Chapter 19:
She was sat back in the same room that she had been ushered into before. Except this time, Enjolras was allowed to sit next to her and she didn't have that same feeling of intense dread. The walls were still a little too light for her liking but ever since the phone call she had been standing at a viewpoint where everything looked rose-coloured. She had rushed over to the precinct as soon as she had put down the phone. Enjolras had been on the phone with Grantaire in the car on the way there and he was going to be meeting them out front when they were all done.
The same Detective from before walked into the room with a few other officers who all wore the same smug expression. From what she had gathered, they'd staked out the addresses Eponine had given them, and burst in during the early hours of the morning taking her father and his friends completely by surprise. Eponine had been called once they were all officially in custody so the officers were still reeling from their arrests.
"Miss Thenardier." The detective said smiling. "A pleasure to see you again."
"The information you provided us with led to the eventual arrest of your father and so you will be granted a full pardon for all past crimes." The policewoman who was standing next to the man looked down at her. She had in her hand a stack of papers and Eponine's spine straightened as she realised that what was in fact held in the woman's hands was her freedom. "Of course, this will not count for any future crimes you may commit."
"Of course." Eponine said. "What do I have to do?"
The lady sat down and laid out the forms. There were seemingly hundreds of things she had to sign including a second statement confirming what she had told them before. It all took around half an hour and Eponine's hand shook the entire time. She had never thought that this would happen. She had always thought that she'd been on the run forever.
After the forms had been signed by everyone in the room Eponine stood up to leave. "Just one second." The detective told her. "We have just one more thing that you have to do. It won't take long." He assured her.
She was led into a small room with a large screen taking up most of one room. The rest of the room was black but had a few files strewn over the desk that was sat underneath the screen. "Miss Thenardier, we would like you to identify the man that will be shown to you." A bubble of fear lodged into her throat. She nodded her head and the screen was lit up. Except that it wasn't a screen, it was a window into a small room that looked exactly the same as the one she had just left.
Except, sat at this table, was her father. His beard was overgrown, his eyes looked red and tired and he stared right at the window. His gaze did not falter for a second, Eponine wasn't sure if he was even blinking. "He can't see me right?" she asked and the detective told her that he couldn't. She breathed a sigh of relief. Her father was wearing the same coat he always did. Underneath it looked like he was wearing some kind of pyjamas and Eponine would have laughed had it not been such a tense situation. "That's him." she confirmed and the detective nodded.
Just as she was being shown out she heard his voice shouting, "You think you're safe now little girl? You think I can't get to you anymore? I can get you anywhere 'cos I'm in your blood you fucking rat!" She froze, terrified that he was right. But then the door was opened and she saw Enjolras standing, waiting for her. He smiled at her and suddenly she felt okay. She strode out of the room and followed the detectives as they thanked her and dismissed her.
"Well that certainly was an interesting wake-up call." Grantaire quipped and Eponine laughed. She had been doing a lot of that in the last hour. They had gone straight from the Police Station to McDonalds and were currently getting discounted chicken nuggets thanks to Enjolras' great influence. A part of Eponine still couldn't quite believe that Enjolras worked at McDonalds but she admired him so much for it. He really took it seriously and worked incredibly hard for just a part-time job. He had thrown himself into it and had admitted to Eponine that he actually really enjoyed it. The other employees were apparently really lovely and they were encouraged to work as a team, something that Enjolras found a little tricky but enjoyed. As he went to get them a couple of milkshakes he chatted and laughed with the woman behind the counter who affectionately called him "Pet." Which Eponine found to be quite adorable. He soon walked back over to them laden with drink and more food.
Once he had sat down he grabbed a cup and quickly toasted, "To Eponine!"
"Hear, hear!" Grantaire yelled before quickly chugging the drink. Eponine giggled as she watched before squeezing Enjolras' hand.
"How are you feeling?" He asked her.
She rested her head on one hand. "It's strange." She tried to explain. "I'm not sure if it's properly sunk in yet, that he's gone and I'm going to be okay."
"You're going to be okay." Enjolras repeated and he beamed at her. "I'd say that's about right."
