A/N: Yaaay! It's finally here. This is the über-school project I've been
mentioning here and there, it's finally up! Please, I really need your
reviews! Disclaimer: I own nothing from this, really, it all comes from
the [incredible] minds of Victor Hugo, Alain Boublil, and Claude-Michel
Schönberg. This is based mostly on the musical, though there are several
plugs from the book hidden inside.
Enjoy, and sorry about the formatting-if there is a line with a . and no space, there was supposed to be three periods, a ... there.
==============
**Marius**
"It is sickening, no?" Enjolras murmured. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him glance reprovingly over the dank, filthy street, filled with paupers and other unsavory inhabitants.
I did not look up from my paper, intrigued by the article. Instead, I replied only with a short "Mmm."
Enjolras looked at me. "What has your attention now?" he asked curiously.
"An article about Lamarque," I replied, looking up finally and showing the article to Enjolras, "He won't last the week, they say."
"Yes, so I've heard." said Enjolras darkly.
I gave a sigh and folded up the paper, then dropped it on the pole of books sitting at my feet.
"Where are the leaders of the land.these 'swells' who run the show?" Enjolras asked sarcastically.
I shrugged dejectedly. "Lamarque is the only one who gives a damn for the people, here below." To accentuate my point, I waved a hand at a shivering beggar lingering in a doorway. Enjolras crossed his arms and looked around, shaking his head in disgust. I continued in a tone which was hopeful that he would drop the subject, "Nothing to be done about it, I suppose."
For a moment I thought that it had worked; Enjolras did not reply. He only sighed and stayed quiet, no doubt reflecting on what I had told him. I felt like leaving, there were things that I had to do before the meeting at the café.
Enjolras looked down at my pile of books and chuckled. "Always toting around those texts. As though it will do you any good!" His good- natured expression disappeared. "Not after Lamarque is dead, that is for certain." He remarked quietly. I fount myself rolling my eyes discreetly- I certainly didn't disagree with Enjolras and his political views, but he was a bit.depressing in his fanaticism. He apparently didn't notice my movement at all, and continued his speech. "No-the poor will remain in poverty, the rich in their mansions, and the King will have nothing to say for it. But he'll take in Lamarque as his own hero once he's dead, and pretend that he fought for the glory of France, that's what he'll do!"
"Enough," I said quietly. I could see the way his eyes were flashing, his temper rising. "Save it for later, when somebody is actually listening." I added with a grin. Enjolras looked at me and cracked an amused grin, then shook his head.
"But how long, Marius? How long before the barricades arise, before these people begin to see? I can only hope that the day draws near." He said. I shrugged my shoulders again. We fell silent for a long time. Enjolras began to stare at something behind me.
"Look, it's your friend." He said, nodding in the direction behind me. I furrowed a brow and turned. Enjolras nodded at Eponine, a girl no older than myself who was always hanging about the dingy streets. I sighed and hoped inwardly that she hadn't seen me-I wasn't quite in the mood to speak with her. She was always clinging to me, trying to play with my hair and teasing me about being a student at the University. I had the notion that Enjolras and the other members of the ABC Society knew this, and were bound and determined to make a show of me-good naturedly, of course.
Eponine turned her gaze in my direction and no doubt spotted me. I groaned, knowing there was no getting out of a conversation with her now.
Enjolras nudged me. "No worse than Grantaire and his drunken cynics, is it?"
I looked sidelong at him and rolled my eyes, visibly this time, and made a motion of sarcastic laughter. I bent down to pick up my books. I would have to go and talk with her for a little while, anyway, now that she'd seen me. Enjolras turned to go.
"I'll see you at the café. And don't be late!"
I nodded. "A bien tôt."
**Eponine**
"Dieu, this place has gone to the dogs." I muttered as I looked over the filthy Parisian street. Beggars and prostitutes littered the dark alleyways as rats in a sewer. But I'm not better myself, I thought miserably. And my father's gang is probably worse.
