The Darkest Night Will End

The Elephant De Bastille, Paris, July 4th, 1831

The Elephant De Bastille, Paris, July 4, 1831.

A few weeks had passed since Jacquelyn had joined the Friends of the ABC, Enjolras still didn't fully acknowledge them, their one real conversation with Grantaire about the past had ended up going very wrong, and they had been getting less sleep than ever.

Still, everyday they made their way from the bookshop (Or the docks) down to cafe Musain.

Today Madame Moreau had allowed them to leave early saying, "Go, go on, if it'll help get those lousy tax collectors off my back, by all means go ahead."

So Jacquelyn wandered down the street, the decrepit elephant at the edge of the Bastille slowly coming into view.

There was a small gaggle of children playing on the legs of the creature when they approached, "Excuse me, is there a boy called Gavroche here?" They asked tentatively.

"No, he went on a walk with the gent in the big hat, should be back soon though Miss." A young boy responded, jumping down from where he had scaled the trunk.

"Thank you Monsieur."

The boy grinned at the title and went back to playing with his friends.

Jacquelyn leaned against one of the elephants legs and idly fiddled with the end of one of their braids.

A few minutes later Gavroche emerged from a crowd, a man following behind. At the sight of Jacquelyn he grinned and turned to the man, "Come on, you must meet my friend! She likes to hang 'round the Musain with the gents!"

Jacquelyn smiled at Gavroche as he ran up, "Hello little monsieur."

"Jacquelyn this is my good acquaintance Montparrnasse he gives me jobs sometimes! 'Parrnasse, this is Jacquelyn she let's me stay at her flat like Courf does!"

They stared at each other for a moment, arms crossed.  Finally Jacquelyn broke the tension filled silence by reaching out and slapping him.

He winced and held a hand to his face groaning, "Okay, I probably deserved that."

"No shit you deserved that! Do you have any idea what the hell you did?"

"You know I had an idea, because, you know I did plan the thing."

They stood glowering at each other in silence, leaving young Gavroche utterly confused.

"Am I allowed to ask, what's happening right now?" He said, looking back and forth between the two adults.

"Go play for a few minutes Gav, Monty and I have a few things to discuss." Jacquelyn said.

Obediently he started away to the other children before stopping and turning, "Are we going to get dinner before the meeting?"

"Of course little one." Jacquelyn said before stalking after Montparnasse.

"So...... you're out of jail." He said once they were a safe difference away.

"Yeah, I have been, for six months. Do you have any idea how much you owe me?" They hissed.

"I don't owe you anything, you had a chance to get out of there."

"You called the police on me!"

"Perhaps."

"You owe me two years of life, two years of sleepless nights praying no one would get into your cell again, you owe me hundreds of lashings, you owe me two years of near slavory, and most of all you owe me getting to say goodbye to my brother."