Disclaimer: I don't really own any of these ideas, only a few. And thanks to my first reviewer, even though she didn't think I was that great, thanks for the tips.
A/n: This story is dedicated to Rebecca Gallanter, because she told me about Les Miserables in the first place and without her I would really be useless. Oh, and if our stories sound very similar, it's not because we copied each other. It's because we used the same source of information for our ideas.
::Eponine::
Eponine Thenardier was walking by an abandoned alley, just thinking. She had left the Café some time ago, and was walking rather slow. She was enthralled in her own thoughts, not watching where she was going, and walked straight into Marius Pontmercy.
"Eponine!" Marius exclaimed. He was terribly out of breath. Eponine was startled out of her thoughts.
"Oh!" She stopped short and looked up at Marius.
"Eponine," Marius started again. It seemed like he was fighting an impulse to ask her something important.
"Yes?" She said expectantly.
"Can you...can you do me a favor?" He gave her a pleading look.
"Depends. What's the favor?"
"I need you to talk to someone for me." Eponine raised her eyebrows.
"A woman." Marius continued, and Eponine sniggered. "Her name is, Cosette, I believe. That is what her father called her, at least. She lives in a large stone house at the end of that street." Marius pointed to a street beyond the alley.
"Cosette." Eponine repeated. That name sounded awfully familiar to her. "I'll do it." Eponine replied after some thought. Why not? I mean, she could do a lot of stuff people asked her. That's what they all said, 'Eponine, she knows her way around.'
"Oh, thank you so much." A look of relief spread over Marius's face, and he started to walk away, looking back over his shoulder.
Eponine turned to go. Now she had to find Cosette's house. She retraced her steps for a bit of the way, and then went off in the other direction from which she came. She came upon Cosette's house moments later, looked it over, and went around to the back. There she found Cosette sitting on a garden bench, a few feet behind a large wrought iron gate.
Eponine crept up to the gate and wrapped her hands around two of the bars.
"You!" Eponine hissed. "Are you Cosette?" The woman got up.
"What's it to you?" She said, and backed away slightly.
"Just answer me. Are you Cosette?" The woman hesitated for a moment, and then bobbed her head slowly up and down.
"Let me in!" Eponine whispered, glancing around. Cosette backed further away.
"Why should I? And who are you?"
"Eponine, and I was sent to speak to you." Eponine sighed impatiently. "Now let me in, will you?" Cosette stepped closer to the gates.
"Sent? By whom?" With every word she stepped closer to the gate.
"Marius Pontmercy." Eponine answered. Cosette gave her a puzzled look and reached for the keys to the gate, which were hanging on a fencepost nearby.
"Marius Who-mercy?" Eponine buried her head in her hands.
"He didn't introduce himself, did he? Oh, well, that sounds just like him. Ok, here goes: He's tall, with, um, curly brown hair, and he makes speeches in the village square a lot, you may have even heard one of them before." Eponine glanced around again.
"Yes, he does sound very familiar, actually. Yes. I do believe I remember him. He followed my carriage part of the way home, as a matter of fact." Eponine laughed inwardly. Followed her? What was he doing? That must have been why he was late in coming to the Café. Cosette unlatched the iron gates and led Eponine inside. Eponine stared around in awe as Cosette led her further into the house. "I'll take you up to my room, just don't make too much noise, or my father will wake."
Suddenly it hit Eponine. Cosette was the girl her parents had taken in when her mother gave her up to work in some town nearby. Her mother had died years ago, and she didn't have a father. Eponine stared at Cosette. It was that scrawny little child that she had ridiculed endlessly for her tattered close and matted hair. It was the same Cosette that had darned Eponine's socks when they were ripped, and washed Eponine's clothes when they were dirty.
Cosette waved her hand in front of Eponine's face. She was suddenly torn out of her thoughts, and realized Cosette had been speaking to her.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I must have been daydreaming." She hid her face. How could she hide all this from Cosette? Would she be suspicious?
"This is my room." Cosette opened a large wooden door to reveal a beautiful room, with huge furniture and a luxurious canopy bed. Eponine ran her hand over the top of a large dresser nearby and stared. This was the most amazing room she had ever seen.
"It's very nice." Eponine said, still gazing around the room.
"It's nothing, really." Cosette assured her. "It's actually quite small." Eponine shook her head. To her, this room was grand. "Then, you haven't have been in too many nice houses, have you?" Cosette asked. Eponine shook her head again. She was still remembering how she was the rich one before, how Cosette had nothing. 'Now look how it's all changed. Look what's become of me!' Eponine thought solemnly.
"So," Cosette started up again. "Why did Marius send you here?" Eponine turned around to face Cosette.
"He wanted me to talk to you for him. If you asked me, I'd say he was to shy to do it himself."
"He didn't seem shy, when he giving the speech, I mean." Cosette thought aloud.
"Yes, well...I have no idea what goes on inside his head! He probably just got nervous or something, trying to talk to you. Don't ask me!"
Cosette chuckled. She beckoned for Eponine to sit down. Just when they were both settled, they heard a knock at the door.
"Cosette? Is someone in there, besides you?" It was a mans voice
"Papa!" Cosette whispered. Eponine widened her eyes and got up. "No, Papa." Cosette struggled to keep him from coming in. "There's no one here but me." Eponine ran over to the window, unlatched it, and stuck one leg over the side. "What are you doing?" Cosette hissed.
"Climbing out the window, what does it look like?" Eponine answered sarcastically. Cosette rolled her eyes. "Fine, just be careful!" She whispered. Eponine nodded and ducked out the window, and climbed down the side of the stone house with care, her feet slipping every so often.
Just as Eponine left, her father opened the door and glanced around the room. Cosette was indeed alone in her room. He walked over to where Cosette was standing and put his arms around her.
"I thought I heard voices. I guess it just means I'm getting older." He trailed off. His eyes met up with the open window. "Cosette, why is your window open? It's freezing outside! Aren't you terribly cold?" He walked over to the window and pushed it shut.
"No, Papa. I'm fine." She glanced out the window and saw Eponine walking away.
"Alright, goodnight, Cosette." He turned to leave.
"Goodnight Papa." Cosette answered. She was beginning to think about Marius. Who was he really? And why did he send Eponine? All in all, Cosette was beginning to like the mysterious Monsieur Marius.
a/n: I fixed A LOT of mistakes for this chapter...hope you like it! Also, this story and all its sequels are AU, so I can have whatever I want happen....just a reminder!