Hushed voices from a shadowy corner came to my ears and I turned to listen. "Everyone here?" my father hissed, looking at me, and then at my mother, before he swept his piercing gaze over the rest of his awful gang.
"Yeah, so what if we are?" snarled Brujon, a big man who, though I'd never admit it to anyone alive, scared me. "You'll get us into trouble again, Thénardier, and then where'll we be?"
My father ignored him and went on talking. "You all know your places. Montparnasse, you and Eponine watch for the law. Take care! No mistakes, my dears." He warned.
I shook my head and glanced aside with a disgusted sigh. I looked up only to make brief eye contact with Montparnasse before moving away from the shady group.
I walked out to the lit street and spotted two students in front of the University. My heart gave a leap when I saw Marius, and it began to pound very hard when his gaze met mine-did that mean that he was starting to like me the way I liked him? I watched him part ways with his friends, and I tried to look natural as he made his way to me.
"How are things today, Eponine? I haven't seen you around much.
I smiled. "Don't worry, here is where you can always catch me."
Marius gave me a scolding look. "Mind that to /police/ don't catch you!"
I chose to ignore his remark. He always chided me like that, like I was only a little girl. He seemed to forget that I was his age, probably older, too. I nodded toward the books he held under his arm, eager to change the subject. "What do you do with all those books?" I paused a moment, then answered my own question. "I couldn't been a student, too. Don't judge a girl by her looks alone. I know a lot of things, yes sir." I gave him another confident smile.
Marius shook his head, but he looked amused. "Oh, Eponine. The things you know, you can't find in books like these."
"Oh, I like the way you grow your hair." I said dreamily, paying more attention to his handsome face than to his nagging words.
He laughed jovially and patted my shoulder. "I like the way you always tease."
I didn't mean to, but I felt my smile falter. /Little he knows,/ I thought to myself. /Little he sees./
**Cosette**
"I do not like this place one bit, Cosette." My father murmured to me. I glanced over at him and chose not to reply, instead I looked back at the street as we walked. I couldn't quite say I disagreed. It was a frightening place, to be sure, one full of staring people that watched us as we walked, two respectable middle-class Parisians-bourgeois, they called us-in the rat's lair.
I glanced in the direction and caught sight of a rather handsome young student. He was talking with another girl about my own age, and it was apparent by the look on his face that he did not want to be having that conversation. I lingered my eyes for a moment on the girl. She looked vaguely familiar to me, but I knew that I'd never seen her before in my life.
"Please, Monsieur." a voice from the side said. Both my father and I looked to where the raspy voice was coming from. It was a ragged-looking man, sitting next to a woman who was draped in a patched, thin blanket, weeping over what appeared to be a small baby. I had to frown sympathetically. I hated going down this street; there were so many beggars and poor who called at us pleadingly from the side streets, beseeching us for a morsel of food or a spare coat. It broke my heart, especially when I had so much that I didn't truly need. But my father would say nothing, only continue to walk, stone-faced and stoic as always.
The beggar in the street rose from his seat and hobbled toward us. I took a step back, suddenly feeling the need to put some distance between us. He didn't look right. "Here's a child that hasn't eaten today. Please, spare a sou to save a life! God does reward all the good that you do."
"Come, Cosette." My father said quietly, attempting to pull me along. I watched the woman with the baby. How pitiful! Oh, but I wished that I had a few sous that I could give to them, so that they could feed that poor child. What a wretched thing, indeed.
"But, Papá." I protested, wishing to stay and help them. Or, at least the woman. But my father would hear none of it, and pulled me away.
Suddenly, the man in the alley stopped his approach toward us. I saw him lay his eyes on my father like he had turned into a chicken, and he himself was a fox. "Wait a bit.I know that face!" he snarled suddenly.
I didn't waste any time in moving behind my father, out into the street.
**Marius**
Eponine looked up as a well-dressed man and a pretty young lady started making their way down the street. I looked up too. Eponine wore an expression of growing apprehension, and I turned mine to confusion. Suddenly she turned to me and tried to push me away.