"And it's got to be one of the best early Christmas presents ever in the history of the world, right?" Grantaire added, a full milky moustache lining his lips. Eponine handed him a tissue as she smiled.
"Very true." She said. "Definitely got to be in at least the top twenty gifts of all time."
"I'd say so." Enjolras replied. "I'm just annoyed because now I have to top putting your father in prison." She laughed as she nicked one of his chips.
"It's a lot to live up to." She agreed.
They chatted for a while before heading back to Enjolras' house and spending the day relaxing, doing homework and informing everyone they could of Eponine's new status as a free woman with a clean record.
A few days after her father's arrest Eponine received a phone call that may have put a slight damper on her good mood. "Miss Thenardier," The voice asked. "We are the prosecution team for your father's case and we would like for you to take the stand in his trial." Eponine tried to keep her spirits up as he continued. "This would just be us asking a few questions in order to create a character study of him. We feel that if his daughter goes on the stand against him it is likely he will be found guilty. And seeing as your statements will already be being used in the trial we feel that you should agree."
"What would this all mean?" She asked. "I would be asked questions about my father and then…?"
"That would be all." The man said. "Take a few hours to decide but we need to know straight away. The judge has determined that the trial will begin within the next few weeks." He left her a number to call once she had made a decision and then he was gone.
Eponine stood still for a moment. She had been having dinner with the Enjolras' when her phone had rung. Once she'd excused herself she had gone into the garden where she now stood, watching the leaves flutter and the sun set. Her main emotion was fear. She was scared of going into court, scared of facing her father and talking in front of the whole court. What if she said something wrong? That could mean the difference between her father going away or getting out. Her whole body shuddered at the thought of him being free again. He would know it was her, he already knew if she was being honest with herself. She wouldn't get off so easy this time, he would find her and probably kill her.
But the man had said that if she took the stand and did everything right it was likely he would go away. She could make sure of it. If she didn't take the stand, there was a possibility that he would be let go. Either way she chose there was an element of risk to it.
She wasn't sure how long she was stood there but the plaid shirt she was wearing did nothing to keep her warm and soon she was shivering, but she didn't want to go back inside. She hadn't decided yet.
Then she heard the back door slide open and turned to see Enjolras Snr walking towards her. That hadn't been what she was expecting. Although she and Enjolras' family had been getting on okay, she had still felt as if they were more putting up with her than really getting along with her.
"Is everything okay Eponine?" He asked as he sidled up next to her.
"I'm not sure." She said deciding to tell the truth. He was a lawyer after all, he could maybe provide some insight.
"Are you going to elaborate?" He asked and she smiled at the abruptness that he shared with his son.
"I've just been asked to take the stand at my father's trial." She told him.
He put his hands into the pocket of the black coat he had flung on. "Ah." He said nodding. "Are you going to say yes?" he asked.
"I'm not sure… I just," She hesitated, wanting to find the right words. "He just has to go to prison. I can't bear the thought of him walking the streets again."
"He won't." He assured her. "Your father is a known criminal, I'm sure the police has mounds of evidence stacked against him."
"So you don't think I would make a difference?"
"I didn't say that." he reminded her. "As a lawyer, I know that a character assassination from a close family member is almost guaranteed to turn a jury away from the defendant. But it's not the only way to win."
"I don't want to mess it up."
"You'll be given the questions in advance, you'll be allowed to practise them, everything will be arranged for you." He paused before turning to look at her. "And you're strong." He told her and she was slightly taken aback. "Don't look surprised. I may not have been completely thrilled about you dating my son but don't mistake that for doubting your character. I knew you were strong and probably quite good for Gabe, I was just wary of your background." He sighed and seemed a little uncomfortable which Eponine secretly enjoyed. "I was clearly wrong to judge you. The fact that you were brave enough to give your father over to the police means that you are easily brave enough to take the stand. I fully believe that you can do and you can trust that because, as you know, I'm rarely nice just for the sake of sparing a person's feelings." She laughed a little at that. He placed a hand on her shoulder, "It doesn't matter what you eventually choose, but don't doubt your strength."
She watched as he shrugged off his coat before placing it on his shoulders and walking back inside.
