"Gabe! What are you doing?" Éponine said, waking up at his gasping.
"You're his sister?" Éponine froze. "I read the article. I saw Azelma and your own birth certificates. Éponine, why didn't you tell me?" He asked.
She looked down at her hands, twisting them, like Azelma does, like Gavroche does. Watching her, he realized all of the ways she and Gav were similar. He wondered why he hadn't seen it before. "I only told Azelma a few weeks ago. I didn't want to get anyone else involved, especially not him. My parents aren't good people, as you can tell from the article. If they find out, I'm not sure what they'll do." She said.
"But you knew the whole time." He said, remembering how she froze in Valjean's office the first time they met the boy. "Éponine, you have to tell him. He can't be in the dark about this."
"I know, but I have to figure out what I'm going to do, first. I can't get his hopes up if I can't do anything about it. Gabe, I can't let him go back to the orphanage, but I don't know how to keep him. I'm just a college student. They have no reason to accept me as his legal guardian."
"But he's your brother. The government doesn't want to fund him unless there's no one else who will." Enjolras explained.
"Yes, but just because I will, doesn't mean I can. I hardly have the means to support myself, much less an eight-year-old kid! I don't know what I can do." She said. He stood up, setting the papers and laptop down where he was sitting, and climbed onto the couch with her, wrapping her in his arms. She buried her head in his chest. She didn't cry, but she whimpered for a while, as he rubbed circles in her back and brushed his hair through his fingers.
When she composed herself, he lifted her chin to look at him. "Éponine, I'll help you. You're not alone in this. I don't want to see him go back to the orphanage any more than you do. No matter how kind and caring Fantine is, the state doesn't give her enough money, and she doesn't have enough time to take care of that many kids." Éponine nodded.
"Let's put this stuff away before Gavroche comes out and finds it. I'll respect your right to tell him in your own time and in your own way as long as you promise me you'll tell him before finals." Enjolras told her. Éponine nodded again, not really trusting her voice yet. They cleaned it all up, putting all the papers back in Éponine's folder, and taking it back to her room. They got a little side-tracked by each other's lips in her room, but about ten minutes later, they fixed their clothes and hair and walked back into the living room to watch TV and do homework.
However, when they reached the living room, they saw Gavroche, sitting on the couch, a picture in his hand. Hearing them come in, the boy looked up at the with tears in his eyes. Éponine immediately rushed over to him, wondering why he was sad, until she saw the picture. Her eyes widened and she took a few steps back.
"What's wrong?" Enjolras said, stepping behind the couch to see the picture. When he saw it, his eyebrows shot up, and he just looked at Éponine.
"Why didn't you tell me?" The boy asked.
"Wha- Wh- What do you mean?" Éponine asked, trying to feign innocence.
"You know what I mean! This is you and Azelma! And the baby looks just like me! You are my sister and you never bothered to tell me!" He yelled at her. She looked at Gabe for help, but he was still frozen.
"Gav-"
"No! Don't try to tell me I don't understand! I understand perfectly fine. You didn't want me to know so you wouldn't have to keep in contact with me when the semester is over. You don't want me anymore than they did!" He screamed. He took the picture and ran off to his room slamming the door. Éponine tried to run after him, but Gabe caught her.
"Ép, think about this before you do anything. Don't make it worse than it already is." He warned before letting her go, tears in her eyes.
She ran to his door and threw it open. She saw him on his bed, furiously writing in his journal. She raced over to the bed, and tore the notebook out of his hands. "You can't do that! It's against the rules! You are going to fail this class!" He shouted, reaching for the notebook, but she just threw it behind her, across the room.
"Gav, please. Please listen to me! I can explain, but only if you'll let me." They were both sobbing, but he put down his pencil and stopped fighting her after a few moments. "Thank you." She said. He just looked at her, waiting for her to explain herself. "I know you're mad and you don't really know what to think about this, but if you just let me explain, I'll let you write whatever you want about me afterwards. Just please, leave Gabe out of it. He only just found out half an hour before you did."
He giggled and said, "Yeah, then you made out in your room with the door closed." She playfully glared at him, before turning serious again.