"Stay out of this." She warned.
"But, Eponine."
She shook her head at me. "No! You'll only get in trouble. It's none of your concern." She said viciously, and started moving toward the gang. I stubbornly followed, furrowing a brow.
"Who is that man?" I called, pointing at the man whom she was moving towards. Something about him didn't seem right.
"Leave me alone!" Eponine shouted back at me.
I continued to follow her. "What is he doing? Wait, Epo-" I stopped dead and fell back a step, realizing that I had just walked into the pretty girl who had been walking with the older gentleman. She stared at me with wide, beautiful eyes. At first I could not find my voice. "I didn't see you there..forgive me." I stammered finally, giving a slight bow.
She was so beautiful! I hoped that the shock that had just run through my blood was not showing on my face.
The young lady swallowed and shook her head. "No.it's all right. No trouble." She said. My heart was still beating painfully fast, even as I nodded uncertainly and backed away.
**Eponine**
I ran back to the shadowy side-street and jumped up on top of a box that was propped up against a light pole. Looking around to ensure that Marius-he was so stupid, trying to follow me!-hadn't come after me, I hugged the pole and then glanced at my father. He was trying to haggle money out of the well-dressed gentleman. I should have been watching for the police, but I was too busy watching Marius, who was still staring at the pretty girl.
Suddenly a yell from my father split the air and I looked over. He was grabbing the gentleman and shrieking something about someone called Cosette.
That name stirred an old memory near the back of my mind. Where had I heard that name before?
It didn't occur to me that I ought to have been watching for the police until Montparnasse took care to remind me. "'Ponine!" he hissed. "Look out!"
I whirled around and felt my mouth fall open. "Hey! It's the police, disappear! Run for it!" I jumped down from the box even as the gang scrambled away, just as the formidable Inspector and his constables walked down the street, scattering the beggars in their wake.
I didn't bother to look back. Instead I ran away, down the street, where I knew the Inspector surely wouldn't follow. I stopped and dared a look back. I hadn't a clue where everyone else had gone, but realized that I really didn't care. The only thing on my mind was that girl I'd seen, the name that I had heard. It was whirling through my mind, digging up old memories of life in Montfermeil.
"Cosette." I said aloud, savoring the name on my lips. "Now I remember! Oh, Cosette..." The name came out as a growl. "How could this be? We were children together. Now look.what's become of me." I looked down at my ragged dress, my too-small shoes. The tables had turned on me, it seemed-Cosette had once been the whelp, our slave girl who was dressed in rags and did all the work about the inn.
Suddenly, I was not alone; Marius was walking almost blindly, it seemed, down the street in my direction. I crossed my arms and tried to appear unconcerned.
"Good God, what a ruckus!" I said loudly, more to get his attention than anything.
"That girl.who might she be?" Marius mused absently.
"That cop, he'd sure like to jump us. But he aint smart like us." I continued, fully aware that he wasn't paying the least bit of attention to me.
Marius looked over at me and approached slowly. "Eponine, who was that girl?" he asked.
I scoffed. "Who, that bourgeois two-a-penny thing? How would I know?"
He took my hands. I wanted to pull away, but couldn't bring myself to do it. "Eponine, will you find her for me?"
I blinked. What kind of question was that? "What will you give me?" I asked curiously.
"Anything!" Marius said, a look of relief spreading over his handsome face. He let go of my hands and went for his pockets.
Pulling my hands to my waist, I laughed. "I've got you all excited now, but only God knows what you see in /her/. Aren't you all delighted now-" I paused, realizing that Marius was holding out a handful of coins. "Oh-no, I don't want your money.sir." Embarrassed, I backed up a step and stared at my shoes.
Marius took me by the shoulders pleadingly. "Eponine, do this for me! Please, discover where she lives.but, be careful how you go. Don't let her father know someone's looking for her. Oh, 'Ponine. I'm lost until she's found!"
