"I wasn't always the oldest in our family, Kay," Enjolras started, "we had an older brother."

   "What?" Kaylin whispered in shock. 

       Courfeyrac and Combeferre shifted uncomfortably on their feet, looking down at the ground or up at the sky. 

     "Alexandre Théodore Enjolras, a year older than me," Enjolras looked down at the ground, pain could be seen on his face in the bright glow of the fire from the building. "Kay, you look so much like him."

     "How did I not know of him? How has he never been mentioned? Where is he?" Kaylin had so many questions running around in her head. 

     "Because he died, Kaylin!" Enjolras turned to look at her, "And it was all my fault."

  "Now you know very well that it wasn't!" Combeferre snapped, "Don't you dare say it was!"

     "But it was. Yes, it was, you know it is," Enjolras shook his head rapidly, "if I wasn't so stupid as to get myself trapped in a burning room, Alexandre wouldn't have needed to come back for me."

    "He did it to save you!" Courfeyrac yelled, "Alexandre protected you and cared for you like the older brother that he was. He went back to save you because he loved you. Enjolras, you've been beating yourself up about this for years!" 

      Enjolras shook his head. He couldn't take it anymore. He huddled himself up next to the base of the fountain and sank his face into his hands. He completely broke down, tears running down his face. 

     Kaylin was stunned. She had never seen her brother like this, ever. And it pained her greatly to see him in such a distressful state.

    "The reason why you don't remember him, Kay, is because you were only four at the time, and after his death, we removed everything from the house that reminded us of him," Enjolras explained, "his death is the reason why mother has changed so much. Your memories of the past aren't what they seem like. Mother was so much fun." 

        "What happened?" Kaylin asked, whispering. She kneeled down on the ground next to him, laying a gentle, comforting hand on his arm.

    "We were invited to a banquet at an estate just outside of Lyons," Enjolras said, taking in a shaky breath, "Mother decided to leave you back here in Paris with a governess to look after you. During the banquet, me, Alexandre, Courfeyrac and Combeferre decided to play hide and seek. I hid in a drawing room behind the curtains. There was an explosion and suddenly, everything went downhill. A rival of the family who had hosted the dinner had set the place off with gunpowder."

     "Combeferre and I were whisked out of the building really quickly. Alexandre had already found us, so we were helping him look for Enjolras. That's when the fire started," Courfeyrac added, helping to tell the story. 

     The rest of the group stood around in silence, listening to the story of their leader that they had never heard of before. 

     "Alexandre refused to get out of the building until he had found Enjolras to get him out," Combeferre said. 

      "When he found me, I was nearly unconscious on the floor," Enjolras spoke again, "He got a guard to carry me out and then..." 

    "What happened?" AJ asked, when Enjolras didn't speak for a few minutes. 

  "On the way out the room, Alexandre tripped and fell, catching his ankle in-between two fallen chairs. He told the guard to continue and get me out and that he would follow," Enjolras began crying again, "I never saw him again."

      "Enjolras has never slept properly ever since," Courfeyrac said quietly, "It's either all-nighters, or if he does get to sleep, he's awake an hour or two later because of nightmares."

    "That's why you demanded that we leave you and take the children out, wasn't it?" Combeferre looked at his friend, "the reason why you stopped suddenly. You got stuck and didn't want to hold us back from getting the children out to safety." 

    "That and I didn't want you to see that I was panicking," Enjolras nodded, "throughout the entire time I was in there, I was terrified. Scared of the fact that the past would repeat itself all over again. Scared that I would die and that I would leave Kaylin all on her own."

     Everyone was quiet, taking in the sudden revelation. 

   Kaylin shifted and pulled her older brother into her arms, hugging him tightly as he shook from sobs that escaped from his chest.

      "Alexandre was Felix, wasn't he?" Clara quietly spoke up, slowly making the connection.

  "Yes, Alexandre and I were out that evening escaping from getting tutored in ballroom dancing," Enjolras nodded, looked shattered, "he was the one that also suggested the necklace."

     Kaylin looked at the necklace hanging around Clara's neck, the one her deceased brother had suggested they should get. 

      "It should have been me that died that night," Enjolras mumbled, "It should have been me, not Alexandre. It was all my fault. Mother and Father blame me for his death, I just know it. Alexandre was the perfect son, the perfect heir to our fortunes and estates. I should have been the one to die."

      "No!" Kaylin exclaimed fiercely, hugging him tighter, "No, don't say that!"

   "But-" Enjolras started. 

        "No, don't even think of finishing that sentence!" Kaylin cut him off, "Yes, I'm sad that he passed away and that I never got the chance to get to know Alexandre and that I had forgotten about him over the years. But Enjolras, I got to know you, I got to grow up with you and you have been the best brother ever!"

