A/N: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed!

Guest: Thanks again as always!

Hi: Thank you for the advice too! I am never abandoning this fic; I just tend to get busy with real life hospital work, such that updates become a little less timely.

Chapter 15: Recouping

Eponine doesn't quite recall falling asleep in her own bed, which only makes waking up alone that much more confusing. 'Must have forgotten to set the alarm on my phone,' she realizes while taking in the sight of the bright mid-morning light streaming through the windows. She nearly starts on catching a flash of white in the corner of her eye, but when she brings up a hand to brush it away she feels the uncomfortable tug of adhesive against her skin. 'Stupid stitches,' she can't help thinking as she now recalls the events of the previous day up until the earliest hours of this morning. She brings her hands to the swell of her abdomen, thankful now for its mere presence. "I'm glad you're hanging in there, baby. We're going to be okay," she says as she gently rubs the area under her navel. She knows it will only be a matter of weeks till she can start to feel the child moving in her womb, but all of a sudden the wait seems more intolerable than ever.

After a few minutes she slips out of the bedroom, taking care to keep a wide berth around the sofa in order not to disturb Ari, who is understandably still recovering from such a harrowing evening. She carefully climbs out the window and onto the fire escape where Enjolras is already busy typing up something on his laptop. She plants a kiss at the back of his left ear before sitting next to him. "Good morning," she greets with a mischievous grin as he looks up from his work.

Enjolras returns her smile before he reaches out to touch her face, letting his thumb brush her cheek and then her chin. "How are you feeling today?"

"Wonderful." She hugs him tightly and sighs with relief when she feels him relax considerably in her arms. "Have you had breakfast yet?"

"I've had some coffee." He raises an eyebrow as he meets her slightly disapproving look. "I lost track of time while dealing with all of this," he says, gesturing to the laptop.

She cranes her neck to get a look at the computer screen and she sees now that he's working on papers for the restraining orders. "I think it's time you took a break," she announces. "Brunch feels like a very good idea right now."

"You might be interested to know that the microwave works again."

"Oh? If you got it working...then when did you fix it, and if so, did you sleep at all?"

He doesn't say anything for a while as he continues typing, but the way he finally lets out a ragged breath is an answer enough. "There was much to think about."

She nods before squeezing his shoulders to encourage him. It's not often that he lets on in this manner. "Things don't have to be okay right away, Auguste." She knows that he has years to work through and reframe, more than can be done in a single day. "At least you're doing something."

"He's my father." Enjolras stops typing and turns to look at her. "I literally have no other frame of reference when it comes to dealing with families."

"It's pretty funny that you're saying that to me."

"The point is that you know better. I'm not sure I do, and I do not know how to keep myself from simply acting on what I grew up with."

Eponine swallows hard as it dawns on her what her partner is most afraid of in this moment. The questioning and worried look he gives her makes her feel a twinge in her chest; she knows that he has a dire point that may take more than simple argumentation to dispel. "It's not going to happen. You're too good a person for it," she tells him as she takes both of his hands. "Besides, if you ever did anything to hurt me or our kid, you know I'd be the first person to hunt you down and make you suffer for it."

"There's that, thankfully," he remarks wryly before he presses her right palm to his lips. "If you really want to, we could still press charges. You'd be within your rights to do so."

She pauses to consider this idea, but as tempting as it is, it is not an option at the moment. "It's going to end up in a 'my word against his' situation, and besides we have something more important to worry about," she says as she moves his hand down to her midsection. "This one is a fighter, I'm sure of it."

A smile finally tugs at Enjolras' lips. "Speaking of which, when will we get to see if we're going to have a boy or a girl?"

"Next month," she replies. "But you know, don't consider it a sure deal. I've delivered babies who were said to be one gender on the ultrasound but literally emerged as the opposite."

He smirks as he begins idly tracing circles on her waist. "This is why we have to get everything in green, or some other safe color."

Somehow his words are enough to have her picturing a bright, airy room with pale green curtains, a bassinet with leaf details, and of course herself carrying a baby wrapped in a mint green blanket. It's an idyll but one she now finds she wants in a way she never quite imagined before. "That's not going to happen though in this apartment," she says as she brushes her lips against his jaw.

Enjolras nods before motioning for her to take a look at the computer screen. "There are some ads here that may be of interest-"

"What's going on-am I interrupting something?" Ari's voice suddenly cuts in. They turn to see the older woman peering out of the window, looking bemused yet obviously red with embarrassment. "Should you two really be sitting out there? It's drafty."