I wanted to slap him. Instead, I nodded reluctantly and backed away, avoiding his gaze. "You see.I told you so. There are lots of things I know." Marius smiled gratefully at me and ran off down the street. I sighed. /'Ponine. She knows her way around./
Enjoy, and sorry about the formatting-if there is a line with a . and no space, there was supposed to be three periods, a ... there.
==============
**Marius**
"It is sickening, no?" Enjolras murmured. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him glance reprovingly over the dank, filthy street, filled with paupers and other unsavory inhabitants.
I did not look up from my paper, intrigued by the article. Instead, I replied only with a short "Mmm."
Enjolras looked at me. "What has your attention now?" he asked curiously.
"An article about Lamarque," I replied, looking up finally and showing the article to Enjolras, "He won't last the week, they say."
"Yes, so I've heard." said Enjolras darkly.
I gave a sigh and folded up the paper, then dropped it on the pole of books sitting at my feet.
"Where are the leaders of the land.these 'swells' who run the show?" Enjolras asked sarcastically.
I shrugged dejectedly. "Lamarque is the only one who gives a damn for the people, here below." To accentuate my point, I waved a hand at a shivering beggar lingering in a doorway. Enjolras crossed his arms and looked around, shaking his head in disgust. I continued in a tone which was hopeful that he would drop the subject, "Nothing to be done about it, I suppose."
For a moment I thought that it had worked; Enjolras did not reply. He only sighed and stayed quiet, no doubt reflecting on what I had told him. I felt like leaving, there were things that I had to do before the meeting at the café.
Enjolras looked down at my pile of books and chuckled. "Always toting around those texts. As though it will do you any good!" His good- natured expression disappeared. "Not after Lamarque is dead, that is for certain." He remarked quietly. I fount myself rolling my eyes discreetly- I certainly didn't disagree with Enjolras and his political views, but he was a bit.depressing in his fanaticism. He apparently didn't notice my movement at all, and continued his speech. "No-the poor will remain in poverty, the rich in their mansions, and the King will have nothing to say for it. But he'll take in Lamarque as his own hero once he's dead, and pretend that he fought for the glory of France, that's what he'll do!"
"Enough," I said quietly. I could see the way his eyes were flashing, his temper rising. "Save it for later, when somebody is actually listening." I added with a grin. Enjolras looked at me and cracked an amused grin, then shook his head.
"But how long, Marius? How long before the barricades arise, before these people begin to see? I can only hope that the day draws near." He said. I shrugged my shoulders again. We fell silent for a long time. Enjolras began to stare at something behind me.
"Look, it's your friend." He said, nodding in the direction behind me. I furrowed a brow and turned. Enjolras nodded at Eponine, a girl no older than myself who was always hanging about the dingy streets. I sighed and hoped inwardly that she hadn't seen me-I wasn't quite in the mood to speak with her. She was always clinging to me, trying to play with my hair and teasing me about being a student at the University. I had the notion that Enjolras and the other members of the ABC Society knew this, and were bound and determined to make a show of me-good naturedly, of course.
Eponine turned her gaze in my direction and no doubt spotted me. I groaned, knowing there was no getting out of a conversation with her now.
Enjolras nudged me. "No worse than Grantaire and his drunken cynics, is it?"
I looked sidelong at him and rolled my eyes, visibly this time, and made a motion of sarcastic laughter. I bent down to pick up my books. I would have to go and talk with her for a little while, anyway, now that she'd seen me. Enjolras turned to go.
"I'll see you at the café. And don't be late!"
I nodded. "A bien tôt."
**Eponine**
"Dieu, this place has gone to the dogs." I muttered as I looked over the filthy Parisian street. Beggars and prostitutes littered the dark alleyways as rats in a sewer. But I'm not better myself, I thought miserably. And my father's gang is probably worse.
Hushed voices from a shadowy corner came to my ears and I turned to listen. "Everyone here?" my father hissed, looking at me, and then at my mother, before he swept his piercing gaze over the rest of his awful gang.
