Enjolras walked quickly down the street, heading straight for the park whilst the others raced behind him, trying to keep up with his long strides. At some point Bahorel had lifted Gavroche onto his back so they could keep up with Enjolras rather than slow down for the boy.

"That way!" Gavroche yelled, pointing in the direction of the park. Of course all of them knew where the park was but if it humoured the boy long enough to keep him distracted, they would go along with it, all of them except Enjolras of course. Bahorel crossed the road, followed closely with the group of friends as they made their way down the street that the boy had pointed out.

Azelma hung back, watching the blonde man as he continued down the street, avoiding the maze of roads that Gavroche was navigating. He either hadn't noticed the disappearance of his friends, or he didn't care. She sighed as she walked faster, catching up with him. "Hey!" She called, trying to get his attention.

He looked up, snapping out of whatever thoughts he had gotten himself lost in and surveyed the girl for a moment before staring ahead of himself again. "Yes?"

"My sister, you know her?" She asked him curiously. He nodded his head briefly but offered no explanation. "You're her friend?"

"Evidently so," he replied, rubbing his brow. "Is there a reason you are asking this?"

"She never told me about you," she shrugged. "I can see her hanging around with them lot, I just never imagined her hanging around with you."

"Sorry to disappoint you," he sighed.

"No," she smiled slightly as she shook her head. "I'm kind of glad. She needs someone like you in her life."

He frowned as he looked at her. "Why?"

"Look… I don't know what she's told you about her life-"

"She hasn't told me anything," he interrupted her. "I don't know anything about her."

"Don't be angry with her," she pleaded. "She had a bad life, we all did. She didn't get away like me and Gav, she chose to stay there with them. She thought… she thought if she left, that they'd come after us but if she stayed they wouldn't."

"And you let her stay?" He asked quietly.

"We didn't know she was planning on staying," she chewed her lip. "We ran away at first, she was meant to meet us but she never did. Eventually our parents reported us to the police as missing, they found us. We were taken back there. Our parents put us in care in the end, decided we were too much trouble."

"And Eponine never tried to run away?"

She shook her head. "I think they got to her," she told him quietly. "I don't know what they told her, or did… I don't know. After that she was quieter, she did whatever they said. She didn't used to be like that. She used to refuse to do what they wanted her to do. She'd argue with them. She didn't care if… care if they'd hurt her for it."

"They hurt you?" He scowled. "You parents were hurting you and you didn't report it?"

"They were hurting Eponine, she took it all for us, we were younger. She thought it was her responsibility…" She told him quietly. "You don't understand. When you're in them situations… you think it's your own fault, you deserve it because you spilt your drink or you were home a few minutes late or whatever it is… they make you think it's your fault and if you do realise that it's not your fault… you think maybe if you're good enough, they'll love you and won't hurt you anymore," she explained.

Enjolras remained silent as he walked, a frown creasing his face as he walked. "You got out. You could have reported it for her."

She shook her head. "They always said if we told anyone, we'd regret it. You can see what they're like… they'd have done it."

"So you never told anyone?" He sighed.

"No," she chewed her lip. "She got with Parnasse when she was eighteen. I guess she thought he'd be different. He was, when he was younger. Before the drugs and the drink… she did it with him. She said it was an escape. She thought Parnasse loved her but he turned more and more into our parents… He's worse than them now but she thinks she can get him to be like he was. She wont admit it, but I think she just wants someone to want her."

"We want her though," he told her, chewing his lip. He'd missed all of this. He should have seen the warning signs, he should have known. "We do want her!"

Azelma smiled faintly as she placed her hand on his arm. "I know, but everyone that's meant to want her and care about her has always hurt her."

"Not anymore," he told her. "We won't let her get hurt again."

She looked up at him curiously. "Do you love her?"

He frowned as he nodded at the park. "We're here," he told her as he sped up again, striding across the road and towards the park. Azelma smiled to herself as she watched him, before hurrying after him again.

Bahorel had set Gavroche down on top of the bench when they had reached the park and that was where he stood where he stood, looking down at the friends that surrounded him, listening to him as he spoke. He was in the middle of a speech that Enjolras could have wrote when Bahorel looked up with a grin as he saw Enjolras and Azelma. "They're here at last," he called, grabbing everyone attention.

Enjolras stopped in front of Gavroche, Azelma lingering at the edge of the group beside Grantaire as they all waited for more instructions. "Do you remember which way?" Enjolras asked as he glanced around the park.

Gavroche chewed his lip as he scratched his head. "We went passed an ice cream shop!" He remembered. "Because Monty said that we couldn't get any even though I wanted some!"

