Midnight. Azelma jumped as she heard the footsteps echo across the street only to realize they were their own. She repeated the plan mentally. It was simple enough.

"Don't worry, it's going to be very easy, you'll see." Éponine whispered "Just don't worry, it'll be very quick. Get in, get out, and look out, alright? It'll be fine, don't worry."

"What if I don't fit?" Azelma asked in a hushed voice, staring at her father's broad back.

"Uhm, well, it's better not to think about that. Don't worry, you'll fit, it's all going to work out, just don't worry." Éponine smiled, but she had said 'don't worry' so many times by now, that Azelma could only expect the worst.

As the houses became bigger and the streets cleaner, Azelma knew they were reaching their target. Nonetheless, she had imagined the house would have been a more impressive, considering the trouble her father was willing to go through. It was a modest house. Well kept, with flowers that seemed to be sprawling from the balcony's railing. If she ever had a balcony, she thought, she would fill with flowers like that. It was hard to tell how many rooms where inside. She imagined it was a big family that was a little tight. Perhaps the son had moved back in after losing his job, these were hard times, after all, and even if it wasn't always easy, his parents were happy to have their grandchildren under their roof.

"We have one chance" Monsieur grabbed Azelma by the arm, making it ache "Don't ruin it, or you'll be sorry."

Azelma nodded rapidly as her father released her arm.

"Don't worry, everything will go alright, we'll be waiting at the front" Éponine said, placing a hand gently on her sister's shoulder.

Azelma nodded once more and headed towards the fence where her father was ready to lift her. She stepped on monsieur Thérnadier's shoulders, noticing how much her hands were sweating when she grabbed the fence. Without thinking it twice, she leapt to the other side, landing on her feet on a small patio. Her knees were burning, but aside from that she was fine. She looked around in the darkness as her heart raced in her chest. She heard feet shuffling outside and knew her father and sister were walking towards the front, virtually leaving her alone.

Azelma ran towards the house, carefully inspecting all the windows until she found the proper one. It was half opened, like they had said it would be. She placed her hand underneath the glass quickly as if the window could close at any moment. She lifted it, using more strength than it was required. There was a loud clack and she had to look around to make sure no one had heard. She slid into the window, hoping not to get stuck, and though the window frame pressed against her stomach make her want to throw up briefly, she soon found herself in the inside of a kitchen. Even in the darkness she could see the stove standing not so far away. She looked around, the ceiling seemed so tall and the room so wide. She moved across the house, delighted upon finding the living room bathed on the moonlight that came from the windows. Her heart was still racing, but she didn't feel nervous anymore, she was thrilled. She moved away from the living room where the main entrance was and decided to explore some of the other rooms. It was an adventure. She found a small lavatory that smelled of lavender, the grandma's probably, and down the hall was the dining room where she figured they all sat together and it was hard to follow the conversation because the children were screaming and the baby crying. She imagined how lonely it would be for the grandparents to eat at that quiet table after their son found a job again. He would find a new job because bad times couldn't last forever, after all.

A distant bark reminded her why she was there to begin with and she ran to the living room to open the main door. Would father be angry for the delay?

He stormed into the dark house without a glance. Éponine, on the other hand, gave her a sweet smile, before whispering "good job". She was tempted to offer them help on the inside, but they were lost within the house already and she left to take her place as look out.

Azelma sat outside near the front door. In the silence there footsteps, faint rumors, the barking of a dog. Did the family that lived there have a dog? Probably, a big one, that came dirty from the patio and insisted on sleeping on the couch or the– Azelma stopped. She turned to the left. Were her eyes fooling? Two officers in the dark. They were coming, they were. She pushed the door open, whistled. Whistled again.

"Through the back!" She could hear her father's voice somewhere from the inside. He was talking to Éponine, but Azelma followed suit. The threw of them sneaked out the back, jumped out into the street. They could hear the voices commanding them to stop. They ran.

"Split, split, we'll lose them" Thérnadier ordered Éponine who didn't have a chance to think because her father hadn't finished speaking, before disappearing along the alleys.

It was so fast Azelma had no chance to choose, her feet had already followed down the street her father was. She looked back and saw the mist swallow her sister.

Éponine looked around, panting. The police officers were nowhere to be found. She took a moment to breathe in and out slowly, trying to identify the dark street. She found a sign in the corner, but it didn't mean anything to her, without reference points she wasn't sure of how to find her way. She looked back, and then to the ground, feeling as if the houses were growing taller around her, leaving her on the ground like a tiny speck of dust. She walked slowly, doubting every step she took, without daring to turn around the dark corners. At the right she saw a closed flower shop, whose red window frames seemed familiar. If that was the flower shop she thought it was, she should turn to the left and then to the left again. A cold wind blew her dress slightly, as she held close the bag filled with the loot. She walked across a deserted park, though she couldn't recognize the place, it had a familiar air to it. She meandered through the streets, wondering how much time had passed. Her feet were starting to ache and her hands were cold, she considered finding a place to sit and wait until the morning, but just as she kept walking she noticed a small black cat strolling at the other side.

"Napoleon?" She wondered, crossing the street to approach the old black cat. Though he jumped and got lost on a rooftop, she could swear it was Marie's cat. And if he was close, she certainly had been nearing the right place. She kept walking, now faster, and when she looked up again, she found herself near Marie's house. She wondered if her friend would be there, but she was probably still working so she just kept walking.

Ahead she could hear the tavern that was close to their place, the lights were on and she could hear noise pouring from the inside. She kept walking straight, when she heard steps behind her. She was about to run, but it was too late, she was suddenly pinned against the wall. Standing in front she saw a man, whose face she didn't recognize. She was petrified, noticing how two muscular arms spread at each side of her head, and the man's palms leaned on the wall. She noticed he was covered in tattoos.

"Hello girl" The man's teeth glittered as he smiled "I've seen you. You're that bastard's daughter, yeah. Nah, nah, no need to struggle. You don't want to end with no teeth like your papa, don't you? Just be a good girl, we'll have fun, I promise"

"Leave me alone!" Éponine shouted, as the man moved forward. He then kissed her neck, prompting her to dig her nails on the man's face, and even if he stopped, he seemed to like her aggression.

"There are many ways to settle a debt." He whispered in her ear. Éponine was sweating, but she didn't think twice before swinging the bag as hard as she could, striking the man's head. He backed away enough for her to run away. And then she sprinted, she ran without looking back and certainly without noticing the man had just stayed behind, laughing.