Chapter 1 - The Bakery
A/N Hey guys, thanks for reading this, I just have a few things I'd like to say about it before I leave you alone. Firstly, I've tried to make things as factual and correct as possible but I'm sorry if I make any mistakes. Secondly, I'm aware that Eponine would not speak nearly as poshly as I've written her but I feel that it disrupts the writing and the reading if I try and write her dialogue as slang. And lastly, it is canon but it's obviously an AU so I've changed some things around slightly to suit my story. I'll go now then.. Enjoy!
Eponine awoke to the sound of birds calling around her welcoming in the new morning and the heavy crashing of the water moving past her in the Seine. She sat up quickly and immediately regreted the action as her head collided with a low hanging beam supporting the bridge she had spent the night sleeping under. Sighing, she shuffled out from the darkness under the bridge and pulled herself up the bank beside her before turning to look out across the city she'd grown to love so much.
Having grown up in Montfermeil the sudden move to Paris when her family's inn was forced to close down had come as a shock to the system for Eponine however as she spent more time there her childish insticts led her to explore the hidden treasures of the city and now as an adult she knew her way around better than almost anyone she knew.
This, of course, had made her a valued member in her father's gang and she often found herself standing at one end of a street keeping an eye out for the law while the rest of the gang robbed a house at the other end. Being a look out for one of the most notorious gangs in Paris was never Eponine's first choice in life but she wasn't stupid, she knew that leaving the gang before she had a real plan and way of guaranteeing her safety would be a bad move as she'd easily be tracked down and forced to do even worse than she currently was.
So that is how she ended up under the bridge that night, after a slightly less successful than hoped robbery her father was in a bad mood and Eponine knew to steer clear of the man when he was not pleased, so having wondered through the streets alone for a few hours, Eponine made her way to Le Pont au Change and settled down there for the night.
Stretching to regain feeling in her fingers and toes, Eponine decided to walk into the heart of the city in search of some breakfast. The day was still young and very few people would be about at this hour so she would easily be able to make her way around without the disapproving looks of the bourgeoisie. She placed her hand into the pocket of her tattered old brown rags that had once been a beautiful yellow dress that her mother had bought her when she was younger. Now though it was tight, uncomfortable and had not been washed in years, leaving it a sickly brown colour. Pulling her hand back out she revealed the 2 shining coins that she had pick pocketed from a rather large and very oblivious gentleman the day before. Eponine decided that rather than giving the money over to her father as she knew she should she would use it to buy a loaf of bread - after all her father couldn't miss what he never had.
She took her time to go the bakery, wondering aimlessly through the streets, looking up at all the buildings which continued to fascinate her due to their intricate detail and beauty, though she'd seen them so many times before. Eponine always did have an eye for the beauty in everyday life, something which she'd picked up from her mother as a young child. When they'd lived in Montfermeil Eponine had been spoilt for choice regarding clothes and while she'd never decline the offer of a new dress or bonnet she'd still always keep hold of her older ones and late at night when the inn had finally fallen quiet she'd sneak downstairs to retrieve her mother's sewing kit then return upstairs and stitch on elegant patterns which would make her clothes look new and beautiful again. She knew now that everyone in the household knew she did this, though at the time she thought she was being so secretive - looking back on it she understood why she'd often been referenced to as 'lady Eponine' by her parents and regular visitors. She had no problems with this nickname, however, and would often call herself it whilst playing games with Azelma where they'd be a lady and a gentleman waltzing together at a fancy ball being held by the king in Paris.
The sound of hooves woke Eponine from her childhood fantasies as she threw herself against a wall in time for a carriage to rattle past her and continue on towards the entrance of the university just ahead of her. Kicking a stone, along the dusty street at the carriage, Eponine mumbled to herself about how she could have been a student, all previous happy thoughts now banished from her mind as she thought of the state she lived in now.
Upon reaching the door to the bakery she stopped her complaining and lifted her head to smell the gorgeous scent of the freshly baked bread drifting out into the street. As she looked through the window her spirits lifted instantly when she saw Marius standing by the counter. She quickly smoothed out her skirt and flattened down her hair with her hand in an attemp to make herself look a little more presentable.
"Morning Marius" She said as she pushed the door open and stepped inside the shop.
"Oh Eponine, good morning to you too, how are you today?" He replied in a friendly tone, something Eponine was forever grateful for as Marius had always treated her as equal to himself though they both knew they lived completely different lives.
"Eh, can't complain, yourself?"
"I'm very well actually, Enjolras and I are just picking up some pastries before we head to class" He said motioning to the other man standing next to him who curteously nodded his head to acknowledge her.
"Oh bonjour Monsieur Enjolras" She greeted him.
"Mademoiselle" He said, nodding again. At this Eponine blushed, she did so love being referenced to as Mademoiselle, it didn't happen very often.
While the baker placed the boys' pastries in a paper bag for them to take and Marius handed over his money Eponine looked down at the floor, occaisionally sneaking a glance at Monsieur Enjolras. She'd seen him on a couple of occasions before, usually with Marius, but this was the first time they'd spoken. He was a lot more formal than Marius, he held himself much straighter and he seemed much less talkative than her friend and, though she assumed they were the same age, the slight scowl which had always been present on Enjolras' face whenever she had seen him made him look older.
"Eponine?" She heard Marius' voice say beside her, "we have to go to class now, have a nice day."
"Oh au revoir Marius, you too, and you Monsieur Enjolras." At the mention of his name Enjolras stiffened and began to leave the shop.
"Au revoir Miss Eponine." He said quietly as he passed her.
