Hello Lovelies! I'm back! I'm happy you guys enjoyed Gav's chapter :)
Here is chapter four, back in current time and (as promised) we're getting surprise #1! YAY!
So leave a comment/review follow/fav, whatever floats your boat :)
disclaimer: Nope...I tried...just nope Warning: Darkness up ahead!
"Alright Ép, what's the plan then?"
Untangling herself from Combeferre's embrace, she took a deep breath and turned to face the group as Enjolras would for a big speech.
"First off, we take the least flashy cars we have, which means Enj, the beamer stays here." She threw him a glare for good measure. "However, Taire, your car works perfectly." She smirked as Grantaire smiled broadly, but gave his boyfriend a sympathetic kiss for good measure. "Second, we park several blocks away, closer to Gav's school than to the building, he's got eyes everywhere, the farther away the better. Then, I go in first, alone."
"Ponine," Combeferre pleaded, but she squeezed his arm.
"I'll go to the level alone, one of you will be right behind, the rest will be near the building if not already in it. If everything goes sour," she paused, taking in a shaky breath. "You'll know and then," glaring directly at Bahorel, who was already practicing his right hook. "You can go to work."
"Should we call the cops?" Cosette questioned nervously, watching as Éponine cringed slightly. Even after leaving her parents for good, her fear of the cops, even of simple sirens, remained. After a moment of deep breaths, she found Cosette,
"Call them and tell them the situation, but tell them to wait at least forty-five minutes before coming." The group began to protest, but Éponine raised her hand for silence before continuing. "The second any of them hear a siren they'll not only finish their current job, but they'll high tail it out of their faster than you could imagine. We have to do it just like this if we want Gav to," She paused, frozen in fear of how she'd leapt to a conclusion so drastically. Courfeyac moved towards her, surrounding her trembling with a hug.
"We'll get him out of there Ponine, you can count on us." She smiled, nodding to the group.
"Let's go."
"I think the girls should go ahead in the leading car." Musichetta suggested, looping her arm through the crook of Éponine's elbow. There was a burst of objections from Bousset, Joly, Combeferre, and Marius.
"I agree."
Cosette nodded, taking Éponine's other arm.
"I don't think this is a good idea." Joly whined, but Musichetta rolled her eyes.
"Babe, we're the least threatening looking… through a car window." She added hastily seeing the entire group's looks of disbelief. "If we go first, not only can we park closer to the building and get in there sooner, but we'd be buying time for you to arrive."
Frowning at her logic, Joly tried to protest, but Bousset hung his head, defeated, before gripping Joly's shoulder.
"Jol, there is no way in hell we're winning this fight."
The young hypochondriac stuttered slightly before also sighing in defeat.
"Thanks for seeing it my way sweetie." She smiled, planting a sloppy kiss on both her boys' cheeks before taking the keys out of Grantaire's outstretched hand. Before leaving the café, she turned once more to her band of brothers, nodding at them confidently. She knew her boys would bring their youngest brother back and she could finally feel safe.
"Give us a head start boys, then"
"We'll give 'em hell." Bahorel finished, cracking his knuckles with a devious smile on his face.
No sooner had the girls gotten into the car, Musichetta turned to Éponine, eyes wide with excitement, yet voice laced with worry.
"Have you told Combeferre yet?"
Éponine sighed, pulling away from the café and taking the route she avoided at all costs.
"No."
"Are you going to tell him? You do want it right?" Cosette asked, leaning on the armrest, trying to squeeze as much of herself into the front of the car as she could.
"Of course I'm going to tell him!" Éponine all but snapped. "And of course I want it! I was going to tell him tonight actually, but my blasted rotten father had other plans." She growled, drumming her fingers on the steering wheel as a traffic light flashed red.
"When did you find out?" Musichetta questioned, slightly peeved with herself that she had not noticed this yet.
"About three weeks ago, I was late and struggling to keep my breakfast down. Luckily, that was the same week that everyone at work decided to get the flu, so Combeferre thought I was just sick."
"THREE WEEKS! Ép, why haven't you said anything?" Cosette shrieked, causing Éponine to swerve slightly.
"Because I didn't want one of the few good things in my life to disappear because I let happiness in!" She cried, pulling into a parking spot not far from her 'family's' building. The other two girls were silent, watching the tears slip down their best friend's face. Musichetta was the first to react, swiftly engulfing the broken girl into a hug.
"Honey, no one's going anywhere. That time in your life done, no one is going to take us, the boys, Combeferre, or your baby away from you. We're all here, and we're all here to stay." She cooed, gently brushing her hands through Éponine's hair.
