Disclaimer: I do not own Les Misérables.

Concrete Angel

Chapitre Dix.

"Where's Éponine?" Coufeyrac asked as Marius once more stepped into the room.

"Off." he replied, sitting back down and sighing deeply.

"What happened?" Lesgles asked. They all knew Éponine was very impulsive, so he guessed the talk with Marius must've done something.

"Well I followed her out and got her to wait for a moment. I tried to talk to her about us not wanting to pry into her private life, but just wanting to help her, but..."

"But?" Courfeyrac asked.

Marius looked up and turned to Enjolras. "Montparnasse showed up."

At this Enjolras sighed. "What happened when he did."

"Well, at first she reacted like when she first heard of his 'request', but soon she was standing all tall and proud, telling him off."

"What exactly did she say?" Grantaire asked, getting the attention of all the other guys in the room. "What?" he asked. "It's important to know that to get some insight."

"Well, after I told him that it was custom for our leader to have the first chat with a student requesting aid, he asked whether or not she had some spare time left to have that talk right now."

At this Enjolras and a fair part of Les Amis frowned.

"That's rather strange." Combeferre commented.

"Ahah!" Grantaire let out. "He's in love with our dearest little Éponine."

"What?" Joly let out. "That's not how you treat a girl you like!"

"When you're sane." Grantaire added with a wink.

"What was said after that?" Enjolras asked, not really wanting to know where Grantaire's and Joly's talk was going to end up.

Marius gulped. "She said he needed to find someone else he could trust. That the meeting she'd been attending was about her leaving Les Amis."

"That's..." Grantaire wanted to speak up but was easily interrupted by Enjolras.

"How did he react?"

"Well, after she told him it's best to trust our leader he said he'd give it a shot, but..."

"But..." Enjolras urged him on.

Marius looked up at his friend. "As he was about to leave he nearly threatened her. Telling her not to leave Les Amis."

Silence befell them.

"What a curious lad, this one is." Combeferre remarked.

"He surely isn't right in his mind." Feuilly added.

"What about Éponine?" Anne spoke up for the first time.

"What do you mean?" Courfeyrac asked.

"What are you going to do for her? She's not to leave Les Amis, right?"

"No" Grantaire spoke "She cannot."

"But right now she's not with us. What if this Montparnasse is really mad?" her eyes grew wider and she sat up. "What if he does something to Éponine when she's alone?" At this she stood and hurried towards the door.

"Wait." Joly said, grabbing her by her wrist, stopping her in her tracks. "Here in school she's fairly safe..."

Anne looked at him doubtful. Normally she'd be happy to have him touch her, but at the moment she wanted nothing more than to rush to her friend's side and stick to her like glue. There wasn't much she could do if Montparnasse decided to attack her or something, but maybe she could make him to keep his distance if Éponine was accompanied by someone else.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah, there shouldn't be any trouble." Prouvaire said, standing up from his seat and helping Joly to let the girl sit down.

Anne looked up at Enjolras who seemed deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about fearless leader?" Grantaire asked.

"Are you sure about the reasoning behind this Montparnasse's actions?"

"I'm fairly certain he has a little crush on her. If he really is the sort of gang member guy, he wouldn't be able to see 'his girl' with another man." Grantaire spoke "Let alone a whole bunch of them." he said motioning for them all.

Enjolras seemed to think it through. "Éponine's bound by a contract, so she has to come back to Les Amis whether she likes it or not, but Anne" he looked at the distressed girl. "Please stay close to her."

Anne nodded.

"What should she do if something arises?" Courfeyrac asked.

Enjolras nodded. "Joly, give her all of our cell phone numbers." he turned to the silent girl. "If something happens you just call any one of us. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"Don't forget our little mission later this day." Grantaire spoke. "We'll be fairly close after school as well." he winked at Anne who nodded at this.

"I understand." she said. "I'll stay with her."

"Don't worry milady." Prouvaire started, smiling warmly at her. "There are nine warriors for one opponent. We'll certainly keep your, and our, precious friend safe."

Tears of happiness stung behind Anne's eyes, but she didn't dare to let them out. She had a mission to fulfil for the rest of the day, perhaps even the rest of the week or month. But whatever came to pass she'd stick by her friend's side through this whole ordeal.

