Okay, this chapter might upset you a little as Courfeyrac and Gavroche say good bye to each other here.
Please review, I did not get as many reviews for the last chapter as I have for previous chapters
Courfeyrac wasn't sure how long he had been sitting there, watching Gavroche as he slept. He was enjoying the peace of the moment as he knew that it was not going to be the same after today. He had promised to take Gavroche back to his elephant today, even though he was still to discuss the idea with the rest of the men. With a heavy sigh, he stood and walked through to the main room of the café. "Everyone listen!" He said, growing nervous as everybody looked at him with equally curious expressions. "We need to talk about Gavroche. He…He wants to go back"
"Go back" Combeferre said. "As in go back to the streets? I thought you were fighting to keep children off of the streets".
Courfeyrac sighed, running his hand through his dark hair. "I know, mon ami, I know but it is his wishes and I, for one, am not going to stop him" He said. "He lives in the elephant of the slum, with three younger boys. He looks after them; he doesn't want to abandon them. I've made him promise to come here if he needs anything".
Joly stepped forward. "That elephant is rat infested and filthy, Gavroche and these other boys are at serious risk of illness" He said with scared wide eyes.
"Everyone is at risk in that slum" Marius chipped in. "And Courfeyrac, is this what you want?"
"No, of course not, if anything I would want Gavroche here or staying with me but this is not about me. It is about Gavroche" He replied. "He will be fine, he is strong and hard to scare. He has agreed to come to us if he needs anything and come to meetings so we can keep an eye on him."
"You are right Courfeyrac" Enjolras said. "As much as I hate to see the poor treated as they are, Gavroche can go back. For a gamin like him, the streets are home, are his freedom and he deserves as much freedom as he can get"
Courfeyrac nodded in agreement and mumbled his thanks as he heard the side door open and saw Gavroche in the doorway, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Come here petit" He said softly "How much did you hear?"
Gavroche ran to him and stood beside him, leaning against his side. "Plenty enough to know I can go back to my boys" He said, looking up to Courfeyrac. "Today, oui?"
The young man nodded "Oui, today, petit frère"As he only admitted to himself, Courfeyrac did not want Gavroche to go. He would miss him, above all else. He had grown incredibly close to the boy over the three weeks he had been staying at the café Musain and now saw the gamin as the little brother he had wished for as a child. But yet, he knew that he was doing the right thing for Gavroche. Silently the pair walked to the side room together, Courfeyrac with an arm around Gavroche's shoulders.
"I'm ready to go" Gavroche said tying up his boots. "Brought nothing wit' me, take nothing wit' me"
Courfeyrac chuckled at him, picking up a bag from the floor. "Take these blankets, ami, for you and your boys, the café owner insists you have them" He said showing him the four thick blankets in the bag.
Gavroche nodded. "Merci" He smiled.
"And we'll get some food on the way" Courfeyrac insisted. If he was going to send him off, he was going to send him on his way with all the help he could give him.
Gavroche smiled and took a deep steadying breath "Can we go?" He asked reaching up to take his normal perch on Courfeyrac's back. He nodded silently, lifting the tiny boy onto his back. It appeared neither of them to bring themselves to talk about how much they would miss each other.
Walking through to exit the café, Gavroche lifted his hand in salute to his friends. "Merci!" He smiled. "Merci for everything, you'll be seeing me soon, can't get rid of me easy". Everyone, even Enjolras, smiled and said farewell to the boy, having to admit that it would be strange not having him around all of the time. Of course, they all knew that it would be Courfeyrac who felt his absence the most. Once the farewells were said, the pair left the café and made their way towards the slums of Saint Michelle. Gavroche wrapped his arms around Courfeyrac's neck and rested his head on his shoulder as they walked, buying bread as they went.
When they reached the slum, Courfeyrac set him down and brought him round to face him. "Remember our agreements?" He asked as he sunk down to his knees to reach Gavroche's height.
The boy nodded, resting his hands on his friends shoulders. "If we need anything, I'll come to you or les amis, I promise" He said with a cheeky smile. "I'll come to the meetings too, me and you can play games, Joly can do his medical check up an' I'll get Combeferre to teach me to read."
Courfeyrac nodded, ruffling the boy's hair. "A good plan, mon ami" He smiled, dreading forcing himself to say goodbye.
