(A/N – Well done to Lesmisfan248 who noticed my deliberate mistake **Shifty Eyes** just kidding, thank you for pointing it out! Noelle – this is not the end, I have so much more planned =) hope you all continue to enjoy it! As always let me know what you think I love reading your reviews)

Chapter Four – Detectives

Montfermeil Autumn 1820

The first weeks after Enjolras left were always boring for Eponine but she was not one inclined to be dreary or to dwell on things that made her upset so by the time October had come she had recovered sufficiently well enough to continue in her usual routine.

Today though, something was different like the atmosphere of her home had shifted. Cosette had been sent out to fetch water from the Well and her Papa didn't seem to be himself. He had been counting his money, a past time which usually made him intensely happy but today it seemed to have frustrated him.

"Cosette" he cried, as he usually did when in a fail temper, Eponine knew that if Cosette had been there she would have been in trouble Papa would probably have hit her or got Mama too. Something in Eponine told her that such treatment was not exactly right and she was often struck with the reoccurring thought that Cosette was a child like herself but with no one to encourage such thoughts and only her parents to set her an example she dismissed them and mimicked her parents in Cosette's mistreatment.

"Cosette" her father cried again rising from his chair.

"She's not here Papa" Azelma told him innocently brushing the hair on her dolly.

"What" her father screeched bending over so he was in Azelma's face. Azelma looked up shocked her little eyes widening, father had never before had a cross word for either of them, Azelma's eyes began to fill with tears.

Eponine always hated to see her sister cry so she went over and knelt before her brushing the tears away from her face. "Sush Azelma its ok, Papa didn't mean to shout."

"Yes I did" he snarled causing Eponine to now look up at him in shock, what had gotten into papa?

Mama chose this moment to waddle into the room, her stomach large with the new baby that was growing inside it. She had been incredibly ill, worse than with the girls before she had said. Her hands and face were swollen up and she had declared bitterly that it must be a boy because everyone knows boys rob you of your beauty. Father strode across the room to her and whispered something that Eponine couldn't hear. Mama paled slightly and nodded at him.

"I will write to the brat's mother today. Tell her Cosette is truly ill this time and that a doctor must be sent for with no time to lose."

"Make sure that you do" Papa went back to his coins and began to recount them.

Mama turned her face to Eponine and Azelma "Girls, do us all a favour and get yourselves out of the house."

"But Mama it looks as if it might rain" Eponine protested.

"Just get out!" her mother cried. Eponine didn't need to be told again she grabbed Azelma by the hand not even stopping to get their bonnets.

"Mama is very cross at the moment." Azelma said as soon as they were outside.

"And you would be to if you had a child growing inside your belly" Eponine cried with a nod the way Mama did whenever Papa said something similar to her although not in such nice terms.

"If Mama didn't want another baby why is she having one?" Azelma was frowning deeply.

"Because silly, you don't get a choice in such things when you are married you just have to have a baby if your husband says so"

"What?" Azelma looked really confused.

"I don't know how it works I just know that I heard Mama say it was all Papa's fault that she was having another 'god forsaken babe'" Eponine tried to mimic her Mama's voice as she said the last part.

"I think I should like to have a baby" Azelma decided pulling the front of her dress forwards and rubbing her hand on the fabric.

"Bet you won't say that when the new babe comes and its crying and pooping. It will be smelly to. You were awfully smelly when you were a baby!" Eponine laughed.

Azelma pouted at the injustice "I was not"

"How do you know you were just a baby, a smelly baby!"

Azelma launched herself at her sister but Eponine was older and faster and ran off leaving Azelma in her wake.

She would have continued running longer but the sound of a girl's laughter caught her attention. She stopped abruptly causing Azelma to run into the back of her declaring that she had won but Eponine held her finger to her lips to tell her to be quiet and waved her forwards. As they rounded the corner Eponine saw that as she suspected the laughter was coming from Cosette who was talking to a boy with his back turned to her. She knew who the boy was and she instantly felt a hot flush of envy fill her body. Cosette was laughing with her friend!

