I did A LOT of editing. Practically changed the whole chapter. :D

Took a while... a long while but I am done editing! YEEEEY.

Better? Worse? Tell me! :)

I shall not rest until I get this right!


Chapter 8

When you left, I promised myself I will find you. I will search every inch of this city, under every rock and above in the sky. Nothing shall stop me from seeing you again for you have taken a piece of me along with you. Because of you, I've spent days and nights on a wild goose chase and it seems that the odds are against my favor. Yet, I know all my efforts will not go down the drain. It will be worth it.


"Give it to me!" His nails digs into her arm. How did he find her? She has been careful these past days, avoiding trouble like the plague.

"What are you talking about?" Struggling to pull away, he effortlessly pushes her to a wall. Eponine flinches at the sudden pain at the back of her head. The ground under her feet sways a bit.

In a low voice, he grimaces at her, "You know exactly what I'm talking about. At that party, you stole a ring. Where is it? Give it to me!"

Her head throbbing, her scrunches her face in confusion. Unfortunately, this is not the reaction he wants or expects so as a result, he takes her chin in his hands then forces her to look at him. Playing dumb would not help her in this case. Nonetheless, he talks slowly, pronouncing every word clearly as if talking to a three-year-old. "Where is the Enjolras ring? You have it. Don't act stupid. You know where it is because you have it. You have it because you stole it a few days ago. Give it to me."

Oh, that ring. So the E in my new necklace stands for Enjolras? What an odd name. And that boy I stole it from... The boy I danced with. That's Enjolras? That wonderfully high class party seems like centuries ago. Eponine tries to recall Enjolras' face in vain. Montparnasse's face hovers before her, merely inches between them. What to do? What to say? Eponine may not know why the criminal wants the ring but it cannot be good. "I don't know what you're talking about, Montparnasse! And why would you want that anyway? I gave all the things I stole to papa."

He yells at her, digging his nails further in her tanned skin. "You idiot! That ring was priceless! I could have gotten a truckload of cash for that tiny thing! No..." Eponine resists the urge to look away from his piercing glare and keeps her face blank. As he observes her expression closely, he notices a crack in her perfect stoic mask. "You have it. I can see through your lies, 'Ponine! You have it with you! Give it to me! Or you'll never see your brother!"

At the mention of her younger brother, anger stirs up inside Eponine. Visions of her dream come crashing down on her shoulders, adding to her guilt. She demands him, "where is Gavroche? What did you do to him?"

He is glad to have provoked her. Enjoying her distress, he continues on about the job he had. Ignoring the pain in his side from a healing stab wound, he lets a smirk form his lips. Maybe it is a bit too early to be going around with an injury but this matter cannot wait. When an ambitious man is filled with greed, he sacrifices almost anything to get what he wants. A pain to his side is a small price for that ring which causes millions. "Your papa asked me to take care of him. Of course, how can I say no? That damn kid can hold a knife, I've gotta tell you that. Too bad he can't take a beating. The kid put up a good fight, I might want him part of my little group if he is still alive-"

"You'll never get Gavroche part of your gang! He's better than that!" Eponine spits in his face, knees him and dodges his claws. Glowering, she casts him one last look before dashing off to find her brother. She begins praying to anyone who can hear her, "please let him be alive. Don't take him from me. I need him."


A man sits on the corner of a restaurant with his back pressed against the wall. It is crucial that we pay close attention to this particular man for he plays an important role. Tall and scrawny, his loose shirt falls low and hides several pockets on his old pair of denim pants. He dons no hat, exposing his balding head. His face, though calm and concentrated at the moment, is capable of contorting into an angry, monstrous face as seen in nightmares. In his hands, he clutches the newspaper for the day but his eyes do not scan the page nor does his mind process the black and white pictures. Instead, he nods to a woman, who is seated a few tables away, in a subtle manner, of course. She stops chewing on her fresh bread.

This woman is someone we should also remember. Her dirty blonde hair is pulled up, exposing her neck. She has this subconscious habit of keeping her chin up in the air haughtily as if thinking she is better than you. Maybe once she was very pretty but age has ruined her fine features. Her lips are still plump but chapped. Her eyes are pools of mixed emotions that turn into spears when they need to. Even when she is smiling, her bitterness is apparent to those who carefully study her.