    Clara could see that Enjolras was listening, despite the fact that he seemed to be still hyperventilating.

     "You take care of me, you have my back and I have yours," Kaylin continued, "Enjolras, your the best brother I could ever ask for, and I'm sure Alexandre is watching you from above and is really proud of you."

     The two siblings stayed huddled by the fountain, Kaylin hugging him tightly in her arms as he began to calm down.

      "Kaylin! Marcelin!" A voice rang out, breaking the silence.

  "Mother!" Kaylin called back, waving her mother towards them. She Enjolras in a sitting up position just as their mother found them. 

     "Oh my goodness, Enjolras!" Countess Enjolras rushed to her son's side and engulfed him in a big hug. "Oh, oh thank goodness you're alright. I thought we'd lost you. Oh, my precious boy."

      Kaylin stood back and watched as Enjolras sat stiffly, awkwardly patting his mother's back in reassurance while she was clutching at him and sobbing. 

     Combeferre came up behind Kaylin and discretely slipped his hand into hers, out of sight just in case Enjolras should see. The last thing he wanted was Enjolras' wrath if he found out that he was courting his younger sister. 

       "I'll send someone to fetch our carriage from the stables and we can go home," Countess Enjolras smoothed away a strand of hair from her son's face and wiped away some of the soot. 

     "I'll go fetch it, ma'am," Grantaire did a dramatic bow before giving Enjolras a grin and walking off. 

       "AJ! Nikki!" 

   "Mother!" Both girls jumped to their feet and rushed to give their mother a hug. 

       "Oh thank goodness you're both alright!" Lady Richardson hugged them tightly, "You're both unharmed? No burns?"

    "None at all," AJ assured her. 

   "Lady Richardson, my deepest condolences for the state of your manor," Countess Enjolras stood up, helping Enjolras to his feet with Kaylin's help, "If there is anything my husband and I could do to help don't be afraid to ask."

     "Thank you for your kind offer, Countess," Lady Richardson nodded, a grateful smile on her face. 

     "Mother, could they stay with us?" Kaylin asked, "They're manor is quite unliveable in at the moment, surely we can welcome them to our place?"  

     "Oh, dearest, we wouldn't want to intrude, but thank you," Lady Richardson smiled warmly, shaking her head.

     "Don't be ridiculous!" Countess Enjolras tutted, "We'd be more than happy to have you in our home while yours gets repaired. I'm sure Kaylin will also be happy to have her friend over too."

       "Well, if you're sure," Lady Richardson said slowly.

   "More than sure," Countess Enjolras insisted, "We have plenty of room. Come back with us tonight, and tomorrow we'll send people over to collect any belongings that you need and bring it over to our estate."

      "Thank you so much, Countess, we're forever grateful for your generosity and kindness," Lady Richardson gave a small bow.

      "Don't fret about it," Countess Enjolras smiled, "And please, call me Aurelia."

~⚜~

       "You comfortable?" Kaylin asked, sitting gently next to her brother on the couch. 

   They were now back in their home and while the Richardsons were being shown to their rooms and settling down, the Enjolras family were sitting in the drawing room being served tea. 

       "I'm fine, stop worrying," Enjolras nodded. 

   "What happened, exactly, Marcelin?" Earl Enjolras' booming voice filled the room, "You look as if you went up a chimney."

      "I was helping people get out during the fire," Enjolras mumbled, "Then my foot got caught."

   His parents looked at each other and exchanged glances.

       "Don't even bother to hid it," Kaylin finally snapped, setting her tea down on the side table with more force than needed. "Why did no one tell me?!"

      "Kaylin Enjolras! A lady does not raise her voice like that, nor does she bang her teacups on the table," Countess Enjolras chastised her daughter.

     "No!" Kaylin stood up, "I need to hear the truth from you two!" She pointed at her parents. "I've heard it from Enjolras - I mean Marcelin - but I want to hear it from you. Who is Alexandre?"

      Countess Enjolras took in a sharp breath. She opened her mouth and then closed it again. 

   "Kaylin, sit down," Earl Enjolras said sternly, "We'll tell you when you're ready."

        "I already know!" Kaylin hissed, "But I want to hear it from my own parents. Who was Alexandre? And why did you keep it a secret from me? How much longer are you going to leave it to tell me?!"

      "Kaylin, enough!" Earl Enjolras snapped, "I said we'll talk about this another time. And you, boy!" He turned and pointed an accusing finger at Enjolras, "You were to keep your mouth shut about the matter."

      "Oh don't pin the blame on him!" Kaylin scoffed, "I'm sure you were both the ones to keep him from telling!"

       "It was for everyone's good!" Earl Enjolras said, "Now sit down, drink your tea and stop all this nonsense!"