"But they took Gav, what if they find out about my pebble?" She whimpered, voice thick with tears.
"You're going to name your child pebble?" Cosette deadpanned, seriously concerned for the wellbeing of her future niece or nephew. Musichetta quickly hushed her, but Éponine giggled slightly,
"No 'Sette, but when I found out, I figured they were the size of a pebble. They're about small rock sized now, like an apple or something, that's what the doctor said anyway." Éponine smiled broadly, she couldn't help herself, she held a life inside her that no one, not even her wretched father, could take away.
"You already went to the doctors?" Musichetta groaned, now furious with herself for not noticing, or at least paying extra attention to the fact that Éponine's wardrobe was becoming less form fitting by the day.
"Well, not really, just a clinic to verify the pregnancy tests. I'm scheduled at Gav's pediatrician next week actually, and Ferre's gonna come with me, once he finds out that it." She groaned, eyeing the building near them warily.
"C'mon," Musichetta nudged, "The boys'll be here soon and if we don't get up there to try to get Gav peacefully, all hell could break loose."
After fussing over how to look inconspicuous (Cosette, the hot pink jacket stays in the car!), the three girls made their way to the broken down apartment complex. Once on the moldy stairwell, Cosette's nose wrinkled, and Musichetta let out a groan,
"Ponine, when we're back, not only am I going to take an hour long bath, but I'm going to bake you a cake for surviving this."
Éponine rolled her eyes at her friend's comment, and shoved Musichetta lightly on the arm.
"It wasn't always this run down, but this is what happens when people stop caring. It was a cruel metaphor for my family I guess." She remarked darkly, causing the other two girls to share a knowing glance. "Oh," Éponine continued, "Cross your fingers Claqusous is either absent or drunk."
"Why?" Cosette questioned, skillfully avoiding a rather dark spot on the rug.
"The man runs a brothel, his job is to notice when one of his girls gets knocked up, and then," she sucked in a deep breath, fearing what her father and his men might do if things got out of hand. "to take care of it."
Musichetta and Cosette were silent, watching the girl in front of them loosen her coat and readjust her shirt before knocking on the door to her old family 'home' There was rough shouting and swearing on the other side, followed by a sharp slap and a small whimper. Éponine growled, her eyes narrowing significantly, Musichetta mirrored her reaction, Cosette quickly fired off a text, presumably to Marius, pleading with him and the others to hurry up.
The door opened in a rush to reveal Thénardier; his orange hair was nearly gone, gray overpowering the once fiery locks. He reeked of alcohol, blood, and various other human excrements. His face was twisted into a malicious grin.
"Well, well, well. If it aint darlin Ponine, finally comin 'round. Whada know boy, she actually does care. Can't say the same for them students you're so fond of, doesn't look like a single one's 'ere."
He opened his arms, expecting Éponine to run into them and beg his forgiveness for her abandonment, but she stood stock-still, glaring at the rat she once called father.
"Let Gav go, you're not his father any longer." She growled, pushing past him to find her brother. Thénardier caught her arm and swung her to face him before she could get any further into the building.
"Whadya mean I aint his father no more?" Thénardier's vicious happiness was wiped away, fury soon covered his ever 'jovial' mask, a flash of nervousness Éponine had never seen flickered across his beady eyes.
"Exactly that, the boys got all the paper work in order and I became the legal guardian of Gavroche. Since you took him that is an act of kidnapping and if the police," she paused, looking her father dead in the eye, "when the police find you, that fact, among others, will put you away for a long time."
Thénardier let out a ferocious yell before bringing his large hand down on Éponine's face. The girl faltered back, clutching her face.
"Keep your hands to yourself asshole!" Musichetta yelled, advancing into the apartment.
"And who the 'ell are you?" Thénardier asked gruffly, stepping over his daughter to glare at the new comer.
"Someone you don't want to mess with." She growled back, moving to help Éponine to her feet. "Now give Gavroche back to us or else." She sneered, looking directly into the crook's black eyes.
"Or else whot bitch?" Thénardier bit.
"Or else you'll be spending the next four to six months recovering in a prison hospital." Cosette finished, revealing herself from behind Musichetta, smiling wickedly after seeing several familiar figures make their way towards the building.
Taking advantage of Thénardier's distraction, Éponine bound past him into the wide living room, only to recoil slightly in horror.
BUM BUM BAAAAAAH! CLIFFY! Leave a review! Until next time ;)