Categories > Books > Les Miserables > There's a Way for Us
Before the Barricades Arise
0 reviewsEnjolras has only had one love in his life: his country. What happens when the spirited leader of the rebellion in France meets a familiar beauty who starts his mind wandering away from his thought...
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Author's Note: I wanted to write a story based off the movie version of Les Mis, because I adore Samantha Barks and Aaron Tveit, and I personally believe Enjolras and Eponine would fit together better than Eponine thought she would with Marius. Marius was not her match, for reasons that I won't go into for fear of launching into a whole essay on this note.
Disclaimer: I do not own Les Miserables in any capacity, though I wish I owned Enjolras...hmm. Without any further ado, I give you my version of what should've happened to my favorite characters in Les Mis. Spoiler alert: If you do not know the story and want to see the movie/musical/read the book first, I suggest you don't read this til you do. Thanks! Read, review, enjoy!
Chapter 1: Before the Barricades Arise
"Look down upon your fellow man! See the injustice everywhere!" Angry cries could be heard throughout the street, and a brunette beauty gracefully wound her way through the mob of people standing around the building where the sick General Lamarque lay sick in his deathbed. Everywhere Eponine turned, beggars moved around her, each one of them eager to listen to the speech of the men on the stage. The sun beat down on them mercilessly, the scent of sweat and dirt lingering in the crowd like a dense fog. Her corset seemed to tighten more with each passing second, and she felt almost dizzy in the heat; however, her mother had forced her into this dress earlier to help bring in guests to the inn, and if anything looked out of place when she returned, it would be her head.
Her curious eyes roamed across each face until they landed on the man she had been looking for. Her dearest friend Marius Pontmercy. He was standing on the stage with his best friend and leader of the new revolution, Enjolras. The men attended university together and were as different as night and day, yet they were close. Marius was a soft-spoken man with a gentle and loving soul, never one to speak out of turn or get in trouble with the teachers. He was a childhood friend of Eponine, always bringing her with him everywhere he went. They teased each other for the smallest things, and Marius always gave Eponine a chance to forget her wretched life by taking her with him on errands and such.
Enjolras, on the other hand, was a handful for those around him. He was a spitfire, a rebel against anything that he didn't think was right and just. He was wild and defiant when he met his friends at the bar and spoke of revolution and change as they sang and drank the night away. Being a handsome man constantly caused women to fall in love with him, yet no woman had caught his eye before but his lovely France. Saving the people's freedom was all that seemed to matter to him after his father was murdered by the government to silence his revolutionary ideas.
"People on the street..." He began loudly and forcefully, forcing everyone to look up at him as the rebel leader began his speech. Just listening to his voice had each of them transfixed, and he nodded gratefully as they all fell silent for him. "Hear my words today. We will not sit idle by while our poor starve, while our children freeze to death in the middle of the street in the winter, while our women are taken advantage of for profit. We will not sit idle by while our 'king' makes himself comfortable on a throne he never deserved!" The beggars and students yelled their fired up agreements, cheering him on as he glanced around. Marius stood proud at his side, unaware that Eponine's eyes were not on Enjolras, but on him instead. Her face softened as she stared up at her childhood friend, and she tried to move just a little bit closer towards him. The crowd would not budge, though, so she was stuck gazing from where she was standing.
"General Lamarque is ill. We do not believe he will last through the week," Enjolras continued, hanging his head sadly. Lamarque was a good man who fought for the cause. He did not deserve to die so soon and so cruelly. When he looked back up, his stare landed on a familiar dark-haired young woman standing back in the crowd. At first glance, he had to blink a few times to make sure he saw her correctly. This woman listening to his rousing speech was beautiful and did not belong in this crowd of beggars and revolutionaries. However, upon another moment of looking at her, he realized that she was not listening to him at all. She was smiling at Marius, and he regained his composure quickly to think about what to say to the mob next.