Bahorel grinned as he scooped Gavroche off the bench, dumping him on Feuillys back instead of his own this time. "I know the place," he told them. "Come on."

"I really think we should work out if we're going in the right direction…." Enjolras interrupted as he followed after the group of friends.

Marius gave him a small smile as he walked beside him. "I think Gavroche knows where we're going."

Enjolras sighed. "We don't even have a plan yet."

"Bahorel and Feuilly came up with one as we walked. Musichetta is going to take Gavroche and Bossuet and wait for us. We're going to meet at Bahorels place after, we thought it was safer than the Musain or yours and Combeferres apartment," he explained.

"And then?"

He shrugged. "We just go in there and fight for them."

Enjolras sighed as he rubbed his brow. "We should ring the police. This isn't safe."

Combeferre had waited until the others had left before he tried to lean closer to Eponine. He chewed his lip nervously as he watched her. His head was starting to feel light and sleep seemed welcoming but he had to resist and he had to make sure she was okay. "Ep..?" He whispered. "Ep, are you okay?"

She ignored him as she pulled her knees up against his chest as she sat with her back to him, closing her eyes tightly. After a few moments she shook her head. "Come here," he pleaded.

She looked up, glancing around the room warily before she crawled towards him, settling beside him in silence. He relaxed as she placed her head against his uninjured shoulder and closed her eyes. He sighed as he rested his head against hers, pressing a kiss into her hair. "We'll get out of here," he promised.

"I can untie you," she told him quietly. "You could run. You'd get away…"

"Only if you'd come with me," he told her sternly.

She shook her head as she glanced up at him. "I'd distract them, they wouldn't notice you were gone until you'd gotten far enough away. You'd be safe then."

"Ep, I'm not leaving you. We're in this together," he sighed. He glanced around quickly before looking at her. "Think you can undo my hands a bit?" She looked at him warily before nodding her head. "Just enough so that I can pull them apart if I need to, okay?"

She moved behind him, picking at the end of the tape with her nail. She carefully began pulling at it, trying to be as quiet as possible. Combeferre winced as it pulled at his skin, ripping some of the hairs on his arm out. She stopped when it was left only wrapped around his wrists once, glancing up at him. He tested the tape carefully before nodding his head. "That'll do," he told her.

She moved back beside him, leaning against him. "Now what do we do?"

"We wait," he sighed, staring at the door a head of them. "Get some sleep, Ep. We'll take it in turns, okay?"

"You'll wake me if anything happens?" She asked him as she slid down onto the floor, resting her head against his thigh.

"Of course," he promised.

They came to halt outside of the ice cream shop. Bahorel frowned as he looked around, there were various roads that went off in different directions from the ice cream shop. Some were lined with houses, whilst others were no more that tracks made through fields. "Which way now, kid?"

Gavroche frowned as he scratched his head, pushing himself up further on Feuillys back to try and get a better view. He looked around as he chewed his lip before shoulders slumped. "I don't know…" he admitted. "I forgot after here…"

There was a chorus of sighs as everyone exchanged looks. Marius and Bossuet split off from the group, wandering around the ice cream shop as they tried to make sense of each of the roads. Feuilly set Gavroche down on the ground as he joined them quietly.

"We have to find them," Azelma insisted as she looked at the men worriedly. "We can't just leave them there!"

"We have no plans on giving up on them," Bahorel reassured her with a small smile as he threw his arm around her shoulder, glancing around. "Let get looking."

Courfeyrac sighed as he ruffled Gavroches hair, noticing the boys frown as he pushed him towards the ice cream shop. It was one of the old fashioned kind you saw on American sitcom. The owner had bought it and done it up a few years ago. It was slightly run down inside, the paint was starting to flake and the seats were torn but it still did the best ice cream in the whole of Paris, or in Courfeyracs opinion it did. "Lets go get some," he grinned at the boy stirring him towards the counter.

Gavroche nodded his head as he stepped inside, frowning as he stared down at the ground. Courfeyrac watched him for a few moments, rubbing the back of his neck. "What flavour?" He asked, watching as the boy shrug his shoulders. "I don't think they sell that."

"We're not going to find Ep and it's all my fault," Gavroche mumbled.

Courfeyrac gave the server an apologetic look as he guided him to one of the booths and sat him down before taking a seat opposite him at the table. "You've done nothing wrong, kid."

"I'm not a kid!" He insisted. "I'm an adult now!"

Courfeyrac laughed lightly. "We're going to find your sister, okay?"