"Cosette!" she cried "What are you doing out here still, don't you know that Papa is looking everywhere for you, you're in awful bad trouble when you get home!"

"Eponine?" Enjolras had turned round to face her, he looked older than he had in the summer. His father must have finally won the battle about his hair because his golden curls had been cropped short to his head.

Eponine's entire body tingled with outrage that Cosette would have the audacity to talk to her friend and that Enjolras was talking to Cosette instead of coming to find her, why was he even here? It wasn't summer.

Eponine marched over to Cosette and grabbed the girl by the ear. "You're coming with me Cosette. Azelma got shouted at because you weren't home and you are an ungratefully little brat, Mama says so"

Cosette was shaking from head to toe, Eponine knew it was because although Eponine had often teased her she had never truly been cross with the girl before, she had even showed her as much compassion as she dared when Mama and Papa weren't looking. Not today though, she twisted the girl's ear the way she had seen her Mama twist it.

"Eponine stop it!" Enjolras sounded not like a child at all, in fact he sounded so much like an adult who was in charge of the situation that Eponine let go of Cosette in spite of herself. Cosette jumped back the moment she was released and cowered slightly.

"Hey, don't shout at Eponine" Azelma ran to her sisters side "We both got into trouble with Papa because of Cosette."

Cosette was shaking her head at the two of them, knowing that if the girls told their mother about this Madame Thenardier would get out the belt that Cosette hated.

"Eponine I would have thought so much better of you" Enjolras said looking at her with slight disbelief.

Eponine cursed herself as her eyes began to fill up with tears, great first Papa was cross with her and now her best friend hated her. The last thing she wanted was Enjolras to see her cry.

"Azelma take Cosette home" she sniffed "Don't tell Mama anything until I get home ok."

"Where are you going" Azelma shouted but Eponine didn't answer she was running off. Her head pounding as she tried to get away before giving in to the lump forming in her throat. She definitely didn't want anyone to see her cry.

She reached the Well in the woods and felt she was a safe distance from them all, she climbed up and hung her legs down over the side, letting her tears drop down into the water below.

"Stupid Cosette" she muttered.

"Eponine, there you are."

Eponine recognised his voice and wiped her tear stained cheeks as quickly as she could and kept her head down so he wouldn't see her puffy eyes.

"Why don't you go and play with your new friend" She wasn't exactly sure what it was that was making her say these things but she felt so cross and she wanted him to be cross to.

"She's not my friend I just meet her."

"You seemed quite friendly to me."

"She looked poor and lost I felt sorry for her."

During the last summer he had told her that he had taken over his Mére's visits to the poor where he lived whenever he could get away from his tutors. She realised that she was going to lose this argument and so she changed tact.

"What are you doing here anyway its October?" she was pouting now, he came up and lent his fore arms on the edge of the Well.

"My Grandmother died, we are here for her funeral" he said frankly.

Her anger was instantly forgotten and replaced with an even stronger feeling of guilt, she swung round to face him. "I'm so sorry"

"Don't be, we were never close, she always said I was too much like Mére." It had been two years since his mother had died but Eponine could see his eyes still went to a faraway place when he spoke of her.

"I think you are like your Mére" she smiled "But that is a good thing."

He smiled back at her and held out his hand "Could you please get down off the Well before you give me a heart attack." He asked her.

She laughed and leaned forwards "Would you catch me if I fall?"

"Eponine…."

She leaned further making sure her hands were holding tightly onto the edge of the well.

"What will you give me if I get down?"

"Stop teasing before you really do fall down. I won't be jumping in after you"

She laughed, feeling much better now and took his offered hand jumping down bedside him. "I don't like you're new haircut."

He ran his hand over his trimmed locks. "I hate it but Pére made me."

"Never mind, one day when you are grown up you can grow it as long as you like. Race you to the tree!"

