The Darkest Night Will End

Cafe Musain, Paris, January 20th, 1831

Cafe Musain, Paris, January 20th, 1831

Enjolras stood back up in front of the group, "Thank you all once again for coming, we'll meet back again tomorrow!"

Everyone began to file out of the backroom at cafe Musain, leaving Enjolras to finish packing up his papers.

Glancing around he stretched his aching and then looked to Grantaire, who was slumped over a table.

"Grantaire? Are you sober enough to make it home?"

The man groaned in response and dragged himself to his feet, "Perhaps," He took a shaky step forward and nearly fell, "... Not."

Enjolras sighed, "Come on."

Slowly the pair made their way down the stairs and out the door of Musain.

They were barely ten paces from the door when Grantaire exclaimed something that sounded like "Hide me!" And threw himself into an alley.

"What are you doing?" Enjolras hissed.

"Shhh."

Enjolras looked around to see a girl hurry past, head down.

As soon as she was gone Grantaire picked himself up, muttering "Shoulda known she'd be released soon."

Jacquelyn hurried down the street, their excitement building as they got closer to the old flat.  It had taken them a week to get back to Paris, managing to get clothes that weren't fully tattered, and a haircut; but now they were ready to see their brother again.

Giddily they ran up the stairs, braids flying out behind them, skirt swishing, and coat flapping.

Grinning they knocked on the door to the flat.

The door opened to an unfamiliar man, and a panicked feeling wrenched in their gut, "Monsieur, there was a man living here, my brother William Coste, Where is he? He said he would wait for me! I'm-"

"Jacquelyn Coste, I know, my name Is Marius Pontmercy, do come in."

A few moments later Jacquelyn found themself standing in their old kitchen.

The flat was stripped completely bare and they was looking around in confusion, "What's happened? Where's William?"

Marius sucked in a nervous breath, "He's uh, well he's dead. Cholera, about a month ago. He and I were friends, he made me promise to take care of you."

The world around her seemed to slow, "D..dead?"

"Yes, cholera like I said before. And I'm to look after you. He told me what happened and that I should come here to collect you when you were released."

"Collect me?"

"Yes, you're to come to live with me because I have room in my flat, and I'm not there all the time, because I have to take care of you because your brother died."

"Yes I heard you..." Their voice grew soft.

"Well, come along, I packed all your and your brother's things after he died, its at my flat. Lets go."

Still in shock Jacquelyn followed the terribly insensitive man from the flat and all the way back to his own.

Soon enough they found themself sitting on a couch in Marius' much larger flat.

"You'll have your own room, I already moved everything in there. And heres the thing, I only have this flat for when I have busy weeks at the university. Otherwise I live at the Pontmercy manor, and um, because of my grandfather you see, he only sets me a certain amount, for spending, it's only enough for one person to get by on, he says hes readying me for the real world. So you'll, um, have to get a job."

Jacquelyn nodded slightly, still in shock.

"Well, I'm sure you'll be able to find somewhere in the morning. I have classes tomorrow, so, goodnight!" He hurried out of the room and down the hall.

Jacquelyn took a moment to look around at the lavishly furnished apartment, finding it unbelievable that Marius could live like this but still have them work.

Eventually they found themself in the spare room, moving boxes off the bed and pulling out one of William's old shirts.

They pulled it on instead of their old night clothes, and laid down on top of the bed.

Sleep wouldn't come, not in this strange flat, not after what they'd been through, and not with what that idiot of a  man had just told her, but at least now it was warm, and at least now they could find their beloved Grantaire, and at least now things might be better off.

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Hello lovely people! I hope you're doing well!
I just realized I haven't introduced this properly so here we go...
Obviously, you've read the prologue and this chapter, so you're starting to get the general gist of the story.
This project has taken me just over six months to complete (I write it all before I post at all) and being totally honest I wrote 147 of the 247 pages in the last three weeks!
I just sort of find that funny, any way, stay safe, stay happy and enjoy.