"Yeah, so what if we are?" snarled Brujon, a big man who, though I'd never admit it to anyone alive, scared me. "You'll get us into trouble again, Thénardier, and then where'll we be?"
My father ignored him and went on talking. "You all know your places. Montparnasse, you and Eponine watch for the law. Take care! No mistakes, my dears." He warned.
I shook my head and glanced aside with a disgusted sigh. I looked up only to make brief eye contact with Montparnasse before moving away from the shady group.
I walked out to the lit street and spotted two students in front of the University. My heart gave a leap when I saw Marius, and it began to pound very hard when his gaze met mine-did that mean that he was starting to like me the way I liked him? I watched him part ways with his friends, and I tried to look natural as he made his way to me.
"How are things today, Eponine? I haven't seen you around much.
I smiled. "Don't worry, here is where you can always catch me."
Marius gave me a scolding look. "Mind that to /police/ don't catch you!"
I chose to ignore his remark. He always chided me like that, like I was only a little girl. He seemed to forget that I was his age, probably older, too. I nodded toward the books he held under his arm, eager to change the subject. "What do you do with all those books?" I paused a moment, then answered my own question. "I couldn't been a student, too. Don't judge a girl by her looks alone. I know a lot of things, yes sir." I gave him another confident smile.
Marius shook his head, but he looked amused. "Oh, Eponine. The things you know, you can't find in books like these."
"Oh, I like the way you grow your hair." I said dreamily, paying more attention to his handsome face than to his nagging words.
He laughed jovially and patted my shoulder. "I like the way you always tease."
I didn't mean to, but I felt my smile falter. /Little he knows,/ I thought to myself. /Little he sees./
**Cosette**
"I do not like this place one bit, Cosette." My father murmured to me. I glanced over at him and chose not to reply, instead I looked back at the street as we walked. I couldn't quite say I disagreed. It was a frightening place, to be sure, one full of staring people that watched us as we walked, two respectable middle-class Parisians-bourgeois, they called us-in the rat's lair.
I glanced in the direction and caught sight of a rather handsome young student. He was talking with another girl about my own age, and it was apparent by the look on his face that he did not want to be having that conversation. I lingered my eyes for a moment on the girl. She looked vaguely familiar to me, but I knew that I'd never seen her before in my life.
"Please, Monsieur." a voice from the side said. Both my father and I looked to where the raspy voice was coming from. It was a ragged-looking man, sitting next to a woman who was draped in a patched, thin blanket, weeping over what appeared to be a small baby. I had to frown sympathetically. I hated going down this street; there were so many beggars and poor who called at us pleadingly from the side streets, beseeching us for a morsel of food or a spare coat. It broke my heart, especially when I had so much that I didn't truly need. But my father would say nothing, only continue to walk, stone-faced and stoic as always.
The beggar in the street rose from his seat and hobbled toward us. I took a step back, suddenly feeling the need to put some distance between us. He didn't look right. "Here's a child that hasn't eaten today. Please, spare a sou to save a life! God does reward all the good that you do."
"Come, Cosette." My father said quietly, attempting to pull me along. I watched the woman with the baby. How pitiful! Oh, but I wished that I had a few sous that I could give to them, so that they could feed that poor child. What a wretched thing, indeed.
"But, Papá." I protested, wishing to stay and help them. Or, at least the woman. But my father would hear none of it, and pulled me away.
Suddenly, the man in the alley stopped his approach toward us. I saw him lay his eyes on my father like he had turned into a chicken, and he himself was a fox. "Wait a bit.I know that face!" he snarled suddenly.
I didn't waste any time in moving behind my father, out into the street.
**Marius**
Eponine looked up as a well-dressed man and a pretty young lady started making their way down the street. I looked up too. Eponine wore an expression of growing apprehension, and I turned mine to confusion. Suddenly she turned to me and tried to push me away.
"Stay out of this." She warned.
"But, Eponine."
She shook her head at me. "No! You'll only get in trouble. It's none of your concern." She said viciously, and started moving toward the gang. I stubbornly followed, furrowing a brow.
