As they neared the apartment Babet darted out of an alley way. "You found her?" he asked.

"Yes we found her, now we better hurry up and get back, it will be light soon, have you seen Montparnasse around?" Claquesous asked.

"I think he was out looking too, he'll find his way back." Babet answered. Minutes later they had reached the apartment, Eponine was slung over Brujon's shoulder as she refused to walk up the stairs. Babet pounded on the door of the Thenardier's room and the door was opened a crack.

"Have you got the girl?" Eponine could hear he father ask.

"Yeah, we've got her."

Thenardier opened the door wider allowing the men to enter, Eponine was put down in order to make her way through the doorway. She tried to kick, to dig in her heels and fight but it was useless.

"Give her here" her father ordered as he walked over to where Brujon was standing, getting a firm grip on Eponine's arm before Brujon let go.

"Hello Eponine" her father said as he dragged Eponine over to the wall.

"Papa, please." Eponine pleaded.

"Oh, so now I am your papa am I?" Thenardier asked as he slammed Eponine into the plaster wall. "You think you can just disrespect me like that, give up your responsibilities?"

"I won't do what you want…" Eponine started

"You will do as you're told" her father interrupted. Raising his rough hands around Eponine's neck, "do you remember what you are Eponine?" her father asked as he tightened his grip. Eponine nodded. "You do?" he asked again as Eponine's face started to turn red and she nodded again before he released her and she dropped to the ground gasping for breath.

"What are you Eponine?" her father asked. "WHO ARE YOU?" he asked again lifting her up and throwing her across the room. She landed in a heap at the feet of her father's gang members who picked her up as if she was a rag doll. "WHO ARE YOU?" her father screamed again.

"I am a Thenardier." Eponine replied.

"WHO ARE YOU"

"A Thenardier" Eponine cried in response.

"Good, you remember that." Her father walked over to where she was standing and punched her with a force that sent her flying before she was caught just in time for another fist to find her and send her flying again. She tried to fight back, to claw at the hands that caught her, to spit in the first face she could see, but it was pointless. She was thrown around, but always standing, until she didn't know if she was coming or going. Finally the group backed off for long enough for the final punch to send Eponine falling to the ground at last.

"Please Papa" Eponine begged as she looked up at him through her now blurry vision.

"Never" her father kicked her, "Disresepct," her father kicked her again, "ME," her father spat as he kicked her again and the rest of the gang moved in to do the same. She curled into a ball trying to protect herself, but it was pointless, their boots were hard and their legs strong. After what seemed like hours the door opened and the barrage of hits stopped as Montparnasse walked in.

"What fun have I been missing?" he asked. The gang looked at her father and he nodded again as they backed up leaving Eponine huddled on the ground, struggling to stay aware of the situation around her. Montparnasse walked up to her and picked her up, holding her before him. "Oh Eponine, you're such a mess what are we to do with you?" he asked as he wiped a drip of blood rolling down her cheek before pressing his lips to hers and letting her fall to the floor again, putting in a kick for good measure.

He turned and faced the rest of the gang, "So is there a job tonight?" he asked.

"No." Her father said, "but there are drinks to be had." And with that the gang left the apartment and Eponine lying on the floor. There wasn't an inch of her that didn't scream with pain, and she could feel her consciousness slipping away from her. She dragged herself across the floor to her corner and covered herself with the rags that she called blankets before passing out.

Eponine awoke the next morning to the sound of metal on metal banging coming from outside of their apartment.

'BANG BANG BANG' and then a pause before another 'BANG BANG BANG' rang out through the silence.

It was Gavroche, their code that they had set up that one day. He had never used it before, Eponine tried to sit up before she was floored again with pain.

'BANG BANG BANG' she heard again. She tried to get up again but to no avail. She dragged herself over the window which was only a few feet from where Eponine lay but it still took all of her strength. She lifted herself up just long enough to see Gavroche dressed her trench coat with a crow bar across the street; looking up at her apartment again before hitting the exposed pipe again, 'BANG BANG BANG.'

"Gavroche" she weezed, it was hopeless, even if she could yell it would be doubtful that Gavroche would be able to hear.

'BANG BANG BANG' came the sound of the Gavroche's signal again. Eponine pounded on the window, waving a rag, hoping that Gavroche could see it. 'BANG BANG BANG' came the sound again, faster this time. Eponine responded in same, using whatever kind of signal she could manage in the window.

Then there was silence. "Gavroche" she tried to call out again. But there was still no response. She crawled back to her bed before collapsing again. Gavroche would be alright she told herself, he had Tyce and a whole band of boys to look after him.

Just then she heard the door creak as it swung open slightly and heard a small voice call out "Eponine."

"Gavroche" she replied, sitting up as much as she could manage. "What's wrong?" Gavroche just looked at her. "Gavroche come here." Eponine said and Gavroche made his way over.

"What happened to you Eponine, are you ok?"

"It isn't anything that time can't fix, why did you come, you've never used your signal before."

"You're not alright Eponine" Gavroche started to cry.

"Yes I am, I'll be fine, what's wrong?"

Gavroche made his way closer to her. "I brought you your jacket I thought you might get cold." Gavroche said through his tears.

"That was very thoughtful of you, but that isn't why you came here is it?" Gavroche shook his head.

"Did Tyce find you, I saw him last night he said he had sent you boys off." Gavroche shook his head again.

"Tyce didn't send you off?" Eponine asked confused.

"No he did." Gavroche responded. "But he didn't come and find us."

"Well I'm sure it is just a matter of time, Paris is a big place to search you realize, don't worry." she told Gavroche wiping away his tears.

"We found him." Gavroche said.

"Well then what is all this fuss about?"

"Tyce is dead."

Eponine felt her heart fall to her chest.

"What?" she asked.

"We went back to Chiot de Combat, and found him."

"No." Eponine responded. "We'll go find him together, ok? You just need to give me time to get my strength back."

"He was stabbed" Gavroche continued.

"No." Eponine repeated again, "it is just a matter of time, he will come and find us, you'll see?"

"We went back to find him and he was on the ground and there was blood. He is dead Eponine, he isn't going to find us." Gavroche said harshly, almost scolding her before he started to cry again.

Eponine just held Gavroche to her as he continued. "the rest of the boys ran when we saw him, but I checked to see if he was alive, he was so cold. So I grabbed the jacket, then I ran too."

Eponine just lay there in shock.

"Eponine" Gavroche said, "Eponine."

"Go to the elephant Gavroche."

"What."

"Your elephant, go there, you can live inside of it, you are big enough now."

"But I don't want to."

"I will come and find you just as soon as I can, I promise Gavroche I will come and find you."

"That's what…"

"I won't let anything happen to me, but please you have to go it isn't safe." Gavroche looked down at her, suddenly seeming to realize more than an seven year old boy should need to.

"You'll come and find me at the elephant?" he asked.

Eponine nodded. And Gavroche ran out the door leaving Eponine lying on the ground. It had never felt so cold hard before, the air so cold. Eponine pulled Tyce's jacket up around her and rolled over to face the wall allowing a tear to roll down her cheek before she closed her eyes and drifted off into a fitful sleep.

So this was not an easy chapter to write for obvious reasons. Please review, constructive criticism is very helpful.

I may not be updating as frequently as I normally do (everyday) because to say that the upcoming week is busy and overwhelming would be an understatement, so we'll see how much I write.

But don't give up on me, I'll be back. And so will Eponine.