Disclaimer: I don't own Les Misérables. If I did, it would be a lot less sad than what it was. Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Third Person POV:

"Gabriel!" Kaylin's voice chimes through the large mansion the Enjolras' own. "GABRIEL!!" she shouts louder, sprinting through the house looking very much unladylike. "Sorry Madame Enjolras," she calls over her shoulder as she deftly avoids colliding with her boyfriend's mother. Rounding the corner to the staircase, she takes them two at a time.

Not even bothering to knock, she flings the door to her boyfriend's bedroom wide open. "Gabriel!" she exclaims, voice high pitched and breathy due to running from her house to Enjolras'.

The man in question turns from his desk. "What is it?" he questions, slightly concerned because Kaylin doesn't normally come thundering into his room as if the devil was chasing her. "Are you okay?"

"I got the best idea!!" she cheers, flopping onto his bed.

He cocks his head to the side, looking slightly like a lost puppy. "An idea about... what?" Enjolras asks a follow-up question.

Kaylin looks at him pointedly. "The extracurricular activity," she stresses as his cerulean eyes widen in realization. "I have an idea of where the meetings would be."

"Yes?" he wonders eagerly.

"The Musain!"

"...The what?"

Kaylin sighs loudly. "The café we saw a few days ago. Where we met Gav... speaking of Gav, where is he?"

The two adults are startled out of their conversation by the padding footsteps of the boy in question. "Right here," Gavroche answers dryly. "And I know what you're talking about. The person who runs it is Madame Houcheloup, and she's always nice to us kids."

Kaylin nods her head firmly. "I'm going to go over there to ask soon. Want to come?"

Enjolras blinks and then snorts softly. "You're more prepared than I am," he admits while laughing.

"That's why I'm here," Kaylin agrees. "To balance your recklessness and come up with brilliant ideas." She taps him lightly on the nose and stands up from the bed. "Oh, and Mother told me to tell you and your parents that apparently we're having another dinner together. They're insistent on-" she screws her face into an mocking expression of nobleness that a lady would have - "'a son-in-law and grandchildren to further our family names.'" Enjolras chokes on air. "I know, that was my reaction."

Gavroche looks questioningly at the two adults. "Should I ask?"

"No," the adults refuse as one.

Enjolras runs a hand through his blonde locks. "I think it's fine if you go. You remember how to get there?"

Kaylin begins to nod her head and then falters. "Uhhhh... I don't think so," she admits sheepishly. "Want to guide me, Gav?" she addresses the seven-year-old.

"Sure! Come on, we can go now!" Gavroche leaps up and begins to leave the room.

Enjolras and Kaylin look at each other with expressions of utmost panic on their faces. "Wait!" Kaylin yelps, sliding in front of the door and closing it in front of the young boy's face.

"What's going on?"

Enjolras sighs. "My mother and father are both here. It's not a good idea to just parade you out of here."

"We need a plan," Kaylin says decisively. "Anyone have any ideas?"

The room falls silent.

A knock sounds on the other side of the door. "Gabriel?" Madame Enjolras' voice sounds, high and lilting.

Enjolras freezes, panicking. "Under the bed," he quickly orders, ushering Gavroche under his bed. "One second!" he calls towards the closed wooden door. Gavroche slides in the tiny gap between the bed and the floor, squeezing in because of his small stature. "Okay, you can come in now."

Kaylin quickly moves out of the way of the door and tries to make it look like she hadn't just been blocking it from an energetic seven-year-old. The door opens and Enjolras' mother steps into the room, looking every inch the noble lady she is.

She looks almost exactly like Enjolras, blonde curls and deep blue eyes. However, he gets his height from his father, as Madame Enjolras, Marie, is barely taller than Kaylin is. And Kaylin's fairly short.

"Gabriel, who were you talking to just now?"

Kaylin and Enjolras look at each other and then back at his mother. "Kaylin," Gabriel... I mean Enjolras... answers innocently, not lying but not being particularly truthful.

