Forever and Always

Chapter 31: Patria

        Eponine tucked her hair under her cap and slowly made her way back to the barricade. A misty rain filled the air. The feeling of the cool water drizzling on her skin refreshed her. She closed her eyes, and the images of the boys she was trying to protect flashed through her mind. Gavroche, Marius, Enjolras... She was only one person. How could she possibly protect all three of them from the flying bullets?

        Eponine climbed over the broken chairs and tables of the barricade. Her eyes scanned Les Amis. She breathed a sigh of relief as her eyes landed on Enjolras and Marius, holding their guns at their hips and talking. Little Gavroche stood close by, smiling happily and chanting, "Vive le France!" Eponine smiled, her worries assuaged. The three people she cared about most in this world were thankfully still alive. She knew she should not approach Enjolras or Marius. Neither of them would be pleased to see her back at the barricade, risking her life. Instead, she walked over to Gavroche and sat down next to him.

        "Hey, 'Vroche," she said.

        "Eponine?" Gavroche said incredulously, staring at her outfit. "What are you doing here?"

        "I could ask you the same question."

        "I already told you that just because I'm little does not mean I'm not able to fight," Gavroche snapped.

        "Okay, okay," Eponine said, holding up her hands in surrender. "Let's make a deal. I won't protest to you being here if you promise not to tell Marius and Enjolras that I am here. Also, you must promise me you will not put yourself in any unnecessary danger."

        "Deal," Gavroche said. "But you can't put yourself in any unnecessary danger either!" Eponine smiled and put an arm around her brother. "It's a promise." Suddenly, a loud gunshot made her jump to her feet, alarmed.

        "The enemy is regrouping!" Enjolras yelled. "Hold yourselves in readiness! Come on my friends, back to your positions!"

        Everyone scrambled to their feet, hoisting their guns. Eponine watched as both Marius and Enjolras climbed dangerously high up the barricade. "Go stand next to Courfeyrac," she told Gavroche sharply. The boy reluctantly obeyed.

        "Marius! Enjolras!" Eponine screamed. "Be careful!" Neither of them could hear her voice over the loud gunshots. They continued to climb the barricade, aiming their guns at soldiers on the other side. Enjolras lifted up the red flag and began to wave it madly as Marius shot soldier after soldier. Bullets flew past them, missing them by mere inches. Eponine climbed up the barricade towards them. "Get down!" she yelled. Neither of them responded. Eponine climbed faster. Her foot slipped over a broken chair, but she clung to the barricade and continued to climb. She had to get to Marius and Enjolras before one of them got shot. Finally, she reached the top of the barricade. What she saw made her heart drop to the pit of her stomach.

        Two soldiers of the National Guard had managed to climb up the barricade without Marius or Enjolras noticing. One soldier had his gun aimed directly at Enjolras' heart. The other was aiming at Marius. And Eponine only had enough time to save one of them.

        Marius or Enjolras. How cruel fate was! In this split second, she was forced to choose between the two boys she cared about. One would live, the other would die. It was the most important choice she would ever make in her life, and she only had a fraction of a second to decide, otherwise both boys would be shot. Eponine closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and made her decision.

        She lunged forward and pulled the muzzle of the gun away from the boy she loved, the boy she chose. She felt a bullet pass through the palm of her hand, and she screamed in pain. Had she not been so anxious to race over to the other gun and try to save the other boy as well, the bullet would have also passed through her chest. As it was, however, she got out of the way just in time as she rushed to pull the other gun away. In her heart, she knew it was too late. The gun went off, and the bullet sank into chest of the boy she had forsaken. He tumbled backwards and fell to the ground.

        "Enjolras!" Eponine screamed. Ignoring the pain in her injured hand, she climbed down the barricade as fast as lightning to Enjolras' body. She rushed to his side and gathered him into her arms. His blonde curls were drenched in sweat and his face was pale. A dark red stain spread across his chest. "Enjolras, you're going to be all right," Eponine said as tears poured down her face. "Joly can fix you. Joly! Somebody get Joly!"

        "Hush," Enjolras said weakly, taking her hand. "It's too late now, Eponine."

        "No," Eponine cried. "It can't be too late. Oh, Enjolras, I'm so sorry! I could have saved you. I could have--"

        "Don't you fret, Mademoiselle Eponine. I don't feel any pain," Enjolras said softly. Eponine pulled him closer and stroked his blonde curls. "I'm here," she whispered.

        Enjolras looked up at her, his breathing ragged and labored. "Eponine," he said, reaching up to touch her face. "I want you to know... You are the the reason I fought so hard... You... are... my Patria..." Then he closed his eyes.

        "Enjolras?" Eponine croaked, shaking his shoulder. "Enj, please..." He did not respond. Eponine felt hot tears run down her cheeks. She leaned over and pressed her lips gently on his. "Good-bye," she whispered.

(Author's Note: I am so so sorry for what happened in this chapter! I give you permission to hate me for writing this! To make it up, I have started writing an Enjonine fanfic. The first chapter should be up within the next few days.)