Chapter 29


Gingerbread and pine were sure signs of what was coming. There was no doubt about it with the harsh wind pounding against the screen on Eponine's window and the snow gathering in the naked trees and her window. Ice framed her window and the other houses. Small foot prints were left on the sidewalk from other neighbors walking their dogs the hour before. The snow there had turned to a gray mush, but it was getting covered up from the snow still falling.

A soft light glowed from the gray skies and the blanket of white outside, but it was not enough to fill her room. It was like the dimmed screen on a computer before it falls asleep. Eponine rested her forehead on the glass, enjoying the sound of laughter from below her and the cold soothing her warm forehead.

She was yearning to go out and play like she used to in the snow. She wanted to build a fort with her siblings and throw balls of snow at each other. She wanted to hear the laughter and squeals echoing in the empty streets, quickly getting soaked up by the white powder.

But Leanne wanted them inside. She suggested them to stick together with trusted friends and groups of people.

Despite the worrying Thenardier situation, the family had plunged into the Christmas season. The festivity seemed to be a cure to the ongoing drama. All of them had helped out with the decorations, and now their house was oozing with the season. Wreaths were hanging on every door and window. The halls were covered with tinsel and red bows. Smells of baking and pine constantly floated in the air.

Sighing against the glass, Eponine fogged her vision. The cool wooden floorboards of the room pressed into her knees, leaving an imprint on her skin. She drew back at this, the marks red and prominent. Eponine brought herself up and grabbed a thin maroon fleece blanket off her bed, wrapping it around her shoulders as a makeshift poncho-jacket.

Walking out of her room and down the stairs, Eponine watched quietly as Gavroche and Azelma used cookie cutters to form the ginger bread dough. Leanne was standing next to the speakers across the room, tampering with the stereo which was playing "All I Want for Christmas Is You" too loudly. Her flour-caked hands left a train of the powder on the dial, but Leanne turned to go back to the baking without cleaning it up.

She caught sight of Eponine on the bottom stair and smiled. "So you decided to join us?"

Eponine smirked. "Do I look like someone who would miss out on Christmas tunes and cookies?"

"The only time Eppy would ever do that is once she's dead," Gavroche said, which was followed by chuckles and approval.

Eponine rolled the blanket up in a messy ball, tossing it on the gray couch. She glided over to her two siblings and punched Gavroche in the shoulder shared a small laugh, and Eponine turned to wash her hands in a sink behind her. She wiped her hands in a rough hand towel, too distracted by the faint smell of gingerbread in the oven.

"How long till those are done?" Eponine asked, pointing to the sweets inside the oven.

"15 more minutes, maybe?" Azelma answered.

Grabbing a sprinkle of flour, she smoothed it over her hands like lotion. Once the flour was layered over her fingers and palm, Eponine took a bit of the dough and prodded it with her finger. She thought of what to make, but nothing came to her mind. Everything was blank, from exhaustion or boredom, she did not know.

Flattening to piece of dough, Eponine grabbed a cookie cutter and pressed it into the dough. Absentmindedly she repeated this maneuver for several minutes, just listening to the beat of the songs and her family's voices.

This was what was ideal. This is what she thought was normal, and she was glad it was in her reach. Yet, she was sad because people don't usually want normal. They wanted something different. Everyone always craved for some drama or some craziness. She, on the other hand, wanted sometime plain. She wanted happy and safe. There were people out there used to this kind of thing. The warm atmosphere, a happy family, a healthy body, and friends were all normal. This is what was normal, and Eponine craved for it.

The sharp ring of the doorbell brought her out of her thoughts. Her siblings looked up, alarmed. Her aunt bristled. Eponine tried to relax when the doorbell rang again. Several times. Eponine looked at it curiously, knowing that her father and his gang would never do that, and neither would the mailman.

Her phone began furiously vibrating from its spot on their couch. Eponine wiped her hands on a dough covered towel and walked to the phone quickly. Grantaire's name showed up on the screen. Eponine picked up the phone, ready to press the receive call button when all of a sudden the call ended. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Goddamit Eponine! I know you're in there! I can smell the freaking gingerbread from out here!" Grantaire's voice came through the door.

The house erupted in laughter, and the tension was quickly released. Eponine walked towards the door and opened it. With his nose red from the cold, Grantaire glared at Eponine as he came inside. A little bit of snow gathered on their front step. Grantaire rubbed his hands up and down his arms. He wore a green beanie and a thick black parka.

"Hey," Eponine said, hugging him, making sure her hands did not make contact with his jacket.

"Ugh, you're so warm," Grantaire whispered, trying to burrow his giant frame into her small one.

"Mr. Grantaire?" Leanne asked behind them. She quirked an eyebrow in his direction as if expecting a greeting or maybe even an apology.

He turned around and smiled. Opening his arms wide, he said, "Ms. Leanne! Your baking smells fabulous!" He wrapped his arms around her, and brought her towards the oven.

Eponine watched the scene in front of her unfold. Eponine continued to wipe her hands on a towel. Her aunt looked at Grantaire skeptically, not because she did not like him, but his behavior was always bordering on the line of inappropriate in Leanne's definition.

