I'm back! Thank you for being so understanding, I had the BEST weekend ever - I met Hank Green, the Starkids, Evanna Lynch, Chris Rankin, Alex Carpenter... IT WAS JUST AMAZING. If any of you ever get the chance to go, I whole-heartedly recommend it. I went on my own, but everyone is so nice that I made tons of new friends, so you don't even need to know anybody!

ANYHOOO here's the chapter, I'll delete that author's note. Your kindness is helping me get past my post-con downer, so thank you!

Disclaimer: I don't own Les Miserables. But Clark Baxstresser said he liked my France before Pants shirt, so I'm still freaking out.

Enjolras' body was in full working order, so reached the front door and opened it before Éponine got up off the sofa. She noticed he deliberately avoided her eyes as he passed her. Oh my God, is he still freaking out about touching my boob? A laugh started to build in her throat but died suddenly when she saw who was at the door.

It took a moment for her to recognise the smartly dressed, lean body, with its sloping shoulders and artistically tousled hair, but when her eyes found the freckles, the crooked smile and the shining brown eyes, her heart leapt. Marius was here! He hadn't forgotten about her! He cared about her after all!

'Hello Pontmercy. Please come in' was Enjolras' stiff greeting. It was the same for everyone: only the name ever changed.
She decided to be more welcoming. 'Marius!'
'Hi Enjolras… hi 'Ponine! I have your phone; you left in in my car when you disappeared off the other day. Oh Éponine, I have so much to tell you, I don't know where to begin…' Apparently it wasn't that hard to decide, as he began immediately, barely pausing for breath. He sat down on the sofa next to her, not reacting at all to her obvious wince as she cautiously lowered herself into the seat, or questioning her gritted teeth when she laughed. He didn't even comment on her injuries or ask if she was all right. He just talked and talked and talked about Cosette and what they'd done for the last few days.

Enjolras brought through a pot of tea and some cups and then sat in the armchair opposite them, watching the scene unfold with his jaw clenched and a mixture of anger and pity in his eyes. He didn't say anything - not that he could have got a word in edgeways – which Éponine was grateful for. Marius' words added still more pain to her aching body and she thought her heart might break when he mentioned that he was going to dinner with Cosette that very night, but she was glad that he was here, at last.

After what seemed like forever, Marius' brain noticed something other than Cosette, and he asked her cheerfully and curiously 'so, what happened to you the other night? One minute you were there then you were gone! And why are you staying here? '
Enjolras raised a cold eyebrow and said 'You can't possibly be serious. You really don't know what happened?'
Marius just laughed and said 'I was in heaven, my friend, completely oblivious to the world around me! I haven't so much as looked at my phone since I saw you in the café and you rushed off, I've just been with my darling Cosette!'
Enjolras' face clouded with disgust. 'That explains a lot. You didn't even have the decency to –'
'IT WAS NOTHING, honestly, I was just thinking about your safety and I thought I saw trouble… I did, actually. A gang was going to rob Cosette's house.' Éponine really couldn't be bothered with an argument with Enjolras so she cut him off before he could reach full flow.
'Goodness, really?! I must tell her at once! She isn't safe there!'
Pa won't go back for a while, in case the police are watching it. He'll know by now I got away. 'I don't think they'll try again'
'how can you be sure?'
'I just know. Don't worry; I'll keep you and Cosette safe.'
Enjolras was clearly getting more and more irritated as the conversation went on. 'Éponine got rid of them.'
'Really, 'Ponine!? However did you do that!?' He was so impressed and pleased, her heart felt light again. The happiness she felt seemed to warm her whole body, down to her aching bones.
'It was nothing, really!'
'It certainly was not nothing, Éponine, they almost killed you! I found you in the middle of the street, covered in blood!'
'Thank you, from the bottom of my heart Éponine… you kept my Cosette safe. I cannot thank you enough!' She was almost crying, but had no idea whether she was happy or sad. Unable to trust herself to speak, she just smiled. Marius felt in the pockets of his grey, slim fit suit trousers, then pulled out two mobile phones: his and Éponine's. As he handed over her shabby old Nokia, he checked the time on his shiny iPhone, and then jumped up. 'I must go! I'm meeting Cosette! Before I do though, Éponine, could you do something for me?'
She beamed, feeling as though she could fly. He wants ME to do something for him! Again! He trusts me! 'I'd do anything for you, Marius, you know that!'
'Would you meet Cosette for coffee tomorrow? She really wants to meet everyone but I mean, all the lads together are, well… a lot. So could you just befriend her, ease her into the group gently? I know you'll be fast friends! In the Musain, at 11.30?'

Her heart broke into a million pieces. This was a nightmare.

She was well aware that she shouldn't do it. She knew a glance at Enjolras would tell her he thought she was stupid. Nothing but heartache could come of this - and she wasn't really physically well enough to leave the apartment yet, anyway.

She met his eyes, on the verge of saying she couldn't do it. But the sparkle and the cheer in his face shattered her resolve in an instant. 'Of course, that'll be lovely. Good plan not to introduce her to everyone at once… that would seriously be dropping her in at the deep end!'
With nothing more than an 'Excellent! Well, bye, 'Ponine, and thank you! Bye, Enjolras!' Marius let himself out of the apartment and was gone. Éponine hadn't even got up out the seat before the door slammed.

She and Enjolras sat where they were in silence for a minute or so, her staring at the closed door with tear-filled eyes, him staring at the floor in front of him, jaw clenched.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Éponine cut him off. 'I don't even want to hear it, Enjolras.' Slowly, painfully, she got up out the chair and walked out the apartment without another word.

I am so sleepy! I'll reply to message etc tomorrow, and another chapter, hopefully!

Thank you, please feel free to leave a review, and see you all soon! :)