Eponine was panting when she ran in the door, closing it firmly behind her before turning around to properly face her father's gang. They were a motely group of four men who outwardly seemed to despise each other. The first was large and burley man who wore clothes that seemed far too small for him, he had a look of absent mindedness about him that Eponine assumed was always on his face. The second had clothes that draped from his limbs and long dark hair that was hung at his shoulders in tangled mats. The third had an angry look on his face, and seemed like he was hiding something. The last one Eponine remembered as the young man that made her feel uncomfortable the previous night. His face was handsome but made by ugly the conceded air that he carried about with him, he wore cloths that seemed too nice to be worn by a man that associated himself with her father. And he had a smirk on his face that still made Eponine squirm.
"Ah, and the brat has decided to show?" Thenardier said harshly.
"I'm sorry, I came as fast as I could." The words escaped Eponine's mouth quickly.
"Eponine this is Brujon, Babet, Claquesous, and Montparnasse."
Eponine nodded to them.
"The girl is coming on the job?" asked Brujon.
"Yes." Thenardier responded. "She's an idiot, but she is brighter than you, maybe with her you lot won't fail so miserably this time."
"But…" Brujon started to try and defend himself.
"We're going to try something a bit easier this time. There is a cobbler down on Rue de Bievre, he does good business, but he can't hear to save his life, which is lucky for you lot, with all the ruckus you made last time. If it weren't for me you'd all me facing the law right now. So if I were you I would shut up and do as you're told."
Eponine had never heard her father speak so authoritatively before. The apartment fell silent.
"Brujon you will enter first, make sure the coast is clear and then signal to us, you can handle that right, just a signal?"
"Yes I can handle it."
"Something subtle, not knocking cutlery all over the place." Her father mocked.
"I can do it." Brujon said more defensively this time. Although he did not seem to have all his wits about him, he was a large man and Eponine was surprised to see her father speaking to him in such a way.
"Babet and Claquesous" the two men looked up alert. "We will enter and go about with the robbery. Babet you and I will go for the money, Claquesous you see if you can find any other valuables in the shop. Eponine you stand watch, Montparnasse, you will be with Eponine."
Montparnasse looked at Eponine and smiled, she flinched slightly but smiled back. This was her life, and as she told Gavroche, you have to pick your fights, and outwardly disliking one of her father's new friends was not a fight that Eponine was about to pick.
Her father walked over to the hooks on the wall and grabbed his large burlap sack, throwing some tools in as he made his way around the apartment. Once he finished milling about he paused and looked at the gang before yelling at them. "Well what are you all standing about here for, we've got a job to do." They all jumped as if being woken from a dream, before heading towards the door. "Not all at once, what do you want to do, announce to the world that we are robbing a cobbler, one or two at a time. Eponine you go first. The cobbler's on Rue de Bievre, straight there, no detours do you understand?"
Eponine gave a quick nod before running out the door. She walked to the shop as fast as she could, she didn't want to have to spend any more time with her father's gang than she needed to. When she arrived at the shop she looked in the window and saw a young woman guiding an old man up the stairs. She came back a few minutes later, blew out of the lantern on the table and walked out the back door and down through the alley. Eponine listened as she heard the woman's footsteps disappear into the night and was grateful that she left. Eponine didn't want anyone to get hurt. She prayed the old man would stay asleep upstairs, he if couldn't make it up the stairs by himself he would be hopeless against her father and his gang.
She heard two pairs of footsteps approaching and saw Claquesous and Montparnasse, neither of them looking at each other. When they arrived they walked up to Eponine and exchanged glances awkwardly for a few moments. The night was getting cold and Eponine wished she had Tyce's jacket back to keep her warm. It wasn't long until the rest of the gang showed up.
"You lot over here" her father called quietly. They all grouped around. "You know the plan?" They nodded.
Her father walked over the door and jimmied open the lock, giving the door a slight push. It swung open easily and as it did a bell faintly rang.
"Ok Brujon you first, and get rid of that bell."
Brujon walked in grabbing the bell with is fat hand and yanked it off the cord from which it hung. He entered the shop and disappeared into the dark; the rest of the gang waiting anxiously outside. Minutes later they heard a bell ring again.
Her father sighed before muttering under his breath, "I really need to have a word with Brujon about his signals. Ok Babet, Claquesous we're up. Montparnasse, Eponine keep watch for the law." They all exchanged another series of nods before her father disappeared into the dark shop as well.
After several anxious minutes Montparnasse finally broke the silence.
"So Eponine, what brings a pretty girl such as yourself to this here business?"
"What?" Eponine asked.
"What has lead you to the thieving life at suck a bright, young age." He asked again hovering over the words bright and young.
Eponine sighed and stepped a couple feet away from him before responding. "Family business" she said, hoping that Montparnasse would leave it at that.
"Not me." Montparnasse replied, "I do it to keep looking sharp."
"What?"
"A man's got to keep up his appearance, and that doesn't come cheap, plus there is good fun to have."
"In what…terrorizing others?" Eponine asked disgusted.
Montparnasse flashed her a smile, his teeth were whiter than any she had ever seen. He reached into his pocket a pulled out a long silver knife that reflected the moonlight, "don't worry, if anything happens I've got us covered" he said.
"I wasn't worried." Eponine whispered back.
"What?"
"I said I wasn't worried."
"Perhaps you should be Eponine Thenardier" Montparnasse replied as he stepped towards her, "this is a dangerous life you are leading, a girl like you should watch her back."
Before she could ask what he meant by that she heard a loud crash and heard her father scream "everyone out!" Seconds later her father came running out the door.
"Run!" he said. And so she took off back in the direction of the apartment, hearing her father's now full sack clank as he ran behind her. When they had all entered the apartment her father turned around and charged towards Brujon. "You big oaf, you nearly spoiled it again, and would have he we wouldn't have been robbing the house of a deaf man. As for the rest of you, not as horrible, but you are still a pathetic lot, now get out of here and I will see you at the tavern tomorrow."
The men left and her father closed the door firmly, locking it before turning around and looking at Eponine. She stood frozen in her spot, scared of what was coming. He dug around in his sack and pulled out a pair of small men's boots and threw them at Eponine's feet.
"Happy Birthday." He said before he went and grabbed the bottle of rum of the table.
"Thank you." Eponine responded in shock.
"And don't think you are getting paid, you work for this family, that is your duty now do you understand."
"Yes." Eponine replied as she picked her boots off the ground and retreated back into her corner.