The woman acknowledges his signal by coughing into her handkerchief. At first, her coughing is soft then it becomes forceful and hard. The customers of that certain restaurant glance at her direction with concern. Some ask her politely if she is all right. While the woman nods her head to the kind people, the man carefully observes the other customers. He notices that there are not much customers present. An elderly couple, a group of three teenagers, a lady on her phone, a man reading a novel and a young couple. It is slow today in that small and humble restaurant.

Standing up, the woman slowly makes her way to the restroom, still in her coughing fit. Eyes from all over the room point at her as she leans on the wall to cough some more. Growing more and more concern, the teenagers approach her to ask if she needed a medic or another glass of water. Seemingly insistent to decline their generous offer, she waves them all off but it gets worse and worse. All eyes, meaning each and every person, are on her.

"Is someone here a doctor? This woman is choking!" the man who was reading his book addresses the customers.

Unfortunately, there are no doctors or nurses around at that time. The coughing woman falls on her knees and her shoulders heave. This time everyone crowds around her when they see her fall. All of them pitch in suggestions to help her. The manager of the restaurant gives her water and this time, she accepts the offer. One of the employees gives back blows but it is not that seemingly effective.

"Someone do the Heimlich maneuver!" Someone yells in panic.

Many people try to help the woman up and she stands shakily. The manager volunteers herself to perform the Heimlich maneuver. Quickly standing behind the woman, she balls her fists and positions it approximately around her navel area. She covers her fists with her other hand then begins thrusting up and in until bread is expeled from the woman's mouth.

There is cheering and congratulations from the gathered crowd. The woman thanks the manager with a warm hug. The manager is proud of her successfully saving a life that day. Little do they notice the man, who was pretending to read the paper, slipping outside the restaurant. Soon after everyone settles back down, the woman leaves the restaurant too.

"You overdid it! It was too dramatic!" The man from earlier grabs her arm. A young girl, about fifteen or so, quietly trails behind him as she carries a basket of bright flowers.

The woman sneers; her face now devoid of all the pretend joy. "What do you mean I overdid it? They believed me and that's all that matters, right?"

The young girl interrupts their budding argument but in a hushed tone. "Papa-"

The man turns and glares at her, his eyes piercing through her. His tone is harsh and cold which she should be used to by now yet she cringes. "What is it now, Azelma?" He says her name as if he were cursing.

Like her sister, Azelma's skin is tanned from hours under the sun. In fact, they do look alike in some angles. Azelma is about the same height as Eponine but not as bony, taking after their papa's lanky frame. Azelma's hair is straight, long and dirty blonde just like their mama's. Unfortunately, she is too plain-looking and very timid to be interesting to most people. To the Thenardiers, her invisibility in a crowd and her ability to blend in make her the perfect pickpocket. That plus the fact that she turns a blind eye to their immoral ways, the Thenardier couple normally tap her when they need something done as quickly as possible.

"Papa... we're not in the clear yet. We're still in front of the restaurant. They might see us." The girl has a point but Monsieur Thenardier would never, ever say that out loud. With his hand still on his wife's arm, he hauls them away from the restaurant and marches a few blocks away. They are in plain sight and out in the open so he schools his face and lets go of his wife's arm.

"What did you get?" Madame Thenardier asks eagerly, a spark of greed in her eyes.

Monsieur Thenardier's hands feel several of his pockets. "Loaded wallets, a few watches, spare change and even two cell phones. Not bad from a small restaurant, eh?" His mad smile gives Azelma chills but she presses her lips together and clutches the handle of her basket. Sometimes, she wishes to be like Eponine, all strong and protective. Other times, she wishes to be like Gavroche, brave and determined. But there are times when she does not want to be like either of them. Why can't she just be herself? Right, because she thinks she is weak and fragile. She can't disobey her parents or she'll get hurt. She can't obey her parents or she'll be a criminal. Azelma is trapped, caught in a dead end and has no where to go. Sometimes, it's maddening.

Her papa's voice brings her back from her thoughts. "What are you still doing here, girl? On your way!"

Azelma takes off to the other side of the street and into position. She can feel her papa's eyes on her even from far away.