The offices weren't quite what she was expecting. From TV she assumed that the office walls would almost exclusively be glass and each room would be furnished in luxurious black leather seats and pretty coffee tables with a plant placed here or there for decoration. The room that she was sat in now was incredibly underwhelming. The table in front of her was coffee stained and the walls were plasterboard painted a nice green colour. There was a plant pot in the corner but the plant in it looked incredibly dead, its brown leaves dropping and falling to the floor as Eponine watched. The receptionist had given her a cup of tea and now Eponine was sipping it as she waited for the lawyers to join her. From what she had been able to glean from the receptionist the judge had rushed the trial forwards to miss the Christmas break and to ensure that the defence had less time to build a solid case. Everyone wanted her father to go away it seemed.
The lawyers came in soon after 12:00 and quickly introduced themselves as Ives and Stewart. Ives was extremely tall and that gave the illusion that he was slightly too skinny. He seemed nice with blue eyes and a mouth that had been pulled into a smile since he had walked into the room. Stewart was also tall, but in comparison to his partner he may have been considered small. His shoulders were broad and from the protein shake he was sipping Eponine guessed that the muscular body was not god given. She immediately liked them. They were the complete opposite from what she was expecting, the lawyers she had met before were all Enjolras Snr's friends and they were all far too rich and pompous for her liking.
"So," Ives said leaning forwards in his chair after the pleasantries were worn out. "We already have your statement which is prosecution gold but we need to ask a few questions to get a genuine response from the jury."
"Yep," Stewart said interrupting his partner. "There's a more visceral reaction when they hear things from a person's mouth rather than a piece of paper."
"Exaclty," Ives said seemingly unfazed by his partner's interruption. "Now, what we'd like to include in your questioning is the reveal of the burns."
Eponine's heart thudded and she tried to gather herself quickly. She hadn't really processed the fact that they would have read her statement and therefore known what she had told the detective. "Right." She muttered. "Of course."
"Because that will really blow their balls off." Stewart said and Eponine laughed dryly.
"My partner isn't exactly sensitive, I apologise for him." Ives said clearly registering Eponine's reaction. "We assumed that you would be comfortable with showing them, is that incorrect?"
"No," Eponine said quickly. "That's okay I just… I'm not used to people knowing, that's all."
Stewart at least had the decency to look a little sheepish. "We're only going to be asking you five questions. We'll give them to you today and we'll prepare the outline of your answer together. It will be total honesty but we just have to make sure that you're protecting yourself in this."
"Your amnesty won't count if you admit to a crime under oath in front of witnesses." Ives explained.
"Okay, got it." She told them, reading the questions that had been pushed over to her. They all seemed reasonable, asking about his past, how she felt about him and the violence she had witnesses.
"This is the easy bit," Ives began. "The hard bit is when the defence question you."
Eponine had been pre-warned about this. After she had made her decision she talked to Enjolras' Dad for a while and he took her through what would happen in the court-room.
"It will only be hard because they will be trying to make you forget to think." Stewart explained. "If you take a breath after every question, think about your answer and then say it, you'll be fine."
"You have the truth on your side. "Ives reminded her. "So just stick to that, avoid your past discrepancies and it'll be okay."
Eponine sighed, it will be okay… she hoped.
The couple of weeks leading up to the trial were the most stressful of Eponine's life. As well as school work and her job she had to spend hours and hours sat in that office going over her answers and prepping for the defence questions. She had relived her troubled childhood more times in those two weeks than she had in her life. Eponine felt emotionally and physically drained and it was showing. She and Enjolras barely got to see each other and when they did Eponine was usually so tired that she just cuddled up to him and slept in his arms. He didn't mind, as he kept reminding her this was the last push. The last struggle before everything would be okay. "And then you'll be able to spend so much time with me you'll get bored and dump me for one of those lawyers you'll find yourself missing." He joked on the rare occasion he caught her conscious.
"I very much doubt I'll ever miss them." She said thinking about how Stewart and Ives' voices became more and more monotonous every time she talked to them. The words she had been advised to say had been drilled into her so much that she was actually reciting them in her sleep. Every night she would find herself up on the stand, repeating the words. Sometimes they'd work, other times they wouldn't and she would be woken by Enjolras who would tell her she'd been kicking and screaming in her sleep again. He hated seeing her like this but he had to keep reminding himself that it was only for a couple of weeks and then it would be over.
