Chapter 3: Ultimate by Lindsay Lohan

"Friendship is a dry passage among the drops of rain."

- - - - -

"What was that about?" Courfeyrac faced Marius. They were in Marius' apartment, discussing geometry. Marius couldn't understand it. And since Courfeyrac was closest friend out of Les Amis de l'ABC, Marius was sure that he wouldn't hesitate to help him. After they ran through the whole lesson thoroughly, they heard the yelling next door. Marius peeked into the small hole to see what was going on.

'What did Eponine do again?' Marius thought. "Monsieur Jondrette is probably drunk again." He explained.

"So, tell me about your neighbours..." Courfeyrac relaxed in the chair.

Marius was hesitant at first, but he finally gave in. "They are so far, the poorest family I know in Paris. The father is always drunk; the mother works at the market but gets very little. Actually, I think I earn more than she does. They have 3 children: Eponine is the eldest. He father makes her run through errands. Azelma, the middle child, is a dancer at the cabaret and Gavroche... he watches out for Azelma." Marius elucidated.

"Gavroche?" Courfeyrac looked at him curiously. "I didn't know he had a family."

"He has a family, but he seldom shows up in front of his parents. He comes with Azelma at the cabaret and most of the time he doesn't come home." Marius explained.

"So, what's going on next door?"

"I didn't hear much. See, when I talked to him this morning, Monsieur Jondrette asked Eponine to pick up a few things. I guess she lost them and now, her father is so angry and drunk, he has beaten her up again." Marius looked uncertain.

Courfeyrac forced to get more information, but Marius was simply silent. He eyed him questioningly.

"That's it?" Marius nodded. "I can't believe I'm saying this. Marius, we've got to help her." Courfeyrac said in an urgent tone.

Marius looked at him as if he'd gone mad. "What???"

"Marius, this is injustice." Courfeyrac said. Yes he didn't know her and why would he care? He could easily have turned away and pretended like nothing happened but from the yelling he heard, he suddenly felt the urgency to help her.

"Okay, so how do we help her? In the first place, she can't come out of that filthy corner for a month." Marius looked at Courfeyrac questioningly.

'Courfeyrac, you're a man with a ready-answer in any situation. How do we do it?' Marius thought.

"You let her out; I'll wait for you at Café Musain."

At Marius' doubtful expression, Courfeyrac clutched his shoulders. "Marius, someone needs our help. A member of Les Amis de l'ABC doesn't think twice before helping the poor. I see Eponine around the café constantly waiting for your commands. You don't know Paris the way she does so when you need something done, most of the time, you approach her for help. Now, she needs your help... Please..." He pleaded.

Marius was hesitant at first, but he finally gave in. After all, Eponine did him a lot of errands. In addition to that, she helped him find a job that fitted his schedule. Helping her stand up for herself would be the least he could do.

"Okay, so how do we do it?"

"From how it looks, she doesn't know that she can leave if she chooses and that's why she's so powerless to."

"So, we'll talk to her about it?"

"Exactly." Marius nodded.

- - -THE NEXT DAY- - -

Marius woke up a little late that morning. First thought: WHAT TIME IS IT? He scanned his house for his watch. He found it beside his wallet at the coffee table. He looked at it and read: 11:34! It was perfect. He peeked into the small hole and saw no one in the Jondrette household. At the table, he saw Eponine's hat. She never left the house without it. 'Maybe I should tell Eponine about Courfeyrac's plans,' He thought as he went out and knocked on the door. No one opened it; it opened by itself. He went inside and knocked on the locked door.

"Eponine, I know you're in there. I have to talk to you." Marius called.

Eponine had been sitting in that filthy corner, bored and alone. She was looking at the door. 'There has got to be a way to get out of here.' She stood up and tried to push it. She tried the doorknob; nothing worked. She was about to burst into tears when out of the blue, someone knocked on the door. She didn't even bother to answer it. She wished to die.

"Eponine, I know you're in there. I have to talk to you."

'Well, I want to see Monsieur Marius before I die.' "M'sieur Marius... Is that you?" She called. "Get me out of here."

"Eponine, where's the key?" Marius looked around.

"Check the tables. Hurry! It's getting hotter in here."