Eponine finally turned her attention away from the object of her affection, catching the end of Enjolras' discourse. When he was done, those in the crowd who followed him voiced their support for the revolution. Soldiers on horseback began to push the crowd back to make it disperse and separate everyone, but not before Marius was cornered by his grandfather. Eponine moved quickly towards him, almost knocking down someone to her side and not caring about the soldiers who were prepared to shoot if anyone fought back. One of the horses reared up nearby, startling her as she tried to take a step backward and tripping over the bottom of her skirts. Two hands grasped her arms immediately as if by instinct. She would've fallen over had the stranger not grabbed onto her. She turned her head to face whoever it was and came face to face with the attractive Enjolras, who gazed at her with his fierce blue eyes and helped steady her. She straightened up, looking him in the eyes for a split second before he lowered his eyes to where he was still holding on to her. His hold loosened, yet somehow he couldn't bring himself to release her yet.
"Be more careful," he warned her in a murmur as they looked at each other for a moment before the sound of Marius' grandfather scolding him broke their attention. They faced the new situation, watching the old man yell at Marius for disgracing the family. Enjolras was glad for the distraction, finally letting her go with a clear of his throat.
"Marius!"
"Marius..." Both of them called his name at the same time, Enjolras with a firm tone as he eyed the soldiers getting closer and Eponine was gentler and more concerned at she stared at Marius' frustrated face. Enjolras took his friend by the elbow and pulled him backwards down the street, and Eponine followed silently behind them until they had all rounded the corner and were safe from any soldiers. Marius glared at the direction from where they came and then at his best friends before turning and silently heading down the street towards where he currently resided.
"Thank you, Enjolras." With an appreciative nod, Eponine turned and followed Marius like a lost puppy.
"Wait!" he tried to shout, but she was already rushing around the side of a building, leaving Enjolras watching her with a confused shake of his head before the other revolutionaries whisked him away towards the ABC Cafe, shouting for their leader. He smiled with pride at his friends and fellow rebels, doing his best to forget those mesmerizing brown eyes and the musical voice that spoke only three words. Three words that unsettled him more than any teacher's sermon or any cry of the French soldiers calling for revolutionary blood. Who was this girl who captivated him so much, especially when he had an uprising to lead?
Disclaimer: I do not own Les Miserables in any capacity, though I wish I owned Enjolras...hmm. Without any further ado, I give you my version of what should've happened to my favorite characters in Les Mis. Spoiler alert: If you do not know the story and want to see the movie/musical/read the book first, I suggest you don't read this til you do. Thanks! Read, review, enjoy!
Chapter 1: Before the Barricades Arise
"Look down upon your fellow man! See the injustice everywhere!" Angry cries could be heard throughout the street, and a brunette beauty gracefully wound her way through the mob of people standing around the building where the sick General Lamarque lay sick in his deathbed. Everywhere Eponine turned, beggars moved around her, each one of them eager to listen to the speech of the men on the stage. The sun beat down on them mercilessly, the scent of sweat and dirt lingering in the crowd like a dense fog. Her corset seemed to tighten more with each passing second, and she felt almost dizzy in the heat; however, her mother had forced her into this dress earlier to help bring in guests to the inn, and if anything looked out of place when she returned, it would be her head.
Her curious eyes roamed across each face until they landed on the man she had been looking for. Her dearest friend Marius Pontmercy. He was standing on the stage with his best friend and leader of the new revolution, Enjolras. The men attended university together and were as different as night and day, yet they were close. Marius was a soft-spoken man with a gentle and loving soul, never one to speak out of turn or get in trouble with the teachers. He was a childhood friend of Eponine, always bringing her with him everywhere he went. They teased each other for the smallest things, and Marius always gave Eponine a chance to forget her wretched life by taking her with him on errands and such.
