Disaster happened the next day. Eponine decided that she still needed the cake for Cosette, and it just had to be the best one her sister had ever seen. The only problem was that Eponine didn't know how to bake. Her only skill was in cooking, but Eponine knew that she couldn't very well cook a cake. Her only option was to ask Cosette for help, but the cake was for Cosette, so that wouldn't work.

Eponine exhaled deeply, and rubbed her small hands together. She grabbed a bowl from a shelf, some sugar, a bag of flour, and a wooden spoon. She poured the flour in, then the sugar, then added some water because she knew that the recipe would need SOME type of liquid. She mixed everything together, and then stared at it intently. It looked horrible. It was some sort of greyish mush with globs of flour in it and specks of white sugar. It looked like the last thing Cosette would eat.

"Perhaps after it bakes, then it will look golden brown. Oh, Cosette will be so proud of me!" Eponine said to herself. She poured the mixture into a metal pan that she hoped would hold the "cake". She slipped on some mitts and fed the pan into the oven. Then she slid down against the wall and began to wait.

She waited for about half an hour or so, taking the occasional glance at the oven window. It still hadn't risen, or at least gained some heat. Eponine frowned, and slipped on the mitts. She cautiously opened the door, and closed her eyes, waiting for it to explode. When she didn't hear it explode, she opened her eyes again and took the pan out slowly. It wasn't even warm! Eponine set it on the counter and threw off the mitts.

"Why aren't you baking?" Eponine half shouted, half cried at the glob of flour and sugar. Eponine snatched up the pan again with her bare hands, gave it a good overview, and stole a glance at the oven. Then she realized how stupid she had been. Eponine felt so silly! She could've face-palmed herself or slapped herself in the face because of her stupidity.

She hadn't lit the oven. She had wasted a precious half an hour waiting on something that wouldn't even heat up because the oven didn't even have heat! Eponine felt like crying, but she held her tears in, and willed herself to continue. She lit the oven with fire, careful not to burn herself, and placed the pan in. She allowed fifteen minutes to pass before she would look at it again.

While she waited for those fifteen minutes to pass, she gave the kitchen a good look. It was quite spacy, actually, and there were many utensils that she didn't even know the name of. Maybe Eponine would ask her Papa one day what the names of the pots and pans were and what they were used for. She was eager to know.

After what seemed like fifteen minutes Eponine peered inside the oven. The cake was… still flat. Eponine groaned, and took it out of the oven. It sloshed around, and some spilled on the floor. Before she could realize it, her foot stepped on the mixture and she slipped, falling onto the floor. The pan flew into the air, and landed with a huge crash onto the kitchen floor, causing flour and sugar lumps to spill everywhere. Slowly it crept all over the floor and onto Eponine's dress. She started sobbing because it wasn't turning out as she had planned.

"'Ponine? Are you okay?" Cosette poked her head through the door. Eponine looked up horrified. Cosette wasn't supposed to find out! Eponine wiped her tears and tried to usher her out.

"I'm fine, 'Sette. Nothing to worry about! I just hit my, uh, head when I slipped on some water-"

"That's not water."

"Uh…"

"You were trying to make something, weren't you?"

"I, uh…"

"Without me? 'Ponine, you know that baking isn't your thing!"

"Well, I was trying!"

"You could have burned this place to the ground!"

"At least I didn't!"

"Ugh!" Cosette cried, stomping her foot on the ground. "Just listen to me, won't you!"

"You're not seeing the point!"

"It's you who's not seeing the point!"

"You don't even know what I was trying to do! I was trying to make a cake for…" Eponine covered her mouth quickly before she could say anything else. Cosette's face softened.

"For who, 'Ponine? For who?" Cosette cupped her ear to signal that she wanted to know. Eponine's hands were still clamped around her mouth. Finally, she released them.

"I can't tell you! It's a surprise! Oops…" Eponine's hands flew back to her mouth again.

"A surprise, huh? Is it for me tomorrow?" Cosette smiled at Eponine sweetly.

