As Eponine opened her eyes the next morning she was greeted by a field of eyes and as her own eyes focused she saw that they belonged to small, unfamiliar dirty faces. At first she thought it was a dream, there could not be such a strange sight in real life but slowly she realized it wasn't a dream, this was her life. The events of the past day came rushing back to her, her father had beaten her, and then she had left to find Gavroche. Gavroche, she still hadn't seen him yet, and wasn't that the whole reason she was in this position. She sat up suddenly, eager to be on with her mission, besides the crowd of boys were making her nervous.

"Hey boys, back off, give her some room." Tyce called. The mob started to part as Tyce made his way through and held his hand out to Eponine and pulled her up. "Feeling better this morning?"

"Yes, thank you, I'm sorry I didn't mean to put you out."

"Not a problem, I may be homeless, but I haven't lost all my manners." Tyce had given Eponine his spot, which was complete with an old mattress that had been salvaged one day and with Tyce's jacket Eponine had slept better than she had in weeks.

"Where's Gavroche?" Eponine asked.

"He just ran out to get us a bit of breakfast."

"You said he'd be here when I got up." Eponine retorted defensively

"I tried to tell him that, and to let one of the other boys go, but he insisted."

"Oh." Eponine responded.

"You may not realize it, but your brother can be very stubborn." Tyce replied. Eponine didn't know that about Gavroche, but it did not surprise her, it seemed like everyone it her family was. She wondered what else she didn't know about him. She had been away from him for what seemed like ages and he was just getting to be the age where one starts to show distinct personality traits, she could see it in the boys around her.

"I'm back" she heard Gavroche call as he ran up to the group with two baguettes. The boys all ran to Gavroche, hungry and excited for the day to begin. Eponine hung back, she wanted to see her brother alone, not when they were being watching by all of his friends. She didn't want him to feel pressured, she just wanted him. Tyce hung back with her.

"Aren't you hungry too?" Eponine asked Tyce.

"I'm fine, and I'm sure there will be some left over for me."

"How do you always happen to have enough food?"

"Well we bring in enough money, and the baker likes me so he usually helps to feed us." Tyce replied.

"Was he a friend of your father?"

Tyce looked at her confounded before asking "How do you know about my father?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry, it is just Courfeyrac told me."

"Courfeyrac shouldn't be telling people things that aren't his to tell." Tyce said harshly through clenched teeth.

"I know, and I'm sorry but…"

Tyce interrupted her before she could finish, "I'm sure you are anxious to see Gavroche, as he is to see you."

"Yes." Eponine said slowly after a slight pause.

"Gavroche!" Tyce called, her brother looked up, "come over here please and bring some of that bread for your sister."

"Eponine!" Gavroche called. "Tyce said that you had come back."

"Of course, I told you I would, didn't I?"

Gavroche flashed his smile for just a moment before a concerned look overcame his face, "You're hurt, what happened to your face?"

"Nothing, Gavroche, it doesn't matter." Gavroche stared up at her with a doubtful look etched upon his face. It seemed as though Gavroche, like Eponine was getting good at reading people. "But I did want to talk to you."

Gavroche looked up at Tyce, who seemed to respond instantaneously, "Yes that sounds like a good idea, why don't you two go for a walk."

"Tyce" Eponine said.

"This is what you wanted, isn't it?"

"Yes, I'll see you around later Tyce?" Eponine asked hopefully.

"Yeah maybe" Tyce said as he walked away, obviously still upset about Eponine's now apparent knowledge of his past.

Gavroche handed Eponine the bread, "what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Just about how you have been, how are you feeling are you feeling okay this morning?" Eponine remembered how Tyce had gotten Gavroche drunk and all of sudden she didn't feel so guilty.

"Yeah, why?" Gavroche replied.

"Tyce told me about your party last night…how you had some wine."

"Oh yeah, I didn't like it that much, it tasted funny and some of the boys got kind of sick."

Eponine smiled, perhaps Tyce had done her a favor after all, by turning her brother off of alcohol at a young age. She had seen had it seen what it could do to the men of her family and, as much as she hated to think about it she worried some times that Gavroche would become like her father. But Gavroche was good, kind and loyal, and now thanks to Tyce had a dislike of alcohol. It seemed like Tyce had been doing her a lot of favors recently. She smiled, almost giddily.

"You look funny."

"Do I?" Eponine asked, "not as funny as you look" she responded in jest as she took a bite of bread.

"Yeah you do, Tyce looks funny sometimes too."

"What, when he drinks the wine?" Eponine asked, still trying to learn more about the people that her brother was staying with.

"No, Tyce doesn't really drink wine, but he looks funny sometimes, he has been talking me frequently as of late."

"He has been talking to you frequently as of late?" Eponine repeated. "About what exactly, and where did you learn to talk like that?"

"A lot of people in the carriages talk like that, I like how the carriage people talk, and we have been talking about you."

"About me?" Eponine was surprised.

"Yeah, he keeps asking about you, I told him about the one time we build a whole town out of sticks in the dirt behind the inn."

Eponine smiled, and was glad that Gavroche could still remember some good times.

"Mama wasn't very happy about how dirty we had gotten was she?"

"No" Gavroche laughed. "You looked all funny wrinkled once you got out of the bath."

"I felt like a prune, and was so cold." Eponine replied, smiling as she remembered one of the last happy days she had at the inn.

Gavroche laughed. Eponine looked down at her brother, she had found him, he had gotten him back, and he seemed happy about it. But she still had a job to do. She paused, and put a hand on Gavroche's arm. He looked up at her expectantly.

"Eponine, are you alright?"

"Gavroche I need to ask you a question."

"What is it?"

She sighed and got down on her knees, looking Gavroche in the eye. "Gavroche, has any one ever hurt you?"

"No of course not, Tyce is really nice to us, and me and the boys we protect each other."

"I'm glad, that is good Gavroche, but I don't mean Tyce and the boys, I mean has anyone else, ever hurt you." Eponine asked again.

"No." Gavroche answered.

"Papa, never hurt you?"

"No, he yelled some times, but…"

"You don't have to lie to me Gavroche, you can tell me I won't be angry I promise."

"No Eponine" Gavroche repeated again, more firmly this time, upset by Eponine's interrogation.

"That is good, okay, so where do you want to walk to?"

"My favorite place to go is Place de la Bastille"

"Ok" Eponine said in a more cheery tone, "let's go there."

"Eponine?" Gavroche said.

"Yes Gavroche."

"Did Papa ever hurt you?"

Eponine sighed, she had just told Gavroche not to lie to her and she would not lie to him. "Only sometimes, but it is ok, come on we have an adventure to have."

Eponine kneeled down, this was another game she and Gavroche used to play. She would kneel down and he would climb on her back and they would go on adventures.

"I can walk myself." Gavroche said. "I'm five now."

"And so you are." Eponine responded. "So adventures on foot" she said as she stood up. "On to Place de la Bastille"

"On to la Bastille" Gavroche responded as he took her hand.