221Lovelies! Here is chapter 2, because I am SO nice! And it's a long one! I'd love to hear feedback on what you guys think so far so leave a comment/review!
Warning: As warned...it's getting darker and you can blame Mr. Victor Hugo because these are his characters and he's the one who wrote a story literally called The Miserables...
Enjoy :)
Chapter 2: Storytime
"What's that got to do with any… no?"
Courfeyrac paled and Grantaire's face swelled with anger. Combeferre led Éponine to the couch and Musichetta slid a steaming cup of tea in front of her. It took nearly ten minutes for her sobs to die down. She was still hiccupping when Combeferre, who had her perched on his lap, arms wrapped around her as if they'd shield her from the world's horrors, broke the ice.
"Ponine, what happened?"
The silence hung around the room, dragging on for possibly an eternity before Éponine began her tale.
"I left the shop at quarter to four as usual and walked the three blocks to Gav's school to pick him up. I got there and went to the door where his class is let out and I gave my name and waited for Gav to bound out of the doors, as he always does." She drew in a shaky breath as Combeferre pulled her closer, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "I waited for about ten minutes before I started to get frustrated, Gav is never late to come out when he knows we'll be coming right to the Musain for a meeting. So I went into the school to find his class and his teacher, spotting me, gave me a funny look. 'Éponine? Gavroche was picked up a half hour ago, his father came to get him.'" Joly spit out his drink, showering the ever '-lucky' Bousset with his mocha frappe. The other boys glared at him before turning back to Éponine for the rest.
"Well, I was fine for a moment because I thought she meant you." She nodded towards Combeferre, who blushed slightly. He often picked up the young boy whose official residence since the adoption was his and Éponine's apartment. "But then I realized she knew Gav's set up and I asked her if she saw the man. She nodded, saying it was an older man with graying orange hair. I ran from the school then, straight to Gorbeau." She was taking uneven shallow breaths now, eye's dilating in fear. "Before I could even get to the building, Montparnasse," Combeferre's face turned beet red, "came out of no where. He started taunting me, t-told me they had Gav and if I ev-ever wanted to see him ag-gain I had to go back or, give Montparnasse," She stopped there, her petit frame shaking with sobs, Combeferre taking her into his arms, his anger slowly rising when he realized what could have happened to her tonight, and what's worse, what could be happening to Gavroche.
"He started to come onto me then," her hand absentmindedly flew to her stomach, which didn't go unnoticed by Musichetta, but she brushed it off as Éponine continued her story. "And I fought, kicked him where it hurt, but as I ran he yelled after me. 'He's gonna get it Ninny if you don't give us what we want.' They have Gav! That rat Bastard has my baby brother and I-I, I ran like a coward." Her bottom lip trembled slightly, before surrendering to another bout of tears.
The boys were frozen for a moment; overwhelmed with the information that not only was Éponine nearly assaulted, but their youngest member was kidnapped.
"Gav can't handle what I've been through." She wept, burying her head into Combeferre's shoulder, but her arms still protectively folded across her abdomen.
"Ponine, you are no coward," " Feuilly burst out, startling the once (and rarely) silent group. "Let's establish that first and foremost. And secondly, there is no way in hell, and I hope everyone's behind me on this, that you should have or will have to in the future face him, or any of them, alone." His statement was met with brisk nods and grunts of agreeance. Feuily's words drained the color in her face as she curled deeper into Combeferre's arms. They all remembered when not only her home life was exposed, but also how Gav was first introduced and ultimately adopted into the group.
It was a bright April Saturday of their senior year. The infamous members of Les Amis D'Abassie were sprawled around their usual table at the local café. (The Musain, their permanent residence as coined by Musichetta, was not discovered until a very drunken adventure through university campus during fall of their freshman year, but that is a whole different story.) The group was still in its infancy, Enjolras only getting warnings from the cops about their protests, but they were strengthening none the less.
It was on this Saturday that a very disheveled Éponine entered the café, a sleeping two year old attached to her hip. It had been four years since she met the group who would become 'her boys', but only two and half that she'd really been absorbed into their group, originally only trailing Marius before realizing the meetings and the members were quite interesting.
Sweeping to the back tables, she caught the attention of the boys there, Courfeyac, Grantaire, Enjolras, Joly, and Combeferre, each lost in their own work until the harsh clinks of Éponine's combat boots dragged them into reality.
"Ponine, who've you got there?" Courfeyac questioned, moving to rub the little one's back; he'd always had a soft spot for kids.
"Courf, you've met him before," Éponine sighed, shifting the boy out of her arms and onto the table. "This is Gavroche, my little brother."
