In case you are wondering who the other children in the gang are, here are all the names.
Girls: Rachelle, Lily, Marie, Albine, Victoria
Boys: Jaques, Jack, Garcaunt, Oliver, Félix, Adrien, Pierre.
"Papa!" The Thenardier's two-year-old son bounded up to his father and gripped his jacket. Thenardier turned, shocked, and kicked the child off.
"Don't touch me, boy!" he shouted. The son looked up in dismay, shocked from the rejection. Every time he tried to show his father love, he always got thrown, kicked, or pushed away. The son began to cry, and looked around for his sister.
"Pomine! Pomine!" He cried. Eponine quickly ran to her younger brother and crouched to his side.
"What is it, boy?" She asked nicely. She didn't know his name, because her parents had never bothered to name him. She just called him "boy".
"Papa hurt me." He answered, pointing to his arm. A bruise was beginning to form. Eponine gasped, and held up his arm.
"It's alright." She said. She kissed his arm to make it better.
"Girl's name is Pomine?" Asked the son. Eponine shook her head.
"Not Poh-meen. Eh-Poh-neen." She corrected him.
"Pomine!"
The sun poked through a few holes in the elephant, and woke Gavroche with a start. Another one of those visions? At least he finally remembered what his family was like. But how was he separated? Did he run away or something?
"Alright, boys! Up and at it!" He shouted, clapping his hands together. The other children began to stir, yawning and stretching. There was no rally today, but with the revolution being in four days, he had to prepare. He was still distracted by the thoughts of his family, but he had bigger priorities. He spent his first few hours of the day making bullets and loading guns.
"Gavroche?" A voice called. He turned his head to see Marie staggering up to him.
"Hey Marie, what's new with you?" He asked, smiling. The older girl smiled back, and looked down at the ground.
"Just wonderin'...what you were doing."
"Oh? 'm just loadin' guns and making bullets." he responded, breaking the dried bullets out of their mold. He took a musket from the table and began loading it. When he finished, he placed it in the straight line of muskets leaning against the wall.
"I'm worried about you, Gavroche." Marie finally said. Gavroche turned, took of his hat and rubbed his head.
"Why so?"
"Well, look aroun'. Your surrounded by things that could easily kill you or me, and you're about to use them in a fight you could die in." She explained. Gavroche took her face in his hands.
"Listen to me, Marie. I wouldn't be doin' this if I didn't lov...I mean, 'ave you as such a great friend. I want you to be 'appy again, like how you were with your family." He said. Marie looked up at him in shock, and tears began to well up in her eyes.
"But...I'm 'appy now."
Gavroche blinked in surprise.
"But you..."
"Listen! I would rather spend the rest of my life with you than go back to bein' a fancy rich girl. When we grow up, I want to marry you. I want to buy a house together, and cook dinner for you, and start a family! I don't care if I have to be on these crutches while I do it! I love you!" She cried. Marie ignored the blush that spread across her face. Her eyes were now red and swollen, and her cheeks were tear stained. Gavroche stared back, processing in his mind what she just said.
"Marie, I..."
"Just...forget what I just said. I'll see you later." She turned and began to walk out. Gavroche grabbed her by the arm. She stumbled on the crutches. He caught her before she could fall.
"I could never forget any of that, Marie. When we sat together at the marketplace, that was when I realized. Will all my heart, I loved you. I swear to this by a stack of bibles up to my nose. I love you too, Marie." He said, looking her in the eye. Marie clenched her teeth as more tears fell. She wrapped Gavroche into a tight hug. Her crutches fell to the floor, but she knew that he wouldn't let her fall. When they pulled back, she pulled him closer, and pressed her lips against his. Gavroche was startled, and made a shocked noise in his throat, but didn't pull away. He just savoured the moment.
"Promise me you want die." Whispered Marie when they pulled back. Gavroche didn't want to make a promise he couldn't keep, but he nodded.
"I...I promise."
"Oi! Word says you snogged Marie yesterday!" Chuckled Grantaire, slinging his arm around Gavroche's shoulders and elbowing him in the side. Gavroche pushed him away.
"So? What's it to you?"