Grumbling Éponine went through the rest of the day. It was clear Anne was asked to stick with her, for the girl had never clung to her like duct tape before. She gritted her teeth. Somehow the brunette looked weary of their surroundings and kept throwing fearful glances around. Éponine resisted the urge to sigh. She wanted to ask the other girl for information, what the hell the guys had been talking about after her fight with Marius, and what in the world she thought she could do if something were to go wrong.

Éponine looked away as she noticed Prouvaire walking close-by, Grantaire walking straight toward her. What in the world did they think they were doing? Look out for her? As if. Her mood only darkened when she easily ducked under Grantaire's arm. He looked rather dumbfounded as she didn't even slow down in her steps as she did so. Anne threw him a rather worried look as she passed him.

"Way to go Grantaire" Courfeyrac, who appeared from the crowds around them, said. "Real smooth."

At this the other boy raised his hands in defeat. "I did all I could."

At the bike stalling Éponine could no longer hold it off. She briskly turned to her friend. "Anne please, stop following me."

"But..."

"No buts. I don't know what Marius told you, but I am, and I repeat, I am not in danger."

Anne just stared at her friend through watery eyes.

"We all know how he is."

"No you don't." Éponine replied in a way that made Anne look up in wonder at her friend. Just how well did Éponine know this Montparnasse boy anyway?

At the silence Éponine once more turned to Anne. "Don't worry okay. I'll be perfectly fine."

"If you say so..." Anne mumbled, not satisfied with Éponine's lack of self-concern.

"I do say so." Éponine replied, putting in her best effort to smile at her friend, even though it made her flinch internally as the bruises stung. "Just go home Anne. I'll be going to work now, and tomorrow this whole ordeal will be forgotten and done with."

"So, you'll be coming back to Les Amis?" Anne asked hopeful.

"No." Éponine replied easily as she turned to her bicycle and pulled it out.

"But...they only have good intentions." she protested, putting a hand on Éponine's.

"That may be so, but I don't like it when they try to figure out my personal life."

"They don't." Anne retorted, not ready to let go of her friend yet.

"Grantaire did."

"But Grantaire is..."she struggled "Grantaire."

"No one else tried to stop him though."

"Perhaps, but should you really be taking this so violently? I mean, maybe they pry just a little, but it's only in your best interest."

"In my best interest?" Éponine snapped. "If they were acting in my best interest, they'd let me go talk to Montparnasse by myself."

"But..." Anne's eyes watered. "You're afraid of him."

"Am not!"

Tears escaped Anne's eyes at this moment. Never before had she gotten into a fight with Éponine, and even now she was only trying to help her. Her fists clenched. "You were Éponine, don't you deny it!"

Éponine's eyes widened as Anne straightened up, a fierce look in her watery eyes.

"You were afraid. You still are. Yet you will not even confide in me." at this the smaller girl looked away, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Confide?" Éponine echoed, savouring the word. Wasn't it the same as being a charity case? Wasn't it the same as being a damsel in distress? She loathed both, and she wouldn't stoop so low! She'd survived this long without the help of anyone but her siblings, and she wouldn't change her ways now. She only had two more years to cope with everything she'd coped with for so long for God's sake!

"It's the same." she mumbled before pushing Anne's hand off the steering wheel and getting herself out of the place.

Anne could do nothing else than stare after the dark haired girl who quickly rode off. Tears flowed down her cheeks freely now, and she felt helpless. She couldn't even help her one and only friend! What a fine species she was! Anne didn't immediately realise it, but she crumpled to the ground, knelt into a pitiful ball of a human as she cried silent tears for not being able to be there for her friend. To be turned down by the same friend she wanted to help.

"You sure she passes through here?" Courfeyrac asked.

"Of course I am, my dear friend. When am I not sure of anything?" Grantaire shot back at which the blonde guy rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, sure. You're always sure of yourself." Courfeyrac started.

"Only a pity that it's only you." Combeferre chimed in, a playful twinkle in his eye as he smiled broadly at Courfeyrac.

"Whatever." Grantaire mumbled.

Les Amis were all gathered around a corner, a few minutes from school. Grantaire had been surprised to find that not one of his friends had forgotten not to come by car. Courfeyrac was holding his skateboard in hand, while he himself, Combeferre and Joly had come by bike. He had actually no idea how the rest had come, though for Enjolras it was quite clear.

"I told you not to come by..."

"Car." Enjolras ended his sentence, leaning against the wall with his arms folded in front of his chest. "And I'm not by car."