"Thank you anyway, sir," the man returns the necklace with a red stone to his coat pocket. A bell rings as he leaves the dingy shop. When his mother's friend and his father's connections failed, he took his search to the streets. He mentally crosses out this shop and the whole block. He asked around in every store, every shop and even a suspicious-looking man in a trench coat since the protest ended earlier. So far, his hunt proves fruitless.

His body is weary from the protest earlier. Last night before the little injured boy came into the Musain, Antoine was giving a speech and instructions about the protest that took place earlier today. All in all, it ended how it usually does: Antoine gets injured and tired. Today's rebellion earned him a huge scratch on his arm (It might be infected, Prince Enjy!), a nosebleed (which reluctantly Joseph Joly helped him with), sore feet and a cut on his lip. Do not ask him how he got his injuries, he does not enjoy violence. Thankfully, no one was really seriously injured.

Time easily slips from his mind. Looking up, he sees that he sun is setting. Orange, blue and hints of pink color the sky and highlight the fluffy clouds. To clarify, he checks his wristwatch. Mother would be wondering where I am. She has been keeping tabs on me. I am not a child! I can take care of myself! Sighing, he stuffs his hands into his coat pocket and clasps his hand around the necklace. It will all be worth it when I find her and get the ring back. He makes his way towards his home.

"M-Monsieur?" a voice calls his attention. Antoine turns to his right to see a young girl of around fifteen years old holding a basket of assorted flowers. Antoine may be called intimidating to some people but the girl shies away from him so he puts on a smile. The girl is one of the reasons why he has his protests. From the simple fact that she is not a home and that is she is selling flowers, he can tell she has lived in poverty. The plight of the poor is something Antoine takes very seriously and does whatever he can do to offer a hand to these people.

"Yes?" He asks nicely. In contrast to the Amis' belief, Antoine is not made of marble nor is he a statue. Just like every other normal person, Antoine is capable of emotion and kindness towards children.

The girl gives him a small smile, feeling more comfortable to the stranger. "Would you like to buy some flowers, Monsieur? My mama grew these in her garden." Actually, her mama stole them from their neighbor's garden. The next day, their neighbor would wonder who cut off all the roses in her bushes then argue with her husband about it.

Antoine has no use for flowers right now. Admittedly, he does not have a girlfriend or a lover or a romantic interest. Surprising, I know! If he brings flowers to the hospital tomorrow, the Amis would definitely make fun of him for that and maybe the flowers would have wilted by then. Thinking, he could always give some to his mother. It is a cliched and cheesy idea but his mother has been worrying about him and this girl is in need of the money. "All right then." Asking her how much for a single rose (sickly sweet but he does not really need any more flowers), he pulls out his wallet from his trousers pocket and hands her the payment.

"Where are your parents?" Antoine questions her as he stuffs his wallet back into his pocket. The girl's face becomes unreadable for a moment then she stares at her dirty sneakers. "They're out, I guess. Out earning money."

The girl picks the best looking rose out of her basket then gives it to the nice man. Antoine nods at her vague answer and perhaps it is a sensitive topic for the girl. Azelma tries to avoid lying as much as possible. She has done much worse like stealing and manipulating; she does not want to sin more. Bowing slightly, she thanks the man, "thank you so much, Monsieur."

Astonished by the fact that she addresses him as if he is superior to her, he shakes his head. "No, do not bow. We are equals."

She raises an eyebrow at that and her face furrows. "Equals?"

It is a popular fact that Antoine grabs every opportunity to preach to an interested individual about his cause and his ideals about justice and freedom. The Amis has heard all of his lengthy speeches a million times over and over but they never tire of it. There is a ignited flame of passion in Antoine's voice and his words are beautiful to hear. So naturally, he takes this chance to inform the girl about her rights. "Yes, equals. You and I are equal. Everyone is equal, no matter who you are or where you come from. Your gender, age, skin color, occupation, salary and opinion does not make you less than anyone else in this planet."

The girl wonders who this man is and why does he think she deserves anything good. She breaks the law for her parents. In fact, her papa and mama are casually observing this man right now as they plan a scheme to pickpocket him. Surely, they have already seen where he keeps his wallet. It would not take too long for them to agree on a plan and act on it. Not too far from here, the members of Patron-Minette scatter around the area for back-up maybe. Azelma notices the absence of Montparnasse though guilt still stirs inside of her which she pushes away with all her might. I... I can't stop them now. "You do not know me, Monsieur. I... I am not as nice as you are."