"Who is that man?" I called, pointing at the man whom she was moving towards. Something about him didn't seem right.
"Leave me alone!" Eponine shouted back at me.
I continued to follow her. "What is he doing? Wait, Epo-" I stopped dead and fell back a step, realizing that I had just walked into the pretty girl who had been walking with the older gentleman. She stared at me with wide, beautiful eyes. At first I could not find my voice. "I didn't see you there..forgive me." I stammered finally, giving a slight bow.
She was so beautiful! I hoped that the shock that had just run through my blood was not showing on my face.
The young lady swallowed and shook her head. "No.it's all right. No trouble." She said. My heart was still beating painfully fast, even as I nodded uncertainly and backed away.
**Eponine**
I ran back to the shadowy side-street and jumped up on top of a box that was propped up against a light pole. Looking around to ensure that Marius-he was so stupid, trying to follow me!-hadn't come after me, I hugged the pole and then glanced at my father. He was trying to haggle money out of the well-dressed gentleman. I should have been watching for the police, but I was too busy watching Marius, who was still staring at the pretty girl.
Suddenly a yell from my father split the air and I looked over. He was grabbing the gentleman and shrieking something about someone called Cosette.
That name stirred an old memory near the back of my mind. Where had I heard that name before?
It didn't occur to me that I ought to have been watching for the police until Montparnasse took care to remind me. "'Ponine!" he hissed. "Look out!"
I whirled around and felt my mouth fall open. "Hey! It's the police, disappear! Run for it!" I jumped down from the box even as the gang scrambled away, just as the formidable Inspector and his constables walked down the street, scattering the beggars in their wake.
I didn't bother to look back. Instead I ran away, down the street, where I knew the Inspector surely wouldn't follow. I stopped and dared a look back. I hadn't a clue where everyone else had gone, but realized that I really didn't care. The only thing on my mind was that girl I'd seen, the name that I had heard. It was whirling through my mind, digging up old memories of life in Montfermeil.
"Cosette." I said aloud, savoring the name on my lips. "Now I remember! Oh, Cosette..." The name came out as a growl. "How could this be? We were children together. Now look.what's become of me." I looked down at my ragged dress, my too-small shoes. The tables had turned on me, it seemed-Cosette had once been the whelp, our slave girl who was dressed in rags and did all the work about the inn.
Suddenly, I was not alone; Marius was walking almost blindly, it seemed, down the street in my direction. I crossed my arms and tried to appear unconcerned.
"Good God, what a ruckus!" I said loudly, more to get his attention than anything.
"That girl.who might she be?" Marius mused absently.
"That cop, he'd sure like to jump us. But he aint smart like us." I continued, fully aware that he wasn't paying the least bit of attention to me.
Marius looked over at me and approached slowly. "Eponine, who was that girl?" he asked.
I scoffed. "Who, that bourgeois two-a-penny thing? How would I know?"
He took my hands. I wanted to pull away, but couldn't bring myself to do it. "Eponine, will you find her for me?"
I blinked. What kind of question was that? "What will you give me?" I asked curiously.
"Anything!" Marius said, a look of relief spreading over his handsome face. He let go of my hands and went for his pockets.
Pulling my hands to my waist, I laughed. "I've got you all excited now, but only God knows what you see in /her/. Aren't you all delighted now-" I paused, realizing that Marius was holding out a handful of coins. "Oh-no, I don't want your money.sir." Embarrassed, I backed up a step and stared at my shoes.
Marius took me by the shoulders pleadingly. "Eponine, do this for me! Please, discover where she lives.but, be careful how you go. Don't let her father know someone's looking for her. Oh, 'Ponine. I'm lost until she's found!"
I wanted to slap him. Instead, I nodded reluctantly and backed away, avoiding his gaze. "You see.I told you so. There are lots of things I know." Marius smiled gratefully at me and ran off down the street. I sighed. /'Ponine. She knows her way around./