My Lovelies! I am SOOO sorry for the wait! But here it is! Chapter 24, loaded with plot twists and moments of surprise and hopefully worth the wait! :)
Warning: Mention of violence
Disclaimer: Nope... except the reporter and the twins...
Chapter 24: The Report
Éponine followed Courfeyac's line of vision and slowly read the breaking news headline on the screen.
Major Prison Riot at the Toulouse Ship Yards: At least five dead and countless more injured.
"Prison riot? They never report prison riots, they're not important enough for the media's attention span." Enjolras muttered, falling down onto the couch, leaning in to listen to the reporter.
"Well, something big must've happened then." Combeferre reasoned, taking a wriggling Sarah from Bousset's nervous arms before taking his place next to Éponine.
"Everyone quiet down will you? We'll never hear the story with you all yapping." Musichetta scolded, carefully sitting in Joly's lap, balancing a snoozing Ben.
Grantaire reached for the remote and raised the volume a couple of decibels. A reporter was staring back at them, waiting for the clear from the studio. Once she received it, she took a breath and began her report.
"Thanks Mitch, I'm standing outside the Toulouse Shipyards, one of the biggest work prisons in western Europe, and the site of one of the biggest prison riots in the last five decades. Police have informed us the fighting began around noon when one of the inmates sent an attack to another. Though it started as just physical fighting, once guards got involved, weapons became involved and several prisoners over powered guards, took the guns and opened fire. Of the five dead, three are police and two are inmates. More details to come, I'm Antoinette Franc, reporting live at the Toulouse Shipyards and we'll be back to report when Inspector Javert arrives."
The café was silent for a moment, watching the station cut to commercial and a fluorescent ad for tooth paste come on screen.
"I'm sure it's just your run of the mill prison riot." Bahorel quietly interjected, trying to brush the story away, but the lack of confidence in his voice and Éponine's rigid posture, burned his attempt to ash.
"Pon, love," Combeferre began, pulling her close to him (as best he could with Sarah wriggling in his arms.) "No matter what the reporter or Javert tells us in the next hour, they are never coming back to hurt you. You are safe with everyone who loves you and everyone you love is safe from them, forever. No one is ever going to hurt you like they did ever again Ponine." He finished, kissing her temple. Éponine remained silent, her posture only relaxed because of Combeferre's protective arm around her waist. Finally, she spoke her deepest fear, for within that last few weeks, she realized it wasn't her or her boys she was worried about protecting (solely.).
"Ferre," She breathed. "What if…"She paused, reaching to take Sarah from Combeferre's arms before curling her daughter into her chest and curling herself into her fiancé's lap. "What if they hurt our babies?"
Combeferre was silent when he thought of this. Hell, if it wasn't for the bloody headline story of the century apparently, he wouldn've had to think of this chilling thought. The idea that not only was his beloved in danger, but his children, his treasures, were in danger as well. He couldn't find words to express the fear, dread, and fury that pumped through his veins. Luckily Grantaire knew what to do.
"Ép, if they come even one hundred feet too close to your babies, I won't even think twice about open firing on them."
She smiled weakly at Grantaire, but pulled Sarah closer still. Cosette soon moved to the couch and sat with a defeated huff. Everyone looked at her curiously before she held her phone up as if that would answer everyone's question. (Apparently it did for Marius, because he nodded and moved over to give her a back massage.)
Enjolras, shaking his head at the site, asked, "Sette, you're going to have to elaborate on what upset you. We all don't have Pontmercy's 6th sense."
She sighed. "I just got off the phone with my dad. He was just talking to Javert because he was watching the news too. He didn't tell me if he knew anything, but he sounded tired and worried. Whatever went down at the prison, it's got the whole police force in a tizzy, cause my Dad only sounds like that when Javert's stressed."
Suddenly the news theme came back one and every head turned back to the young woman reporting, a tall powerful figure in a blue police uniform stood behind her, still possessing his hard stare, but everyone could notice the wear and tear around Javert's face.
"I'm here now with Inspector Javert. Inspector, what exactly happened and what exactly sparked this deadly riot?"
They watched him wince at the term riot, before he began to speak.
"Well Miss Franc, I wouldn't call this a riot. A riot would entail a skirmish between the inmates and the guards. This was purely a brawl between inmates, it only escalated to its level of severity when several guards came to subdue the fighting and they were overtaken and had their weapons taken from them." He finished curtly, causing the young reporter to blush with embarrassment. Courfeyac and Bahorel chuckled at this.
"No wonder he can't hold down a girlfriend." Bahorel whispered, only to be swatted on the head by Cosette.
"That's because he's got a boyfriend."
Several of the boys gawked at Cosette and Feuilly began to ask when Musichetta hushed them all.
"We're missing the story!" She scolded, nodding towards the television, gently rocking Ben who was beginning to wake.
Antoniette Franc began to speak once more.
"Well Inspector, how did this, ah, brawl, begin? Do you know any of the key players."
"I was not present when it began, but I was told it began between two of the most dangerous prisoners we have on site." He said darkly.
There was a sharp intake of breath and Éponine shut her eyes tight, leaning into Combeferre for support.
"You don't mean?" Antoinette Franc asked, eyes bugging for dramatic effect as she looked directly into the camera. Javert rolled his eyes, bringing about a bout of nervous laughter; everyone knew how he hated interviews and interviewers.
"The fight began around noon time today, after visiting hours. Guards on duty then say a former inmate was reporting his community service hours and took it upon himself to inform a current inmate of the threat and possible danger a recently returned prisoner caused members of his family. The current inmate was not pleased and took it upon himself to teach the runaway a lesson. From there it only escalated and once weapons entered the fray." He sighed angrily. Antoinette Franc was not yet satisfied.
