Wanted
Eponine stood alone where her father had instructed her to be the lookout. Her bare feet were frozen in the snow and she felt her lips quiver. Her breath was faint, and as she exhaled, she saw it rise into the air. She hoped that her father wouldn't keep this up for too long. The longer he pressed the scam, the longer she and Azelma stood outside watching for someone who wouldn't come.
She wanted to know what was going on upstairs. The man, whom she had seen earlier that day, didn't bring the girl as he had done before. 'Doesn't matter whether or not he brought her. Papa must have found some way to use her as a ransom. Any way to squeeze money out of the old man will do for him.'
She then saw a man walking towards her. She had known this man for many months, but she wasn't sure that she trusted him. After all, he was a thief and a murderer, or so was said about him. He never noticed her, as he was usually absorbed in the latest con, and today, she thought, was no exception. She expected him to look her over as he passed by, but he stopped in front of her.
"Evenin', 'Ponine."
His familiarity shocked her. She had never spoken to him at length before, only in hushed whisper before or during a robbery.
"Hello, Montparnasse. You're late. Papa won't be pleased."
"He don't need me. The whole group turned up for this con. Business ain't exactly been great lately. So they won't miss me much."
Eponine had never really taken a good look at Montparnasse. He was the most handsome and the youngest of all Patron-Minette. He was only about four years her elder. They continued to look each other over, and Eponine took a minute to look at herself. A belt held up the short, ripped skirt that hung loosely around her waist. Her shirt was a sleeveless and covered in dirt. Montparnasse took off his jacket, and handed it to her.
"You look pretty cold."
"You didn't have to do that."
"Why not?"
"Well, you never gave me the time of day before."
"Never had the chance to. Tell you honest, I have been thinking about you lately."
"You have?"
"Sure. What's not to think about? You ain't hard to look at. You is actually ...pretty."
"No I ain't."
"Yes you are." He cupped her face in his hand. "Eponine, you shouldn't listen to your father. You shouldn't do what we is doing."
"It's the only way to get food in our bellies."
"Is that the only reason your here, alive?"
"What do you mean?"
"Is the only purpose in live to serve your father and make sure he's happy? Shouldn't you be happy?"
"I haven't anything to make me happy."
"I could make you happy." He lowered his mouth to hers and they were both enveloped in a soft kiss. He began to pull out, but she moved her head up to his. Their kiss was no longer soft, but passionate. Eponine threw her arms around his neck as Montparnasse placed his hands around her waist. He then released her and moved backwards.
"Not here." He grabbed her hand and walked a few blocks down. He led her up some stairs in what looked like another tenement building. "Nobody's home, don't worry." He kicked the door open and led her in. Eponine dropped her coat, and saw a mirror hanging on the wall. She caught her reflection, and saw that her face was flushed. With some color in her face, she actually looked a little grown up.
Montparnasse came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist as he kissed her hair. Eponine was a little skeptical at why Montparnasse had taken a sudden interest in her. Maybe it hadn't been so sudden. Perhaps he was hiding his feelings until the perfect time came about, which had to be today. 'Parnasse shifted her so that they were facing each other. The two were forehead to forehead.
"'Parnasse, what are you doing?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why have you suddenly..."
She was cut off when he kissed her again. She was irritated at first, then gave in. She had never known what it was like to sought after by a man, to be wanted as Montparnasse wanted her. He pulled her down to the floor, and Eponine gasped as she pulled back.
"What?"
"'Parnasse, I get the feeling that you don't really want me for me."
"Why wouldn't I? I've known you long enough, and you've known me. I trust you, and I love you."
'Love', the single word which Eponine had never heard anyone say to her. She had never known the love of a family. Her parents had spoiled her rotten, but it was only because they were too busy with themselves to care about their own children. Eponine had never really known the love of a friend, for her sister barely constituted. She was more a nanny to Azelma, and she never had time to herself while watching to make sure that her sister wasn't getting in trouble. She hadn't even the chance to know the love of another. Since she was always doing this or that for her father, her time was very much occupied, and she never had the chance to seek the companionship of another in an intimate way.
