Chapter Twenty Seven

A/N: Thank you to OMG-fangirl, Lylex96, MusicalTheatreTrash and sapphire. for reviewing the last chapter. On to the end we go!

As she pulled the gown from its tissue-lined box, Éponine stroked her hands across the beautiful lace that adorned it. It was not the most intricate pattern- their funds would not have allowed for such things- but the young woman loved it nonetheless, for it was hers.

Each snip of the scissors through the thousands of white threads felt like she was cutting at her own heart, for that gown was so much more than a garment to her. It was woven with heartfelt vows, candlelight and gentle kisses. It was all the struggles she had endured and the unbridled joy when they finally came to an end.

But it was not so awful a task, she had to remind herself, stroking her belly beneath the fabric, and feeling the fluttering of life respond to her touch. True, a wedding gown was a wonderful thing, but a christening gown even better.

"How's the work coming?" asked a voice from the doorway, and Éponine looked up, smiling. When they had first settled in this town, it had taken her a while to become accustomed to someone speaking to her out of the blue, even Marius- in the past, Thénardier had crept up on her, enjoying her moment of shock before he exacted his toll for whatever petty wrong she had done him. But last she had heard, the man was still behind bars, and Marius would never hurt her in such a way.

"I never realised I could have this many emotions about a piece of fabric." she answered, chuckling slightly at her own foolishness. "Even when I was a little girl, I was never upset to outgrow a favourite dress, and when I was older, I never had a real dress to miss."

"But think of what it will go towards." Marius reminded her, kneeling on the rug in front of her and smiling affectionately at her swollen belly. Most men- or so Éponine had been told- did not truly realise they would have a child until the baby was swaddled in blankets, but not Marius; he was already a father through and through.

"Not long to go now." Éponine stated absentmindedly. She was not sure how many weeks remained until their child would be born, but it was fast approaching. The more time that went by, the more her heart pitter-pattered with anticipation.

As the smile slowly faded from his wife's face, her hand moving forward in her lap, Marius soon noticed the change. He had been an attentive husband in those blissful first months, even more so now she was carrying their child. Sometimes it was as if she could feel her emotions as well as his own. "What's the matter, 'Ponine?"

The girl sighed a little, not sure if a way existed to speak her words without sounding like a foolish child. It was at moments like these that she truly felt as young as she still was. "It's just that… most girls spend their childhoods dreaming of the day when they can raise children of their own. I was never like that, never sang my dolls to sleep or made a cradle out of a wooden box. The way I was raised… the things I've had to do… I suppose I always thought a child would be better off without me for a mother."

Marius did not answer, simply staring up at her, and for one terrible moment, Éponine was convinced that she had been right. An innocent child coming into the world- Marius' child- deserved so much better than a criminal who had made half her living down at the docks.

But that moment was quick to pass, as Marius took both her hands in his, stroking his thumb tenderly over her wedding band. When Éponine looked down at him, truly looking into his eyes, she could see the love reflected there, like a beacon on a stormy sea. "There is no child in this world, 'Ponine, who could find a better mother than you will be, I'm sure of it. All those years you cared for Azelma, cared for Gavroche, you were more of a mother to them than Madame Thénardier and a thousand times better. This might seem frightening and strange for you now, but it is not new. You've done it all before."

"Do you really believe that?" Éponine asked, so unsure of herself that even Marius' words could not quite convince her. It was true, her own mother's indifference towards her children- at least when she was under threat herself- had marred her views on motherhood. She had never thought, with such a poor example to follow, she would have a chance to be better herself.

Marius did not have to think for a second before he answered. "Of course I do. I know you might never have dreamt of this during your childhood, 'Ponine, but this is your dream now. And this child will be fortunate to have such a loving mother."

"And a poetic father." Éponine countered light-heartedly, smiling down at her husband. He chuckled in response, shaking his head a little, the way he always had done when she would tease him. They might have been on the cusp of parenthood, and wed for a year, but they were still those same young children that had met in the streets of Paris all those years ago; everything had changed, and yet they were still the same.

Beneath the blanket of lace, their baby made their presence known, nudging their mother as if reminding her they were soon to become part of this tale. Her smile growing even wider, Éponine rested her palm against her belly once again, feeling the new life stir within her. Marius' hand was quick to follow, his fingers lacing themselves with hers, already wanting to cradle their child along with her.

With their hands linked together, the lace of her wedding gown draped over her rounded belly, it was the perfect balance of remembering the past and hoping for the future. They had been through hell together, Marius and 'Ponine, but they had emerged from the fires soldered together, his heart and hers fusing in the most beautiful way. And now they were together at last, nothing would ever again tear them apart.

A/N: So there we are! I really hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I didn't have the baby born in this chapter because I know everyone has their own ideas about Marinine's child- boy, girl, names, etc.- and I didn't want to mess with those; maybe sometime in the future, who knows? Anyway, I want to thank you all so much for your wonderful support during the writing of this story and I hope it was as fun for you to read as it was for me to write. For the last time, please review!