Looking at her remorseful expression, he solemnly says, "that may be true but you do not know me either. Everyone makes mistakes and suffers. That is how life is but there are injustices we can correct." His smile grows larger and wider as he imagines a brighter world. "We just have to fight for what is right."

His words circle around Azelma's head; they make sense. A part of her knows he is right but her parents have always told her differently especially her papa. Remembering when she was a little girl, her papa would always tell her: The world is a cruel place where everyone eats each other. So you better stay ahead to live. She would giggle and nod back then but now... She kind of understands why Eponine and Gavroche have been so rebellious. Yet her parents are still there. Unlike Gavroche, she cannot just run away. Feeling her ideas and thoughts collide in her head, she pushes them away for now and turns to the man. "That was lovely but I have to go home."

Antoine hands her a few bills before she goes. "Goodbye, Mademoiselle."

"Bye, Monsieur." What an odd man... Nice but a bit strange. Seems smart though. I'm sure he'll be fine...


Monsieur Thenardier loses what little patience he has. "What took her so long? That damn girl wasted daylight! The sun's set!" He growls as quietly as he can. Finally, Azelma walks away with her basket of flowers. A funny look is on her face, as if trying to divulge into her own mind and deciphering a code. None of this bother her parents, of course. They have better things to do.

Madame Thenardier replies, "I guess we have to work with what we've got. We can use the darkness to our advantage."

"Let's get going then!" In Monsieur Thenardier's peripheral vision, Patron-Minette loiters by the streets and act like normal civilians. The gang is waiting for the Thenardiers to wrap this up so they can rob a house next. Truly, tonight is going to be a progressive and successful one! Unfortunately, Montparnasse is going to miss all the fun with his stab wound. The rest of the guys were luckier, leaving that quarrel with Gavroche followed by the exhausting police chase with just bruises, scratches and broken prides. Doesn't matter, less people to split profit with anyway!

And so they start with their last scheme for the day.

The first step to their seemingly well-thought out plot is Madame Thenardier crying as she walks down the streets. Her face is blotchy and red as tears stream down her face convincingly. In her "grief", her shoulders shake as her feet take slow steps. For a dramatic effect, she pulls out a dirty cloth and wipes her wet face with it then blows her nose.

Normally in their plans, Madame Thenardier takes on the more dramatic and emotional role. It is not difficult for her to gather all her bitterness and disappointments in life then use them to her advantage. Although Monsieur Thenardier often whines about how she is "overselling" it and that she does not have to be so overly dramatic with their scams, she ignores all of this. She is a woman who is in touch with her emotions but hides them all behind her cracked mask of greediness. Perhaps longs before, she would have been a wonderful actress on a stage but poverty has killed that chance.

The second step is for the Monsieur, who bought the rose from Azelma, notices the woman weeping by herself. Being a good citizen, he approaches her gingerly and asks her what is bothering her. Sadly, he stands a few steps away from her politely, not close enough to pickpocket yet. No bother, they have a full proof plan.

"I..." Madame Thenardier starts sobbing. Her voice cracks with emotion. "My daughter! She is starving! I have no m-money, sir. We... we are in much debt already. I'm afraid she might..." She lets out a mournful cry that could shatter one's heart with pity.

The third step is for dear Monsieur to give a generous amount to the talented actress. He pulls out his wallet. Too concerned about the woman, he does not notice how she is now staring at how much cash he's got. This one's loaded! Jackpot! Madame Thenardier mentally celebrates. She glances at her husband then gives him a knowing look.

This one's damn rich, her eyes convey the message to him. The creeping smirk confirms that he has received the message.

Antoine gives her a reasonable amount before returning his wallet. Perhaps he should be more careful with these things. Perhaps he should not just give money to any needy person. Perhaps he should just not pull out his wallet in the street. But his heart (yes, he has one even though others would joke that he does not have a heart) goes out to these people and their suffering. He feels that he cannot just let anyone suffer when he has the means to save a life. After all, aren't everyone equals?