"I knew who you are the first time I laid eyes on you in Dr. Valjean's office. You've obviously grown up, but your face is still the same as it was when I last saw your three-year-old self. I let it go, not knowing what to make of my knowledge yet. I didn't know Gabe very well back then, and thought you might get placed with someone else if I told Dr. Valjean you were my brother. I really was just so happy to see you again. The fact you were happy, healthy, smart, and alive relieved me so much. When Mom and Father left you on the street when I was thirteen, I didn't know what had happened to you or where you had gone. They said they didn't have enough money to feed all of our mouths, and so they left you out on the street near the university, not caring what would happen to you.
"I practically raised you since they brought you back from the hospital. You were definitely a surprise, and probably a drunken mistake on their part, but I loved you with all my heart. I took you everywhere, except for school, with me, knowing Father despised you and Mom didn't like boys in any capacity. A lot of people asked me if you were my baby, and with all the caring I did for you, and all the questions I got asked, I started saying yes. My baby, Gav. I changed your diapers and fed and bought you formula with money I snuck from Father's wallet. I taught you how to walk and tried to teach you how to talk before they left you. I was devastated.
"When I saw you in that office, I just wanted to get to know you again. I kept it from everyone. The night 'Zel and Courf announced they were pregnant, Rachelle and you were fighting. She yelled your full name, and that's how Azelma found out. Then earlier tonight, I was doing some file searching and reading about guardianship and had all of the files I have about you out. But I fell asleep and Gabe found them. When I woke up, I had to explain it to him. We cleaned it up and he told me he would let me tell you when I was ready, as long as I did tell you. I guess we missed the picture, and when you came out, you found it. I'm sorry that's how you had to find out, but I was going to tell you. Eventually."
She looked at him expectantly for a while, as he comprehended and thought about the story she just told him. "You're looking into guardianship?" He asked, words very punctuated. She nodded.
"I don't, and Gabe agrees, we don't want you to go back to the orphanage at the end of the semester. I want you to live with me. But it's going to be hard. I'm just a poor college student. I don't have a lot of money and if we have to take the case to court, it's going to be expensive. But I love you, Gav. I want you to stay with me." Both siblings had tears in their eyes. "With your permission, of course." She finished. He just launched himself into her arms. The held each other crying for a long time.
"Of course I want to come live with you, Eppy." He said, pulling away and wiping his eyes with the back of his arm. There was a knock on the door. The siblings looked up, and saw Gabe in the doorway.
"Can I come in now?" He asked. Éponine looked at Gavroche, who nodded. He came over and sat on the bed next to Gav. "I'm going to do some of my own research, and if you'll let me, I want to help you with the law side of this, Ép." She smiled brightly at her boyfriend. "We are going to win this, Éponine. Together, we are going to win you custody of Gavroche." He told her. She jumped up and kissed him, not caring her brother was next to her making gagging noises. He kissed her back, but pulled back quickly.
Turning to the boy, he asked, "Is everything okay now?" When he nodded, Enjolras asked, "Is your homework done?" The boy nodded again. "How about we all break the rules and play Minecraft for a while?" Gavroche nodded enthusiastically and ran out of the room, eager to start the game and choose the map. Éponine kissed her boyfriend again before taking his hand and walking out into the living room.
Friday night found the whole group sitting around Cosette and Marius' apartment, again, eating nachos. The kids were eating at the coffee table while the adults just had to make do with their laps, or partners. The day before, Éponine and Gavroche had gone over and told Azelma about their conversation the night before. There were more tears shed, and they sat on the couch in Éponine's apartment going through all of the papers Éponine had gathered about their family. She had a couple clear sheet protectors that held the few pictures that had been taken of her or her siblings when they were younger and still together that they went through.
When most everyone was done eating, Éponine stood up. "While this is going to be no where near as grand or exciting as Azelma and Courfeyrac's announcement a couple months ago, Gavroche has something he wants to share." Her brother bounced over to stand next to her.
"I found my parents. I mean, I found out who they are." The whole room, minus Enjolras, Éponine, and Azelma gasped.
"Gav, that's so exciting!" Rachelle squealed.
"It's really not. They are really bad people, who left me on the street, 'Elle." He said, frowning. The little girl's face fell. "But, some good news came of it. I found out I have two older sisters." He said. Everyone's smiles came back.
"Did you meet them yet?" Cosette asked.
"Yeah, and so have you." He told the blonde. "Allow me to introduce my sisters, Éponine and Azelma Thenardier." Everyone looked shocked. Their glances shifted between the three siblings, noticing similarities between the three. After a few silent moments, Courfeyrac spoke up.
"But your last names aren't Thenardier, they are Jondrette." Éponine nodded.
