14/6/13
Hello again mes amis, this is a fanfiction written for gleechick21 from being the 100th reviewer of Telling The Amis. I actually told her that this was a One-shot but I got it wrong – this will be a multi-chapter. The idea from this actually came as an amalgamation of ideas from both my betas: Almost An Actress and my RL friend Ellie.
Plus on a more important note: My exams are over! I. AM. FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! So you will be getting more frequent updates!
One Little Thing
Chapter 1 – And This Is How It Begins
It is known that if one small thing changes in history, then everything changes. Say, for example, what would have happened in the lives of Marius, Eponine and Cosette if Jean Valjean had never stolen that loaf of bread? Then he would never have been arrested, therefore never have had to break from parole. Then he would have never met Fantine, never rescued Cosette. And so on, so on. It would through the story we know and love completely out of the window. And that is what I am going to explore, the story that could have been, but was not. Enjoy.
XXX
"Alouette! Get through here!" Eponine screamed from inside the Thénardier household. Cosette carefully but quickly stowed her bucket away and ran to the side of her oldest sister. Eponine and Cosette were surprisingly close, but Eponine was absolutely in charge. Eponine Thénardier was the sort of girl that never took no for an answer and she loved having her little sister Cosette as a disciple. When I say disciple, if anything she would be described as Judas. Cosette hated Eponine, with all the hatred her sweet little heart could muster. They were close, but that didn't mean Cosette had to like it. And now Eponine had her heart set on the Pontmercy boy she was even more intolerable. "I need you to cover with Papa for me," she stated and Cosette rolled her eyes.
"Not Pontmercy again," she moaned, leaning on the wall.
Both girls weren't the prettiest around. Their tattered clothes hung limply off bony frames and the dust plumed every time they so much as moved. Even in brand new condition, which these weren't, the dresses that they sported were plain and degrading. Eponine stood in a plain brown straight dress that clung to her bony hips and was more mud stains than actually brown colouring. And that was without counting the lingering blood stains. Cosette's was not much better; the pale blue fabric had faded over time and a massive tear down the side made it, unintentionally, look like one of those trendy split leg dresses. Of course it looked like an old hand me down one of those split leg dresses. The Thénardier family had no money for frivolities like new clothes. They had wasted it all drinking and gambling; and since Cosette's real mother had been thrown in prison, they didn't even have that income. The only reason they kept Cosette around was in the hope they could sell both her and Eponine to some men for a handsome profit. Cosette was a traditionally beautiful girl and with a bit of preening she could go for a load, or there were always the docks. People always loved a pretty little thing down there. Soon she would make her way or get sold on; that was the unspoken rule with the Thénardiers.
"Come on 'Sette! It is just one night. I'm off to one of his social justice things," Eponine exclaimed in pure irritation.
"But we're both supposed to be working tonight!" Cosette exclaimed as she tied her greasy blonde locks up with a string.
"Just say I'm with 'Parnasse," she shrugged it off while trying in vain to clean herself up.
"Papa will never believe it 'Ponine. And you know he'll take it out on me!" she pleaded to her older sister.
"Deal with it pretty girl," Eponine chuckled patting Cosette's cheek before she disappeared out of the window. Cosette would kill that girl some day; there was no doubt.
Sorry for the short chapter but this was more of a prologue than anything, to set the scene!