Eponine made her way through the crowded streets of Paris, pick-pocketing what she could as she went. She was good at this, she was a small, slight creature and so she was able to slip through the crowded streets of Paris easily, taking what she could from unsuspecting passers by as she went by unnoticed. Never getting caught, as she was so fast and practiced at this, she had to be, if she didn't come back with what her father thought was a sufficient days haul there would be consequences and she had the bruises to prove it.
She rounded a corner and stepped into an empty alley walking swiftly to the end, looking over her shoulder as she went, checking she wasn't being followed by the police or worse any of her father's street gang the Patron-Minette. This was a notoriously feared street gang in Paris and to Eponine much more terrifying than the police and her father was one of them.
She decided that she was safe for now and crouched in the corner of the alley with her back to the entrance, concealing herself from any prying eyes. She emptied her takings from her skirts and took an inventory; a couple of wallets, a few broaches and a silver hairpin, her father would be pleased with the hairpin. She looked inside each wallet to see what they contained, there was money in all of them which was good luck since the people of Paris did not always have money in their pockets unless they were the well to do. This is from whom Eponine would find the best takings, people who had money, nice things, clothes and food to spare. Unlike her family her father, mother, sister and her all living in a small space in the apartment building Gorbeau house, conning and stealing for a living.
It had not always been like this, they had owned an inn and Eponine and her sister Azelma had, had nice clothes and dolls, but they had lost the inn and had to sell all of their fine things, which is how they ended up in Paris 1 year ago her father forcing Eponine and Azelma into a life of crime in order to stay alive. Their younger brother Gavroche had run away shortly after they had arrived in Paris, their parents not caring as long as they had her and Azelma to go out and work. Eponine was glad Gavroche had gotten away from their parents, she saw him from time to time helping him by giving him bits of food or money when she could. He was a street urchin living on the streets, stealing to survive but it was a better life than he would have with their parents and that was as good as it was going to get.
Eponine only wished that Azelma could get away too, she knew that she would never be able to get away herself, she was too useful to her father and his gang. But Azelma was becoming increasingly useful and her father was taking her out on more jobs with his gang, this was worrying to Eponine as she didn't want her father to need Azelma, she wanted there to be a chance that she could get away from all of this. She tried to protect her younger sister as much as she could, especially from the members of her father's gang who used Eponine as an all you can eat buffet, and as long as she was there to keep them occupied she hoped that they would never need to use Azelma in the way they used her.
Eponine gathered her takings together and set off to find Azelma who was also out doing her rounds, taking what she could. Her haul should do for today, besides it was starting to get dark and she didn't want to get home to late, if her father didn't need her for any jobs tonight, she might just be able to sneak away and go the café to see Marius. Just being with Marius made all of Eponine's troubles seem so far away, even if most of the time he didn't notice her, it made her happy, he was her happy place and that was all that mattered to her.
She remembered the first time she had seen Marius, she and her family had just moved into the apartment building and there he was. He didn't fit in there; he looked so different from the rest of the apartments residents, as if he was from a different world entirely. She soon found out that this was right, he was from a rich family, but had been cut off, he'd traded it all in for a life of poverty, so that he could fight for the people down below. This made Eponine admire him all the more, he seemed to have a way about him that made him light up to her, just watching him made her happy and when he did acknowledge her she didn't fell like the worthless street rat she was anymore, she felt like she mattered and she would do anything for him.
The first time he had spoken to her, had been about one month after they had moved into the same apartment building as him, it was raining and Eponine was on her way home from her daily rounds clutching her takings closely to her trying to keep them from getting soaked by the sudden heavy downpour.
Eponine scurried home head bent down to try and keep the pelting rain from stinging the welt on her face that she had received earlier that week from one of her fathers gang member when she refused to co-operate. It was getting dark and the streets were almost deserted, all but the occasional person walking quickly, trying to outrun the rain. She didn't see him when she rounded the corner, walked straight into him and fell flat on her face. She got up onto her hands and knees and began franticly gathering the things she had been carrying, trying to save her daily takings from the rain. He bent down and started to help her collect the sodden wallets and trinkets, 'here' he said as he handed her a necklace, 'I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there what with the rain and all' he smiled then and looked into her eyes as she raised her head recognising his voice at once.
'hey don't I know you?' Eponine shook her head 'no Monsieur'
'I do! You and your family live in the same apartment building as me, Gorbeau House' this made Eponine smile, the fact that he recognised her made her feel like she existed
'let's get you home and out of the rain' he said as he helped her up and escorted her back home
Eponine was grateful that he did not mention her haul, it was obvious what it was, but he knew that times were hard and people had to make a living the best they could, any way they could. It was what he was fighting for after all and him not questioning why she had multiple wallets and trinkets only made her admire him more.