The next morning Eponine set out for some time of freedom before being expected back at the apartment again, apparently tonight they were going to try and rob a blind milliner. Her new boots felt heavy and with every forceful step that Eponine made she was reminded of the life she was afraid that she was now trapped in. With every passing moment an unspeakable rage inside her grew, propelling her forward. She kicked at the pebbles on the street, chasing after them again and kicking them with more force until she almost tripped when her boot missed the small stone and kept swinging into the air.

"Hey Eponine, be careful, what did that stone ever do to you?" She heard a voice calling from behind her and turned around to see Courfeyrac.

"Oh hey." Eponine responded before turning around and continuing on her way.

"Eponine wait, you aren't angry at me too are you?" Courfeyrac called after her.

"No I'm sorry, just…frustrated, why, who is angry with you?" Eponine asked

"Tyce, he said I betrayed his confidence."

"Oh yes…sorry, it just sort of slipped out." Eponine said in a guilty tone.

"Don't worry about it, I think he was slightly embarrassed, not that he should be. He will get over it." Courfeyrac encouraged her.

"Good."

"I think it is better really."

"What is better?" Eponine asked

"That you and Tyce both know more about each other, perhaps now you can be more honest with each other."

"I don't know what you mean?" Eponine said.

"Just…never mind." Courfeyrac said as he smiled to himself. "I assume you are going to see Gavroche this morning?"

"Yes, and are you to see Tyce?" Eponine asked. "Or to see Gavroche, I hear you and my brother are close."

"Yeah, he's a good kid, fun to be around, you know?"

"Yes I do know," responded Eponine. "I am his sister."

"Of course, I didn't mean to…I would like us to the friends Eponine, if that is okay with you."

"I thought we were friends." Eponine responded as she looked down at her feet and kicked another stone.

"Good, that's good, well after you." Courfeyrac said as they walked off in the direction of Chiot de Combat. When they arrived Eponine felt a little more accepting about Courfeyrac being like an older brother to Gavroche, she wouldn't mind having one either.

"Eponine, Courfeyrac, lovely to see you today." Tyce said enthusiastically. Courfeyrac gave Tyce a confused glance which Tyce returned with a stern glare before relaxing his face again and smiling to Eponine.

"Lovely to see you too Tyce," Eponine responded hesitantly. "Where is Gavroche?" she asked, looking around at the boys who seemed to be playing a game of tag.

"He is..." Tyce grabbed the collar of a passing boy pulling him back to him, "Alain, where is Gavroche?"

"How should I know?" responded the boy.

"Well can you find him and tell him his sister is here?"

The boy who was apparently called Alain glanced at Eponine and then back at Tyce before shrugging his shoulders and responding, "Fine then."

"Fine then," Tyce replied back in a playful tone as he let go of the boy who went running off again.

"New boots Eponine?" Tyce asked as they sat at waited for Gavroche to hopefully get the message.

Eponine looked down at her feet and kicked the ground before replying, "indeed they are" in a downcast tone.

Tyce looked at her confused when Gavroche came running up.

"Hi Eponine!" He said loudly and quickly.

"Hey Gavroche" Eponine replied back her tone shifting away from anger.

"Tyce, can I go to the elephant?" He asked.

"Why?"

"I want to go and play and tell Alain all about Napoleon." He looked up at Eponine proudly.

"Don't you want to spend time with your sister?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"It is ok, I'll be around later." Eponine replied, Gavroche looked at Tyce again who finally nodded his approval which sent Gavroche running off.

Just before he was out of sight Tyce called after him, "try to make something of the day."

Courfeyrac laughed as more boys ran past, "what did you do to those boys this morning?" he asked.

"The baker apparently ruined some cakes with too much sugar somehow and we were the lucky recipients. I thought giving it to the boys in the morning would be better than at night, but now I'm not sure."

Courfeyrac laughed again, "you need to work on your parenting skills."

Eponine started to walk away slowly, there obviously wasn't anything left for her here.

"Yeah well you need to…" Tyce started to reply before he saw Eponine's retreating form and called after her, "Eponine, where are you going?"

"I'm not sure, for a walk I guess."

"We could come" said Courfeyrac.

"No, don't worry about it, you obviously have some catching up to do, I'll see you guys later."

"Don't leave so soon." Tyce replied back.

"What?"

"Courfeyrac and I get enough of each other, stay, if you don't have anywhere else you need to be."

"Well I have to be home in a little while." Tyce just looked at her. "Fine" she replied walking back to where the two of them were standing, smiling inside, glad that she had found someplace she was wanted. The three of them grabbed some crates and sat in the corner of the alley, most hidden from the outside street. Courfeyrac reached into his pack and pulled out a bunch of sandwiches, handing them around.

"You have three?" Eponine asked, "how did you know I would be here?"

"He didn't" Tyce replied, his mouth already full, "he always carries plenty, how many have you got in there today?"

"Well I had six" Courfeyrac responded.

"So Eponine, what is wrong with the boots." Tyce asked before Eponine could get any deeper into the sandwich mystery.

"What?" Eponine asked.

"Where did you get the boots?"

"They were a gift from my father."

"That's nice" responded Courfeyrac in a hopeful tone.

Eponine just grunted in response before taking a bite of the sandwich herself.

"What's wrong Eponine?" Tyce prodded.

"Nothing?" she responded. Tyce just looked at her doubtfully. "They were the spoils of the night." She admitted at last.

"What?"

"My father's got a new gang, and we robbed an old man last night, he makes shoes. These are his, my father took them along with his money and gave me the boots."

"I'm sorry Eponine." Courfeyrac responded.

"Don't be sorry!" Eponine yelled. "I'm a criminal after all."

"You're not a criminal Eponine." Tyce responded.

"I helped rob an old man."

"You didn't want to."

"But I didn't stop it. I didn't refuse."

"Maybe you shouldn't." Tyce responded.

"What?" Eponine responded, "so you think I should be a criminal too?"

"I don't think that is what Tyce is saying?" Courfeyrac responded.

"I'm just saying, if you don't want to leave and stay with us, which you are welcome to do, then maybe you should take your own advice."

"What advice?"

"The advice you gave Gavroche about picking your fights, your father is a powerful man isn't he." Eponine closed her eyes and nodded. "And now he has friends…fighting them isn't the best decision, you could get hurt. And you not helping him isn't going to stop your father from doing whatever it is he and his friends are going to do. We all have our lives Eponine, some more painful than others, and we have to do what we need to do to get through them in the most dignified way possible. So don't blame yourself, and don't fight him Eponine, remember what you said, wait until the pup grows up."

"I'm not a pup." Eponine said. "And you really shouldn't be telling little boys to pick fights."

"I don't…Gavroche misunderstood my sentiment…but your's is a good addition."

"Sometimes I think he looks up to you too much."

"So Eponine are you going to stay?"

"What?" Eponine was having a hard time following Tyce's ever changing topics.

"With us, stay with us." Tyce asked again.

"I can't" Eponine responded. She wished she could, but she knew that her father would only find her and she didn't want Gavroche to get caught in the middle of it.

Tyce nodded. "Well you're always welcome here, just be careful, and remember you're not what you need to do to survive, that's not on you, that is on them."