Chapter 1

Eponine walked down the labyrinth of dark alleys that made up the streets of Paris, she was heading towards the café. She'd made 10 francs that day by pick-pocketing unsuspecting individuals in the street, although she only gave her father 6 and kept the rest for herself, buying some rolls for her and her siblings and planning on spending the rest on a drink at the musain. She hummed quietly to herself as she skipped along the path, taking small bites of the soft white bun that she carried with her.

Someone grabbed her by the shoulder and she stopped in her tracks, frozen with fear. She dropped the roll on the floor.

"Your father sent me to get you" the man said in his gravelly voice.

Eponine turned round, it was Montparnasse.

"Well I'm busy, tell him you didn't see me" she said, trying to make a move but he just tightened his grip.

"So you want me to lie to your father?" Montparnasse questioned.

Eponine stared into his big green eyes "well" she thought for a minute "I guess, what does he want anyway?"

"He knows that you kept some of the money, Brujon had been keeping an eye on you whilst you worked"

"Oh" Eponine looked down, she knew she was in for it when she went home, if she went home.

"So, are you coming?" he asked.

"Look 'Parnasse, I told you I have somewhere to be" she stated, still looking at her toes.

Montparnasse picked her up and flung the girl over his shoulder, she started screaming and thumping his back with her fists. He dropped her; she hit the floor with a thud. "I'm starting to get tired off your little games 'Ponine" he said spitting in the girls face. "You always seem to disobey, not like the old you"

Eponine wiped away the mucus with the back of her hand. "Please" she said getting on her knees and clasping her hands together as if she was praying.

"Christ sake 'Ponine" he growled through gritted teeth. He had always been short tempered. He grabbed the girl by the hem of her shirt and dragged her into an area in the street that was pitch black and which couldn't be seen by anyone. Eponine's skinny body scraped across the concrete floor, she tried to stand up and escape but the position she was in made it impossible.

Montparnasse threw the girl against a wall where she wacked her head against it, causing her to let out a little shriek. Tears began to fall down her face and she clasped the back of her head as if to try and stop any blood that may be flowing from it. She looked back at her hands and thankfully she saw she wasn't bleeding. She pulled herself up with the aid of the wall and she stood with her back to it, staring at Montparnasse who was walking backwards and forth in front of her.

"'Parnasse" she said, holding out a trembling hand. He stopped in front of her, looking her up and down. Before she could say or do anything he had pulled out his snotty handkerchief and shoved it in Eponine's mouth, he had then knocked her onto the floor holding her hands above her head.

Eponine tried to move but his hold was too tight, she tried to scream but the cloth blocked any sound from leaving her mouth. She was helpless. Montparnasse lifted Eponine's skirt up to her waist, keeping one hand to hold down hers. He then undid himself. Eponine knew what was happening, it wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last. She closed her eyes, hoping it would be over quickly. She felt a cold hand slap her across the face "look at me you bitch" Montparnasse shouted. She did as she was told, staring into the darkness.

It wasn't over as quickly as she had hoped and once he had finished he laid on top of her slowly letting himself come down from his high. Tears were strolling rapidly down her face, not just from the pain. She felt as if she was going to be sick, what had happened to that kind boy she had once met 4 years ago? Father. She answered herself.

"Now wasn't that fun?" Montparnasse said, doing himself up. "That was your payment to me for making me lie to your father" he stated before leaving.

Eponine was exhausted both physically and mentally. She pulled the grimy handkerchief from her mouth; she rolled on to her side and vomited. She slowly got to her feet, again using the wall for support. Her head spun with dizziness and she tightened her grip on the wall. She couldn't dwell on what had just happened, she had a meeting to get too. Pushing everything to the back of her mind she slowly walked to the café, her head was throbbing.

When she got to the door she stopped and wiped her eyes, getting rid of any tear stains that may be there. She straightened out her skirt once again and gently pushed open the door. She could hear Enjolras making a speech in the room above and headed towards the stairs.

"And now we shall raise our glasses" Enjolras took his mug of ale in his hand, lifting it above his head. Everyone in the room did the same. "Cheers" he said, the room copying him. Enjolras jumped down from the table and took a seat next to Joly.

Eponine reached the top of the stairs and darted her eyes around the room, looking for her friends. "Over here" she heard Enjolras call and saw him wave his hand in the air. She walked over to the table and took the seat next to him.

"Are you okay?" he said noticing a big graze on her palm and grabbing her hand to take a closer look.

She recoiled her hands quickly and shoved them under the table "I'm fine, I just tripped over a loose pebble on the way here and landed flat on my hand" she lied.

"Ouch" Enjolras said. That's what you think. She thought to herself, thinking of all the other injuries she had gathered over the past month, let alone her whole life.