Gavroche knew his boys would see him soon, so quickly threw himself into Courfeyrac's arms. "You're my best friend Courf" He said.
Courfeyrac held him tightly. "And you mine. You're my petit frère, you always will be" He said kissing the boys head. "Take good care of you and your boys."
Gavroche nodded. "I will. I'll come an' see you soon because I'll miss you" He said giving him one last hug.
As they pulled apart, Courfeyrac gave him a watery smile. "I'll miss you too Gav, then no goodbye just see you again soon". Gavroche nodded once more, picking up the bag. He turned and slowly began to walk away, looking back at Courfeyrac and waving as he walked. Courfeyrac waved to him until the boy disappeared inside the elephant statue. Looking down, he wiped his eyes. It felt as if he had just said good bye to someone he had known and had close for years, not just three weeks. He would miss the young gamin, very much so.
The young man walked back to the café slowly, lost in his own thoughts as he hoped that Gavroche would be okay out there. He remembered the first day he had spent with the boy, when he had begged him to stay beside him until he fall asleep and held onto the fabric of his sleeve as he slept. Would he be able to sleep without him there? There had been many a night when the little boy had fallen asleep in Courfeyrac's arms as they attended that nights meeting. It felt strange walking towards the café without the boy's slight weight on his back or in his arms. He had grown used to it, grown used to seeing Gavroche's cheeky grin across the table or as the pair played dominoes late into the night.
He shook himself free of his thoughts as he entered the café, sinking into a chair and grabbing a tankard of wine.
Combeferre patted his shoulder. "It will not be long before you see him again, you and him said so yourselves" He said comfortingly "You did the right thing by him, all the time Fey". Courfeyrac nodded, leaning his head on the table as the meeting began. He took in everything that was said without his normal enthusiasm for the cause. He was like this at the next three meetings that week, not used to being there without his little friend beside him.
He looked up one evening, about four days after he had taken Gavroche back to the slums, when he heard two sets of footsteps enter the café for that evenings meeting. It was Marius, followed by his shadow. A stick thin young girl, with dark brown hair and large eyes of the same colour.
It was at that moment he remembered the conversation he had shared with Gavroche about the boys past, and how he immediately linked the name of one of his sisters to this girl who followed Marius. Eponine, if he remembered correctly.
"Here 'ponine" Marius said passing her a drink whilst holding one for himself. Courfeyrac stared at the girl in her raggedy clothing.
She looked at him, a feisty expression across her features. "What you looking at, Monsieur?" She asked.
He shook himself. "Sorry, umm… Is your name Eponine?" He replied, ignoring the fact that everyone was now staring at them.
She nodded. "Yes, why do you care?" She said "Haven't paid me much attention before?"
"Again, I am sorry" Courfeyrac said, thinking rapidly about what to say next. "Ummm, can I ask you a question… Do you have a little brother?"
Eponine gaped at him, blinking fast as if being hit by bright light. "A little brother" She gasped, a lump in her throat as she thought about the tiny boy, only just five years old, who had been sleeping in her arms when their carriage stopped in the slums. Their father had dragged him from her arms, making him scream with tears. She remembered screaming and trying to stop him taking the boy, but he struck her knocking her back. He had carried the boy into the slum and returned to the carriage without him. Azelma was crying into Eponine's arms over the loss of their little brother, whilst neither parent showed any emotion. "I used too…" She said, a hand on her heart as she spoke. "I don't even know if he is still alive, why are you asking this? Why bring this up!"
Courfeyrac stepped closer to him, putting his hands on her upper arms. "Your little brother, would he be about nine now?" He asked.
She nodded. "Well, then, last question, is his name Gavroche?" Eponine stared blankly at him, her eyes full of tears as she nodded. "Yes, that was his name. Wait, you said is that his name… Implying he is still…"
Courfeyrac nodded. "Alive" He said completing her sentence. "Yes, he is still alive. And I know where he is. Would you like to see him?"
She nodded, throwing her arms around him in thanks. "Yes! Where is he? Take me to him Monsieur!"
And there we go, Gavroche is back in his patch with his boys and Eponine knows her little brother she hasn't seen in four years is alive. The next chapter will include their reunion as well as some fluff. I plan to bring some drama into this in a couple of chapters in the form of Gavroche and Eponine's violent Papa
Please review, and the next chapter to come sooner if you do !