A/N: Thank you guys for the the reviews! They were so amazing. It made me feel good about my story. I'm glad you guys liked Clara, I'll be sure to make her more awesome. I'll try to update every night, but if I don't it is probably because I have a big paper to write. College sucks -.- that's all I have to say. Well, enjoy this chapter and I promise they will get more exciting! :)
Chapter 2- The Robbery/ Realization
Éponine could feel her heart shattering. Those soft love-filled looks they were giving each other. Éponine only dreamed of that look, but hoped it would belong to her. Who was this blonde haired, fair faced, bourgeois girl taking Éponine's looks away from her? She felt as if she truly knew this girl, but could not quite put her finger on it.
She needed to stop this. Éponine began to walk closer to Marius. She felt her heart was going to beat out of her chest, as she extended her filthy hand. One touch and he would be forced to look away, she thought.
"Éponine!" she heard a scratchy, angered voice call. She flinched away and turned her head toward the voice. Thenardier. Please, not now, she prayed.
She wasn't given a chance to turn back to her beloved when the scowl filled man, she called Montparnasse roughly pulled her toward her father. As she looked back, her Marius did not move an inch for her. This never happened. Who was this woman?
"Not even a look." Montparnasse teased as he continued to pull her.
"Let her go before I castrate you!" she heard, but it did not belong to Marius. Turning her head, she found her friend. Those brown trousers, the plane white hunting shirt, and red coat, the clothing she knew so well. Clara. She was her protector, her family.
"I'm not going to tell you again 'parnasse!" she warned. Eponine knew Clara could take of herself, but this time her father was serious. If their victims were here she needed Clara to stay out of it. A Thenardier robbery was different than a beating Clara often witnessed. Her friend needed to leave.
"Clara, I have this under control." Éponine assured her. "He'll let me go, but you need to stay out of this one, please."
One look. Just one, and Clara understood the intensity of her warning. Éponine and Clara had a secret language like most family does and with one look they could understand what the other person could not express in words. Clara nodded and returned to her brick pillar to watch her friend fulfill her duties. Éponine wished she wouldn't have to do these tasks, but it was one of the few ways her family received money.
"You better tell that friend of yours to mind her mouth!" Thenardier growled. "She's proving to be a threat, Éponine."
She knew that wouldn't change. Clara was one of the few people who actually cared for her and she didn't want to push her away. She knew it was selfish, but having a friend that treated her like a sister helped Éponine wake up every morning.
"She knows her place Papa," she assured quietly. "I promise."
He came close to her face and the smell of alcohol and rotten food reached her nose. "For your sake, Éponine." he warned.
Éponine nodded. "Go with Montparnasse and watch for the lure." He ordered. She hoped for the day when her beloved would take her away from all of this.
Clara kept a close eye on Éponine as she wondered to the other side of the busy street. Clara knew that the police could be involved, which is why she was ready to drag Éponine out of it if she needed to.
Enjolras would not be happy with this. With their revolution in it's last stages, being caught or in trouble with the police could destroy everything they've worked for.
She suddenly saw the con men's victims approaching. Of course, it was none other than the stuck up pair she had noticed earlier. Close behind she noticed Marius silently chasing the blonde haired beauty. His eyes never leaving her figure. Pathetic, Clara thought.
"Please monsieur," Thenardier begged, pretending to limp toward the middle aged man. "Our babe is in need of help."
Mme. Thenardier held a small sack of who knows what, enrolled in a blanket. Making the image of a small infant. It looked believable to a clueless high society man.
As the man left the girl to see the so called babe, she turned to search for the love sick pup, Marius. Clara took note that she was probably the same age as Éponine, but unlike Éponine, she had a fragile look to her.
"Men like me, don't forget!" Clara heard. Heads snapped toward the commotion. "You're the bastard that borrowed Cosette!"
That name! Clara thought. Her head turned toward Éponine. She too, had heard the statement, and a pain consumed look took over her face.
"Papa!" she heard the bourgeois yell. Clara saw that they had him cornered. Thenardier's crew was going to get what he wanted. Until Éponine let out the warning that caused massive chaos.
"It's the police! Disappear! Its Javert!" she screeched.
"Éponine hide!" Clara screamed. She turned and saw the con men trying to scatter, forgetting about the man and the girl. He saw him take hold of, what Clara now knew was, his daughter. His back was turned away from the Inspector as he came to observe the scene. Clara kept her head low and looked over to see Éponine hidden behind a small carriage.
"Well, look at the trash we have picked up." Javert taunted. Clara saw him lift a small body from the ground. Gavroche! She thought. What was he doing here? Both Clara and Éponine had warned him to stay away from his parents' business areas.
"Justice will be served, monsieur. I assure you." Javert said toward the man that still had his back to the Inspector. As Javert interrogated the group, the man slipped away with the girl before Javert could get another word in.