Marie's eyebrows furrow slightly. "It sounded like a child... never mind," she brushes the odd voice off. "Speaking of children..." her voice trails off hopefully.

Kaylin blushes as red as a tomato. "Uhhhhhhhh..."

"Mother!" Enjolras exclaims, shocked at the insinuation.

"Don't think that I don't know you two well," Marie starts. "You've been courting for years now. Also, you've been in your room for nearly an entire day. What are you doing?"

Enjolras blinks, uncertain of how to answer the question. His eyes drift over to his desk and then back at his mother.

Kaylin's eyes widen and she discreetly heads towards the desk. Looking quickly at the papers scattered on it, she reads a few lines and immediately turns around to shield the anti-monarchy speeches from the pro-monarchy woman's eyesight.

"Oh, just reading."

Kaylin muffles a snort.

Marie nods, not sure if she should believe him. "That reminds me, both Combeferre and Courfeyrac visited the house while you and Kaylin were out a few days ago."

Enjolras nods slowly. "Did they mention why they were here?"

"Something about... now what was it?... Patria?"

Kaylin laughs softly. "Those two," she comments jokingly. "Thank you for telling us, Madame." Marie nods and begins to leave the room.

A tiny sneeze echoes from under the bed.

"Merde," Enjolras mutters under his breath as Kaylin freezes.

Marie stills, hand on the doorknob. "What was that?"

Kaylin coughs, trying to hide her indecision on what to say. "I've been coming down with a bit of a cold," she lies smoothly. "I'll have to visit Joly eventually." Marie nods hesitatingly, not believing her for a second but deciding to let it go.

"Well, I think it's time for me to take me leave," Marie declares, opening the door to her son's room once more. "Nothing indecent, you two." She leaves with a flourish as Enjolras' jaw drops behind her.

He blushes dark red. "I-I-ummmm..." he stutters.

Kaylin bursts into laughter. "You can give entire speeches about things that could get you thrown into jail but you can't take one tiny innuendo? Wow." Gavroche shimmies out from under the bed. "Hi again, Gav."

"You need to clean under there," Gavroche informs, brushes dust off of his shoulder. "It's bad."

Enjolras rolls his eyes. "Sorry that I don't keep under my bed spotless for a seven-year-old."

Gavroche frowns. "I'll be eight in a week."

Kaylin stills. "What day?"

"Uhhhhh... next Tuesday, I think?" Gavroche answers hesitatingly, counting on his fingers just to make sure. "Yeah, next Tuesday. My birthday's September 11th, according to Éponine, my older sister."

Kaylin nods. "Okay, I'll plan on baking a cake then."

Enjolras grins. "A real cake or one of the prank ones you gave Courf?"

"A real one, obviously," Kaylin laughs, memories of Courfeyrac biting into a sponge with frosting on it swimming to the front of her brain. "I'm not that mean." She stretches slightly and holds her hand out to Gavroche, who takes it. "See you at dinner tonight," she bids adieu to her boyfriend, who kisses the top of her head gently.

"Good luck with getting a room at the Café for us," he wishes the two luck, turning towards his desk. "I'll just keep writing."

Kaylin smiles slightly. "I'll proofread after dinner," she offers lightly, already opening the door. Gavroche and Kaylin sneak down to the bottom floor of the Enjolras mansion, opening the front door and closing it behind them.

Heading down the cobblestoned street, she looks down at Gavroche. "Do you like chocolate or vanilla better?" Kaylin questions, not stopping her brisk walk.

Gavroche looks pointedly up at Kaylin. "You don't have to bake a cake," he sighs, "I've never really celebrated my birthday before."

Kaylin snorts softly. "All the more reason on why you need to celebrate it then."

"Chocolate," Gavroche admits, leading Kaylin to where the Café Musain is located.

Pulling the door open, Kaylin steps carefully into the café and stands near the counter, Gavroche in front of her. "Bonjour," she greets the frazzled woman behind the bar lightly.

"Bonjour," the woman replies suspiciously.

