(AN – Thank you to all you lovely people who continue to read this story! Thank you for reviewing. It honestly brightens up my day when I see a review! Ok, so I'm still on my second week of holiday, I'm beyond chilled so not being as diligent with my grammar checks. Please forgive me, normal service will resume shortly haha!)

Chapter Eight – The Rally

Eponine splashed the cold water onto her face and arms. She combed her fingers through her hair trying to make the best of untangling it without much success. Azelma sat on the mould infested excuse for a bed that they shared, her legs were drawn up to her chest and her arms were wrapped around them.

"And it was definitely him, the same boy." she asked.

"Yes, but he's not a boy anymore he's a man." Eponine had filled her sister in on the details of her

meeting with Enjolras, but not about his obvious rejection of her.

"Was he handsome? He was a pretty child. Didn't you say his mother looked like an Angel? I bet he is handsome." Azelma answered her own questions and fired a new one at Eponine "Is he as handsome as Marius?"

Eponine rounded on her sister, "Leave it out 'Zelma, what's with you and the hundred and fifty questions?"

Azelma just giggled. "If he is friends with Marius then you will see him again won't you and you can be friends again like before."

Eponine sighed, she hadn't thought of that, "Azelma, look what's become of me. He is hardly going to want to know me anymore. We are not children like we used to be and honestly I don't think he has forgiven me for all the horrible things I said to him. I doubt he will even do more than nod at me if he saw me again. The only reason he even got stuck talking to me a second time was because he felt he had to save me from those men." She rolled her eyes at the last part.

Azelma stood up from the bed and crossed the room towards her, she wrapped her arms around her sisters waist and rested her head on her shoulder singing sweetly into her ear,

"And you will keep me safe, and you will keep me warm,

And rain, will make the flowers grow."

The song Eponine used to sing to her and Gavroche to cheer them up when they were small. Eponine smiled.

"Things are never as bad as they seem 'Ponine." Azelma squeezed her one more time before letting go. "You stay home today Eponine, I will go out and get Papa's money."

Getting Papa's money was the term the girls used for the pickpocketing that their father expected of them. At least ten francs per week or face punishment and today was Friday.

"How much have we brought in?" Eponine asked.

"Seven"

"That's three to make up."

"I will do it." Azelma was in earnest, Eponine knew but it wasn't going to happen.

"You know as well as I do that you have absolutely no skill. You are too sweet to pickpocket you feel guilty and then you get caught." Eponine shuddered as she remembered the last time 'Zelma had tried to help and ended up incarcerated for a month.

"Eponine please…"

"No 'Zelma it will be much easier if I just do it myself."

As it was the streets were surprisingly busy that day and Eponine made her way through the crowds with ease. People were bumping into each other constantly which made her hands go unnoticed. She had two francs so far, one more to go. She was careful about who she targeted, making sure she stuck to people who looked like they could spare the change. What were a few sous to them was the difference between being beaten and not being beaten for her and more importantly 'Zelma.

The sounds of shouting and chanting from the next street caught her attention. Her work momentarily forgotten she made her way towards the sound. A large crowd of people had gathered in front of General Lermarque's House. She gasped at first, thinking perhaps he had died already? She noted the way the crowd had blocked the street causing a row of carriages to come to a standstill adding to the chaos. She spotted Gavroche, the little terror, running on top of them and jumping in and out of the windows shouting to the laughing group of children that followed him.

"Gavroche" she cried, but the boy didn't hear her.

What was going on? She had a small frame and couldn't see clearly from the back of the crowd so she pushed her way further forward and then she saw them. Marius and Enjolras, she looked up in despair, what did the pair of them think they were doing?

"Where are they?" Enjolras cried "Where are the leaders of this land?"

"Only Lermarque speaks for the people, and he is dying." Marius flung his arm up towards the house behind him.

"With all the anger in the land" Enjolras chimed in, as perfectly timed as if they had been singing a song. "How much longer will this be allowed to continue, when will we stand up for ourselves?"

Eponine stared at them both, surely they were not serious. Good God, they were truly planning to go through with this revolution.

As she watched them rallying the people she couldn't help but compare the two men standing side by side. Both men were tall but Enjolras was the tallest. Both were obviously dedicated to their cause but whereas Marius looked slightly nervous and his eyes shifted about as if on the lookout for trouble Enjolras eyes were like fire and he stood defiantly as if he was daring anyone to disagree with him. He certainly still favoured his mother, but what came across as unearthly beauty in her was the handsomeness of a mythical Greek God in her son. She looked back to Marius, admittedly, his school boy good looks were overshadowed by Enjolras but he was kind and sweet and Eponine would never forget the first time she had met him. He had moved in next door to them at the old flat in Gorbeau House. It had been his bourgeois clothes that had caught her attention for no other reason at the time than that they reminded her of her old friend Enjolras. When she had started talking with him he had been so kind she ended up pouring her heart out to him, telling him everything including how her family had slept under a bridge the previous winter. He was so sweet she had no choice but to fall in love with him. He always had time to talk to her, he was the only person in her life who didn't take advantage of her in some way and he was always the highlight of her day.