"Oh! Little Gav! How could I forget? He stole my sunglasses at the last rally; he looked much cooler in them, right kidd… Ponine, what happened to him?" Courfeyac breathed, slowly taking in the boy's face; his right eye was purple and quite swollen, above it was a long gash that was crusted with dried blood. Upon seeing this, Joly sprang into action, reaching for his always-handy first aid kit and barking out instructions for the rest of them to follow.
"Ép, what happened?" Enjolras questioned, cautiously taking her slightly nervous appearance.
"He tripped down the stairs," She whispered, not meeting any of the boys' eyes. "I was coming here anyway and knew Joly could check him out, plus he hasn't stopped talking about you Fey." She smiled softly, watching Courfeyac beam at this. As if on cue Gavroche blinked several times, taking in his surroundings before smiling. "Coof!" reaching out for the boy, Courfeyac bent down and allowed Gavroche to wrap his tiny arms around his neck.
"Can you lot watch him for a bit?" Éponine asked, once again nervous.
"Of course, but where are you going?" Combeferre questioned, suddenly worried about her safety.
"Just have an errand to run, I'll be back before you know it. Bye Roche, love you."
"Luv eu Pony." The toddler babbled, waving his sticky fingers at her retreating form.
"Taire," Éponine barked, causing the artist to jump. "No drinks near my brother, got it? Or you risk castration." The artist gulped but nodded as the rest broke into lively laughter.
The rest of the evening passed happily, Gavroche slowly becoming a member of the group as each of them in turn were slowly being wrapped around his finger. He stayed in either Courfeyac's or (much to everyone's surprise) Grantaire's arms the entire night before falling asleep in Grantaire's lap. The night's festivities came to an end when a rather frantic young girl burst into the café, tears streaming down her face and a large gash across her cheek.
"Please, you must come help my sister." The girl, who couldn't have been older than ten wept.
"Do we know your sister?" Bousset questioned, trying to place the oddly familiar face.
Before she could answer, Gavroche stirred, blinking sleepily he saw the newcomer, "Zela!" He babbled happily, reaching out his stubby fingers for a hug. The boys froze, realizing whose sister this girl was.
"What happened?" Enjolras questioned, reaching the girl.
"Papa was already upset, that's why Ponine took Gav away, after he'd lashed out at him." Courfeyac actually growled, learning of the true nature of Gavroche's bruises. "But then he found her acceptance letter to the university and he simply snapped."
"Show us where she is, we can help her." Bahorel leapt up, followed by the rest of the boys and together, they went to the Thénardier residence to save their girl.
It was a night they tried to forget, finding Éponine in a pool of her own blood, but luckily not too late. Once stitched up and healed, the boys successfully removed the Thénardier siblings from their home, with Éponine at uni, Azelma at boarding school and after years of paperwork and fighting, Gav with them as le première enfant d'Abassie
"That," Combeferre growled, pulling Éponine tightly into his embrace, "will never happen again."
"Then what are we waiting for? We've got to get Gav out of there!" Jehan cried, pulling his boyfriend to his feet and marching toward the doors.
"No!" The forcefulness of a once weepy Éponine caused the room to freeze, all eyes trained on her.
"You can't just barge in there, they'll hurt Gav more the second he sees an entire ambush coming! The only way to do this is to let me go in alone."
There was a small breath of silence, accented with dumbfounded expressions. Well, all for Combeferre, who spun around so quickly, he caused Éponine to flinch.
"Ép, there is no way in hell I am letting you go into that cesspit by yourself." Though there was force behind his words, fear ate away at them. Tears pooled in the philosopher's sky blue eyes as he pleaded with his love. He remembered all too well what happened to her that fateful night six years ago and he'd be damned if those rotten bastards even gave her a paper cut.
"Ferre," she whispered, bringing her hand up to caress his face. "Baby, you'll be right behind me, but it won't work if we all storm in guns blazing. It's going to be alright, I promise."
"Ponine, I can't lose you." The words left his lips in barely a whisper, one tear slowly trickling down his cheek. She cracked a watery smile, cupping his face with her hands, wiping the stray tear with her thumb.
"You'll never lose me, I love you Henri Combeferre. But it has to be this way, so our baby will be safe."
He simply nodded, thinking she was referring to Gavroche, but Musichetta and Cosette, who were situated closest to the couple, took in a quick breath, smiles creeping over their worried features. Enjolras, not noticing anything (because he's Enjolras) dropped the unanswered question,
"Alright Ép, what's the plan then?"
Alrighty! I hoped you enjoyed! There's Chapter 2! Leave a comment or review!