Kaylin smiles, putting the most innocent expression she could possibly get on her face. "I was wondering if some of my friends and I could rent one of your upstairs rooms for a couple of hours each week."

The woman sighs. "Depends. What's your name?"

"I'm Kaylin. Kaylin Lambert. And you are?"

"Madame Houcheloup," the woman replies briskly, shaking Kaylin's offered hand. "You don't look like you'd come here often."

Kaylin laughs softly to herself. "And in that statement you find our reason for wanting this room," she hints gently, hand on Gavroche's shoulder protectively. "Also-"

A man who looks nearly seven sheets to the wind interrupts, stumbling over to the trio. "'Ello pretty lady," he grins, Kaylin stepping back slightly from the smell of the man's breath. "Wanna drink?"

"No thank you," Kaylin denies politely, still a lady as much as she rues it. She turns back to the owner of the café. "Madame, I think that-" her voice comes to an abrupt stop as the man's hand comes to rest on her shoulder. "Please let me go," she forces out with much less politeness as she had before. The man refuses, and Kaylin stomps hard on his foot and then elbows him right where it would knock the wind out of him. "Thank you," she says sassily, taking a step closer to the bar.

Madame Houcheloup ponders the offer. "I do have a room," she reluctantly admits. "But I wouldn't have the time or resources to man the bar here and then go upstairs to serve your group."

Kaylin rests her chin on her hand, mulling over the deal. "...If I offered to work here, would that make things easier for you? Because I think that our group really needs this space."

Madame Houcheloup nods slightly. "That would definitely help, yes. Are you sure you'd like to? You'd have to deal with a lot more unruly men such as that one," she grimaces at the man that is currently flopped near a table.

"I'll be fine," Kaylin assures lightly. "Some of my friends taught me a few self-defense techniques. I could start as soon as you would like me to, and then my friends could have these meetings sooner rather than later as well."

The two women seal the deal with a handshake and Gavroche and Kaylin promptly leave the café, Kaylin discovering that her first day of work is, conveniently, the same day of the first meeting of... Enjolras' revolutionary group that still doesn't have a name yet. Sighing, Kaylin pushes a strand of chocolate-brown hair behind her ear.

"This dinner is going to be hell," Kaylin moans softly under her breath, already bracing herself for hours of meaningless conversation that could just as well be white noise.

Gavroche looks at her, confused. "If both you and Enjy-" Kaylin smirks at the nickname - "hate these dinners, then why do you go?"

Kaylin groans dryly. "Because our parents will force us to go and we can't really say no unless we... well, to put it simply... get married. Either with the big shindig our parents want or just eloping with only Joly, Jehan, Courf, Ferre, Feuilly, AJ, you, Enjy, and I."

"Me?" 

"Of course silly," Kaylin teases. "You do realize that Enjy and I have basically adopted you, right?"

Gavroche blinks. "You have?"

Kaylin grins. "Yeah. Although our parents don't know it, they're technically grandparents."

Gavroche smiles back. "And who are Joly, Jehan, Courf, Ferre, and AJ?"

"Joly and Ferre are both training to be doctors, although Enjy's known Ferre longer. Courf, Ferre, and Enj are basically inseparable: the Chief, the Centre, and the Guide. Jehan's our resident poet, and I met him first at one of my mother's tea party thingies. Jehan's sister was one of the young ladies there... she wasn't all that bad, too. Ferre introduced Enjy to Joly and I kinda introduced myself without anyone telling me I could. Feuilly... Enjy and I met him on a spite-fueled adventure to annoy our parents. He's probably one of the kindest people I've ever met. Also, he loves the country of Poland, sort of like Enjy with France. AJ's my best friend... well, other than Enjy, that is. My only true girl friend; all the others are stuck-up prats."

Gavroche nods slowly.

"Oh! Courf and AJ are dating as well, and he's head-over-heels in love. We've nearly run out of cloth towels mopping up his drool over her 'chocolate brown hair with hints of mahogany and not honey,'" Kaylin informs sardonically. "I'll introduce you at the meeting. And you remember how to get back up to Enjy's room, right?"

