Forever and Always

Chapter 32: Jealous of a Dead Man

As the National Guard once again retreated, Marius pumped his fists in the air, celebrating. He turned to congratulate Enjolras on their victory, but the Marble Man was nowhere in sight. He climbed down the barricade in search of his leader. Finally, his eyes fell on the man in the red vest. Marius' heart dropped like a stone. Enjolras lay in the arms of Eponine. Marius had no time to wonder what she was doing back at the barricade. He could only stare in horror as blood poured from Enjolras' chest. The leader of the revolution raised his hand to touch Eponine's cheek, saying something that Marius could not hear. Then the Marble Man closed his eyes. Marius felt a chill running down his spine when he realized it. Enjolras was dead.

Marius watched as Eponine shook Enjolras' body, trying in vain to wake him up. He could hear her desperate sobs. Finally, she gave his lips a gentle kiss and rested her forehead against his. Marius turned away. His heart, for some reason, ached as Eponine pressed her ips against Enjolras' mouth. There was no denying it now. Marius was jealous. Jealous of a dead man.

Grantaire and Joly stepped forward and gently took Enjolras' body from Eponine's arms. The latter clung desperately to the body, sobbing. "No!" she cried. "Don't take him away from me! Please!" Marius rushed forward and took Eponine into his arms. He rubbed her back gently.

"Shh, it's all right," he said as she sobbed into his chest. "It'll be all right."

"I could have saved him," Eponine said through her tears. "I just wasn't fast enough."

"There was nothing you could have done," Marius assured her, thinking she was referring to the fact that she had not sent for Joly straight away. "Even if Joly had come, Enjolras still would not have made it."

Eponine shook her head. "No, that's not what I meant. I saw the soldier who shot him. I saw him aiming at Enjolras' chest. If I had only been faster I could have saved both--"

"Hush now," he whispered to her. "You made his last days special by being with him and loving him. That's all that matters." Saying these words made his heart ache with jealousy. He could not bear to think of Eponine and Enjolras as a couple, even though Enjolras was gone. Their love caused him so much pain. Apparently, his words had a similar effect on Eponine. Instead of being comforted, as Marius had intended, she cried even harder.

"You think we were a couple?" she asked him, wiping tears from her eyes. "We were not."

Marius stared at her in surprise. "You weren't? But I thought you loved each other."

Eponine stared down at her feet. "Enjolras loved me, that much is true. And I, well, I think I loved him back, but I was not sure. I cared for him deeply, and I was going to tell him after the revolution if I returned his feelings. Now he's dead and that chance is gone." She began to cry again. "He died not knowing..."

"Ponine, don't blame yourself for-- Wait. What's wrong with your hand?"

He took her right hand in his and she winced in pain. Marius' eyes widened. Her hand was mangled and bloodied. There was a gaping hole in the center of her palm. "How did this happen?"

Eponine did not meet his eyes as she spoke. "There was a soldier with a gun. He pointed it at you, right as the other soldier pointed his gun at Enjolras. I- I couldn't let you die Marius."

"You saved my life," Marius said, staring at her dumbfoundedly. "After all I've done to hurt you, you risked your life to save mine?"

"Don't make me sound heroic, Marius, because I am far from being a hero. I didn't even think of my life when I pulled that gun away. It did not occur to me that I could die. But it did occur to me that I was sacrificing Enjolras' life to save yours."

A cold chill ran down Marius' back. "Is that why you did not have enough time to save Enjolras? Because you were too busy saving me?"

"Yes," Eponine said, fresh tears pouring down her face.

Marius did not know what to think. His friend and leader had died so that he could live. The pain this caused him was unbearable. It was a grief that could not be spoken. He knew that if he were given the chance, he would give his life to save Enjolras' in a heartbeat. Still, a part of him, a sick, sick part of him, was dancing with delirious joy. Eponine chose me over Enjolras, he thought giddily.

"Go get Joly to look at your hand," Marius told Eponine. "I don't want it to get infected."

"It will be fine. It's just my hand," Eponine said. "I don't need any help. I can take care of myself."

"Please, Ponine--"

"No. I will be fine," Eponine interrupted. "But there is something I have to tell you. Something very important."

"Later, okay? Right now I have to do something."

"All right," Eponine said.

Marius once again climbed to the top of the barricade. There had always been an unspoken agreement between the revolutionaries that Marius was the second-in-command. Now that Enjolras was dead, the duty of leading Les Amis fell upon his shoulders. Marius cleared his throat. He knew he was not as good as Enjolras at giving speeches, but he had to try.

"My friends!" Marius shouted. Everyone turned to look up at Marius, Many of them had tears in their eyes. "Today is a very sad day. We have just lost our leader, Enjolras. He was the person who made this revolution possible. He worked so hard to create a chance for us to make a difference in the world. It will be hard to go on without him, but we cannot let him die in vain. We cannot betray his memory by becoming discouraged. We will fight here in his name. For PATRIA!"

"For Patria!" echoed Les Amis.

Marius stepped down off of the barricade and turned to Eponine. "Now, what was it you were going to tell me?"

(Author's Note: The attached video is me singing "On My Own" when I played Eponine at a local theater. Hope you all like it! Also, the first chapter of my new Enjonine book is up! It is called A Promise. Please check it out and tell me if it is good!)