Gavroche lived in a small flat with a few other kids who hadn't anywhere else to go. There was the twins who loved to eat, and the small girl Eponine always felt a connection to. They paid for the place by pick pocketing. Something Eponine wanted to disagree with but knew if she did then she would be disagreeing with herself. From time to time she had to drop lower than the standards she liked to keep up, her stomach taking over from her pride.

On those days Eponine ate carefully, rationing her food so she would have enough for more later. It was difficult, but she managed. Those weren't the days when she had to turn over everything she had to her parents and was able to do something for herself. Those days didn't come often.

Gavroche had let her in and gave her the couch, it wasn't really a couch, more of a lounge chair. Eponine curled up in it, sliding her feet under her legs to keep them warm.

Gavroche had gotten her a blanket which she thankfully threw over her. He pulled his pillow and comforter over to her so he laid by her feet.

"Hey, 'Ponine?" He whispered, Eponine was close to sleep.

"Yeah, 'Vroche?" She whispered back, the twins had already fallen asleep and the girl was stretched out on the floor.

"What happened between you and maman?" His question struck a chord, Eponine's heart suddenly pained, what did she tell him? That she didn't get money back and if she went there now she would be beaten to near death? Her brother knew hardship, but she couldn't tell him the truth, it would make him worry and he needed to focus on living, not her.

"Just some problems… Go to sleep." She murmured. Gavroche looked up from his makeshift pillow, frowning at her, mad because she wasn't telling him. But in sleepiness he gave up, settling down for the night.

When Eponine woke the next morning the sun had been up for a while. Gavroche and the kids had left, but they put out a piece of bread on the rickety table for her to eat, she thanked them, gobbling it down. It tasted amazing even though it was a bit stale. Anything was good enough for her at the moment.

Eponine folded the blankets and stacked the pillows in a corner and looked around the one room flat. It was dirty, but she didn't have anything to clean it with. So she decided to leave it as it is and head out to find Marius and her brother.
The streets were already packed, people bustling about on their ways. Eponine ignored the furtive glances she got from passing folk, women who sold their bodies grinned and beckoned. Eponine ignored them, flitting down the road, eyes casting every which way.

She spotted Marius first, talking with Combeferre and Joly, their heads pressed together as they whispered frantically. Eponine's heart fluttered a bit, and then plummeted. She didn't know how to feel, Enjolras had told her something she never expected and now… Now things would go back to normal, right? No, it couldn't. Not that it was out in the open. She slowly backed away, unsure if she should go or stay, Enjolras was walking up to the group of men and she decided that she could wait to talk to Pontmercy.

"Hey, Eponine!" Marius' voice called just as she had turned away, Eponine cursed herself, turning back around to see him. She gave a convincing smile and walked up to the men. Enjolras' jaw immediately clenched, she dared only one look at him, any more than that and it would be suspicious.

He was looking down, his body slightly rigid. So he hasn't been drunk and forgotten, he was telling the truth. She though.

"Hello, Monsieur Marius." She said, looking into his face. He was smiling, his dark eyes dancing.

"You ran off yesterday, where'd you go?" He asked, she had been talking to him in the afternoon. But a few men from her fathers group had come into view and she knew she couldn't be seen. She ran for it, without even saying goodbye to Marius.

"Oh, I-I had somewhere to be." She fibbed, at the corner of her eye she could see Enjolras switch feet, he knew she was lying. Him knowing stirred something within her, a mixture of anger, annoyance, and one other she couldn't seem to place. Courfeyrac clapped his hands.

"Well, if all is set I'll be off… I'll find the others." He nodded and ran off
into the crowd.

"What's happening?" She asked, hating not knowing what was going on, she looked from a Marius to Joly. Joly had always been nice to her, helping her on occasion when she needed somewhere to stay and she couldn't make it to her brothers flat from exhaustion.

"We're planning a speech, Enjolras is going to talk to the people at noon." Marius said, "we need the Les Amis here though." He added, Eponine nodded. Occasionally they held speeches to attract more people to the cause and role them up. It usually ended in fights or the police breaking them up.

"Oh, do I you need me to-" she started wanting to know if they needed anything from her, Marius smiled.

"Find Gavroche? He's the only one who seems to be able to rise Grantaire out of his slumber other than Enjolras." Eponine smiled, glad she had something to do.

"I'm on it." She said, "Monsieur Marius?" He had turned away from her but looked back.

"Yeah, 'Ponine?" He asked, she frowned, not sure why she had gotten his attention again.

"Make sure this time he'll be safer. Last time you did this Gavroche nearly got trampled-"

"He knew what he was doing." Enjolras nearly snapped, Eponine frowned, looking up at him.

"I worry about him, okay? He's my brother, just make sure he's somewhere up high."
And with that she turned herself, looking into the crowds for the red of her little brothers hat, somewhere near men's unsuspecting pockets.