Eponine studied the man beside her. Eponine, though quite intelligent, was deprived of many things, love being included, which made her very gullible. When Montparnasse said that he loved her, she believed him with all her heart. She thought that this feeling of being needed was something that she wanted to keep in her life. She moved back to Montparnasse, and he grabbed a strand of her hair. He began to twist it around his index finger as he looked into her eyes.
"If you don't..."
"No, I do. I believe you." She kissed him again, and he pulled her into his arms.
Eponine took no limitations. For what seemed like hours, she stayed with Montparnasse. She needed whatever he was willing to give to her. She needed his love, and to be part of that same love. But this love was cut short when she remembered her father's instructions. She broke the kiss that they had held.
"I have to go."
"No you don't. You can stay."
"No, if I get caught not there..."
"'Ponine..."
"I do want to stay."
"Then stay."
God knows that she wanted to, but she got up, gathered her belongings, and left. She ran back to the tenement, and saw her father nearly halfway out the window. She got back just in time for him to see her.
"'Ponine, any cops around that side?"
She looked to both sides and shook her head.
"We is all coming down. Jesus, is it snowing again?"
"Let me offer you some help, Monsieur."
Eponine did not recognize that voice, and she saw its owner seconds later. It was that of the police inspector. He saw her, and pointed to her.
"You, stay where you are. Lieutenant, go bring the two girls down to the station. I'll deal with them after these ruffians have been punished."
************************************************************************
Eponine emerged from jail weeks later. After two months, she had time to reflect. Her father was being held in solitary confinement, while the others were devising some way to escape. She had been told to be the messenger between the prisons, but she didn't uphold the responsibility. She was tired of being punished for what she hadn't done, and the time served in jail was evidence enough of that.
She walked into the park, and sat on a bench. She had been used all these years. By her father, by her mother, and now, and most recently, by Montparnasse.
************************************************************************
A/N - Hey! I got this idea when I was reading "Les Miserables". It was the part where Eponine and Montparnasse leave the "crime scene", so to speak, to do other things. Since my first story, "Pulls of the Heart", went basically down that road, I thought it would be fun, (writing for me is fun; shows what kind of life I have,) to explore this unelaborated situation and put my own style into it. Thanks!
Eponine stood alone where her father had instructed her to be the lookout. Her bare feet were frozen in the snow and she felt her lips quiver. Her breath was faint, and as she exhaled, she saw it rise into the air. She hoped that her father wouldn't keep this up for too long. The longer he pressed the scam, the longer she and Azelma stood outside watching for someone who wouldn't come.
She wanted to know what was going on upstairs. The man, whom she had seen earlier that day, didn't bring the girl as he had done before. 'Doesn't matter whether or not he brought her. Papa must have found some way to use her as a ransom. Any way to squeeze money out of the old man will do for him.'
She then saw a man walking towards her. She had known this man for many months, but she wasn't sure that she trusted him. After all, he was a thief and a murderer, or so was said about him. He never noticed her, as he was usually absorbed in the latest con, and today, she thought, was no exception. She expected him to look her over as he passed by, but he stopped in front of her.
"Evenin', 'Ponine."
His familiarity shocked her. She had never spoken to him at length before, only in hushed whisper before or during a robbery.
"Hello, Montparnasse. You're late. Papa won't be pleased."
"He don't need me. The whole group turned up for this con. Business ain't exactly been great lately. So they won't miss me much."
Eponine had never really taken a good look at Montparnasse. He was the most handsome and the youngest of all Patron-Minette. He was only about four years her elder. They continued to look each other over, and Eponine took a minute to look at herself. A belt held up the short, ripped skirt that hung loosely around her waist. Her shirt was a sleeveless and covered in dirt. Montparnasse took off his jacket, and handed it to her.
"You look pretty cold."
"You didn't have to do that."
"Why not?"
"Well, you never gave me the time of day before."
"Never had the chance to. Tell you honest, I have been thinking about you lately."
"You have?"
"Sure. What's not to think about? You ain't hard to look at. You is actually ...pretty."
"No I ain't."
"Yes you are." He cupped her face in his hand. "Eponine, you shouldn't listen to your father. You shouldn't do what we is doing."
"It's the only way to get food in our bellies."
"Is that the only reason your here, alive?"
"What do you mean?"
