down her man or shame him by leaving."

Florence stirs uncomfortably. "You knew though?"

"I figured out that it wasn't normal to be hiding under the floorboards while my parents 'did business' above our heads," Eponine remarks. "That was one of the more extreme and obvious things, but stuff like that was always there, like the way my parents never had a good word to say to each other but would try to be sweet in public. Some people call it holding it together."

Enjolras shakes his head. "A poor show at times."

"Ari told me once that your father preferred that they would present a united front," Eponine tells him. "Was that always the case?"

"Often. Mom usually deferred to him. She used to say that it was something about headship over the family," Enjolras replies. His knuckles are white as he grips the steering wheel again. "He got away with a lot of things then, especially with her."

Combeferre feels sick at his friend's words; now that he is older he can only imagine what other dynamics there might have been between Claude and Ari throughout these years. 'Again, we were kids and we didn't know anything,' he reminds himself, but even at this moment the thought is holding less and less water. "You always knew..." he says at length.

"I was always told it was none of my business," Enjolras finishes even as he steers the car towards an exit. "That's over and done with, and this is a completely new situation."

Eponine peers out the window. "There's the lake," she says, pointing to a shimmering line just past a long road."I've never seen it from this angle."

"Haven't you been here before?" Florence asks Enjolras.

"Not in a long time. Eponine and I didn't pass by this town when we had our road trip after Christmas," Enjolras replies as he rummages for some change to pay the toll fee. "It's a big house in a cove. We can't miss it."

"The question is finding the right bend in the road," Combeferre muses as they continue driving past tree-lined paths and gravel trails leading to different villas and rest houses. Apart from the occasional lorry or late night bus, there are no other vehicles venturing down this highway. This solitude is somewhat unnerving, such that Combeferre is relieved when Eponine puts a podcast on the music player, even if the recording in question happens to be a lecture on nanobots and their use in surgery. By this time Florence has taken a break from eating the cookies, and has taken to watching the moon's progress through the cloudy sky. Enjolras is silent as well, but his calm is now that of a man relieved of a burden he's been carrying for far too long.

After a long while they finally turn right onto a narrow winding path that cuts through an ominous looking grove of gnarled fig trees before opening out onto a clearing on the lakeshore. A small wooden dock adjoins a large cabin, where there are two women seated on the front porch. One of these ladies seems to start at the sight of the car but she settles when her companion puts a hand on her arm. The two women exchange a few words and a last hug before parting ways: one to the confines of the house and the other down the stairs leading away from the porch.

Enjolras quickly alights from the car, and the rest of the group follows suit. "Hello Mom-"he greets Ari before she walks more quickly towards him and enfolds him in a tight hug. "We're going to get you someplace safe. He's not going to get to you," he manages to say.

Ari nods furiously as she steps away and wipes her tear-streaked face. The sight of her without makeup and wearing an old t-shirt and slacks is surprising, if not outright disconcerting. "If only you knew how horrible the past few hours have been..." she mutters. Her eyes go wide when she catches sight of Eponine. "Oh dear, you poor thing. I'm so sorry that happened to you."

Eponine gives Ari a quizzical look. "Why are you apologizing for him?"

"Because he won't do it himself," Ari replies. She clasps Eponine's arm as they begin walking back to the car. "You're just over four months along, am I correct? It just gets better from then on."

Combeferre can't help but crack a smile as he waves to the older woman. "Hi Aunt Ari."

"Daniel, what are you doing here?" Ari asks confusedly. She nods when she notices Florence. "Doctor Johnson, isn't it?"

"I'm still a way from Doctor Johnson, PhD," Florence says candidly. "Good thing you're safe."

Eponine glances at her watch. "Are you guys up for a very, very early breakfast? I spotted an interesting all-night diner near the freeway exit."

Enjolras raises an eyebrow knowingly. "Are you actually starting with cravings now?"

"No, it's getting the munchies. There's a difference," Eponine quips.

"She's right about that, Auguste. You'd better take care of her, let's go look for this diner," Ari says in a somewhat more chipper tone, however forced.

'She just needs to unwind,' Combeferre realizes, and this impression is confirmed all too well a quarter of an hour later when all five of them are crammed in a small booth in a garishly lit diner. Ari seems to breathe more easily as she leans back in her seat as they are waiting for their food. "Aunt Ari, what are you going to do?" Combeferre asks tentatively.

Ari sighs as she pulls her hair out of her eyes and laces her fingers together. "You kids can probably guess I'm getting a divorce. I had thought to resort to legal separation, but this changes everything," she replies, pointing to Eponine's injury. "It's one thing to hurt me but to hurt either of you or my grandchild is another," she says more seriously to Eponine and Enjolras.

"How long has this been going on?" Enjolras asks.

"Three months or so," Ari replies. "We've had words with each other for some time, but he began getting brusquer only when the summer began. I thought it had been because of problems with work, but I realized after he burned me that it was inexcusable."

Combeferre tries not to look at the still bandaged burn that Ari is hiding under her sleeve. "What happened there? You didn't tell Courf about it."

"Soldering iron," Ari says. She swallows hard. "I really wish I was kidding."

Enjolras grits his teeth and shakes his head. "You've got to get a restraining order."

"Which is why I called you too. Is there any way we can work that out before morning?"Ari asks. Her phone beeps and her hands shake as she brings it out. "Now why is Claude's assistant texting me about his files?" she whispers.

"He or she thinks you have them?" Florence asks.

"She's asking for back-ups," Ari says. "Apparently some new virus got to his computer..."

It is then that Combeferre notices Enjolras and Eponine exchanging knowing looks. "Now that, I didn't expect from you two," he says.

"Not us. I can't even write code and Auguste is even worse at it," Eponine explains. "The thing is that my brother got wind of this..."

Florence bursts out laughing. "Won't he lose his engineer's license over this?"

Eponine shakes her head. "He knows not to be traced, and even if we ask him about it he's going to deny it flat." She laughs at Ari's discomfited expression. "I'm sorry, that's just the way that Gav is. It's his own lookout now at this point."

Ari sighs. "Why was Claude stupid enough to mess with you kids? He knows that you never take these things lying down!"