Chapter 1 : The Morning After The Night Before

"The humiliation�the degradation� the mortification� the embarrassment�" Jehan listed as many adjectives as he could think of that described his present state.

"Shut it! You're getting out, aren't you?" Eponine hissed. She had clearly had enough of the three school boys that were so hard to please.

"If we're going to get out, I'd prefer to do it legally�" Enjolras started. "Legal as in sueing Javert for an unnecessary arrest."

Eponine couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You'd what? You'd prefer to get out legally? Since when did you get so fussy over doing stuff legally? I suppose planning to overthrow the government isn't? I suppose treason is perfectly legal!"

"How do you know about our plans?"

"Oh, come on, it's kinda obvious, the whole red waistcoat thing."

Enjolras opened and closed his mouth a few times, before muttering something indecipherable.

"What was that, monsieur?"

"Nothing, mademoiselle. Nothing."

Eponine just had to laugh. It wasn't very often that she smuggled revolutionary students out of police cells dressed as woman� and what scared her was the fact that she hadn't heard Grantaire complaining yet.

The policeman on duty wasn't very bright. How he got into the force was beyond anyone, but people kept him around as someone to blame all the bad things on. Still, he didn't mind. He leaned back in his chair and twiddled his thumbs merrily, humming a little tune. He had noticed the small thin teenager who had asked to see her parents, and he had granted her permission. One thing he hadn't noticed about her, though, was the sly hand that had stolen the visitor sheet on which the policeman on duty was to write who visited who in the cells.

And now, she walked back. He frowned. Wait a second� surely the other three hadn't come with her? He'd never seen them before. The small thin brunette smiled cheerfully as she passed on her way out. "Thank-you, officer."

"Hang on a moment!" The officer on duty stood up. "I only remember you going in�" he pointed at Eponine. "� these three I've never seen before in my life."

Grantaire fluttered his false eyelashes. "Oooh, officer! You don't remember li'l ol' me?"

"No."

"Are you suuuuuure?" Grantaire flashed him a dazzling smile in what he hoped was a very feminine manner.

"�no�" the duty officer repeated nervously. "Wait a minute, let me check my list�" he scrabbled about on the desk, searching for the yellow hued sheet. "Where on earth did I put it�? Gah, it must be here somewhere�!" he ducked underneath desk to search the piles of papers stacked on the floor.

Quick as a flash, Eponine grabbed Enjolras and Jehan's arm and pushed them out of the door. She had assumed that Grantaire would follow, but at that present moment, he was engaged in helping the duty officer to look for the visitor sheet the Eponine herself had stolen to procure the students' escape. She grabbed him by the belt and dragged him out of the door, stifling his cry with a hand.

Chapter 2: A couple of hours later during the morning after the night before.

While Enjolras, Grantaire and Jehan had been sweating it out in prison, the rest of the students had been camping in Marius' front room. It was about four in the morning, and everyone was sleeping, until there was the sound of multiple hammering on the front door.

"Marius� your door is� um� shouting to be let in�" Feuilly murmured sleepily.

"Well let it in, duh-brain."

Feuilly stood up and walked to the door. He opened it, looked outside, and closed it again. "It's a group of prostitutes." He concluded.

"Courfeyrac!" Marius snapped angrily, throwing a shoe at the sleeping form half-on half-off the sofa.

"What? I didn't do anything!" he yelped as he fell off. Marius shook his head in an exasperated way and opened the door to see for himself. Courfeyrac got up and peered over Marius' shoulder.

Marius laughed loudly. "Why, hello ladies. What can we do for you?"

Enjolras and Jehan were not in the mood for jokes. "Marius, if you don't let us in this minute I will pull every poofy hair out of your head with chopsticks." Jehan growled in a very un-Jehan-like way.

Grantaire sniggered. "I'd watch it, Marius, in his present mood he'll do it."

"Well, that wasn't very poetic." commented Courfeyrac as the escaped prisoners and Eponine trooped in. Eponine smiled shyly at Marius, but frowned slightly when she noticed a framed painting of Cosette on a nearby desk.

***

"Wow. You guys are wanted criminals!" concluded Combeferre after Enjolras had retold the tale.

"No, we're not. It's all just one big mistake. I didn't do a thing! I'm innocent!"Jehan cried. "I was wrongfully imprisoned!"

"We all were." Enjolras added firmly.

"But what can we do?" Grantaire wondered.

"Look at it like this. There's no proof that it was Enjolras' waistcoat. And even if it was, it might not have been Enjolras' fault. And monsieur Prouvaire, if you knew something, surely you'd say?" Eponine piped up.

"Eponine? You're still here?" Prouvaire blinked.

"Oh, thanks. I just saved your butts and all I get is a 'you're still here?' Well, gee, that makes me feel special." Eponine sat back in her seat and crossed her arms accross her chest.

"She's right about you three, though." Joly pointed out.

"Of course I'm right..."

Joly carried on. "There's no actual evidence, apart from that little book of Javert's, that Enjolras is at fault. But all that says is that Prouvaire might know something about that blasted cravat."

"Huh, if you ask me it's just a load of fuss about a piece of material." muttered Feuilly darkly.