"Inspector, can you release the name of the instigators of this brawl and those who have lost their lives?"
"I must speak with the families before I release anything to the public." Javert said hotly before promptly moving away from the span of the camera. Antoinette Franc looked confused, and slightly put off, as she waiting for her station to pick back up again.
Everyone sat and stared at the screen for a while, dread spreading in their gut. Despite Javert's attempt to cover everything up, they all knew who was responsible.
"He told him." Éponine breathed.
"What?" Combeferre asked nervously.
"Brujon, he was doing community service hours at the hospital. He said he'd tell my father, and he did." She turned to Combeferre, her face pale, tears pooling in her wide eyes.
"But Ponine, he said the inmate attacked the returner." Joly added, pointing towards the screen. "Maybe he was upset at Montparnasse, not you."
Suddenly Cosette's phone began to ring. Silently rising from the couch she brought the box to her ear.
"Hi Dad… What?... Yeah, she's here."
Turning back towards the group, she handed the phone to Éponine. Looking towards Combeferre, she gently handed Sarah to him and rose to take the phone.
"Hello?"
"Éponine? It's Jean, I'm here with Inspector Javert."
"Yes?" She asked nervously, gripping the top of the chair she stood by very tightly.
"I trust you've seen the news then?" He responded, slight sympathy in his voice.
"Yeah, we just saw Javert on." She answered quietly.
"Alright, well I'll just pass you on to him." She heard the phone get jostled between the two men and soft conversation before the receiver reached the police chief.
"Miss Thé…"
"Just Éponine, please, at least until I'm married."
"Éponine. Listen, if you hadn't guessed from the poor explanation I had to give the bloody press, there was a brawl where your father and his gang are imprisoned."
"It wasn't hard to figure out." She responded quietly.
"Yes, well, you're father was the one to instigate the fight. He received word from an outside source that Christopher Montparnasse threatened not only your life, but the life of your unborn child."
"Children." She added.
"My felicitations. Anyhow, your father was not pleased about it."
Éponine froze, her father, her father, was upset that Montparnasse threatened her? Was it not ten years ago he encouraged his young male protégé to fool around with her all he wanted? What was with this change of heart?
"Éponine? Miss. Th…"
"Yes, sorry, just thinking."
"Ah," He stumbled awkwardly. "Well, among the worst of the fighting was of course Thénardier and Montparnasse and when weaponry came into the picture, well both shot at each other."
She couldn't help the sharp intake of breath that passed her lips.
"Éponine, your father killed Montparnasse, with a shot between the eyes. Unfortunatly, Montparnasse managed to fire first, leaving your father in critical care."
She froze once again, actually, she collapsed. Her knees simply went weak beneath her and she couldn't catch herself. She barely comprehended the many shouts of the group behind her, nor the concerned voice of Javert still on the line, the only voices really breaking through were the shrill cries of her babies.
Soon she found herself being lifted from the floor, Combeferre's voice in her hair, and then on the couch. She hadn't let go of the phone, so Javert was still questioning what was happening. She couldn't respond, couldn't react, couldn't comprehend.
Her abuser, rapist on multiple occasions, was dead. Her father had killed him and was mortally wounded in the process, and all this over the threat to her children. Combeferre was shaking her slightly, saying words she could not hear, the others looked on worridly.
Finally words began to seep through her hazed mind. Javert was still questioning, but everyone else had stopped, simply waiting for her to speak again. She duly noted the location of her babies (Grantaire and Enjolras's arms), before breaking through.
"Sorry, I…it's a lot to take in." She croaked, cursing the flicker of weakness in her voice.
"I understand Éponine. It's a lot to take in and I apologize I have to be the bearer of the grace news, but there is one more thing I should tell you. Your father wishes to see you, and your child… well your children. In the current condition he's in, you could see it as his dying wish."
Éponine was silent once again, nodding absentmindedly before realzing he wouldn't actually see her nod.
"Éponine, I understand if you do not want to fulfill this wish, but I shall give you some time to think it over."
"Yes. Thank you." She breathed, closing her eyes tightly.
"Yes, well, I'll let you discuss this with your…." He paused. "family. I'll wait to hear your response."
"Thank you." She whispered. She vaguely heard him say his goodbyes, more hushed conversation on the other line before it went dead. Taking the phone away from her ear slowly, she met the faces of the group before her, her family as Javert had put it.
Taking in a shaky breath, she addressed the group before her.
"Brujon told my father about what Montparnasse did. He confronted Montparnasse later and that's when the fight broke out. When guns entered the fray, they shot at each other. Montparnasse mortally wounded my father." She paused, looking around. Musichetta and Cosette brought their hands to their mouths, tearing slightly. The boys looked more shocked than angry. Finally, she continued.
"And, my father shot Montparnasse between the eyes."
"Holy shit." Courfeyac breathed. Jehan and Joly crossed themselves, Bahorel cursed aloud and the others all had their own levels of reaction.
"Now my father wants me to visit him, with Sarah and Ben. It's his dying wish."
That was when she cracked. Maybe it was because it was the first time she spoke it aloud. Maybe it was the first time she allowed herself to realize it was true. No matter what caused it, Éponie had doubled over in a powerful sob, burying her face in her hands and releasing every possible locked up emotion she had collected over the years.
Will she go? Was it worth the wait? Will you leave a review/comment/follow/fav?
More to come with the next update ;)
See you next time lovelies!