The Changed Girl

10. Disguises

Chapter Ten: Disguises

After Gavroche and I got control of ourselves we went back outside and I found that Ephonie's body had been moved into the tavern and that the rain had stopped. I ignored how a few people glanced over at me as I climbed the barricade and perched myself near the top with a gun in hand. I was ready for those soldiers to come back so I could kill them and make them pay for killing Ephonie.

"Someone's coming!" One of the guys further down the barricade warned after an hour or so had passed and then I saw him too. It was an older man dressed in a soldier's uniform. I couldn't see the man's face in the darkness but I didn't care, I just kept my gun aimed on the man's head as he came closer.

"I come as a volunteer!" I recognized the man's voice instantly, it was Papa. Enjolras nodded and I watched as Grantaire moved a large coffin and allowed Papa in only to have all of them aim their guns at him.

"You wear an army uniform." Jehan pointed out as I walked over to them so a was a few feet behind Courfeyrac and watched as the kept my Papa surrounded.

"That's why they let me through." Papa tried to explain his attire to them as I avoided looking at his eyes.

"You've got some years behind you sir," Joly narrowed his at him.

"There's much that I can do." Papa persisted as I tried to figure out why he was here. Did he find out about me somehow?

"You see that prisoner over there?" Joly nodded at the tavern where I knew Javert was tied up.

"A volunteer like you!" Grantaire hissed in Papa's ear as he jabbed his gun into his shoulder.

"A spy who calls himself Javert!" Combeferre hissed in disgust.

"He's going to get it too..." Grantaire smirked.

"Don't kill him, I know him!" Gavroche came running over and I couldn't help but sigh in relief that Gavorche recognized him.

"Enemy marksmen on the roof!" Papa warned as he grabbed a gun from Enjolras and shot at the roof. I aimed my gun up too and saw the soldiers on the roofs and fired without hesitation. Finally there were no more left.

"Thank you Mousier," Enjolras thanked Papa.

"Give me no thanks Mousier," Papa shook his head. "There is something you can do for me."

"If it's in my power," Enjolras nodded.

"Give me the spy Javert, and let me take care of him." Papa's words surprised me. I watched as Gavroche pulled his gun out and handed it to Papa and Enjolras gave him a knife. Papa went into the tavern and closed the doors so no one else could see. That's when my legs gave out and I went falling to the crowd but Grantaire caught me by the waist.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he sat me down on the barricade next to him.

"That's my Papa," I whispered into my hands as I heard a single gunshot ring out through the quiet air and Papa came back outside. I just kept my eyes on the ground as I sat there with Grantaire.

"Courfeyrac take the watch, they may attack before it's light." Enjolras told him as he climbed off the barricade and went over to where Marius was trying to fix part of the barricade. "Everybody keep the faith for certain as our banner flies. We are not alone the people too must rise. Marius, rest."

"Drink with me to days gone by," Grantaire played with the broken piano keys next to him as he took a sip of his wine and handed it to me. I closed my eyes as I took a pull from the bottle and swallowed the sour liquid. "To the life that used to be."

"At the shrine of friendship, never say die." More of the guys joined in and so did I as I allowed myself to look up at Papa to see him watching all of us until his eyes landed on me. "Let the wine of friendship never run dry. Here's to you and here's to me."

"Do I care if I should die now she goes across the sea?" I heard Marius from somewhere out of sight and I couldn't help but get up to search for him. I found him sitting on a bench behind the cafe messing with a letter. "Life without Cosette

means nothing at all. Would you weep, Cosette, should Marius fall? Will you weep, Cosette, for me?"

I froze in place at my sister's name. Was it my sister that Marius had fallen for instead of loving Ephonie like she's wanted? I must have kicked something because Marius' head snapped up and his eyes landed on me.

"Who are you?" I stuck the letter into his pocket as he got up to his feet. I stayed silent as he came closer to me as I could see his eyes widen as I looked up at him. "Aloe? What are you doing here?"

"I came with Ephonie," I admitted to him as I choked out her name. "We wanted to fight with you."

"It's not safe," he shook his head as he took off my hat to reveal my short pale blonde hair. "You need to leave before there is more fighting."

"I'm not going anywhere." I shook my head. "I'm staying here and fighting with all of you. Ep wouldn't want me to just leave you and Gavroche here like that!"

"She wouldn't want you to stay here and die like she did!" He argued. "You need to leave, now."

"What about Cosette?" I asked him and I could see him stiffen. "Don't you think she'd want you to leave too?"

"You don't know her." He hissed at me.

"She's my sister." I informed him as I turned to leave only to have him grab my arm that'd been shot and I couldn't help but gasp at the pain that shot through me. He quickly released my arm as if I'd burnt him and I went back over and sat next to Gavroche on the ground in front of the tavern. He moved over and rested his head in my lap as he tried to sleep and I rested my head against the wall as I tried to do the same but I couldn't. All the people that Cosette loved were and she was home alone, not knowing what was happening. It hurt me to know that she might be alone forever.