"You're right, but it was MY piece of flimsy material! Nobody insults me like that!" cried Marius, getting all huffy.

Joly scowled. He was being thoroughly ignored. "Did anyone hear me? I said there's no evidence apart from that little book!"

"Marius, it's just a cravat!" Combeferre sighed.

"Correction: MY cravat! There's obviously someone out there who thinks that he or she can just go and dye my all my clothing pink!"

"Marius -"

"I SAID..."

"It's just the ethic of the whole thing: I'm letting a 'phantom dyer' walk all over me!"

"I said, THERE'S NO EVIDENCE EXCEPT - - "

"Marius, get a grip!"

"No, it's not fair that I'm -"

"WON'T ANYONE LISTEN TO ME?" Joly shouted, standing up and waving his arms about frantically.

"I was listening." said Eponine quietly.

"So was I." added Grantaire.

"What is it, Joly?" asked Enjolras irritably.

"Need I spell it out? As I've said several times, there's no evidence except that little book." Joly said slowly, with Eponine and Grantaire joining in the chanting at the end. The rest looked at him blankly.

"...So...?" Courfeyrac said.

Joly slapped his forehead. "Gah! For God's sake, just get rid of the little book and Javert won't have anything to accuse you with!"

There was a moment's silence until realisation sank slowly in.

"Oooooooooh..." Marius sat slowly back in his chair with a far-off look in his eyes.

"Are you saying that we steal the book?" said Combeferre.

"Steal it, burn it, eat it, shoot it, rip it... it doesn't matter. Just destroy it!" Joly laughed, a bit maniacally.

"... Joly, remember your blood pressure..." reminded Bossuet. Joly sat down hurriedly and took his pulse.

"I don't think that's a good idea..." started Eponine.

"Oh, hush up Eponine. Who asked your opinion, anyway?" Enjolras waved a hand dismissivly at her.

Eponine's eyebrows shot up as she glared ferociously. "Well. I can see when I'm not wanted." she stood up and let herself out of the door without another word.

"Another fine example of why our fearless leader hasn't had any for quite a while - - " laughed Courfeyrac.

Enjolras shot him a sub-zero glare. He was about to speak but was interrupted as Eponine burst back through the door. She was pale and panting heavily. "Police... outside... want to search... apartment... got to get out...!" she panted as she ran and hid behind Enjolras.

Grantaire peered behind the Enjolras at Eponine. "Whuh?"

Bossuet got up, crossed the room and glanced out of the window. "She's right. There's a bunch of policemen outside." he turned back to the others. "What are you going to do?"

"What are 'you'...? You mean: What are WE going to do! You've all got to help us out!" Enjolras snapped.

"But what can we do?" Joly said worriedly.

"Let's start in getting out of here, shall we?" Comebferre suggested quickly.

"How?"

"Door, per chance?"

"Oh, don't be stupid, what are we going to do after that? Stand in the corridor and blend in with the walls? The police men are outside the front door to the building!"

"Good point..." Combeferre agreed. "Well... let's go and hide in someone else's apartment!" He scowled in the silence that followed his suggestion. "Well, it's either that or we go out of the window and freefall for several stories."

"What are we hanging about for then? Let's go already!" Eponine cried.

Chapter 3: The Storming Of The Building (also named: "The Everlasting Stupidity of Modern Day Scholars.")

Despite his momentary anger of having his prisoners escape him, Javert was soon back in action. Having rounded up a squad of other policemen, Javert was outside the building in which he was sure the students were in. Would they be so stupid as to return to the hole from which they crawled from? he though to himself. Yep. He mentally nodded. He turned to the officer beside him and jerked his head towards the door. "You there, knock on the door and -"

The policeman needed no further instructions. He leaped up the small flight of steps and swiftly kicked down the door.

" - ask to be let in." Javert finished. He inclined his head to one side and nodded. "Good idea, sir. I'll see an officer made out of you yet. Come on you group of layabouts, get inside the house and find those escapees."

***

Upon reaching the door to Enjolras and Marius' flat, Javert allowed himself a thin smile. He knew those law-breakers were about... and if the escaped prisoners weren't in there with their evil cohorts, then he'll arrest the evil cohorts anyhow. It was a lot more fun if you won the game both ways.

***

"Okay, this place has got the two main things I don't like. Dark, and a bad smell." Prouvaire's voice could be heard echoing in the inky darkness. The students and the gamine had taken refuge in an empty, dark, cold garret at the top of the building. The windows were so grimy that not a thred of light could filter through.

"Relax, Jehan. The dark can't hurt you..." Combeferre treid comforting Jehan.

Bossuet peered at Joly, just making him out in the gloom. "Joly what's that over your face?"

"It'sh mah hankie, bad shmellsh mide cahry tha plague!"

*CRASH*

"Ow! Goddamnit!" Courfeyrac's voice seemed to come from somewhere on the floor, after tripping over something large and ungainly. "Why can't we light a lamp?" he snapped bad temperdly.

"Will everyone be quiet! I can hear people coming!" Enjolras hissed as the sounds of haevy boots could be heard pounding up the stairs.

Everyone froze.

"I think they're coming up here!" Feuilly whispered fearfully as the footsteps got closer.

Next Part in Progress!

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