"It's summer," Eponine replies. The truth is that she wants nothing better now than to simply stay there, basking in the sun with her partner at her side. 'Even if we do have to get going after lunch at the very latest,' she thinks even as she now catches a glimpse of the time on Enjolras' computer.

Enjolras clears his throat as he meets Ari's awkward gaze. "Mom, I've got some colleagues who can help you out with the divorce, or any other options you're considering. Do you want to meet with them today?" he asks in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Aren't you busy with the restraining order and other things?"

"Those won't take the whole day, and besides I can arrange a meeting."

Ari bites her lip. "Three o'clock then. Will you two want breakfast or anything?"

"Lunch is on me this time, Ari!" Eponine insists. She just manages to keep a straight face till her mother-in-law ducks back into the apartment. "Now we really have to get a bigger place, maybe with a guest room. That's proof for you," she tells Enjolras.

Enjolras chuckles before kissing her soundly on her lips. "You're thinking quite forward."

"Pot calling the kettle black," she says smugly as she ruffles his hair. It's difficult not to be a dreamer in some way around him, given that his optimism is so contagious. Before she can kiss him back she suddenly hears her phone ringing inside the apartment. "Damn it. This better be important."

"It probably is, considering you're the consultant on call today," Enjolras points out.

"Ugh. Don't remind me," Eponine grouses as she climbs back indoors and races to get her phone on the bedside table. She sighs on seeing Musichetta's name on the screen. "Chetta? What is it?" she asks.

"Hi Ponine. Just calling to check on you-and one thing too," Musichetta greets over the sound of much conversation; clearly she is seated in the hospital cafeteria. "How's everything?"

"Good. I mean, I even went on a road trip to pick up my mother-in-law last night," Eponine replies.

"Yeah, I heard from Florence," Musichetta says dryly. "Can you please come in some time after lunch? I finally got to talk to Clara."

Eponine's grip tightens on her phone. "What did she say?"

"A hell lot. You might want to bring someone from the law office too, just so that there's one go at clarifying her statements," the obstetrician explains in a low voice.

"I'll talk to Auguste. Thanks!" Eponine says, needing to raise her voice just as the conversation in the cafeteria grows louder. The line goes dead a few moments later, but she knows better than to try to call back. 'The best thing I can do is get moving,' she decides, remembering now that her friend has been on duty all night and is certainly extending her hours only for this errand. As she leaves the bedroom she notices Enjolras also climbing back into the living room. "What was that message about?"

"Jehan asking what happened yesterday. He heard the story, or some of it, from Grantaire, who of course heard from Joly, Chetta, and Bossuet," Enjolras replies. He gestures to the phone in Eponine's hand. "You have a new case?"

"No, but there's a breakthrough," Eponine says gleefully. . "Can you come with me after lunch? There's a witness I know you want to talk to.'

Enjolras' eyebrows shoot up. "This is the girl, Clara?"

Eponine nods. "We have to tread carefully." She glances towards where Ari is also on the phone, and the way her mother-in-law's brow furrows only makes her uneasy. "Unless you have to deal with the restraining orders first?"

"I actually need to get the medico legal report from Combeferre first before facilitating that," Enjolras explains. He looks to where Ari has just set down her own phone. "Is something wrong?"

"Some reporter asking for comment about your father-his company to be exact," Ari says. "Do you two have friends working for business newsletters?"

Eponine takes a moment to think and shakes her head; none of their friends write anything in that line. "Why did you ask?"

"Because that wasn't supposed to be public knowledge," Ari says. "Guess the cat is out of the bag. He's going bankrupt, which is why he's acting out."

"It's no excuse, Ari," Eponine insists. 'If it were, then I'd exonerate half the people who put my patients in the hospital to begin with,' she can't help thinking. "Is that really the case?"

"It's right in his pride-excuse me you two," Ari says before ducking out to take the call.

In the meantime Enjolras has gone over to his laptop and is now shaking his head. "Look at this," he mutters as he points to a web gazette. One item there reads 'Chagrins Domestiques? Corporate Magnate in Trouble on the Home Front'. The title is accompanied by a photograph of Claude with an angry expression as he tries to shield his face from the camera. "That was what he was wearing yesterday."

Eponine scoots over to take a look, and sure enough she finds herself looking at the very image of her assailant as she last saw him. "Is he being watched?"

Enjolras nods. "Maybe. Whoever this is, I think he or she may have a bigger axe to grind than we do."