Once they'd left the shop Eponine watched the two of them walk down the street to the university as Marius gave Enjolras a playful shove on the shoulder only to be returned by Enjolras throwing his arms up in the air in exasperation at his friend before appearing to launch into a passionate discussion, waving his arms around again as he made his point while Marius continued to walk beside him, shaking his head. Eponine couldn't help but giggle at the strange scene she was watching before her.
"Mademoiselle?" The baker said as he cleared his throat on the other side of the counter, "Can I get you anything?"
"Oh oui Monsiuer, please may I have one of those gorgeous smelling baguettes you bake so well?" She said fluttering her eyelashes slightly, being the daughter of a conman she knew a few tricks to get her own way.
Laughing, the man replied, "Of course you can and as you are so complimentary I shall throw in an apple pastry for free." Eponine congratulated herself, her little plan had worked and now she not only had food for herself but also a little something for Gavroche and his boys.
After handing over her money and taking her paper bag of delicious food she left the shop, calling words of thanks for the baker as she did so before she hurried off to the large elephant statue on the Place de la Bastille where her brother and his friends lived.
"Gavroche!" She called up from the base of the giant statue.
"Who goes there?" I voice shouted from the other side of the leg she was leaning against, startling her. "Oh hi 'Ponine!"
"Hello Thomas" She replied to the younger boy who was now standing infront of her. "Is my brother up yet?"
"I've not seen him yet, I'll run up and get him!"
"Merci Thomas!" She called after him as he scampered up the little rope ladder that hung down the side of the elepant's leg.
A few moments later a rather sleepy looking Gavroche appeared at the top of the ladder looking rather annoyed until he spotted his sister waiting on the ground for him.
"Mornin' Ep!" He said as he descended the ladder to reach her side.
"Morning Gav" She chuckled whilst ruffling his hair "I brought breakfast for you and the boys." She told him as removed the baguette from her paper bag and broke it into two sections before placing the smaller one back in and handing the bigger bit to him.
"Thanks Ep you're the best" He smiled as he flung his arms around her before he quickly let go and shouted up at the elephant. "Boys, 'Ponine brought breakfast!"
Eponine looked up at the hole the boys used as an entrance to see the smiling faces of the 5 little boys her brother had taken under his wing and looked after.
"Thanks 'Ponine" They all chorused down to her before running down the ladder as fast as they could to get their share of the bread.
"Have a good day boys, I'll see you all later." She said before giving her brother another hug and turning to leave the Place de la Bastille.
"Oh Ep?" Eponine turned around to see Gavroche running up behind her.
"Say hi to 'Zelma will you? I haven't seen her in a while."
"Of course I will Gav."
"Tell her she's welcome at the Palais de l'elephant any time." He called triumphantly while running back to the boys to get some bread.
Eponine laughed a little at her brother's naming of their rat infested home as a palace and began to think of her own dreams of royalty again as she made her way home.
That night Eponine found herself back outside the bakery where she had encountered Marius and Enjolras earlier that day but this time she was accompanied by Montparnasse as the two of them stood at one end of a small road on the other side of the main street while her father pushed Babet and Brujon up through the window of a large house at the other end.
Smiling, Eponine stared over the road at the bakery and remembered her conversation with Marius and her first proper encounter with Monsieur Enjolras. He was a little odd but she was sure he was nice, after all Marius seemed to spend a lot of time with him and as far as Eponine knew Marius kept very good company.
"Ep what are you smiling at? You look like an idiot" Montparnasse asked from beside her.
"Huh? I'm not smiling at anything." She shot back quickly. She was not a fan of Montparnasse's company and so made a point of speaking with him only when necessary.
It had not always been that way however, for when they had lived in Montfermeil the two young children had been quite good friends, 'Parnasse would often take the place of Azelma in their imaginary games where he would be a prince and she a princess and they would live happily ever after. Though after 'Parnasse's parents left the boy with the Thenardiers when they moved away he discovered her father's 'business plans', as he called them, and by the time they moved to Paris he had become a full member of the gang and was no longer the fun loving little boy she had grown up with so she no longer wished to be his friend.
"Whatever you say, how about you come back to mine tonight and I'll make you smile?" He asked in a sickening tone. Eponine had become used to this side of him too, he had been known to pay her father for her company in the past and she often found herself trying to make excuses to get out of spending the night with him.
"No merci 'Parnasse, perhaps another night." She replied, not even bothering to construct a proper argument.
"What's wrong with tonight 'Ponine? Come on, it will be fun."
"No Montparnasse, I do not wish to sleep with you tonight."
"I don't care whether you 'wish to' or not, you will you little slut."
"I said no Montparnasse, what don't you understand about that?" She said raising her voice slightly but being careful not to shout so not to alert her father to their argument. At that moment she heard footsteps running towards them and she turned her attention to whoever it was.
"Run. Quick. Someone woke up in the house. It won't be long before the police are around here!" Her father shouted at them through gritted teeth as he sprinted past, quickly followed by Babet and Brujon.
Eponine took no objection to running away at that moment and sprinted off in the opposte direction to the others, escaping confrontation with Montparnasse. She ran quickly through the streets, her feet carrying her down various alleys until she was stood beside the same bridge as she had spent the previous night under. She sat on the cold ground, slid her small body under the beams and pressed herself back into the wall of the bridge before she closed her eyes, allowing herself to succumb to sleep.
A/N Hope you liked it so far, my updates will probably be every few days so keep an eye out. In the mean time though leave me a review with any of your thoughts. Thanks :)