Three months later:

May 26, 1832

Chapter 26: King of Paris

A/N: Prepare for No God Above's first (and probably last) musical number! :) Don't ask why I wrote this part. Just go with it and imagine them all singing. This is Les Mis, after all. They sing stuff. All credit goes to "Newsies" for inspiration for the song.

"Slow down, Marius!" Éponine said as the two of them rushed into the doors of the Cafe Musain. "What makes this meeting so different from the others?"

Since that eventful evening in the Rue Plumet, Marius had only grown more and more cheerful. He met with Cosette in secret almost every night, and when he wasn't with her, then he was at the Musain, which was slowly becoming the ABC Society's headquarters for all things about the revolution. Éponine, at Enjolras's insistence, had continued to meet there with the students, offering any opinions she had and giving the best advice about how to rally the average Parisian to fight. Because of her help, Enjolras had told her their "catalyst" the same night he had told the Amis: the renowned general, Lamarque, had fallen ill with cholera. If he died, his death would cause an uproar among the wretched citizens of the city, for Lamarque was well-known for his advocating of peoples' rights. If they could control that torrent of emotions, the revolution could be won in a day.

The student grinned at her. "I spoke with Courfeyrac yesterday, and he told me that we would be having some very special guests at the Musain tonight."

"What guests?" She asked, not caring to guess.

He laughed, and opened the door to the students' back room. "Look and see."

Éponine looked, and she gasped in delight. Sitting on the table, their feet swinging, was a quartet of gamins, grinning like fools as Jehan Prouvaire played the large piano that sat in the corner. "Gavroche! Navet! Samuel! Nathan!" She ran over to them and enveloped them in a great big hug, even Navet. "Oh, I haven't seen you in weeks! What are you doing here?"

Gavroche smiled. "The momes and I met a right decent fellow who comes here, and he said that we could visit tonight; even bring Navet with us, if he was interested."

"Really? Who said that?"

Courfeyrac sauntered up to them and smiled. "That would be I, mademoiselle. I hope you don't mind too terribly."

She laughed. "Why should I? My irresponsible brothers may learn something of importance here tonight."

"We know important things!" Nathan protested. ""Vroche takes us to the alleys and ponds all the time, and we find out things about Paris that we never knew before."

Éponine mussed up the little gamin's hair. "Yes, but your new friend Courfeyrac and his friends talk about things outside of Paris. Big things, famous things. Right, Enjolras?"

The blonde revolutionary nodded. "Yes, I suppose it's famous things." Then he smiled. "And when we break the chain of tyranny, then I suppose we ourselves will become famous things as well."

"Aye!" Shouted Grantaire giddily. "The group of rag-tag students who overthrew a European monarchy! True history and celebrity in the making!"

Enjolras simply sighed. "Whatever you say, Grantaire. I wonder if when we're famous, we still need the money to pay off our debts in financing this costly revolution."

Navet laughed. "You don't need money when you're famous, Enjolras. And that's what's so great about Paris! When you're famous, they give you whatever you want!"

Enjolras scoffed. "Such as...?"

"Such as..." Navet began. Then he sighed, and looked towards Prouvaire. "Jehan, can you stop playing that song? I've heard cheerier funeral marches."

Prouvaire looked chagrined. "Well, what do you want me to play?"

"Something more... uplifting! I think better with good music."

The poet nodded, and switched from playing his somber tune to a much jazzier one.

"Now that's more like it!" Navet said, delighted. "Anyway, as I was saying, you get anything you want in this city when you're famous. Like a new pair of shoes, with matching laces." He pointed at his own shoes, which were clumsily made, with almost all the string laces gone.

Bossuet, who was playing cards in the corner with Joly, called out, "A hand of cards that holds all the aces!" And he showed his losing hand.

Joly inspected his cup. "A fancy drink filled with gin, not water." He mused.

"A summer night with a marquis' daughter!" Laughed Courfeyrac.

Navet stood up on the table, staring down defiantly at Enjolras. "Look at me! I'm the king of Paris! Suddenly, I'm a big guy, staring right at you, stocked up on stature."

Feuilly got up from his seat and said, "No fun at playing a sitting-duck, so I'm wasting my francs and going deluxe!"

Navet spread his arms wide in a grand gesture. "Here I am! Ain't I pretty? This is my city; I'm the king of Paris!"

From his spot at the piano, Prouvaire showed them his pocket-watch, which was battered and made of copper. "A solid gold watch with a chain to twirl it..."

"A king-size bed and an indoor toilet!" Gavroche chimed.

"A pint of wine priced for a quarter." Grantaire said, draining his cup.

Marius rushed across the room, and held up a copy of The Moniteur for them to see. "Something new for all the reporters!"

"Something new, alright!" Grantaire exclaimed. "That Enjolras is the king of Paris!"

"Tip your hat, he's the king of Paris!" The Amis responded in unison.

Enjolras laughed. "How about that? Me, the king of Paris!"

"In no time flat, to the Assembly he'll whisk us, yes that's Enjolras." The students continued.

"Making history at the barricade!"Combeferre declared.

"Protecting the weak!" Enjolras said.

"With all of our aid!" Bahorel added.

Gavroche swatted Enjolras's arm. "Knock it off, Enjolras! If anyone's the king of Paris, she is!" He pointed to Éponine.

She just laughed. "Who'd of thought! I'm the king of Paris!"

"So let's get drunk!" Shouted Grantaire.

"Yeah!" The Amis cheered.

"No!" Said Éponine loudly. "Well,yes; but not with liquor! Fame works quicker when you're king of Paris."

"Yes, haven't you heard? We're the kings of Paris!" Enjolras cried out.

Then together, they cried:"Look at me! I'm the king of Paris! Wait and see; this is gonna make all the Bourbons run and then forfeit. The Republic is blazing bright as the sun! I'm one reckless son of a gun! Don't ask me how Fortune found me, but Fate just crowned me, now I'm king of Paris. Look and see! Friends may flee, but let them run! We'll have fun, because we're the kings of Paris! It's a big new story of guts and glory! I'm the king of Paris!"