"But what if you don't? What if she's gone away forever?" Gavroche mumbled as he picked at the table.

Courfeyrac forced a small smile as he watched the lanky boy. "We will find her. She owes me a drink, I'm not letting her get away with not giving it me."

"She was meant to bring me here for ice cream," he sighed. "She never comes anymore."

Courfeyrac frowned slightly. "I'm sure she wants to. She'll tell you, when we find her."

"I wanted to find her, so the she'd know it was me and then she'd come visit me again."

"Well…." Courfeyrac smiled faintly. "You are the one that's finding her. You've brought us here and if you hadn't brought us this far we wouldn't be able to find her."

"Really?" He asked, his face lighting up as he looked up at him.

Courfeyrac nodded his head. "I'll tell her myself," he promised.

The door swung open as Bahorel stepped in, heading straight over to them. "We think we've found something. Azelma saw a car, she said she recognised it. We're going to follow it," he told them.

Courfeyrac nodded as he stood up, smiling slightly as Gavroche slipped his hand into his. "I owe you ice cream," he told him. "Come on kid."

Montparnasse smirked as he leaned back in his seat, his legs swung up onto the desk. He balanced his knife on the end of his finger as he waited, watching the clock as he ticked by. Claquesous and Brujon had busied themselves in a game of cards in the corner of the room but he had no interest in joining them.

"Watching the clock doesn't make time move faster," Claquesous commented as he leaned back on the crate he was using as a seat. "They'll show up."

"Probably late," Brujon smirked as he threw down his cards on the pile and stood up, shoving his crate back as he grabbed his beer off the side.

"Do you know how much it cost me to get them two fools out of prison?" Montparnasse scowled.

"I would have left Thenardier in there, if I was you. He's a fool," Brujon told him as he peered out of the door, checking on their prisoners with a smirk before he sat opposite Montparnasse at the desk.

"He owes me," Montparnasse shrugged his shoulders.

"It's always about money with you," Claquesous laughed as he rolled his eyes.

"Isn't it for all of us though?" Brujon grinned as he took a swig of his beer before chucking the empty bottle down on the side. "Surprised Theodule even did it, to be honest."

Montparasse shrugged his shoulders. "He wanted the brat again. He can have her," he spat as he threw his knife at the door, watching as it sunk into the damp wood.

"You could have sold her for more," Brujon pointed out. "Made back more than what her Father owes you."

Montparnasse smirked as he got up to retrieve the knife from the door and wiped on the sleeve of his suit. "I have an arrangement with Theodule already."

Brujon raised his eyebrow as he watched Montparnasse, tilting his head to the side. "And what's that?"

"You'll see," Montparnasse told him as he glanced up. Outside tires crunched as they rolled over the gravel and he quickly stepped out of the small office, closely followed by Brujon and Claquesous. He paused momentarily as he opened the door, stepping back as the three men entered.

"You took your time," the eldest of the three men spat as he lunged for Montparnasse, closing his hand around his throat.

Montparnasse rolled his eyes as he shoved at the man, easily removing the hand from his throat. "Don't take it out on me, your brats over there."

"I'll deal with her later," he spat as he eyed the two prisoners carefully, locking eyes with Combeferre. "Who's he?"

Claquesous grinned as he glanced at Combeferre. "One of them rich boys she's been hanging around with."

"Is that so?" He scowled as he crossed the room, reaching him in only a few strides. Combeferre swallowed as he forced himself to look up at the man. "He looks shit. What did you do to him?"

Claquesous rolled his eyes. "He's just over reacting," he told him simply. "It's only a small cut."

"You stabbed me," Combeferre corrected him hoarsely.

Eponine stirred as she buried her face in his lap, mumbling against his leg as she kept her eyes firmly squeezed shut.

"Get up, girl," the man spat as he aimed a kick at her ribs.

Combeferre gritted his teeth as he glared up at him. "Leave her alone."

Eponine swallowed as she slowly opened her eyes, forcing herself to sit up. "Dad…" She whispered.

Thenarider rolled his eyes as he watched her. "You lost us some money."

"I'll make it back," she insisted. "It wont take me long."

"Are you stupid?" He snapped. "It's too late for that now. You're going to regret it."

"You touch her face before I've had her and I'll drive you straight back to that prison," Theodule called out as he crossed the room, grinning down at Eponine. "Get up."

She shuddered as she stared up at the man from the poked game before she slowly stood up, pressing her back up against the wall. He grabbed her roughly by her arm, shoving her forward. "Have fun with him instead," Theodule grinned at Thenarider as he shoved her towards the office, smirking as he passed Montparnasse.

