Their wedding was a small affair. Attended only by Enjolras, Cosette, Gavroche, a few of the partners of the students who fell and her mother. Marius's parents didn't want to attend. After all, he was marrying a Thenardier. Eponine's father made an appearance right at the very end with his gang, but Eponine no longer felt the fear she used to. Marius was on her arm.

As she walked down the aisle Eponine glanced at the grandeur around her. She wasn't sure if she was ready for corsets and bonnets, sitting up straight and fine dining. Fine dinners definitely, but it all seemed very alien to her, but then Marius squeezed her hand, as if he knew what her worries were. Her stomach fluttered, the way it always did when he looked at her this way. She still found it hard to believe that she had him. After all the years of waiting at the corner to speak to him, after the crushing defeat of thinking he was in love with Cosette. Sometimes she woke crying because she was back, thinking he was dead, but this time Marius was there to comfort her.

Marius said he had bought them a home, quite close to Montfermeil, but far enough away to not associate with it if she didn't want.

"I understand dear Eponine, that you may not want to spend your life the way my mother did and her mother before her." Marius said, as they strolled the streets.

"Well, if that is-" but Eponine stopped because Marius had. In front of her was a house on the boulevard, connected to two others. Eponine knew the street, it was a lovely street, she had often wondered there as a child.

"I do not want that life either." Marius smiled. He opened the door to their new home. There was a kitchen, dining room and a living area with a large fireplace and a washroom just off the edge of the house. Upstairs was a study, a large bedroom and two smaller ones and then right at the top of the house was another bedroom. The house was fully furnished. It was warm. It was home.

"I thought that the room at the top might belong to that brother of yours?" Marius smiled. Eponine blushed, she herself had not named Gavroche her brother yet out of embarrassment. How could her father have turned away his son? But when Marius said it is seemed less scary and more normal.

"I think Gavroche would love it." Eponine said, "And the two rooms on this floor?"

"Well I'm sure Cosette and Enjolras may visit from time to time, but I suppose if we get tired of them visiting, we could always fill them ourselves?" Marius winked and he took her at the waist. Eponine swore growing up she would never have children because she knew she would be married off to one of the gang, she didn't want any child of hers growing up the way she did, not an ounce. But the way Marius smiled, and the thought of having children with him made Eponine smile, large and wide.

"I think so too, only not yet." Eponine said and Marius leant down and kissed her.

Eponine settled into her new lifestyle rather quickly. She still wore her boots every day and every two weeks or so she visited her mother. Cosette and Enjolras always seemed to be over. Cosette was pregnant already. She cried every now and then though, on their wedding night her kind old father died without real reason.

Gavroche didn't move in. He enjoyed his life on the streets too much, but he came for dinner a lot and on cold nights he lived in his little room at the top of his house.

Marius was stricken with guilt, a trait he shared with Enjolras. They spent half their earnings donating to the parents and girlfriends and wives of those who died that night with them. They often took long walks together, trying to discover who to cope with what the rebellion meant. The state had left them alone, knowing that the guilt was punishment enough. Eponine was able to help Marius, to kiss his hand and his lips and try and take away any slight part of the pain he felt, and it worked to some extent.

Often Eponine walked back to the streets she grew up on. She remembered every robbery, every night she fell starving at the baker's door. She remembered every crude touch to her body and every bruise and cut she had ever had. She was a child then. Now she walked the streets, still the same, but cleaner, older and without protruding ribs.

In time, Marius and Eponine had three children, two sons, Colbert and Eustice and a daughter, Lucille. They were educated but weren't of the high class. They lived happy comfortable lives. They of course spent most of their time running the streets with Cosette and Enjolras's children, Fantine and Jean. Eponine's early life of misery was no more and so she dedicated her life to her children and her husband. She kept herself busy by helping those street children, giving them clothes, books, sometimes food, while Marius became a teacher. Every year the nine of them gathered at the graves of their fallen students. Time had surpassed them but they remained young and the world kept spinning, no matter how much they willed it to stop.

The fire she felt inside still burnt strong only to be extinguished by Marius Pontmercy. The boy who saved her life. The boy who kept a bag of sweets in his pocket, which were dealt out on a rewards basis to his children and the boy who still fought the Rebellion in his mind. And Eponine remained the strong, quick-witted, slightly skinny girl who Marius fell for, the only change was her surname was Pontmercy.

There we go! The end, I hope I made it the way you wanted. Please review! Sorry I took so long to get it up, I've had my exams and been busy. Please review! I've loved writing this for all of you! Any ideas for another story? I'd love to write more so give me some ideas! Many thanks, signing off, yours always, Darly x