   "Eduard," Countess Enjolras sighed, shakily setting her teacup down on the low table in front of her, "it's time we told her." 

     Earl Enjolras turned to look at his wife as she took a few deep breaths in before opening her mouth. 

      "As Marcelin has probably already told you, Alexandre was our firstborn child," Countess Enjolras sniffed slightly, folding her hands neatly on her lap, "You look like him."

        "So I hear," Kaylin muttered. Her father shot her a withering look.

     "Alexandre was a happy child. He was loving, sweet and gentle," Countess Enjolras continued, "When Marcelin came along and then you, he loved you both to bits. He and Marcelin would play out in the garden or here in the drawing room or play little duets on the piano. He would also look after you if no one else was around."

      Kaylin was silent as she listened. Enjolras was looking down at his hands, twisting one of the rings on his hand. 

       "Your brothers were inseparable, they did everything together," Countess Enjolras sighed, "Whenever I was free I would play with them out in the garden, doing whatever they wanted to do. Your father would join in from time to time too."

       "I don't remember that part," Enjolras murmured.

     "Believe it or not, your father was quite fun too back then," Countess Enjolras smiled softly, "Anyway, when you were four, and Enjolras was eight and Alexandre was nine, we had to go to a dinner party. We had to leave you here in the care of a governess as you were ill." She paused, mentally preparing herself to go on. 

     "There was a fire, like the one tonight," Countess Enjolras said, "Except the fire back then burned the whole place down. Alexandre got stuck in the fire and passed away. Your father and I were so heartbroken, he hid all traces of your brother from this place and from all our other estates. We told Marcelin never to mention your brother for fear of bring up painful memories."

       "But that's not fair!" Kaylin shook her head, crying, "I grew up having no knowledge of a brother I had forgotten I had. Enjolras - I mean Marcelin - has been blaming himself all these years for Alexandre's death when it wasn't his fault! You've both distanced yourselves from us when we needed you the most!"

      "Kay," Enjolras murmured, placing a hand of warning on to hers.

    "No, they need to hear this," Kaylin snapped, "Enjolras has lost so much sleep over the years from nightmares of that evening and from not wanting to sleep because of that. Where were you when these nightmares were happening? He hasn't had a proper nights sleep since he was eight! And he feels that you both blame him for what happened! Do you know how it feels to be blamed for something that wasn't even your fault? He even blames himself for what happened!"

        A sob erupted from Countess Enjolras as she brought a hand up to her mouth.

    "Kaylin Enjolras, that is no way to speak to you mother," Earl Enjolras frowned, but you could see a look of guilt pass his eyes briefly. 

      "My poor boy, my poor, poor boy," Countess Enjolras cried, "I had no idea."

   Enjolras slowly rose to his feet, making his way to his mother's side. He hesitated before kneeling down and gently engulfing his mother into a hug. Not caring in the least whether she got soot all over her dress or not, Countess Enjolras hugged him back.

      "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," She sobbed, rubbing his back and stroking his hair, "I'm so sorry for what I've put you through all these years. I shouldn't have made you feel like it was you fault."

        "It's fine," Enjolras murmured into her hair, "I'm sorry too, mother."

    Kaylin watched for a few more minutes before she joined in the hug. 

        Going unnoticed, AJ had accidentally passed by the door to the drawing room and had seen and heard some of what had happened. She decided not to disturb them as she made her way back to her room. Kaylin will find her later if she needed her. 

      "Right well, we're all tired and shaken up, and it's already past midnight," Earl Eduard abruptly stood up and left the room. 

     "Don't mind your father," Countess Enjolras pulled back from the hug, "He just doesn't know how to handle things like this."

      "Is what Enjolras said true? That you used to be so much fun?" Kaylin asked.

    Countess Enjolras gave a laugh, startling both her kids for different reasons. For Enjolras, it was the fact that he hadn't heard his mother's real laugh in a long time, for Kaylin, it was the fact that she had never heard it or remembered it.

      "Yes, yes I was," Countess Enjolras grinned, "Once, your father found both his sons and his wife up a tree!"

      Kaylin's eyes went wide. He mother? Up a tree? 

  "What else did you do?" She asked. 

        "I'll tell you more, I promise," Countess Enjolras said, "Your father is right, it is very late and we need to get to bed. But tomorrow, I take you both up to the attic and we'll look through Alexandre's things and his portraits, how about that?"

     Kaylin smiled and nodded. She'd like that. 

~|~*~|~⚜~|~*~|~

Here it is after such a long time.... Chapter 15!!!! (I've managed to finish this just before my laptop dies!!!)

So sorry for such a long wait!!! I lost a bit of inspiration on how to move this chapter forward!

Hope you all enjoy it and I'll see you all in the next one!!!

Clara ⚜️