Valerie (An Enjolras Love Story)

Chapter Eleven

Slowly people started disappearing until Enjolras and I were the only people left at the café. After Marius' re-entrance into the revolution, he and Enjolras got right back into work making sure that we were absolutely ready for tomorrow. While I was just as anxious for tomorrow as everyone else, there was still this fear of what if. What if everyone fell, what if it actually worked. My mind was swirling with all of these thoughts and the fear of the unknown.

I stood at the window as the rain fell on the last night before the storm, when I felt an arm snake it's way around my waist.

"Let's go home" Enjolras said leaning his head on my shoulder as he held me. I just nodded and we walked hand in hand back to our apartment, possibly for the last time. When we arrived home, it had already grown really late in the night so we decided to go straight to bed so that we could get as much rest as we needed. But we both lay awake, staring at the ceiling above us. I turned my head to the side to look at Enjolras and watched as his chest rose and fell in rhythm, and his eyes staring straight ahead.

"Are you afraid?" I said breaking the silence between us. Enjolras sighed.

"I'm terrified." He said looking at me. "I'm terrified if something were to happen to you. I couldn't bear to go on without you." He said grabbing my hand and pulling it up to his lips, placing a gently kiss on it.

"I feel the same, Enjolras I worry for you and the boys. What if this doesn't work? Then what will happen." I said rolling onto my side to face him.

"You just to have faith. I promise nothing will happen to me. I will come out of this alive and then you and I can start our life together, the way it was meant to be." Enjolras pulled me close to him. I stared at him, trying to take in all his features. "Promise me, that no matter what happens tomorrow, know that I love you and will do anything I can to make a better life for us and our future."

"I promise to be by your side the entire time" I smiled, pulling his face towards mine kissing him passionately. Enjolras wrapped his arms tighter around me holding me close to him and deepening the kiss.

"I love you with all my heart Valerie" Enjolras said breathlessly when we pulled apart.

"I love you too Enjolras" I said laying my head on his chest as I drifted off to sleep in his arms.

I was woken the next morning to Enjolras shifting me off his chest. My eyes fluttered open we he lifted himself out of bed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." He said smiling down at me.

"It's alright, I should probably be getting up anyways." I said yawning, sinking deeper into the mattress and pulling the blankets over shoulders. Enjolras just chuckled.

"It sure looks like you don't want to get up yet." He said resting on his arms on the bed so his head was hovering over mine.

"Can we stay in bed just a little while longer?" I said making a pouty face. Enjolras just smiled and kissed me.

"Slide over." He said getting back into the bed with me. I laid my head back on his chest and he wrapped his arms around me again. I never wanted to leave this position.

"Enjolras, I'm scared." I confessed as we laid in silence for a little bit.

"Don't be, I will be with you the whole time. You have nothing to worry about." He said running his fingers through my hair. We stayed this was for probably close to another half an hour, just enjoying being together.

"Okay, we really need to be getting up now, or we will be late." Enjolras said getting up again and going over to the wardrobe to get dressed. He got dressed in his favourite red jacket and pinned his rosette to it. While I got dressed in my royal blue dress and letting my hair fall naturally down my back. I noticed that Enjolras was struggling to tie his cravat.

"Here, let me help you." I smiled and helped him tie it exactly how he liked it.

"You ready?" He said looking down at me. I nodded and smiled. Enjolras took my hand and we left behind the apartment making our way to the square for the funeral. The crowd continued to grow and the procession made its way around the square. I stood next to Enjolras as I watched the Black carriage carrying General Lamarque's casket. I looked around me to see the rest of the Les Amis lining the street standing behind the national guards. The drums started to grow near, and Enjolras and the Les Amis started to chant.

"Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men. It is the music of the people who will not be slaves again." At this point the procession was just entering the square. My heart started to pound in my chest because I knew this was it.

"When the beating of your heart, echoes the beating of the drums. There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes." I looked up to the Elephant to see Gavroche and his friends watching us, as everything unfolded.

"Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me? Beyond the barricades there is a world we long to see." By this point the crowd had joined in, earning some confused stares from the higher-class people in attendance. Suddenly Enjolras had pulled the red flag from behind the guard we were standing next to and ran out In front of the carriage.

"Then join in the fight, that will give you the right to be free!" He yelled as he waved the red flag high above his head. This was the cue for the Les Amis to join him in the street. One by one we ran out in front of the carriage, surrounding it. Marius scrambled to the top of the carriage.

"Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men. It is the music of the people who will not be slaves again!" Once the carriage had stopped, Enjolras ran around the side I was standing on smiling widely at me as he began to climb to the top with Marius. I smiled at him in awe as he stood proudly on top of the carriage waving the flag of the revolution.

"When the beating of your heart, echoes the beating of the drums. There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes." We all chanted as we made our way with the procession around the square.

"Will you give all you can give, so that our banner may advance?" Enjolras and Marius called out over the crowd.

"Some will fall and some will live, so stand up and take your chance!" Coufeyrac shouted.

"The blood of the martyrs will water the meadows of France!" We all cheered. As we passed by the Elephant of Bastille I looked up at Gavroche who was waving a red flag smiling from ear to ear, proud that he could be a part of this.

"Do you hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men. It is the music of the people who will not be slaves again. When the beating of your heart, echoes the beating of the drum, there is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!" We chanted as we made it to the end of the square to face a line of the national guard. I froze in my spot next to the carraige. As I stared at about fifteen national gaurds.

"Draw!" One of them shouted as they all pulled out their swords and their guns, pointing them straight at us as we stood around the carriage. I looked up at Marius and Enjolras as the Les Amis, pulled out their muskets and aims at the guards on the horses. It was quiet for a minute, until a single shot rang out, causing me to scream and killing an innocent woman. Combeferre shouted at the soldier who had pulled the trigger, as a few men had pulled him from his hiding spot and shooting him. This had caused an uproar in the crowd as people started to scatter around.

"Charge!" One of the guards called and came charging at us, guns going off and people running and screaming. I looked up to the top of the carriage to see that Enjolras and Marius were gone. Fear started to settle into me. What if something had happened to them! I looked around in fear until I felt a hand on mine. I looked behind me to see Enjolras, relief replacing the fear.

"To the Barricades!" Enjolras called as everyone started running in all directions to their assigned location. Enjolras gripped my hand tightly as we took off running to the Café, with the rest of the Les Amis following behind us.