"I, uh, no! Of course not! It's for, uh, Papa! Yes, that's right! Papa! I was, um, going to make a cake for him as a surprise for, uh, no reason at all! Just to be nice, you know? Hehe…"

Cosette actually seemed to believe Eponine. The blonde threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Oh, Eponine! That's so sweet! Why didn't you tell me? We could have made it together!" Eponine was starting to find it useful that Cosette wanted to make a cake with her, so Eponine wouldn't mess up.

"Of course! I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier 'Sette." Eponine apologized. Cosette smiled back.

"It's fine. As long as we're together, we're happy, right? Nothing will go wrong." They hugged again, then Cosette took Eponine's hand. "Let's get you cleaned up. You can borrow my apron."

After getting changed, Eponine and Cosette tried a second time at making a cake. Cosette taught Eponine step by step, and Eponine clung onto every word. Then they popped it into the oven and watched it rise. As it did that, Eponine and Cosette took turns mopping the floor. Finally, the cake was ready. Cosette gently removed it from the oven and Eponine stared at it in awe.

"And that's how you make a cake!" Cosette announced. Eponine clapped wildly, and Cosette bowed like she had just finished a performance. They both laughed and giggled. "Do you need me to help you frost it?" Cosette asked after that.

Eponine smiled. "No, thanks Cosette. I can take it from here."

Marius looked up at the clock on the wall. "Gee, Cosette sure is taking a long time going to the bathroom."

"I'm surprised we haven't looked for her yet." Enjolras replied. Marius glared at him.

"Well, we're sort of locked in a broom closet, thanks to you. This is where YOU decided to look for her."

"Okay, okay, maybe we already looked, but hey, isn't this broom closet just lovely?"

"Its pitch black in here Enjolras. We can't see a thing."

"Fine, fine, it's my fault."

"Why did you think that Cosette was hiding here in the first place?"

"Uh… she likes to keep things neat? Ha… Ha…"

"That was not funny."

"Okay, okay."

They let a few moments pass before they heard a sound. Marius froze. He looked at Enjolras, but couldn't see him because of the darkness. "Enjolras. Quiet." He hissed softly. He heard a jingling of keys and a humming of a nun. There was a soft click, and the door opened. A face peered into the closet, and sunlight streamed into their faces. However, the boys wasted no time. Enjolras darted around the nun, while Marius ran under her. She shrieked, then fell over into the brooms.

The bright light blinded them, since it was such a change from the darkness of the broom closet. They covered their faces, but were so disoriented that they ran straight into Madame Dubois. Marius fell into the bushes, and Enjolras tripped right at her feet. She glared down at him.

"Who exactly are you?" she stormed. Marius popped his head out of the shrub. She whipped her head around to face him.

"Uh… Hi, Auntie." Marius waved with a small hopeful smile. A leaf fell from his ear. Madame Dubois just got angrier.

"WHY HAVE YOU BROUGHT A STRANGER INTO OUR CONVENT? YOU KNOW THAT IT'S DANGEROUS! HE COULD BE A SPY!" she screamed. Marius jumped at each sentence. Enjolras regained his footing and tried to scramble away. She grabbed him by the collar. "And you're wearing Marius' clothes! You thief! I'll send you away the minute we find a family for you! You need a lesson on how to NOT intrude on other properties! At least I'm being nice and finding you a life!" Enjolras was frozen in terror. He looked over at Marius and mouthed, help. Marius gave it his last shot.

"Why can't he stay with us?" Marius asked. "I'm staying here, so he can too!"

Madame Dubois huffed. "You're a visitor! You're leaving in a few days! Plus, he's a boy. HE CAN'T STAY HERE!"

"Valjean is staying here!" Marius whined.

"Don't use that tone on me, young boy!" She scolded. "Valjean is staying here because he's injured. Plus, he broke his leg saving two girls. Now, you stay where I put you! If I don't find a family by tomorrow, I'm throwing you out onto the street for good!"

Enjolras was dragged away by the woman, and Marius wept for the first time in a long while.