~X~

It had started to rain Enjolras had tried to suggest that they got back to hers but Eponine had insisted that they couldn't. She had said Papa would be angry. Enjolras didn't believe her, she had never said anything about her Papa being angry before, she only ever talked about all the nice things he said to her like how she was the cleverest girl in the world or how she had the prettiest smile. Enjolras was envious of her father who thought so highly of her. He suspected the real reason she didn't want to go back was because she didn't want him to see Cosette again, he had only given the girl some coins because she looked hungry, he tried hard to remember what his Mére used to say about helping the less fortunate, he had already told Eponine that she should be nicer to the poor girl, which Eponine had not taken kindly too.

In a way it touched Enjolras that she was jealous, Eponine was the only person in the world who truly cared about him anymore and her reaction had just shown him that further. He had been on his way to try and find her when he had bumped into the little ragged blonde girl. She was naturally the first thing he wanted to find when he got there because she was the best part of his life. At home he was miserable, the more his father rejected him the further he closed his heart off from any attempt at a relationship with him. Loving people only seemed to get you hurt. The only exception to that rule was his friend Eponine who was currently standing at his side smiling, as she often did and shaking the rain drops from her hair.

"Are you quite sure that your Pére is not at home?" She looked a little worried, she probably remembered the last time she had meet his father.

"Certain, he and my Grandfather have had to go out and sort something from Grandmothers Will. They shouldn't be home until tea time"

Eponine's eyes lit up with a mischievous gleam.

"The whole house to ourselves" she smiled slyly "What shall we do?"

"Nothing that's going to get us into trouble" he replied quickly, Eponine had a habit of wanting to play dangerous games.

"Would I ever suggest such a thing" she cried in mock offence, "I was simply going to suggest a game of detectives"

Enjolras knew this would only end badly but the glimmer in her eyes was impossible to resist.

"What did you have in mind?"

She spun around on the spot as if too excited to contain herself "What is the one place in this house you have never ever been allowed to go?" she asked.

"Grandfathers study but I don't think…Eponine" as was so often the case with her she was already running off and he was left to chase behind.

She was running down the corridor peaking in all the rooms "Which one is it?"

He walked two doors further along from her and held the door open as she walked through. He had only ever caught glimpses of the room through cracks in the door before and he found it hard to overcome his trepidation standing undecided on the threshold staring into the dark wood panelled room, with a large Mahogany desk and a green leather wingback chair in one corner. Everything about the room was cross and harsh like his father and grandfather and he knew he shouldn't be in there. Eponine was in front of him pulling his hand,

"Come on its ok, they're not home, you said so yourself."

Still Enjolras stalled, she sighed at him and rolled her eyes "Ok I will stand at the door and be lookout."

Slightly comforted at the thought he entered the room and she stood with her back against the door holding it open keeping an eye on the corridor outside. He looked around the room, there were books on shelves covered with dust where they surely had not been used for a long time, it was a waste Enjolras thought.

"Have you found anything yet?" Eponine whispered.

"Give me a chance"

"You need to look in the desk, that's where all the secret stuff will be" her eyes were darting back and forth as she spoke, taking her position of lookout seriously.

He approached the desk and began opening the draws and riffling through, papers, more papers, a decanter with some kind of alcohol in it and a small glass. He tried to open the last draw but it wouldn't budge, he let out a frustrated grunt drawing Eponine's attention.

"What is it?" she looked at him, fully focused on the room now her eyes no longer checking to see if anyone was coming.

"The bottom draw won't open" he tried pulling it again but to no avail "It's locked."

Eponine pushed herself away from the door letting it swing close and walked towards him.

"Eponine the door."

She raised her eyes to the ceiling "No one is coming Enjolras, calm down."

She was pulling something out of her hair, a pin that was used to keep her bow in place. She knelt down beside the lock and placed the pin inside, her tongue pocked into her check causing it bulge out at one side as she concentrated, she was listen for something, the draw made a clicking sound and she sat back on her heels, obviously proud of herself as she pulled the draw open.

"Where did you learn to do that?" He was impressed, it was a seriously cool trick.

"This boy showed me, he came with some other men to see Papa a couple of weeks ago, I think his name was Montparnasse."

