Éponine fit Azelma into one of her spare dresses, she was taller and not nearly as skinny as her younger sister currently was, so it didn't fit quiet right, but it would do. She sat her sister in the chair and began to plait her hair, "what do you want to do with that dress?" She nodded to the dress Azelma had worn the night before.

Azelma turned her head towards the mass of satin and wrinkled her nose, "I don' want it... Suppose we could sell it?"

Éponine finished the plait and looked at the dress, it wasn't particularly pretty or well made... She might have better luck reworking it instead. She then handed her sister a piece of bread, "eat this, we need to go."

Azelma ate the bread enjoying it's soft texture as opposed to black bread, "come on you goose." Éponine called again giggling a little. Together they left the flat and went to Madame D'Auvergne's shop.

When they got there Éponine could see through the windows Adele fixing one of the models that stood there, she went to the door and led her sister inside, "good morning Adele." She greeted the shop girl as usual who did not look up from her task "is Madame here?"

The blonde paused for a moment, "she is in back," she looked at Éponine and noticed Azelma standing beside her, "who's this?"

"My sister Azelma," Éponine explained.

The shop girl smiled, "pleasure to meet you, my name is Adele."

Azelma simply nodded her head, "well I should take her to see Madame..." Éponine led her sister into the back of the shop where Madame D'Auvergne was going through some papers. She stopped when Éponine entered the room, "good you are here, now get to work... Who do you have here?" She took notice of Azelma.

"My sister Azelma, she needs a job," Éponine hoped she could get her one.

"Have you ever sown before my dear?" Madame D'Auvergne asked Azelma.

"Just samplers and dolls things," she replied nervously.

"Not much experience but it's a start..." Madame D'Auvergne mused, "with Bella out we do need help, perhaps when she returns we could put you out front?"

Azelma smiled not believing her luck, "t-thank you!" she stammered.

"Your sister will show you what to do, now get to work," Madame D'Auvergne returned to her papers while Éponine helped her sister get started on her work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When it came time for them to close the shop Madame D'Auvergne handed Éponine a basket filled with cotton handkerchiefs and floss, "bring this to Bella, she asked for it."

Éponine took the basket, "what does she want this for? Hasn't she got enough on her hands?"

"She sent a note by with 'Chetta earlier, she apparently has too much time on her hands?" Madame D'Auvergne sighed, "if only my children had been like that..."

Éponine giggled at the old woman who just smiled kindly, "Come 'Zelma, we'll bring this to Bella."

She led the way to Mirabella's flat which was just outside of the Latin Quarter, when they knocked on the door they were greeted by a lovely blonde with large green eyes. She was Mirabella's flat mate and one of her dearest friends Musichetta Fontaine. She smiled at Éponine, "It looks like Madame gave you the message?" she looked at the basket the younger girl was carrying. "Come in then," she took the basket from Éponine and stepped from the doorway to let her and Azelma in. "Wait," she stopped The younger Thenardier and looked her over, "you two must be sisters..."

She nodded, "my name is Azelma."

"Musichetta, but you can call me 'Chetta," Musichetta's eyes sparkled.

"Is Éponine here?" an out of sight voice called out to them, the way Musichetta's and Mirabella's flat was arranged in such a way that there was a short corridor that led to the living room where Bella currently was. The girls walked down the hall into the space, Mirabella sat on the sofa with her baby in her arms.

Antoine Latour was named for his father, he was small and tended to be a quiet baby. He had blue eyes and the light freckles like his mother and had beginnings of dark hair with a slight curl like his father.

"He's going to be a handsome one he is," Éponine smiled. Mirabella smiled, "just like his father," she sighed a little.

"He better not have that same devil may care attitude," Musichetta shook her head, she had known Antoine Courfeyrac very well through her lover Laurent Joly who had also died on the barricades.

Éponine smiled, "It was nice to see you but we should get back before it gets too late, ready 'Zelma?"

Azelma nodded, "alright."

"Well goodnight girls, you really should come by soon," Musichetta replied going over to open the door.

"Yes, keep me from getting too bored," Mirabella turned back to them.

"Careful you may jinx yourself with that," Musichetta spoke as if it was a warning.

The girls went out and the sunlight was beginning to fade from red to purple, all the street lamps were lit as they walked to Éponine's flat.

Éponine dished out a bit of soup for her sister, she had some vegetables that she had purchased earlier in week but had not had a chance to use them until now, "a shop girl..." she spoke thoughtfully. "Honest, respectable, just like what you wanted," she smiled at her younger sister. "But we will need to work on cleaning up that argot of yours!"

Azelma blushed, "I know... 'Ow did you do it?"

Éponine shrugged, "not sure... I really just practiced is all, I'm still learning."

"Oh," Azelma sighed not feeling very hopeful.

"Don't worry about it, it will all work out," Éponine tried to cheer her up, "now eat your soup before it gets cold." She spoke in a motherly tone that Azelma had never heard her use before. The person stood before was not the same as the girl who had disappeared in June.

"'Ponine?" she spoke up.

"Yes?" Éponine had now helped herself to soup as well.

"I just wanted to say..." Azelma paused for a moment so she could attempt to put together her words properly, "thank you."

Éponine simply smiled to her in return, "we have to stick together don't we?"

After Azelma had fallen asleep on a small pallet that the landlady had brought from one of the unoccupied flats Éponine moved her sisters discarded ballgown onto her bed. She lay it out flat so she could examine it, there were ruffles everywhere which did not really suit Azelma. Shaking her head she put the dress away and decided to slightly alter one of her dresses for her sister to wear so that it fit her properly, maybe things could actually change and turn out well for all of them in the end.