The fourth step is improvised. Monsieur Thenardier only thought of it at that moment and that thick wallet made up his mind. Licking his lips, he stares at his wife. This a sign to keep the man distracted as he goes in for the cash. Seeing this, she begins chatting to the man, rambling about how kind he is and how much she in in debt to him. She makes huge hand gestures and even pats his shoulder, anything to keep his attention diverted.

Monsieur Thenardier walks briskly, as if in a hurry for a meeting or to get home for dinner. He takes huge steps but his hands twitch impatiently. This better work! He "accidentally" bumps into Antoine, who is trying to calm the woman down, forcefully.

"Sorry, Monsieur!" Monsieur Thenardier says quickly as if he wants no trouble. His hands are in his pockets as he bashfully smiles.

Antoine nods. "No harm done, Monsieur."

Monsieur Thenardier turns away and walks considerably slower now. His grin is cat-like, distrustful and victorious. That was much easier than I thought! Poor kid looks so smart in his rich boy clothes! Like taking a candy from a baby or a walk in the park! He can feel Antoine's thick wallet in his pocket.

Unfortunate for the Thenardiers, Antoine is very attentive. After the encounter with Monsieur Thenardier, the first thing he notices is that he walks much slower now with a skip to his step. He turns to the woman but sees she has gone. Then, it hits him... His wallet is missing from his pocket. Damn it! Gritting his teeth, it does not take a genius to figure out he was conned.

"Monsieur!" He rushes towards Monsieur Thenardier. Hearing this, the con man's easy walk turns into a dash. So close! So damn close! All this cash! Where is he headed? To the Patron-Minette, of course. A bully always has his gang around him for protection and intimidation.

He takes a turn to a darker street, one of the less populated ones. Actually, the Thenardiers live around here somewhere. Everyone here just minds their own business, no one really cares for another here. It is like a new world, a cruel and dark one. Immediately, he runs towards the Patron-Minette and the Thenardiers, panting at how far he has to run. He is too old to run like this.

"What happened?" Madame Thenardier demands of her husband. "It went so smoothly!"

Azelma stands behind all of them, the guilt eating her up but she feels somehow proud that this man was able to easily find out he was fooled. She feels a sort of admiration for Antoine.

Babet, one of the Patron-Minette, asks, "what do we do then? He's coming closer! And he's already seen you with us!"

Going with his instincts, Monsieur Thenardier says, "beat him up, of course!"


Meanwhile, Eponine Thenardier is about to call it a day. Ever since she found out that her little brother may be out there bleeding or dying, she has been intently finding any clues on the whereabouts of Gavroche. She has left no stone unturned. At this point, things were starting to look hopeless to her but she cannot give up now. If the tables were turned, Gavroche would never give up on her. Never would he turn his back on her! Her headstrong brother would surely search the whole country to find her.

But he is he were here, he would tell her that she needs to rest.

Heading back to the Thenardier house, she hopes that her parents are still out. She cringes at the thought of her papa yelling at her and asking her where she has been the whole day. Then, her thoughts drift to Marius. Marius, his name sounds nice in her head. She can imagine his arms around her as she walks home alone. In her head, she would hear him whisper sweet poetry into her ear. His breath would tickle her neck but she won't mind. She would feel him so close to her and his touch would send electricity sparking in her. He would be there for her no matter what. She could be poor and broken and he would be there to hold her and tell her she is worth something.

She longs for the day they meet again.

She now stands before her house. The whole house looks dirty and broken with absolutely no life. Maybe this would always be Eponine's life, going back to a house but never calling it her home. Maybe she would never escape this reality. This scares her but she knows that there is no other way. At the end of the day, she will go back to this empty house.

"'Ponine!" Azelma runs towards her.

Eponine sees the girl in her distraught state, clutching to her basket of flowers. "What is it, 'Zelma? What's wrong?"

Azelma's face is paler and sweat makes the hair around her face damp. "Mama and papa... They tried stealing from a man but it didn't work. He chased papa here. Patron-Minette is here too, 'Ponine. Now, they are arguing and it won't take long before they fight! They're going to beat him up! They might kill him!"

