The Darkest Night Will End

The Elephant Of The Bastille, Paris, May 19th, 1832

The Elephant De Bastille, Paris, May 19th, 1832

"Do I have to come with you?" Eponine half whined.

Jacquelyn raised an eyebrow critically, "Normally you wouldn't have a problem with helping me find Gavroche."

Eponine sighed, "I love my brother, but he's around the bloody Patron Minette too much. With my luck he'll get arrested and I'll never see him again."

"I thought you liked some of those guys."

Even as they walked down the crowded street Eponine managed to discreetly elbow her companion in the ribs, "I think they're all crooks."

"Yeah, tell that to Montparnasse." They giggled.

"Tell what to Montparnasse?"

Eponine jumped in surprise, whirling around to face the man himself as Jacquelyn smirked, "Speak of the devil and so he shall appear. How are you doing' today Monsieur?"

"Worse now that you're here Madsuier." He responded, turning to smile at Eponine, "Hello Ponine."

"Montparnasse." She nodded, desperately trying to play cool.

Jacquelyn chuckled, "Say, 'Parnasse, did you know that Ep thinks that-"

Their response was cut off by Eponine shoving them and quickly saying, "I thought you might know where my brother is."

"Saw him around here earlier, couldn't say where he is now though." Montparnasse said, "He ran off as soon as his part in the job was done."

"You got him involved in another one of your crimes?" Eponine exclaimed, "I swear to god if he ever gets arrested because of you-"

The man held up his hands in defense, "Woah, woah woah, calm down. No one got in any trouble, we're smarter than that. And all of us know that Jack would kill me before you got the chance."

Jacquelyn nodded sagely, "You wouldn't have time to blink."

"That's why we're friends." He half grinned.

"We're not friends, if anything, you're just the jerk who owes me."

Montparnasse frowned, "Why are you so difficult?"

"Why did you get me thrown in jail?" Jacquelyn shot back. '

Eponine rolled her eyes, "Jack..."

They shrugged, turning away from Montparnasse, "Well, we're just off to find Gav, but we do need to talk business, sometime soon."

"Why not now?" Eponine suggested without thinking, "You can walk and talk at the same time can't you?"

With a sigh, Montparnasse began to walk in time with them, his hands stuffed deep in his coat pockets, "So what do you need me for?"

"Well, as you may know, revolution is brewing." Jacquelyn began.

"Everyone knows this, why does it concern me?" He growled.

Jacquelyn glared at him, "I was getting to that. When the time comes, which, it will be soon, if what Enjolras and Lamarque is saying is true, we'll need weapons. Guns, munitions, the lot. And you'll provide these things."

"Will I?" He questioned.

They raised their eyebrows threateningly, "Yes, I think you will. Maybe you'll even grow a conscious and join us."

"You could be a part of something for once, something good." Eponine said.

He looked at her for a moment, a curiosity in his dark eyes, "And you believe in this cause too Ponine?"

"I think things around here could stand to change," She said bravely, "And why not be there to help that change take place."

He remained quiet, lips pursed for a few paces before scoffing, "Throwing your life away for a change that will never come. How admirable."

"Well maybe you could stand to be admirable too," Eponine crossed her arms, "You really should stop acting you aren't a good person, It won't kill you, you know?"

"Have you ever considered the fact that I'm not?" He challenged.

Jacquelyn rolled their eyes as the two bickered, still scanning through the crowd to look for Gavroche.

"Well, I think I'll be going now," Montparnasse said decisively, "madsuier your idealism has gone to her head."

"But you will bring what we need?" Jacquelyn asked.

He nodded, before turning and slipping into an alley, leaving Eponine to sigh wistfully.

"That man really is oblivious isn't he?" Jacquelyn muttered.

"He is a good person Jack, I know it, and you know it, but he refuses to see it."

They turned to her, looking unimpressed, "I never said he was a good person. He's- well, an example of the what happens to people who are sent out into the world too soon."

"Whats that supposed to mean?" Eponine asked.

"Means he could've been great, but no one protected him from this worlds horrors," They sighed, "Come on, we've still got to find Gav."

"I think he's still a good person, in spite of all that." Eponine said as they trudged on.

"You know, you should just tell him how you feel. Thats what you told me to do with Enjolras and look how thats worked out." They suggested.

"Oh I couldn't," She shook her head, "He's so refined for someone of the streets, and I'm- well, I'm a Thenardier."

Jacquelyn chuckled, "If he can handle being in a gang with your father I'm sure he'd more than be welcome to love you."

"He's never even seen me. It's worse than Marius." She sighed.

They rolled their eyes as they began to cross toward the center of the bastille, "You liked the idea of him, lets be real you can't even be mad about my brother being strange."

Eponine huffed, "He'll never see me, not really. He wouldn't pay attention to me, not when there's all those girls who flock him when they can."

"He doesn't see any of them," Jacquelyn insisted, "You have to make him see you."

She opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off as Jacquelyn caught sight of Gavroche, who ran over as soon as he saw them.

"There you are! I was beginning to think you weren't coming to meet me!" He exclaimed.

"Well Ep wanted to stop and talk to Montparnasse, cause we didn't see you when we came through here the first time." Jacquelyn chuckled.

"Oh, well I was with him earlier," the boy explained, "Helped 'im get the guys outta prison."

Jacquelyn blinked, "You what?"

He nodded, "Well, not prison, prison, but I had to help 'em climb a rope up to where Thenardier was staying."

"You help Father get out?" Eponine asked, incredulous.

Gavroche shrugged, "Yeah. 'Parnasse gave me four franks to help."

"But why would you help-"

He quickly cut her off, "You're just jealous, cause he wouldn't give you the time of day."

"He would!"

"Yeah, maybe if you actually talked to him!"

"I do talk to him!"

"But you don't- not really. If you would propper tell 'im how you feel you'd stop making the rest of us miserable!"

Jacquelyn rolled their eyes, "Stop fighting. It doesn't matter right now, we're gonna be late to the meeting."