In The Rain

Cosette

3 Months Later

"Montparnasse, keep watch with Éponine. Take care!" Monsieur Thénardier shoved Éponine outside of the small shack, and she crashed into Montparnasse, one of her father's cronies. He turned and glared at her, and she glared right back, knowing he wouldn't dare touch her in public.

She saw her father lead an old man and a young blonde girl into the shack, making them the victims of his next con plan. The girl looked very familiar, but Éponine could not work out where she knew her from. Suddenly she spotted Inspector Javert, a man with whom she had had way too many run ins. She warned her father, causing the man and the girl to disappear rather quickly. But not before Éponine heard the name.

Cosette. Of course. They were children together, and the Thénardiers had used the poor girl as a slave in their inn. Yet there she was, obviously living happily, with a loving papa and surely enough food. She sighed, glancing at her ragged clothes and her good-for-nothing father. So much had changed.

All of a sudden, Marius appeared at her side, and she automatically smiled.

"Éponine, who was that girl?"

"That bourgeois-two-a-penny thing?"

"Éponine, find her for me!"

"What will you give me?"

"Anything!"

Éponine was thrilled. A chance to show Marius just how much she loved him. But her happiness quickly evaporated as she watched him reach into his pocket for money. She did not want his charity. She wanted his love.

But it looked like this girl, this little blonde bourgeois, was going to steal Marius away from her.

The rain began to fall as Éponine wandered slowly through Paris, half-heartedly searching for the girl. She had known, deep down, that one day this would happen, but who would have expected it to be Cosette?