Chapter Three
A Different Side

Her bed was empty, her shoes had disappeared, and she was missing.

"Cosette!" Jean Valjean yelled, searching frantically in every nook and cranny of the house.

They had to be on well on their way out of town by now, where had she so mysteriously gone off too? Jean could feel his heart bursting out of his chest with each pump, his pulse racing with raw sadness and anger. What if Javert had finally caught her? Could this man have been so ruthless as to take his only source of happiness?

"COSETTE!" He screamed once more, tearing apart her room and refusing to admit that she had gone.

Was it because he had refused to tell her about his past? About why he had escaped the village before Javert's always searching eyes could find them? He sank to the floor and let a few tears roll down his cheeks. He tried to search for every relevant memory he had of the day before, but all that he seemed to remember was the village and how dazed Cosette had seemed. What had she been looking at? Perhaps that was exactly what he had to look for.

Before Jean could gather his thoughts, gunshots sounded outside and he knew exactly why. Javert.

"Monsieur," a man Jean recognized to be that filth of a man Thenardier said, "I know he lives in these parts, I've been told by my daughter…"

Javert ignored his constant ramblings and moved aside, marching closer and closer to his home. Grabbing anything in reach, Jean quickly ran to the back exit, levering himself over the gates and away from Javert. Let them find my home, Jean thought, he'll never find me. Running quickly past the Café Musain, he had passed Cosette without even knowing it, now leaving her and his home behind.

Cosette had been left alone for the night, Eponine deciding that if she left, it would be a better for keeping the others safe. Thenardier perhaps wouldn't think she was hiding anything, although he did very much. As soon as he had left, Eponine had too. A thick layer of fog was rolling in, making Eponine squint to see what was in front of her. Of course, it only added to the eerie feel life was beginning to take over France. They were only a few days away from settling this feud for freedom once and for all, the guards were on their toes, watching everyone and everything, and Thenardier had grown more suspicious of his daughter day by day.

"'Ponine!" Marius exclaimed as soon as she entered through the doors of the café. "Where on Earth did you go last night?"

"Home." She sighed, trying not to look at Marius directly. Did he still feel anything for her?

"You must be freezing, I'll go get some blankets –"

"Don't, Marius. It's alright." She smiled, walking right past him and Enjolras.

"What's her problem?" He sighed, taking a sip of beer. "We've got to put these petty things behind us if we're going to fight this battle mes amis." Had he already forgotten that he resembled a love sick puppy the previous night?

"Enjolras, you know what it feels like to have be struck with a moment breathless delight, do you not?" Marius asked suddenly.

"What?"

"You need to remember who you love, put time aside for them, in case we all –"

"Never say die." Enjolras murmured before taking another sip of beer. "And may I ask you, mon ami, where are you going with this?"

"You saved Eponine last night. I thought you'd run to Cosette – why?" Marius whispered, hints of jealousy hiding in his voice.

"I was repaying a favour. Nothing more." Enjolras promised, crossing his fingers behind his back. He couldn't bear to lie to his dearest friend, but he had to. What he had seen Eponine give up was remarkable, and strange to him. Why had he never seen her in such a light before? Why had she and Marius grown so close, not him?

"Why don't you check on your dearly beloved then?" Marius smiled, laughing with Enjolras. He nodded and headed up the stairs, knocking on the room she had been sleeping in.

"Shh," Eponine put her finger to her lips, "she's still asleep that one." She shook her head and laughed, "Out like a light."

"You should be getting ready."

"I am ready. I just don't spend time drinking away." She raised an eyebrow at the beer in his hands and watched as he turned slightly red.

"We'll be waiting downstairs if you need us."

"I won't." She snapped, looking back out the window, making Enjolras realize she had a gash along the side of her face.

"Was it your father's doing?" Enjolras asked, taking a seat next to her.

"What happens with my father is none of your business, Monsieur." Eponine hid the anguish in her voice. Had she been so careless as to let him see her wound?

"Was it not you who had said I saved you just last night?" Enjolras smiled as he saw Eponine's cheeks turn red.

"Thank you, but you aren't needed anymore. I'm not going back." She sighed, "I'll stay here, help prepare for the barricade, put myself to good use."

"The barricade?" Enjolras raised an eyebrow. She would get herself killed at the barricade… "You can't help. That's final." He got up and head for the door but she caught his hand.

"You can't tell me what to do Enjolras. If Gavroche can fight, isn't it a bit unfair that I can't?"

"I'm not letting you. I let Gavroche."

"Oh really?" Eponine felt anger take over, how much longer would she let others tell her what to do? "Monsieur Enjolras, with all due respect, you do not own me in any way. If you all die, I won't be here to remember you."

"Better to die for freedom than for glory." He muttered, walking past her and wishing they had spoken of something else. Did he want her to leave the society forever, leaving him with only a memory?

"Good, then I shan't come back." Eponine whispered coldly, grabbing her things and marching past Enjolras.

"Eponine?" Marius asked as she walked past him and out the door, "EPONINE!"

"What?" She turned around with tears in her eyes. "He hates me Marius. Don't make me go back!"

"Who hates you?" He caught her as she fell to the ground, completely distraught.

"He won't let me fight and if I can't fight, I – I can't bear to have you all gone and me not being able to stop it. You care for me more than my family – I won't have anybody..." She cried, feeling strange for telling Marius all this.

"Eponine, come in. Calm down, this isn't healthy for you." Marius whispered, "Sometimes we just need to open our eyes. His are still closed." He muttered, noticing bags under Eponine's eyes with bruises all over her body.

What had happened? Did Enjolras know anything of this? Marius felt himself growing more distant from his dear friend since the night before. Why had he gone upstairs to torment Eponine, a girl he barely knew existed before? Why had she been so upset about this even though she seemed to have nothing but hate for him? This was not the same man who had fought so hard for freedom that it was all he thought and cared for. And she was most certainly not the same girl who had been so calm and caring to everyone, even with an idiot of a father and mother. What was going on?