"When I left my parents' house, after I turned eighteen, I legally changed my name to Éponine Raina Jondrette, and Azelma insisted on doing the same when she came to college. I wanted to be disassociated with those miscreants that call themselves our parents. But our names used to be Thenardier, like Gavroche." She explained.
"So you knew the whole time and didn't tell anyone?" Cosette asked the two sisters.
"I didn't know, not until Rachelle yelled at him, using his full name. I asked Éponine about it that night and she confirmed my suspicions."
Éponine just nodded. "I knew it from the first time Gabe and I met him. I practically raised the boy until our parents threw him out. There was no way I could ever mistake him for anyone else." She said, tearing up again.
"Eppy, it's okay." The boy said, reaching up to wrap his arms around her waist. She nodded and wiped her eyes.
"What are you going to do now? Are you going to let him go back to the orphanage?" Jehan asked. Enjolras shook his head and answered this time.
"No. We are doing research and we are going to make a case for Éponine to become his legal guardian. There's really no reason for the government to say no. She is over eighteen and we have been running numbers since we all found out. She makes enough to support both of them. Barely, but enough. They will have to get a house or apartment off-campus, since the dorms, except this one, don't allow children, but we can make it work." He said.
"Well, I guess you're lucky you've got this one wrapped around your little finger, 'Ponine. No one has ever lost to him in a debate, and he's studying to be a lawyer! You couldn't have picked a better boyfriend for your situation!" Grantaire said, somewhat sarcastic.
"I know." She said, kissing his cheek.
"Yuck." Julien said from his seat on the floor.
"I don't mind it as much anymore." Gavroche admitted. Rachelle gasped. Gavroche just looked at her with a weird look. "What now?" He snapped.
Her face melted into a star-crossed lover look. "You're growing up!" She squealed before jumping up to hug him. He just rolled his eyes, but smiled as he hugged the girl back. The adults laughed, and everyone sat back down, continuing their conversation.
A while later, the kids had gone into Rachelle's room. "Éponine, you should probably tell my parents. They can probably help you. And Mom will want to know if you are trying to get him out of the orphanage." Cosette said.
"Fantine already knows. I haven't told her I'm trying to win custody, but she helped me confirm that he was our brother. I'll tell Dr. Valjean after class tomorrow, and then go to the orphanage to tell your mom." The blonde nodded.
"Wow, it's kind of unbelievable." Grantaire said. The rest of the students in the room nodded.
Later, in their own apartment, Éponine was lying in Enjolras' bed, clad in one of his sweatshirts and boxers, she was cuddled up next to her boyfriend. "Gabe, I wanted to ask you earlier, but thought I would wait until we were alone."
"What is it, Ép?" He replied.
"What did you mean, we'll make it work? When you were talking about the case and finances you said 'we can make it work.'" She asked.
"I meant whatever you wanted me to mean. I'm more than willing to help you with caring for Gavroche, even after this project is over. You two mean a lot more to me than just a grade." He admitted. Her eyes widened. "I know you probably won't let me, but I'll help you pay for anything. I'll take him off your hands when you need to work or be alone. Ép, I'll do whatever you want me to do."
"Gabe, I love you." She said before leaning up and kissing him. It was a sweet passionate kiss, but he was caught off guard by her comment. He gently pushed her away.
"What did you say?" He asked. She rolled her eyes before repeating herself.
"I love you. I know we haven't been together long, but I really do believe I love you. If Courfeyrac and Azelma can have a baby, then I think I can say I love you." She said, honestly, looking into her boyfriend's eyes.
"Oh, Ép. I love you, too." He responded, before pulling her in for another kiss. The kiss became more passionate and more intense. Soon, the few clothes they had on, as pajamas, were thrown off and onto the floor. They tried to stay quiet, but figured they might have some explaining to Gavroche to do the next morning.
A/N: Hoped you liked this one. It's not so fluffy, but a lot of big things come of it. It's kind of important to the plot of the story. Just a little. Anyways, I hope all of you are doing great and if you're finishing up with your school year, hang in there! You're almost done! If you are already done, congratulations, you made it! If you work all year or are on a different schedule than America (sorry, I don't actually know what parts of the world start school at what times), keep doing great, you're awesome.
Question for this week, inspired by my avid Minecraft obsession when I'm at home without my brothers, what's your favorite video game? Read and review and have a great week! Until next time!