"Is the only purpose in live to serve your father and make sure he's happy? Shouldn't you be happy?"
"I haven't anything to make me happy."
"I could make you happy." He lowered his mouth to hers and they were both enveloped in a soft kiss. He began to pull out, but she moved her head up to his. Their kiss was no longer soft, but passionate. Eponine threw her arms around his neck as Montparnasse placed his hands around her waist. He then released her and moved backwards.
"Not here." He grabbed her hand and walked a few blocks down. He led her up some stairs in what looked like another tenement building. "Nobody's home, don't worry." He kicked the door open and led her in. Eponine dropped her coat, and saw a mirror hanging on the wall. She caught her reflection, and saw that her face was flushed. With some color in her face, she actually looked a little grown up.
Montparnasse came up behind her and wrapped her arms around her waist as he kissed her hair. Eponine was a little skeptical at why Montparnasse had taken a sudden interest in her. Maybe it hadn't been so sudden. Perhaps he was hiding his feelings until the perfect time came about, which had to be today. 'Parnasse shifted her so that they were facing each other. The two were forehead to forehead.
"'Parnasse, what are you doing?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why have you suddenly..."
She was cut off when he kissed her again. She was irritated at first, then gave in. She had never known what it was like to sought after by a man, to be wanted as Montparnasse wanted her. He pulled her down to the floor, and Eponine gasped as she pulled back.
"What?"
"'Parnasse, I get the feeling that you don't really want me for me."
"Why wouldn't I? I've known you long enough, and you've known me. I trust you, and I love you."
'Love', the single word which Eponine had never heard anyone say to her. She had never known the love of a family. Her parents had spoiled her rotten, but it was only because they were too busy with themselves to care about their own children. Eponine had never really known the love of a friend, for her sister barely constituted. She was more a nanny to Azelma, and she never had time to herself while watching to make sure that her sister wasn't getting in trouble. She hadn't even the chance to know the love of another. Since she was always doing this or that for her father, her time was very much occupied, and she never had the chance to seek the companionship of another in an intimate way.
Eponine studied the man beside her. Eponine, though quite intelligent, was deprived of many things, love being included, which made her very gullible. When Montparnasse said that he loved her, she believed him with all her heart. She thought that this feeling of being needed was something that she wanted to keep in her life. She moved back to Montparnasse, and he grabbed a strand of her hair. He began to twist it around his index finger as he looked into her eyes.
"If you don't..."
"No, I do. I believe you." She kissed him again, and he pulled her into his arms.
Eponine took no limitations. For what seemed like hours, she stayed with Montparnasse. She needed whatever he was willing to give to her. She needed his love, and to be part of that same love. But this love was cut short when she remembered her father's instructions. She broke the kiss that they had held.
"I have to go."
"No you don't. You can stay."
"No, if I get caught not there..."
"'Ponine..."
"I do want to stay."
"Then stay."
God knows that she wanted to, but she got up, gathered her belongings, and left. She ran back to the tenement, and saw her father nearly halfway out the window. She got back just in time for him to see her.
"'Ponine, any cops around that side?"
She looked to both sides and shook her head.
"We is all coming down. Jesus, is it snowing again?"
"Let me offer you some help, Monsieur."
Eponine did not recognize that voice, and she saw its owner seconds later. It was that of the police inspector. He saw her, and pointed to her.
"You, stay where you are. Lieutenant, go bring the two girls down to the station. I'll deal with them after these ruffians have been punished."
************************************************************************
Eponine emerged from jail weeks later. After two months, she had time to reflect. Her father was being held in solitary confinement, while the others were devising some way to escape. She had been told to be the messenger between the prisons, but she didn't uphold the responsibility. She was tired of being punished for what she hadn't done, and the time served in jail was evidence enough of that.
She walked into the park, and sat on a bench. She had been used all these years. By her father, by her mother, and now, and most recently, by Montparnasse.
************************************************************************
A/N - Hey! I got this idea when I was reading "Les Miserables". It was the part where Eponine and Montparnasse leave the "crime scene", so to speak, to do other things. Since my first story, "Pulls of the Heart", went basically down that road, I thought it would be fun, (writing for me is fun; shows what kind of life I have,) to explore this unelaborated situation and put my own style into it. Thanks!