"Where has the gentleman gone?" He asked as he looked around. A few more things were exchanged and Clara made her way to Éponine. Her face looked distraught, something was wrong.
" 'Ponine," Clara said quietly. "Inspector Javert is gone. You're safe."
As if not one word was said to her, she walked toward the backery. "Cosette . . ." she whispered. "Now I remember."
"Éponine what's the matter?" Clara asked. She followed her slowly behind.
"That girl," She said. "We were children together, her name is Cosette." Clara remembered that story very clearly. Éponine had taken over Cosette's job at her parents' Inn when she was taken away. Clara felt no pity for the blonde haired bourgeois girl. She was wronged as a child, but received the opportunity to escape. She had now experienced practically a lifetime of fortune. Éponine was taken away from the spoiled, loving life her parents had given her and forced into a life on the streets and into the clutches of, now, abusive parents.
" 'Ponine forget her," Clara said. Out of nowhere Marius ran past her and in front of Éponine. Clara glared at the disgrace of a man and stood beside Éponine.
"Éponine, who was that girl?" he asked desperately.
"Who?" she said trying to come back into the present. "That bourgeois to a penny thing?"
Clara purposely smirked loudly. She admired Éponine's remark, but the conversation that unfolded put Clara into a state of rage.
"Éponine find her for me, please." Marius pleaded. Clara could feel her eyes almost jump out of their sockets. How dare he! She thought. She almost spoke out, but was haulted by Éponine.
"What will you give me?" she asked smiling.
"Anything!" Marius replied immediately.
"Well, look whose excited." Clara snapped. She felt Éponine grab her arm, warning her to stay quiet. Clara was taken aback by Éponine's gesture and couldn't comprehend why she would serve as this fool's messenger.
"Well, God knows what you see in her." Éponine sighed. She gave him a smile. "I'll do it, monsieur."
Marius smiled idiotically and began to reach for something in his pocket. "No!" Éponine exclaimed. Marius stopped and gave her a flustered look. "I don't want your money, sir."
Her head lowered and Clara stood in front of her. "You ungracious-" Clara began, but was pulled back by Éponine.
"Clara, he did not mean it in that way." She quickly explained. She turned back to Marius and smiled. "Don't you worry monsieur Marius, I will find her and will be discreet when around my father."
Marius gave her a pat on the shoulder and began to walk away, but stopped.
"You see I told you sir," Éponine said running up to him. "There's lots of things I know."
He smiled and continued to walk away. Clara sighed and walked in front of Éponine. "Éponine, a messenger?" she excalimed. "You're better than that! That cretin does not deserve your help." Clara crossed her arms enraged.
"Dear Clara," Éponine sighed. "You must give monsieur Marius a chance. He's wonderful, and he did not mean to treat me me as a messenger. He's merely in love." Clara could see the pain pass Éponine's face, but she quickly recovered.
"Being in love changes a person." she continued. "It causes a person to become a slave to the heart. I love him, so I will do what he is asking because I care for his life more than my own." She was holding back tears, a gesture Clara knew too well.
"Oh, my dear friend," Clara said grabbing Éponine's hands into hers. "You deserve to love someone who will love you in return. Someone who will not ask for you as a slave. Someone who will ask for you to merely have you near him, to cherish you. A man that sees the value of a person rather than just the mere complexion."
Éponine gave her a smile and looked to the floor. "I wish for that too, but the heart chooses, not the mind. Besides, what man thinks in that way?"
"Clara!" they suddenly heard. She turned to see Enjolras walking towards her with a stack of books under his right arm. Clara cursed under her breath. How could time pass so quickly? Enjolras was probably enraged that she hadn't appeared when she had said.
"I should return to me father," Éponine almost whispered, but Clara held her back.
"Stay," Clara ordered. "You can finally meet the insanity that is my brother."
"Oh, I rather not." Éponine explained. "I'm not good with meeting new people."
"You'll be fine 'Ponine." Clara giggled.
"Clara, where have you been?" Enjolras exclaimed, finally reaching the two women. "I'm sure it does not take this long to meet a friend."
Clara rolled her eyes and smiled. "Honestly Enjy, is that any was to act in front of a strange girl?" She said tilting her head toward Éponine, who was trying to hide behind Clara.
Enjolras glared when he heard that nickname, but straightened himself when he noticed a small figure behind his sister. Clara quickly pulled her out from behind her and smiled. Éponine's eyes were glued to the floor, but with a light tap she slowly looked up.
Those eyes. Smooth chocolate circles with spots of caramel. The fragile looking body that held a strong stance. Enjolras was suddenly dumbfounded by this woman who stood in front of him. He couldn't understand why, but he wanted to know her.
A/N: Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. If you didn't I'm sorry, it will become more interesting I promise. Please help me make this story more suitable for you guys: What perspective would you like to see more in the next chapter? :) Thanks guys!