The seven-year-old nods determinedly as he scampers off to the front porch. "I'll be careful!" he calls over his shoulder, pulling the heavy front door open and slipping inside before Kaylin can say a word.

She laughs softly to herself. "Hopefully."

------------------------------------------------------------------

Six o'clock in the evening.

Kaylin pushes the food on her excessively ornate golden plate with the tines of her fork, trying not to fall asleep from the droning conversation going on about her. Flicking her chocolate eyes up across the table, she looks at Enjolras. He's faring in about the same manner as she is.

"Now darling," Kaylin's elderly aunt declares to her, patting her cheek in a patronizing manner. "when is there going to be a pretty diamond around your finger?" The woman lifts Kaylin's left hand and stares at it intently, almost as if waiting for a ring to magically appear on her ring finger.

Kaylin grimaces slightly at how much of a big deal this is. "Auntie, I have no idea," she deadpans. "If anyone knows, it's Gabe. Ask him if you want to know." She glances across the table, begging Enjolras to come and rescue her from this enthralling conversation.

Kaylin's mother sniffs condescendingly. "Although you have known your future spouse since birth," she starts delicately, "you must still address him in the proper manner - Monsieur."

Silence reigns, only to be broken by Kaylin bursting into laughter. Her shoulders shake with pure gaiety. The men on the other side of the table look up from their conversation about politics and the monarchy, Enjolras gladly welcoming the distraction from how 'oh so wonderful' King Charles X is.

Wiping a tear of laughter away from her eyes, Kaylin suppresses the laughter still threatening to bubble out of her. "Monsieur Enjolras," she tests out, falling into peals of laughter once more.

Enjolras' father looks at her, confused. "Yes, mademoiselle Lambert?"

Kaylin giggles even harder. "I meant your son."

Enjolras cocks his head slightly. "Uhhhh... what???"

"I know, it's awkward for me too," Kaylin says lightly, addressing her boyfriend as if he was the only other person in the room. "But it's 'the proper manner.'"

Enjolras hides a smile behind his hand that conveniently is propping his head up on the table. "Of course it is."

Kaylin's eyes shine with laughter. "Okay I can't do that anymore. Thanks Mother for the etiquette lesson, but I think Gabe suits him a lot more." Enjolras rolls his cerulean eyes lightly at his girlfriend, who smiles innocently. "Oh, also, my aunt wants to know when you're proposing," Kaylin informs Enjolras blithely.

The man in question, who had just taken a drink of water, promptly chokes on the aforementioned water.

"Kaylin!" the Lambert matriarch and her younger sister admonish in unison.

The woman they are addressing raises an eyebrow in a casual manner. "What? You literally just asked me that." Mumbling under her breath, she whispers, "Memory loss already? Most unfortunate."

Kaylin's older brother hears her, stifling his laughter with a bite of veal. Jack Lambert is the heir to the family fortune, although he doesn't seem to want it like his younger sister and his future brother-in-law. He looks exactly like Kaylin, even though he doesn't flaunt his controversial beliefs so openly like she does.

"I... ummm..." Enjolras coughs into his sleeve awkwardly.

"See, now he's blushing," Kaylin teases softly. "Damn," she swears lightly, soldiering on despite the gasps of indignation from the older family members, "never knew you liked red that much so you'd like to turn your entire body that color."

Enjolras glares jokingly over the table as Kaylin smiles innocently back. "That... is for me to know and you to find out," he declares.

"Have you told Courf?" Kaylin changes the subject somewhat abruptly.

"Yes...?"

Kaylin smirks, satisfied. "I'm gonna go to AJ and ask her to ask Courf your plan. He can't say no to her."

Enjolras' golden-curled head hits the mahogany table with a loud thump.

Author's Note: Hope you enjoyed! Yes, their families are very noble in France and they want everyone to know it. Also, I hope you liked how Gav is being sneaked into Kaylin or Enjolras' houses. I'll try updating soon. Vive la France!

- Kaylin