The City That We Loved

Gleypa Okkur

A/N: it's really short but that's okay. It's an epic chapter. Enjoy!! I'm hoping to finish this entire thing on the fourteenth (Bastille Day ;)). I'm going to be a broken writer by the end of this.

The Amis returned to the cafe immediately after Prouvaire's execution. Enjolras was fuming, a ticking time bomb about to explode. Combeferre--tears still in his eyes--tried to calm him down as he paced the room, mumbling threats about the king and the rest of the 'bloody mother--' (Combeferre couldn't make out that part of the sentence but he could infer) '--government suits'.

Courfeyrac and Bossuet dragged Javert into the back room and suddenly, Enjolras was aiming his gun at him. He looked like an avenging angel. A very angry one at that.

"You see what I mean!" Enjolras shouted. "They don't give a shit about us, about any of us! Not even their own rat bags! I told you, Javert! Dammit, I friggin' told you they are monsters!" Javert's face was stoic.

"My duty is to the king," Javert said, robotically. Enjolras threw away the gun and knelt down in front of Javert. He grabbed the front of his shirt and made him look at him.

"Jehan Prouvaire was innocent," he said. No one had ever heard Enjolras this angry before and that was really saying something. "You once made me feel guilty over my murder of Duval and now it's your turn to feel the black guilt. Jehan was only twenty-two, inspector. Your king killed him before he could even start living. He had two parents who loved him with all their hearts. Jehan loved life and just as the king always has, he took away the one thing he loved most. He was the best man any of us ever knew. He was loyal and kind but he could be badass if he wanted to. So now, dear inspector, we're even." Enjolras got up, pushing away Javert's face in the process.

He walked away and stood in front of their map of Paris.

"If you're going to kill me, do it now!" Javert said. Enjolras looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

"And be merciful?" Enjolras asked. "By the looks of Jehan's face before you ended his life, you weren't merciful with him. No, the people will decide your fate, Inspector Javert. And they might not be as...forgiving as we are." Javert started forward and Courfeyrac and Bossuet grabbed him.

"The king showed all of France the consequences of treason today! Do you really think the people will join you now, boy?" Enjolras grabbed Javert by the front of the shirt again, blue eyes blazing. "And on the small chance you do win, I will never bow to your silly republic."

"That's the whole point, dear inspector," Enjolras said with a small smile. "You won't have to." Javert's cold eyes glared into Enjolras'. "Take him downstairs. Tie him up. There's work still needing to be done." Courfeyrac and Bossuet grabbed the Inspector and took him away.

"You're just going to keep him in the basement until we've taken France?" Combeferre asked. Enjolras glanced at him.

"If that's what it takes," Enjolras said. He stared at the map, his blue eyes levelled. "He will pay but it will not be my decision. It will be the peoples'." He looked over his shoulder and saw what a toll Jehan's death and the argument between Javert and Enjolras had taken on the Amis. Joly was having a panic attack, only to be comforted by Feuilly and Marius, and then eventually Bossuet when he returned. Grantaire was drinking himself away. Courfeyrac--when returned as well--had sat down in a corner by himself.

Gavroche was no where to be found. In fact, they hadn't seen him in months. Enjolras hoped he was okay but before he worried about the kid, he had a mess to clean up here with his brothers.

"My friends," Enjolras said, turning around. They looked up at him. Except for Grantaire, who had his back to him. "We have gone through very trying times, this being one of them. I can't expect you to continue on this path with me. Especially after seeing what they did to Jehan. If you wish to leave, I will not hold it to you. If you wish to stay, I want to remind you that there is absolutely no turning back after this." He was silent for a moment. No one moved. "None of you want to save yourselves?"