"But duuuuuuuude!" Grantaire pouted. "They're going to hear that!" he motioned at the motorcycle that stood parked next to the raven haired boy.

Enjolras sighed. "I told you I wasn't into this. In fact, I made it rather clear I would not be part of it."

Grantaire raised an eyebrow, a wondering look on his face. "Then why are you here?" he asked.

Enjolras sighed deeply once more, wondering why in heaven's name the brown haired boy was his friend.

"You practically forced him to come." Courfeyrac reminded him.

"I did?"

"You did." Joly and Feuilly said at the same time, trying to peek around the corner, hoping to spot the dark haired girl.

"But man" Leslges said bending towards Enjolras' motorcycle. "You really did an amazing job on it."

A broad, proud smile appeared onto Enjolras' face. "Yeah. It took a bit of work, but I'm glad with the result."

Lesgles nodded and kept on looking at the machine in front of him. A Triumph Bonneville TT Special from 1966. The red and white paint were new, and the leather seating had been renewed as well. The boys had known Enjolras to be into motorcycles, and that he was the owner of one as well, they'd seen this particular bike before, but at that moment he hadn't been ready with it yet. But now the thing shone proudly, and he wondered whether or not to ask the dark haired guy if he was allowed to ride it once. He judged against it. With his luck he would smash into something after which Enjolras' might kill him.

"How come you didn't come to school with it before?" Courfeyrac asked as he put his skateboard down and knelt down next to Lesgles to regard the vehicle from up close.

Enjolras frowned at this. "I normally always come to school with it." he replied. "You've not seen it once since this school-year started because it needed some fixing up."

"I see." Courfeyrac mumbled, standing up and stretching.

"Shouldn't she be coming around soon?" Joly asked, looking at Grantaire who quickly checked his cell. "Yeah she should." he commented.

Not sooner had he said this and they heard the distinguished sound of a bike riding towards them.

"Hide!" Feuilly spoke as he scurried to his feet from his crouching position in which he'd been seated to spy on the road ahead.

Éponine sighed as she stopped in front of the traffic lights. Her mind was all over the place. She hadn't wanted Anne to cry. The girl was her only friend, but she didn't need charity. She didn't need someone worrying over her. On the contrary, she couldn't have them worry over her. If they did she herself would start to worry over herself. And worrying over herself would make her think twice whenever her siblings got in trouble with their parents, and in the end it would result in her not acting quickly enough to get to their aid. Though it hurt her to be angry with Anne, a girl who she liked and the only one who she saw as a real friend, she had to keep herself strong, keep herself from thinking of how wrong things were going, and worse, how unfortunate she was. Self-pity would get her nowhere. It wouldn't keep her safe from her fathers punches, nor would it give her the strength to get herself going in the mornings.

Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around her, of which one hand put itself in front of her mouth. The person pulled her from her bike, the pedal of her bike digging into her leg, leaving a rather painful scratch in its wake as she got dragged into a small side street.

Éponine knew her way around, and she knew once in that street, more would come into view into a perfect maze in which anyone could lose tracks. Sure enough the person who was dragging her along quickly turned into a right corner, then into a left and eventually back into a right corner which led them to a dead end. There Éponine got smashed into a wall, which made her gasp for air and tears sting behind her eyes. The bruises on her back didn't appreciate her colliding with something concrete at all, and she had to fight her hardest not to scream in agony.

She tried to open one of her eyes through the pain and she nearly gasped. Her heartbeat had gone haywire from the moment she'd been pulled from the safety of the main streets, but now her pulse went up even more.

"Montparnasse?" she spoke against the strong hand that was still keeping her from getting air.

The said boy smiled wickedly at her and pinned her against the wall. "So you really thought you could get away with insulting me in front of another guy?" he sneered, his other hand gripping her right wrist painfully and twisting it. Tears stung hard behind her eyes and she tried not to scream in both pain and fear. She was used to her father's beating, but something in Montparnasse's eyes told her there was more to be feared than a beating.

"Get off of me." she screamed against his palm, after which she tugged it from its place with her other hand which was easily caught by him and slammed against the wall.

"Now, now Éponine." he mumbled "I really need you to make amends."

"For what?!" she bit back, trying not to let him intimidate her. "I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Sure, sure." he replied, eyes twinkling mischievously though he looked positively vivid. "You not showing up for the talk which I wanted, and then you plainly telling me off in front of one of your...friend." at this last word he twisted her wrist some more, and Éponine had to bite her lip as to not scream. At this rate he was going to break it, and she wouldn't be able to work for a few months at least.