"Do you want a drink 'Ponine?" Joly said, getting up from his chair carrying a handful of empty tankards. "Please" she said, delving her hand into her pocket "I can even pay today" she felt proud being able to say that.

She'd yet to feel the coldness of a coin touch her bare skin, she wiggled her hand around her pocket in desperation "that bloody little thief" she muttered under her breath. She gave up and slumped her body over the table.

"Eponine?" Enjolras said, placing a warm hand on her back. She jumped before realising where she was; her body had become used to flinching every time someone touched her, always preparing for it to be her father or one of his gang members.

"Sorry" she said relieved, sitting up. "I did have the money, really I did" she said quickly, not wanting her friends to think she was a liar or that she was just using them for free drinks. "It's okay 'Ponine, I've got it covered" Enjolras said, placing 3 sous on the table, in front of her.

"I really don't deserve friends like you" Eponine smiled. "Oh Eponine, shush will you" Joly said placing a mug of ale in front of the woman, a few drops spilled over the rim. Grantaire was quick to make himself present and before anyone could stop him he had licked up the spilt ale.

"Come on, I'm taking you home" Combeferre grabbed the drunken who obeyed and put his arm around Combeferre's shoulders. "Goodnight Grantaire" Joly, Enjolras and Eponine said in sync, laughing at the state he was in.

Eponine downed her ale and got up swiftly "I better be off too" she said, wiping away some froth that was sitting above her top lip, and with that she turned round taking long strides over to the stairs. She had almost forgotten the day's incident before Joly shouted across the room "Eponine what's that?" he pointed at the back of her skirt. Enjolras followed to where the finger pointed and saw that Eponine was bleeding, from behind. He looked to the seat next to him were she had been sitting just a few minutes ago and saw, to his horror, a small patch of blood on the chair. Eponine realised where she was bleeding from and before anyone could stop her she had ran out the door and down the cobbled street.

Enjolras jumped out of his seat and ran down the stairs and into the street; he looked around for any sign of the young women and which direction she had gone in. Joly was hot on his heels, if his medical knowledge was right then the poor women had been raped, there was no other reason for bleeding like that.

The two men walked down the street directly opposite them, trying not to make a sound and listening out for any sounds of a young distressed girl. No luck.

Eponine was already a street away from her house; she stopped to check that she wasn't being followed before continuing down the road. She was highly embarrassed that they had seen her the way she was, she prayed to herself that they didn't know the reason behind it all.

Enjolras and Joly gave up after searching the streets of Paris for a good hour; they headed back to their houses. Joly lived 6 houses down from Enjolras and Enjolras lived a street away from the musain. They walked and talked about the young girl, discussing how they could possibly protect Eponine from whoever would do that to a 17 year old and hoping that she had a family to go back to who would keep her safe. They didn't know anything about Eponine's personal life, not that her father beat her or that he sold her to his gang members, they knew nothing. Eponine was a good liar and they had never seen anything to be suspicious about, until today. Eponine always managed to cover up her cuts and bruises keeping them a secret, not even her sister or brother knew how bad she really got beaten.

When Eponine got in the front door of her house she heard her father immediately shout "Eponine you little whore is that you?" "Yes father" she said confidently, although she was scared for her life. "Come here and join your little scum of a sister" Thenadier demanded. Azelma, Eponine thought, worrying what had happened her little sister in her absence. Eponine moved quickly and quietly into the living room where Azelma walked straight over to her. She squeezed Eponine's hand and then left. Eponine noticed the bruises on her sister's arm and the blood running from her beaten nose. This is my fault she thought to herself If only I came home when I was told. Eponine heard her sister run up the stairs and into their shared bedroom, shutting the door behind her with a bang.

Eponine walked cautiously over to her father who was sitting in the middle of the room, on a broken stool. The rest of his gang encircling him, Montparnasse included.

She soon felt the warm hand of her father's slap her across the cheek. "You little slut" he shouted. Eponine's eyes began to water from the pain. "Who do you think you are?" he shouted again, this time kicking her hard on the foot, causing her to fall to the floor with a large thump. A tear was released and slowly it made itself down the side of her cheek.

Eponine saw her gangs father swarm over to her, she closed her eyes expecting to feel the blows of several hands and feet but they never came. She opened her eyes slowly; her father's face was so close to hers that she could smell his stinky breath on hers. Then the blow came.

A huge fist hit her in the ribs, she felt a crunch and suddenly she was short of breath. Eponine struggled to get any air at all. She rolled over onto her side and pulled her legs up to her chest, protecting herself from the fists that would follow. She was right; a few blows came from all angles, hitting her in several different parts of her body. She couldn't feel any pain, not through the one that was already there in her chest, causing her to take deep gasps of air.

This was her end. She knew it. Gradually she felt herself fall into the darkness, she felt herself falling slowly and a warm happy feeling swarmed over her. She felt at peace.