LES DÉSCENDANTS

~Chapter 6: Cher Frère (Dear Brother)

"I don't get why Lamarque won't talk to me for more than ten minutes at a time," I huffed.  "Now, I can't do anything but sit and wait and do nothing while my past self has bonding time with Enjolras."

"Lamarque does things in his own time," Courf said helpfully, causing me to take off my cap and run a frustrated hand through my hair.  

"Well, what's happening tonight?" he asked.  "Maybe before he tells you more, he wants you to find things out on your own."

"Enjolras, R, and I head to the Musain, where we all open up about ourselves and then tonight, Jehan passes me on to spend the rest of my time here with Enjolras.  My brother was always stressing to me how important it was to focus on saving Enjolras, and how I shouldn't worry about him.  Maybe that's why I am here now...to spend more time with him."

"But you need to tell Enjolras about the speech without your past self getting in the way..."

"There's no time...up until the barricades, I'm with Enjolras 24/7 except for the one falling out we had because we both got scared about losing each other..."

Courf grimaced, still fighting his jealousy.

"Oh Courf, I shouldn't have...this is-"

"Av, it's fine.  You're my best friend.  Why can't you go and speak to Enjolras during the falling-out, once your past self has separated?  If you remember what day that was, we can fast-forward..."

"Enjolras was angry, and bitter...I couldn't, because the very next day, we had yet another falling out, and we only came to terms with it because we were able to open up to each other.  I don't want to take that moment of being apart away from us...it's too important to the story."

"How about this," suggested Courf.  "I distract your past self, get you in to talk to Enjolras..."

"No," I groaned.  "It would never work because then once we're done, Enjolras would be talking to my past self about some speech and who knows what my past self would think, honestly...I could mess everything up.  Make my past self lose my mind...One shift in the timeline, one word misspoken could ruin everything."

"Damn," said Courf.

"It has to be right at the barricades, I think...we have to brainstorm a way to get Éponine out and save Marius, because we'll have that short amount of time where I run away from the barricades.  It has to be all under the radar.  I musn't be seen, and neither can you.  You can be off helping 'Ponine get to shelter, or to the hospital, God forbid, and I'll have that time to try and get to Enjolras."

"You've had this all planned out, haven't you?"

"Not since our Lamarque visit just now, no," I admitted.  "It's the only thing I can think of, and now I'm stuck trying to think of ways to save Lamarque.  I feel stuck."

"What about Jehan...?" said Courf, slowly.

"What about him?" I said, my voice trembling.

"He might have ideas that we aren't thinking of..."

I took a deep breath.  "If I speak to him, I'm so afraid of the domino effect..."

"That never stopped you before, Av.  I want you to think about where he is at this moment, and how we could get to him, because he is the only one who is going to understand why we're here, even better than Grantaire and Gavroche."

"If this secret slips, all is ruined."

"It's worth the risk, to save lives," spoke Courf, and I knew he was right.

I took another deep breath.  "He'll be at the Musain meeting, and then back to his apartment."

"But you are no longer living with him...this could be the answer for a place to stay, Av.  We're doing the right thing."

"Ok," I said, my heart in a million places at once.  "We'll do it."