"Our little Gavroche is finally growing up!" Grantaire cried, laughing. He raised his hands dramatically to his heart. Joly ran up behind Grantaire and cradled him as if they were a couple.
"Oh, Joly!" Taunted Grantaire in a high pitched voice, leaning his head back into Joly's collarbone. The three others, Bahorel, Jehan, and Courfeyrac snickered.
"Don' laugh at me...!" said Gavroche angrily. He crossed his arms and pouted.
"Don't worry, Gav! We're only joking." Said Courfeyrac. The little boy continued to pout. Joly looked at Jehan, who shrugged.
"Gavroche, according my records, you're nine, correct?" Asked Joly.
"Yeah, I think so."
"Okay. From what I recall, your birthday is...four days from now?"
"Mm-hmm." Gavroche nodded.
"A day after revolution..."
Grantaire smiled, "So when we win, I'll get'cha something awesome!" He pointed to Gavroche. The boy smiled back.
"Don't worry 'bout that, Grantaire. Seein' equality and Marie 'appy is all I need."
-Two days later-
Gavroche walked home, and he held his head high, absolutely certain that with this plan, there was no way they could lose. The moon seemed to shine brighter. The stars were bigger. His heart wouldn't stop pounding, but he wasn't afraid.
"Eponine, thank you! I couldn't have done this without you!"
His sister. Again? Gavroche backed up against the wall and listened.
"Your welcome, Monsieur." She replied. Gavroche finally saw the figure of his big sister step out into the moonlight. She was beautiful. Eponine had long dark brown hair, pale skin, and brown eyes. Just like how he remembered her. But, why was she crying?
"Oi, ain't that your daughter?" A slimy voice pierced the air, and Eponine froze. Gavroche hid behind a crate and watched. Three shadowy men closed in on her.
"Eponine, get on home! Go on!" A man with messy hair approached her and nudged her. That must be her father. 'My father.' thought Gavroche.
"There is only a father and daughter here! They don't want any trouble!" Eponine stood her ground. Her father snarled.
"Back away, useless girl! You've got some nerve!"
"I'll scream, and alert them!"
"Don't you dare, missy!"
Gavroche put his hands over his ears as Eponine's high pitched shriek ripped through the air. The other two men scattered, but his father stayed.
"How dare you, girl?!" He shouted. Gavroche narrowed his eyes as he swiped his fist across Eponine's face. He couldn't hurt her!
"Stop it!" yelled Gavroche. He launched himself at his father before he could land a punch on his sister. He remembered the dream when he protected Marie. Gavroche wrestled with the older man, who then pushed him away.
"What the...! Oi, you little brat!" He raised his fist to strike the boy.
"Papa, no! It's me!" Gavroche cried, shielding his face with his arms. His dad paused. Suddenly, he turned and ran away, due to a call in the dark. Eponine was on the ground with a bloody nose.
"Pomine, are you alright?" Gavroche rushed to her side. Eponine gasped.
"Did you just say...P...Pomine?"
"It's me, your brother. My name's Gavroche."
Eponine didn't say anything. All she did was cry.
"I thought papa had killed you." She choked. Gavroche shook his head.
"No, I'm alive and well, Pomine. I'm okay." He assured her, grabbing her hand. Eponine smiled.
"What a fine young man you've turned out to be...I always knew that uncontrollable hair of yours would never work out. And you still haven't learned how to pronounce my name." She laughed. Gavroche laughed as well.
"Try remembering a name like mine." He replied.
"I never did want them to hurt you. When you were two years old, Papa took you away. I never knew what he did, but he returned without you. I heard you scream, though. I figured he had killed you. He told me it would be better this way. You were just another mouth to feed." Explained Eponine. Gavroche listened to every word his sister said. As she went on, he grew sadder.
"Who took care of me?"
"Cosette. Sometimes, I would, but Mama and Papa would never pay attention to you."
"Oh..."
"Hey, Gavroach."
"Gavroche."
"Whatever. Listen to me..." Eponine looked at her brother and smiled, "...you may not have had a happy beginning, but look at where you are now! You're still alive, you survived nine years without a mother's care. I couldn't have done that." she comforted him. Gavroche clicked his teeth.
"But..."
