A/N: This is a sequel I never intended to do on my very first E&E one-shot Maybe Next Lifetime, (.net/s/7671816/1/Maybe_Next_Lifetime)

Brace yourself. Gender bending might ensue since, well...it's a different lifetime, but with the similar character characteristics. :D

And since it's a different lifetime, Enjolras, Eponine, and all the other characters needn't be the way their appearances are in the book (lame excuse for saying, I didn't read The Brick much. hahaha..xD). I do have the 25th Anniversary Cast in mind on this so...let that be your guide. :]

DISCLAIMER: Story's based on Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. I do not own any of the characters, even though some are gender-bent they're still from Les Misérables. ;]

The ragged girl, Éponine, and her three brothers, Olivier, Nicolas, and Gustavé, arrived safely in their rundown home in the slum area of Paris, it wasn't safe for raising children there especially when you're still considered a child yourself but they didn't have much money so they didn't have much of a choice either.

Éponine had prepared a small yet satisfying dinner of porridge and bread for her siblings; it was all she could afford from her work.

"'Ponine, will you be leaving again tonight?" asked Olivier as Éponine served the porridge on their small table.

"Well yes, I still have to work you see, so you all will have enough food to eat."

"Can we go to the park again tomorrow?" asked Nicolas. Éponine gave him a warm smile and replied.

"We'll see." She looked around the house then asked, "Where's Zelda?"

"Probably out by the opera house again." Gustavé replied. "She's been talking about nonsense about it again, kept saying she'd be an actress." Éponine sighed at the remark of his brother, what Zelda wants was not nonsense, but it was impractical at the state their in. Their other sister Zelda loved the performing arts, ever since they saw a free performance of Anything Goes at the park near the area where they used to live average lives.

"Well, I guess we'll just save her share for her to eat later." Éponine took Zelda's share of dinner, covered it with another plate and placed it on an empty spot on the surface of their table. She took a piece of scrap paper lying on the floorboards and took her blunt pencil and badly wrote 'Zelda' on it and placed it next to Zelda's dinner.

"Wow 'Ponine! Can you teach us how to write too?" Nicolas eagerly asked.

"Yes! I would like to learn too! And read!" Olivier agreed.

"Err..I'll teach you what I know." She replied.

"Can we learn tomorrow?" asked Olivier.

"Sure, when I'm free." The two younger boys cheered then heartily finished their meal. After that, Éponine ordered them to go to their room now and play if they'd like but they had to sleep at the time they usually do. She watched the two play for a while and then left the bedroom. Gustavé was still in the living room-slash-dining room-slash-kitchen, or rather their multi-purpose room, watching the stars from their window.

"Are you going to bed any time soon?" Éponine asked.

"Can't I just go with you and help beg for money?" Gustavé replied turning to face her sister.

"W-what? What are you talking about? I work, I don't beg."

"Stop it 'Ponine, I'm old enough, I know you beg for money at night, you sometimes steal too."

There was no use hiding it, Gustavé was smart, Éponine knows he'd find out soon enough.

"You can't. I feel a bit of guilt about it but I have to do it for you all."

"I know, and you need help, with two people the work can be easier."

"Gustavé, I'm telling you, I don't want you to bear the guilt I do."

"Whatever, it keeps us alive doesn't it?"

"A no is a no, Gustavé!" snapped Éponine, she didn't want to have any more of Gustavé's nonsense.

"Well if you don't want me to help can't you let Zelda help you? She's just a bit younger than you, I'm pretty sure she could work with you!"

"She said she'd help by being an actress one day, she doesn't need, nor would she want to do the same thing I do."

"Well I do! Anything to help us survive! You're just spoiling Zelda! She would never help you if you keep at this! Stop acting nobly, it won't do you, or us, any good!"

"Go to bed Gustavé." Said Éponine and went out the door. Even when she was out, he could hear Gustavé's footsteps marching angrily to their bedroom. Éponine sighed and locked the door from the outside with some scrap metal wire.

Out on the busy streets of Paris, she found a lamppost where several people passed by and decided to have her post there. Before she settled at that lamppost she made a detour to the nearby park because it was dark there and then she could tatter her clothes more and make her look dirtier with the earth. After all of that she sat next to the lamppost and began to hold out her hand to beg money from passers-by.

I wish I'd have a twist fate sooner or later. She thought.

"Mademoiselle, please, I have four other siblings to feed at home."

"Monsieur, please my siblings are very hungry."

"Mademoiselle, please we haven't eaten in days."

"Monsieur, please I want to feed my poor siblings at home."

That was all Éponine cried that night, and so far, what? 9 francs? That wasn't enough for five sickly children such as Éponine and her siblings.