The older girl has no doubt Patron-Minette would do such a thing but her papa prefers not to shed blood when he does not need to. Monsieur Thenardier is too much of a coward to have a physical fight of any sort with strangers. Strangely, he is more confident when Patron-Minette is there to back him up.

"Why would they kill him?"

The younger girl's voice is filled with guilt and shame for betraying the kind man. "Because he's rich. His wallet is thick and he looks like a son of a wealthy man. Help him, please."

It has been mentioned that among all the Thenardier siblings, Azelma is the only one who abets to their parent's wrongdoings. Yet, here she is now asking for help to prevent anymore crimes. Antoine has been kind to her, buying a rose from her and even treating her as an equal. But she betrayed him! How can she be so cruel to a kind man?

Seeing her sister's concern, Eponine agrees to help. "All right. Here's what we're doing..."

Hearing her sister's whole plan, Azelma's eyes widen and her eyebrows are raised. This plan can be a bit tricky to pull off especially that they're up against their parents and Patron-Minette who are experts at the art of deception. It is worth a shot though. They are not hopeless for they- unfortunately- have learned from the best. Years of "training" has taught them so much.

This plan will work. It has to work.


The Thenardier sisters' plan is soon in action. Monsieur Thenardier is currently threatening Antoine as everyone else tries to intimidate him unsuccessfully. Azelma silently walks behind the group, willing Antoine to look at her. She does have a talent of blending in. When he does catch her eyes, he does not verbally point her out but stares at her pointedly. Thankfully, he does not give her position away but pretends to be listening to the gang's pathetic threats. Azelma points towards a dark space in between two dilapidated buildings and Antoine raises his eyebrows discreetly.

Run, she mouths slowly and clearly as she points.

She can tell from his face that he would do no cowardly thing such as running away. He's reckless and headstrong... This definitely won't end well if he does not turn away soon. She starts pleading with her eyes but he does not yield.

Mouthing again, she says, Plan. He does not seem to be convinced at this. Rolling her eyes, she makes a gun with her fingers and hand, then she points at the group. Still, he stubbornly declines her offer. She takes her index finger and slides it across her neck which tells him they'll kill him. Antoine does not budge.

Guess there's only one way to do this. Azelma screams with all her might. Everyone turns to her, stopping their biting threats to kill him. "What are you doing, Azelma?" Her mama screeches. Taking a deep breath, she bellows, "run, Monsieur!" The gang stares at her stupidly for a moment as they try to absorb that Azelma is turning her back on them.

Now that he has no choice, Antoine runs towards the darkness in between the buildings which Azelma pointed out. A hand grabs his coat and pulls it off then drops it on the ground. "What are you doing?"

A girl replies, "saving your ass!" Taking his hand, she takes off into a maze of streets and alleys. She definitely knows her way around. Antoine tries to protest, taking his hand away from hers but her grip is similar to steel. His mind is spinning and reeling. His feet does its best to keep up with her but he still trails behind her a bit.

After a while, they hear the shrill voice of Madame Thenardier and the roars from Patron-Minette. They're getting closer and closer. Eponine takes a sharp turn and it's a dead end. "Shit!" she curses wildly.

"Who are you-?" Antoine tries to see her face but the darkness covers her. Eponine interrupts, "no time for introductions! They're coming closer!"

The blond man realizes how close the footsteps sound, meters away maybe? His mind refuses to think of a plan as mental block prevents his usually clear mind from thinking of an escape. Gritting his teeth, he is extremely frustrated with himself at the moment.

"Do you trust me?" the mysterious girl asks quickly. It is like a scene in those movies. A leap of faith would change their lives for the rest of eternity or something like that.

Incredulously, he shakes his head. "Of course not! Do I look mad to you? I don't even know your name!"

Rolling her eyes (not that Antoine can see it), Eponine retorts, "well, as you can see, you have no choice in the matter!"

As quick as her hands can work, Eponine unbuttons the first few buttons of his white polo shirt then wrinkles it until it looks like a mess. "What are you doing?" Antoine pushes her away but Eponine ruffles his hair out of its neatly arranged state. Antoine dislikes people touching his hair and it is an issue with the Amis. Much to his dismay, they often combed his hair or placed flowers in it when he would fall asleep in the Cafe.

The girl gives no explanation for her actions, adrenaline seems to be fueling her. "Act drunk!"