Combeferre closed his eyes tightly as he heard the office door shut at the other side of the room. He didn't want to think of what he was going to do to her, and he didn't have chance to either as he felt a cold blade press against his throat. "You can't kill me," he told them quietly.

"I sure as hell can," Thenarider spat as he dug the knife against his throat, the tip pricking his skin. He gritted his teeth as he felt a small dot of blood trickle down his neck.

"Kill him and we'll make nothing from him," Montparnasse pointed out as he joined them, looking down at the student. "They'll pay to get his body back but not as much as they would if he was alive."

Thenarider scowled as he turned to Montparnasse. "Are you trying to tell me what to do?" He demanded. "I practically raised you. I'm in charge, I give the orders."

"You're also the fool that always gets arrested," Montparnasse pointed out. "I'm telling you. If you kill him you wont get half as much."

"I know what I'm doing," He snapped in reply as he turned his attention back to the student. "I hope he's a screamer."

"I wont scream for you," he snapped. "You're disgusting."

Thenardier laughed as he crouched in front of him, leaning closer to him. "And what makes you say that, boy?"

Combeferre turned his face away as he tried to choke on the mans rancid breath in face. "You're letting them hurt your daughter," he spat. "Your own daughter."

"She's a stupid brat, doesn't know what's good for her," he told him, grabbing him roughly by the hair and turning him back to face him. "So, tell me. Why do you care about her?"

"I care about her because she's my friend," he snapped. "She's funny and smart and she deserves it."

"Ponines been getting in his bed without telling you," Thenardier scoffed as he looked up at Montparnasse.

He gritted his teeth as he glared at Combeferre, holding his knife tightly. "And he's going to pay for that," he spat as he stepped closer.

Combeferre locked eyes with Montparnasse as he stared up at him. "You don't deserve her."

"She's just a slut," he spat as he aimed a kick at Combeferre, his shoe making contact with his stomach. Combeferre gritted his teeth as he doubled over, keeping his wrists still behind his back. Not yet.

"He doesn't have anything to say for himself now," Thenarider laughed as he watched, yanking Combeferres head back up.

He gritted his teeth as he stared at the two men. "I'm sure you've slept with more people than she has," he told Montparasse quietly. "So what does that make you, a slut as well?"

He lunged forward, his fist making contact with Combeferres face over and over. After a few moments, Thenardier intervened, yanking Montparnasse away from him. "Leave him," he snapped. "We want money out of him."

Combeferre closed his eyes as he bowed his head. He was losing his strength and his shoulder still hurt but he had to keep himself awake. He gritted his teeth as he waited for something to happen but when he looked up he found Thenardier and Montparnasse glaring at each venomously.

"If it wasn't for me you'd still be locked away in there," Montparnasse spat.

"And you'd be living on the streets without any money," Thenardier retorted.

"I could survive without you."

"So why don't you?" The older of the two challenged smugly.

"Because I have morals. I have loyalties here and I wont turn my back on them."

"Pathetic," Thenardier drawled as he looked the man up and down. Without warning Montparnasse lunged forward, drawing his knife out of his pocket and bringing it up to the others throat but he wasn't fast enough and Thenarider had his knife in his own hand, the tip place over Montparnasses heart.

Combeferre watched silently, chewing his lip. At some point Claquesous had stalked off outside along with the new comer, no one was here to break up the fight. If he was lucky one of them would knock the other out, leaving him with only one of them but if Montparnasse won, no one would be there to stop him hurting him.

Neither of them noticed as a scream rung out behind them, bordering on hysterical. He couldn't stop himself as he yanked his wrists, removing a few of the remaining hairs on his wrists as he stumbled to his feet, his head swaying as he headed for the door. Everyone was moving with him as he gripped his shoulder tightly, gasping for breath. By the time he'd reached the door he was exhausted and Montparnasse had finally noticed that their prisoner had moved and was covering the distance between them quickly.

Combeferre shoved the office door open, rougher than he intended and stepped inside, gripping the desk tightly for support as he stared at the man with his back to him. Eponine was backed up in the corner of the room, her eyes squeezed tightly shut as she anticipated what would come next. "Let her go," Combeferre rasped.

"Kill him!" Montparnasse yelled as Theodule turned around to face the medical student, a cruel grin playing on his lips. "Get rid of him!"

"Don't you dare touch him!" Thenariders voice rung out behind of Montparnasse but no one had chance to do anything as Combeferre swayed, trying to keep hold of the desk before he crumpled onto the floor.