18 Months later.
Eponine ran inside from the rain shaking it from her frail yet strong frame and taking off her dripping wet shall before looking up and noticing how oddly still the apartment was. Her mother sat at the table picking at her finger nails and her father sat in his chair, pulled out more than it usually was, facing the doorway were she now stood.
"Hello." She said, trying to break the tension. "The weather is getting to be a bit much out there, is the job for tomorrow still on?" Eponine asked as she hung her shall on one of the pegs in the wall. She started rubbing her arms, trying to get some feeling back in them.
"Yes" her father said, "the job is still on, but there are other jobs for you to do."
"Other jobs?" Eponine asked.
"You'll no longer be needed for all the jobs anymore, we will still need you for some odd jobs…but now there are other ways you could bring in money, more money." Her father said greedily.
"What do you mean?" Eponine asked hesitantly. She feared where this was going and looked over to her mother for some kind of support.
"There are men down at the tavern who would pay handsomely for…"
"For what…for me?" Eponine asked disgusted.
"Yes." Her father answered bluntly.
"NO" Eponine screamed back.
Her father walked up to where she was standing and slapped her. "You will do what needs to be done to help support this family Eponine, do you want us out on the streets?"
"I have been helping to support this family, I've been out on every one of your jobs with your pathetic gang for the past year and a half."
"You've had freedom Eponine, far too much freedom."
"I've done as I've been told, I've done everything you asked." Eponine responded.
"And you will continue to do so."
"No I won't, not with that, not like that, Mama you can't agree with this?" Eponine pleaded looking at her mother.
"Certain things need to be done for the family Eponine." Her mother replied, her mind seemed to be far away.
"What like having the man of the house get an honest job?" Eponine asked.
"EPONINE." Her father screamed.
"NO, I won't do it, you need more money, get a job instead of spending your day at the tavern with your drunk friends. I know how much money our jobs bring in, and it seems to me that it disappears rather quickly."
"I am you're father Eponine and you will treat me with respect."
Eponine walked up to her father fearlessly before clearly stating "You are not my father, you are a coward and a thief and I hate you." Years of hate and disgust spilling out in one neat sentence. She remembered Tyce's warning to not fight back, but Eponine knew there were times to fight and this was one of them.
Her father lunged for her but Eponine jumped back and ran for the door. As she ran down the hallway she could hear her father screaming "We'll get you, you brat, you will help support this family!"
Eponine ran through the streets, the rain beating against her as tears streamed down her face. She had done everything her father had asked, taken part in every scheme, even learned to pick pocket so she could bring home some spare change on the days she was allowed to roam free. She thought she had been safe, she did not expect this, not yet. She ran for blocks before realizing that she needed a place to go and headed towards the first place that she could think of, Chiot de Combat. As she entered the alley it was quiet, "Tyce, Gavroche, Tyce!" she called, becoming more and more hysterical as the seconds pasted. She saw a tall figure emerge from the shadows and ran towards it.
"Tyce, I changed my mind, I want to stay here." She panted.
"What are you doing her Eponine you have to get out." Tyce replied sternly.
"You said I could stay here, I accept, I accept your offer let me stay here, where is Gavroche?"
"He's gone."
"Gone? What do you mean gone?"
"I told them to leave, you need to get going too."
"Tyce" Eponine pleaded.
"Get going Eponine."
"Please let me stay, don't send me back to my father." She begged.
Tyce's stubborn look dissolved for a moment as it was replacing with a caring and sympathetic glace before it turned back, his brow furrowing and his eyes glazing over with fear. "Eponine I can't help you, now get out!" He repeated again, grabbing for his knife this time.
Eponine walked up to him, and laid her hand on his fist clenching the knife, lowering his trembling arm.
"Tyce, what is wrong, where are the boys?" Eponine asked again more calmly this time.
"I made the wrong person angry and I'm afraid he is coming for me, I told the boys to run I didn't want them to get hurt."
"Then why don't you run, you don't need to get hurt either." Eponine said.
"I can take care of myself."
"I know you can, but wouldn't it be best if…"
"He'll just keep looking for me, he is probably looking for me right now, which is why you need to get going now." Tyce interrupted her, almost screaming.
"But Tyce…"
"LEAVE NOW EPONINE" Tyce yelled harshly "Please." He pleaded at last. Looking in his eyes Eponine saw pools of fear, but for what? For her? For the boys? For himself? For the first time ever Eponine worried about Tyce but knew she couldn't convince him to leave. She knew she was stubborn, but Tyce was worse, and like he said, he could take care of himself.
"Fine" Eponine said, "but find me when it is over ok?" Tyce nodded to her. Eponine ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him whispering in his ear, "be safe." He slowly returned her embrace wrapping his now sturdy arms around her before gently pushing her away from him.
"You have to go now." He said again. "I'll come and find you tomorrow morning."
Eponine nodded before disappearing off into the night again.
After what seemed like hours of wandering Eponine found herself under a bridge. Although the rain had let off the bridge offered some dry ground. Eponine sat on the cold stones and rested her back against the bridge's gentle arch and hugged her knees to herself trying to get warm. She had left her shall in the apartment when she ran out, and the jacket that she now called her own was with Tyce at Chiot de Combat. She would go back there tomorrow she thought to herself as she watched the Seine flow by her, running quickly because of the rainfall. She would go back and find Tyce and Gavroche. She could stay with the boys, maybe they could even find somewhere a little more upscale to stay than an alley behind a tavern. She started thinking of the places as she dozed off smiling to herself, she didn't have to be her father's slave any more.
"Hey there's a girl down here." She heard a familiar voice call, jolting her awake. As she opened her eyes he looked over to see Brujon making is way down the stairs to the under belly of the bridge and her hiding place. "Well hello Eponine" Brujon called to her, "we've been looking all over for you."
Eponine scrambled up, tripping slightly on the pebbles beneath her feet, and turned to run away from Brujon.
"No, no, no Eponine, not so fast" she heard Claquesous say as he made his way down the opposite staircase. Eponine looked back and forth between the two of them, trying to decide which one would be easier to get around. Brujon was bigger, but Claquesous faster, she had gotten to know their strengths and weaknesses well over the past months. After a couple of seconds she turned and ran towards Brujon, hoping to catch him off guard and be able to duck to around his side. She almost made it when she felt an arm grab her around her waist.
"Now you didn't really think that was going to work did you" Claquesous asked as he slowly walked over to where Brujon stood holding Eponine as she kicked and flailed.
"Calm down girl, we just want to take you back to see your father."
"No, please, don't. I can get you some money, just please don't bring me back there" Eponine begged.
"Oh, your father is offering more than you could get us" Brujon said, "now come on."
"I won't go with you." Eponine said as she continued to flail.
Claquesous nodded to Brujon who shifted his grip on Eponine so that he was holding her by her arms which were pinned to her sides. Claquesous cracked his knuckles before punching Eponine in the stomach.
"Yes I think you will find you are." He hissed.