"So, how are you going to make amends?" he asked again, leaning into her, his lips only centimetres from hers.

Éponine could only try to squirm her way out, but he easily raised her arms above her head and pinned them both down with one hand, the other going to her chin, tilting her head up expectantly.

"I don't have to make amends." she spat back at him, fire returning to her eyes, though Montparnasse seemed unphased by it. On the contrary, a wide wicked smile crept up his normally so handsome features. His green eyes flashed with a mixture of joy and lust, and it freaked Éponine out.

"Is that so?" he asked, leaning closer to her. "Then what about your father's promise?"

"Promise?" she asked, glaring at him, trying to keep her tough act up, though she was shivering from fear. If there was something more dangerous than her father's beating, it would be Montparnasse. Her father was scum, true, but she didn't even want to know what Montparnasse was capable off on one of his bad days.

"Yes Éponine, your father promised you to me."

The talk on the phone she'd overheard when she was lying on the floor that night returned to her, and she decided to use it to her advantage.

"Oh that?" she asked, trying to straighten up, trying to show off bravado she had not at the moment. The truth was she felt horrified and was scared as hell. His body leaning into hers was freaking her out and she wished for nothing more than to get out of his grasp, yet her small body didn't allow her enough brute force to get him off of her. "If I remember correctly he said 'When the time comes." she said, trying to smirk up at him. Truth was though, that she was terrified. Her heart was beating so swiftly that he sure must feel it beat against his chest as well. Like the heartbeat of a rabbit, stuck in a hunter's trap. Was she to chew off one of her own legs to get out?

Montparnasse's smile wavered for a second, but he quickly recovered, leaning closer to her. "But it doesn't mean you won't be in my possession eventually."

Éponine felt like crying. She was trapped between Montparnasse and the wall without enough strength to get out of there on her own. She was petrified. For the first time in her life she was at a loss for what to do. Even the night she first got beaten up by her father was nothing compared to the fear that now surged through her veins. It only grew worse as Montparnasse's hand slid from her chin to her throat, and down to her collarbone.

From afar she thought she could hear a motorcycle, but she didn't dare to have hope that it would get closer.

Her eyes widened as eventually the machine appeared in the alley in which she was. The light of the machine shone brightly in her eyes, and she quickly closed them.

"Let go of the girl." she heard a known voice, and Montparnasse let go of her. She swaggered a bit and then noticed the person motioning for her to come over. With shaking legs she did so, getting on behind him.

"You'll rue this." Montparnasse sneered, but the man with the motorcycle only threatened him, making Montparnasse back off.

Then, before she could truly grasp what was going to happen she felt the motorcycle back up and turn, after which it quickly pulled up and rode through the many small streets towards the main road.

To see the street lights brought Éponine tears to her eyes. She'd never thought she'd ever want to see it so desperately, but then again, she'd never though Montparnasse capable of what he'd just done. She tightened her grasp on the torso of the boy in front of her and bit her lip, trying not to cry. The wind passed by quickly, but she couldn't find the strength or will to think about where she was headed now. She could only think of the intoxicating smell that came of the driver and how safe it felt to have her arms wrapped around him.

'Safety.' she thought. 'Éponine, that you still think it exists...' she scolded herself. Yet, as she was driven to wherever the boy was headed, she couldn't think another bad thing as she kept her thoughts with the guy in front of her.

The most crappy chapter I've written, in my opinion. I really wanted this to happen, but then the story decided to go otherwise over it, and then we got somewhat in some sort of argument (if you can speak of an argument...^^") and then BAM, you get this. Really disappointed, but I'm rather sure I won't get it any better even if I decide to re-write it. I guess the story will just try to get its way with it again, and believe me, I don't want to get in that argument again, I'll lose. ^^"

Also as you may have noticed I adore old motorcycles! They're simply far more charming than what they bring out nowadays. Except the Ducati's and Yamaha's Ninja, seriously that is one of the coolest bikes out there! Anyway as for Enjolras' bike I was doubting between the one I used and the Honda CB77 Super Hawk from 1966. Now that I realise it they both come from the same year. Great year for Motorcycles then huh?! XD

Anyway I hope you've liked the chapter, and that you'll leave a review. XD Please tell me what you think!