The night before the trial she couldn't sleep. She hadn't wanted to wake Enjolras so she had pretended to long enough so that he dozed off and she could sneak out of the covers. She sat at his desk and looked out of the window. The stars were shining brightly, for once visible enough that she could distract herself by counting them. She allowed herself to cry about him for the last time. The feeling of intense guilt had not subsided, he was still her father. And now she was working against him to send him to jail. She didn't want to. Or rather, she didn't want to have to. All she had ever wanted was for her parents to be normal. They didn't have to be rich, or incredibly clever or even overly loving. She just wanted them to have a shred of decency, to care about their children. Just to have been there, that would have been enough. But now her family lay tattered, torn apart by her father's cruelty and complete lack of morals. He had hurt them all, and now she had to hurt him. If she could magically click her fingers and make him nice she would. It sounded so childish.
"Ep?" Enjolras called from the bed. She quickly brushed away her tears before she turned to look at him. "Come here." He told her and she obeyed. She crawled back into bed and he took her into his arms. "I love you." He said as he kissed the top of her head. "And I'm so proud of you." She sighed as the tears continued to fall from her eyes. "It's nearly over."
"Do you promise?" she asked, her voice thick with tears.
"I promise." He vowed and he hoped that it was true.
All eyes were on her. She was proud that her legs had held up long enough for her to walk into the wooden box. The court was just as grand as she had imagined and it all felt so familiar to her that part of her thought she must be having another dream. It was only the thudding of her heart that sent shockwaves of nerves through her that reminded her this was real.
"Could you please state your name for the court?" Stewart was dressed in a very expensive looking suit and his hair was slicked back. He looked very professional and quite handsome. Every bit the important lawyer.
"My name is Eponine Thenardier." She stated. The jury were made up of an assortment of faces; male, female, young, old they all stared at her.
"And would you please explain to the jury why you gave up your own father to the police." She dared to glance a look at him. He too was staring at her. His eyes fixed to her face. She hadn't expected to still feel so afraid of him. Even sat in that orange jumpsuit, with handcuffs around his wrists, she was still petrified of him.
"I gave him up because I couldn't let him continue. I knew he was a criminal and I didn't want him to cause any more pain that he already has." Her voice faltered a little a few times but whenever it did she looked at Enjolras and he nodded encouragingly at her.
"And could you describe the kind of crimes you had witnessed your father committing?" Stewart was also looking at her encouragingly.
"He would break into people's houses and steal their belongings. He would take weapons with him with the intent to intimidate if needed."
"How would you describe your father?"
"He's a monster." There was a bit of movement within the jury box. She watched as some jotted things down on a notebook. "He has no care about anyone or anything other than himself. He has not got one ounce of decency or compassion in his bones."
"And what makes you believe this?" Stewart asked. This was the big one.
Eponine took a deep breath. "Because he would hurt me and my siblings. He would physically beat and slap myself and my little sister. We were taken into care and split up but somehow I was put back into the care of my parents. The abuse continued until now. I have photographic evidence of the violence taken towards me." Behind her she knew Ives was projecting photographs of her face, arms, and back all covered in bruises. The audience began to murmur and Eponine couldn't help but look at him. Her father gazed at the photos a blank, disinterested look on his face.
"And is there any physical proof of abuse that you can show to the court right now?" Stewart asked.
"Yes." Eponine said and rolled up her sleeves to reveal the ugly scars for the second time. As she showed her arms to the jury she caught eyes with a woman in the front row who dabbed at her eyes. "When I was eleven my father used my arm to put out his cigarettes." There were audible gasps.
Stewart nodded to her and she put her arm down, suddenly embarrassed. "This shows the kind of careless violence that Mr Thenardier took part in. His physical abuse of his daughter shows sociopathic tendencies, not even caring about his own daughter's pain. This man is a violent criminal and is a danger to everyone that comes into contact with him." Stewart sat down and Eponine was handed over to the defence.
