A/N- My brain is fried. I'm not sure quite why. This chapter is filler- sort of- but it's important filler, so I guess I can't actually call it filler, now can I? Setup might be a better word, actually. So while it's a bit short, it's also full of things that are ultimately going to really influence the outcome of the story. Also, I feel I should tell you that for the rest of this fic, I'm probably going to be plugging the novel shamelessly (there are two great examples just in this chapter!), but for those of you who haven't read it, you will still totally understand the story, as it's still very much musical-based... my little references will just add an extra layer of depth for those of you who have read it (I hope).

5. November

It took both Eponine and Azelma some time to get used to having Gavroche in their lives on a regular basis once more. The first day or two, they were both so delighted to have him near, and he to be with them, that it was quite easy. Eponine came home from work early so that she could, in her words, "cook something proper" for her siblings, and it was plain to both Azelma and Gavroche that she was ecstatic, if her singing and smiles were anything to go by.

After the novelty had worn off, however, life settled back into something similar to a routine. The question of sleeping arrangements also came up. Eponine insisted that the floor was plenty good enough for her, but after the first few nights, the younger two noticed that she would occasionally turn her had in the manner of one who has a sore neck, and despite her protests insisted that they take turns on the floor.

Neither Azelma nor Eponine quite knew what to do with Gavroche. Eponine wanted to enroll him in school, but she didn't have the money to pay for his books. She informed him plainly that he most certainly would be right back to school when spring came, and began working seven days a week at the cafe instead of only six. She earned two francs a day for her salary, and if she was lucky, some well-to-do patron would slip a few sous extra into the pocket of her apron. This, combined with whatever money Azelma managed to make, was just enough to support their little family. Any extra they earned was tucked safely away in the sugar bowl, and Eponine felt certain that by January she would have enough saved to buy what he needed. For the time being, she tamped down her pride and wrote a pleading letter to Adilene, explaining the confusion over her previous letters and asking for assistance for Gavroche's sake. No reply was received for the present.

Gavroche, meanwhile, was left at home by day, for lack of any better ideas as to what to do with him. This did quite nicely for time, but within a few days a his boundless energy began to assert its presence and he grew tired of remaining in the little one-room flat with nothing but Eponine's small handful of books to keep him company. Moreover, he was denied the pleasure of sitting in on the meetings of les Amis de l'ABC, at Eponine's decree. Needless to say, Gavroche was tremendously bored. Within just under two weeks, he had taken to the streets again.

Gavroche waited in the morning until Azelma had left to peddle her flowers. Then he struck out on his own to enjoy all the bustle and vigor that street-level Paris could afford him. He always returned in the evening, having taken note of what time Azelma arrived home so as not to arouse suspicion, but the days were his to do with what he pleased. He ran out many times to the streets he knew were often haunted by his newest friend, Navet, and some of the other gamins of the quarter, with whom he got along rather well.

This continued, unsuspected by either of his sisters, for all of November and in fact might have continued indefinitely had not Azelma returned early one evening and discovered him gone. When Gavroche at last arrived home, it was to discover both his sisters with arms crossed and worried frowns on their faces.

A rather heated debate ensued over just how Gavroche was to put his time to use. Azelma politely suggested that perhaps Gavroche could accompany her on her rounds each day, but Eponine flatly vetoed that idea. She pointed out that it was little better than what he was already doing, and while it was one thing for Azelma, a girl of fifteen, to be wandering around God-knows-where, Gavroche was all of nine years old and ought to be in school.

This was met with Gavroche's vehement protests. He declared that he had had plenty of schooling (after all, couldn't he read and count to one hundred and talk about Waterloo?) and that anything further that he could learn that would be of any use to him was likely to be discovered "out in the world."

Eponine, however, was adamant, and Azelma supported her. Gavroche, they said, was an intelligent young boy. He might even have the makings of a lawyer in him, if he would only apply himself, and he ought to be in school.

"A lawyer, eh?" he responded, a sly look creeping onto his face. "A great many of my friends are studying the law."

"You mean those students?" Eponine asked caustically.

Gavroche nodded. "Indeed. Monsieur Lesgle will be a great lawyer, or he would be already if he hadn't had the misfortune to be terribly late last spring and miss all his exams."

Vaguely, Eponine recalled meeting the jolly individual in question, and felt briefly guilty for thinking ill of he and his friends, before once again her distrust of the whole movement pushed the feeling from her mind. "There's no cause for you to be running about with such people," she said. "I'm sure they're good boys, such as they are, but you'll get in trouble if you keep following them around, Gavroche. I told you that!"

"And isn't the kind of ruckus they'll cause the best sort of trouble?"

"No!"

It was at this point that Gavroche proposed a compromise. He would stay inside during the day, and he would start school again in the new year, if he would be allowed to go to the meetings at the cafe at night to listen to the boys talk.

"So that's your bargain?" Eponine cried. "It's to be Republicans or gamins?"

Gavroche looked her dead in the eye and said, "Yes."

Reluctantly, Eponine allowed that associating with the Friends of the ABC was probably the lesser of the two evils, and consented to this compromise. Later, when Gavroche was snoring peacefully on the bed, she confided to Azelma that perhaps it wasn't really that bad of an idea. If they were lucky, something of the students would rub off on him and he would learn to appreciate the value of an education.

And so Gavroche resumed regular attendance of the evening meetings at the Cafe Musain.

Meanwhile, quite apart from the spark of rebellion being slowly kindled in the back room, more mundane things were taking place within the walls of the cafe. Gerard, who worked in the kitchen, was still not returning to work. It seemed that his illness was more serious than had been first thought. Roxanne grumbled continually about firing him, and complained that without his help it was impossible to run the establishment smoothly, but they managed perfectly well, and Eponine noted that although Roxanne paid a young gamine to peel potatoes and help out with other menial tasks, Gerard's position was not filled in his absence.

One Saturday morning just before December, when frost covered the cobblestones and the sky was pale with those thin clouds that turn the sky grey but don't quite manage to hide the sun, a pale, waif-like girl appeared in the doorway of the cafe. She had large green eyes and mousy brown hair, and was very thin and very tired-looking. She could not have been older than seventeen.

She asked for Roxanne, and introduced herself as Louison, Gerard's next-oldest sister. The pair of them retreated to the kitchen, and Eponine, who was most certainly not spying on them, saw the girl take Roxanne's rough hands in her own and press her lips to them in what appeared to be a show of gratitude. She left shortly thereafter.

That evening, as they were closing up for the night, Roxanne, who had been pensive since that morning, turned to Eponine and said, "Gerard is dead."

"What?" Eponine gasped. She had been rather fond of the burly young man; he had been sensible and good-humored.

Roxanne nodded, chewing her lip thoughtfully. "He'd been ill, of course, we knew that... I didn't think much of it. He is- he was- a healthy boy. But it seems it got to his lungs. He died three days ago."

Eponine pressed a hand to her heart, feeling as if she had been hit in the stomach. "That's awful," she said softly.

"It happens," Roxanne said, but her eyes were sad. "His sister came this morning to tell me the news-"

"I know, I saw her."

Roxanne gave her a sharp look for interrupting. "As I was saying, Louison came to tell me the news, and asked if she might have his job. I've hired her. Though God knows, I'm sure I'll regret it. She looks as if she'd fall to bits the first time she has to do a bit of hard work, puny as she is!"

Eponine smiled, knowing that Roxanne's gruff commentary was really to hide the fact that she pitied Gerard's two bereft sisters. "You're a good woman, Roxanne," she said.

"What the devil do you mean?" Roxanne snapped.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."

A/N- Reviews, por favor?