August 1934

The massive hall in which Marius and Cosette Pontmercy as well as many others were gathered was hot and sweaty. It had been a sweltering hot summer's day, and there was no place Marius would rather be than at home, in the sole company of his pregnant wife. However, she had dragged him out to socialize, and have fun, something she worried he wasn't doing enough these days. It had been about a year and a half since their marriage and the death of Cosette's beloved father, Jean Valjean, but it felt like they had spent lifetimes together - in a good way. Marius didn't know if he would still be alive, if it weren't for Cosette's constant care and devotion. But, his wife wasn't able to understand his pain - the pain of being the only among his friends who survived that fateful night and day at the barricade. Yet here he was, in the company of half drunk men, the scent of cigar smoke, heavy in the dense air. He rolled his neck, cracking a few bones before rubbing some sweat off his face. Cosette was across the hall, gossiping with other ladies her age, something she enjoyed immensely, after years with only her father for company.

He focused back on the group of men talking around him and caught onto the topic which they were discussing. Despite the unsuccessful stand he and his friends had made with the barricade, some people had attempted to rise against the King, though nothing had been accomplished apart from more bloodshed. Marius was unwilling to let his friends' sacrifice go to waste, so he spent much of his time aiding a new group of revolutionaries who had risen, despite Cosette's clear displeasure in the matter.

"- and I've never regretted a day since!" a man finished, and a chorus of applause followed. Marius joined in, unsure of what he was clapping for, but had no wish to admit he wasn't paying attention to the man's speech.

"How about you Marius? Tell us the romantic story of how you became married to that precious jewel over there" The man beside him, Sebastien asked in a teasing manner.

Marius smiled faintly and began to share his story to the group of men who listened attentively.

They applauded him too when he had ended, complimenting him on his tale of "true love" when another man spoke up.

"You want to know a tale of true love?" The man asked, "I have a heartbreakingly tragic tale to share with you." The men shifted their focus away from Marius and onto the man who had just spoken, egging him on.

"Granted, I don't know much about their love." He admitted before continuing. "My brother fought on the King's side, that horrible night at the barricade last year. He didn't want to of course," the man added in hastily, "But it paid well… Anyways, that night he aimed at this one man who was holding a barrel of gunpowder," Marius stiffened as he remembered that horrible moment, "But just as he pulled the trigger, a young girl in disguise as a boy, took hold of the end of his riffle and directed it into her own chest."

Marius almost fainted of shock. Eponine? He couldn't be talking about Eponine! And yet, it was obvious he was, there was no other woman dressed up as a man that day at the barricade, only Eponine… And she had died…. due to being shot in the chest! His heart constricted, he had never realized that she saved his life nor that she had paid for it with her own life…

"-Turns out that she didn't die after all." Marius' attention shot back to the man speaking. "Inspector Javert found her clinging to life when he was inspecting the dead. He took pity upon her and sent her to a healer nearby. My brother saw them carry her away and prayed to God for the second time that He would save her. He never saw her again, and much to his dismay, he does not know if she survived that day. He's never forgotten her, nor her name. He told me once how much he hated himself for harming such an innocent girl like her." The man paused before some asked, "What was her name, Jacques?"

The man barely finished uttering her name, "Eponine," before Marius fell to the ground, and saw nothing more than blackness.

He was back at the barricade. The sound of gunshots, men yelling and men screaming in pain surrounded him. He felt himself climbing the barricade, the barrel of gunpowder in his hands when he saw her. She was reaching for a rifle that was aimed at his head. The world slowed as her hand tightened around the end and pointed it at her own chest. Then the gun fired, a puff of smoke emitted from the end as Eponine's eyes widened before she slid down the barricade. Marius yelled and reached for her….

Marius blinked his eyes as light blinded him. Eventually they focused on Cosette's worried face, her eyes were full of concern and love.

"Marius!" She said, pure relief evident in her tone. "How are you feeling?"

He wiggled his toes and fingers before sitting up, his mind feeling a bit hazy. "Fine...What happened?" He reached for the glass of water on the bedside table, but Cosette saw his movement and handed it to him.

"You passed out during the party last night," she explained, "The doctor said that it was likely due to the heat and not enough liquid in your body."

Marius nodded though he doubted that the doctor's explanation was the likely. He was sure that it had been the shock of realizing Eponine had saved him, and might still be alive.

"Shall I leave you to rest, my dear?" Cosette asked thoughtfully. Marius nodded and thanked her as she exited their bedroom.

Like many many times before, Marius was thankful for his sweet and gentle wife. How he loved her with all of his heart, and he knew she felt the same. Since they had married, they had grown close and had undoubtedly fallen even more in love. The two shared many stories of their youth, but she never asked about Marius' life once he joined the revolutionaries, and he in return never asked about her youth before Jean Valjean had adopted her as his daughter. They both has scars from their past, and so they were eager to look forward to a brighter future, together.

Marius had spent much of his past year regretting things however. He wished he could change many things, undo mistakes and relive happy moments, but he couldn't. His friends had died and were now buried underneath the ground. But, maybe, just maybe, Eponine had escaped death. She could be alive still, and if she was, Marius was determined to find her, so he thank her and put things right between them.