Gavroche looked at Grantaire admirably, chuckling a bit whenever Grantaire made a smart comment. He had stopped making the treats completely. Eponine grinned a bit, enjoying the amount of role models in Gavroche's life. He loved the Amis. They were a makeshift paternal figure for him. Each of the Amis enforced certain assets in a round personality. Joly made sure Gavroche stayed healthy; Courfeyrac and Grantaire made sure Gavroche still enjoyed life; Bossuet always told Gavroche to stay safe, etc.

Eponine resumed the spot behind the counter. Grantaire was still speaking to Leanne, talking about how festive their house looked. Leanne looked as if she was trying to hide her smile. A few minutes later, the timer rang, and the pair in front of the oven jumped. Grantaire moved aside for Leanne to take out the tray of gingerbread.

The group watched with excitement and rumbling stomachs. Each second the gingerbread was out in the atmosphere it made the scent stronger. Every mouth in the room watered, and every pair of eyes was fixed on the tray. Leanne had barely set it down on the counter when the children and teenagers attacked it, not minding the still hot tray. Her eyes widened with concern, but it quickly vanished when no one seemed to have burned their fingers or hands.

When Eponine took a bite, her eyes widened and the cookie fell to the floor. She sucked in several breaths, trying to stop the burning in her mouth. She fanned her mouth with her hands, the cookie dropped on the floor. Taking a look around, it seemed everyone else had done something similar. Four cookies were crumbled on the floor. Eponine looked at Leanne, her eyes apologetic.

"Oops, I forgot to wait," she said.

Leanne had a look that said "Well, that wasn't very smart, now was it?" Eponine sighed. She quickly got a broom and pan and began sweeping up the now crumbled cookies.

"In our defense, Ms. Leanne, the cookies smelled really good," Grantaire said as he bent down to help Eponine pick up the mess.

Leanne set her hands on her hips. She walked over to the adjoined dining room and sat at the head of the table. Waving her hand in the air, she said, "Yeah, yeah. Get some milk, Gavroche. We're eating this the moment all the cookies and their pieces are picked up."

The crumbs on the floor were attacked by the children's eager hands, and they picked up almost every single one. Leanne covered her lips which were curling up in a smirk. She knew exactly what they wanted. Gavroche threw the fridge door open and tugged the milk out. Leanne momentarily panicked, her eyes widening. Eponine seemed to have the exact same concern, and she inspected the fridge door, making sure there were no dents. She closed the door gently and watched her siblings and Grantaire help each other out. Grantaire grabbed several ceramic mugs, placing several mugs in front of Gavroche on the counter. Azelma tugged the milk carton out of Gavroche's hands, claiming he wouldn't be able to pour fast enough. Gavroche tugged it back, growling that she could barely carry the carton with one hand. Eponine marched between them and pulled the carton out of their grips, unscrewing the cap and pouring the milk gracefully with just the right amount and with no spills.

Gavroche eagerly grabbed the mug that was filled with milk despite the protests of the others. Azelma grabbed the next one, and Grantaire grabbed the next two for himself and Leanne. The three of them sat down as Eponine poured the mug for herself. She grabbed the mug in one hand and used her other hand to hold the now cooled pan. Gavroche almost shot out of his chair to grab a new cookie, but Leanne tugged him down with a disapproving look.

Eponine began walking slower to antagonize her family. She took a nice long sip of her milk, slurping it loudly. When she brought her mug down, Gavroche was glaring at Eponine. She laughed briefly before setting down the pan in front of them. Immediately, the cookies were attacked, and Eponine had barely even began to sit in her seat. Grantaire passed her a cookie, which was still warm.

They began eating, and all talk had completely stopped. The only sounds were the plop of the cookies being dipped, the crunch when they bit their cookies, and the moans of deliciousness. They went through total silence for several minutes, each of them concentrated completely on the cookies they baked.

When there were only two cookies left, Grantaire's phone began buzzing, and he picked it up immediately. A loud demanding voice began shouting at him angrily, worry lacing every few words. Grantaire pulled the phone away from his ear wincing at how loud the person was. He waited a few seconds before beginning to speak reassuringly.

"I'm with her, chill," Grantaire said.

A loud sigh came from the other end of the phone, and the person began talking.

"I was distracted. They made cookies. And they're really good," Grantaire said with a smile.

Again, loud shouts were heard from the other end of the phone, and then the voice lowered to say something like a warning.

"Alright, alright. I'll be there in a few." Grantaire ended the call and got up from his chair. He held his hand out to Eponine. "That was Enjolras. I completely forgot he sent me here to pick you up for a little surprise."


A/N: Omg, hi! I have not been updating as well as I should have. I'm just trying to pace my story a bit, and I was improving the outline. Thank you for waiting patiently and sticking around even though I have been incredibly slow on this story. I kind of got caught in a new fandom... Hehehe. But now I am back! So here's an update as a peace offering and apology!

This chapter was kind of just a filler. I swear the action is not stopping and is really only beginning. Please tell me what you think! Review, favorite, follow, all that jazz! Constructive criticism is actually very much appreciated so I would like it if I got some of that! Thank you for reading!

~Franky