Just a random idea that popped into my head so here it is.

Disclaimer: I don't own Les Miserables or any of the wonderful characters.

Eponine Thenardier was 5 years, 11 months, 363 days, 23 hours, and 59 minutes old. She sat alone on the floor of her cold, damp bedroom. If you could call it that. The room was empty except for a stack of hay in the corner. That was where Eponine slept. Eponine had no friends. She was all alone. She had no one who truly cared for her. Her mother cared enough not to throw her out into the streets, but that was as far as her mother's affection went for her. Most of Mme. Thenardier's affection was directed towards a beautiful little girl by the name of Cosette. Cosette had come into Eponine's life a year ago. Her mother had begged the Thenardiess to take care of Cosette while she worked in the small town of Montreuil-sur-Mer. Since that moment, Eponine's life had completely changed. She used to have beautiful dresses and plenty of toys. But her parents worshipped Cosette for her beauty and had given her all of Eponine's toys and beautiful dresses, leaving Eponine to wear rags. Cosette attracted costumers to the inn. She was simply delightful to be around. The mere sound of her joyous laughter could bring a smile to the face of even the most miserable man. Eponine envied her, but she never let the girl know.

"21, 22, 23..." Eponine was counting down. In less than a minute she would turn 6 years old.

Not only did the Thenardiers get more business because of Cosette's presence, but they also got money from Cosette's mother. The Thenardiers were not poor as they had been before Cosette's arrival.

"37, 38, 39..."

Eponine herself may have been beautiful. Maybe if her hair wasn't tangled and matted with dirt and even a little bit of blood (her father enjoyed beating her when he was angry or when Eponine failed to do something properly), or if she wasn't so thin that you could see her ribs through her threadbare rags, or if she wasn't covered in bruises and welts, or–worst of all–if the misery in her eyes didn't make it so painful to look at her. To look upon Eponine was to pity her. But she would not accept anyone's pity. She'd accept their money, yes. But not their pity. Several times, out of pity for the poor child, people had offered to help her with whatever impossibly hard task Monsieur Thenardier had given her, but Eponine always said no. She wanted to prove that she could do it on her own. That, and the fact that her father would be furious with her if she accepted the offers of help. When her father was mad he beat her horribly. He beat his own child! His own little girl! And for God's sake, she was only 5! Her mother never beat her, but she also never stopped M. Thenardier from doing it.

"55, 56, 57..."

The poor girl shivered. It was winter and she had no wool to keep her warm. She didn't even have any shoes to keep her feet warm! Chilblains covered her hands and her feet, they were painful.

"58, 59... 60! Happy Birthday me..." she whispered as she blew out the single candle that she had taken from the kitchen. "I wish I had a friend... all I want is a friend..." Eponine began to sob. "Oh how lonely I am!" she exclaimed miserably.

She heard the floor creak. Eponine looked up and found Cosette watching her.

"Did I w-wake ya?" Eponine asked her. Cosette nodded, a faint look of annoyance on her gorgeous face. "Oh... I... I'm s-sorry..." she stuttered. Cosette noticed the tears falling from Eponine's big, chocolate brown eyes.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked snappishly.

"N-nothin'." Eponine replied, trembling.

"Well keep it down then!" Cosette turned and walked away, her beautiful golden hair billowing behing her. Eponine sighed. She walked over to her mound of hay and lay down. She pulled some of the hay so that it was covering her, yet she still shivered. She closed her eyes. She prayed for a good dream, something that could make her misery disappear for the night.

"All I wan' is a friend..." she murmured. "That's it. Nothin' else. I just wan' a friend... someone who will care 'bout me and hold me when I cry. Someone I can rely on, someone who can make me laugh. Someone who, at the very sight of them, will make me so undescribably happy. Someone I can trust. Please God! I implore you! Jus' give me a friend... please..."

Eponine drifted off into the realm of dreams. She dreamed the most wonderful dream.

Eponine ran through the streets. She was being chased by a young boy, her best friend, her only friend. She ran, laughing as she went. She could hear the sweet sound of the boy's laughter.

Eponine was beautiful. Her long, waist length brown hair was straight and flew behind her as she ran. Her big, chocolate brown eyes were full of laughter. Her olive toned skin was blemish free. There was not a trace of a bruise or scar. She was thin, but attractively so.

Eponine radiated happiness, one who looked at her would think her to be the happiest child in existence.

"I'm gonna get you, Eponine!" the boy exclaimed gleefully.

"Nuh-uh!" she exclaimed back. But as she said it, the boy caught up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He spun her around. Eponine giggled. She turned and hugged him, a wide smile on her exquisitely beautiful face.

"Got ya!" he said with a grin. Eponine laughed.

"Get up!" a rough voice awakened Eponine from her lovely dream. The voice, of course, belonged to her father and was followed by a slap to Eponine's face. She whimpered in pain. "Go to the market and buy some bread!" he shouted at her. Eponine scrambled to her feet. Her father tossed her a couple of sous and then shoved her hard before leaving the room. She hurriedly got dressed. What a great birthday... she thought sarcastically.

Eponine ran all the way to the market, fearing that if she took too long her father would be very angry with her. Then she'd get a beating. She shuddered at the thought. Just another day that I have to get through. she thought. One more day all on my own... she sighed. One more day with no one caring... what a life I might have known! But they never saw me there!

Eponine wasn't paying attention to where she was going. She ran right into a young boy, knocking them both to the ground.

"I'm s-sorry!" she said quickly, for a moment fearing that he would strike her as her father would have done. The boy merely smiled and laughed. He jumped to his feet and then helped her up.

"No matter," he said with a boyish grin. Eponine looked at him and nearly gasped. He was the boy from her dream! Eponine smiled widely. The boy smiled back and did a sort of bow as he introduced himself "I am Marius Pontmercy!" he annouced grandly.

"Nice ta m-meet ya, M'sieur. I'm Eponine Thenardier." she said as she curtsied.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mademoiselle."

So what did ya think? Just out of curiosity, did anyone get the slight reference at the beginning of the chapter? Please review!