"You there mademoiselle, please, I really need to feed my starving siblings at home." The young woman, about Éponine's age with pony-tailed curly, dark brown hair, that she had begged for stopped walking and returned to where Éponine was. At first Éponine was frightened, because of the way the young woman looked intently observing her. But then she spoke,

"You say you want to feed your siblings?"

"Y-Yes, mademoiselle, they're still so young and might get sick if they don't eat well." She answered nervously.

"And what about you?" she queried.

"Look at me, I'm a bit well, but their bodies are a lot weaker than mine. They'd need the food more than I do."

"That's quite noble of you." She smiled sweetly, and then opened her purse. "Here, take this."

"A-A hundred francs? Are you sure, mademoiselle?"

"You'd need the money more than I do." The woman mimicked what Éponine had answered earlier.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you so much mademoiselle!"

"Tell me something, do you plan on begging forever?"

"Oh no mademoiselle, the eldest of my younger brothers just found out that I beg for money, I don't want him to think this is just alright. I'll try to get a job soon."

"I'm impressed; I hope there were more people with the same mindset as yours. Well, I wish you all the best of luck then, mademoiselle au revoir, have a good evening." The young woman went on her way and with a last minute thing, Éponine shouted behind her,

"Merci, have a good evening yourself, mademoiselle." Éponine was really happy. She did have a twist of fate tonight. It was just a little twist but, she knows something bigger would come to her if she tried hard enough. The young woman suddenly stopped and turned to Éponine once again,

"By the way, you should put yourself first once in a while." Éponine smiled and nodded in response.

She's very nice; I hope I meet her again when I get a better job, thought Éponine. She'd be happy to see I have accomplished what I told her I'd do. She's very pretty too. Éponine smiled upon her imagination of meeting once again the kind-hearted woman. She then felt a pounding on her chest and it was as if something flipped in her stomach. That's strange. Oh well, I'm going to stay a little while longer, see if I could earn more money. Thankfully that girl came and eased my job a little. Shame I didn't get her name.

"Such a nice girl." The young woman with pony-tailed curly, dark brown hair from earlier whispered to herself. She was three blocks away from Éponine now but she couldn't stop thinking about her, she had somewhat reminded her of someone. The young woman was still preoccupied when she was shoved a little by a young man who was lost in thoughts himself.

"Eric?" she said in a soft voice, and laid a hand on him.

"Oh Marie-Antoinette, bonsoir. I'm sorry, I didn't see you there."

"Very typical, Eric. Trouble at home?" she asked.

"Yes, the usual."

"Well I hope things get better for you." Marie-Antoinette smiled. "You know, I met a girl earlier, she's a beggar but she reminded me of you!"

"How so?"

"She was kind of like you on a slightly smaller scale towards her siblings, she kept saying she needed to feed them when she was very skinny and pale herself."

"Helping others can never be a 'smaller scale' every help is a big thing."

"Hmm..I guess you're right about that," she replied, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Anyways, I told her she should put herself first once in a while, you should too Eric, look at all the trouble you're going through."

"I suppose," he sighed. "You know, I don't know exactly why I care much, I just know I should."

"It's amazing how someone as young as you are still care about change, this is the 1980s Eric, not the 1830s." she chuckled. "But I suppose it's not so bad to care." Enjolras smiled in agreement then thanked her.

"Hey, Eric. You wouldn't happen to see Colin around now would you?"

"I was wondering when you'd get to that point." Enjolras chuckled. "I saw him earlier, heading home. You should come visit him; you are very welcomed to their home anyway." Marie-Antoinette blushed.

"Was I that obvious?" She smiled. "Well, I'll see you later then."

"Certainly, bonsoir Mademoiselle Pontmercy." Curtsied Enjolras, Marie-Antoinette smiled one last time then walked off.

"Oh, Marie-Antoinette." Enjolras called out.

"Yes?"

"Where is that girl you mentioned? The beggar?"

"Three blocks away by a lamppost." She replied, thinking he'd help that girl. She had always known him to have a kind heart, so that was most likely. Enjolras nodded his thanks and both went their separate ways.

Enjolras walked off absentmindedly looking at the people passing by, the stores across the streets, and the stars above him still thinking about a few of his many problems; mostly about his father, his future, the country. He then reached the lamppost Marie-Antoinette had told him, but there was no girl, he did notice a sign of her stay there. Just behind the lamppost, was a cream handkerchief and the name Frances embroidered on it.

Just like the name of our motherland, Enjolras smirked. If this beggar is what Marie-Antoinette says she was, then I'll let this be a sign of hope for our motherland's betterment.

Well? Did you like it? Please tell me what you think, all reviews are welcomed! :D