Hello, and welcome to Part 2 of Eponine's Tale! I recommend reading part 1 first, but as this picks up where part one left off (aka, it starts where Marius meets Cosette) you'll probably still know what's going on. And, as always, reviews are much appreciated!

Eponine's Tale Part 2:

But He Never Saw Me There

Prologue

Eponine opened her eyes, and found that she remembered little. All she knew was that she was in serious pain. She had been injured somehow, apparently. But how?

She tried to sit up, then remembered. The barricade, she had been shot. She hissed in pain as her wound forced the memories back.

Marius. This was his fault. He had sent her off to deliver a letter to Cosette. His precious little blonde angel. Everything she had grown to care about had changed within a single week. Only a week ago, Cosette had returned to Eponine's life, and made her more miserable than ever. Thanks to Cosette, she had lost the one thing in her life that had still mattered to her, that had still given her hope. Cosette had taken away Marius.

One Week Earlier…

"Cosette… Now I remember. Cosette, how can it be?" Eponine's eyes were wide. "We were children together… Look what's become of me…" she whispered the last words painfully. She raised her head and saw Marius heading towards her.

She quickly brushed off her skirts, forcing herself to look less upset than she felt. "Good God, oh what a rumpus!" she commented, watching as her father continued to slink off away from where they had attempted to rob Cosette's father.

"That girl, who can she be?" Marius wondered aloud. Eponine felt her stomach churn at the thought of Marius being with Cosette.

"That cop, he'd like to jump us," she laughed. "But he ain't smart, not he!"

"Eponine, who was that girl?" Marius asked her.

"Some bourgeois two-a-penny thing," she replied off-handedly. Cosette, get Marius as well as the rest of the life Eponine had always wanted? Never.

"Eponine, find her for me!" Marius pleaded.

She decided to play with him. "What will you give me?" she asked with a smirk.

"Anything!" He was desperate, and Eponine could tell.

"Got you all excited now, but God knows what you see in her," Eponine laughed, beginning to walk away. "Aren't you all delighted now, no, I don't want your money sir..." she said quickly, pushing Marius' hand away as he offered her money.

"Eponine! Do this for me... Discover where she lives, but careful how you go, don't let your father know. 'Ponine! I'm lost until she's found!" Marius pleaded, his eyes wide with longing, his beautiful eyes… How could she ever say no to those eyes which she so desperately loved?

Perhaps, by helping him find Cosette, he would see how much she cared about him, and he would change his mind and love her instead.

She smiled. "You see, I told you so! There's lots of things I know," she told him, and he smiled gratefully before walking away. Her heart sank as he left. "Ponine... she knows her way around…"

She sighed and wrapped her skinny arms around her. Would he ever see her for who she really was, and know how she truly felt?