"But nothing! Listen to me. You are a handsome young man, and I can tell you'll get far in life! I've got to go now, but always remember. I'll forever be in your heart. Alright, Gavroach?" Eponine patted him on the back. Gavroche looked up to his sister and nodded. After they said their farewells, they went their separate ways. That night, he finally slept peacefully. Knowing that his sister was alive was all that helped him sleep through the fear of revolution.
It was the big day. Lamarque's coffin was being pulled through the streets to remember him in honour. Enjolras stood on top with a red flag in his hand.
"Do you hear the people sing?" He said, "the songs of angry men." murmurs of agreement swept through the sorrow crowd, who hung their heads in sadness For the loss of their general.
"It is the music on a people who will not be slaves again." Said Marius, who was with the other Amis.
"We will not be slaves again!" Shouted Jehan, pumping his fist into the air.
"The beating of our hearts will drown out the sounds of battle!"
"A life will start tomorrow!"
Suddenly, a gunshot rang through the area. Civilians screamed as an innocent woman fell to the ground, dead. Gavroche stood, frozen in fear. They've come.
"To the barricade!" Yelled Enjolras, motioning for everyone to follow him. It was a flurry of movement. Chairs, tables, dressers, and random slabs of wood were flying from the windows. Gavroche ran into each house one by one to grab a chair or two, and then flinging them onto the slowly growing barricade. He ran to the cafe to grab the guns he had loaded earlier, and began throwing them to everyone.
"Here! Take this, and hurry! Go!" he shouted to passing by fighters. Finally, he grabbed his own gun and took shelter behind a thick bench. The sound of footsteps rang through the street. Silence hung in the air.
"Hold your fire..." Whispered Enjolras. The formation of soldiers in front of them stopped.
"Who's there?!" asked the general. Enjolras gulped.
"French Revolution." He calmly answered. More silence. Gavroche suddenly fell back from the sudden explosion of noise. Gun fire failed the air. He steadied himself up and aimed at a soldier facing the other way. With a single pull of his trigger, the soldier was dead. Ignoring the shock that washed over him from killing another human, he resumed to firing. More and more men came.
"Stand back, or I'll blow this barricade to pieces!" A shout sounded from the top of the barricade. Marius! He was holding a barrel of gasoline and a torch.
"What are you doin', Marius?!" Yelled Gavroche.
"You'll take yourself with it." Said the army officer. Marius grinned.
"You'll be dead, too."
The army officer blinked, then growled.
"Retreat!"
And in five seconds, they were gone. Marius sighed in relief and released his weapons. As he climbed back down the barricade, people shouted at him, remarking that he was about to kill them all. Marius paid no attention, and sat down.
"Eponine, what have you done...?"
Gavroche snapped his head around. What was she doing here?! He stared in horror to see her collapsed in Marius's arms, she had obviously been shot. Blood soaked her clothing and dripped onto the ground.
"Don't worry, Marius...I couldn't be any happier then to die here, protecting you." She croaked, stroking the side of his face. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a letter.
"It's from Cosette. Here, I kept it for you," She said, handing it to him, "you know, I might have been in love with you, Monsieur." And her eyes slowly closed.
Eponine had died. Marius bent over and kissed her forehead. Gavroche stared as others picked up her body and carried it into the tavern to put with the others. Courfeyrac walked to the boy, who was now crying silently.
"You okay?" He asked.
"That was my sister." Replied Gavroche.
"When's G'vroche comin' back, Marie?" Asked Oliver. Marie shrugged.
"Who knows, 'e could be back any day now. I 'ope 'e comes back soon."
"Are you gonna get married when you grow up?" Asked Garcaunt from the back. Marie froze. she sighed and smiled.
"Well, I want to. He 'asn't asked me yet, and the boy 'as to ask the girl." She said. Oliver grinned.
"I knew you liked each other! I knew it!" He shouted. Marie gave him a dirty look and chucked a small pebble at him. From far away, she could hear the gunshots. Any one of those could have killed Gavroche. After a while, they faded away. She spent the night in fear, hoping that the one she loved the most would return.
"Goodnight, 'Roche." She whispered.
And somewhere, back at the barricade, at that same moment, Gavroche whispered, "Goodnight, Marie."
And they both slept.