The defence asked a few questions, questioning her motives for giving up her father but Eponine felt that the damage was done. The lawyer couldn't argue with the evidence that was literally burned into her body. They quickly ended their examination and the case moved onto another witness.
Eponine was taken into a small room just off of the courtroom and she was glad for the privacy. For once she was completely alone she broke down. She tried to stifle the sound of her sobs but she wasn't sure how effectively she could do it. Her body shook as she pressed her hand against her mouth. She was so relieved that it was over, so shocked by the fear she had felt and so exhausted. It had felt like she had been sat in that chair for hours. She sat in that room for a while until her tears died down. Her breathing was laboured and she tried to focus on the view outside. She timed her breaths to the wind rustling through the trees and somehow she managed to bring her breathing back to normal.
When she walked back into the courtroom the jury had been dismissed. She had missed her father's turn on the stand and she was glad for it. She wasn't sure if she ever wanted to look into his eyes again. She found Enjolras and sat down next to him, accepting the small kiss and revelling in how sweet that was. He rubbed small circles on the back of her hand. "You were amazing." He told her. "The jury are deciding, they probably won't be done for a while. We can't leave the building but shall we get some food?" She nodded thankful for the distraction. They walked out hand in hand.
The boys were all waiting in the cafeteria for them. As she walked up they all applauded and hollered praise. She smiled and put her hands over her face. She must have looked like a complete mess. Grantaire had already brought her a sandwich and she quickly tucked into it, ferociously hungry all of a sudden.
"God that was so exciting." Joly was saying. "And when you lifted that jumper…" He let out a breath. "Woo! I could have screamed, it was amazing. He could never get out of that one."
"You were brilliant up there Ep." Marius told her. "I don't know how you did it."
"Because she's amazing of course." Cosette said and Eponine smiled again.
They spent what must have been an hour in there just talking about nothing. The boys all tried their best to make Eponine smile and Eponine tried to appreciate it. Enjolras rubbed her back and Cosette held her hand as the hours dragged on and on.
"How long does it take them?" Bahorel asked. He was now lying across one of the cafeteria benches and hanging his head off of the end. "I'm bored." He whined. Joly kicked him.
"How's she doing?" Grantaire asked Enjolras. Eponine was lying on the bench, her head in his lap, completely dead to the world.
"I think she'll be better after today." Enjolras said. "Hopefully." Truth be told he was just as nervous as she was. His insides churned at the prospect of the verdict coming back negatively. "I'm just glad she so exhausted she can sleep through this bit."
"It's a special kind of torture isn't it?" Grantaire said and Enjolras agreed.
A few more minutes passed before anything happened. And then all of a sudden people began to move as one, standing up and filing back through the halls of the court house. Enjolras quickly nudged Eponine awake, not entirely sure what was happening. "Jury's decided. They're calling everyone back in." Enjolras' dad had walked up to them and quickly ushered them back into the room,
There was complete silence as everyone waited for the Judge to come back. Eponine stared at the jury, desperate to find a small hint as to what was about to happen. Their faces gave nothing away and Eponine's heart thudded against her chest. The blood pumping in her ears was deafening as she turned her gaze to the back of her father's head. He was guilty, how could they possibly think he wasn't?
The door opened and the Judge walked in. It seemed like time was creeping so slowly as he moved to sit back down. He then looked to the jury and said. "Has the jury made their decision?"
One man stood up. He was standing at the front of the jury box and had on a pan blue button-up shirt than was slightly too big for him. His brown hair thinned at the top and Eponine couldn't believe that this man had so much power. "The jury has made a unanimous decision." He said. An age past between his sentences. Eponine felt Enjolras slip her hand into his but she couldn't look at him. her vision remained on the man with her future in his hands. "We find the defendant," Eponine took a deep breath. "Guilty of all charges."
Eponine could have screamed. Her whole body felt so light as she watched her father be taken out of the courtroom-still in handcuffs. 23 years. He had been given 23 years in prison. She had at least 20 years of freedom! She could escape! She fell into Enjolras' arms as he held her and laughed with joy.
"You did it." He told her. "I love you so much." He kissed her quickly before saying. "It's over."
She smiled up at him and nodded. "It's over."