It was Enjolras turn to feel jealous now. He was quickly quashed the feeling though when Eponine's eyes widened and she brought out a bundle of letters tied together tightly with string.

"I told you secret stuff is always kept in the desks" she said her face shining with triumph.

Enjolras felt trepidation work its way down his spine. "I don't know if we should look at them"

"Why not?" she asked. Already untying the string that bound the letters together. Her face looked puzzled as her eyes scanned the first one, "this one is from your Pére"

She pulled out he next one and looked at it too her puzzlement increasing "this is from your Pére to. They're all from him, why does your Grandfather have letters from your Pére locked in a draw?"

Enjolras was on the floor next to her now as she began to read out the one that was in her hand.

"You ask the impossible of me sir, I respectfully decline your request to give her up she will be my wife and you shall have to learn to live with it or disinherit me!"

Eponine turned to him with a face full of scandalised delight "I never knew your Pére married your mother against your Grandfather's wishes."

It was Enjolras turn to look puzzled now. "He didn't, Grandfather approved of Mére at first, I know because she said it was the only reason he married her." He picked up one of the letters that Eponine had discarded on the floor his eyes scanning it quickly.

"Eponine these aren't about my Mére at all they are about someone else look" he pointed to a passage in the letter

"I regret to inform you sir, that you were correct about her. She has declined my offer of marriage which was previously acceptable to her. Though I cannot account for her change of heart I can confirm that mine is still very much in love with her, from the moment I laid eyes on her, for you yourself admitted that her auburn hair and dark eyes made her a rare beauty. However I shall concede to you in this matter, if you still wish me to make an alliance with a girl of your choosing then we shall be married by the spring."

They both stared at each other in shock. Enjolras was the first to break it.

"That was why he was always so cruel to Mére." It made him even more cross with his father for it was not his Mére's fault if this other woman didn't want to marry him.

"Look," Eponine was reading the final letter in the bundle "This one is from your grandfather" She read out loud.

"Mademoiselle, I am well aware of the recent relationship that has been brewing between yourself and my son, however I request an audience with you to discuss…"

Eponine's voice trailed off as they both heard the sounds of the entrance door slamming closed and feet climbing the stairs that lead towards the room they were sat in. Eponine's arms reached out and clutched tightly onto his own, for all her bravery before she looked terrified now that they truly stood a chance of getting caught.

His mind jumped into action fast gathering the letters they had been reading together and tying the string back around them, Eponine's grip on his arm tightened as the footsteps could be heard getting nearer.

"They're coming!" She whispered urgently in his ear.

"You need to lock the draw again" he stated, she let go of his arms reaching out across the floor with her palms.

"My pin, I can't find it."

He copied her reaching across the carpet with his palms trying to locate the hidden pin. He bent his head down to the floor, his eyes scanning underneath the desk, found it. He reached out and passed it into Eponine's trembling hands as she fumbled, managing to lock the draw just as the sound of footsteps reached the outside of the room. His eyes quickly darted about trying to work out his next move. Hiding wasn't an option he had to get Eponine out. As the door handle turned he grabbed her by the arm pulling her to her feet and across the room standing behind the door as it swung open. His Pére and Grandfather strode into the room, discussing the business they had just carried out.

Enjolras held his breath and waited for his moment. The second both their backs were turned he pulled Eponine by the arm scurried out of the room as quickly and as quietly as he possibly could. As soon as they were a safe distance away they both broke into a run. They ran out the back door, down the road, they kept running for ten minutes and only when they were certain they had got away with it did they both stop, panting for breath hands on their knees trying to ease the stiches in their side. To his surprise Eponine started laughing the moment she had her breath back.

"That was so close, you were so quick getting us out of there." She cried

"You are a terrible lookout" was his only retort.

"Well" she laughed "It's a good job I don't plan on making a career out of it"

(AN2 – Random thought, who has got or seen the deluxe soundtrack? Did you see a wild Enjolras standing on top of the barricade! YAY, cue me fan girling in the middle of the shop! If there are any mistakes in this please forgive me I basically didn't sleep last night so I'm in Zombie mode today)