Drunk? Antoine does not like to drink alcohol like Grantaire. No, alcohol is just a weakness and a distraction from everything else. Taking time to observe Grantaire in his intoxicated state, he generally knows how inebriate people acts.

He can feel Eponine's soft hands on his cheeks before she pulls his face down. Antoine does not have a second to react to her rash actions. Her eyes are shut as her lips crash against his. He does not even know when exactly he closed his eyes but his mind starts spinning like a top again. Her lips are soft against his and she seems to be doing all the work since he has never kissed anyone before. Feeling her smirk at his lack of experience, she presses herself closer to him and runs her hand through his blond hair while her other hand loops around his neck.

A gruff voice, Monsieur Thenardier, calls, "EPonine? Is that you, girl?"

Is this some kind of contest? Some strange game of who can make this more believable? Relax, Antoine, make it look believable. Now, Antoine has watched a decent amount of romance movies because his mother forces him to watch with her when she feels lonely. Accepting Eponine's challenge, he kisses her back with fervor then he hears her gasp at his sudden reaction instead of just standing there like a statue. She follows his lead now, pressing her tongue against his teeth to ask for entrance and he grants it to her. He presses her against the wall for that romantic thing. His mind feels really fuzzy now as he inhales her scent. It seems that his senses have sharpened and his mind is absorbing every detail. Every touch, her indescribable scent, her soft moan, the way her lips feel against his, her hand playing with his hair, her other hand massaging his neck and their proximity.

Eponine breaks away for a while and gives Antoine time to catch his breath. "Yeah?"

Madame Thenardier rolls her eyes at the sight. Patron-Minette looks indifferently, remembering they have better things to do. Azelma's jaw drop at the sight and her eyes widen like saucers. A bruise is starting to form on her cheek. This is not part of the plan! But... she still smirks at the sight. It is too dark to see anything but she can see two people, Eponine and a man, pressed against the walls. Monsieur Thenardier asks, "Is he paying you, 'Ponine? He better be paying you!"

"Of course, papa!" Eponine replies, annoyance lacing her voice which Monsieur Thenardier would have berated her for in not the presence of Eponine's 'customer'.

When they leave, relief washes over both of them. Soon, too soon, she pulls away first. He only realizes his lack of oxygen and the heat in his whole body now.

"Are you okay? You look... distraught." Nodding, Antoine looks at everywhere except her without making mental notes about their surroundings. "Don't I get a thank you for helping you back there? After all, you do owe me now." This bring Antoine to look at her in the face. A bit of light shines on them from the moon. There is something strangely and vaguely familiar about her. "Thank you, Mademoiselle."

In the light, he can see the smirk form her lips. "You are welcome and thank you for the kiss. It was lovely."

"I... Uh... I am Antoine." He decides that he should introduce himself.

Eponine grins, "that's a nice name. Antoine..."

Their eyes meet in a second before they lock. Those eyes. Antoine has seen those eyes before. Those brown mischievous eyes that burn with fire. And she recognises him too judging by how her eyes widen. "I... I know you! You, you were there at that night!

"No, monsieur, I don't know what you're talking about." Eponine is a great actress, he must admit that, but he won't let her slip through his fingers again.

Stepping towards her he demands, "where is it? The Enjolras ring, where is it?"

"I don't know! I don't know what you're talking about!" she yells back, angered by his sudden harshness. Of course she would deny knowing where it is, if she gave it to him, she would be thrown into prison.

"Really? You do not?" he glares at her. "Well then, this isn't yours?" He pulls out the necklace with a red stone then watches Eponine's face fall. "Give that to me!" she reaches for her necklace but he is too quick for her. "Let's trade, your necklace for my ring," he says. Eponine purses her lips, "I can't get arrested. I can't, especially not right now."

Then, she runs off but he does not follow her. Antoine can feel the connection between them like they are chained together in a way. Without a doubt, he will meet her again soon.


AND I AM DONE WITH THIS. *hysterical laughter*

Well... I noticed that I haven't put much Thenardier in the story. So I took this chance to add some depth in Azelma and Madame Thenardier.

It seems like Thenardiers like stealing from Antoine. Ehehehe.

How is it? Is this better?