"When will we cut the fat ones down to size?" Enjolras was crying from where he stood. Suddenly Gavroche jumped up onto the platform next to Enjolras and whispered something in his ear. Eponine followed their joint gazes and saw Inspector Javert approaching. The crowd began to disperse and Gavroche jumped down from the platform followed by the others, he made his way to scurry past Eponine but she caught his arm. He looked up wildly but seeing that it was only his sister his face softened.

"Ello 'Ponine." he grinned.

"Gavroche, what are you doing hanging around with these troublemakers?"

"What, you mean your old best friend and new boyfriend?" He laughed.

She raised her eyebrows at him in caution. "Don't you go getting involved in anything you shouldn't Gavroche Thenardier."

"Shh, 'Ponine, don't tell the whole world." He went to move on but she stopped him with a shake of her head.

"Not that way, Papa will be waiting with his gang, they are doing their usual con."

"With the fake baby?"

She nodded, she should have reported in half an hour ago, she hadn't made up the three francs. She would be in trouble for that anyway so one less wasn't going to hurt, she pressed a coin into her brother's hands.

"Make sure you eat something alright."

He reached up to loop his arms around her neck, she bent towards him and he pressed a small kiss on her cheek.

"You're the best 'Ponine."

She smiled at him as she scampered off.

She should have headed straight to her father but she spotted Marius walking off ahead and hurried her steps to catch up with him.

"Hey Monsieur, what's new with you? Planning to overthrow the government I see." Her heart leaped as he turned round and smiled at her, grasping her elbow lightly as they walked.

"Eponine, How are you? Have you recovered from your shock yesterday? Who would have thought you and Enjolras knew each other? Everyone's been asking Enjolras about it but he won't say anything."

Her heart dropped, so it was as she thought, he was defiantly ashamed to have been associated with her, she kept her smile carefully in place and changed the subject looking at Marius slightly battered coat.

"I see you're still pretending to be poor. Give it up Marius, we all know your Grandfather's rich!"

"I won't take a sous I've not earned" he said passionately.

"Who needs money with a face like yours," she grinned. "How can anyone resist such charm as yours and not give you exactly what you ask for free."

Marius laughed, "You're such a tease Eponine."

How can someone with two eyes in their head be so blind she thought to herself.

"Eponine, your late, hurry up," her father approached her, taking the opposite arm to Marius and pulling her away from him. "There's a mark we have our eye on and everyone is in their place, come on."

Marius looked at her with wide eyes but she shook her head. "Go along now Marius, stay out of this."

Marius seemed a little dazed as he turned around and walked straight into a blonde girl who had been walking behind him.

"Excuse me." he said.

"No harm done." Eponine heard a sweet voice reply. Her father was pulling her away to stand watch outside of the makeshift hut they were using for their con.

"Montparnasse stay here with Eponine, watch for the law."

Eponine couldn't tear her eyes away from Marius and the girl he was still talking to, the girl was giggling. Eponine realised that the girl wasn't going to be leaving any time soon either because the old man she was with was currently being entreated by her father to come and help a poor babe that hadn't eaten all day, once he was inside the hut the Patron-Minette would take every franc he had.

Montparnasse had noticed the direction of her gaze.

"Is that your Bourgeois boy?"

Eponine didn't say anything and Montparnasse began to snigger.

"Looks as if all your mooning about after him has been for nothing" he grabbed her hand "I told you I'm the only one what cares about you 'Ponine."

Eponine wasn't even paying attention to his words. Marius had moved revealing the face of the girl he was talking to, her whole world seemed focused in on that face, the face she had thought she would never see again. It was Cosette. Apparently it was the week for everyone from her past to make an appearance.

Montparnasse left her side at the sounds of a struggle coming from inside the hut behind them.

The old man come running out, his shirt had been ripped in the scuffle he bumped into Eponine slightly drawing her out of her trance, her eyes darted round and she saw Inspector Javert approaching.

"Run for it, its Javert" she cried already beginning to sprint off. She didn't make it far before Marius caught her arm, apparently oblivious to everything else that had just happened except for him bumping into the girl.

"Eponine did you see that girl?" he asked.

"That Bourgeois two-a-penny thing."

"Eponine, she was beautiful, she was an angel. I am lost without her."

Eponine felt her heart sink a little bit deeper with every word he spoke.

"She was pretty." was all Eponine could manage, it was true, Cosette had looked beautiful, Eponine looked down at herself, their lives had come full circle.

"Eponine, can you find her for me?" His eyes were so pleading she couldn't ignore them.

"Got you all excited now have I?" She asked, unable to resist the opportunity to flirt with Marius even now. "What will you give me if I find her do you suppose?"

Marius reached into his pocket to retrieve his wallet. Eponine placed her hand on his arm to stop him. "No, Marius. How could you think that was what I meant?"

"Eponine, you will find her won't you?" he cried stuffing his wallet back into his pocket and looking at Eponine with eyes that melted her breaking heart.

"Yes" she whispered, feeling like the light in her world had gone out.

He took both her hands in his "Eponine you're a top girl. The best friend a guy could ask for."

She managed a weak smile in return before she turned around a left him. Ironically, she thought, this was a pattern in her life. Everyone who she cares about abandons her sooner or later.