A Promise

Chapter Forty-Six (Final Chapter)

The burning sun beat down on the back of my neck as I tore through the streets of Paris. Every molecule in me was exhausted and in pain, but I forced myself to persevere through it all. I had one goal, and that was to get to Enjolras before he made a terrible decision and ruined all our lives. I would stop him, no matter what the cost. An acute pain formed in my lungs as my breathing became more labored. My crippled ankle felt like it was exploding in white hot pain. Still, I ignored it. What if I don't get there in time? I wondered, a shiver going down my spine as the terrible prospect crossed my mind. What if he's already jumped? I convinced myself not to think such thoughts. If Enjolras were dead, I would know it in my heart. I continued to run, praying that I would reach Enjolras in time to stop him.

I finally caught sight of the bridge overarching the River Seine. From that distance, I could see a figure clad in red slowly making his way across the bridge in a methodical death march. "Enjolras!" I screamed. He didn't seem to hear me. A few people gave me sidelong glances, their eyebrows raised.

"Are you all right, Mademoiselle?" a man asked me.

"I'm fine, I don't have time to talk right now," I said hastily, pushing past him in a rather rude manner. I raced up the bridge. Finally, I reached Enjolras. He was standing precariously on the railing of the bridge, taking a few deep breaths to steady himself.

"Enjolras," I said, tears forming in my eyes as I gazed upon that pitiful sight. "Don't do this."

Enjolras turned to me. His eyes were red and puffy, and his skin was as white as a sheet. "Go away, Eponine," he said. "I don't want you to see this. I thought you would be at Musichetta's for longer."

"I figured out what you were planning," I said. "Why are you doing this?"

"Don't you see, Eponine?" he said, despair filling his voice. "There is nothing left for me in this dark world! I am a drunk! I can't even go a day without alcohol. I am an empty shell of the man I was before. I am broken beyond repair. Now that you're here to take care of Ambrosine, I don't have to worry about what will happen to her when I'm gone. It is better for both of you that I leave. Amber won't have to grow up with an alcoholic father, and you will be able to find a man who is not broken. Without me, the two of you will be much better off."

"Don't lie to yourself, Enjolras," I said. "Don't you understand that Ambrosine needs you? She loves you so much! It would devastate her if you died. As for me, Enjolras, I need you. I spent ten years rotting in a prison cell with one hope left in my heart, and that was the hope that one day we would be together until the end of time. Don't take those hopes away from me by killing yourself. I want you, not some other man. I don't care how broken you are."

"What you want is not equivalent to what you need," Enjolras said cryptically, his eyes gazing mournfully at the dark depths of the river. "I let all my friends die, Eponine. Why would you want a man with that on his conscience?"

"How many times do I have to tell you that they made their own decisions? At least they died for something they cared about. At least they died fighting for something they believed in! You, on the other hand, are about to throw your life away just because you feel bad."

"This isn't about how I feel!" Enjolras argued, still stubbornly refusing to move off the railing. "This is about what you and Amber need, and you most certainly don't need a drunk, broken man."

"I'm broken too!" I responded hotly. "Don't you think ten years of confinement have driven me mad? I can't even go into small spaces without having panic attacks! So maybe I should get up on that railing with you and jump as well, since I'm also broken."

"No, Eponine, I forbid you to do that," Enjolras said.

"Don't tell me what to do," I said stubbornly, climbing onto the railing beside him. "I made you a promise ten years ago, and I told you that I would never leave your side. I broke that promise when I was arrested and torn from your life, but now that I'm here again with you, I am determined never to break that promise again. I will never leave your side. Wherever you go, I go. If you jump, I jump."

Enjolras shook his head. "What will happen to Ambrosine if we are both gone?" he asked.

"That's a problem, isn't it?" I said. "I'm still not changing my mind, though."

Enjolras was silent for a long time. His stormy grey eyes flitted back and forth between the roaring river and me. He seemed lost and in pain. I held out my hand to him.

"Take my hand," I said. "Take my hand and let's go home and leave this all behind us."

Enjolras looked at me curiously. "We're both broken," he warned me. "We are not the same two people from a decade ago. We might never get back to the way we used to be."

"I'm not asking for that," I said, giving him a small smile. "All I ask is that you try. Who knows? Maybe together, two broken halves can become whole again."

"Do you really believe that?" Enjolras asked me.

"We'll never know if we don't try," I said. "Please, Enjolras. Just take my hand."

Enjolras gazed down at my outstretched arm. He bit his lip in deliberation. Finally, he cautiously reached his hand out to me and slipped his fingers into mine. His touch was soft and warm. A ghost of a melancholy smile echoed on his lips. I squeezed his hand gently, and together we took a step off the railing and back onto the bridge, back into life. Enjolras was right: We were both broken. We had both changed so much in the past decade. Still, we were here right now, together. It was a small occurance, but it had to mean something. Maybe things couldn't go back to the way they used to be, but this was a new beginning in our healing process. And as we stood on that bridge, overlooking the horizon of Paris, we did not speak. We barely even breathed. We simply stood there, and we remembered. We remembered the wonderful times we had shared together so long ago. We remembered our well-beloved fallen comrades from the June Rebellion. Most of all, we remembered the promises that two young lovers made to one another in the great city of Paris, all those years ago. And when I turned to look at Enjolras, I did not see a broken man. Instead, I saw the man who had so long ago taught me how to love and had promised me that I was still a good person. That man was still alive, buried somewhere beneath all the pain and depression. Somehow, I would dig him out and revive him. That was my new promise. And it was a promise I intended to keep.

~~The End.~~

(Author's Note: Wow! I can't believe this story is over. Writing this has been such an amazing experience. I couldn't have done it without your lovely comments encouraging me to keep updating. Thank you so much for reading this and supporting me! I have read and cherished every single one of your comments, and each one makes me smile.

While writing most of this story, I actually had different intentions of how this story would end. My original plan was for Enjolras to be married when Eponine came back from jail, and although they could no longer be together, they would still have a bond that no one could break, and Eponine would befriend Enjolras' wife and become a godmother to their children. However, after much deliberation, I decided that it was too predictable and sad, so this is my new and improved ending!

Once again, thank you all so much for your support! I have started a new story, which I mentioned in the last chapter. However, I decided against the title "Dulce Et Decorum Est" because I was afraid people would assume the story was not in English. My new title is "How Sweet It Is," which is very similar to the translation of "Dulce Et..." ("It is Sweet and Right"). Anyways, I will have the first couple chapters posted right after I post this! I am very excited for that book. It is a modern AU Courfeyrac/Eponine/Enjolras love triangle. I would so much appreciate if you check it out. Also, now that this story is done, I also will be able to update my Fantine fanfic, "There Was a Time," more frequently. I may even start updating my 13 fanfic "One of Them," which is currently on hold because I lost inspiration. Anyways, I'm rambling. Thanks again for all your support, my lovelies!! ~Elizabeth)