Marius saw the key and quickly undid the lock. Eponine quickly went out and breathed deeply. Marius walked closer to her, looking for any signs that she was all right.

"Where are your parents?" Marius queried.

"Out..." she said flatly.

""Ponine, I need to talk to you."

She closed the door and faced him. "What did you want to talk about, M'sieur Marius?" She offered him a seat; he gladly took it.

"That, for instance. Stop calling 'monsieur'."

"I'm sorry, I got used to it." She blushed and looked away. After a few minutes, she faced him and leaned against the wall.

Marius walked closer to her and took her hands in his. "Come with me." He pleaded.

She frowned. "As much as I'd love to, I can't."

"Why?" He shot her a curious look.

"I'm being punished-" Marius silenced her.

"For what?"

"For losing a few letters by accident," She replied flatly.

Marius eyed her inquiringly. "Sure there must be another reason..."

"Well, I answered my father..."

"Eponine, someone wants to talk to you."

"Who?"

"How will you know if you won't come with me?" Marius just smiled at her; she couldn't say no.

"All right, but I'm not staying for very long."

- - - - -

They stood in front of the Café Musain.

"We're going here?" Eponine shot him a questioning look.

"Yes, we have to talk to you."

"We?"

"A friend and I."

Eponine nodded and they went in. Courfeyrac was sitting at a corner, making more battle plans. Eponine and Marius approached him.

"Courfeyrac," Marius started. He continued when Courfeyrac looked at him. "You wanted me to bring Eponine here."

"Oh yes." He stood up politely and introduced himself to her. "I believe we haven't met. I'm Courfeyrac." He offered his hand for a handshake.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Eponine." She shook his hand and smiled warmly. Marius called a waitress and ordered some coffee.

"Make that two." Courfeyrac added.

"Anything else?" She asked, clearly hinting that the lady hadn't given out an order.

"Are you hungry, Eponine?" Marius asked.

"A croissant would do." After a few scribbles, the waitress went inside the kitchen to leave the three of them to talk.

"So tell me again, why I'm here." Eponine was getting uncomfortable.

"Eponine," Marius faced her. Eponine smiled expectantly. 'Have I conquered his heart?' She wondered.

"I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me. The perfect opportunity has come. I want to help you."

The 2 cups of coffee and the croissant came quickly, so the three helped themselves.

'Just say you love me and I'll be the happiest person on earth.' Eponine replied in her thoughts. Instead of saying this, she asked, "How?"

"Well, we see how your parents treat you and your siblings and we decided it's unfair." Courfeyrac stated.

Eponine looked at him peculiarly. 'What do they know about my life, my family and Patron-Minette?' She thought. "But what can we do? My father only listens to his gang."

"Can you come here tomorrow? Say, at the same time? Please..." Courfeyrac flashed her a hopeful smile. No matter how dangerous sneaking out of the corner was, she didn't care. She couldn't say no to the beautiful smile.

"All right. Adieu." Eponine slipped out the door.

After Eponine left, the other members came.

"I met a girl..." Courfeyac started.

"Don't you meet one almost everyday?" Bahorel grinned.

"No, this girl is different," Courfeyrac defended.

"What? She's the daughter of the king?" Bossuet laughed.

"Would you just let me finish?" Courfeyrac said sternly. After a long pause, everyone silenced down. "Merci. Now, this girl is a gamine. She DESPERATELY needs my help."

"Let me guess. To help her out with a project?" Joly asked.

"No. See, she's been beaten badly her whole life. We've been trying to tell her to stand up for herself. After all, doesn't one person matter in the scheme of things?" Courfeyac said.

"Yes. Where's Courfeyrac? This is Enjolras in disguise," Grantaire chuckled.

"No, Enjolras wouldn't do anything like this. So, will you guys help Marius and I?" He asked.

"Yes, but shouldn't we tell Enjolras first?" Combeferre asked.

Out of nowhere, Enjolras burst in and sat down with his friends. "Tell me about what?"

"We want to help this defenceless young woman," Jean Prouvaire explained.

"All right, I'll assist you," Enjolras sighed.

- - - - -

A/N: How is it? Reviews please!