It did not take long for the high that Eponine felt from finding her brother to wear off as panic set in. What had she been thinking saying that she would "prove her loyalty." How on earth could she prove her loyalty to a band of street kids? Her father had taught her that to earn someone's trust you had to give them or make them think you had something that they wanted. But she had nothing and she knew from meeting Tyce that he was someone who would only respond to actual gifts, not simply the promise of such things.

When she arrived home her parents were asleep on their dirty, stained mattress in one corner of their small apartment. On the table were some coins that Eponine had guessed her father had gotten from pawning the goods that he stole from the vacationing rich man help a couple days before. Eponine stood looking at it for a moment; it seemed to be the answer to the questions that she had been asking herself her whole walk home. She knew her father would not react kindly to her taking the money, but didn't she deserve some sort of compensation for her work? Before thinking about it any longer she grabbed two coins worth one franc each before heading off to the pile of rags and blankets that she called her bed.

She woke up as the sunlight pierced through the dirty window panes and ran out of the apartment with the money before her father could notice it was missing. Her first task was to silence the rumbling in her stomach. She used one of the coins to buy a couple loafs of bread and some cheese, and saved the other. She ate bread and cheese until she was full and could not eat anymore. It did not take long and there was still plenty left to win over Gavroche's new friends. When she arrived at Chiot de Combat she feared that the boys had already left for their day of begging. But after looking behind several crates she felt a strong hand on the back of her shirt pulling her away and whipped around to see Tyce standing before her holding his knife.

"Well you're rather attached to that thing aren't you?" Eponine joked, trying to diffuse the situation.

"I thought I told you not to come back here?" said Tyce.

"And I thought I told you that I would come back, besides I brought breakfast" she held up the food.

"Part of it is gone."

"A girl's got to eat, but look there is still plenty to go around."

"Why are you doing this?" Tyce asked, addressing her for the first time as a person and not as an enemy.

"I told you, I just want to see my brother."

"And take him away?"

"That might not be the best idea, I…I just miss him, and I think he misses me."

Tyce looked at Eponine with sad yet understanding eyes, she wondered if he had ever had a brother. Before she got the chance to ask him, he spoke.

"Alright boys, looks like we've got breakfast, come dig in."

Around eight boys climbed out from their hiding places and amongst them she saw Gavroche who paused mid-step when he saw Eponine. She handed the food over to Tyce and walked over to Gavroche and knelt before him.

"Hey Gavroche"

"Ponine?"

"Yes Gavroche it is me" He looked at her, confused for a moment before hitting her with all the strength he could muster. Looking in his eyes Eponine could see all the pain and fear that Gavroche had felt over the past few months. The pain of betrayal and the confusion that came with it, the fear of not knowing what to do and feeling utterly and completely lost. Eponine started to cry for the first time in a year, "I'm so sorry Gav, I'm so sorry, I didn't know where you had gone...where Papa had taken you, but I'm never going to lose you again, I promise." She reached out to him and he walked into her arms and she hugged him close, standing up and carrying him to where the rest of the boys were eating. "You hungry Gav, look I brought you breakfast." He nodded and they went and sat with the others. She spread some cheese on bread and gave it to him and watched blissfully as he ate his fill. Looking at him closely now she could see that the streets had changed him; although he was still little he looked as though he was at least six years old, instead of the innocent four year old Eponine had known back in Montfermeil. He looked well fed, and was wearing clothes that although dirty would keep him warm. He had been well cared for, and he would continue to be, because now she was here and wasn't letting him get lost again.

I hope you are liking the story so far, thanks to those you have started following the story. This is my first foray in writing and reading fan fiction and I am really excited about where the story is going to go, please leave a review and let me know what you think.