Enjolras, on the other hand, was a handful for those around him. He was a spitfire, a rebel against anything that he didn't think was right and just. He was wild and defiant when he met his friends at the bar and spoke of revolution and change as they sang and drank the night away. Being a handsome man constantly caused women to fall in love with him, yet no woman had caught his eye before but his lovely France. Saving the people's freedom was all that seemed to matter to him after his father was murdered by the government to silence his revolutionary ideas.
"People on the street..." He began loudly and forcefully, forcing everyone to look up at him as the rebel leader began his speech. Just listening to his voice had each of them transfixed, and he nodded gratefully as they all fell silent for him. "Hear my words today. We will not sit idle by while our poor starve, while our children freeze to death in the middle of the street in the winter, while our women are taken advantage of for profit. We will not sit idle by while our 'king' makes himself comfortable on a throne he never deserved!" The beggars and students yelled their fired up agreements, cheering him on as he glanced around. Marius stood proud at his side, unaware that Eponine's eyes were not on Enjolras, but on him instead. Her face softened as she stared up at her childhood friend, and she tried to move just a little bit closer towards him. The crowd would not budge, though, so she was stuck gazing from where she was standing.
"General Lamarque is ill. We do not believe he will last through the week," Enjolras continued, hanging his head sadly. Lamarque was a good man who fought for the cause. He did not deserve to die so soon and so cruelly. When he looked back up, his stare landed on a familiar dark-haired young woman standing back in the crowd. At first glance, he had to blink a few times to make sure he saw her correctly. This woman listening to his rousing speech was beautiful and did not belong in this crowd of beggars and revolutionaries. However, upon another moment of looking at her, he realized that she was not listening to him at all. She was smiling at Marius, and he regained his composure quickly to think about what to say to the mob next.
Eponine finally turned her attention away from the object of her affection, catching the end of Enjolras' discourse. When he was done, those in the crowd who followed him voiced their support for the revolution. Soldiers on horseback began to push the crowd back to make it disperse and separate everyone, but not before Marius was cornered by his grandfather. Eponine moved quickly towards him, almost knocking down someone to her side and not caring about the soldiers who were prepared to shoot if anyone fought back. One of the horses reared up nearby, startling her as she tried to take a step backward and tripping over the bottom of her skirts. Two hands grasped her arms immediately as if by instinct. She would've fallen over had the stranger not grabbed onto her. She turned her head to face whoever it was and came face to face with the attractive Enjolras, who gazed at her with his fierce blue eyes and helped steady her. She straightened up, looking him in the eyes for a split second before he lowered his eyes to where he was still holding on to her. His hold loosened, yet somehow he couldn't bring himself to release her yet.
"Be more careful," he warned her in a murmur as they looked at each other for a moment before the sound of Marius' grandfather scolding him broke their attention. They faced the new situation, watching the old man yell at Marius for disgracing the family. Enjolras was glad for the distraction, finally letting her go with a clear of his throat.
"Marius!"
"Marius..." Both of them called his name at the same time, Enjolras with a firm tone as he eyed the soldiers getting closer and Eponine was gentler and more concerned at she stared at Marius' frustrated face. Enjolras took his friend by the elbow and pulled him backwards down the street, and Eponine followed silently behind them until they had all rounded the corner and were safe from any soldiers. Marius glared at the direction from where they came and then at his best friends before turning and silently heading down the street towards where he currently resided.
"Thank you, Enjolras." With an appreciative nod, Eponine turned and followed Marius like a lost puppy.
"Wait!" he tried to shout, but she was already rushing around the side of a building, leaving Enjolras watching her with a confused shake of his head before the other revolutionaries whisked him away towards the ABC Cafe, shouting for their leader. He smiled with pride at his friends and fellow rebels, doing his best to forget those mesmerizing brown eyes and the musical voice that spoke only three words. Three words that unsettled him more than any teacher's sermon or any cry of the French soldiers calling for revolutionary blood. Who was this girl who captivated him so much, especially when he had an uprising to lead?
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