Éponine looked around frantically for a hiding spot, but to her dismay found nowhere to hide. Suddenly the door burst open and Azelma rushed in.
"'Ponine come on! You got to go!" She cried
"Why what's going on?" Éponine asked
"Oh tell me she knows what's going on!" Éponine looked up to see Courfeyrac standing in the doorway.
"Courfeyrac?" It was Enjolras who spoke as he lay on the pallet in pain.
"Hello, mon ami how are you?" Courfeyrac smirked
"I've been better," Enjolras groaned as he struggled to sit up, but Éponine gently shoved him back down.
"Shh, rest mon amour. You need to save your strength." Éponine murmured soothingly, he watched her with pain filled eyes and thought to himself; she's the most beautiful creature on God's earth.
Suddenly there was a crash.
"What was that?" Éponine asked
"The signal, come on we got to go!" Courfeyrac said helping Enjolras to his feet.
"Go where? 'Zelma what aren't you telling me?" Éponine hissed; there was a brief silence and then Azelma said
"Montparnasse, 'e's lookin' for you." Éponine's eyes widened and she hurried to help Courfeyrac to support Enjolras' weight.
"Let's go," she said
Carefully, the brave little group hurried towards the back entrance with Azelma in the lead.
"Are you going to tell me who Montparnasse is?" Enjolras asked
"Please don't do this." Éponine whispered
"Do what? I want to know." Enjolras replied. Éponine looked at him from the corner of her eye.
"You know what you're doing, don't even pretend you don't." Éponine hissed
"I honest to God don't know what you're talking about 'Ponine." Enjolras said.
"Do you forget, kind monsieur? That I'm your wife and-"
"Can you two possibly fight sometime else?" Courfeyrac hissed
"Gavroche can only distract your father for so long, and I'd hate to think what would happen if he found us." Éponine turned on Courfeyrac in an instant.
"Gavroche? You let my baby brother put himself in a room with my father? What the hell is wrong with you?" Éponine hissed.
"He volunteered 'Ponine, what did you want me to do?" Courfeyrac said
"Say no! He volunteered himself at the barricade too and if it wasn't for me he'd be dead!"
"You forget Madame that your brother is the fastest gamin in town!" Courfeyrac replied
"I don't care if-"
"Will you two shut up?" Azelma hissed silencing the two.
"Listen," it was then they heard Gavroche speaking to his parents.
"Where have you come from, little brat?" Came M. Thènardier's voice.
"The street." Replied Gavroche
"Where are you going?"
"Back to the street."
"Why did you come?" Screeched Mme. Thènardier, Éponine flinched, she knew this routine forwards and backwards. Her parents did this every time Gavroche came to visit. Just then the front door opened,
"Ah, 'Parnasse! I was beginning to worry, 'ave you found that lil' slut of a daughter of mine?" Éponine felt Enjolras stiffen with rage beside her.
"No. But I will." Montparnasse said
"I saw 'Zelma in the street earlier, was with some bourgeois gent."
"Yes," said Éponine's father said in a pleased voice,
"'E'll give her quite a pretty penny." Éponine swore if he were a cat her father would've been purring with satisfaction.
"She's no 'Ponine but I might just bed 'er for the 'ell of it when she gets back." Montparnasse said
"Be my guest, you know where the room is." Éponine's heart was in her mouth as they heard Montparnasse's footsteps drawing closer and closer.
"Go! Go! Go!" Azelma hissed as she hurried the group to the back door. When they arrived Azelma yanked open the door to reveal flight upon flight of rickety stairs.
"Go!" She whispered. She watched her three companions start down the stairs but Éponine turned back.
"'Zelma, come with us!" She pleaded
"I can't! Someone's got to stay 'ere. It's got to be me, go 'Ponine! I'll be alright."
"'Zelma don't be ridiculous! Come on!" Éponine beseeched her younger sister. Montparnasse's footfalls drew nearer still.
"Go!" And Azelma slammed the door shut.
Éponine helped Enjolras down the stairs in silence. When they arrived outside Gavroche was waiting for them. He hugged his sister tightly, having heard the entire exchange.
"Come on you two, we have to get out of here." Courfeyrac said,
"Enjolras is still healing up and we didn't get this far just to get caught." Éponine nodded and silently hurried away from her parent's home, cursing herself for not forcing Azelma to come.
DAMN! Now I got 'Be Our Guest' running through my head! Why did I have to write that? WHY? Anyway... Review please!